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List Updated Yesterday, I started reading Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk: I've already flown through the first half as it's quite a short book. I'm really enjoying parts of it, yet I feel (as I remember feeling about Cusk's first novel, Saving Agnes) that her writing can be a bit labourious at times. It's as if she fears that the common themes of her work (middle class women, motherhood, marriage, female anxiety) can seem 'chick lit'-like, so she needs to thrown in some opaque words to show 'weightiness'. If that makes sense...? Anyway, we'll see how it goes. It's also been nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction, and we now have all but one in the house, so I should be able to judge for myself this year! Also from my bookshelves, I've picked up The Fahrenheit Twins which is Michel Faber's second collection of short stories. After falling in love with The Crimson Petal, I thought some short peices of his writing might ease the heartbreak of that novel ending I keep meaning to read more short stories, so I'm hoping I'll keep 'dipping' in and out of this collection.

I'm so lazy - I hold it in both hands and have to be supported by cushions or a table!! So lazy... I find it really difficult to just hold it on one hand and keep ith in front of my face. I also 'slump' over which causes some real neck/shoulder problems... Bad habits from when I was little. Anyone have any advice? I find it really hard to be comfortable when reading.

Hello! Hope you're settling in nicely

Good. Glad you think so Although... You guys aren't the best people to ask We just encourage each other - when will this madness end??

Oh Louise! If you get arm-ache becuase of the hugeness of those books, you can blame me! They're both excellent reads, really easy to 'get into' and completely 'unputdownable' (if that's a word)... But I'd say Crimson Petal has the edge. Even if it is a bit, erm, naughty in part. I just loved it - I even had to take it work as I couldn't wait to get back to it. I hope you enjoy it as much!

I saw the Manics at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago Brilliant stuff! (It was my 9th time in 10 years )

I'm a big fan of fantasy-set-in-the-'real'-world: my favourite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, as well as Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Plus a lot of the films I love have fantasy elements to them such as Edward Scissorhands and Studio Ghibli's films. I like the idea of living in this world but with the unexpected occurring and disrupting it. I've always been fascinated with alternative realities, so I think that has a lot to do with it! However, I've never liked Lord of the Rings (sorry!) despite trying to read them and watch the films. It just didn't connect with me. I'm not sure why... I was never particularly curious about Harry Potter either, but I started watching the films and really enjoyed them. I may get around to reading them one day On the whole, I'd say that I enjoy fantasy

I finished The Crimson Petal last night and now I feel utterly bereft!! I feel like I had to say goodbye to a friend. What can I say? It's an absolutely staggering novel and it really is true what some of the reviews said: at 835 pages long, it does feel too short! Definitely 10/10

I can understand why people can have problems with fantasy writing. I think that's more common than my problem which is - I don't like thrillers or crime! And I don't know why! It's not a 'snobbery' thing at all, it's just that I'll read them but I don't enjoy them (unless it's Kate Atkinson, for some reason, who I enjoy HUGELY).

Ah. I've just done a quick recount and I now have 41 books in my TBR list. And they're just the 'official' ones from the last year, really... Still, at least the majority of them were bought in offers or have discounts or are second hand. So that's okay? Right? RIGHT??

I'm planning on reading this as my next book after the one I'm starting after the one I'm currently reading... Erm. That didn't make a whole lot of sense (i.e. Finish Crimson Petal tonight, then read Arlington Park, then get onto BOLT). That's my plan Have to say, I basically bought this book because of your review Paula! You are a Guru!

In the last month or so: Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tigers The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

Hello Nirvana!! What a lovely, cheery introduction - I feel sprightly myself now After a few weeks on here, your recently rediscovered love of books will manifest itself into a huge To Be Read pile of books, mark my words!

Hey! I missed some! I've actually read 75 And I did a column for To Be Read and I have 42... Eek!

It'd be nice if we could somehow do a Top 100 Books list according to this forum. My maths is beyond terrible, but would it be something like everyone on the forum offering up what their Top 10 recommendations would be? I'd like to see that

*Bows* Well, of course sir! I was like that as a teenager. I was obsessed with the Manics so would prance around with lots of beat writers, existential novels, 'challenging' poetry etc. My best mate even lugged The Torture Garden around school for weeks! Ah, happy days...

Hello Frida! Apologies for my belated 'Welcome' (I feel rather ill mannered) I hope you're settling in nicely That's one of my favourite films too - I was watching something that showed a clip of it the other day and it made me so happy. It's a wonderful film. By the way, I love your avatar! Is it your own work or from someone else (mine is something by Tracey Moore at the moment)

Also, I did literature at Uni. And was an amazingly pretentious teenager (hello Camus etc!) I think it should consider lifestyle factors, like health insurance: Do you smoke, drink a lot alcohol, only eat fried foods etc. It could even combine with that How Long Are You Going To Live For site. Although that would be terrifying... Yeah, yeah, Andy. We know you're a well-read boffin No need for false modesty (You know I don't really mean it Andy! )

Finally managed to do this Surprisingly, I've read 70!! Or 6.99% to be precise And being 22, to complete the list, I'd have to read 16 a year. Which isn't too bad, is it?

Now, whilst I don't want to jinx the book, at such a late stage I feel that I can say... I feel a 10/10 coming on... Oh yes. I'm so near to finishing but I don't really want to! I can't believe it's been over 700 pages, it's gone in such a flash.

Bonjour! :006:I know there are a lot of Stephen King fans on here, and I've heard the Dark Tower series being taked of glowingly. You'll be amazed how quickly you settle in! B)

Aw that's such a lovely thing to do (him and you: that was so generous giving your friend the other picture).

The thing is, Amazon and other online stores can be so much cheaper than the highstreet - if I want a book now, I usually go online and search for it, as I'm trying to save money to do my postgrad (and for living in London generally!). One argument for Amazon/Play etc against Waterstones/WH Smiths etc is that at least you can usually find more obscure books and writers: with Waterstones and Smiths, it tends to be whichever publisher has paid them enough to push their products that month! But I do try and support indie bookshops, god bless 'em: I always justify paying full price B) And I often treat myself to a book from my local indie bookshop as I'm working fulltime at the moment. But I can't do that whenever I want a book Saying all this, I'm mostly buying from Charity Shops, Green Metropolis and other online second-hand stores at the moment!

I did English & American Literature at Manchester and I'm off to do an MA in Comparative Literature at Goldsmiths, London B) When you mentioned reading Hemingway somwhere else, it got me thinking about my house-and-coursemate who did an essay on Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I keep meaning to read Hemingway - are you enjoying it?