Raven

One Day By David Nicholls It is Friday 15th July 1988, and students Emma and Dexter almost - but not quite - get together on the night of their graduation. As they look to the future, they speculate how they will fair over the next twenty years . . . The premise of the book is simple; to tell the story of two people by relating the events of the same date each year, but David Nicholls' realisation of that premise results in a complex tale of friendship and love, and of how things don't always work out as planned or hoped for. By and large the events that unfold are relatively predictable. If you were to sit down and lay out a road map of two people's lives for a will they/won't they style novel, that has to span twenty years, then there are some obvious plot lines that immediately come to mind, and by and large they appear, but the strength of this book isn't in the plotting, it is the characters. Emma Morley is a bright, intelligent girl who lacks direction and self-confidence. Dexter Mayhew also lacks direction, but he has charisma and good looks by the bucket, and he isn't afraid to use them to get what he wants. Nicholls' draws the two characters perfectly. They are both written with a brutal honesty that makes them very real indeed, to the point where I stopped thinking of them as characters in a book, and start thinking of them as real people. Emma's somewhat rudderless path though life is at the same time both heart warming and saddening, and Dexter's arrogance and lack of self control are painfully realised as he battles to do what he knows is right, but repeatedly fails. It is by no means a perfect book; I could see several of the plot points coming well before they happened, and that so many important events happen on the same date does stretch credulity somewhat, but it is a conceit that one is ultimately willing to turn a blind eye to when the characters are as good as they are. I found myself both laughing and crying whilst reading this book, it is a novel that has genuinely moved me and is one that I believe my thoughts will dwell on for some time to come.

Doctor Who: The Writers Tale: The Final Chapter By Russell T. Davis and Benjamin Cook Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook return with this revised and updated edition of their 2008 biography, The Writer's Tale. Consisting of a series of (often late night) e-mail exchanges between Doctor Who head writer Russell T. Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook, The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter contains an additional 300 pages of new material, and covers a period of Doctor Who history that now seems like a distant memory. The new material included in this edition, which picks up where the previous edition left off with the writing of the Christmas special The Next Doctor, charts the highs and lows of bringing the final few stories of David Tennant's time as the eponymous Timelord to the small screen. Primarily this is a book about script-writing, and a number of examples from various scripts are included, but because Davies wore more than one hat this also covers most other aspects of the show's production, as well as that of it's sister shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. This was a bit of a cheat for me, actually, as I just jumped into this book where the previous edition finished (come on, it was over 500 pages, I wasn't going to re-read all that again just over a year after I first read it!). Benjamin Cook does an excellent job in getting Davies to open up, with questions that often produce insightful and interesting answers. Davies, for his part, gives a warts-and-all account of himself and the events covered, as well as some genuinely engaging and touching glimpses of a man who has often been derided by fandom for his handling of the show. If you are interested in the production of Doctor Who this is a must read, if you are interested in script writing and television production, doubly so. Highly recommended.

Unseen Academicals By Terry Pratchett Trevor Likely is a lad with an eye for the girls, specifically Unseen University cook and part-time model Juliet Stollop, but they are from two feuding families; Trevor's dad used to play football for the Dimwell Old Pals whilst Juliet's family are staunch supporters of the Dolly Sisters. But then the Patrician decides to take an interest in football, and that can only mean trouble for someone and that someone is feisty head cook Glenda Sugarbean, inventor of the Ploughman's Pie. As Glenda struggles to keep Trevor and Juliet from getting into trouble, it seems trouble has taken a shine to her, in the form of the mysterious Mr. Nutt, and match day is fast approaching - gloing! Unseen Academicals is the 37th Discworld book, and this time round the subject up for lampooning is football. Like a lot of recent Pratchett novels, this one is again set in Ankh-Morpork and sees the welcome return of the Unseen University faculty and their new rivals, the staff of Brazeneck College headed up by their new Archchancellor Henry, the former UU Dean. The story is pretty much standard Pratchett fair; a mysterious force is manipulating events whilst someone with a good deal of common sense tries to work out what is going on. The lead character, Glenda Sugarbean, is an engaging heroine, and the supporting characters are the usual entertaining mix of the interesting, the fun, the evil and the mysterious. It rattles along at a good ole pace and Pratchett's observations are as sharp as ever and the writing is just good. And that's pretty much it, really, which is why I was fairly apathetic about the whole novel whilst I was reading it. It may sound churlish to complain about a book that is so well written, but there isn't a lot here that is particularly new or original. The plot, the characters and the observations may all be new, but my general feeling is that this is more of the same but wearing a different dress (and this is only heightened by having the book set in Ankh-Morpork, yet again, after a run of other novels set there). Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book at all, but even steak gets boring if you eat it every day. Recommended (sort of . . .).

