SueK

I'm planning on starting this over the weekend Janet. I'll let you know what I think of it. I must say I'm looking forward to it. I've since discovered that Barbara Ewing is an actress who has appeared in numerous TV series. Have you managed to read her other book, The Trespass yet?

I suppose it was Agatha Christie in my youth - either Miss Marple or Poirot. Then I went through a Ruth Rendell spell - I was more keen on her psychological thrillers than the Wexford series. I then got engrossed in the Brother Cadfael Chronicles but that is more about the historical settings than the plots (which I admit can be a little lightweight) but just lovely to read. In later years though it has to be Arthur Conan Doyle all the way.

yes I too have problems with names. I have the same problem in newspaper articles when a name is mentioned at the top and then again half way down and I have to go back to the top to remember who he/she was. I think they call it a senior moment. I agree with Pickle on Anna Karenin. War and Peace has a similar problem as with those books you have to remember the patronymic as well. Btw Pickle, your avatar worries me ...... is that little chick going to fall down the drain:cry2:

Exactly:lol: That just about sums how bad the book was - can't even remember the title or the author, just that his attempt at a sex scene was pants:mrgreen:

I quite agree Runner. I thought it was an excellent, well written debut novel and I believe is being made into a film - directed by Ridley Scott. It is another fine example of how life is portrayed in Stalin's Russia and the writer has a very good descriptive style - Moscow and surrounds (and Ukraine) felt like you were there. The opening chapters are particularly bleak. I shall look forward to seeing it and hope it doesn't deviate form the book too much.

I used to do a bit of Tai chi until the teacher we had retired and I haven't found as good a replacement. I know a little Thai kick boxing (through OH) and whilst I can't kick my legs to reach some person's ears:irked: the warming up exercise in TKB is very good and I used to use it when I taught aerobics. Killing it was:lol:

I don't mind provided it doesn't hamper the plot in any way. As I tend to read a lot of whodunnits I don't expect to find too many sex scenes and you certainly wouldn't find any in stories connected with my chap on the left:mrgreen: I think is also a question of how well the scene is written. I read an article in the guardian (I think) on bad sex scenes in books and how ever good the author may be in other styles, the sex scene was badly written or very gauche. I'll try to dig out the article if I get a moment. The worse sentence I ever read went something along the lines of "he tore at her body like a thief"; purrllleeeease:lol:

Home made Thai green curry minus the 20 chillies my OH usually puts in. (Mine only contains about one and a half:blush:).

The Essential Billie Holliday. I just love that woman!

I'm just about to tuck into a serrano ham and cucumber sarnie on brown, with cherry tomatoes and small rocket salad. Yummmm.

Today I decided to go back to Victorian mysteries and as a fan of Anne Perry I have started on one of her Inspector Pitt novels, The Whitechapel Conspiracy. The title alone I think sounds exciting. So far, so good:)

I thought I'd just post a few lines on this book. Having read the Original Rebecca and noticing there were a few books that tie up the so-called ends of Du Maurier's classic, I mentioned above the sequel, Mrs De Winter by Susan Hill which I really enjoyed. I've now read the prequel, Rebecca's Tale by Sally Beauman which I found a trifle disappointing. The writing is good and in some ways echo's du Maurier's quite well. The premise I found a little implausible. The book is seen through the eyes of old Colonel Julyan who was Maxim's friend and confidante; Rebecca herself through a series of books that she had left; the daughter of Julyan and a stranger called Terence Grey. Apart from Rebecca herself and Julyan the other two characters needn't have made an appearance as their story didn't really enhance the plot other than as a bridge. The ending of the story doesn't even really affect Rebecca at all and there are still what ifs. What disappointed me the most was the resurrection of the second Mrs De Winter into a person I barely recognised. She had turned into a matronly middle-aged "grey" person who still had the timidness of the earlier book but had also developed a cunning view of Rebecca that I found hard to believe. Mrs Danvers also came across as a stranger to the original. All in all, it was interesting to read an alternative take of Rebecca's early days and I found the atmospheric writing around Manderley still beguiling but I much preferred Susan Hill's version as I felt she kept to the original characterisation.

Bambi!! Does it for me everytime. For serious films, A Very Long Engagement has me blubbering at the end even though it's not a sad ending.

Sherlock Holmes Brother Cadfael Crowner John (stories about a coroner in Exeter during Richard I's reign) Daniel Jacquot (series featuring a French Detective and ex Rugby player) Morse

I've finally finished Rebecca's Tale and I can now happily put the ghost of Rebecca to rest as I have read the original, prequel and sequel. All good (but the other two aren't a patch on the original). Anyway, got to get my mojo back on course as my TBR pile wont go down by itself. Oh dear - what to pick up next ........

