poppyshake

I'm just imagining the librarian's face when I turn up with this list I've only read 52 of them so long, long way to go.

Hmmmm Cake Peter Jackson or Tim Burton?

Thanks Diane , I'm so looking forward to reading a book that I've heard so much about. I finished 'Arthur & George' yesterday and have now started 'The Girls of Slender Means' by Muriel Spark .. so far it's reminding me of Nancy Mitford, which is great.

Arthur & George - Julian Barnes Amazon's Synopsis: Arthur and George grow up worlds and miles apart in late 19th-century Britain: Arthur in shabby-genteel Edinburgh, and George in the vicarage of a small Staffordshire village. Arthur becomes a doctor, and then a writer; George a solicitor in Birmingham. Arthur is to become one of the most famous men of his age, George remains in hardworking obscurity. But as the new century begins, they are brought together by a sequence of events, which made sensational headlines at the time as The Great Wyrley Outrages. With a mixture of detailed research and vivid imagination, Julian Barnes brings to life not just this long-forgotten case, but the inner lives of these two very different men. The reader sees them both with stunning clarity, and almost inhabits them as they face the vicissitudes of their lives, whether in the dock hearing a verdict of guilty, or trying to live an honourable life while desperately in love with another woman. This is a novel in which the events of a hundred years ago constantly set off contemporary echoes, a novel about low crime and high spirituality, guilt and innocence, identity, nationality and race; about what we think, what we believe, and what we know. Julian Barnes has long been recognised as one of Britain's most remarkable writers. While those already familiar with his work will enjoy its elegance, its wit, its profound wisdom about the human condition, "Arthur & George" will surely find him an entirely new audience. Review: I loved it I had no idea when I started reading it that the 'Arthur' of the title was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the book blurb didn't mention it. The first part of the book tells the separate stories of Arthur Doyle and George Edalji ... their childhood, their schooling, their upbringing etc. There are no chapters (though the book is split into three parts Part One: Beginnings, Part Two: Beginning with an Ending and Part Three: Ending with a Beginning) instead you have the heading either 'Arthur' or 'George' and you read about their lives thus far. Arthur, doctor, writer, husband, father, celebrity and adventurer and George, a mixed race child, a vicar's son, meek, serious, a social misfit and a solicitor. George and his father become victims of a hate mail campaign and subsequently George is accused of committing several animal mutilations in the Staffordshire area (known as 'The Great Wyrley Outrages'). Arthur is at a low ebb in his life when his attention is drawn to a letter that sits on his secretary's desk ... the letter is from George outlining the case and including newspaper cuttings etc, this is one of many that Arthur receives as a consequence of being a great detective novelist, asking for help solving crime but something about George's letter sparks his interest and his compassion. George is touched when at the end of their first meeting he asks Sir Arthur if he thinks him innocent .. Sir Arthur's reply is 'No, I do not think you are innocent. No, I do not believe you are innocent. I know you are innocent'. We then follow Arthur as he researches and analyses George's case in true Sherlockian style, sifting through all the evidence, proving and disproving, questioning and probing ... he then wrote several articles for 'The Telegraph' and headed them 'No Copyright' so that many other newspapers could print the articles for free outlining and detailing his findings. The case was reviewed by 'The Gladstone Committee' and a report subsequently issued. This book is a glorious mixture of biography and fiction ... the letters, reports, court proceedings and newspaper articles are for the most part (with the exception of one short note I think) entirely authentic, the dialogue obviously is not. Aside from the criminal case there is a lot about the private lives of both men which is absolutely fascinating. Sir Arthur was interested in Spiritualism and a 'Public Farewell' seance apparently was held at The Albert Hall just after his death with his family (and George) in attendance .. bizarre. A fantastic read, I loved every page of it. 10/10

I loved 'Northanger Abbey', it's one of my favourite Austen's .. hope you enjoy it Ruth.

