Nicola

Hey Frankie!!

I've been busy too! The weather's been fantastic here so I've been out and about. I've also just finished The Blue Nowhere by Deaver.....I couldn't pull myself away from it! Have you read this one? It was really fantastic!

Sounds like you've got a busy few days ahead of you! It seems like so much fun...I'm green with envy! We're at Alton Towers this weekend which is a theme park about 3 hours from where I live (It's on my list of places to visit this summer so it's all good!) It's my friend's birthday so all the girls are heading there for a day of fun and taking the boys along too. Some people are camping but we're driving down early as I'm not really a camping type of girl. Did it a few years ago and I just spent the whole time being cold and hungry......the toilet issue is also a pain! Ooooh I'm off to London on the 16th July!!!! We've got two nights in the capital so I'm going to buy a tour guide and make a list of things we want to see. Eeeeek!

Peep Show is soooooo good isn't it! Have you seen the episode where Jeremy becomes the housekeeper/plaything for that musican man Can't remember his name.....something like the orbatron (?)

Are you reading anything at the moment? Or has everything been put on hold during the midsummer celebrations? They sound like a hoot.....wish we did something to celebrate summer.

Friends came over last night and it was really hard to stick to the diet.....is socialising a hard part of healthy living for you too? Everyone was drinking cocktails and eating nibbles while I practically tied myself to a chair to resist temptation. Not fun! When/If I lose a stone I'm going to make a huge apple crumble with lashings of custard and I'm going to eat the whole thing!! haa!! I'll post photos of me covered in crumble on my profile!

Well apart from the temperamental weather in England, I personally can't see why people would need to travel abroad. Maybe to see totally different cultures like the far-east etc. But there's quite a lot to do and it's good for our economy for people to spend in this country. However, as I type this, the rain is thrashing against the windows and a week on the beach sounds amazing! There must be pretty cool places in Finland too....everywhere has something unique that appeals to visitors

Hey Frankie! I love your new avatar!! Have you been watching Peep Show?

I'm posting on the sly at work while no one's here! haa!

Midsummer sounds cool....especially the secondhand book shops. There's just something about those places isn't there. As far as I'm aware we don't have much celebration in the way of midsummer....well i've never noticed it anyway which is a shame.

I hope you prove me wrong with LTROI as I really want it to be good. Maybe I just missed something. You'll have to read it to see what you think. Roxi started to read it not long ago too!

Hey Frankie! I'm grand....just been doing the whole work/food shopping/tidying thing today. Boring but it's got to be done eh! How about you?

The book was like Lestat. The ending is really good but it's an uphill struggle to get there. It's really good and bad too! You don't get this with Jeffrey do you! I'm really interested in seeing the film though to see what all this hype is about. It's been so long since I've read chick-lit. Must be a nice change from serial killers, murders and skullduggery (sounds menacing!)

I'm sure your getting into shape will pick up again. The most important thing is not to give up after a couple of slips. It's such hard work so you're allowed to get disheartened from time to time. Weightwatchers is going ok but I'm about to crack! eeeeek! But I've lost 5 and a half pound so far so I'll keep going.....boooo hisssss!

Whitby is lovely.....which is another reason you should move to England for your studies! :D:D

Frankie!!

I'm good thanks! How are you? I'm glad your enjoying your summer and also glad you're back! It's been quiet around here

I've been away for a few days to Whitby which is where Bram Stoker's Count Dracula turned up, causing mayhem on his way (I've not read the book myself but there's loads of tourist tat.....bats, fangs, fake blood )

I've also finished (eventually!!) Let The Right One In. I've finally found my 10/10!! Only kidding! Still have no idea what I think about it. The ending was really good but I'm not sure if it was worth reading the rest of the book to get there. Oskar's story is really good but the others aren't too great.

So what are you reading at the moment Miss Frankie? How's the health drive going?

Hey Roxi!

Well I finally finished it and must admit that the last 5th of the book was quite gripping. The last few chapters were really gripping. I think it was worth persevering with in the end But it was hard work at some points.

Anyhow, when you start to read it again let me know what you think as I'd be interested to see what you make of it Hope your friend likes it too!

Hey Charm!

Yesterday evening I came home to Jeffrey Deaver!! Well......the book you sent (to find the actual Jeffrey Deaver sat on my sofa would've been probably quite alarming!! Haa!)

Thanks so much again! I'll get it read and pop it in the post asap! :D:D

Well the movie was being shown at a local cinema for a week in April and I really fancied seeing it but I was on a fieldtrip with uni so missed it

I've heard so many good reviews which is why I bought the book but hopefully it'll be out on DVD soon I'm thinking (hoping!) that it's going to be one of those books that just click at the end and leave you gobsmacked as it's a best seller in Sweden.

Oskar is definitely the book's highlight....he's so endearing isn't he. I really hope he gets a happy ending

Ah thank you so much Charm! I'll get it read asap

I'm really looking forward to it after hearing so many good reviews!

Thanks again xx

Hey Roxi!

Just wondering how your finding Let The Right One In? I'd love to hear your opinions as I'm really not too sure about it myself.

Thanks Charm! You're a gem!

Ah that would be so great Charm if you wouldn't mind? I'll pm you now with my address and I'll read it asap. I'll pop it in the post to Lixiepiper too :D

Let the Right One In has really torn me these past few days. On one hand you have the main character Oskar who is really interesting and his blossoming friendship with Eli is really endearing, however there are themes of child abuse during the first half of the book which make it really uncomfortable to read. But you can't not continue because Oskar's story is really gripping. It's ok at the minute and a really interesting read....I think I'd still recommend it but warn people prior to reading that it has disturbing chapters.

