~Andrea~

Haha - yep you know you're back on BCF when the TBR starts growing :-)

Are you really saying that Hamas the terrorist organisation and Christianity are both extreme ideologies of the same ilk? Sounds like you have some black and white views of your own

I just finished this and loved it. This is what i wrote on my reading blog: the family didn't really treat Gregor very well, (letting him do all the work although it made him miserable) and he became something unpleasant, he became almost what they thought of him. He also could not see anything but good in them and failed to realise how they took advantage of him. He allowed them to transform him thus, and eventually be destroyed.

I finished listening to Metamorphosis yesterday. What a wonderful, and highly unusual, little story. I really got drawn into the situation and characters. I couldn't really claim to know what the story is about, but it seemed to me that

I thought that. I thought, wow - did all those things REALLY happen to you?

College Major: Vetinary science Thing You Keep Hidden: vote Something Sticky: Vicks Vapo Rub Famous Duos or Trios: Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer Hobby: Violin playing Things Found in a Purse: Valium Things With Spots: Virus victims Part of the Body: vein Things Found in the Kitchen: vegetables Type of Clothing: Vest Type of Beer: Vier (Becks) Athlete: Victoria Pendleton Historical Figure: Queen Victoria Type of Tool: Vice Appliance: vegetable chopper (can you think of a better one ) Things Found in a Classroom: volatile teenagers Sport: volleyball Music Artist: Vivaldi TV Show: V Junk Food: Victoria Sponge cake Types of Candy: violets (parma) Store/Company: Vauxhall Brand Name: viagra Something With a Tail: veloceraptor That was hard by the way!!

Hi and welcome

That's an interesting question. I often turn to something by C S Lewis such as The Chronicles of Narnia when I'm in a dark place. I'm sure there are other books that have helped me though. I will have a think. But I also wanted to say I'm sorry you're feeling so sad in your circumstances If you want to talk about it please do, this is a very supportive forum. Or PM me if you want. And welcome to the forum

I started listening to Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis read by Martin Jarvis this morning. Thoroughly enjoyable so far.

I finished Sherlock Holmes yesterday. This is the second volume I've listened to and I have to say I am falling in love with them. They are really well written, exciting little stories without being too macabre. I wish I had more to listen to. Fantastic.

Me too, it does sound good. I saw a Barbara Vine TV adaptation (years ago) which I thought was really good if quite dark. She's Ruth Rendall under another name isn't she?

If she does read it, it could turn out to be cunningly positive. Since books are invariably different to and better than their film adaptations it may turn on a lightbulb that there's something in this reading lark.

haha love it!

Oh no Yes 69 does seem young.

I can definitely relate to this bit lol: Great poem Poppy. Thanks for sharing it.

I've recently been listening to Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short stories and they are turning into my favourite short stories ever. They're really good.

So sorry to hear this. It's not that you've lost money but the thought that someone did it to you deliberately. I find it really upsetting when things like that happen. It's like when my mobile phone was stolen and they charged loads of money to my account The spite of it was almost worse than the money tbh. Ugh - how horrid June. That sounds so stressful. Hopefully it was just a one-off bad weekend.

Julie I wish I was like that! Brian, that book sounds really interesting. Procrastination is my nemesis, I'm always doing it!

Started listening to The adventures of Sherlock Holmes - vol 2 and 3 (read by David Timson) yesterday - short stories.

Hi Kidsmum, how are you doing these days? I know what you mean, but he was actually very good at doing all the voices and was quite dynamic on times!

I really enjoyed your review of the Susie Boyt book. I think it would have annoyed me too. And rant away - it's your reward for persevering!

Finished The House at Pooh Corner. What can I say? It was Alan Bennett. Reading Winnie The Pooh. Utterly Delightful.

Hey Supergran. I remember you - my old name is in my sig in case you don't remember me. Great to see you back. How are things? You were related to someone else on the forum weren't you? Was it HappyAndDandy?

I started The Everlasting Man by G K Chesterton last night, a history of mankind, Christ and Christianity, which C S Lewis describes as one of the most influential books in his journey away from atheism.

I've now completed the first two sections of Andrew Marr's A History of Modern Britain which covers the period from the death of Queen Victoria to then end of the second world war. I've read up to the end of the first world war and these two sections (pre war, and war) cover a diverse range of topics from music halls, to the troubles in northern Ireland to the crushing poverty that was rife across Britain at the height of Empire and the reforms that laid the groundwork for the introduction of the welfare state. So far it's an utterly fascinating and engaging read. Looking forward to reading the next two parts later in the year.