Kate

I was a born reader. I was read to by my oldest brother used to read to me and as soon as I could read I was off

I read with the tv on, and when I'm listening to music

I've been reading Marshmallows for Breakfast, really enjoying it

I'm currently making a playlist to have on during refreshments and reception at my wedding; are there any songs you can recommend?

I've been listening to Maskerade by Terry Pratchett, loving it. Just moved all my books into the new flat

Yeah I do that. Because I suffer from Anxiety Disorder I find it great escapism. And I'm not afraid to put down a book that isn't helping me hide in literature

My OH ran into me with a trolley at Tesco earlier, so to say sorry he bought me Stephenie Meyer's The Host and Erica James' It's The Little Things

Hello! Welcome to the fun

And my target of 100 books in a year has been reached.... :blush: 100. Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett 9/10

Synopsis from Amazon: Mighty battles! Revolution! Death! War! (and his sons terror and panic, and daughter Clancy). The oldest and most inscrutable empire on the Discworld is in turmoil, brought about by the revolutionary treatise What I did on My Holidays. Workers are uniting, with nothing to lose but their water buffaloes. Warlords are struggling for power. War (and Clancy) are spreading throughout the ancient cities. And all that stands in the way of terrible doom for everyone is: Rincewind the Wizard, who can't even spell the word 'wizard'...Cohen the barbarian hero, five foot tall in his surgical sandals, who has had a lifetime's experience of not dying...and a very special butterfly. This is book 18 in the Discworld series, and as enjoyable as the rest. In this novel we are taken on an adventure with the not-so-great wizard Rincewind. Known to get himself into trouble, he finds himself a pawn in the god's game. Sent by the wizards at Unseen University Rincewind ends up in an unknown kingdom were they were planning a very civilised revolution. He is believed to be The Great Wizard, and again, through running away he gives off this impression. Working alongside Cohen the Barbarian - not that either realise it - they embark on an adventure to take over the Empire and see which god is going to win their game. I love this series. I have really enjoyed all of them, and this one is no exception. Rincewind novels make me laugh because he finds himself in the oddest situations and yet still comes out looking like a hero. I particularly enjoyed the return of Two Flower and Cohen the Barbarian. The Barbarian Horde were probably my favourite characters because they were all in their 90s or older and yet won many battles and still sniggered at sexual innuendoes. Their whole mentality and them trying to become 'civilised' was great reading. I enjoyed the storyline of this book too. Emperors dying, the Red Army rising out of the ground, and a polite revolution - it was good fun. As ever, Pratchett leads headlong into the Discworld and his writing is so good he makes it seem real. He is witty, writes a good adventure and well worth reading. As with his other novels, there is not a lot I can complain about - this is just a really good story that I enjoyed immensely. The Discworld books are high on my list of recommendations. 9/10

Well I have reached my target of 100 books in a year - number 100 is Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett! Wonder how many more books I'll manage in the next few months....

Comfort Read for me is chick-lit, although I don't have a particular favourite or one book I always go back too

98. Expect a Move of God...Suddenly by Joyce Meyer 8/10 99. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee 8/10

Synopsis from Amazon: Ambitious, exotic, and a classic book club read, 'The Piano Teacher' is a combination of 'Tenko' meets 'The Remains of the Day'. Sometimes the end of a love affair is only the beginning! In 1942, Will Truesdale, an Englishman newly arrived in Hong Kong, falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their love affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese, with terrible consequences for both of them, and for members of their fragile community who will betray each other in the darkest days of the war. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton lands in Hong Kong and is hired by the wealthy Chen family as their daughter's piano teacher. A provincial English newlywed, Claire is seduced by the colony's heady social life. She soon begins an affair!only to discover that her lover's enigmatic demeanour hides a devastating past. As the threads of this compelling and engrossing novel intertwine and converge, a landscape of impossible choices emerges -- between love and safety, courage and survival, the present and above all, the past. Claire is a newly wed who takes a job as a piano teacher for the infamous Chen family when she moves to Hong Kong from England with her husband. It is here she meets Will - the Chen's English driver. He is mysterious, rude and intriguing. She is drawn to him and their love affair begins. But Will is caught up in the past, and his only love Trudy. Life was fine for him and her before the war came to Hong Kong bringingJapanese occupation of the island. It is here life changed for everyone and had a lasting affect on all who experienced the hard war years. This is an excellent debut novel. Lee writes of life in Hong Kong during the Second World War and the aftermath of it. She explores how War can affect a civilisation and how people change and what they will do to survive. I think this was well written and sensitive. It seemed very realistic, with the horrors of war shown in this book - Lee does not hide the violence, death, fear and poverty. Yet that added to the wonder of this book - it made it more readable. The book does jump between the decade, as Claire features in 1953 and Trudy in 1941, yet Lee links the story wonderfully and it is clear how the two women are linked and how the story is continued in the decade after WW2. It is interesting that I was not particularly connected to the characters. Neither Claire nor Trudy appealed to me, and I found Will brooding and strange, yet the story gripped me and I wanted to know what would happen, how people would protect themselves. The story was good enough for me to not need to be empathetic with the characters. I can't think of anything particularly bad about this book; this is a good historical novel that I would recommend to anyone. 8/10

