Chrissy

I'm planning on something interesting with chicken, onions and potatoes - not sure what until I start cooking it!

Up! No doubt about it! Who are you kidding Ben? Definitely UP!

No Ben, you are fairly safe there. The LOTR were fab films, and captured all the action really well, whilst leaving some of the peripheral density of the books to one side (thank goodness). They are hefty books, and Peter Jackson kept faithful to their souls.

Carr's Sauce Flour is great for (strangely enough) sauces. You just add milk - no need to use any fats. I also use strong / mature cheeses so that I use less and I'll add parmesan or mustard for extra oomph. Where possible I cook up the mince on it's own and drain the fat off - for some reason the fat content can really vary and I have frequently discovered more fat coming out of lean mince then the el cheapo stuff!

Hello DayDream!

Hello Naivion!

It's the 'parenting' by all the grown ups that is so disturbing. There is no safe haven for any of the young people in the book. Two immediate examples including Natalie being given to a man by her father under the pretext of her adulthood at 13 because the recipient is rich. Secondly, the complete disregard of Neil's pursuit and obsessive attitude toward Augusten. That's aside from the absent father and the not just neglectful, but damaging mother. As a parent I read so much of this with a mounting sense of horror. I wanted to rush into the text and rescue them all, while placing a few well-aimed slaps at the grown-ups on the way out! I wanted nurturing and warmth and understanding for them. I wanted regular mealtimes and structure and letting them know for certain that they matter.

Hello Rosalind!

Yeah Sara - enjoy the book! May I also raise a toast to Miss Inver - she helps make the forum a haven of fluffy gorgeousness!

We stayed in chalets at a holiday camp place. I was very young then - so it's a long time ago (). The name 'Silver Sands' is nudging my sub conscious! My memories are very happy thinking about your little island - so thanks for bringing a good vibe to my week!

*Gulp* Never - I bought a copy for my niece, but not for me! Do I pass?

D-D-D-d-d-d-d-dare I guess?

I found the mother's lack of anything other than self interest was too unbearable. Everything she did was to validate her sense of self, with scant regard for anyone else. Why is it always the ones that are so vocal about their needs, their rights etc who have the least regard for anyone elses needs or rights? GGGrr! How heartbreaking that you develop a sense for insanity. It must mean the difference between survival and despair. I've had violent partners in my distant past, I always knew when I would be facing a difficult time later. It's nuances that you tune into.

I've read 'Sleeping Doll', and loved it! Very suspenseful and intelligent. I'm now about to go online and order 'Roadside Crosses'

"Lymond is back." 'The Game Of Kings' by Dorothy Dunnett

My guess is it's that little known fantasy thriller one she wrote called 'Bloodbath in Fairyland', where goblins attack all the good fairies with axes and drive them out of Fairy Land and then this big mammoth creature comes along and.......................................Nah, just kidding!

We used to go on holiday to Hayling Island! The last time I was there must have been about 15 years ago. Love the place. Isn't it also the birthplace of windsurfing?

Absolutely, but I also felt that no one could have anticipated Augusten's power there, amd that's where I feel disgust at the adults who allowed the relationship to take place without being actively involved. The episode that details their 'first time' is graphic and brutal, very uncomfortable reading, and Augusten had no control whatsoever in that. It is only later when Neil becomes infatuated that there is any shift of control between them. There is a clear sense of that, and it's difficult to tell whether it's because he did emotionally stand outside looking in at the time, or whether it's his sense of recollection that creates that feeling.

Hello SillyBeggar!

"But you would have to be committed to a psychiatric hospital. Basically what would have to happen is that your poor mother would have to find you -" He chuckled under his breath, amused by the scenario. 'Running With Scissors' Augusten Burroughs

The saddest and most disturbing aspect for me in this mind shifting book is Augusten's sanctioned relationship with the much older Bookman. Augusten's need of a relationship that is intense and all consuming is utterly understandabe, both because of his age and the neglect of him to date. For the adults around him not to make sure that the relationship was healthy and safe is unforgivable. How heart breaking is that as a statement? How many if us have rated our self worth by how someone who is no good for us regards us? It takes many years to learn that being on one's own is better than being with the wrong someone.

I ticked 'Other' as I am actually using a proper book mark at the moment! Other times I have used tickets etc that hold some meaning for me, or I memorise the page number! I have no habits as such, as I can read anywhere under pretty much any circumstances. I hate to be interrupted unnecessarily though - I can be quite cutting when that happens!

If you have read the earlier Scarpetta books, how did you think that this one compared? I'd be interested to know what you think. I found it to be bitty and somewhat 'vague' - sorry, can't think of a better word to describe that sensation when I'm not sure the author was fully engaged when they were writing!

It felt that Augusten was surrounded from the off by some form of dysfunction or another. His dad keeping his distance, his brother's condition and his as nutty as squirrel poo mother! And then he is sent to live with the Finches!

Hello Dusky!