~Andrea~

That does sound good. Five people you meet in heaven is on my ever growing wish list. I'll have to add this too now.

Aahhh! Thanks for that Gyre. I only saw a couple episodes of that and a long time ago so probably why I couldn't place him.

A dairylea sandwich and some fruit.

Somebody had an electronic book delivered to work a few months ago. I assume it was one or the other. It looked great, with a page on each side just like a book. I'm not sure about it myself though. There's just something about ink and paper ... Still, it would save on shelf space.

I've toyed with the idea of trying this author. He generally makes me laugh on Have I got news for you etc. After reading this thread I'm not sure his stuff would be my cup of tea though.

Sounds like a good book. Thanks for the review.

Hi Watcher. Welcome on board. It's nice to meet you

Thanks SBW, does anything very interesting happen after page 88 or does it continue at roughly the same pace for the rest of the book?

Slightly off topic but talking of hiding what you are reading in public, I sometimes have this awful fear that if I read a book I'm really loving in public, then someone, some random stranger possibly, will come up to me and tell me what happens in the end and ruin it. I know it's unlikely, but it's the main reason I don't like reading in public, or sometimes telling people what I am currently reading in case they say "Ah yes, great book, that's the one where so and so dies isn't it..." or something.

I was a little disappointed too. I found it very slow. Lots and lots of thoughtful description. Not much dialog or action. Very well written but not enough balance between the good quality writing and any actual pace or drama.

Oh dear Well it sounds as though my first instinct is proving the right one then. Thanks for your comments.

Hi Puma and welcome What are 1000 year eggs like? They sounds disgusting, and having just looked at them on Wikipedia they look disgusting too. Do they smell like stink bombs?

Has anybody read this? I got up to page 88 and then gave up but I'm not sure if I could go back and try to finish it. If you've read it, does anything interesting ever happen? Is it worth continuing? Or is it just more of the same? I was finding it a bit tedious, it seemed to be more descriptions of people's day to day life with nothing really exciting going on.

Apart from The Turn of the Screw which I loved I couldn't get on with Washington Square though. That was boring. The paragraphs and sentences were like mini marathons.

If you're looking for something deliberately complex then I'm not sure since I tend to avoid very difficult stuff I like light reads as a general rule. If I, personally, wanted a more challenging book, I would go maybe for John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman or an older classic like Jane Austen or Bronte, Dickens or Hardy, which are enjoyable yet require a little bit more concentration. Something like Daphne Du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel or Margaret Drabble's A Summer Birdcage are both intelligent books that give your brain something to do while still being short, readable and enjoyable. HTH.

What effect did it have on you? Is it depressing?

Wow Prospero, that's good going. Did you submit it to any others? Or is it still a work in progress?

Well I'm sorry to say I gave up on the Freya North At page 88 nothing interesting seemed to be happening. I have now picked up a Dean Koontz, Fear Nothing. I am enjoying it much more

I love the farm shop. I should really go there more often. Letting the publisher know why you are not renewing is definitely a good plan Supergran. It's when they start losing customers and money that they will start to think differently.

Yea I saw the first episode and really liked it. I will def be watching more. Who is the actor who plays Nick? What has he been in? He looks so familiar.

This is an author I definitely need to read at some point, but as I haven't as yet, I wouldn't know

Short, readable classics such as Animal Farm - George Orwell Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck might be a good plan. As might short stories as suggested above, and the genre thing is important too. How about any of these short stories, which I have loved. The Birds - Daphne Du Maurier (suspense, slightly supernatural undertones) By his Bootstraps - Robert A Heinlein (Sci Fi) Nightfall One - Isaac Assimov (Sci Fi) The Turn of the Screw - Henry James (Ghost story) Let us know how you get on

I started Freya Norths Love Rules a few days ago which I'd picked up in a charity shop. It's not bad, not great, but not bad. When I'm not reading it I don't think, oh I can't wait to get reading again, but when I'm reading it I find myself engaged and engrossed. It's strange . I do find myself occasionally tutting at a writing style I don't agree with (sorry I can't help it, too many adjectives and adverbs ) and the language is a little clunky at times, but good in places too. The story doesn't seem to have really got going yet, it's just 'stuff happening to people', if you know what I mean. I guess it's all background, I'm only on page 60.

I have never seen that either. At least I don't remember seeing it. What country are you in cmw000? Actually ... hold that ... I have just flicked through 8 or 9 novels on my shelf. About half had nothing at the top, some had novel title on the left and the chapter name on the right, and then I found one with author name on the left and novel name on the right. It was Jonathon Tropper's How to talk to a widower. I guess it depends on the publisher. I think it's the exception rather than the rule though.

It was my brother. I'll pass on the compliment