Janet

I went through a phase of that. It's most annoying. I try to scribble down as many thoughts as I can now and then try to make something coherent out of them!

It is good. (should, should! ).

Oh me too. It's nice to hear from a man who likes it - when I did it for AS level a few years ago, there was only one man on our course and he didn't like it at all! Off the top of my head, I especially like Queen Herod and the one about Ann Hathaway's bed from that collection, but there are lots of great ones. I must see about getting another collection of hers.

Well if she finds it then I recommend it too. I think I've read about it being based on Merry Hill before. I see you're reading The Liar - I have that on my Wishlist.

What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn The ‘blurb’ A lost little girl with her notebook and toy monkey appears on the CCTV screens of the Green Oaks shopping centre, evoking memories of a junior detective, Kate Meaney, missing for 20 years. Kurt, a security guard with a sleep disorder and Lisa, a disenchanted deputy manager at Your Music, follow her through the centre’s endless corridors - welcome relief from the behaviour of customers, colleagues and the Green Oak’s mystery shopper. But as this after-hours friendship grows in intensity, it brings new loss and new longing to light. This book is set in 1984 and 2003/4. In 1984, Kate and her trusty sidekick, a toy monkey called Mickey, keep up surveillance on a number of ‘suspects’ in the Green Oaks shopping centre. A bit of a loner, she spends time on her own or with Adrian, the son of the local sweet shop owner who is quite a bit older than her. It’s a strange but entirely innocent friendship. The action skips forward to 2003 and Kate has been missing for 20 years after failing to turn up for an entrance exam at an esteemed public school. Kurt and Lisa are intrigued by the sighting of a little girl carrying a monkey and make it their mission to try to find her. Each has their own personal reasons for wanting to solve the mystery of Kate’s disappearance. O’Flynn’s characterisation is spot on and the feelings of loneliness that seem to come from the main characters are realistically written and the way she portrays the soullessness of the shopping centre is also very well done. Perhaps some of the coincidences are a bit… well, far-fetched, but it didn’t matter a jot. This is one of my favourite reads so far this year and I’m eagerly awaiting her next book.

Just finished this - what a fabulous book! 9/10

I thought it was awful too! And it stopped in the wrong place (for convenience I guess). I don't think they're making any more of them - I thought they'd been axed?

Hi Gil - Cool username! Welcome to the forum. The story of your three weddings is lovely.

They also have a "Last night I dreamed I went to Mr B's again" mug! I think I might treat myself to one next time I'm in Bath seeing as Rebecca's one of my all-time favourites. It really was a wonderful experience. Thanks guys.

First off, I owe them an apology because I remembered that they had asked me what I read, but it was very general in terms of genre only. It was amazing. I was seen by Nic (the shop owner - he runs it with his wife). We spent about 20-25 minutes discussing what I've read recently (I took along a list of the books I've absolutely loved in the last few years) and whether there is anything I've not tried but I'm curious about. Then he pulled two books off the shelves from the room we were in and left me to look at those (and drink my lovely strong black coffee and eat my almond croissant - yum!) whilst he went off with some other choices. He bought me about 15 books in total. Four of them I've already read - and loved - which speaks testament about how clued up he really is. Of the remaining 11 books, I liked the sound of all of them! I spent another half an hour browsing through them before making my choices. I came away with 6 books: Black Rock by Amanda Smythe Celia

Oh gosh, sorry. I'll edit my post so I don't spoil the book for anyone else. Sorry Lexi.

The main point of Chocolat was that I hate it so much!

Chocolat without a shadow of a doubt. It makes me so angry when I think about how they ruined it!

I did this on Facebook and I've read 31. I have at least 15 others on my 'to read' (not Wishlist) pile.

Gosh, I didn't think my post was rude Roxi - sorry. I was just interested because you wrote... Which seemed to be saying (to me) that you didn't understand the need for them. I didn't mean to upset you?

The History Channel repeated series 1 and 2 in Jan/Feb, but for some reason they didn't show S3.

Hi there. Welcome to BCF. What did you want to know?

Are you saying that (for example) people who have learning difficulties shouldn't be allowed to enjoy the premise of a story if they can't manage to read the whole thing then?! As I've said before, I do think abridged versions have their uses - and their place in the world of literature. Sure, they're not for me or for most of us on here but if other people need to read abridged versions, or even just want to read abridged versions then I don't see what harm it does - and why they shouldn't be printed! I quite enjoyed LotR - but some scenes went on forever - I can't imagine having the time to sit through the director's cut versions! Mind you, I've never read the books and nor do I have the intention so I'm just taking the films at face value - you can't miss what you haven't had!

I have absolutely no idea what manga/manwha is! However, Paula (Gyre) reads lots of books by people with Japanese sounding names so perhaps she's a fan?

One 'Apprentice' pulls out before show even begins! List of 2009 candidates

I've only read one - A Woman of No Importance which I did for A Level a few years ago - we read it in parts and I thought it was fabulous! I was lucky in that a production came up at Salisbury whilst I was studying so I was able to go and see it - it was fantastic! I've also seen The Importance of Being Earnest in Bath where the wonderful Penelope Keith played Lady Bracknell! I've yet to try Lady Windermere's Fan or An Ideal Husband out of his other plays, but I'm hoping to perhaps see a film version of them - I find it quite hard to read plays on my own! Which is your favourite play - and which others would you recommend?

Iago from Othello - he's a fantastic villain!