Icecream

I know exactly what you mean. I am the tyoe of person who needs time out with a coffee or book to relax and gather my thoughts now and again, especially when the kids are here, but of course, as 'Mum' I'm always found. With a house, partner and children us women are always needed. Even if I say I want some time something always comes up when I'm in the middle of my time out.

It looks like Drex's version of tidying up an overgrown garden is burn everything. We had a nice BBQ on the new wood burner on Sat, and now the garden looks a lot bigger (and cleaner).

I remmber that Bagpuss. The good old days of studying, reading text books and fiction at the same time. I was likely to have about 20 books on the go, but of course textbooks don't get fully read (of course you are talking about having two fiction books on the go though). I currently have two fiction books on the go though. As my chosen time to read at the moment is while breastfeeding, I have one book on the coffee table downstairs, and one on the armchair in the bedroom.

Hi Raven. I'm reading the book that you sent me at the moment. I was hoping to finish it, but my time has been taken up the last 2 weeks by setting my new baby into the house. I'm now managing to read some each day. The first question I thought of is similar to Michelle's. Where did your inspiration for the book come from, in particular, although vampires are probably expected to be male, is there anything in particular that inspired you to write male characters as the main ones?

The Secret Garden, my all time favourite film. I should dig the book out of my children's collection and add it to the list.

OK, so finally here are my thoughts, or at least some of them. I was completely inefficient by taking the book back yesterday before I wrote something down that I'd spotted. Might take a sneak peak when i go at the end of the week. I have never read any Pratchett before and therefore Discworld also) so I am completely new to the author and the world, though i have read plenty of fantasy before now. I too liked the dark element of the book. I think it was one of the first things I noticed. It is strange because it is almost comical, given in the context of the nature of the book, yet also has an element of realism that is too prominent to ignore. I liked Death too, a very likeable character. Is it ironic that one should like the character of death? It certainly seems so:lol: . I agree with Kell's comment about Santa, and just leaving a step or two behind where we are now. It makes the realism of Pratchett's writing prominent, while not being too much, therefore still keeoing that fantastical element, as you said Kell, a realism that gets under our skin.. As the world so closely parodies our own in this way and in many others, Pratchett it seems, is showing us more than we actually read in his book. The wizards themselves, I feel pose an interesting reality. As diddave said above, although the creatures in the book are not always human, they show closeness with humanity, and this, for me, came through with the way the wizards conducted themselves, from the use of normal things such as bathrooms, to the way they interacted with each other (including with Hex). This made me wonder how far we can actually push the boudaries of our own reality. How far are the real and unreal actually the same thing? I also enjoyed Susan's no nonsense approach. Also, I think her character helped in a big way to push the book in the direction of reality, especially as she was reluctant to leave reality (whatever that reallly is;) ). As for the pronunciation of teatime, I always read it as it was written and refused to indulge in his own pronunciation, whether it is right or wrong). I just couldn't be bothered with it.

Must be:lol: There was a lot of work, only the same amount as a single honours course. The difficulty with two subjects is spending each day flipping your mind between the too, and in my case moving between campuses meaning a lot of travelling time and not much studying time by the time I got home.

Hi Amy My graduation was only four months ago (due to the strikes), but now it does seem like an age. I studied a BAC Music/Theology and Religious Studies at Liverpool Hope, althoug hope only became a university in 2005 so my course is accredited by the University of Liverpool. Four years at uni, I know many things but still don't understand why they named the Theology course twice!

Judy - Mist Over Pendle is a fiction book. Obviously it accounts real events, but is written as a fiction book and is quite long, if you get my meaning. I'm sure it is good, but in addition to this you may want to get your hands on the shorter book The Pendle Witch Trial 1612 by Rachel A.C. Hasted, and also The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster, reprint of the 1612 book by Thomas Potts, ISBN 1-85936-100-5, which is actually a pamphlet written by Potts, a lawyer in the court at the time of the witches trial, which Hasted's book is based on. Looking in the front of Hasted's book I see that i am correct there were nineteen witches. They were not all tried together though.

Well I'm sure you could borrow it if you like;) . I'll let you know what I think of it.

thanks everydayxangels. I've just started Mist Over pendle by Robert Neill. I've been aching to read it for ages, and as I can't get the bookseller yet couldn't resist. I wanted something to read last night, but I couldn't get back into My Sister's Child. "The forest of Pendle during the early seventeenth century: a wild inaccessible corner of Lancashire where the ancient fear of demons and witches is still part of life - and death. When several local people die in, mysterious circumstances, Squire Roger Nowell dismisses talk of withcraft as superstition, but soon a series of hideous desecrations take place, and there are unmistakable signs that a black coven is assembling to plot a campaign of evil and destruction.." Mist Over Pendle is a local book. The valley of Pendle is next to where i live, the hill being only 5/10 minutes drive in many directions (big hill). The story is about the Pendle witches. If I remeber the legend correctly, there were nineteen women caught, tried and killed all from the area. As I have grown up around this legend and its geography this book has sentimental value..

Finally finished The Hogfather. Will post comments tomorrow in the reading circle. *Updated the list and added my to be bought pile as well. I'm still going with My Sister's Child too, and am waiting for The bookseller of Kabul in the library.

Ditto that..

Well, that's OK then! Sounds like a good book. I hope you enjoy your break with it..

Naughty. You know you'll never get that work done like that;)

Oooh, sounding even better.. I like pappadums and prawn crackers and (dr) pepper, and other things.. mmmmmm. Noone gets in without a hogwarts badge lol.

Yeah, Harry Potter fest. Can we all come? I don't know how many times I've seen POA. quite a lot though.

Sounds good Sugar. Might have to add this to the TBR list.

Ah, thanks Sugar, you are of course correct. Yes the knightbus was in the prisoner of azkaban. Harry blew up his Aunt, ran away, then saw Sirius in the form of the dog and stuck out his arm - that's where the knight bus came trundling along.

I lived for the Magic Faraway Tree books when I was little. I bought them all, still have them somewhere. The Secret Garden is forever my all time favourite film. There is so much of me in Mary Lennox. I must get the book out and read it, and thanks for reminding me I loved Tom's Midnight Garden too.

It's my birthday in June. If i drop enough hints (like I haven't already) Mum will probably get me the adult hardback to go with my other ones.

Thanks. I'll get round to adding you guys some day too.

I've just got round to joining this, however, it will take me rather a long time to catalogue my books etc. I have lot's of other things to do. In fact I should be cleaning the kitchen instead of roaming around here..

Careful, before you know it someone will be starting a top 5 favourite authors thread..

Aye, Dolores Umbridge if I remember correctly. No problem Gyre. I can't actually believe I remembered that. Maybe my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was..