~Andrea~

Thanks Mia I am really looking forward to reading these now!!

I caught a bit of this on the news. It really is depressing. I hope companies will stop wrapping everything up in plastic. I'll try and buy loose produce as much as I can now. I always take my rucksack to Asda, and use long life carrier bags.

LOL I haven't read much chick lit so I can't really comment as an expert. In total I have read: Bridget Jones Diary - : pretty good, made me laugh, but she did irritate me in a kind of "oh pull yourself together" kind of way. The Big Love- Sarah Dunn: Funny, well written, enjoyable. Liked the central character. An easy read. The spin in this book was lots of religious as well as relationship angst which made it fairly interesting. Karma - Holly Harvey: Funniest book I'd read in ages. Not a highly polished book and flawed in some ways but I just loved the humour in it. The Wives of Bath - Wendy Holden: Pretty darn awful. I'm currently reading a Freya North (Love Rules) which I almost put down on page 4 but is actually keeping my interest now. I would class all of the above as chick lit. I go with the traditional definition, generally relationship focused, about single women in their twenties. I've never read a book that was classed as chick lit but didn't meet that definition (at least loosely) but then I don't generally read books like that much anyway. I'm not normally attracted to chick lit but I am attracted to light fun reads now and again. I prefer adventure in my stories to shopping, but I will no doubt read more in the genre, and judge on a book by book basis.

Ah I see, maybe I will start watching it again then. I feel a bit guilty seeing as it was a present.

Hi Jude, welcome. Nice to meet you

Welcome Slim. It's nice to meet you

Hi Nox, it's nice to meet you. The library sounds fantastic. Oh how I would love a library, although when would I get time to read all those books??? The world would possibly never see me again. What other languages do you speak.

Hi Mike. It's nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy it here

Hi Red Alligator. Welcome to the site. I hope you enjoy your stay

Ooh I have that on my bookshelf (along with two others of his) Maybe I will read that one first. E.T.A. In fact I have these three: Shadowfire Dark Rivers of the Heart The Face Does anybody have any recommendation as to which I should read first?

I had the DVD set for Christmas. I watched a few episodes and thought it was OK. I'm not in any rush to watch the rest of it though.

Finished On Writing last night, what an enjoyable read. Compared to the last book it was just so immensely readable. I'm discovering how much I like King as a writer. I've only read 3 of his so I have a whole back catalogue to get through Next, maybe Carrie, or some chick lit, or a Dean Koontz. Hmm, decisions decisions ...

Hi Z10. Nice to meet you

I thought it was OK, better than the Hogfather anyway.

OH is making cheese and spinach tart out of the Jamie Oliver cook book with minted new potatoes, carrots and green beans

Hi and welcome. It's nice to meet you.

Hi and welcome I keep my wish list on my reading blog on this site. I don't know what I'd do if this site ever went offline

Finished The Virgin Suicides today. 7/10. It's a great book and very well written. I did find it dragged in places though. It's a very dense book, all description and very little conversation. Sometimes I felt like Alice in Wonderland complaining at her older sister's book that had no pictures or conversation. (I wonder if she was reading this book) The writing is top quality and doesn't really deserve 7/10 but because it dragged a little for me I had to knock off a couple of marks. I'd be very interested to see the film now too. I know it had great reviews. I imagine Kirsten Dunst would make a fine Lisbon sister.

It was Though the timings for two recipes plus rice was a bit of a nightmare. Each recipe has do this for 3-4 mins then this for 5-6 mins then simmer or boil for for 12 mins or 20 mins, about a million steps altogether aargh! Anyway, tonight we had turkey steaks with pesto, corn cobs and jacket potato. Much simpler

Oh yea. I've had that ... that is annoying!

I used to catch it on Sky three. Haven't seen it for ages but I love it.

This article is quite interesting: celebrity novels are like celebrity perfumes, more about branding than anything else

I thought she dictated her books (i.e. not writing them as such but at least having basic input) That's what she said on Jonathon Ross anyway.

We're making home made curry tonight: pork keema with peas and lentil dahl with spinach. Both from the healthy curry book (I'm on a diet again )

I got 2/3 through The Virgin Suicides and was really enjoying it. It's very well written and poetic and thoughtful, but, by 2/3 in it was getting a bit much. Emotion and poetry and thoughtfulness are great in a novel, but they should be the icing not the cake. I needed a break so I picked up On Writing by Stephen King. It's great so far. I need to pick up Suicides again soon though otherwise I'll lose momentum with it.