Lucybird

This thread always makes me crave hot chocolate. I tend to like my hot chocolate plain, or with marshmallows on top if anything! I like mint generally though, in chocolate bars, or sweets, and I love mint choc chip ice-cream

Why did I never think to look on Amazon? Yes that looks like it. I'm tempted to buy that, I bet it won't meet up to my memories though. I had forgotten one of the characters was called Archie...maybe I subconsciously remembered it, Archie is my boyfriends name!

hmm I can't remember noticing it. I didn't go down that street often though, I will have to look out when/if I go back

It's the street that runs between the town hall/victoria square/library (I'm trying to think of something you'll know!) and The Bullring and is by the ramp to The Pallasades/new street station oh I just realised you were talking about Stratford when you were talking about not knowing street names. I think I kinda know where you mean, by the river? The road with M&S?

The Dame threw me a bit too, I didn't know she was a Dame now.

There are two in Bangor (Wales, where I went to uni) one is almost completely devoted to books so it's pretty good for books. But possibly because all the other book shops in Bangor were mainly devoted to student textbooks, without any (or much) fiction New Street. It used to be a Dillons before it got taken over. There are 2 in Birmingham city centre, the one on New Street and one at the end of New Street (in the pavillions, by the Bullring) which is more modern Where's that? I worked in Stratford before I broke my leg, I only ever noticed Waterstones as a bookshop, but then I didn't really get out the centre

I read Jaqueline Wilson books in my early-mid teens and really liked them, I actually wrote to her and got a proper handwritten letter back (I think she must have been less well known then, or maybe she just replies to all her mail). I've read the Kipper books too. And some Janet and Alan Ahlberg, which are great kids books. I still practically know Each Peach Pear Plum off by heart, and the Jolly Postman books were great. And there was heard it in the playground which was for older kids

I think it was because they were the more famous ones, I wanted something less popular. Or maybe because we had one of them on tape and they all sounded like rabbits

Both my local Waterstones have coffee shops too, and my local WHSmiths (which is actually one of my favourite coffee shops cause it doesn't tend to get busy) I don't like WHSmith for buying books though, at least our local one doesn't have a very wide selection

I used to like Chris Moyles when he was on in the afternoon, but he's a bit much in the morning. I don't like Scott Mills either, he seems a bit juvenile. I do quite like Sara Cox though, but I prefer Edith

I used to love a book called Magical Powers which I think was by Mary Hoffman, I only ever saw it at the local library, never in a bookshop so unfortunately I never owned it. Roald Dahl of course. Enid Blyton (but I refused to read The Famous Five). When I was really young I loved the Pippo books. Oh books by Shirley Hughes, especially the My Naughty Little Sister ones

I used to drink Galaxy, I think I switched to Cadbury's because it was cheaper and about the same quality

It's one of my favourite places in Birmingham actually it has a Costa in it too so you wouldn't even need a flask Still doesn't meet up to the library in Beauty and the Beast though- I really could live there, if it existed!

Oh yes it really is! I could probably spend hours in my local Waterstones if I didn't have other things too do! It is a beautiful shop though, it used to be a bank so it's all sweeping staircases, and pillars and fancy decoration, it even has a tower! It's just what I think a bookshop should be like.

I just pick randomly usually, although if I ever have more than one from a series I usually read those together. I probably tend to read my new ones first just because I'm excited about reading them, but then I tend to buy in 3s (because Waterstones always has 3 for 2 offers on which I can't resist) so then I'm never sure which to read first.

Usually I listen to Radio 1 when I listen to the radio, except when it's late enough for them to be playing dance music then I'll switch over too radio 2. Usually I just listen to my i-tunes though. My parents listen to radio 4 so I sometimes catch a bit of that, I like Just a Minute

I quite like the Cadbury's advert. I like the Barcely card one too, with the slide, what a fun way to get home from work.

I used to read a lot of Jenny Colgan, although I haven't read much of her more recent stuff. I remember her style changed and I didn't like it so much. I don't read so much chick lit. these days although I have a tendancy to go back to my copy of P.S I love you (I'm not so sure about the others I've read my Celia Ahern, it seems shes trying a bit too hard to make her books different, I still quite enjoy them but not enough to actually buy them). Unless Penny Vincenzi counts as chick lit? I've discovered her fairly recently.

lol yes, well I went to the first fullstop

"There are women who cannot grow alone as standard trees;- for whom the support and warmth of some wall, some paling, some post, it is absolutely necessary;- who, in their growth, will bend and incline themselves towards some such prop for their life, creeping with their trendrils along the ground till they reach it when the circumstances of their life have brought no such prop within their natural and immediate reach" Rachel Ray- Anthony Trollope

I gave up on Jane Eyre when I was about 14, but then read it when I was 16/17 because it was a book I had to read for my English a-level. I actually enjoyed it in the end but it took me a while to get into, I didn't so much like the bits where Jane was young. I almost gave up on Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone too, but the series ended up being an obsession, I do usually miss out the first few chapters when I re-read PS though. I've always intended to try and read Lord of the rings again, I got as far as the forming of the fellowship first time

I'm strange with that. I get travel sick if I read in the car, but not on the bus or train

Yes he is wonderful!

I knew he'd be a good lift buddy!

I am awful for not using bookmarks. I just remember what happened last and flick through till I find the right spot. Or I put the book down open. If it's a hardback I'll use the flap on the dust cover though