Weave

Congrats, you make a lovely couple

A wee jump start is all you need hen and you helped my decision with the book (my sister does love RHCP so ), I am sorry you lost your signed copy hen

I usually take a mini book break, read something else, then go back to it I am going to get it for her birthday I know she has read 'Scar Tissue: The Autobiography' by Anthony Kiedis a few times

I am currently reading The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams and I bought this evening in Tesco's ~ The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I finished 'Elidor' by Alan Garner and I started 'The Behaviour of Moths' by Poppy Adams but I haven't made a dent in it as yet

Hi ladymacbeth, how are you? its similar in some aspects but with Narnia, everything stays in Narnia, in Elidor, they are followed through to this world

Great review Chesil, sounds a great series, another addition to my wishlist

Thanks Kidsmum, I hope you can find it and read it, I would love to hear your thoughts

Elidor by Alan Garner ~ Started: 23.01.11 ~ Finished: 24.01.11 Synopsis ~ Roland, Helen, Nicholas and David, four Manchester children, are led into Elidor, a twilight world almost destroyed by fear and darkness. On a gloomy day in Manchester, Roland, Helen, Nicholas and David are lured into a ruined church, where the fabric of time and place is weak enough to allow them into the twilight world of Elidor. It is a place almost destroyed by fear and darkness, and the children are charged with guarding its Treasures while a way is sought to save the dying land. Then the evil forces find a path through to this world! 'Elidor' is the story of four siblings, Nicholas, David, Helen and Roland who one day by accident find themselves in the world of Elidor, a world which is connected to ours in many ways. Elidor is dying and the only people who can save it are Nicholas, David, Helen and Roland. Roland, the youngest of the siblings, who is shy and is scared easily shows his worth in Elidor when he meets Malebron, a warrior who leads Roland to his siblings and treasures that must be kept safe, so that Elidor can be saved. Roland bravely saves his siblings and they take the treasures, Nicholas has a stone, David, a sword, Helen, a bowl and Roland, a spear, when the return home, the treasures have changed, they look old and not what they were but they still feel the same, the children hide them and wait to hear from Malebron, while they wait, they are faced with enemies from Elidor and must use all of their wits to find their way back to Malebron and Elidor before its too late. What I thought of 'Elidor' ~ I first read 'Elidor' when I was 10 years old in Primary School (so I am really showing my age) and the story always stuck with me, so it was a trip down memory lane when I read it again. I love 'Elidor' for various reasons, the story is well told, the characters unforgettable, the only downside of the story is how short it is, you want to read more. Definitely a book to share with my nieces and nephews and I know I will go back to 'Elidor' again and again. Rating ~ 10/10

The Commitments

The hole in the center of the bagel ensures that it bakes and boils evenly. Because its dough is fairly dense, the hole in the center allows for water and heat to circulate around the most surface area. Your bagel sounds delicious

Its really good bobblybear, very insightful and full of information

No problem bobblybear, I am a big fan of 'The Stand' too

Great reviews bobblybear, happy reading

Great reviews Ooshie, I have 'The Winter Ghosts' and also 'Fear the Worst' on my tbr pile

Tea from my Tigger mug

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks ~ Started: 10.01.11 ~ Finished: 16.01.11 Synopsis ~ Drawing from reams of historical data, laboratory experiments, field research, and eyewitness accounts, this comprehensive and illustrated guide is the only book you'll need to face the greatest challenge mankind has ever encountered. Granted, you probably already know that skills such as wilderness survival, leadership, and basic first aid are important when fighting off hordes of the undead. But The Zombie Survival Guide doesn't stop there, teaching you how to: Identify cases of infection by the zombie virus, Solanum, and recognize the hourly progression of symptoms: 'Hour 8: Numbing Of Extremities And Infected Area, Increased Fever [103-106 Degrees], Increased Dementia, Loss Of Muscular Coordination'; choose the right weapon: 'A Section Of Lead Pipe Will Work For A Single Encounter But Is Too Heavy For Those On The Move'; defend your home: 'A Ten-Foot Cinder-Block Wall, Reinforced Wih Steel Rods And Filled With Concrete, Is The Safest Barrier In Both Class 1 And Class 2 Outbreaks'; and much more. Filled with helpful illustrations and a sample 'Outbreak Journal' that should be kept on your person at all times, The Zombie Survival Guide is the only guide you will need to survive a most certain pandemic. 'Ignorance is the undead's strongest ally, knowledge their deadliest enemy,' Brooks writes. 'Personal choice, the will to live, must be paramount when the dead begin to rise. The choice is up to you.' Ever wondered what you would do if Zombies began to run (or walk slowly) outside your window?, would you wait for the government to help?,would you assemble a rag tag team of like minded people and kick some zombie butt? Or just accept the zombies for what they are and let them take over the world with the risk you could end up being food for them​​?, all of these questions and more are covered by Max Brooks in 'The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead'. Following the creation of the virus of Solanum which can be pass to anyone through an open wound, or when coming in contact with someone who has infected blood or saliva, zombies are a part of life, how do you survive? Max Brooks is about to tell you how. What I thought of 'The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead' ~ I enjoyed reading this book for numerous reasons, it had zombies in it and it was shown in a funny, clear, concise and meticulous manner, and it was well researched, I admit though to skipping some parts, particularly the part on dealing with zombies who are underwater, I am scared of the water and having a zombie in the water, well it can stay there, I am not going after it. Buy a copy, read it and learn from it because you never know when zombies might appear. Rating ~ 7/10 ****** War World Z by Max Brooks ~ Started: 16.01.11 ~ Finished: 23.01.11 Synopsis ~ It began with rumours from China about another pandemic. Then the cases started to multiply and what had looked like the stirrings of a criminal underclass, even the beginnings of a revolution, soon revealed itself to be much, much worse. Faced with a future of mindless, man-eating horror, humanity was forced to accept the logic of world government and face events that tested our sanity and our sense of reality. Based on extensive interviews with survivors and key players in the 10-year fight-back against the horde, "World War Z" brings the very finest traditions of American journalism to bear on what is surely the most incredible story in the history of civilisation. Following on from 'The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead', which taught you how to survive the zombie outbreak, 'World War Z' is the story of the individuals who survived the ten year war between the living and the undead. What I thought of 'World War Z' ~ I enjoyed 'World War Z', all the stories were equally hard hitting and heart breaking, and it put a human face to how World War Z affected people. Rating ~ 7/10

