Coffin Nail

Blimey. Only 5?? That's a tough one. In no particular order; Winston Smith--1984 Atticus Finch--To Kill a Mocking Bird DI Steel--A national treasure as written by Stuart Macbride Hagrid-Harry Potter series Miss Sophia--Colour Purple But what about: Sam Spade, Hannibal Lecter, Miss Haversham, Scrooge, Mrs Danvers, The Twits, Willy Wonka, Begbie, Drancula, Adrian Mole, Rebus........and probably another hundred. Any of which could have made the list.

Back to Black- Amy Winehouse

Calm. Fangs or Fur?

Black Night-Deep Purple

Cry-Godley and Cream

Up until a couple of years ago I avoided crime novels, I just thought that they weren't for me really. But my love of film noir and film history brought me to the work of Hammett and Chandler and from then on I was hooked. And Lynda La Plante kicked off my love of british crime novels. Who started you off on the criminal path?

Bone Garden is a great read. I really like Tess Gerritsen. She always approaches her stories from a slightly different angle, the Rizzoli and Isles series always seem fresh. It's not just gore for shock's sake and it doesn't have the gallows humour that I prize so highly, but the tales rattle along. When I start a new one of hers I can put it down and do something else, but by the time I get passed the middle I can't stop til it's read. Keeping the Dead is shaping up to be another good read. My friend of mine has gotten bored with chick-lit and wanted to try a new genre, so I've recommended Tess Gerritsen.

Do I detect a whiff of anorak here??

I watched Street Kings last night. It was better than expected. It's the first time I've watched Keanu Reeves where I didn't expect him to call someone 'duuuude'. Funny to see Hugh Laurie in it too. I wonder if he got his 'House' gig off the back of his performance in Street Kings. It was the first time I'd ever seen him in something serious.

No Mowtown Compilation CD would be complete without it. River Deep, Mountain High-Ike and Tina Turner

I liked it too. I thought it was a change to have a three dimensional character who struggles with his faith, and it was moving but not mawkish or overly sentimental. I hope they make another series.

That's a buy one get one free. You get Murphy, I get Eccleston. Even though he's mad as cheese in that film.

Soul Man-Sam and Dave

I've read most of Lynda La Plante's novels. Above Suspicion and Cut Above are equally unputdownable. I started Tess Gerritsen's Keeping the Dead, unusual start for a crime novel. I think that's why I like her. She comes at her subject from a slightly different angle.

Stone Love-Diana Ross and the Supremes

Papa Was a Rolling Stone-Temptations

Much Too Late for Goodbye-Julian Lennon

Goodbye Girl-Squeeze

Bought Faith No More and Nirvana Best Of's. Nostaligia rush. Revisiting my mispent youth with a bit of 90's grunge. Toptastic.

Just finished Dark Blood. Stuart Macbride can't put a foot wrong in my humble opinion. If he carries on writing using such dark gallows humour, I'll continue giggling at inappropriate subject matter. It's such grim fayre even for crime fiction, that the humour really lightens it. Can't wait for his next novel. Next on the list; The Audacity of Hype-Armando Iannucci. The comic genius having a good old rant about life in the 21st century.

Don't get overly excited about the bare bottoms girls. It was quantity rather than quality. I've threatened the offenders that if they moon me again enmasse after their successful completion of a giant breakfast, I'll send them to the evil beauticians round the corner for a 'crack 'n' sack'. Either that or I'll be taking rope and gaffer tape into work tomorrow and diversify. @Mac-You're not pregnant are you? No one has asked me for that, but we regularly use all those things....just not in that order. If it takes off we'll call it Mac's Artery Buster and phone for the ambulance at no extra charge. I'll keep trying with the roasted veggies, but 95% of my customers are carnivores. I make veggie soups as a special though. My son is a veggie so I'm well aware of the limited choices available. Working with a hungry public has been erm.......very enlightening.

I'm about half way through Stuart Macbride's Dark Blood and it's shaping up to be another corker.

I know why the Budgie Tweets-Maya Angelou Anorak Habits-Irvine Welsh

It's not so much an overhaul as an expansion. I wouldn't change the most popular stuff I'd get lynched. I'd be breaking some sort of by-law if spam and black pudding weren't an option. This is Bury after all. And there's nothing so sad as seeing a builders face crumple when we've run out of spam. But its far too greasy to put in a panini, the bread dissolves and its wholly disgusting. We make the bulk of our profits on ham salad or bacon and sausage muffins and that won't change. In related news, we make a mega sandwich the size of a dinner plate with a full English breakfast on it, 2 slices of bacon, 2 sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, black pudding and two fried eggs. The boys on the building site have christened it 'the moonie', because if you can finish one you pull down your pants. I have seen six naked bottoms today.