missybct

I only really buy magazines if I fancy a coffee in town, or if I'm on a train. I sometimes pick up Psychologies but that is becoming less and less. I used to pick up Cosmo/Glamour but there is so much stuff about fashion/adverts in there (none of which I'm really interested in) so I don't bother anymore - I'd only ever buy it to pass the time. Rob picks up SFX sometimes so I have a peek at that, and we usually get the paper each day.

Welcome back

I really need to read Animal Farm - I will look at getting it asap

Sounds like a good series, I will check them out!

I finished A Stir of Echoes yesterday by Richard Matheson. Here is my review: STIR OF ECHOES - RICHARD MATHESON SYNOPSIS: Tom Wallace lived an ordinary life, until a chance event awakened psychic abilities he never knew he possessed. Now he's hearing the private thoughts of people around him - and learning shocking secrets he never wanted to know. But as Tom's existence becomes a waking nightmare, greater jolts are in store when he becomes the unwilling recipient of a compelling message from beyond the grave! REVIEW (SPOILERS): Stir of Echoes was written by the New York Times bestselling author of What Dreams May Come True, in 1958. Forty years later, it was the inspiration behind the film of the same name, starring Kevin Bacon. This book is set in LA, and depicts the life of Tom, Anne and Richard Wallace, living a blue collar lifestyle and renting a house in a neighbourhood full of friends. At a gathering, Tom is put under hypnosis for the entertainment of the guests and everything appears normal until he goes to bed at night, which is when he begins to channel the thoughts of others, and receive precognitive dreams. Unfortunately for him, he is also channeling the mind of a young woman, Helen Driscoll, who was the previous tenant of their house, and the sister in law of their landlord. As the story goes on, Tom begins to believe that the landlord's story of Driscoll moving east is a lie. Convinced she is in fact dead, he seeks to channel her thoughts to discover what happened to her and who was responsible. But who killed Helen Driscoll, and why? This book was quite an easy read, written largely in American 50's prose, which I found quite interesting - the majority of the books I've read of this period were British. Matheson delivers a good level of suspense, as well as the descriptions of how Tom Wallace and his wife are feeling with his new found skill. Personally, I felt the film held more suspense and shocks, but that could be because of the transition to cinemas rather than a criticism of Matheson's writing, and after all, there were possible certain social boundaries one could and could not cross when writing a book in the 1950's. The end is quite a twist - I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read the story behind the film, although I do feel that viewers that were gripped by the building suspense may not get the same enjoyment out of the book as the did from the film. A well written book, but possibly not one I'd hurry to read again in the future. 3*/5

I hope you enjoy it Jessi! I started Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson last night, and finished it this morning.

Yes, I thought that too Chesilbeach, especially with what has happened in the intervening years, and certainly in regard to the despondency of the previous take overs.

Glad you enjoyed The Five People... Shin. Are you not enjoying The Lovely Bones? I read it about six years ago but my reading "tastes" have changed slightly, I may read it again to see if I remember much about it.

OK - I'll post it, but if anyone wants me to take it down, please just let me know! A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS BY KHALED HOSSEINI SYNOPSIS: Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. REVIEW (THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS!): A Thousand Splendid Suns was the follow up to Khaled Hosseini's immensely popular The Kite Runner, released in 2007. This was an immensely harrowing read. The horrific acts that happen to Mariam and Laila are beyond comprehension, and it taught me a lot about the regimes of Afghanistan under the Soviets and Taliban, of which I was previously ignorant to. Both women suffered at the hands of their mother and absent father (Mariam) and their husband (Laila) with unspeakable behavior and anger. It was very hard to read some of the violence, but Hosseini wrote it well, without it being gratuitous. It was a very engaging read from start to finish. I have to admit I wouldn't usually pick up a book of this kind, largely because of my ignorance to the Eastern world, but I am so glad I did as it has taught me a lot about the politics behind the times. The words were written beautifully, and the descriptions of the cities and rolling hills were very easy to imagine thanks to Hosseini. My only criticism of the book would be that there was a lot of despair - I think it could have been an equally good book without so much bad luck for Mariam in particular, sometimes it felt like she was a character just designed to be a portrayer of bad fortune. It is neither a hard, nor an easy read, and whilst the chapters are short, there is a lot of information and storytelling behind them. SPOILERS: I would really recommend this book to any fiction fan, especially those who wish to know more about Afghan politics during the 1980-2000 period, and also the way events such as 9/11 impacted upon cities within as well as the way some come over difficulties. 4*/5

Ketchup crisps are lovely As is ketchup with grilled cheese - I had it the other day I'm watching Come Dine now

Interesting to read your review on Hold Tight - I felt pretty much the same - it was an easy read but nothing really grabbed me.

I have just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns and have written a review for the book, but as the book is in the reading circle I don't know whether it would be okay to put it on here?

I've just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns - really good book. I best not say too much as some people may be currently reading it!

I read a far whack of A Thousand Splendid Suns yesterday and did some more this morning in the sun with a coffee

Welcome to the forums Tristan, I really like your name

Another one who loves Come Dine, and Takeshi's Castle, and Total Wipeout I have a guilty pleasure - supernoodles.

Really glad you're back, Ste(eee)ve

Welcome to the forums! 10 books a week - I am so jealous! I am averaging about one a month at the moment!

Welcome, fellow Norwichite I hope you enjoy it here

That's what I thought, I was trying to word it thus in the post but couldn't think of how to put it! She was very pro-Anne, and anti-Katherine/Jane.

I'm jealous of your pancakes! I think we'll have to make some tomorrow

Tonight I am going out for dinner with my Dad, his wife, her children, my grandma and uncle and Rob We're going to one of my favourite restaurants too, which will be nice I'm going to have a look at the menu now and choose, heh.

Heh, that is true - I may gloss over that part of it. Actually, scrap that, I may just talk to him over the phone instead

Brilliant thread. I think I would want the following; Marliyn Monroe - I adore her style and she is such an icon. JFK - although with Monroe that may not be such a good idea. Russell Howard - because he makes me laugh so much at his deliberate sillyness David Tennant - because I do love him so! Ted Bundy - in shackles, obviously, just to find out why he did what he did. Charlotte Bronte - because I admire her