Ruth

If it helps...I'm not really into sci-fi either, but I really really really really enjoyed The Time Machine, by H G Wells.

^^Yes, it took a lot of hard work. I don't think I could have been bothered with it all! I've read chapter 3 now - made me feel a bit uncomfortable in parts to be honest. Interesting though, but on the whole I definitely preferred chapter 2. I won't say more yet though for fear of giving away spoilers.

Finished Twins, by Marcy Dermansky. This book had some flashes of greatness, but also some disturbing moments (I hated reading about the poor neglected family dog). It's about a pair of twins going through adolescence. One is nice, if a bit of a bland character, and the other is just downright awful. The book rolled along at a great pace, but in the end I got sick of these girls self-absorption and wanted to tell them to just grow up!! Still moving along with Self Made Man, by Norah Vincent, and am about to start reading Shakespeare on Toast, by Ben Crystal.

Yes, Carrey is actually a very good straight actor. He was heartbreaking in The Truman Show, and terrific in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (although I wasn't mad keen on Eternal Sunshine). Last film I watched was Top Hat, with Astaire and Rogers. Great! Light hearted, fluffy storyline with beautiful dancing and lots of laughs

Twins, by Marcy Dermansky Chloe and Sue are twins. They are blonde, beautiful, and identical. But although they look the same, they are very different. Chloe is pleasant, anxious to do well at school, desperate to be liked and eager to look nice. Sue on the other hand, is abrasive – and downright horrible most of the time – rude and spiteful. She cares little about school, or about anything at all other than Chloe. Sue resents Chloe’s need for independence and other friends, and wants Chloe to want Sue, and nobody else. Not even their brother, not even their parents. As they grow increasingly apart, while always drawn together, Chloe and Sue both seem set on path to doom. This book follows them through their teenage years, through eating disorders, romantic entanglements, unexpected friendships, and lost dreams. This book started well – the chapters are narrated by Sue and Chloe in turn, and I felt that the characters were well drawn, and distinctive. Chloe actually seemed rather bland, at the start of the story, whereas Sue, though a far more interesting character, was completely unlikeable, with almost no redeeming features. It actually felt uncomfortable to read some parts, where for example, she was very spiteful to people, and cruel to the poor family dog. However, Sue’s behaviour is somewhat understandable when the parents’ characters are introduced – because the twins’ parents are just horrible, selfish people. I actually felt myself getting angry with these characters while reading the book – they seemed to care little for any of their children and were only bothered about making themselves happy. The character in the family who I most warmed to was the twin’s brother Daniel. He champions Sue, although she rarely sees it, and despite his hostility, obviously genuinely cares for his sisters. For the most part, the book was compulsively readable, and touched on many adolescent issues, such as obsession with looks, the desire to ‘fit in’ and the need for individuality, while trying to forge a path towards adulthood. However, towards the end, I found that some of the situations which the twins ended up in were slightly unbelievable, and I started tiring of both girls, and just wanting to sit them down and talk some sense into them. I appreciated the fact that the book didn’t tie everything up neatly, but did still give some sense of conclusion. I think I would probably read more by Marcy Dermansky – she certainly has a way of writing which draws you in, and creates interesting, if not always pleasant characters. If you don’t mind all the teenage angst, this book is well worth a look.

That's a good point. I would definitely agree that in that situation, say in a bar or somewhere, and there's a group of women who are drunk, I will avoid making eye contact. I'm not aware of consciously avoiding eye contact in general though - although maybe that's the point...I'm not aware of it, because it's so instinctive. It's got me thinking! (that's always a good thing when a book makes me think )

same here. Thanks to my book group I have read some corkers, which I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise. And a few duds too! I doubt I would have read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, A Perfect Balance, or Soul Catcher if they hadn't been picked for the reading group, and I loved all of those books. Like you, I never refuse to read a book, but occasionally I've skipped reading one, because I pretty much know I won't like it.

Ah, when I saw you mention the Children's Hour, I thought "I'm sure that was made into a film with Audrey Hepburn." (I love Audrey Hepburn.) Just checked, and it was. I didn't realise the film was based on a book...it's well worth a watch. I often find if I go onto Wiki to look up an author - or anyone really - I always end up clicking one link, then another, then another. It's kind of like six degrees of separation, only done in reverse!

