Ruth

Flappers and Philosophers: The Collected Short Stories, by F. Scott Fitzgerald This book consists of several collections of short stories by Fitzgerald, namely ‘Flappers and Philosophers’ (1920), ‘Tales of the Jazz Age’ (1922), ‘All the Sad Young Men’ (1926), ‘Taps at Reveille’ (1935) and uncollected stories. As with all short stories, some are hugely enjoyable and others less so. All of the stories however seem to have a melancholy, or an air of regret about them. Fitzgerald often wrote about disillusion and disappointment, but he did it so eloquently and beautifully that they were a pleasure to read even while you are commiserating with the protagonist. My favourite stories were ‘Bernice Bobs Her Hair’, ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (which I have read before, but which I read again as part of this book, and again enjoyed greatly), ‘The Rough Crossing’ and the various Pat Hobby tales, which feature among the uncollected stories. The only issue I have with short stories (any short stories, not just these) is that they tend to end rather abruptly; that is the case with some of the stories here, but the writing is so lovely to read that it really doesn’t matter. I prefer novels, where I can really get to know a character, but as short story writers go, Fitzgerald is up there with the best of them.

I think Bradley Wiggins will win it, which I would be happy. I would quite like Nicola Adams to win it though They're pretty much all deserving though!

I'm a member of the book club at the local library, and although there's been a couple of clunkers, I've discovered a few new writers I really liked. There have also been times when the book picked is one that's already on my tbr, which gives me an added incentive to read it. I agree too, that its nice to be able to really discuss books and reading in person, as well as online. At work, there's not many people who read a lot - in fact I often get teased about the amount of reading I do! I hope you enjoy The Help - I thought it was fantastic

Oh, that is a BRILLIANT book! Enjoy! I'm on holiday, so haven't done much reading. But I have bought several books....The Astaires, by Kathleen Riley; When I Left Home, by Buddy Guy (we're off to his restaurant in Chicago in a few days, so we're being extremely optimistic that we might meet him and be able to get it signed); Kissing Outside the Lines, by Diane Farr, The Great Typo Hunt - Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time, by Jeff Deck; and Clockers by Richard Price.

Oh, I absolutely loved it. It made me laugh and made me cry - sometimes both on the same page. I've recommended it to loads of people I'm so glad I saw your post about it, because otherwise I don't know when I would have got around to reading it - so a big thank you from me!

Oh, that's a shame (about TAORITR), especially if it was a book you were looking forward to. I loved the film Out of Africa, but haven't read the book (I didn't actually realise that it was based on a book). It doesn't happen often, but sometimes a film is more enjoyable than the book it was based on.

We saw Derren Brown live in 2010 - he is an incredible performer, and I have heard nothing but nice things from people who have been lucky enough to meet him. I haven't read Charlie and the Glass Elevator, but my brother said it was very disappointing, especially after reading some of Dahl's other stuff, which he really liked. I hope you liked The Art of Racing In the Rain as much as I did Is Out of Africa the book that the Robert Redford film was based on? I love that film

Well...I guess everyone's different, but I personally prefer the kind of books that Mike Gayle or Matt Dunn write, to most chicklit written by women. Some female written chicklit is great (I really recommend Gemma Burgess's novels), and I'm certainly not a snob about the genre, but I generally find chicklit pretty predictable. (Girl meets boy, and after a few hiccups, they get together.) I am not really surprised that you have struggled with traditional chicklit, as I think it is VERY heavily aimed towards a female market. LIke you, i find the comedy element is much more appealing than the romance element.

Never heard of anyone's house being damaged, but a guy I work with had a nasty shock when he was about nine years old. He knocked on a door and when a man answered, said "Trick or Treat?" The man said, "Trick," and hit the lad in the face with a belt my colleague was wearing a mask, and fortunately wasn't seriously hurt, but he said he started crying and ran away back to his big brother. He was in total shock. We've had about four lots of trick or treaters tonight. All very young, and accompanied by an adult, and all very sweet and polite.

I loved The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - hope you do too And I have Schindler's Ark on my tbr - looking forward to getting to it...at some point! I've finished Under the Dragon's Ztail - the second book in the Murdoch Mysteries series. Really enjoyed it. As I'm off on holiday on Friday, and don't tend to read much when I'm away, I'm taking Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and An A-Zof Hellraisers, by Robert Sellers; both easy ones to dip in and out of.

