Janet

Oh thanks so much - I'll check it out. My Grandfather fought in the first world war. He never really spoke about his experiences though and he died when I was 15 so I wasn't really interested in history. Now I'm older (perhaps wiser too?! ) I'm very interested in history and as I'm researching my family tree this interest becomes deeper. Two of my Grandad's brothers died in WW1 - one was killed when HMS Vanguard blew up and the other was blown up on a munitions dump in the Somme. I wish I had asked him about his experiences. I know my cousin John spoke with him about it (he's much older than me) so I must ring him for a chat one of these days. </Waffle> Anyway, thanks again. ETA: I found it on UKTV History and have just watched it. Thanks!

I've just finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (7/10) and Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (8/10). I'm going to read: The Last Fighting Tommy, Harry Patch's autobiography, next. He's (as the name suggests) the last British man alive who fought in World War 1. He's 109 years old and lives not far from here.

I've just finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (7/10) and Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (8/10). I'm going to read: The Last Fighting Tommy, Harry Patch's autobiography, next. He's (as the name suggests) the last British man alive who fought in World War 1. He's 109 years old and lives not far from here.

Oh yes definitely. I always enjoy the voting season!

Oh yes, I think so - although probably not until after I've finished my English course.

Hopefully you'll like it better this time round, Janet! Northern Lights is probably my favourite of the three (The Amber Spyglass is my least fave). Well, I've just finished it and it only took me 4 days (and considering we spent all of Saturday and Sunday doing other things that's good for me - I normally take at least a week to finish a book) and I really enjoyed it this time round, thankfully. We have to compare it to Huckleberry Finn as our A2 English Lit coursework. I'm not sure which aspect of it I'm going to use as my main discussion point. Perhaps friendship or childhood. I don't think I'll go for the religion aspect of it. Oh gosh, me too! I'm not good at gore and as you said, it came completely out of the blue!

In a similar vein, I loved going to 'The Little Shop' in our village and spending my savings on their books. They stocked a set with a different coloured dragon on the back - colour coded for age (I wonder what they were called* - I'd forgotten all about them until I started posting!). It was there I got my copy of The Land of Far Beyond my Enid Blyton. It was an interpretation of A Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (although I didn't know that at the time) and I used to often re-read that book! ETA: *Rather predictably they were called Dragon Books!

I didn't say I wouldn't have liked them. I just feel rather insulted that a) you are shamed by anyone that hasn't read them and you think my childhood is lacking due to not having read them. I had a fantastic childhood thank you very much.

You felt shamed that we hadn't read them. Good grief - overreaction or what?! For your information, I don't feel my childhood was deprived - quite the opposite actually.

I think it's a great idea, although it got a no from me personally as I had to give up on Emma this summer. It wasn't for me. However I noticed in WHSmith today that they have the box set of all of these in paperback for

I've just looked at my current read and that has happened! I'm going be checking that out from now on!

'Deed you ain't! You never said no truer thing 'n that, you bet you.' And once he said: 'Hear him beg! and yit if we hadn't got the beat for him and tied him, he'd a killed us both. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

1. Favourite main meal ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise 2. Favourite starter ~ Vegetable based soup (not tomato) 3. Favourite dessert ~ Something lemony and sharp 4. Favourite pizza topping ~ Mushroom 5. Favourite bread ~ Granary 6. Favourite vegetable ~ Courgette/mushrooms (Same as Fay!) 7. Favourite fruit ~ Mango or raspberry 8. Favourite cheese ~ loads - strong Cheddar, Brie, Stilton, Yarlsberg... 9. Favourite takeaway ~ Indian 10. Favourite chocolate bar ~ Chunky Kit-kat 11. Favourite sandwich ~ Avocado and bacon

I don't mind second hand books either. I can spend hours browsing in the Bookbarn and usually find something. At the moment, all their paperback fiction (apart from fantasy and classics) are

I read this a few years ago, but it left me feeling confused and unsatisfied!

I can't get on with hardbacks so seldom read them. I think it varies from author to author how long between hardback and paperback. I know that when I was really into 'chick lit' it was aaaages before Sophie Kinsella/Marian Keyes books came out in paperback.

Really? Stupid woman.

From Amazon If ever there was a book to make you switch off your television set, "The Dangerous Book for Boys" is it. How many other books will help you thrash someone at conkers, race your own go-cart, and identify the best quotations from Shakespeare? "The Dangerous Book for Boys" gives you facts and figures at your fingertips - swot up on the solar system, learn about famous battles and read inspiring stories of incredible courage and bravery. Teach your old dog new tricks. Make a pinhole camera. Understand the laws of cricket. There's a whole world out there: with this book, anyone can get out and explore it. "The Dangerous Book for Boys" is written with the verve and passion that readers of Conn Iggulden's number one bestselling novels have come to expect. This book, his first non-fiction work, has been written with his brother as a celebration of the long summers of their youth and as a compendium of information so vital to men of all ages. Lavishly designed and fully illustrated in colour and black and white throughout, it's set to be a perfect gift for Father's Day and beyond. Chapters in "The Dangerous Book for Boys" include: The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, Conkers, Laws of Football, Dinosaurs, Fishing, Juggling, Timers and Tripwires, Kings and Queens, Famous Battles, Spies, Making Crystals, Insects and Spiders, Astronomy, Girls, The Golden Age of Piracy, Secret Inks, Patron Saints of Britain, Skimming Stones, Dog Tricks, Making a Periscope, Coin Tricks, Marbles, Artillery, The Origin of Words, and The Solar System. This was our October

Don't be ashamed - it's a brilliant film! I *will* read the book one day when I have more time!

I've only read one Ben Elton too. The First Casualty. I really enjoyed it!

The complete works of William Shakespeare (and the York Notes!).

It is, and I do appreciate that they are volunteers, but there is something wrong about hearing 'Emma' read in an American accent. I don't mean to cause offence to anyone by that statement, but it's such a 'British' book that it just turned me off it straight away.

My son just read that, and I've bunged it on my 'to read' pile for next year. Congrats on the awards, btw.

This question is aimed at Kell, because I know she uses the site, but if anyone else also uses it then feel free to jump right on in! I downloaded 'Emma' from Librivox a few months ago because it was our summer 'bookworms' read (which we all gave up on, but that's another story...) and I thought it might be good to listen to it. Aside from the fact that it was read by a woman with perhaps the most irritating voice in the world, when I tried to burn it to CD to listen to in the car, it wanted to put it onto about 20 CDs! So, I was just wondering how you listen to yours? Do you burn them, or do you just listen to them on your computer?

Thanks Kell. I'd agree with your assessment - although I don't think I've ever seen any 'Kidby' ones in the flesh, so to speak. There are always loads of the 'Kirby' (how confusing!) ones in charity shops.