I like to read things outside of my comfort zone sometimes. Sometimes I've read books that I've found discomfitting or upsetting, and I wouldn't do that just for the sake of doing it, but it's taught me to appreciate different genres. I've realised that sometimes I'll like something that I never would have considered reading before. Also, I don't like to stick to just one genre or author (in fact, I try never to read two books by the same author or in the same genre in a row). Also, I have to say that this is largely due to being part of such a good forum here. Reading people's opinions on books that I wouldn't have previously considered, will often encourage me to try something different myself.

I've read chapter two now. Very interesting!

Yeah, we've been recording Homelands when it's repeated on a Monday night, so that we can record Upstairs Downstairs on a Sunday. It's not had brilliant reviews, and I did think the first episode of this series was verging on daft, but it's really picked up now I think Alex Kingston plays the part so well I like Mr Amanjit too. I'm also a fan of Downton Abbey, which seems a bit lighter in tone that Upstairs Downstairs, and less political. Be interesting to see how the story develops, and I'm crossing my fingers for another series

I have this at home, but not seen it yet (I tend to hoard movies to watch 'later', in the same way as I do with books.) A couple of people I know have been to see The Woman in Black, and not really enjoyed it. They thought that Daniel Radcliffe was unconvincing in the role, apart from anything else. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does look fantastic. How can anything with a cast including Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Judi Dench fail to deliver Glad you enjoyed it Janet

I'll take that as a No then

I haven't seen Sportsnight, but I might have to look for that. (I think I've heard of it - if it's the one which Felicity Huffman was in). Dead Like Me looks good too. Titus Welliver. Yes, he pops up in things now and again (he was in an episode of Suits recently), but doesn't seem to get many main cast roles these days! Good actor though. He played a small part in NYPD Blue as well, as Sipowicz's doctor in season 2 (I think).

Regency Buck is on my tbr (and has been for quite some time ). I have read only one Georgette Heyer book before, which I enjoyed, but it wasn't one of her Regency novels, it was one of her crime novels. A lot of people have told me that her Regency novels are much better than the crime ones.

Ooh, I love this kind of thread! Okay, here are my answers: 1. Did you grow up in a book-loving household, and did your parents read to you? Pick a favourite book from your childhood, and tell us about it. Definitely. My parents are both avid readers and always have been. My dad taught me (and my two brothers) to read when we were very young, and my mom used to buy us a book each week. She also regularly took us to the library. I can't pick one specific book, but I loved the Famous Five stories, and later on the Malory Towers and St Clare's books. 2. What was one of the first 'grown-up' books that you really enjoyed? Probably A Clockwork Orange, which I read when I was about 14 (on the same holiday when I read To Kill A Mockingbird). I remember it taking me a couple of chapters to get into the writing style and language, but then I loved it. 3. Pick a favourite book that you read in early adulthood - especially if it's one which helped set you off in a certain direction in life. To Kill A Mockingbird. It was the first time that my eyes were really opened to the issues of racism and bigotry. Although my parents taught us never to judge by someone's skin colour or religion, and I went to a very multi-racial school, I had never really considered the prejudice that some people suffer. I've read the book a number of times since, and it never fails to make an impact on me. 4. What's one of your favourite books that you've found in the last five years, and has belonging to the Book Club Forum changed your reading habits? The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. It was one of those books that I just couldn't stop thinking about for ages afterwards, and the insiduous way in which the government took away people's rights until when they eventually realised what was happening it was too late to do anything about it. Another one was A Perfect Balance, by Rohinton Mistry. A big chunky book, but despite it's length, I don't think there was even one word that wasn't necessary. Being at BCF has definitely expanded my reading habits, more than changed them. It has encouraged me to read books and genres that previously I would not have thought of reading, and I love reading people's reviews of books they have read. 5. Finally - a guilty pleasure, or a favourite that might surprise people! Perhaps American Psycho. It took me a while to read it, because I found it so disturbing, but it was just so well written and so darkly funny that I ended up loving it too, if that makes sense. It's certainly not a book I would recommend to everyone, and one friend of mine found it boring (all the endless descriptions of designer clothing etc were tedious to her, but I found it funny how much importance the main character Patrick Bateman would attach to such things. He lived in such a superficial world!) I abhor violence in real life, and there's a LOT of violence in this book. I actually surprised myself by liking it so much.