Yes, possibly, because now you mention it, it is difficult to think what a more appropriate cover could be I'm glad you enjoyed it though (as I saw on the other thread!) Under the Dragon's Tail, by Maureen Jennings This is the second book in the Murdoch Mysteries series, set in Toronto in the late 1800s, and featuring Detective William Murdoch. The series spawned three movie length television films, and a five (so far) season television show. The television show is one of my favourite programmes, and I was eager to read the books. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one is no disappointment either. In this installment of the Murdoch Mysteries, a woman named Dolly Merishaw is found murdered in her home. Murdoch discovers that she was a former midwife, who provided a place for unwed mothers to have their children, as well as providing drugs to aid abortion, but that her mean and greedy nature caused a lot of anger and resentment among the women whom she ‘helped’. He quickly discovers that she is the victim of murder, and there are no shortage of suspects. However, when one of her young foster sons is also discovered dead a week later, he has no idea whether he is looking for one murderer or two. His investigation takes him to some surprising places, and he realises that a lot of people have secrets which they wish to remain hidden. As with the first book, the story is pacey, and kept me guessing throughout. (There were clues to point the reader in the right direction, but Maureen Jenning is capable of throwing in some surprises as well!) I really like the character of Murdoch, although he is quite different from the Murdoch of the tv series. As portrayed in the book, he comes across as less sensitive and somewhat coarser. His faithful sidekick Constable Crabtree is as amiable and likeable as viewers of the show know him to be, although in the book, his physical description is very different, and he has a wife, whereas in the tv show, he is a bachelor. Brackenreid barely appears in the book, and is not a very likeable character when he does(!). This book gives the first mention of Doctor Julia Ogden – a main character in the tv show. This particular book takes Murdoch through the upper and lower classes of Toronto, and I thought the portrayal of the city in the late 1800s was particularly evocative and enjoyable. Clearly, the author has researched her subject extensively. Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable read, and would definitely recommend it, especially to fans of crime and/or historical fiction.

I watched two films at the weekends. Cabaret, with Liza Minnelli, and....sorry to say it, but I really did not like this film at all. The acting was great, some of the dancing was terrific, but the film left me on a right downer. And all of the characters in it were horrible. Also watched the Fred and Ginger classic, Top Hat, which I have seen before. I love this film

Probably Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard - with requisite scary make up obviously!

I love Sarah Waters Fingersmith was a brilliant book! It was wonderful how she did that - some scenes were hilarious, and then a few pages later, I'd be in tears. Definitely a brilliant read, which I have been recommending all over the place! I bought The Paris Wife fairly recently - I am fascinated by books about authors, whether they are biographies or dramatisations. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on it I second these recommendations. Mr Chartwell is a terrific, unusual book. Haven't read any of the others you mentioned, but you are in for a treat with The Art of Racing in the Rain. It isn't!! And this is coming from someone who loved the tv show. I read the Sex and the City book, and then, just to give the author another chance, I read 4 Blondes, also by Candace Bushnell. My advice is, if you're thinking about reading these books, stop thinking! I don't know how they managed to get such a terrific tv show out of the book. Ah, thank you for your lovely comments. I'm always happy to spread the word about good books Thanks also to Star - I'm not sure if she posts on this thread, but she wrote a review of it which is on this site, and that also prompted me to read Me Before You As for own current reading....I finished reading Dead Man Walking, by Sister Helen Prejean last night - quite possibly the best book I have read this year. Hugely emotive and a heavy subjct (the death penalty in the USA). Utterly compelling true account of Sister Helen's friendship with two death row inmates. I am filled with admiration for this lady, and highly, highly, highly recommend this book. This morning, I started Under the Dragon's Tail, by Maureen Jennings - the second book in the Murdoch Mysteries series. I loved the first one, and so far this one is shaping up to be just as good

I know, and the only reason I can think of is that because the author has previously written a lot of chick-lit, maybe they thought it would appeal to her usual readers? But then again, her usual readers would probably buy it anyway, so it would have made more sense to put on a more appropriate cover and attract readers who might not normally pick up her books.

