Talisman

I haven't a clue to be honest, but it's at least 3 large bookcases - if I had to guess I would say around 300.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle The Conversations with God series by Neale Donald Walsch A Course in Miracles Emissary of Light by James Twyman Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers Living in the Light by Shakti Gawain The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield These are the ones that immediately spring to mind, although I am sure there are many, many more ! None of them incidentally are psychadelic but all need much careful reading to digest the concepts that the various authors present. They say that when the student is ready the teacher will appear, and all of these, particuarly the first three, have been great teachers in my life.

1. Lisa Miskovsky - Shells 2. Honeyroot - Sweet as Honey 3. Loner - Memory 4. Angela Bofill - I'm on Your Side 5. Dee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart 6. George Benson - Nassau Day 7. Michael Crawford - Your Heart Will Lead You Home 8. Kevin Kendle - Stratus 9. Hayley Westenra - The Mists of Islay 10. Van Morrison - Warm Love

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest - brilliant !

I tend to get through on average about one book every 10 to 14 days, depending on the size of the book and how busy I am at work. Most of my reading tends to be in the afternoons after I finish work or in the evenings if there is nothing on telly. When I am on holiday I read a lot more, getting through a book in about 3-4 days.

I am like Ben - if I am in a book store I browse through the book itself and then decide if I like the writers style. If online then I often look at the reviews, but it is rare for me to buy a book because of this alone. If available I use the search inside facility and decide on the strength of that.

I thought I would be to to be honest, but I have been surprised by it. A lot of it (most in fact) is stuff that I do already know, and the story is a bit 'American', but James had to use this format really in order to get his points across, because otherwise a lot of people just wouldn't understand the language let alone the concepts that he discusses.

Below are the books that I have read this year: January: Norwegian Wood: Haruki Murakami (Japan) The Long Haul: Alex Hibbert (Greenland) February: Independent People: Halldor Laxness (Iceland) The Devils Star: Jo Nesbo (Norway) March: Round Ireland With a Fridge: Tony Hawks (Ireland) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: Rebecca Skloot (US) Three Men in a Float: Dan Kieran and Ian Vince (England) April: The Twelfth Insight: James Redfield (US/Egypt) Tiger Hills: Sarita Mandanna (India) May: Island of Wings: Karin Altenberg (Scotland) The Gospel of the Second Coming: Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy (non fiction) Jar City: Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) Girls of Riyadh: Rajaa Alsanea (Saudi Arabia) June: When God Was a Rabbit: Sarah Winman (England) I Left My Tent in San Fransisco: Emma Kennedy (US) July: Silence of the Grave: Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) The Guardian Angel's Journal: Carolyn Jess-Cooke (US) The Road to Wanting: Wendy Law-Yone (Burma) Girl in Translation: Jean Kwok (Hong Kong/US) August: The Drowning People: Richard Mason (England) Out Stealing Horses: Per Petterson (Norway) Gods in Alabama: Joshilyn Jackson (US) The Day is Dark: Yrsa Sigurdadottir (Iceland) The Book of Lies: Mary Horlock (Guernsey) September: In the Country of Men: Matar Hisham (Libya) Before I Go to Sleep: SJ Watson (England) A Rural Affair: Catherine Alliott (England) Throwaway: Heather Huffman (US) Into the Darkest Corner: Elizabeth Haynes (England) Between Shades of Grey: Ruta Sepetys (Lithuania/Russia) The Kindest Thing: Cath Staincliffe (England) October: That Summer in Ischia: Penny Feeny (Italy Below Stairs: Margaret Powell (England - non fiction) The Checkout Girl: Tazeen Ahmad (England - non fiction) Voices: Arnaldur Indridason(Iceland) Rain Song: Alice J Wisler (US) The Storm Before the Calm - Conversations with Humanity Book 1: Neale Donald Walsch (US - non fiction) November: Tiny Sunbirds Far Away: Christie Watson (Nigeria) The Life of Pi: Yann Martel (India/Canada) Five People You Meet in Heaven: Mitch Albom (US) Please Look After Mother: Kyung-sook Shin (South Korea) Dusk: Maureen Lee (England) Strength in What Remains: Tracey Kidder (Burundi/US) December Married to Bhutan: Linda Leaming (Bhutan) The Draining Lake: Arnaldur Indridarson (Iceland) Arctic Chill: Arnaldur Indridarson (Iceland) Ancestor Stones: Aminata Forna (Sierra Leone) Almost Moon: Alice Seebold (US)