A Wild Sheep Chase By Haruki Murakami Following the publication of an Insurance company PR bulletin, containing a very ordinary picture of a flock of sheep, a successful copywriter is contacted by a crime boss and sent on the most bizarre adventure imaginable, one that will take him from Tokyo to the far reaches of Hokkaidō in a search for a mystical sheep with a star shaped birthmark on it's back . . . A Wild Sheep Chase is probably the most bizarre mystery novel I have ever read, but also one of the most enjoyable. The story centres on an unnamed copywriter who is delivered an ultimatum to track down a sheep that has previously bought good luck to a powerful crime boss whose days are now coming to an end. Hoping that finding the sheep will also bring him luck, the crime boss’s deputy is keen to cement his position as the new leader of his organisation. Threatened with the destruction of his company the copy writer and his girlfriend have no choice but to go on this wild sheep chase, wherever it may lead them. I really like this book. The narrator, the unnamed copywriter, is a likeable, if cynical chap who has an interesting and engaging way of describing the events that unfold, and the colourful cast of characters he encounters. The writing style is almost classic film-noir, but with an added twist of the surreal. Characters and places are vividly drawn, and the book has a suspiring emotional depth that leaves one with a profound sense of melancholy. This is one of Murakami's earlier novels, and as such it doesn't seem as polished and lyrical as some of his later writing, but that doesn't matter because un-polished Murakami is still way better than anything most other authors will ever achieve. Highly recommended.

That's precisely why I was surprised so many made it into the list! (the sheer number of books Pratchett has written usually goes against him in polls because it tends to split his vote). I'd also agree with BJ that Pratchett is a much better writer than Rowling, but the Potter books do have more mass appeal, so I would have expected more of them in the top 25. Good to see Twilight never made the list! ETA: I've read 12 of the books listed.

SFX magazine recently asked readers to list their top three science fiction/fantasy novels, and the results are in. I'm surprised at how many Pratchett books made the list, when only one Rowling did.

Do not read the following unless you like your books majorly spoiled!

Yeah, it's okay, not a bad film, but I found it hard to like Dennis after the first half of the film made him out to be such a tosser. Hot Fuzz Which I was actually starting to get into until I hit a problem with the DVD I was watching and had to skip forward a chapter - rather took the gloss off it. Still, better than I remembered it being from watching it in the cinema, but still not as good as Shaun of the Dead. Laputa: Castle in the Sky A pleasant enough film, but nothing amazing to write home about. I'm beginning to spot a pattern in Studio Ghibli plots . . .

Not much. It only lasted three or four epsiodes, I think.

Personally I'd say that have, because they stripped all the subtlety out of the performances. That is part of it, but another aspect is that there are only 14 episodes of Spaced and that is only half a season in the US. Ideally, US companies are looking for an idea that will run for a few seasons of about 20-24 episodes.

I started out okay, when I read it a few years back, but struggled for a while after getting over half-way through. It did pick up again towards the end though, and I'm glad I finished it, but I wouldn't call it an easy read.

Some interesting, and moderately spoilery pictures from current filming. Never thought I'd see that in Doctor Who!

I'm about 180 pages into this, which is quite good for me in four days, but it's starting to feel a bit rudderless (I don't think it helps that I don't like Dexter very much, I'm pretty much reading it for the Emma updates at the mo!).

Being a moderator is obviously going to someone's head! (Watch your back Michelle!). How about: "Yeah, that whole "organised" religion thing didn't really work out to well, did it?"

It is and .

I can recommend High Fidelity, a very good read! I got the wrong end of the stick, I was of the impression it was a series you had read several times from the way you talked about it!

Hehe. It is pretty dreadful, but also highly amusing in a twisted sort of way.

Be warned, this isn't for the feint of heart, or those who have anger issues . . . The fact that this has been up for nearly a year without being picked up on probably speaks volumes as to its quality, but for those who dare, here are some clips from the rejected pilot for the US version of Spaced (complete with stealth trams!).

I've read Succubus Blues. I can't say it's something I would recommend; some of the characters weren't too bad, but the story line was pretty predictable and it had the feel of a piece of fan-fiction to me. Having said that though, I believe her Vampire Academy books have a good reputation (I think they are written for teenagers, rather than the adult market her other books are aimed at).

The trouble really starts when you get to your destination but can't remember why you went there in the first place . . .

Series 6 has been commissioned! (No great surprise, given that the names of several writers have already made it onto the net!). Filming starts in June. And three more episode titles from series five:

Is that the first time you've read it? (I thought you have been recommending these books for months!).

I got Fire Starter by The Prodigy the other day when I was on hold - that must be pretty far removed from their original intent when performing the song . . .

40-pages in and One Day is going okay so far. I have a good idea what the future may have in store (at least on some levels) for the protagonists, but it is early days yet. I shall have to wait and see.

Doctor Who on BBC Three, very good!