Kate

Aw cool! As we can't hang pictures in the new flat I'm thinking of making little pictures to hang from the door handles to liven the place up a bit. We bought this last night for my father-in-law's birthday. It isn't until June but I feel it's going to take a long time to make: http://www.sewandso.co.uk/cgi-bin/find/db.cgi?db=zoom&do=search_results&Prod_Code=30036&ww=1

I love the owl, thinking I might use it

To be honest, I don't like sex in books and am known to avoid books/stop reading books that are full of it/particularly graphic. I don't think it is needed - just like I don't think swearing is needed either

I'm going to read Harriet Evans: A Hopeless Romantic in bed in a minute

That sounds quite good

I finished Lord Deverill's Secret by Amanda Grange this morning. It was an easy but engaging read. It is romantic historical fiction and I enjoyed it

What was God Has a Dream about?

Yesterday I read Snapshot by Swindells. Although a children's book I enjoyed it quite a lot. My Mum gave me some books yesterday so my TBR pile is big again. Going to spend some time reading Lord Deverill's Secret by Amanda Grange now. More dissertation reading but actually am quite liking it so far!

Mine is my name too...

Waterstones Synopsis: "Untamed": Jo Wilder was certain her charming new boss, Keane Prescott, imperilled everything she cared for, but she couldn't deny the attraction between them. Though Keane's kisses left her breathless, it was his tenderness that threatened to tame her heart... "Less of a Stranger": Confident and arrogant, David Katcherton swept into Megan Miller's life and awakened feelings that had long been lying dormant. But she wasn't about to fall for this irresistible stranger who was after her grandfather's business, despite the passion Katch aroused within her... This is two books in one - both romantic short stories, and both I really enjoyed. This is the second Nora Roberts book I've read, and again I finished the book feeling satisfied. The first short story is called "Untamed" and it is based in the circus. The owner has just died and left the circus to his son, whom he had had no contact with for most of the son Keane's life. Jo, the protagonist is worried that Keane will sell the circus and has disliked him since before his Dad's death. Yet things change when she meets him. The chemistry is instant and distracting... The second story is called "Less of a Stranger" and is shorter than Untamed. The feature of this novel is a fairground. Megan has grown up with her grandfather, who owns the fairground. She is worried when a stranger - Katch comes along and tries to buy it. Although the fairground is only just making a profit, Megan does not want to see it go. Along with that, Katch is determined not only to have the fairground, he is determined to have Megan too; and she is finding it hard to resist falling for him... If you like chick-lit and quick-reads than this book is for you. Both of these stories were good and I enjoyed them both immensely. I probably preferred Untamed more as it was a bit longer so I felt I engaged with the characters more. However, both were very good. They were predictable but I didn't mind that. And I liked how they had unusual settings for romance novels. I loved reading about the circus and the lions in Untamed, and reading the descriptions of the fairground was lovely too. One of my favourite parts was when Katch and Megan were on top of the Ferris wheel looking down at the fun and lights below. I liked both Jo and Megan. They were determined and prepared to stand up for what they believed in and what they felt was right. I loved the affection they had for others, such as Megan for her grandfather, and I enjoyed reading how they pursued what was right. I liked the outcomes for both them too. I found them likeable and believabl. These were not hard to read. I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed both stories. Roberts wrote wonderful characters and although the outcomes were not a surprise I liked how she picked original settings, making a great story. This was not a let down and I would highly recommend this book. 4/5

I'm liking the new blog Kell

Yesterday I read Snapshot by Robert Swindells which is a book my Mum teaches from, and I made up some questions for her classes I received The Complete Beatrix Potter Collection and The Secret Garden for my birthday and my Mum gave me (from her collection for me to keep): To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffrey Deaver Bad Blood by Lorna Sage

I like the card you made Kell. You are really talented

I've started The Wedding Planner's Revenge by Sharon Owens. It is OK so far. In fact, I'm off to read some more now

I'm now stitching a new one. It is a present for my Mum: http://www.janndesigns.co.uk/JDdesignDetails.asp?ID=753

This one isn't as "scary" as others so would be a good one to start with.

This novel sees Val Andrews writing a Sherlock Holmes mystery. In this book Holmes comes out of retirement and solves a murder in Brighton. A woman has gone missing and a man has mysterious turned up at the Royal Pavilion but there are no signs of forced entry. The police are clueless and as a bet Watson agrees Holmes could solve the investigation. I think Andrews was very brave for writing a Sherlock Holmes novel. They are very famous and Conan Doyle was an excellent writer. Although this is not up to Doyle's standard, it was not a bad book. It was a good storyline with twists and surprises and I liked how Andrews wrote the characters. It didn't have the subtle humour I have found in the original books but as far as he could Andrews has been true to the characters. I think I will probably stick to the original Sherlock Holmes novels this was not a bad read and not a bad attempt at another Holmes sequel. 3/5

Waterstone's Synopsis: Cass Bainbridge is being stalked. New job, new home, new life. Cass has moved to Brighton to start over as a lecturer at the university. But she's already acquired some unwanted baggage. Someone's watching her & they've even taken photos. She's being followed, too. And then there are the anonymous and threatening emails she's receiving. With an unknown assailant attacking students on campus, Cass fears for her life. Is she to be the next random victim? Or is there a more sinister reason she's been targeted? I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but I really enjoyed it. Throughout the book you learn about Cass and Beth, a needy student looking for comfort in Cass. Beth seems to be everywhere, but with life changing and getting out of control she offers a distraction for Cass. But there is something sinister going on; and Alec the difficult student seems to be making Cass' life even more difficult. I would categorise this as a psychological thriller. There was suspense, twists and revelations. I enjoyed the book right from the beginning and was hooked right up until the ending. I was quite surprised with the outcome - I had jumped to a different outcome altogether. The twist at the end and the revelation made the book very good. I liked Cass. I felt empathy for her and got freaked out when she did. Gardner wrote great characters. Some bugged me, some weirded me out, but all of them provoked a reaction. She also wrote a good story. I felt tense when I was suppose to and found myself guessing the ending. This was not a hard read, it didn't take me long to get through it, and I really enjoyed it. I decided to read this for my dissertation and I am pleased with that decision. If you are into thrillers and mysteries, this book is for you. 4/5

I didn't ever finish Change of Heart, I got bored I think. I've started reading Lord Deverill's Secret - more dissertation reading

Cooler

I preferred The Hogfather - I thought Death was great!

Grass

This is the one where Death takes Mort on as an apprentice - very funny

I don't know really. I do have a soft spot for chick-lit novels so have read quite a few different authors. I think Debbie Macomber is at the top for me, although I do enjoy Sophie Kinsella, Dorothy Koomson, Nora Roberts etc.