Please note: This is a Christian book This is a nifty little book from Meyer. Only 60 pages long but full of good advice. Meyer looks at hearing from God - how we need to be silent and patient and how we should expect a move of God suddenly - how He works on his time frame not ours. This book has personal stories in which are encouraging, and although only a small book she imparts wisdom and has made me consider my prayer life and she has helped raise my expectations. I can confidfently say I am now more open to God moving suddenly, and am looking forward to the surprises! This is well written and only took an hour or so to read. I liked how she was honest and shared stories of her life to help people grasp what she was saying. I found this a helpful book and well worth a quick read. 8/10

Unneccessary waffle - I find myself losing interest, long chapters/paragraphs - I like to have a place to stop to get up if I need too, too much swearing and spelling mistakes - not many then!

I finished The Piano Teacher today. Enjoyed it Will read Marshmallows for Breakfast next

Synopsis from Amazon: A QUICK READ - part of the WORLD BOOK DAY 2009 literacy initiative for emergent readers. March 1928. Freddie Smith is on a motoring holiday in the mountains of south west France. He is caught in a violent storm and his car crashes. He is forced to seek shelter in a boarding house in the nearby village of Axat. There he meets another guest in the tiny hotel, a pale and beautiful young woman called Marie. As the storm rages outside, she explains how the region was ripped apart by wars of religion in the 14th century. She tells how, one terrible night in March 1328, all the inhabitants of Axat were forced to flee from the soldiers into the mountains. The villagers took refuge in a cave, but when the fighting was over, no one came back. Their bodies were never found. Axat itself became a ghost town. When Freddie wakes the following morning, Marie has gone. Worse still, his car will take several days to repair and he has to stay at the boarding house for a few days more. To pass the time, he explores the mountains. Then he realises it is almost 600 years to the day since the villagers disappeared. He decides to go and look for the cave himself. Perhaps, he thinks, he might even find Marie? It is a decision he will live to regret. This is a Quick Read book and only 97 pages. It is typical Mosse though, with secrets hidden in caves, disaster striking to keep Frank in this ghost town and someone from the past communicating to him so he finds the caves. I found this book fairly predictable. When Frank met Marie you knew it was her ghost from the fourteenth century. And of course you knew he was going to head up the mountain to find the cave. There were a couple of surprises but it is such a short book that not a lot can happen in it. Being so short, the characters didn't have time to develop so I didn't feel anything for them. It was an OK read but in hindsight it was nothing special. It was just so short and predictable. I enjoy Kate Mosse books and feel a bit let down by this book. It has left me unsatisfied really. 5/10

I've picked up East of the Sun again and am enjoying again - apparently all I needed was a break! It is still slow but good

Please note: this is a Christian theology book Synopsis from Amazon: Reformation is the continual reforming of the mission of the church to enhance God's command to reach out to others in a way that acknowledges the unique times and locations of daily life. This engaging book blends the integrity of respected theoreticians with the witty and practical insights of a pastor. It calls for a movement of missionaries to seek the lost across the street as well as across the globe. This basic primer on the interface between gospel and culture highlights the contrast between presentation evangelism and participation evangelism. It helps Christians navigate between the twin pitfalls of syncretism (being so culturally irrelevant that you lose your message) and sectarianism (being so culturally irrelevant that you lose your mission). Included are interviews with those who have crossed cultural barriers, such as a television producer, exotic dancer, tattoo studio owner, and band manager. The appendix represents eight portals into the future: population, family, health/medicine, creating, learning, sexuality, and religion. Mark Driscoll was recently featured on the ABC special The Changing of Worship. This book looks at how to evangelise without getting sucked into worldly cultures. Driscoll makes many comparisons between how people interpret the Bible, the traps they fall into when preaching the Gospel and he explores how to reach out without being a hypocrite and a fool. This was not a particularly easy read - as my Dad would say, Driscoll is a preacher not a writer, but what he has put down is worth reading if you are interested in evangelism or are a Christian. It is not a self-help book, instead he focusses on the Bible and what it says about God and the dangers one can slip into - such as legalism. I found this a useful book and will try and put what I read into practice. There were humorous stories and comments in the book to lighten up the theology. Overall, I liked this book even if it did take me a while to read and I will read more of his books in the future as I like his teaching. 7/10

I was reading A Spot of Bother but have decided to stop, not enjoying it

Synopsis from Amazon: Remarkable. Inspiring. Heartbreaking. In the summer of 1845 Rebecca Springer and her family join the Oregon wagon train in search of land thousands of miles away. It

95. A Small Part of History by Peggy Elliott 8/10 96. The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll 7/10 97. The Cave by Kate Mosse 5/10 TBR: 62

I have just finished The Cave by Kate Mosse

I didn't vote because I didn't know if I would get a chance to read it, but I am really glad I did. I found it a gripping read because my suspicions kept changing, I was never completely sure who did it