vodkafan

Hi Frankie, glad to hear that you are getting on your bike to cycle back around to look at Winterson again to see if you have missed anything good. About my non-keeper books, my favourite thing is to post them onto members of this forum, or give them to my children , or people at work. I always try to talk someone else into reading a book if I can. Giving it to a charity shop is my last resort. DVDs I am tired of I trade in if possible. Books are overflowing in my flat now. Charmer and I hit all the charity shops in Rugby on thursday and we bought 27 books and two DVDs between us. Here is the book list: Dark Legend Christine Feehan The Naked Civil Servant Quentin Crisp Resistance Anita Shreve The Amber Spyglass Philip Pullman The Good Thief Hannah Tinti Bruce Lee Fighting Spirit Bruce Thomas Velocity Dean Koontz Fasting ,Feasting Anita Desai My Lovers Lover Maggie O ‘ Farrell The Hungry Ghosts Anne Berry Misbehaving Sarah Harvey The Shadow Of The Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon A short History Of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson Blood Of The Flood Terry Goodkind The Woman In Black Susan Hill I Choose To Live Sabine Dardenne Accidents In The Home Tessa Hadley Outcast Child Kitty Neale Star Of The Sea Joseph O’ Connor Seize The Night Dean Koontz A Moment Of Silence Miss Anna Dean Eragon Christopher Paolini The Wench Is Dead Colin Dexter Angela’s Ashes Frank McCourt The Venus Fix M J Rose King Of The World David Remnick The Gathering Anne Enright We can no longer remember who chose what so we are going to work through them all together. Will probably take us the rest of the year. Some of the books I chose to fill gaps in my Genre Challenge. We are thinking of creating a joint reading blog I need to ask Michelle if that's Ok. I have already started A Moment Of Silence. Because Catcher In The Rye was strangling my mojo and I had to come up for air.

I dare you to go and talk to the soulmate guy next time. Charmer thinks so too.

No need to worry poppy the W*nkh are quite a nice race......compared to the Chazch and the Dirder.....best stay away from the Pnume. The Planet Of Adventure series! One of his best. I used to read this to my kids at night before bed. Every one deals with a different alien race . You would like it.

Ha Laura that last review about the salesman was very interesting to me as I have just read the Norah Vincent book Self Made Man where in one chapter she impersonates a male saleman and it sounds like there are parallels.

I think with me I was at the time very pleased to be reading about the characters again and forgave a lot. But it cannot be denied the plot is weak. The character that engaged me most was Wickham, so that perhaps shows that not enough was done with the main characters of Darcy and Elizabeth. Maybe PD James was in the end too frightened to change much.

Oh dear I don't think Frankie will agree with either Willoyd's or my reviews we were both a bit more forgiving

Hey Inver thanks for reminding me about Carol Drinkwater (and to Chesil for bumping the thread so I noticed) I had such a crush on her when I was growing up. Her and Lesley-Anne Down. Nice to know she found happiness doing something different.

Strong words there charmer! Do you mean like complacent as in lazy? I didn't realise you disliked it quite so much. Well done for reading right to the end then.

Keep reading dude

I read the first two books but didn't enjoy the second half as much so didn't pursue it any more. I also enjoyed the 1984 film and can't understand why it was so pilloried . Might try to get that on Amazon. Thanks for reminding me Xander.

Great review!! Thanks Poppyshake. Hopefully not your last Jack Vance story....

I know his wife is fragrant that's about it

Welcome Tre. You obviously liked the film if you wanted to read the book?

It really was a very enjoyable read- they just don't build up characters like that any more in novels where you feel they are so real. Wide Sargasso Sea was clever because it gives a much -needed extra dimension to the mad woman, and on Mr Rochester' s. character flaws.

I will check out your reading list for that one Devi thanks. Hope you enjoy A Helmet For My Pillow . Have you read The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer? I can recommend that one.

No worries Frankie! Real life is the curse of the reading classes. Take care

Onto Chapter 6 the Work Chapter. I have been putting off talking about this one because it doesn't relate very much to the world of work I know. I know these crappy high pressure sales jobs do exist though and it rings true in places that the work drive is a sublimation of the male sex drive. But for most of us who go out every day to provide for our families it is not the way she portrays it here. This example is too skewed, too extreme.

Ouch. That was my first PD James also Frankie. Maybe one of her crime novels might be better?

Last night the kids and I watched the old 1966 film The Dalek Invasion Of Earth 2150 AD. The children were in stitches over the whole thing but especially the fact that that Dr Who (Peter Cushing) was an old grandfather. There was a bit where they picked up a radio contolled helmet of a dead roboman (slave of the Daleks) and Dr Who looks at the circuitry of the radio and pronounces it very advanced. The kids were wetting themselves at this as it was not even a printed circuit board and had a big resister and soldered wires in it. Small son said the thing looked like a baby monitor. Even bigger laughs were had at the Dalek spaceship and the fact that everything in it was labelled in English and big letters. Every time a Dalek used its sucker or claw to operate a switch brought another load of laughs.

I had a technical hitch buying this from Amazon so haven't got it yet either. Will catch up!

Thanks for the tip on The Selfish Gene Bobblybear !

Wow reading through your blog chesil you are so organised!

Ouch sorry to hear about your book disaster Ben. I feel your pain.

I like the sound of a Beautiful Blue Death Ruth thanks. Another one for the wishlist.

Thanks for the reviews Laura. hmm that stay at home mum book might have some useful tips for me. I seem to do better when I work from lists. Although I sometimes have to break out and do something unscheduled. Especially when it's sunny. I wouldn't be able to read that Torey Hayden book. I know these things happen in the world but my mind won't even go there.