Talisman

I Have a Dream - Abba

Of course there are also those who are neither - or both ....

I definately agree with the so-called 'adult' stuff (which is really, let's face it, porn), but sadly when it comes to badly written or edited self published stuff in general Amazon really have very little input. If someone wants to upload their book to their site as the author and publisher and sell it for free then it is their right to do that. I personally have no idea as to why anyone would give their work away in this manner, when they have worked hard to write it, but I guess that's their business (or lack of). I have considered reducing the price of my own book to £1.99 or even 99p to see what happens, but definately wouldn't give it away for free. When it comes to free books, my own experience has been very much that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys ! I don't bother with them at all anymore, apart from the classics, as they are just not worth getting.

I personally don't know anyone who has one either, but I do know several people who have their own hidden safes at home.

I read them in the order they were published, as others have said, for continuity, and usually buy them one at a time (unless they are on promotion).

Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley

Of course VF - for me all reading is fun !

January When Broken Glass Floats - Growing up under the Khmer Rouge: Chanrithy Him (Cambodia) Devil, Devil: GW Kent (Solomon Islands) The Auschwitz Violin: Maria Angels Anglada (Poland) Cry Havoc: Simon Mann (Equatorial Guinea) Love Anger Madness: Marie Vieux-Chauvet (Haiti) February Last Train from LIguria: Christine Dwyer Hickey (Italy) The Sounds of a Wild Snail Eating: Elizabeth Tova Bailey (US) Mosquito - Roma Tearne (Sri Lanka) Rosie's War - Rosemary Say (France) Delirium - Lauren Oliver (US) March Hypothermia - Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) Chronicle in Stone - Ismail Kadare (Albania) Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver (US) Drums on the Night Air - Veronica Cecil (Congo) My Autobiography - Charles Chaplin (England) What the Day Owes the Night - Yasmina Khadra (Algeria) In the Midst of Life - Jennifer Worth (England) Out of Shadows - Jason Wallace (Zimbabwe) April The Land of Later On: Anthony Weller (United States) Purge: Sofi Oksanen (Estonia) Running the Rift: Naomi Benaron (Rwanda) The Greenhouse: Audur Ava Olafsdottir (Iceland) May Revenge of the Tide - Elizabeth Haynes (England) Ali and Ramazan - Perihan Magden (Turkey) Never Mind (Melrose Novels 1) - Edward St Aubyn (England) Partitions - Amit Majmundar (Pakistan) Night Train to Lisbon - Pascal Mercier (Portugal) June Witness the Night - Kishwar Desai (India) The Panoptican - Jenni Fagan (Scotland) The Consequences of Love - Sulaiman Addonia (Saudi Arabia) Signs of Life - Anna Raverat (England) The Door - Magda Szabo (Hungary) Me Before You - Jojo Moyes (England) Heart Shaped Bruise - Tanya Byrne (England) Outrage - Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) Divergent - Veronica Roth (US) Isles of Scilly Guidebook (Friendly Guides) - Neil Reid (England) July Insurgent - Veronica Roth (US) Inside Job - Charles Ferguson (US) Perfect People - Peter James (UK) The Appointment - Herta Muller (Romania) Fatal Tango - Wolfram Fleischhauer (Germany/Argentina) August Boy Racer - Mark Cavendish (Isle of Man) The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson (Sweden) Stones For My Father - Trilby Kent (South Africa) The Secret Olympian: The Inside Story of the Olympics - Anon Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel (Mexico) September Delirium - Laura Restrep (Colombia) A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Christopher Aslan (Uzbekistan) October Fracture - Megan Miranda (US) The Conductor - Sarah Quigley (Russia) The Hills is Lonely - Lillian Beckwith (Scotland) The Vanishing Act: Matte Jacobsen (Denmark) November Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World: Jean Sasson (Saudi Arabia) The Snow Child - Aowyn Ivey (US) The Summer Book - Tove Janssen (Finland) Sipping from the Nile: My Exodus from Egypt - Jean Naggar (Egypt) Somewhere Home - Nara Awar Jarrar (Lebanon) December The Cypress Tree - Kamin Mohammadi (Iran) Taliban: Rashid Ahmed (Afghanistan) A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka (Ukraine) Here Lies Bridget - Paige Harbison (US) Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life - Sari Nusseibeh (Palestine)

Finished my 2nd book set in Italy - Last Train from Liguria by Christine Dwyer Hickey (author born in Ireland) about half an hour ago, and have just finished reviewing it on both Amazon and my own book blog (best to do it straight away). The snow kept me away from work today, so it gave me the chance to finish the book a day earlier than I otherwise would have done - see how good can come from bad ! The next book will err slightly from the Around the World Challenge in that I have already read a multitude of American books, but it will give me the chance to review one as well, since the blog was set up after I had read these other ones. It has a somewhat unusual title - The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating and is written by an author who was also born in the States - Elizabeth Tova Bailey. It is not a large book, so shouldn't take more than a few days ...