Oh I lost 2 and a half lb on Thursday ......I felt like kissing the weigh-in lady! haa! I'm still trying really hard so lets hope next week is just as good! How's your healthy lifestyle regime going? Also, how was your time at you BF's folks house? Hope you had a good few days!

Oh My Goodness!!!!! Michelle Heaton was raised just a few miles from me and she's notorious for giving geordie girls a bad name. She's all lipgloss, fake hair and fake nails isn't she!

I've just been to the opening of our city library this morning. The building is modern and spacious. I'm really impressed but even they don't have The Stone Monkey and I've not got around to buying it online yet

I'm sure Finland is fabulous! Plus not all buildings in the UK are to that standard. There was a pretty awful era in the 60's where we tried to re-build post-war Britain in the cheap. There's still quite a few of those buildings standing, they're usually quite hideous!

Ah I'm glad to hear you had fun! It's definitely good to get distracted from the snacks isn't it! The weightwatchers diet is starting to lose its novelty for me. I get weighed tomorrow though so hopefully it'll inspire me if I lose weight. Got a feeling I wont.....the whole fortnightly cycle thing happened to me the last time I went but I've been really good and stuck to it so fingers crossed! How's it all going for you?

Haaaa.....the whole notorious nightlife in Newcastle is good and bad. It's good because it attracts lots of stag and hen nights so there's always people in fancy dress. They put so much effort into they're costumes sometimes and they're always good to see.

The bad aspect is that Newcastle girls have a bit of a reputation for getting drunk, wearing very little and sleeping with any man with a pulse! So we have to work a little bit harder at being taken seriously in my opinion (and deal with men who think it's ok to grab your bum in a club......)

I think we take the gorgeous architecture for granted sometimes because you cant really escape it. Even my favourite book shop is in one of the most beautiful building in Newcastle (I'll try to attach a link....I'm not good at this stuff!!) www.flickr.com/photos/davewebster14/2660831895/

Glad to hear your mojo's back! I've just started to read Let the Right One In and it's really good. Thanks for letting me know it existed in book form!:D

Frankie!!!! I've finished 2nd after two days of constant work!!! Woooooop!!

How was the housewarming? The weather's been glorious over here too! Sooooooo lovely!

I thought Agent-Tattletale was quite apt for a book forum I still need to finish off adding books to it but the forums scare me slightly. There's so many people chatting about so many different topics.....intimidating stuff!

Ooooh I'm not sure about London pubs but Newcastle is notorious for its nightlife. We have about 5 or 6 different districts to go to and they're all really close so pub crawls are are the only way to do a night out. Local pubs stay open until about 11 - 11:30pm and then people go onto clubs. However, in the city centre there are a few pubs that stay open until 2 so they're a nice alternative to a nightclub. I'm more of pub person so that suits me perfectly!!

Yeah....if you ever get to London you have to give me a shout and I'll venture down! It would be so cool & two bees with one whack is much better than the English saying of two birds with one stone! I really should visit it but I think I get intimidated by big cities (Newcastle is really compact). The book shop sounds fantastic....you may never get me out again!

Oh no..... the Bronte Muesuem is a quaint little parsonage in Hawick, Yorkshire which is supposed to be the home of the Bronte family. Pemberley is my dream home!! haa!! It's called Lyme Park and I think it's in Cheshire....it's divine isn't it!

I'm hoping to start Let the Right One In over the next few days. I'm going to have a massive clean in my flat! Eeeek!!

How's the teen fiction book coming along? Hopefully your mojo is back with a vengence!

Oooooh also forgot to mention that I bought Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist!! So while I'm hunting down a copy of The Stone Monkey by Deaver I'm going to read it :D:D

Our winters have become less severe as the years have gone by but then last winter, we received a good few inches more than usual and the nation seemed to come to a standstill. It was weird as winters were much worse when I was a kid but people just got on with building snowmen and having fun.

There's still loads of places I want to visit in England. I haven't actually been to the capital yet which is totally shameful but whenever the opportunity has arisen I've chosen to go elsewhere.....mainly up north which is much more scenic and especially Edinburgh. However, this summer I really want to visit Emily Bronte country and the Bronte museum, the stately home which was used to portray Pemberley in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Alton Towers theme park

I hope your reading mojo has returned and everything is well!

Frankie!!

I don't think you've missed much really but I've been laying low myself with work and sunny weather! Ooooh I finished Deaver's Empty Chair about 30 mins ago and it was amazing as per ususal!

How have you been? How's your healthy eating going?

My nickname thing is Agent-Tattletale who is a character in Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted (12/10!! ) I've never heard of Goodreads but will check it out.

Finland sounds brilliant, as does the culture and the people! I think I would definitle like to visit it one day....thanks for the offer by the way! Obviously, if you ever find yourself in Newcastle Upon Tyne you can stay at my humble abode too The idea of light nights sounds fantastic! Around June time we get sun until about 10 - 10:30ish which is without a doubt my favourite time of year.

Haaa! I love pictures of clouds for some reason, especially clouds with sunlight piercing through. I've no idea why??!!

I've just noticed your Johnny Depp avatar....good choice!! What is it about him in eyeliner??! It just works!!

Thanks Suzanna!

Well I love art nouveau designs so I googled art nouveau images and fell in love with that one. I think I added it to my background in customize profile (I've just been in to User CP and can't see how on earth I did it! Think I must have been playing about with profile designs?? )

Sorry I've not been much help although I'll keep checking

Hey Dimitra! Thanks for the friend request!

Hope you're well!