I think I'll love it. Groucho was a comedy genius, the sort that don't come along very often. Hope you both enjoy it. I was initially put off by the cover myself, but read so many good reviews that I decided to give it a go (plus, I saw it on sale in a charity shop!) It really wasn't what I expected, but I mean that in a good way Dead Man Walking, by Sister Helen Prejean Sometimes in life, a book comes along that hits you square between the eyes, and has a real impact. You know that book, that you can’t stop thinking about once you’ve finished it? That book that you just didn’t want to put down? That book which made you immediately want to find out more about the author and the subject? For me, this was one of those books. It is Sister Helen Prejean’s true account of her work as a spiritual adviser to death row inmates in Louisiana, in the 1980s. The book concentrates on her friendship with two very different death row inmates – Elmo Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie. Sister Helen is completely against the death penalty, and in this book, as well as talking about Sonnier and Willie, she lays out her reasons for her feelings, such as how the death penalty is an instituionally racist system, which is biased against black offenders AND black victims. It is also unfairly biased against the poor, who often simply cannot afford a decent defence counsel. She describes how the death penalty is completely ineffective as a deterrent against crime, and how the cost of carrying out executions takes money away from other areas, such as putting more police on the streets. However, this is a review, not a recap of this book, and I do not intend to recount every point Sister Helen makes – although I strongly urge everyone to read it, whatever their views on the death penalty. I found Sister Helen’s relationships with Sonnier and Willie to be very moving. She acknowledged the heinous crimes they committed - and although the reader knows from the outset that these men are violent and dangerous criminals, in this book, they are also depicted as human beings. Their crimes are in no way excused, but I found it impossible not to feel sorrow when she describes their executions – at the futility of their deaths, which accomplished nothing and did not bring their victims back. Sister Helen understands the need for some people to see these prisoners “get what they deserve,” and she does not condemn those who disagree wtih her stance. She also was instrumental in setting up support groups for victims of violent crime, and that work is also described in the book. She also fully agrees that the people who commit such vile acts should pay fully for their crimes, but using such an arbitrary and unfair system, is not helping anyone, including the victims. At no time does she seek to trivialise the pain of the victims, or in any way suggest that there are needs are any less important than the cause which she believes in – and she actually forms an interesting friendship with the parents of a murder victim, who are in support of the death penalty. I cried a number of times while reading this book. Despite the heavy subject matter, Sister Helen’s writing is eloquent and honest – sometimes painfully so – and she is not afraid to acknowledge when she herself has made a mistake in judgement. I found it a very difficult book to put down, and have no doubt that I will read it again in future. Needless to say, I strongly recommend this book.

It was made in 1980 - Tony Curtis stars as David O. Selznick, and it's interesting to see famous stars of the 30s played by other actors. Edward Winter was excellent as Clark Gable; looked like him, and got his voice and speech inflections pretty much perfect. It's not available on DVD as far as I can tell, but it pops up every so often on the True Movies channel. Definitely worth looking out for.

^^Oh, I love the Coen Brothers version. Probably because Jeff Bridges is a favourite actor of mine, and John Wayne is one actor I just can't stand to watch! I watched a couple of films over the weekend - Twilight....not the vampirey one. This was from the late 1990s and stars Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon and James Garner. It's a kind of film noir. Sort of thing you would expect to made in the 1940s, and star Humphrey Bogart! Anyway, it was pretty good, and worth a watch. I also watched The Scarlett O'Hara War - a film about the search for the perfect actress to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind. Hugely entertaining, and well worth watching if you are a fan of the book, or especially of the film Gone With The Wind. The search for the right actress to play Scarlett was indeed a huge headache for David O Selznick, and practically every Hollywood actress wanted the part. A nationwide search was launched to find the perfect actress, and in the end as we all know, they ended up with a Brit! And she was perfect

Fabulous review of Watership Down I remember reading it years and years ago, and I loved it. I actually bought another copy a couple of years ago, with the intention of reading it again, but haven't got round to it yet (typical!) Love the sound of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry as well Night is on my tbr pile. I am fascinated by books about the holocaust, even though they are usually very disturbing and upsetting.

