Kylie

Hi Shirley and welcome to the forum!

I was surprised as well, Poppy. I've only read one Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men). I remember thinking throughout the book that it was just 'good' but it wasn't until I got to the end that my opinion changed to 'brilliant'. I have several other of his works waiting to be read, so it'll be interesting to see what I think of his longer stories.

I think I'm a fairly slow reader. I often have trouble focusing on the book and find myself re-reading an awful lot of sentences. It's very frustrating. Then again, sometimes the pages fly by and I can read quite a lot in one go - it probably depends on how much I'm enjoying the book and how 'easy' it is to read. I average 1 book per week.

Thank you! That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me

I have a lot of DVDs but I only buy those that I know I'll watch over and over. I was like that with the Harry Potter books. (I think probably a lot of people were!)

Er, well... I don't do it often. I tend to carry my book everywhere so it doesn't get ruined in my bag, so whenever I stop it's easy enough to open it and read a couple of paragraphs. I ususally read in the lift, on escalators (when standing still), on train platforms etc. The only time I really read when walking is in the morning, when I've just gotten into work and I'm wandering from my desk to the fridge and back again. I rarely read when walking outside because it's too hard trying to avoid bumping into people. That said, if I'm just trying to finish off a chapter or something...

Hi Colin and to the forum!

I have a lot of collections but I'll just post some of them... Gilmore Girls That 70s Show The Simpsons Buffy (like Mia, I have them all in one box) Roswell I also have boxsets concerning certain actors/directors: Mel Brooks Marilyn Monroe Cary Grant (should be receiving that today) I'm slowly getting a collection of Disney movies, and my Hitchcock collection is coming along nicely.

Hi Val! You've come along at a great time because there's been some discussion of On the Road recently. I was in a minority in enjoying the book so I'm glad I've got someone else on my side now I 'discovered' Capote as well this year and I've read the same two books as you - he's now one of my favourite authors. And I think you have excellent taste in music. Welcome to the forum!

I commute to work so I read for about half an hour in the morning (half my commute), then at morning tea and lunch, then again on the way home and sometimes a few more pages at night.

I worked with a girl named Amelia Jane. I'm pretty sure she was named after that character, and she hates her name

I don't believe I have. I've read novellas in a single sitting but I'm not a fast enough reader to read a book in one sitting, no matter how much I'm enjoying it.

It's all about the journey, not the destination

I disagree. I find Beat literature fascinating and I think it's a very worthy and important addition to the canon of literature. Aren't Naked Lunch and Junky considered to be Beat literature?

I believe each book works as a 'standalone' and they don't necessarily need to be read in order, but perhaps someone who has more experience with Jeeves and Wooster can shed some light on that. How many Adrian Mole books are there? I bought a second-hand copy of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole back at the end of last year, I think. I'm sure I read it when I was younger but I really don't remember much of it. Has it dated at all?

I also build the scene from scratch. I can't think of any instance where a real place from my life has popped up in a book. I know I would also find it frustrating though!

Mine all came from CDs.

I finished The Thirteenth Tale a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I haven't gotten around to writing a proper review yet.

But what else could you possibly have to concentrate on right now, Kell? I hope you're feeling better today

Thanks, Poppy. I've been eyeing off the DVDs recently but I'd like to read some of the books first. Does each episode relate specifically to a certain story?

We have some similar tastes there, Shelbel. I have a huge Beatles catalogue on my iPod, plus just about every Kinks album, and most of Cat Stevens too. I also love the John Butler Trio. I have way too much music to even begin listing here (over 15,000 tracks), but some of my favourite artists include: The White Stripes Franz Ferdinand The Fratellis Squirrel Nut Zippers The Mamas and the Papas Simon & Garfunkel Frank Sinatra Dean Martin Elvis Presley The Monkees Bob Dylan Donovan The Living End Jet Judy Garland Peggy Lee The Rolling Stones Status Quo Cream David Bowie The Velvet Underground The Band The Beach Boys The Bee Gees etc. I love music.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator Roald Dahl Rating: 6/10 Published: 1973 Number of pages: 137 Summary (taken from blurb): Charlie has won the chocolate factory, and sails off in his strange new means of transport to take possession. But somehow the elevator goes into orbit and Charlie, Mr Wonka, and all the grandparents have to save themselves and three gallant astronauts from a mob of vicious space monsters. Comments: Another enjoyable read by Roald Dahl, but nowhere near as good as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My edition has been illustrated by Faith Jacques, and while the illustrations are nice, it's just not the same as having it done by Quentin Blake. Surprisingly, I found this had a definite impact on my enjoyment of the story. That said, there were some humorous parts (including the stuff that was politically incorrect and which I probably shouldn't have laughed at), and overall it was a decent read. Not one of Dahl's best, but worth a read nevertheless. Started: 4 July 2008 Finished: 7 July 2008