Baby Jane - Rod Stewart

yours

You are slowly getting there Janet - keep up the good work !

Actually it's a bit of misperception that those who need their own space are introverted - in fact most of us love social interaction as much as the next person, but the difference is, that we like ours to have quality rather than quantity. A few really good friends rather than loads of acquaintances. The term that I prefer to use rather than introverted is sensitive, as that comes much closer to describing what such people are really about - sensitive to noise and strong smells for example, but more to anything from being bombarded by too much stuff all at the same time. This is an actual recognised trait, that I can certainly relate to. If anyone is interested, I would recommend a very good book on this sibject called the Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N Arons.

Those that choose to ignor the fact that you are reading and switch the TV regardless on are the real anti social ones imo - no one ever died of silence, but you can go deaf from too much noise ! Perhaps you should remind them of that. I have the same problem in my job, and get round it when I can by either having my lunch in the back of the residents dining room in peace, or if there is one, am empty room !

I crave silence like some people crave breathing, as for me silence is breathing. It has always been when I do my best, most creative work. If I don't get my allotted time of silence (at least an hour a day), then I start to get really ratty and unpleasant to be around. It is for me an actual physical need, as I think it is for most people, only they just don't know it. I also love to travel and go walking on my own, the wilder and the more remote the better - and this is part of the same need. I often get comments from people to the effect that they think I am very brave to do that, but my response is that I came into the world alone, and will in all probability die alone as well. Bearing the statistics in mind, I actually think that those who go on holiday with their families and loved ones are the really brave ones ! I have a theory that those who dislike silence, actually dislike their own company. The reason I believe this is because we all have this voice in our heads, that sometimes nags and moans and cojoles (what some call the pain body or the ego, depending on which books you read). By having nothing but silence, you are forced to listen to it and confront it and people do not want to do this, they would rather block it out with music or television. This though does not work, for the simple reason that in order to look at the darkness, you have to turn on the light ! By sitting and walking in silence, I then have switched on my own light bright and clear and found that far from being fearful, the ego if used wisely and worked with, can be a great ally.

I have the same thing on mine, and have made a lot more than 10 posts ! I haven't done anything that I know of, unless of course someone would like to enlighten me ! Welcome to the forum though Chloe.

Finished Love Anger Madness by Haitian author Marie Vieux-Chauvet last night - an absolutely brilliant and masterfully written book that really lived up to its reputation. I am now reading a book set in Italy - can't remember the author's name, but it was the Kindle deal of the day a few days ago - Last Train to Liguria. So far it is okay, but it might get better.

Completed Haiti - Love Anger Madness by Marie Vieux-Chauvet. An excellent read that I would wholeheartedly recommend. My review can be seen here Not sure what I will read next - either Sri Lanka or Italy.

Elvis Presley - Hound Dog

Thank you for that David - you are my new best friend !

Rockit - Herbie Hancock

I used to read quite slowly getting through maybe 2 or 3 books a month, but like sgambino, since I got my Kindle about 6 months ago, it has been at least twice that - on average I get through about one book every 5 days.

Despite my weakness for truffles, I was pleased to find this morning that I have lost another 1lb in weight. It might not seem a lot, but slowly and surely is the best way. I tried on a pair of walking trousers this morning that I haven't been able to get into for ages, and although they are still a bit tight, they are not nearly as bad as they were - I am hoping they will be even looser and more comfortable by the time I go to Lundy in five weeks time. With all that walking, I am sure to lose a few more pounds ... thankfully the island shop doesn't sell truffles !

The French Lieutenant's Woman - this was one of my favourite films when it was first released back in 1981 when I was sweet 16, so I hadn't seen it for 30 years. I was then really pleased to see a copy last week for £5 in the local garden centre, along with some more early Meryl Streep films. It was every bit as good as I remembered - very atmospheric.

The Miracles - Going to a go-go