I've just finished reading chapter 1. I think this is going to be a very interesting, and sometimes uncomfortable book to read. I'm glad that she mentioned the necessary deception that she had to pull off in order for the experiment to work. I was wondering how she felt about 'conning' people. I have not read past chapter 1 yet, so I guess I'll wait and see, but I suspect that at some point, some of the people who befriended Ned may have felt betrayed to some extent when they found out the truth (IF they ever found out the truth). I too admire the lengths she went to in order to become Ned. I wouldn't mind doing it for a short while out of sheer curiosity, but honestly I don't think I could be bothered with the fake beard, and I definitely wouldn't want to cut my hair into a style I didn't like, or wear the underwear that must have been uncomfortable. The part about how men look at women, yet shy away from making direct eye contact with other men, intrigued me. Like Frankie, I can't accept hat making direct eye contact is always leering or intended to display dominance. Maybe I'm lucky or maybe I'm naive, but that isn't my experience. I also think that women look at men equally as much as men look at women, but obviously that experiment doesn't really allow for that to be tested. (Do women avoid looking directly at other women in the same way that Norah said men avoid looking directly at other men? I don't personally think so.) I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this book. Aiming to read one chapter a day if possible. (EDIT: As I'm reading other books too, I'm aiming for one chapter every two days.) Frankie, I also noticed Norah Vincent's other book! If I like this one, I'm definitely going to get the other one

I've had a bit of a mad few days, and have fallen behind with my reading Will try and catch up with this later...I like the idea of reading chapter by chapter. Will it be okay if I post a bit later with my thoughts? (Sorry, I'm always late to the party!)

Totally agree. Dennis Franz made that show - he WAS that show. And that scene that you mentioned, I remember crying my eyes out when I saw that. Franz is by all accounts, an extremely nice man in real life. He and David Caruso did not get on together, in fact David Caruso annoyed a lot of people on that show (Bocho said that he would never work with him ever again). Caruso's last scene had to be done in one take, because Caruso said he would only do it once. Smits and Franz got on very well apparently Maybe that's why the on-screen friendship was so convincing.

Brooklyn South!! Thank you! When I was on here yesterday and saw this thread, I was trying to remember the name of that show. I liked it a lot, and agree that it had a lot of potential. I think there are just so many US police shows out there, that it's hard for a lot of shows to compete. Does anyone remember Murder One? (also a Bocho show). It was a shame that didn't run for longer, The first season in particular was excellent, and the second was good too, although a couple of character changes and a slight format change didn't work brilliantly. It was still riveting television though. From the mid 90s (I think). I liked NYPD Blue, but agree that it ran its course. Those seasons with Ricky Schroder nearly finished it off, but when Mark-Paul Gosselaar came into it, it picked up again. I always liked the Jimmy Smits seasons though (actually I had a bit of a crush on Jimmy Smits).

Out of Time looks good. I'm off to Amazon now

All these ridiculous 'reality' shows drive me crazy. Well, not that I ever watch them, but they are on ALL THE TIME! At least that's how it seems, and the papers are obsessed with them too. I miss Twin Peaks, but you're right - it was of its time, and an attempt to bring it back could be disastrous. I loved Boomtown. It was an original and intelligent police drama. I think there were about 5 episodes of a second season, but they dropped the multi-viewpoint aspect of it, so it wasn't quite the same. The West Wing - now there was a show where the quality never dipped. Quite rare these days. Studio 60 was good too. I think it's quite hard for shows to survive, especially shows from the US, where the market is saturated. Unfortunately that means that a lot of excellent shows never get past a first season. I'm not too young! I was never an avid viewer, but I liked it when it was on. In fact, I think the first three seasons are in the house somewhere - will have to search them out. There was a fairly recent show called Bored To Death, about a crime writer who masquerades as a private detective (sounds like Castle, but it was nothing like that). It was very very funny indeed, but after three seasons (short seasons of about 7 episodes each), it was cancelled, which is a shame. Arrested Development was another terrific show. I think there's going to be a movie of that, which I'll watch, but I just hope that it isn't a let down. A lot of the shows which I've loved, I would enjoy seeing back on the screens, but when a show is just brilliant, sometimes it can be impossible to recapture that brilliance.

Oh yes I forgot about Deadwood. Great show

Hi Nicola and Danielle, I always keep a reading list as well. A lot of us on here do, and if you wanted to keep one at the forum, there is a section called reading blogs / lists, where people list their books, and - if they want to - their thoughts on the books they read, reviews etc. You can find it here: http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/16-reading-lists-blogs/ Hope this helps!

Homicide: Life on the Streets, and The Wire. Or maybe not. Those shows were perfection, so maybe they should be left that way! Twin Peaks?