ian

If anything positive has come out of this, it's that I have learnt the phrase "puke a buzzard" - that's an absolute winner!

Well, I think this Ruth Graham needs to chill out! She's seeing and complaining about a problem that simply doesn't exist. Surely people wanting to read books is a good thing? I'm sure the money men at publishing houses would agree. At the end of the day, YA fiction is, by definition fiction aimed at young adults. Define young adult? 11-17? 18-30? Just because something is aimed at a certain demographic, doesn't mean it's exclusively for that group. I'm a white, middle-aged male, so on the basis of Ruth Graham's argument, I couldn't read anything aimed at women, black people or young or old people? Frankly, it's ridiculous! I hate to say it, but it smacks of book snobbery. How come this type of argument never comes up for TV or film? The Toy Story films were aimed at kids, but I enjoyed every one!

A Dance with Dragons - George RR Martin I'm going to count both volumes of this as one book. So that's it - I'm up to date. I can't say that I'm happy: I would have preferred to move straight on to the next book.....and the next. Sadly though, I can't read what isn't written yet! I don't want to go into details again, as there is too great a risk of spoilers, and half the fun of these books is the gasp of astonishment that accompanies nearly every chapter end. The sheer length of these books, coupled with the realistic human nature of each character, means that you cannot help but care what happens to each, even the ones who you don't like much. Add in GRRM's willingness to kill off characters left, right and centre, and you have a real roller-coaster ride. I cannot wait for the next book! 5/5

I immediately thought of Daphne Du Maurier - although she is perhaps best known for her historical romantic adventures (Jamaica Inn, Rebecca etc) she also wrote some almost science fiction stuff (The house on the Strand) as well as a distopian novel (Rule Britannia). I also read a series of short stories that she wrote when recovering from a breakdown, that I couldn't categorise, but which are simply excellent

In no particular order... ACDC - highway to hell Black Sabbath - Paranoid Iron Maiden - The number of the beast Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin 1 Soundgarden - Superunknown Kings X - Gretchen goes to nebraska Megadeth - Rust in peace Metallica - Master of puppets The Beatles - Sergeant Pepper Nirvana - inutero

I'm of the opinion (which I know a lot of you may disagree with), that for a book to become a classic, it first has to be well known.(nothing can become a classic if nobody reads it). On that basis, Stephen King's book are a good bet to become classics. Of course, the counter argument to that is - something may become popular long after it was written - which I think is what happened with Jane Austen?

I must say, I'm having a very good year so far! Fewer books, but most of them I've rated at a five. George RR Martin's "song of fire and ice" series has kept me enthralled for quite a while now.

This is SO on my wish-list!

I have to agree - most of my friends don't read (much) so it can be frustrating to read a really good book and not have someone to talk to about it. Of course, you have to be mindful of spoilers. There has been at least one jaw-dropping revelation in this one!

Started it last night!

A feast for Crows - George RR Martin. I found this book to be not quite up to the standard of the first three. I think I can still give it 5/5 but it doesn't get the five quite as easily as the other books. What lets it down (in my opinion) is that the book is focused too much on what were minor characters. I guess that's necessity - most of the major ones are dead! The end disapointed as well, as it just...well.... ended. I must explain myself - I was reading this on Kindle. It said I was at 92%, when I finished the last chapter. The rest is the various houses family trees. Fortunately, there is an apology of sorts from George saying he had to cut the book in half to keep it to a manageable size, so he gives us the whole of some characters story and none of others. Niggles aside - these books are still awesome! 5/5

Went to see Godzilla at the cinema last weekend - it was pretty good without being mind-blowing.

My favourite reading chair is probavly the reclining garden chair we have. Just need the weather.....!

I don't think I ever had my books vetted before I read them as a child. It's not something that I tend to do - my son is 12, so I would be more concerned about his reading, if I could get him to read much! He isn't a big reader, but what he does read is normally stuff from the school library. I've made the assumption that the book there are all age appropriate. Basically, I'm just happy to see him read at all instead of being stuck on the x-box all day. My daughter is 9 and reads a lot more - she just never seems to finish a book! It hasn't been an issue yet with her as most of what she reads passes through me first by default anyway as I am either buying it or going to the library with her.

Oh dear! They were half right with the title - should have called it Simply Dreadful!

A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin Yup! You often see writers try to add twists to their plots that you won't see coming. Very often, unfortunately, you actually see them coming a mile off, and you're left disappointed. Better, in my opinion, to telegraph a plot twist for all to see, so that you can build the tension waiting for it. This is what GRRM does so well in this book. I won't say more as I don't want to spoil the book for those who haven't read it yet. And then he DOES add the twist that nobody saw, just to mess with your mind! Are these the best fantasy books around? I don't know, but in terms of getting transformed from your own life into the lives of several others, this takes some beating! 5/5

Yeah, like others, I think it's got to be the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, because it manages not only to be an awful film, but it's also an insult to the original, which would be one of my top ten films.

I think the worst film I have ever seen is the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour. It's the only film I can remember that actually gave me a headache watching it!

That's absolutely terrible. Bullying was something that I experienced a little bit when I was at school, but at least in those days it ended once you were in your own home.

Max von sydow? Darth vader vs Ming the Mercyless? Cool!

I like this thread! I grew up in the area to the west of Birmingham called The Black Country. It's pretty much where the Industrial Revolution started, due to the fact that there was a coal seam just under the surface of the ground. The story goes that the coal was so plentiful and easy to dig up, that individual houses could dig coal up straight out of their back gardens. But, all that coal dust and industry meant everything was black with dust and even the sun was blotted out by the smoke during the day - hence the name Black Country. Queen Victoria thought it was so ugly that when she passed through the area on her royal train, she ordered the blinds to be dropped until they were past!

A Clash of KIngs - George RR Martin Throughout Westeros, the cold winds are rising. From the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding lands of Winterfell, chaos reigns as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms stake their claims through tempest, turmoil and war. As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky - a comet the colour of blood and flame - five factions struggle for control of a divided land. Brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Against a backdrop of incest, fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory is measured in blood. My thoughts This carries on where GOT left off.What can I say, this book is almost as mind-blowingly epic as the first one! I did have a little wobble about halfway through where it suddenly occurred to me that there probably isn't going to be a complete narrative here where the good guys win and the bad guys die pleasingly gruesome deaths. If anything, it's more likely to be the other way round. Once I got over that however, I started enjoying it again fully. It's very nice to immerse yourself in a book/series that is sooo long, that the author has the space and time to develop storylines and characters in a way that doesn't feel forced or rushed in any way. I also like the moral ambiguity of most of the characters - very few (if any) are wholly good or completely bad. And I still haven't figured out which side of that equation Tyrion Lannister sits on after 2 books!! 5/5 and on to book 3

I hate to say it......but it seems highly plausible that this could / is happening

I just watched Frozen on DVD with my daughter. A bit too much singing for my liking, but the animation is fantastically rendered, and it is, as you expect for a Disney film, a feel good film. It was nice to cosy up with Amy on the sofa and watch it

Your review of War Birds has certainly got me interested in reading this! Great review. Unfortunately, I think when it comes to women "hiding" behind initials - I think some people are that shallow.