After finishing (and loving) Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes, I have now started Dead Man Walking, by Sister Helen Prejean. I remember reading this about 15 or so years ago, and being shocked by so much of what I read. It has lost none of its impact - such an incredible book. And in other news, today I popped into the charity shop and got a hardback (in perfect condition!) edition of Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World, by Simon Callow. Also Pies and Prejudice, by Stuart Maconie

Thanks Frankie I don't personally think Me Before You is too chick-littish, but I would probably say that it is aimed at a female audience. The book cover is a bit misleading, because it does look like it would be a typical chick-lit novel. Like you, I'm not against chick-lit, but it's definitely not my first choice of genre. I bought this because I had seen it recommended a few times and it was really cheap in a charity shop, so I snapped it up. Then I read a few recommendations, and one of my friends who has similar taste to me really really loved it, and practically demanded that I read it! On that basis, I started it, and I'm really glad I did Oh, and I hope you love the Groucho book when you read it - I have his autobiography on my tbr pile, and have had to bump it up a bit because I enjoyed The Groucho Letters so much!

Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes Louisa Clark is 26 years old, in a vaguely unsatisfying relationship with fitness fanatic Patrick, lives with her parents, sister, nephew and Grandad in a house that really isn’t big enough for them all, and works in a cafe, doing a job she likes but which has no prospects. Her world could not be more different than that of Will Traynor, who is handsome, intelligent, rich, funny, adventurous and well-travelled. But Will’s life has changed unimaginably since he was in a road accident that left him quadraplegic, and Lou’s life changes when she loses her job at the cafe, and becomes a carer for Will. Initially antagonistic towards each other, the two end up becoming good friends – and each becomes something of a lifeline to the other. Louisa desperately wants to help Will cope with his disability, but Will already has his own plans for the rest of his life. I had heard many many good things about this book – SO many in fact, that I felt certain I was going to be let down when I actually read it. However, I was not let down; in fact I found that this novel was one of those rare books that I genuinely did not want to put down. I lost myself in it for hours at a time, and found that I was totally engaged with these two characters. I really don’t want to give too much away about what happens, so I have limited my description of the story to more or less what is on the back cover of the book. I must say though, that this story had me crying on several occasions, and laughing on other – yes, even when discussing such an emotionally charged subject, Jojo Moyes still managed to convey the hilarity of some situations. The book is mainly told from Lou’s point of view, and I grew to really like her; like Will, I felt frustrated at her inability to see her own potential, and her apparent willingness to settle for less than she deserved. As for Will – I really don’t believe I can even begin to imagine how it must be to live his life – but this book did make me think about how it must be for a young man in his prime to lose practically all of his physical capabilities. If I had just one criticism, it would be that I thought the upper classes were portrayed almost as caricatures – rich women are apparently all stunning beautiful but selfish, and the men are all boorish and brash. This really is just a tiny niggle though, and certainly would not stop me recommending this book to everybody.

Watched a few over the weekend.... The Hot Rock (aka How To Steal A Diamond in Four Uneasy Lessons), from 1972 - with Robert Redford - who is so pretty in this that it almost hurts to look at him! - and George Segal. Very funny heist movie; a hidden gem really. I can't help wondering why this is not more famous. Definitely worth checking out. Accidental Hero (aka Hero) from 1992 - with Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia and Geena Davis. Absolutely brilliant - Dustin Hoffman is a small time crook, who saves the lives of a load of passengers from a plane crash - but then Andy Garcia pops up to take the credit. Really really enjoyed this film. The Big Lebowski from 1998 - with Jeff Bridges and John Goodman. One of my all time favourite films - I've watched it several times, and always find something new in it every time. OH loves it too, so we popped it on on Saturday night That Touch of Mink from 1962 - Cary Grant and Doris Day. Funny, but very dated romcom.

Dangerous Liaisons (OH is working in Edinburgh this week, so have been catching up on a few films). Brilliant - Glenn Close is an amazing actress, and John Malkovich is a far sexier man than such a dastardly character (in this film) deserves to be.

Ooh, I bought this the other week. I wondered whether to get it because I suspected it might be one to make me sob, but it looked so good I couldn't resist. I'm getting through Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes pretty quickly. It's very difficult to put down!