vodkafan

You really do a lot Michelle. You are our heroine . We don't always get to talk to you much but we appreciate everything.

I would love to be nerd too but I can't help being cool [sigh]

I think I might have read this one Ben! I will know for sure when I read your review.

I am sure these people all have fulfilling lives

What's wrong with dressing up? I would love to go to one of these conventions. Geeks and nerds unite I say! (I dress in a uniform every day and pretend I am a postman. They keep paying me so I keep doing it)

Well, I look at it in the sense of how much space they take up and how long it will take me to read them. At an average of 7 books a month that is 5 months worth. So I really don't need to buy any more for the moment.. I want to be a reader not a collector. I am less bothered about unread books on my kindle , I have around 40 on there. So any must have purchases will have to be on kindle. Actually this brings up another subject. I have been here 2 and a half years now. I feel that I am finally starting to get somewhere with all this reading. I have identified many authors I do not like that I can drop and discovered others that really touch me. The genre challenge has helped. I think next year my reading pattern will change, I will concentrate on reading all books by a particular author then move on to another one, maybe only do 6 or 8 authors. .

Happy Birthday chaliepud !!

But when Millhouse is forced into that dark emotional corner and makes himself pick up a pen, what comes out? Does Millhouse write about nice things? Can Millhouse inspire and give meaning ? I try to keep out of dark emotional corners even if they seem productive. Look at poor Amy Winehouse. But that's just my own philosophy.

Hi dex, welcome! (A little late, I know)

I have only read Chesil's review but I liked the book of short stories I read by her (The First Person and Other Stories). Hold On Stop The Press! I have just had a count up of my TBR. Not counting books on my kindle I have 34 actual physical books to read. Even if I read nothing else that will take me until about november to get through all those. And that doesn't include about a dozen I am planning to box up and send to Charmer along with her hair dryer. (we split up a week ago) So I am putting a complete stop on all book buying until further notice. Unless I see an Ali Smith in a charity shop of course.

Sounds like definitely one to avoid then if you have something better to read/do

Woman who covers my breaks on a saturday is reading this series. She usually reads holy artifact/conspiracy mysteries/aliens built the pyramids type books. She is onto the second one now. She sits there chuckling to herself. I read a review which described it as "mummy porn". I think the big hooha is probably because of hype. The fact it has been banned in some states is just adding to it.

Good system Devi. I like how organised you are with your lists too.

Hi Mary, Girl Meets Boy is by Ali Smith, a writer I have just discovered. Yes Before I Die was great, very moving.

I finished The Naked Civil Servant and another LGBT book that was on my kindle for good measure. So that's my Genre Challenge done for this month. Will review them saturday. Am now free to choose whatever books off my TBR that I fancy....

Hi Mary Welcome to the forum. I must admit I have not read any of the books you have on your list!

I'm going to read Weaveworld too soon. I think that's one we might both like Steve it sounds good?

Hi Timstar yes it is my favourite Jack Vance book and one of my favourite books of all time. I eagerly await your written review or any thoughts you get part way through!Poppyshake enjoyed it too.

After whizzing through 6 books this month so far I have been brought up short by the seventh- I am having unexpected difficulties with The Naked Civil Servant by Quentin Crisp. It is only a slim book but I can only read little bits at a time because something about the man's writing irritates me; I think it is because I suspect he is making a lot of it up.

No haven't read that one. I will have a read of your blog again. I did see RR Martin's name, I must have missed the rest.

Interesting review Brian, will put this one on my list. If you didn't already have a "swapper" I would certainly have swapped something with you.

I see that you have The Dying Earth in one of it's versions. I hope you like it!!

Hi Parenthesis, nice to see your book list. Lots of those are new to me, I have only read 2 on your list (Slaughterhouse 5 and Never Let Me Go) I see that you want to read Daughters Of Shame. Have you read the first one, Shame ? My ex wife's own story is somewhat similar to Jasvinder Sanghera's.

Yes maybe that was it; it was neither one thing nor another. But in another way I can see why GGK did not put more fantasy elements into the story- it would have just been window dressing, his thing was in the realtionships between the characters. I do hope that eventually you will read Lyonesse (knew I had spelt it wrong, it didn't look right ) . It is a different kind of fantasy again, not like LOTR or that genre. More like a fairy tale, or Princess Bride, something like that. But lots of heroes and maidens and villains.

She does I have one at home ! The Gate In The Woods. Even better in real life.