JudyB

Hello and Welcome. Hope you enjoy it here. JudyB

Hello and Welcome from JudyB Hope you enjoy it here.

Hi Jenni Hello and welcome There's plenty of book discussion here and everyone is so friendly so I'm sure you'll settle here soon. JudyB

Found out about these while at work yesterday - I've put them on my wishlist. Thought they might be of interest to others. The Return by Victoria Hislop Synopsis The captivating new novel from the author of the smash hit THE ISLAND Mercedes is a spirited, vibrant young Spanish girl whose passion is dancing. Her life is turned upside down by the Spanish Civil War and the oppression of Franco's dictatorship. When her brothers and her lover disappear in the night, taken for interrogation by the army, she must find a way to flee, even if that means leaving her beloved home and family for ever! The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison Book Description A celebration of the pleasures of shopping and a glorious full-volume moan about bad service. Synopsis Imagine shopping for a living, going undercover in the lingerie department, homing in on size-zero haute couture ...and shopping the shop girls who think service is a dirty word. Welcome to the world of the Mystery Shopper. New mum Emily wants revenge on the stick-thin assistants who laugh at her post-baby tummy and post-baby budget. But frumpiness has its advantages when you're wielding a secret camera - and sending the damning footage straight to head office. Store manager Sandie has a lifelong love of the world of retail - the glitz, the magic, the stockroom. Then she's fitted up by an ambitious assistant and secret shopping is the only way to keep her one passion alive. And glamourous widow Grazia can't leave behind the high life, despite her chronically low bank balance. The more she's buying - and spying - the less time she has to mourn her husband or her fair-weather friends who've dumped her. They're Charlie's Shopping Angels, controlled by a mysterious figure who sends them assignments. But when they're sent to stitch up a doomed shop owned by Will, the angels begin to feel divided loyalties ...

Thanks Artsworm - just signed up for this.

Spicy sausages, potato cakes (OH secret recipe) and beans.

In that case I had Cottage Pie.

From what I've heard it is a continuation of sorts ie. they're keeping the police characters and the time travel element but this time it is a different character who travels in time. For me Life on Mars was just one big nostalgia fest as I was brought up in 70s Manchester and so much was familiar. The 80's are my student years so should be good also. Hmm just thinking . . . I might treat myself to the boxset.

Is anyone looking forward to Ashes to Ashes the follow up to the wonderful Life on Mars? I think it will be good but I'll miss John Simm.

Shepherd's pie and cauliflower

Well they say fish is good for the brain so that would explain the great minds:D

Eating together by any chance? Or just coincidence?

Hello and welcome Hope you'll enjoy it here. JudyB

Salmon with a small potato cake and carrots - I love carrots with salmon.

Hi Sarah Hope you enjoy it here - it's a friendly place. JudyB

You've come to the right place for inspiration! Hello and Welcome Have fun here JudyB

Hi Helen It's been good fun chatting to your mum and gran and it's nice that you have joined us. Welcome to the forum:D

Review for:- Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones Synopsis: 'You cannot pretend to read a book. Your eyes will give you away. So will your breathing. A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames.' Bougainville. 1991. A small village on a lush tropical island in the South Pacific. Eighty-six days have passed since Matilda's last day of school as, quietly, war is encroaching from the other end of the island. When the villagers' safe, predictable lives come to a halt, Bougainville's children are surprised to find the island's only white man, a recluse, re-opening the school. Pop Eye, aka Mr Watts, explains he will introduce the children to Mr Dickens. Matilda and the others think a foreigner is coming to the island and prepare a list of much needed items. They are shocked to discover their acquaintance with Mr Dickens will be through Mr Watts' inspiring reading of Great Expectations. But on an island at war, the power of fiction has dangerous consequences. Imagination and beliefs are challenged by guns. Mister Pip is an unforgettable tale of survival by story; a dazzling piece of writing that lives long in the mind after the last page is finished. Review: I fell very slowly in love with this book and once I reached that point I found it compulsive reading. I love Great Expectations and it was an interesting idea to use it in the context of a Pacific island. Through the use of the novel the writer was able to explore many issues including the power of storytelling, cultural differences and beliefs, and the Romansbildung. It is a gently told story seen through the eyes of the main character a young girl who is consumed by the character of Pip. The difference culturally of Pip

Hope you enjoyed it - it's a hard act to follow.

I enjoyed the book but was shocked by the same bits - I really didn't see them coming.

Just youngest and I so . . . Chippy Tea! - a real one not my usual healthy version.

Homemade lentil and carrot soup - determined to get those fat levels down.

Roast chicken, roasters and lots and lots of cabbage - got the horseradish this time.

It's wonderful stuff isn't it!