I started reading The Twelfth Insight by James Redfield (author of The Celestine Prophecy) a few days ago, after Coran finished it, and have been pleasantly surprised by it. I had expected it to be a bit last decade to be honest, as a lot of these type books are for me now, but actually it is helping me to understand a lot of the experiences I have had in my own life of late, and is also a pretty good story to boot. One I would definately recommend for anyone seeking answers, even if you are not yet sure of the question ...

The reason why it isn't done that often is really quite simple, as with most things: a) they cost too much money and b) they are not in general cost effective, in terms of the extra sales that they generate.

home made potato wedges with fried eggs, peas and Quorn Ham

Chicane - Far from the Maddening Crowd.

I did go to Tesco's so its wheat free margarita pizza for us with more salad.

Japan Earthquake Horizon Special on BBC2

Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale

I will probably wait for the paperback, as I don't generally buy hardbacks (except for certain types of non fiction). I have read them all a couple of times now, and having studied paleoanthropology myself for a year via evening classes, can vouch for their authenticity.

Jacket spuds for us with cheese and coleslaw and a ymmy fresh salad. I could live on salads.

Finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - it delivered what it promised and was an interesting read from both the moral and scientific standpoint, despite it's non fiction status, written very much like a novel. Definately one I would recommend, particularly for those who like to ponder on the deeper questions. I am now going to try something quite different - a book called Three Men in a Float, which is about 3 English guys who bought a second hand milk float on Ebay and drove it from the most easterly point in Britain (Lowestoft) the the most westerly (Land's End). It sounds a bit like another book I recently read called Round Ireland with a Fridge.

I know it sounds a bit snobby, but good as the Hollywood version might be, I don't think it will be a patch on the originals. I will still go and see it though, if only through curiosty. For me though Noomi Rapace will always be the real Lisbeth. Looking forward to a Millenium fest when the third DVD comes out on 12th April. I have had it on advance order for months now !

I am now about halfway through The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which I am finding fascinating. Technically it's non fiction, but like most good books of that style and genre, it reads written very much like a story, so it seems as if you are reading fiction when in actual fact you are not. I have found myself reading a lot more non fiction this year.

I was tempted to do it with a book I recently read - Independent People by Icelandic author the late Halldor Laxness. He paints such a vivid and brutal picture of what life was like for Icelandic farmers in the early 20th Century and the hardship they had to face, with breathtaking descriptions of the Icelandic landscape that I have come to love so much. I didn't read it again in the end, but I am sure I will again soon. I will also buy most of his other works, as they have all been recently re-issued and are a lot cheaper here than in Iceland !

The soundtrack from the Kings Speech

It depends what you call reading - if you mean just books, not many of them, but if you mean in general (newspapers, magazines, stuff on the Internet etc), nearly everyone in some capacity. You can't not really. I know what you mean about the earplugs though - I sometimes do that at work when I am trying to read and my colleagues put the TV on - it doesn't occur to them to ask if I mind, they just switch it on without asking - extremely insonsiderate imo. I am looking forard to the summer when I sit out in the garden in peace without that problem. I will then have the residents talking to me instead though ...

The hype imo is well deserved, and you should not let this out you off. For me it was and is a refreshing change to see a film with British actors and actresses that has an almost gentle feel to it (helped no doubt by the superb classical soundtrack) that does not rely on special effects and swearing to make its point. This is not a made up story but actual history and the awards and accoladates are imo very well deserved.

I finished reading The Devils Star by Jo Nesbo yesterday, which to be honest was not the best read I have had. For me at least, it did not really get going until about 50 pages before the end, but it might be worth trying the next one in the series to see if that's any better. I have now started reading a totally different book - a comedic travelogue based around one man's quest to win a £100 bet by hitchhiking around Ireland with a fridge ! The jacket warns you not to read the book in public as it's so funny, and three chapters in I am not disappointed. I think this one might be a bit more interesting ...