Janet

That makes sense - I thought the slightly clumsy grammar was unlike you!

Wow - you have made amazing progress - I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with your restraint. (Bolding mine: Just one thing - doesn't this make four new books?)

Generally random for me too - although I have picked a few to read because I knew they were on this list. I don't stand a chance of completing this though (I don't have enough years left) and there are some books on it I just don't fancy, but like Alex, I love lists!

I knew it. I KNEW it! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, frankie.

Oooh, good. I thought it was you who liked his books. It says on the front cover "as funny as Bryson and as wise as Orwell" so it sounds right up my street.

I bought Adventures on the High Teas by Stuart Maconie today. I had some money left on a WHS card that I had for my birthday so it cost the princely sum of 15p! I have high hopes for this although goodness knows when I'll get round it it!

It's great, isn't it. I spent ages last week 'visiting' various friends and family on it!

I see Claire has answered and what she said sums it up perfectly for me. I can't really add to what she's said, except to say that we think Sherlock is a breath of fresh and all of us enjoy watching it (although Luke didn't watch the second series, but only because he'd rather be out with his friends than inside watching TV). I do have a bit of a crush on Benedict Cumberbatch, especially in this, as his character is just so... unique.

I'm about to start Brick Line by Monica Ali

You certainly did! No need to apologise! I have neither read nor seen ('Roland Butter' will be proud of me! ) Trainspotting! Maybe I'm missing out, but it doesn't appeal to me.

The Silver Chair by C S Lewis The ‘blurb’ "Quick!" said Eustace. "Hold hands! We mustn't get separated!" And before Jill quite knew what was happening, he had pulled her out of the door, out of the school grounds, out of England, out of our whole world into That Place. Eustace and Jill are whisked to the land of Narnia where Aslan, the great Lion, needs their help to find the missing Prince Rilian. Teaming up with Puddleglum, the Marsh Wiggle, the search takes them through some of the most dangerous underland of Narnia. Even if they attain their goal, it can only be the start of further trouble. The penultimate Narnia book in ‘reading order’ sees Eustace (from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) enter Narnia again to help find Price Rilian, King Caspian the tenth’s son, who has been missing for some years. This time Eustace takes with him a school acquaintance called Jill Pole. Jill is being bullied at their laid-back, progressive school and Eustace finds her crying and hiding from a bunch of girls. He tells her about Narnia and as they run to hide from the bullies, they open a gate on the school boundary and find themselves on a cliff in Aslan’s country where they meet the great lion. Eustace falls from the cliff and Aslan blows him to safety in Narnia. He then gives Jill four signs that will enable the pair to rescue Rilian, and so begins an adventure that will lead them through many perils on their quest to do Aslan’s bidding. I quite enjoyed this story, if only for the character of Puddleglum, a pessimistic ‘Marsh Wiggle’ based on Lewis’ gardener, Frederick Paxford, a man whom Lewis’ stepson, Douglas Gresham described as "always ready to say the most depressing things and apparently to take the gloomiest attitude to everything while at the same time to expect everything to turn out well." However, yet again it failed to live up to the first two (in ‘reading order’) – the spirit of which Lewis didn’t seem to capture as well in my humble opinion. I am just about to start on the final instalment, The Last Battle

It's easily done, Claire.

I think that was frankie - I have the box set. My favourites are also II and Goes Forth (the last episode of this is my all-time favourite episode for obvious reasons), but I do have a soft spot for the original one too. Three is my least favourite.

What Bryson is it? You can get a copy of Wandering Wenda and Widow Wallop’s Wunderground Washery from Abe Books - for £5.25 plus £5.75 P&P from the US.

You'll have to enlighten me - I have no idea why Irvine Welsh would write about Bernard! I do like Notting Hill - I have it on DVD and particularly like William's friends! Poorest was a bad choice of words. I just think Four Weddings is better. ETA: Train Spotting! D'oh!

When I got my Kindle for Christmas I started listing books I downloaded but I have stopped now as I know I'll never read all the ones I've got (mainly freebies) and I hated seeing my growing list in print! I have about (at a guess) 60 tree books on my 'to read' pile - I'm trying to reduce them but it's not working very well because I keep reading either Kindle books or library books too! Despite having these books I often can't find anything I fancy reading when I've finished a book! I had a maximum of about 15 'to read' books at any one time before I joined this place!

How to win friends and influence people, eh?! Personally I love recommendations - I've read some amazing books that I wouldn't have otherwise picked up by having someone recommend them to me.

This morning I finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy and received The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones in the post - a give-away from the publishers via Michelle.

Oooh, some great finds there!

I always assumed that blogs were personal, honest opinion based on someone reading a book for pleasure - or, if they were sent one by the supplier then that alone would be the reward for posting about it - not any cash changing hands. Also the idea of only a book rated 4* or above being reviewed, or only 'nice' reviews posted doesn't sit well with me. If someone reads a book for review and doesn't like it, they don't have to be rude about it - after all, it's very rare that everyone hates a book - what one person loves. another will hate, and vice versa. Sites should be honest. It's fine charging for a review if that's how one wants to operate (although if I was an author I wouldn't pay for someone to review my book - that wouldn't feel right) - as long as they're honest and up-front about it.

I hate it when that happens - that's definitely a signal that it's time to put it to one side (or give it away!) and pick up something else instead. Life is too short to finish a book one is not enjoying - it took me a long time to accept that!

I see there is a response from the review site on that blog now. It's not a terribly well written comment, ironically!

No, I haven't seen the The Voyage of the Dawn Treader film, Kay. I'd like to (I'm hoping my friend might buy it for her children as they have the first three in the set!!). I'd love to see how it translates to film. I finished The Silver Chair a couple of days ago - I've also just finished A Month in the Country by J L Carr thoughts to follow on both eventually.

Orwell disliked Keep the Aspidistra Flying and A Clergyman's Daughter (which I loved!) and requested that it wasn’t reprinted again in his lifetime, although he said he didn't object to them being reprinted after his death so that his heirs might receive “a few pounds”. I haven't really thought about it before, but I guess if people request their private documents/unfinished works be deleted after their deaths then that's what should happen. It's disrespectful to go against their wishes.