BookJumper

*nabs Joan of Arc* although thanks but no thanks re: The Pilgrim's Progress, I had to read bits of it for university and was bored out of my skull. By the way, you might want to look into George MacDonald, whom I added to the list about 5 minutes ago - any 19th century fantasy writer who influenced C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien can't be bad now can he?

My thoughts exactly thank you, Wiki! I've already read and adored Ivanhoe granted, that was over a decade ago so I don't remember it terribly well, but still.

Rob - Fathers and Sons sounds brilliant... *ioinks it for her own*. Kell - I've read and enjoyed Les Miserabl

I'm trying to come up with 50 or so titles for a peronalised Classics* challenge; however, I don't want to go reading a book I have no interest in just because it's considered a classic so I'm having a spot of trouble. I hope the list so far will give you an idea what I'm after (note: glaring omissions from the opus of mentioned authors are deliberate, i.e. I'm not intrigued by Dostoevskij's The Brothers Karamazov and have already read Hawthorne's The Scarlet letter). Art, philosophy and grand ideals are what most stirs me in books if that's any help. * for the sake of (my) convenience, we shall define 'Classic' as 'an awesome book written pre-1900'. The list so far Honor

If you ever wrote a novel I'd buy it on the basis that you've written it although prettiness of design has never hurt anyone, except maybe my wallet. I had the chance of buying this as part of a 3 for

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson? I'm intrigued by the pretty rough-cut pages...!

Over the past couple of days I have received: - Philip Pullman, Northern Lights (signed, numbered and slipcased Waterstone's Exclusive) - Oscar Wilde, The Wit of Oscar Wilde (Folio society, 1st edition) The slipcase for the Wilde got a beating in the post good news is, it was insured for five times what I've paid for it so if the Royal Mail cough up (and oh, they will...!) that means more books for me ! With a sleight of forward bidding, I also secured myself a gorgeous Folio edition of T.H. White's The Once and Future King *toddles off to post about it in the relevant thread, where other intrepid souls were on a quest for a pretty copy thereof* can't wait for that to get here!!!

What Noll said. If around town I've been known to skip lunch so that I might treat myself to a new book in that inspiring bookshop calling out to me; pretty much all my money is spent on books at the expense of food and clothes - books are all the food for thought and heartwarmers I need as to the actual monthly amount... I dread to think. It's probably in the interest of my murmuring, tachicardic heart if I don't think!

Good to know; this used to be on my Wishlist and it seems like I've taken it off at some point - sounds like, thanks to you, it'll have to go back on !

I went to see A Single Man with a friend on Saturday and it was MAGNIFICENT, so much so I'm already arranging to go see it again with another friend before the week is out. Sad, uplifting, beautiful, powerful, stunningly acted, sumptuously scored - and this is coming from someone who never understands or remembers instrumental soundtracks. If Colin Firth does not bag the Oscar for this, I'll be supremely angered at the injustice of it all, and declare the Awards rigged. Go see it yesterday, and bring hankies.

Precisely. The way I understand art (from books to music via painting etc.) is that it affects us because it reflects something that is already within our souls in ways we might struggle to articulate ourselves. While a book may encourage me to think about an issue, it is not going to suddenly turn my ideals upside down. (1) is a toughie. If I were a publisher today, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with an openly racist author, I know that much. (2) is indeed a no brainer. Example: in my Global/Local Shakespeares class I was given examples of the racist/sexist comments made by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; however, it would be a mistake not to file Coleridge under Shakespearean Criticism in the library for - 'ist' or no - the man also made innumerable sensible points which are still relevant to students and scholars.

Awww, shame... I hope it picks up for you, I get sad when people don't hero-worship Jasper! This has just officially been kicked up the Wishlist.

... that edition of The Stand is so purdy!!! Wanna! Out of interest, how steep is 'steep'?

It must all depend on the helpfulness of the bookseller, I replaced my lost card when I was last in a W and the lovely girl at the till said, 'you know, you can get a free copy of Books Quarterly with this - do you want it?' so I said 'yes, please' !

Hello and welcome to the book scene I'm a big reader of horror, supernatural and sci fi so I might be able to help you in those fields as they are pretty vast however, it would help me to narrow down what you might like if you could - say - list a couple of movies you really like, or themes you're interested in (I'd recommend different things depending whether you like gory or psychological horror / robots or aliens, that kind of thing). I look forward to helping you .

Alright then enjoy your curry and I'll enjoy mine, and hopefully I'll be able to restrain myself from buying yet more books before dinner...!

Probably not; to be honest, I don't think the person capable of keeping me from buying pretty books has been born yet still, just 'cos I like you: I'm off to Foyle's to have a little pre-dinner drool over the pretty books, are you coming ?

... I like the way your brain works. You temptress!!!

You may come along if you can keep me off eBay for the next two seconds:lurker: I'll admit to having just bought a pretty first Folio edition of The Wit of Oscar Wilde because it was about to end unbought and unloved & it was only

Underrated, who on earth by? Certainly not by me . I actually buy books on the strength of their pretty cover all the time, more than is good for my wallet in fact, and the method hasn't failed me yet. I've discovered many a new favourite author in this manner (i.e. Jasper Fforde, Neil Gaiman), and a Keith Miller's The Book of Flying - which I'd never even heard of and got bought only because the cover was pretty and strokeable to the touch - is officially my favourite fantasy book ever. I could continue. On top of trusting my instincts re: covers when deciding whether or not to buy a book, I'll go so far as not buying a book I already know I want when the cover doesn't please me - I'd rather wait to find and pay a bit extra for a pretty edition than settle for something which doesn't do anything for me aesthetically. Books for me are the synthesis of words, typeface, binding, coverart... I feel shortchanged whenever one of these elements isn't in harmony with the others.

Indian restaurant is what's for dinner, so quite probably poppadoms, garlic prawns and honey chicken although I might just have to skip the usual mango lassi - there's only so much you can bend a diet, I think.

Being a man of God, Erasmus obviously understood that books are more nourishing and warming to the soul than mere food & clothes...! Wise man.

Good surprise: after being sneakily outbid on a new (still cellophaned!) limited slipcased edition of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights yesterday, I got a second chance to buy it for my maximum bid (

Apart from the occasional Waterstone's bookseller, everyone I've ever tried striking up a literary conversation with in a bookshop has looked at me as if I were mental maybe I should get a t-shirt done that says 'TALK TO ME ABOUT BOOKS' or something, so the people who do want to talk about books but are afraid of being taken for people who are mental would know I'd never think such a thing... what d'you guys reckon? 'Waste' and 'books' don't belong in the same sentence remember what Desiderius Erasmus, quirky theologian of genius, said all those centuries ago: 'When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.'

I haven't seen it yet, however as the book was based on it rather than the other way around and it was written by Neil it can't be bad... can it?