Ooshie

1. I have a 15 year old son. 2. When my son was 11 months old, my husband had a massive brain haemorrhage aged 43 and was declared brain stem dead (3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale, for anyone who used to watch ER); while he has never been able to work since then, he is still alive and doing fine. Don't switch your loved ones off too quickly, people! 3. I love reading (well, you knew that!), cocktails, and soaking in long, hot baths. 4. I am trained in massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, Indian head massage and Reiki. 5. I hate all forms of exercise except walking and yoga.

I'm 48 tomorrow - I can't quite believe I'm that age, I'm sure I must be counting wrong!

I really enjoyed the Thomas Covenant books by Stephen Donaldson, although I have only read the first two trilogies. I really need to get the rest. And The Saga of the Exiles and Galactic Mileu, two series by Julian May, are very good too.

Finished The Comfort of Saturdays by Alexander McCall Smith, and so far have read 320 pages of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.

The blurb from Amazon and on the back of the book: "Paul Sturgis is retired and lives alone in South Kensington. He walks alone and dines alone, taking pleasure in small exchanges with strangers. His only acquaintance is a widowed cousin whom he visits on Sundays. Unable to make sense of his solitary nature, and fearing death among strangers, he wonders whether at last he might be ready for companionship. But a chance meeting with an old girlfriend and an encounter in Venice with a recently divorced younger woman compel Sturgis to decide how (and with whom) he will spend the rest of his days..." Although only 202 pages long and a reasonably short read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's certainly not a cheerful read, dealing with old age and loneliness, but the way the writer is able to bring to life her main character's thoughts and feelings, and the way in which she describes the details of life's small events, are a pleasure. This is definitely a book I will keep and read again.

I had read the first 20 pages of Strangers by Anita Brookner last night, and finished it today. A very enjoyable read.

I really took me about half of Wuthering Heights to get into it at all, but I think I should have read it in the winter during a couple of long afternoons by the fire rather than twenty minute chunks here and there in between doing other things. For the first half of the book I would have said I wasn't really enjoying it at all but now, having finished it, I can find redeeming features in it and think that I will read it again some time and probably enjoy it more. As some others have said, I did keep having to remind myself who some of the characters were (which I found surprising, given that there are relatively few characters). I found it hard to have much sympathy with the problems of any of the characters except Nelly Dean and Hareton. If I read it again while I still remember the storyline and characters well, I think I will enjoy the humour and the descriptions in the writing more. Overall, though, I just feel relieved to have finished the book!

Finished Wuthering Heights, at last! And have just made a start to Strangers by Anita Brookner.

Ordered these from Amazon: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury About Face by Donna Leon (the latest in the Inspector Guido Brunetti series) The Gate House by Nelson DeMille and have read another 70 pages of Wuthering Heights

Yet another interpretation for me to think about, Freewheeling Andy!

I would be interested in hearing about what anyone else thought about the ending of The Road. I haven't seen the film, so don't know what ending the story was given in that format.

It was quite a short read, although I spaced it out a bit with other things when I was tired and feeling like something more lightsome. I remember noticing the lack of speech marks near the beginning of the book, but got into the style of writing very quickly and genuinely didn't notice again throughout my reading - in fact, I had forgotten about that until you reminded me!

Skimmed through Grazia magazine, not much reading there. 100 pages of Wuthering Heights - it's taking me soooo long to read; I think it's maybe suffering from my only being able to dip into it for 20 minutes or so at a time rather than really getting into the language and story. Although if I was really enjoying it I would be making more time to read it. Vicious circle, I guess.

The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton Anna Karenina - Tolstoy Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

I read this in just one day, and would give it about 4 or 5 out of 10. I found it reasonably interesting without being gripping or exciting at all. I will be giving it away as I don't think I will want to read it again.

I deliberately collect Folio Society books. I don't purposely collect paperbacks, but they accumulate in collection-type series on my shelves...

Much though I love my books, to me they are inanimate objects, and I can't think of them as having souls in any way.

*Relieved* Thank goodness for that!

I think yesterday's migraine must have disturbed my brainwaves, because on starting to re-read Wuthering Heights last night, I found the first part of the book (up to the first change of narrators) laugh out loud funny! *Ashamed* I can't remember thinking that when I read it the first time. Is it meant to be funny? Has anyone else felt that? Oh dear...

Seeing Plum Island by Nelson DeMille mentioned on another thread made me have a look at the books of his I have on my shelves: Plum Island - 574 pages Night Fall - 581 pages The Charm School - 687 pages Gold Coast - 637 pages Up Country - 849 pages And on the shelf below him are my Susan Howatch books: The Wheel of Fortune - 1150 pages Cashelmara - 702 pages Penmarric - 717 pages The Rich are Different - 699 pages Sins of the Fathers - 719 pages I really enjoyed all of the above!