Sugar

I'm glad that you are looking foward to Adolphus Tips, Tiger. If you enjoy it, then I have a couple of other books that I think you might enjoy! If you don't like it I'll keep my mouth shut!

Finished Two for the Dough. About to start the new Jasper Fforde - the Fourth Bear. I've heard him mention it in his talks, so am really looking forward to getting my teeth into it later!

I've got this on my pile (it was on offer in the Works for 99p! Your reviews is so good, I must bump it up a few places!

Well, finished Dead Lock. I thought it was moew satisfying than Indemnity Only. The climax could have been slightly more exciting, but I did say outloud "oh noooo!" at one point. Started the 2nd Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich - Two for the Dough - now. I read One for the Money last year and thought it reasonable, but I have been assured that they get better as the series goes on. I think maybe the heat is putting me off a couple of my high up the TBR pile books (Mark of the Angel and At-Swim-Two-Birds), as I suspect they will be heavy going. Crime thrillers seem the way forward at the mo.

She has suggested she MAY kill Harry - that would stop anyone writing any more sequels. I think one of the Weasley's is a good bet too.

Now reading Dead Lock by Sara Paretsky. I read the first V I Warshawski novel - Indemnity Only - earlier this year, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but I fancied a read with a strong female lead and a bit of crime and thriller thrown in so this made a logical choice. Read over half since yesterday evening, and so far so good. I'm also learning a lot about grain shipping!

While reading Dying Light, I also read a book for work, Frogs and French Kisses by Sarah Mlynowski. I interrupted the MacBride as I needed a paperback to take out with me over the weekend. It is a teenage novel, and a sequel to Bra's and Broomsticks, although I haven't read that. Set in New York it did seem rather Americanised for my taste - there were many words that I have only encountered in movies before. Some of the characters get Glandular Fever, but it took me a long time to work out that was what they were talking about as they kept calling it "mono". Frogs and French-kisses was a bit princess diary-ish with a bit of harry potter thrown in for good measure! It was good fun though, and I'm sure it will be loved by lots of teen girls!

Since I last posted here I have read the sequel to Cold Granite, called Dying Light. I thought it was much more developed and MacBride's confidence has got better. The torture scenes did have me cringing a bit, but MacBride balances these well with the laugh-out-loud moments.

My flatmates named the christmas turkey at university - it then stuck and for the rest of the year everytime they had a joint it would be named something. The turkey was called Molly. I have no idea why! I have a collegaue who says that she won't eat anything with eyes. Not even potatoes!

I finished Kite Runner last night. Felt quite relieved. The ending was better than I thought it was going to be, but I'm still not sure I can see why it got all the hype. I actually feel that In the Country of Men was better, even though the plot was almost identical and ITCOM was written after Kite Runner!

I go to the library nearly every day - but then I wouldn't get paid if I didn't!!! Louise - there is usually a maximum fine limit (of a few pounds) that stops increasing when the book is returned, or when it reaches a certain time limit of lateness. You are only allowed to keep financial data like this for 7 years by law as well - so as of last year you should be free!!!

I read my dad's copy of Lolita when I was about 13 or 14. I was always aware of it, and that it was of a sexual nature and unsuitable for children. I took it off the shelf and read it over the course of a few days, hiding it whenever my parents were in! Considering all the controversy surrounding it, I think I had hyped it up to much more graphic than I actually found it to be. It was a similar reaction to the one I had to Lady Chatterly's Lover! I hope you enjoy it, Kell - I'd love to know more about what you think when you have finished.

I've read Wyrd Sisters (one of my favourite Pratchetts), The Red Pony (in Year 8 at school - really enjoyed it, possiby one of the reasons I was so disappointed with Of Mice and Men which I studied for GCSE!), and The Eyre Affair which is one of my favourite books ever. Not a complete misfit then, worry not muggle not!

I've read Cock and Bull. Very surreal, but very entertaining! It's quite short, so worth trying. At least then you would know if it's worth hating him for!

I've just been to see Jacqueline Wilson talking. She is a really nice woman. I bought Candy Floss to read. I've not read Clean Break though. Midnight is my favourite. I hope you like it, Tiger.

Also read today a book for work called Buddies by Michaela Morgan. It is published by a company called Barrington Stoke who specialise in books for less confident readers and people with dyslexia. Although I know a lot about BS, I've never read one of their books. It was ok, and does what it needs to, but I found the plot quite contrived and there was no real character development, it was all rather 2D.

I've finished Cold Granite - actually enjoyed it. I mostly like my crime drama's with a strong female lead, and although this didn't have that it was well written, fast paced and very enjoyable.

Muggle Not - The reislings, and also the Piersporters from that part of germany are very drinkeable - and much nicer than the liebfraumilch! Kell - I have just been teaching myself about different wines, by reading the labels on the shelves in the supermarket, and also the bottles. I now know that i hate Chardonnay, but love semillon and chenin grapes. The free supermarket mags often have a wine feature too, that give lots of interesting facts that explain why I like / dislike certain flavours.

You might get more out of the setting than me as well - as it's set in Aberdeen! Although I wonder how much it is just reinforcing stereotypes - does it really NEVER stop raining?!

I have put down the Kite Runner for a bit as not much seemed to be happening very quickly. I decided to go back to the trusty crime genre, and a few people had recommended Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride to me, so I'm now half way through that.

Thanks for your comments! Muggle Not - I read 96 books last yar - missing out on my challenge to read 100. I was hoping to manage that this year, but I have read more adult books this time, and am about 20 behind target! I could read a load of childrens books, but I think that would be cheating just to reach a meaningless figure!

That was one fo the things that totally annoyed me about the series. I wanted to say Mma as Madama - as the french abbrieviate Madame to Mme!

Will I be showing off to say that I have seen him give talks twice (once in my library, once at a literary festival), went to Swindon to meet him when he was signing at Borders, and also went to the Fforde Ffestival - a weekend long celebration of his work in Swindon. He attended and we all throroughly enjoyed it! There will be another one - the Fforde Ffiesta in 2007. I'm glad that you like your library - as well as working there, I'm a big library fan!

I'm intrigued - there have been over twenty new members in 3 days. Only Sophia and MonkeyCatcher have posted here to say it was from another site. Is this site the main source of recruitment, or is it a huge co-incidence?

To pick up from some of Tigers reading list - Roald Dahl always used amusing names. Miss Trunchbull and the Wormwood's in Matilda. Weren't the characters in the Twit's called Mr and Mrs Twit?