Talisman

I will look that one up and see if it's on Kindle (somehow I doubt it). I cheated when I did Greenland and read a book about an expediton across the icecap, but this one does sound interesting.

I for one am really looking forward to this year and feel really optimistic about the whole thing, despite starting the year with a stinking cold. That is good too though, as a cold means that the body is clearing out all the old rubbish, and the more I can get rid of, the better off I will be. Talking of clearing, there seems to be a real feeling of change in the air, with everything that has previously been hidden being debated about in a very open way. It is also 2 weeks today that I finally get to leave my job behind and start what I am sure will be a much better and happier one. It's going to be exciting year !

Egg, chips and peas.

I don't remember hearing about that one - I will have to look out for it. The last film I saw was The Life of Pi - I had already seen the trailer many months ago and read the book ages ago, but the film was stunning - especially in 3D, which for me is usually a gimmick.

I have only ever seen the film - its one of my favourites and I must have seen it at least 20 times !

At what is almost the end of 2012, I have chalked up a total of 63 books, which for me is not bad at all. All but one of these (a travel guide to the Isles of Scilly) have been in Kindle form as opposed to paper books, with 16 non fiction books (about one quarter) - mostly various forms of biographies and/or travelogues, and 47 fiction. I have read books from (or set in) a a total of 42 countries so am making good progress with the Around the World Reading Challenge, and next year hope to read a few more.

crystal

Completed A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka for Ukraine and have now started Once Upon a Country - A Palestinian Life by Sari Nusseibeh for Palestine. Hopefully I will manage to complete it before the year is out. This will mean I have read a total of 63 books this year from a further 28 countries, which is not bad at all.

We must have been lucky Raven - no problems on the roads at all. Glad you got there okay though.

Coran and I have also finished our Christmas shopping - we went to get all the food this morning, and you would have thought it was the end of the world all over again ! Talking of which, we returned from a nice few days away yesterday - on Thursday we went to Avebury and Stonehenge and then on Friday on to Glastonbury to join all the crowds at the top of the Tor and in the Chalice Well Gardens afterwards. The climb up to the top seems to get steeper each time I go, but it is worth it - there were several hundred people up there, some like us just soaking it all in, some with drums and various other instruments and others trying to make the most of the "New Age tourists" by selling crystals - it's all a bit last lifetime for us though. Actually I kind of felt that it is really more about the 22nd and what happens afterwards than the day itself anyway, which is why we went to Stonehenge afterwards on the way home yesterday rather than getting up at 5am to join the 4000 or so others who went there on 21st. It would have been nice though to have actually gone into the stones themselves, and it is time we did that again, so have have got the humber to try and arrange a private visit for maybe some time in January. Oh well, back to work tomorrow - not for too much longer though.

And hopefully before I get the bill for that expensive camera I bought yesterday ...

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 or if you prefer, Petshop Boys

I have finished work now until Christmas Eve. Because I am working every day next week, Coran and I are going to celebrate it this weekend instead. We are off to Stonehenge tomorrow via Avebury and then on to Glastonbury on Friday 21st - well, if the world is about to end, I don't spend my last hours at work, even if I know that I am now leaving ! It should though be a good few days.

A 100 year old man who climbs out of the window of his nursing home, and disappears ! It is basically about all that he gets up both before and after his escape. It's by far the funniest book I have read this year. In fact I might read it again !

After more than a mont of waiitng, I got home from work to finally find that my CRB had come through. I rang the new job then straight away and have confirmed a starting date of 21st January, allowing for one months notice. Tonights task then is to write my letter of resignation. I am both happy and sad at the same time - happy to know that the waiting is finally over and I can start to move on and let it all go, but sad for all those lovely residents whom I know I shall miss. One of them actually said that she missed me over the weekend. I know though that the residents at the new place will be equally lovely once I settle in.

Joy Inside my Tears - Stevie Wonder My CRB finally came through for my new job, and although I am happy, I am also sad at the thought of leaving behind all our lovely residents.

Pizza with salad

I have used Amazon quite a bit in the past to sell various things, and never had any problems. I have never tried Ebay, but expect to in the near future !

Young Gifted and Black - Donny Hathaway

Finished another country - this time Iran - The Cypress Tree by Kamin Mohammadi. This was a wonderfully descriptive and thought provoking read, that I would definately recommend.

Mama Used to Say - Junior

The Closer I Get to You - Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway

After the Love has Lost it's Shine - Regina Belle

Roast dinner - the oven is heating up as I write - bean burgers with roast potatoes, roasted red onion, carrots, sprouts and veggie gravy.

I have completed 2 more countries - Egypt - Sipping from the Nile by Jean Naggar - a difficult read for me about a family of Jews who were forced to flee the country during the Suez crisis, and the somewhat better Somewhere Home by Nada Awar Jarrar for Lebanon. I have also added another country (Palestine) to my list in accordance with the UN's recent announcement. I already have a Palestinian book lined up as my next read!