I'm almost finished 'World War Z' by Max Brooks (and very worried about zombies)

This is another series I keep meaning to read, great reviews hen

Great buys hen!

Yay for real books, I am still buying them too

Unwind by Neal Shusterman ~ Started: 06.01.11 ~ Finished: 10.01.11 Synopsis ~ Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together through desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing all the while that their lives are hanging in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthdays, they can't be harmed. But when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away... 'Unwind' is the story of three very different teenagers, Connor, sixteen, who is constantly in trouble at school because of his temper, Risa, fifteen, an orphan who was raised in one of the many state homes all over the USA and Lev, thirteen, who has been raised to believe he must make the ultimate sacrifice. Connor, Risa and Lev have one thing in common, they are about to be unwound. Following the second Civil War, also known as the Heartland War twenty years ago, a war between the Pro-life and Pro-choice armies, the Bill of Life was created, which states that a human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen, this means that between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent or guardian can 'abort' their child on the condition that the child's life does not 'technically' end, this process is known as 'Unwinding', the child will not die, parts of he/she will harvested for transplants, which has become normal within society, every part of your body can be replaced at the price of ending another person's life. Connor is being unwound because of his behaviour, Risa is being unwound because the state home she lives in can no longer afford her and due to the vast amount of abandoned babies who have been 'storked' unsuccessfully ('storked' is when a baby is abandoned at a person's house, under the law, the person must accept the baby, if the baby is ignored they eventually arrive at a state home) there is no place for Risa. Lev has been preparing to be unwound since birth because he is a tithe, he been taught that his unwinding will be a contribution in the greater scheme of things, Lev is happy to be unwound the day after his thirteenth birthday. Connor and Risa take the opportunity to run and Lev is forced to run with them, now the three of them are on the run, all they can hope is that they keep running or hidden until they are eighteen. In a world where all teenagers are at risk of being 'unwound' by their own parents/guardians, who can they trust? What I thought of 'Unwind' ~ I went through various emotions reading 'Unwind', I could not understand how a bill like the Bill of Life could be passed but given the situation within the society and the 'need' for transplants, it was acceptable to society, I also found it cruel that all the children who are unwinded are put forward for various reasons, behaviour, lack of money and with such a lack of conscience, what would possess a parent/guardian to do such a thing while telling their children that effectively they will still be alive in someone else, and in some ways they are but the person they were is gone with only parts left. 'Unwind' is a strong story with characters who are faced with death before their time, there is so many discussions surrounding the nature of human transplants but with 'Unwind', the majority of children are not given an option or are taught to believe it is the right thing to do, there are so many questions raised within this book but it leads back to the same thought, well for me it did, that no one has the right to decide when someone should die. Each character has their own story and as you read you learn more and about them, and the cruelty of their situation, and how they are lied to by people they trust, none of them deserve their fate. Neal Shusterman has wrote a story with the subject of an future that could happen, which makes it more frightening, at times, sad and in one particular part, heartbreaking, you will care about Connor, Risa, Lev and the rest of the children about to be unwound. 'Unwind' is an excellent story, its heartfelt, insightful, and definitely gives you something to think about. An excellent book, highly recommended and I hope to read more books by Neal Shusterman. Rating ~ 10/10 Sorry hen

I was the same Laura, I did not enjoy the book at all, especially the ending! I'm still reading 'World War Z' by Max Brooks

Try and take some reading time for yourself Ben, you know, just to relax