missybct

I do like it so! The books on the top shelf are non-fiction, on the middle shelf are a variety of different ones (including Twilight....eek!) and bottom are from my degree, but I have loads more books upstairs - I should take a picture of those really!

This is my bookshelf, not very big and there is another one upstairs, but I kind of like that one (all the academic ones are at the bottom).

I will be sure to update my review on here! I can't believe I didn't read it (or know of it) when I was doing my degree!

I picked up "The Stranger Beside Me" by Ann Rule from the library yesterday - unfortunately it is in hardback which I find hard to read (too heavy for my weakling arms) but it seems good so far!

Yep, I use it fairly regularly but I tend to like to buy books rather than loan them out.

"Fools on parade cavort and carry on For waiting eyes That you would rather be beside than in front of But she's never been the kind to be hollowed by the stares She swam out of tonight's phantasm Grabbed my hand and made it very clear There's absolutely nothing for us here"

Ooh, good thread. Time After Time - either by Cyndi Lauper or Eva Cassidy, I prefer either depending on my mood. No One - Alicia Keys Listen to Your Heart - Roxette Save a Prayer - Duran Duran (not really a love song, but I love it) There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths (me and Rob have adopted this!)

Welcome!

Lynch...

I nearly picked up Innocent Man today in fact. The book by Joanne Lees, I have to say, wasn't a favourite of mine - it was interesting to read the portrayal of what happened to her as there was a lot of misguided reports when the story broke in 2001 but I found it a bit untidy and she spent a lot of time talking to the reader about the other things she did like holidays and jobs, which I suspect was the flesh out the book a little bit.

All of what Univerze said! My favourite meal is probably pad thai!

I've got pitta breads with hummous and some continental cheese, is quite nice. Meatballs for dinner tonight I think, although I'll probably skip knowing me as Rob isn't here!

Frankie, I don't know of specific books with Ed Gein or Jeffrey Dahmer but I'm sure Amazon would come up with something. I think there is a book by Christopher Berry-Dee that is called Talking with Serial Killers which has a bit about Jeffrey Dahmer and I'm sure I once saw a book about Dahmer himself!

Phantom Limb - The Shins

I have always wanted to read Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule - I have read a couple of articles about Ted Bundy and they mentioned this book but for some reason I never picked it up - unlike me as I found the Bundy case very interesting. There is a book called My Life Among the Serial Killers by Helen Morrison. She is a psychiatrist who has interviewed at length some (in)famous serial killers like John Wayne Gacy, and delves into the history of their childhood (as to be expected). It's good because it doesn't focus entirely on the crimes which a lot of books of this ilk do. However, she does spend a lot of time talking about herself, and the way it flows feels a bit odd at times. I suspect it's as much a book about revealing her interviews as it is about boosting her public knowledge, but it is an okay book. I wouldn't really recommend it as she tends to believe that serial killing is created genetically or in infancy, whereas there is a lot of evidence that suggests otherwise. I have read quite a few Ann Rule books such as "Empty Promises" which was good. Another book I read (but found a bit hard to follow) was JonBenet - Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation by Steve Thomas, who was a leading detective on the case in the 90's. This was a part of a module by crimes perpetrated by family (although the Ramsey's have never been charged, there is an undercurrent of belief that they were responsible for the murder of their daughter which I tend to go with) and although it was a hard book to read (for many reasons) it was okay. There is a lot of talk about the legal process and the big mistakes made by the Boulder police department in the case, plus the unavoidable cover up by some of the higher police officials. I will seek out that Jack the Ripper book, Frankie!

It's only 100 pages or so I picked up three books the other day; In The Woods by Tana French, We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver and My Lover's Lover by Maggie O'Farrell. So these will be added to the list!

I hope it is okay to post this in here, I was just wondering if anyone read books on true crime? I did a Criminology degree and as a consequence read quite a few books based on serial killing as part of a module. I've always been fairly fascinated with the psychology behind criminal activity (hence the degree) so I like reading books that explore the past behaviours of criminals. I know it's not to everyones taste (a lot of them can be very gratuitous and explicit) but there are some really good, non sensationalist books out there if anyone is interested. Of course there are many volumes about Jack the Ripper (and I find it hard to know which one is best to read so have avoided it) but possibly the "best" book I have read about the story behind a criminal is Gordon Burn's book "Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son" which depicts the story behind Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper who terrorised northern England in the 70's and 80's. It's cut from a different kind of book to the masses that have been written about Sutcliffe - it really just charts the upbringing of the man and has chapters where the author has spoken with his family. I really recommend the book if you are interested, like me, in the psychology or underbelly of why criminals perpetrate a crime.

Crying Lightening - Arctic Monkeys

I am sort of mixed about sex in books. Sometimes it makes me feel uneasy, usually if it's in there for no other reason than to titillate the reader and does not flow with the general premise of the book. I can't think of a specific novel off the top of my head which panders to that format (it's 8am and I didn't sleep well) but as a general rule I will usually give those kinds of books a wide berth. For instance, I've never read Belle De Jour, possibly may not be as explicit as it hints at, but I think I'd just feel uncomfortable with it.

Hello and welcome, I am a newbie too and it's lovely here!

Before I got M.E (and it got worse) I used to play tennis competitively, swim 4 times a week and gym 3 times! Now I'm lucky if I can walk into town and back. I do miss my sports. In terms of watching, I love tennis, football and f1.

Wholeheartedly agree - he was so good in District 9! Apparently (I may be wrong) I think he was due to be an extra on the set but they made him lead, risky but very good move. Favourite actors; Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Cary Grant, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Hugh Laurie, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Morrison.

Thank you Sedge, and I love Kate Bush!

Thank you for the welcomes, and frankie, I don't usually read fantasy but want to make it an aim to do so in 2010 (R reads alot) so I will definitely check that out!

Stir of Echoes