Fiona

A book which makes me feel like I am there, when nothing else can get in your way. Not all books do that. Most, I enjoy but not all grab me. I don't know why, it's how its written - I suppose. And the characters and the world. I don't think there's one thing as it all depends on the author. I must say the main part is the characters. That's the problem with the book I'm reading now. The characters feel wooden and all they do is talk. The writing is quite good, but the characters are unimportant really in my opinion. He just seems to enjoy writing unnatural conversations. Not enjoying books - um. Again it's hard to put a finger on it. Bad characterisation, plot's too slow with nothing to make up. Bad writing. To sentimental.

When I went to uni I kinda stopped completely. For two years I must have read about four books. I just didn't have time and then I lost concentration. Didn't actually stop me buying them though. But since just before christmas I started reading a lot again, in libraries. I'm wondering if my reading mojo will start to lack when I move home... there isn't really any place to go to read around here. Local library is like a children's playground and the coffee is terrible. The cafes and places are always too cramped. B)

Hehe, I wrote in the uni library books. They're all so defaced anyway it doesn't really matter. But never do I ever write in my own books! That's just wrong.

Yes, yes, yes! In fact ANY DWJ book, she is just the best children's author. I'd reccomend: Dogsbody for younger readers and the Dalemark Quartet (The Spellcoats, Cart and Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, The Crown of Dalemark) for older readers. I don't and never liked Jaquourline Wilson books. I never liked them as a kid and I think I read one or two. They were just so boring. I kept thinking 'yeah and?' I know they are supposed to (I think) teach kids and help kids to deal with real issues and such... but I guess they just didn't click with me. They never seemed very imaginative and only skimmed the surface with me. Eoin Colfer is good - The Wish List. Lian Hern's Otari books are beautiful and might be okay for your 12 year old although it's more YA the children's technically I suppose. I'm waiting until the 4th comes out on Paperback. It takes sooo long! Brian Jaques Redwall series. I loved those as a kid, although I can't really get into them now. Someone mention Colin Dann here - the Animals of Farthing Wood is excellent. I wish they'd put the old BBC cartoon on DVD...

Woohoo, hello! B) This place seems so friendly. I'm really enjoying myself. The amount of books I've read out of that 1001 list is actually shameful...I think I've read about ten.

Atonement! Definately, it's one of my favourite books of all times. You won't regret it. It has more of a storyline then Saturday.

Yeah so am I. Already spamming the place up. B)

Beauty and the Beast. Yes, I KNOW he lives but I still cry, every time. I cry at Balto too. I cry at Miss Potter End of the Fellowship of Rings (well I used to) In fact, my friend says I cry at most movies. Either because its sad, or because it's happy or making me laugh too much. :/ And of course Brokeback Mountain. I cried in the cinema, on the way back, when I got home and when I woke up in the morning. I tend to over react to movies sometimes.

I'm Safia over there:http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Safia It is addictable - but I've been forgetting about it recently. I only have 50 more books before I have to update it oh dear...

I've never done one of these before... okay. So what have I finished since the beginning of this year up to now. Actually, I write them all down in a book usually... anyway... from memory. I'll put my favourites in bold and ones that I liked but didn't love in purple. The rest I just liked unless I say otherwise. Ice Road - Gillian Slovo (technically 2006 actually but I'll include it) The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh Saturday - Ian McEwan (or was this 2006? Actually, it was 2006 cos I read it just before Christmas Oh well) The Last King of Scotland - Giles Foden Charlotte's Web - E.B. White Atonement - Ian McEwan Enduring Love - Ian McEwan I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith Blood Brothers (can't remember author) - not very good/imaginative Finn Family Moomintroll - Tove Jannson (sp?) Re- reading Harry Potter 1-4 (So far) I didn't actually read that many books before last Christmas. With uni life and just not having the concentration for books and work and at the time, boyfriend, social life (I didn't have that busy a life I just went through a very depressive two year period where I read about three books in a year. Yes, terrible. Back on track now. Reading Now: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Hemmingway Will be reading at the same time: Harry Potters 5-6 Reading next: Possible a DWJ or something short. depending on if I finish Hemmingway before HP comes out... I most likely will but as I've said, with me going home and not reading over a latte, reading time may decrease...

I did look for a thread, but I am blind half the time so I may have missed it. I've read Atonement (by far one of my favourite books) Saturday. Which was the first one of his I read and I like his style. I enjoyed the book but I agree with most of the criticism I've read about it. Enduring Love. It's very well written and I enjoyed it but I didn't think it was everything people made it out to be. Despite the fact I so far only seem to be liking one book of his with any passion - he is becoming one of my favourite authors. I love the way he writes. So, anyone else reading/read McEwan?

Amazon is a rip off though £2.45 postage? yeah right. I do go to Play or sometimes Abebooks (make a point of avoiding Amazon for most thing but reviews actually... it usually works out cheaper) when I want something specific. But personally, just browsing through a bookshop is half the fun. Only I accidently pick one, two, maybe five up on the way out. I AM more controlled with books online, I admit.

(see my above-r post about Hemmingway) basically though I've got into it now but I think if I hadn't had my essay to keep me focused I'd probably have drifted after the first few pages. 100 pg in now and I've got the feel for it. It's my first Hemmingway book actually... can't say I'm that impressed but I think the more you read the more you kinda like?

I'm afraid this book is in my To Be Binned pile. I just couldn't get into it and reading it was like doing a mini-work out too.

How do you edit your messages? I meant to ask you what you studied?

Sociology. I WAS studying Sociology. Hehe... actually I feel quite sad about it now actually. I don't think I worked as hard as it as I could have..

Bookmooch if I'm feeling good, Waterstones or any bookshop really. B) Amazon's a ripoff - I dislike buying online cos I reckon you should support highstreet bookshops (especially the smaller ones if there is one). If I do buy online though it's from Play, which I did last time as I erm... for some reason wanted this book I'd never heard of before.

Right my TBR pile is about 100 odd books? I buy 'em quicker then I can read 'em. B) At the moment though, after Harry Potters and the one I'm reading now erm... Lolita - Vladimir Nabakov The Perfect Spy - John le Carré The Wind Up Bird - Haruki Murakami The Innocent - Ian McEwan And any Diana Wynne Jones.

I've stopped reading at home so much, which is going to be a bit of a problem actually... I normally read for half an hour-one hour depending over a latte and my lunch. I've gotten into a nicely expensive habit of going out for lunch and reading in the library coffee shop. (Unfortunately I buy books - stupidly don't use the library!) Won't do that when I go home from uni. I'll probably just read at odd times then depending very much on the book. I like reading on buses, or waiting for the ferry so it's rather spasmodic my reading sometimes.

My favourite book to read at school was Goodnight Mr Tom. The teacher said 'don't read ahead because we're reading it as a class' and I think I finished it by the next day. Oops... For AS I had to read The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks which was okay but I think it only played on shock factor. A Level we read Frankenstein and Dracula. In year six I remember reading Charlotte's Web and not being very impressed. I read it a few weeks ago and thought it was okay.

Hey! B) Thanks for the welcome. I'm a little (not much) more awake now. I've been up all night finishing of my essay due this morning (too much reading Hemmingway/Harry Potter and not enough work) and horrah... university's over. Yeah, Hemmingway is alright. I thought at first it was a bit boring and I didn't like the style of writing but now I'm 100 pages into it I think I'm quite into it. The trouble is I only started reading it because I didn't have another Harry Potter at hand as I'm re-reading those before the seventh. PP, I love the cat pic! I love cats!

Hiya. I'm me and I'm 22, from the UK and all that. I'm really tired at the moment so apologies for the bad intro.