Fev

JK Rowling perhaps slightly overuses the, 'he, Harry' construction, eg. '... and he, Harry, would be...', '...then he, Harry, saw...', '...so that he, Harry, suddenly knew...' etc. Really sorry if my pointing that out now bugs anyone, it drives my sister spare (nearly wrote 'potty' instead then, compl unintended pun) Bernard Cornwell also has a habit of finishing chapters with momentous statements beginning with 'And'. Unfortunately my fave Warlord Chronicles are back home over the Pennines so I can't check, but I mean something along the lines of, 'And so we went to war.' 'And the battle of Lugg Vale was begun.' As an English Language student, this annoys me slightly more than the HP one, but obv not enough to prevent me devouring them

As lots of people seem to attest, my Mum was also partly responsible for my reading passion. However, this wasn't by the usual device of reading bedtime stories to me. It's sort of a long story but when my family moved house when I was 7, my siblings and I continued to go to the same school; we now just had to drive the few miles into the next village. Anyway, my Mum had this habit of either being late and/or, on picking us up from school, promptly parking up at the Co-op to do an hour-long grocery shop. So I spent a lot of time in the public library over the road (rather than catching hypothermia sitting on a wall waiting or getting bored in a baking car)

I've never come across the notion of 'speculative fiction' (ie. versus 'realist') but like the differentiation! Although I read all sorts of fiction, now I come to think about it I find I will usually either be in a 'speculative' or 'realist' mood - I don't often crave specifically sci-fi for example...

My favourite place is my parents' conservatory (it would be just outside actually in the garden but I'm sure too many bugs would get squished between the pages for my liking!) Funnily enough, I initially retreated there to get away from the noise of the living room - TV blaring, phones ringing, brother blasting aliens - but one of the things I now love about the conservatory is the sounds. If it's sunny I'll have all the windows open to let in the birdsong, rustling wind in the trees, laughter of kids across in the park as well as the occasional hoot of a train going past the bottom of the garden. Plus I find the creakings of the conservatory settling in the warm somehow very relaxing. On the other hand, I also like it when it's wet out and I'm cosy inside with a mug of tea and my book, hearing the rain rattling on the glass roof.

I assume this was covered years back when it was actualy happening on TV, but haven't seen mention of anyone doing the BBC Big Read top 21/100/200. I actually got given the book of the series, which tells a bit about each one, and since then have had the general ambition to read them all. I expect it will take me years (has done so far just to get to a third of them, all 200 that is) as I also get distracted by other books that I want to read but aren't on the list. I just thought it was a good guide to try out a range of reading that I wouldn't otherwise have picked up, and since it was compiled from the results of a poll I reckon I will come across at least a few unexpected hits...

I once tried this challenge too, despite having read/listened to the audio CDs of quite a few Pratchetts randomly and out of order. I got through the first 15 (most of which happened to be the ones I'd already read funnily enough!) and then came to a shuddering halt at Soul Music. I just couldn't get into it, which is a shame because I obstinately won't let myself read any later ones until I've got through it lol. I therefore haven't read any Pratchett for more than a year

My all-time fave bookshop is Waterstones, specifically the one in Bradford's old Wool Exchange. It's a beautiful building, like a cathedral inside, therefore quite echoey, although on the rare occasions when you find it nearly empty it's got that lovely whispery hush like in a proper old-fashioned library. I'm sure they used to have lots of old squishy leather arm-chairs to curl up in as well, but perhaps that's just my imagination elaborating because they're not there now in any case. Anyone got any suggestions for places to buy books when I go back home to Halifax? It's quite poor for shopping in general but more so now that Just Books opposite the Woolshops has closed [Obviously there is Smiths but I'm not a fan, so was wondering if there were any more little independent ones up on the back streets that I've not discovered.] Thanks.

I did not realise how funny I am about bookmarks until this thread made me think about it! I habitually collect bookmarks of all kinds (I often buy them as a small consolation after it has taken me several hours browsing to remember that I really, really don't have the money/time/shelf space for yet another book!) However, these never seem to make it into the books that I am actually reading at the time, but instead adorn previous reads. I use them to mark favourite passages and things (so that eventually they naturally fall open at those places, oops), and they lend extra decorative effect to the display (or shrine) that is My Bookshelf. I also tend to match them up, so for example an old-fashioned fabric-bound classic might have a similarly antique embroidered sampler. With books that I'm actually in the process of reading, I was going to repeat what lots of people seem to say, that I use 'whatever is to hand.' However, I've realised this isn't true - I use gift tags from presents, a nice leaf I found, a completed crossword torn from the newspaper, train tickets from memorable excursions but not from my everyday ride to work... Meaningful stuff I guess. It actually slightly appalled me (irrationally, I know) to learn that a friend of mine (who loves and reads books possibly more than any other person on the planet) took no care whatsoever over what she used to mark her place: price tags from recently purchased socks, the label ripped from the outside of a pop bottle, etc. Having said that, I did once keep a chocolate bar wrapper, as it had a winning code in it for the galaxy book club promotion - although I did wash it to prevent grease stains when I then pressed it inside - that's right - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory So there is some kind of method in my madness, logic in the loony-bin. PS. Apparently I like not only reading, but *rambling too!