Kidsmum

I'm planning on reading the second one next month I seem to have spent the whole of March starting one series of books after another so I plan to continue with them in April Good luck with Vanity Fair, for me Becky Sharp was a great character & she really made the book one of my favourites.

Wow Kylie you got some great books, hope you enjoy Birdsong it's a brilliant book

Bet she's wearing the Tomb Raider gear as well

Hope you eventually get round to reading it Easy Reader as it's a good book

Bury The Chains: The British Struggle to Abolish Slavery by Adam Hochschild Waterstones Synopsis Eighteenth-century Britain was the world's leading centre for the slave trade. Profits soared and fortunes were made, but in 1788 things began to change. "Bury The Chains" tells the remarkable story of the men who sought to end slavery and brought the issue to the heart of British political life.'Hochschild's marvellous book is a timely reminder of what a small group of determined people, with right on their side, can achieve. Carefully researched and elegantly written, with a pacy narrative that ranges from the coffee houses of London to the back-breaking sugar plantations of the West Indies, it charts the unlikely success of the first international human rights movement' - Saul David, "Literary Review". 'Hochschild is such a gifted researcher and story-teller that he never fails to hold the reader's attention...For all its terrible theme, Hochschild's book is not in the least depressing, because it is suffused with admiration for the courage and enlightenment of the men and women who crusaded against this evil, and finally prevailed' - Max Hastings, "Sunday Telegraph". 'Thought-provoking, absorbing and well-written' - Brendan Simms, "Sunday Times". 'Stirring and unforgettable' - "Economist". This is a fascinating account of the abolisionist movement in 18th century Britain something I knew very little about . Although the brutal treatment of the slaves on the sugar plantations & the conditions they had to put up with on the slave ships makes difficult reading the unswerving dedication of the abolitionists & the support of their cause by the ordinary man on the street stops this book from being depressing. I felt like I learnt a lot from this book & I'd definitely read more by this author. 4/5

We're definitely on the same wavelength ladies

Last Night The Strokes

Thanks guys I guess I can wait another few weeks

Very sad to hear of her death I'd put Who's afraid of Virginnia Woolf as one of my favourite movies.

Does anyone know when it's going to come back on, Tuesday nights aren't the same without it

I've not read Sepulchre but I did enjoy Labyrinth & I have Winter Ghosts on my TBR pile

Ha ha!! know what you mean but I visualise Sean Bean as I'm reading it so that gives it more girly appeal

Feel free

Wow presents for ironing I can see I've been selling myself short

Started my re read of Clan of the Cave Bear this morning.

The first thing I thought of when I read Liverpool was Boys from the Blackstuff by Alan Bleasdale, it's a TV series not a book but definitely worth watching & as it's set in the 80's I guess it could be classed as historical

Sharpe's Rifles Bernard Cornwell Amazon Synopsis In the bitter winter of 1809 the French are winning the war in Spain and Britain’s forces are retreating towards Corunna, with Napoleon’s victorious armies in pursuit. Lieutenant Richard Sharpe and a detachment of Riflemen are cut off from the British army and surrounded by enemy troops. Their only hope of escape is to accept the help of an unlikely ally, a Spanish cavalry officer, Major Blas Vivar.Unknown to Sharpe, the Spaniard harbours a desperate and quixotic ambition which will lead to a suicidal assault on the holy city of Santiago de Compostela and a savage fight agains overwhelming French numbers. Sharpe’s determination must be tested to its limit if victory is to be snatched from disaster. This is not really the sort of book I would normally go for but the Sharpe series was recommended to me & I've been gradually buying copies here an there till I've built up quite a collection of them without having even read one so I thought it was about time I made a start before I bought anymore & then found out I didn't like them Well I wasn't dissappointed this was such an exciting read it's so fast paced right from the start & Sharpe is a really likable character, a great soldier gallant & heroic but awkward with people often saying the wrong thing, at times he made me cringe but it's those very human failings which make him so likable. I'd recommend this book to anyone even if historical fiction especially war stories aren't your sort of thing. 5/5

I just picked this up today in the charity shop so it's good to read you enjoyed it so much, don't think I'll be able to read it in one day though, you must be a fast reader I have this on my TBR pile I don't think I've read any Iris Murdoch before so it was good to read your review I see I shall have to visit your thread more often as we have similar tastes in books

Sorry Ooshie just discovered your reply good to hear you liked Prey I'm sure I'll get round to reading it soon

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Waterstones Synopsis Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder – and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves. After reading mixed reviews on this book I was a bit unsure wether I'd like it or not but I have to say I enjoyed it from start to finish. The first half of the book is where Larsson lays the foundation of the plot & introduces the characters he goes into quite a lot of detail & I can see how some people might find this a little tedious but for me it just made the story more substantial. The second half of the book is where the story really gets going & things get exciting & I just wanted to keep reading till I got to the end. Salander for me was the most interesting character in the book, fiesty but flawed you can't help but admire her courage & resilience. One thing that did kind of irritate me was Blomkvists sex life it did seem a little far fetched & by the end of the book I was kind of thinking oh come off it , I don't know maybe Larsson was indulging his own fantasies there. But apart from that I thought it was a great read exciting & gripping to the end. 5/5

Good Luck Habeebi, let us know how you get on with the book & the reading group

I've only got the epilogue left to read in Bury The Chains so I should finish tonight & then I'm starting a re read of Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean m. Auel. Also visited the charity shop today & came home with The Silken Net Melvyn Bragg The Virgin's Lover Phillippa Gregory problem at pollensa bay Agatha Christie The Winter Ghosts Kate Mosse Remarkable Creatures Tracy Chevalier Reading in the Dark Seamus Deane Ghost Written David Mitchell The Clan of the Cave Bear Jean M. Auel The Valley of Horses Jean M. Auel I was so excited to find the Jean M. Auel books as I have had the other ones in the Earth's Children series but have been waiting ages for the first 2 to turn up on the shelves so I can start my re read

I have Mister Pip on my TBR pile. The Gary Dexter one Why Not Catch 21 sounds interesting Had a nose round the charity shop this morning with the kids & came out with The Bloody Ground Bernard Cornwell The Visible World Mark Slouka The Hungry Tide Amitav Ghosh The Other Boleyn Girl Phillipa Gregory

Thanks guys for the suggestions I've made a note of them all I picked up The Bloody Ground this morning at the charity shop which seems to be part of his Starbuck Chronicles & I have A Crowning Mercy on my bookshelves already.