ian

I wanted to put a lot more, but the words in my head never seem to make it down my arm and onto the page!

I made a curried chicken pilaf on Friday that was a partial success. The problem I had was that the recipe was only for one person, so I had to try to scale it up for four. Should have been simple, but I made it into a full-on drama. It was lovely and tasty, but it really didn't have much curry flavour - I would have liked it a lot more fiery. Still, definitely a keeper.

Jonathon Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England--until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight. Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear. My Thoughts I loved this book. Yes, it's insanely long; yes, you have to keep reading the footnotes; yes it's deliberately written with 19th Century spellings a la Jane Austen. But that very English humour kept me laughing at this all the way. Norrell is cowardly and insular, Strange is selfish and impatient. You couldn't imagine two people who would be so unlike each other, and so their friendship feels more real because of it. Stephen Black is wonderful, and The Gentleman is seriously warped - perhaps one of the best villains I've ever read. This one is going to be a tough act to follow! 5/5

Yes! - ruined my first read of Order of the Phoenix, that did!

I think I'm right in saying that it used to be law in the UK that books had to be sold at the recommended price, but that stopped some years ago, long before e-books and Amazon were even thought of. I have the feeling that it was supermarkets that were pushing it, so they could compete on price with "proper" bookshops. And while it's great individually that we can get books a little cheaper than before, like anything, we do have to be careful that authors and publishers get their fair share too.

I inadvertently started this on another conversation, but I didn't want to take over that thread with this as it was off topic. This came up as we were talking about Belgium, where I "discovered" chips and mayonnaise, which is a wonderful thing. So, you have a bowl of chips (French Fries) on a table in front of you. Given the choice, what are you going to dip them in? And although I do like mayonnaise, I do come from Birmingham, which by my research, is about the southern limit of chips with gravy, which would always be my first choice. Curry sauce is very nice too!

Welcome to the forum, Kerry!

I'm amazed it's allowed! I can't imagine the UK getting away with this! Still, I have a very soft spot for Belgium - it's the first foreign holiday I ever had, I was introduced to the delight that is chips with mayonnaise! - so I'm not going to complain.

I read The Godfather last year, and I agree it is a very good read. Hope you enjoy the rest of it!

I have the basic Kindle, and I really like mine. I'm the worlds worst when it comes to tech, so I leave the wifi off mine and download via the computer, which is really easy. As others have said, there are quite a few sites that have free , old books in the Kindle format, so I've never found it a problem with it being tied to Amazon Does anyone know why that is?

It's such an easy read, which isn't to say that it's simplistic. It has a nice style that just makes it easy to read. I also get the sense of the joy that the author had writing it.

It's all personal opinion of course, but having read all three, I'd be hard pressed to pick which is the best.

5 chapters in and I loving it. I really like the narrator's voice and some of the footnotes are really funny

Given the choice, I would probably go for the second hand book shop. There's just something more romantic about a old bookshop isn't there? Especially, if it's one where the books are piled high and fairly randomly. To me it's the difference between buying a jewel from a jewellers and digging it up yourself - a silly analogy I know, but the one that comes to mind. Yes, I can go to the big bookshop, or the internet, and get the book I want straight away, but searching for it in a second hand shop - and who knows what else you will find! - just that bit more interesting. Then again, the big brand bookshop has a coffee shop inside... I may have to think about this some more!

And for my next read, the book jar has chosen "Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clarke. Very happy about this, as I've had this waiting on my Kindle for ages.

Memory Man by David Baldacci Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice. The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything. The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered. His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can. But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. (from Goodreads) My thoughts It took me a while to get really into this. I never came close to giving up, but I think I was suffering a book hangover form Career of evil. Eventually, it got its teeth into me and I really enjoyed it. The protagonist is quite complex, so for a lot of the book I thought the story was going to go in a very different direction. In the end I found it a very satisfying read, especially as I found myself having a bit of sympathy with the murderer. This is the first in a series and my first Baldacci book, but it won't be my last. My only negative - a big deal is made of Decker's synesthesia, but it plays virtually no part in the plot afterwards, which was slightly disappointing. 4/5

It's not something that I can remember coming across in a crime series, but I have to agree, it would be annoying, especially if it had no bearing on the novel you're reading. As you say, most readers I imagine come late to a series, so it's not in the authors interest to do this - they want you to buy all the other books! Covers and back page spoilers are a major bane. I read a Jo Nesbo book that spoilt a major plot device that doesn't happen to over halfway through the book. One that I wouldn't have seen coming.

I've been listening to all my CD's in alphabetical order in the car - just a way of making sure that I don't keep listening to the same old stuff. I hit K this week, so I've got Kings X first four albums in the car.

That really does sound like my kind of thing - great review!

Thanks, all - I really can't recommend them enough. In some ways these books remind me of Ian Rankin's "Rebus" books, in that they are fairly slowly paced, lots of detail, and they are used as a way of examining a feature of modern life. These are slightly lighter in tone though

They said I wouldn't amount to anything, but I invented an invisibility cloak. If only they could see me now...

Did you hear about the man who was run over by a train? He was chuffed to bits!

I DID get this for Christmas (in fact I got it twice!) and I finished it last night. My review is on reading list page here, but the short answer is, I loved it!

As for my next read, logically, it should be the last book I had for Christmas, which was "The Girl in the Spider's Web", which is of course the new Lisbeth Salander book. I almost started it, but I did also want to re-read the 3 originals first. That will take me a while, and I'm concious of the whole "have you read the book I got you?" thing. In the end I procrastinated and picked something out of the book tin - and came up with "Memory Man" by David Baldacci. I've not read any Baldacci before, so that in itself is quite exciting.

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them… Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives My Thoughts It's the little things isn't it? You find yourself going to work a little earlier, willing the clock to get to lunchtime, going to bed early, but not actually turning off the light till after midnight. So you can read that next page. And still reading every word as slowly as possible, because you are REALLY enjoying this book, but you don't want it to end. I loved this book. For me it has everything that a great crime novel needs: two nuanced, believable main characters, both polar opposites. Realistic dialogue. And a crime that grips you from the first page to the last. If you have read the other books, you will know what to expect. Not just a crime book, but also a bit of a expose. With "Cuckoo" it was celebrity, "Silkworm" railed against the hypocrisy of the publishing industry. Both something that you would expect JK Rowling to have some inside knowledge of. This book does the same for violence againce women and mysogyny in general. With every book she writes, Rowling convinces, me at least, that she isn't "just" a writer of children's fantasy fiction, but a really great writer. 5/5