BookJumper

I've read substantial bits before flinging it away in horror and disgust, I'm afraid - it's certainly the most popular book of its kind, but in my opinion that doesn't save it from being quite frankly filled with nonsense or rather - much worse - clichés, commonplaces and generalisations. These, if anything, hinder the communication between the sexes instead of promoting and facilitating it.

I think a good start to understanding women would be to consider that we are not "crazy," or alien, or in fact that different from men. We are human beings with the same basic needs (emotional + intellectual + etc. fulfillment) as men have; just some of us approach this search from another perspective, and I say 'some' because a lot of women actually find men a lot easier to relate to than their own sex. That basic premise aside, I'm not a big non-fiction reader outside my own field of study (Literature) so I can't really help. There are a lot of non-fiction readers on the forum though, so someone else might be able to recommend something you may find of interest. In the meantime, please do think on what I said.

They're not conflicting versions as far as I can tell. I believe Stephen's only read Book 1 of Hitchhiker's, while Martin Freeman narrates the other four (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, The Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless). Both are brilliant and come highly recommended by me Stephen's Harry Potter audiobooks are also stupidly good, so much so I have a mind to get him to read me Books 6 & 7, which I could never finish in book format.

My Dad - a big aficionado of Roman history - highly recommends Simon Scarrow's The Eagle Series, which starts with Under the Eagle, about two roman legionnaires in... Roman Britain.

Listening to Martin Freeman read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Being a huge fan of the way Stephen Fry interprets Douglas Adams, I wasn't sure if I'd like Freeman's interpretation, but they're so different one can't really draw comparisons - while Fry is the master of silky smooth third person narration, Freeman is spectacularly good at voices. His ubercool Zaphod and deadpan Marvin are particularly brilliant.

Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane? I heard the film was rubbish but I saw the expanded edition (with poems, uncomplete short stories finished off by a personal friend etc.) in a bookstore yesterday and it really really appealed, so I was wondering if anyone had read it and was able to tell me whether it was worth picking up?

We do love you Michelle :hug2: squidgily and fondly, as Chrissy so aptly puts it! The forum looks and feels more amazing than ever and you have a lot to be proud for xxx

Indeed it is - and, and, and, it boasts not one but TWO ribbon bookmarks! And a double memento pouch at the back for... things (bookmarks! book tokens & vouchers! book receipts! tickets to signings!) *dies of happiness* I now can't wait to finish The Blue Girl just so I can write in it (I'd feel like I was cheating if I wrote in it retrospectively ).

I have just given in to tentation and splurged on the gorgeous Moleskine Book Journal. May I just say, upon unwrapping, that it seems very ingeniously organised indeed? I mean, it has alphabetical sections for notes (oh so useful for review planning), six tabbed sections to personalise with your choice of included stickers (i.e. 'Book Signings', 'Wishlist' etc.) or customised ones - choices, choices - and, most importantly, an index at the end to allow you to locate each entry in an instant *gasps* I think I'm in love. Ok, it may not be ideal for the reader who gets through a book a day, but for little me it is a little thing of OCD beauty.

From the depths of my room in my parents' house, I have just uncovered a set of gorgeous laminated Beatles banknote prints (one per Fab Four) of undetermined provenance - perfect!

Awww, that's so sweet Kate - they'll love it :)! Amazingly, the raccoon on the back of my denim jacket now even has paws (mostly)... he should actually be finished by the end of the week if I keep this stitching pace up. My Mum's so proud, I've always been slow and rubbish at stitching but I'm getting faster and now when I make a mistake I grumble, undo it and start over rather than hurl the whole thing across the room I've even had to be given a quilting thimble, the waste canvas needle is quite sharp and I, being enthusiastic, kept trying to bleed all over the canvas! Piccies to come as soon as Coonie is finished!

You lot have intrigued me... *plans minor robbery in order to acquire funds*!

Oooh, let me know if that's any good India, I like the sound of that!

Well done on the Pratchettisation, Kell - your little one has great taste!

Noll - it wouldn't be a quill on its own, the way I've envisioned it so far is a combination of a quill + cup of coffee come inkwell + the letters MBC (My Beloved Craft, which is the first poem I ever wrote about the art of writing) on a scroll wrapped around the quill. Abby - I only want a simple black outline, no colour or shading; I'm having to try and draw it from scratch though because I can't even find a stock picture with the kind of quill I want. I do like your philosophy, sadly though reality will probably see me having to work in at office at least part time for the next couple of year so if I did go for the hand I might have to postpone the entire plan. Janet - you're welcome. And, oooh, pretty!

I really hate the Predator films so I hope I don't get dragged to see this one too !

I shall endeavour not to have to abandon them on public transport then, I should hate to mortify you !

De Lift (as in the 1983 Dutch horror film, not one of the several rubbishy US remakes). Oh, the nightmares that gave me after catching it on 3am television with headphones on and the lights off so as not to be discovered by my parents! 'Take the stairs, take the stairs. For God's sake, take the Stairs!!!'

I never got to see the end of this my high school class was shown the first half by an R.E. teacher who got his course movie recommendations from his children, only to be routinely scandalised by their suggestions. Picture the scene: 'Girls, I am so sorry.' 'Huh?' 'To be showing you something like this, so inappropriate, I'll stop it immediately.' 'But we like it, we want to know how it ends!' 'You don't have to say that...' :roll:! Agreed on all counts !

Solomon Kane looks trashily awesome.

The Young Ones with Cliff Richards & The Shadows. As I told my Dad: decidely better than the films of Elvis, but not as good as those of The Beatles !

Janet - I can't offer much advice as I have not had a tat before, but I can offer you an encouraging hug if you'd like that instead ? Noll - awww, that passage is beautiful. Made me want to read some E.M. Forster NAO! I need help:lurker: as you may know, I am in the (rather drawn-out) process of designing a quill tattoo to symbolise my writerly vocation. I would rather like to get it done across my right lower arm/wrist/hand for obvious reasons, except: - I've heard tattoos on hands hurt like witches with bs - I'm afraid of how it will look when my hand is old and wrinkly - I wouldn't be able to hide it, i.e. for job interviews Thoughts? Thank you !

Italian - native English - native German - good, if a little out of practice Spanish - basic Russian - forgotten most of the little I knew

You won't know for certain unless you apply what have you got to lose? If you apply and get in, marvellous; if you don't get in, at least you gave it your best shot. Besides, consider that for a first UK degree it is expected that you should apply to more than one University, and should you not get into any of those, there is something called Clearing which will basically tell you 'You didn't get into courses X an Y but there's places on courses W and Z which will take you with the grades you have.' This to give everyone the best shot at an education to suit their needs. I don't know what your proposed course of study is but, two degrees later with hopefully a third ahead of me, I for one am glad I didn't settle for the way literature is taught in Italy (brainless parrot-style)...!

Thanks for putting my mind a bit more at rest, Fi - I got very worried for a second there.