Janet

I like the highlight function on the Kindle. With paper books I usually put a tiny slip of paper in a page when I want to remember something. If it's a book club book then I might mark certain passages, but only ever in pencil.

Oh dear - I wish I hadn't read that - I've just started that this morning! Still, I guess I've got something to look forward to!

Aww bless you - thanks.

Well done!

Play.com are only going to be doing second-hand from now on - I wonder if they'll survive?

Aww, bless him!

That is a beautiful cover.

Hurrah! I was getting a bit worried that only Laura had mentioned it (that I've seen!). Thanks, Laura.

Mine is Iago from Shakespeare's Othello. He's so deliciously bad!

I think I am about to abandon my first book of 2013 - I Do Not Come To You By Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. I've read the first 50 or so pages but it's just not doing it for me. Such a shame as it would have been my 'Nigeria' book. Ah well.

Aww, I'm glad you're enjoying it. It just sounded like you and your kind of book! Aww, get a kitten!

A Fine Balance is a great book - so colourful and vibrant. I agree about A Month in the Country, although isn't that already classed as a Modern Classic?

They're amazing. Beautiful.

I'm so pleased you enjoyed it. It was such a colourful read, wasn't it.

Thank you! Oooooo - I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

Ah right - that makes more sense!

Gosh, I've downloaded loads to my Kindle! Definitely some more Austen (I've only read Pride and Prejudice so far), some Dickens (starting with The Pickwick Papers which I believe was his first?), Lorna Doone (a children's book, I think? But anyway, now classed as a classic as far as I know), Treasure Island, Fanny Hill, some more Hardy... All pretty mainstream stuff really. I hadn't really read any classics until a few years ago and I've only read a few. I loved P&P (it took me a while to get going with it), I loved The Mayor of Casterbridge. I loved The War of the Worlds. I really enjoyed Candide! Gulliver's Travels less so. A Christmas Carol, of course (not your favourite, I know!), Jane Eyre was really good... I wish I'd been more adventurous years ago! ETA: Why 'intriguing'?

Yes, those people (and you!) are to blame for long wish lists! I'm very impressed with a 400 page wish list! I have 8 wish lists to do with books on Amazon, but the largest of those is only 6 pages long!

I watched the film after reading the book, and that's lovely too.

You should read Stardust too, Hayley - it's wonderful!

Thanks, Andrea. I'm hoping to read some more unknown (to me) classics this year.

It was great, wasn't it. I hadn't seen this when I wrote my review of it, but like you, I felt I could feel the heat when reading. Have you read anything else by her? Fallen Grace was good - and I have Newes from the Dead on my wish list. This is one of my all-time favourites and one of the few books I re-read. Oddly enough I haven't really delved into her other books. I did read Rule Britannia many years ago (I believe this might have been her last published book?) which was totally different. I really want to try some others, especially The House on the Strand at some stage. I also want to visit her home in Cornwall one day.

I can't see the image, frankie.

I love lists and spreadsheets! As the years have gone on they’ve evolved – I started keeping them when I joined the forum in 2006. It’s interesting to look back on them. Discussing a book definitely helps with reviewing it! Sometimes, especially after book club, discussing a book has made me revise my feelings towards it! Thanks. I know what you mean! I’ve waded through books that I haven’t been enjoying and it’s hard going. Reading stops being a pleasure and becomes a chore! That’s why I’ve pretty much stopped reading bad books to the end – I used to hate the thought of giving up on a book ‘in case it got better’ or because it was a ‘waste of words’ but a few years ago I decided life was too short to read bad books and so the only time I plod on is if it’s for my book club or for my World Challenge! Similarly I have been considering re-reading I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith! When I read it back in 2006 it was for book club, and at that time I was only reading crime books or chick-lit, which I no longer enjoy. It would be interesting to see if reading now would change my opinion. On the other hand there are so many books I would like to read that I doubt I’ll ever get round to trying it again!