Yes, lots of Enid's .. especially 'Malory Towers', 'St Clares' and the 'Mystery' series .. also CS Lewis's 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' .. which was probably the first book that I really loved.

Ooh lucky you ... what a lovely gift Kate .. that's going to give you hours of pleasure, and they look gorgeous too.

I can't imagine how incensed I'd be if it was one of my ancestors .. I'm angry enough about it as it is. I read that William Murdoch's family received $8,000 in compensation .. $8,000 for a man's reputation!!! .. Kate Winslet received

It's fantastic isn't it . I'm just on the last few pages of 'Arthur & George' .. I'm so enjoying it I don't want it to end.

I'm just reading 'Arthur & George' and I love it, I think as long as the main events of the story are accurately portrayed then I've no problem with fictional dialogue etc. Some movie adaptations of real life events are terrible though .. 'Titanic' for instance ... I had no problem with the fictionalised lovers but lots of problems with how they portrayed real life characters such as William Murdoch .. accounts of his valour had been confirmed by historians .. he has a plaque in his hometown for showing great heroism in his final hours but in the movie he is shown shooting down passengers, trying to board lifeboats and then turning the gun on himself .. that is an absolute outrage and a disgrace.

Turkey Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream?

West Side Story

'The Eggheads' .. I'm trying to get through an episode without feeling the need to punch one of them! .. or at least three of them .. Kevin and Judith are the only exceptions.

'The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' was terrible .. at least I thought so. 'The White Tiger' was good and I can see why The Children's Book' is included .. a remarkable read (though too detailed for me). I would've thought 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' should have stayed on the list ... whilst not exactly challenging it was quite thought provoking and was maybe one of the few novels narrated by a character with Autism/Aspergers.

Though when you are as prolific as Terry .. there's bound to be some that are 'duffers' ... three is pretty good going. Having said that I loved 'The Colour of Magic' ... but I didn't like 'the Light Fantastic' much and haven't read 'Eric'.

The Empire Strikes Back 'Peter Pan' or 'Alice in Wonderland'?

I don't mind too much, I usually only see American spelling in books by American authors so that is fair enough and to be expected. 'The Time Travelers Wife' had me confused .. I thought that for years I must have been spelling traveller incorrectly .. then I looked it up and saw it was the American spelling. I get annoyed though when my spellchecker keeps telling me I've spelt words wrong only to find it want's me to use color or center or airplane, there is only one setting for English .. and for some reason it's US. Far worse than this though is 'text speak' ... and if you're thinking about future years .. pray that l8r and 2mro won't be considered the norm by then.

I think it's more than possible, I think there are a lot of people that think that about Donna Tartts 'Secret History' (they loved) and 'The Little Friend' (they didn't like nearly half as well) .. I haven't read them, they are on my TBR list ... but I'm going to start with the loved one first .. because it can put you off an author if the first thing you read of theirs is a trial. A lot of people are also disappointed with Audrey Niffeneggers latest book after loving 'The Time Travelers Wife'. I've never hated a book by an author that I've previously loved but I have been disappointed by a fair few. It's bound to happen though isn't it, you can't always love an authors work like you can't always like songs by your favourite groups/singers.

The points made about reading quickly is probably true and relevant ... the quicker you read the more books you get through and that in itself tends to make a lot of plotlines merge unless they are really stand-out. This is a good reason, if any were needed, to keep a book journal .. I guess then you can flick through that and remind yourself of the basic outline of the book. I know I'm never going to remember everything but to remember the main storyline would be an improvement. Yes, I must buy a book journal and I must do some more re-reading of favourite novels.

You are in for a treat

Mouse Chicken Tikka Masala or Chicken Korma?

Granted, but all your cakes/buns/tarts/bread have to contain mouse droppings. I wish I looked like Audrey Hepburn.

Granted but you can never go home again I wish that chocolate was low calorie and cabbage high.

'Thou droning folly-fallen hedge-pig!' and then I got 'Thou errant fat-kidneyed jolt-head! fantastic