Hi Readwine Great to read your views:) Isn't it good to be able to have a discussion over a book - I so miss this in Real Life:lol: I do agree with much of what you say and if you ever get the chance to get hold of a copy of the Whisperers (if indeed it is your sort of reading) then I do recommend it (it's a bit of tome though at 600 some pages). Before reading the Whisperers I had no idea how bad (that is such a bland word to to describe it) life was under Stalin. If you are interested in this sort of literature, maybe try Under a Blood Red Sky by Kate Furnivall which depicts life in the 30s in labour camps and poor villages (although I do believe this book has a different title in US). Child 44 is another such book although that is more in the style of Gorky Park and is soon to be a film I believe. I wonder whether Sashenka was so caught up in the emotional tide, not to say the romance, of the revoluation - and when the reality of Stalin's regime hit home she had to live the lie like a lot of others. But I do see where you are coming from - perhaps Montefiore wanted to write through Sashenka as well as a disaffected third person looking on......

I get mine from Amazon mostly too. Waterstones was great at Christmas as I had a big fat voucher to spend:mrgreen: Where I live we are blessed with some brilliant second hand book shops, one of them, Halls, was featured years ago in the yellow pages ad for Fly Fishing by J R Hartley:D - we also have a big Oxfam shop dedicated only to books which is wonderful - I've picked up some excellent out of print books for around

Yes, that's the book Chrissy. I did start it a couple of years' ago and perhaps wasn't in the right mood but I'm willing to give it a go and maybe make it my surprise read of the year. I'd love to know what Inver made of it. Thanks.

Hmm, only 4 eh. Well, I guess they will have to be all men (oh lucky me) As said earlier my first guest would have to be Sean Bean (eye candy and hot). I'd chat about Sharpe and footie. Arsene Wenger - my professorial guest - he and Sean can argue over footie. George Gershwin - my favourite composer and he can tell me what other brilliant ideas he had after writing Porgy and Bess Fred Astaire - best hoofer in the business and great friends with Gershwin. After dinner we'd get round the piano with Fred dancing to George's playing and Sean and Arsene fighting outside about who the best striker in the prem is.

I'm about half way through Rebecca's Tale. It is OK and as a mystery I find it quite good but I don't think it does the original Rebecca justice. The ghostly elements of it I find odd plus the reason for Rebecca writing the journal doesn't make sense (I won't say more in case people want to read it). Still, once I get to the end I can then safely lay the ghost of Rebecca to bed as I would have read the original and the prequel/sequel. Then I can move on to my TBR pile at last:D

I'm having a job starting anything on my TBR pile right now. It is through a small problem called "Library". Every time I go in usually taking stuff back for my husband as he can't get there during proper hours, I have to have a nose round and invariably take books out. I then of course have to take them back but I can't just walk out. I need to finish my two recent library books before end Jan and then I can hopefully start on my TBR pile. There are books that unfortunately keep going down to the bottom of the pile: Suite Francaise - I don't know why it should as I really want to read it. Count of Monte Cristo - this is simply because of the size of the book and I need a good clear spell of reading time to do it justice (not just 5 mins here and there). The Red Tent - this book has been on my TBR pile for a few years and still I put it to the bottom. It may be I'll not get round to reading it - unless someone tells me I really should:)

I think the book cover also has a lot to do with it. I like Elisabeth Chadwick books but recently the covers look like real fluff books so I keep the cover down when I'm reading. That's being snobbish though isn't it? I could always put a Samuel Becket cover on it and pretend I'm reading Waiting for Godot or something:mrgreen:

Now, I reckon there is a fine line between looking cool and being a poser:lol: My OH is from Thailand and one day after a trip up to London I bought him home a Thai newspaper and for a laugh I started to read it on the train home, I got some "cool" looks but I was really being a poser. As for books to look cool reading, perhaps something like Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, or something like Crime and Punishment/Brothers Karamazov/War and Peace or something like that? I suppose it depends on what type of audience you want to attract. As Kell says above, seeing someone reading a book is cool in itself.

aint' that the truth:lol: Anyway, give me a pat on the back as I've finally finished Death of a Chancellor. For anyone who hasn't read this series by David Dickenson, (not that David Dickenson) these crime mysteries featuring Lord Francis Powerscourt and take place in late Victorian/Edwardian times. They are good crime stories with a lot of historical detail - usually centred around an actual event of the time. He is very dashing and charming and always gets his man:D. I've read 4 now so will give them a rest until later in the year. Now, I've got Rebecca's Tale to read before taking it back to the library (I'm reading these in the reverse order to Mugglemagic). Then I'm free to start on my TBR list.