bobblybear

Mine's not too slow, but it seems to take a long time if you have nothing to do but stare at an empty screen.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is today's Kindle Daily Deal (UK). I've bought it even though I didn't enjoy the movie as much as the first one.

This irritates me too in books. I like characters to be like real people, fumbling over what they say and occasionally saying the wrong thing, rather than giving the perfect 'cool' response every time.

I enjoyed this, loved the premise and the story. Hope you enjoy it Tim.

The Past When did you start to love reading? For as long as I can remember. My mum tells me that I would read books over and over again from a very young age. I've never gone through a period where I stopped reading - I've always had one or more books of the go. What books did you love as a child (either read to or to read yourself)? I loved Roald Dahl books, mainly The BFG and The Witches. Also when I was a little older, I loved The Famous Five and The Secret Seven series. I would read and re-read them. Never got sick of them. Childhood memories of reading (if you have them)? The only memories I have of reading are looking forward to going to the library, and coming home with just bags full of them. Also, at school I was one of only a few children to need more than one library card (the old fashioned paper system where they handwrote who borrowed which book and stuck it in a sleeve in the back of the book, and every child also had their own card to be filled out by the librarian). Did you read books for school? I did, and I looked forward to reading them aside from Shakespeare which I never could understand. Favourites Favourite book: Too many to name! The book I have read the most is Stephen King's The Stand so I would probably say that is my favorite. It's closely followed by Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. But these are only the ones I can think of, off the top of my head. If I had a list in front of me of all the books I've read I'm sure I'll pick many others that I loved. Oh, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is another favourite. As is The Loop by Nicholas Evans. Oh, the list could go on and on! Favourite author: Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Maggie O'Farrell, Nicholas Evans Favourite genre(s): I don't know what I'd call it, maybe just drama? I just like a good story. Your Collection Do you own an ereader? Yes, a Kindle. Ebooks or physical books (or both)? I now prefer ebooks, but I still have some physical books to be read so I will probably still read them. Hardcover or paperback (or both)? Hardcover for looks, but paperback for carrying around. New books or used books (or both)? Either, as long as there are no boogers or odd stains! Big books or small books (or both)? Both. I like to alternate and I love a good detailed story which a lot of authors need a decent number of pages to write. I'm not a great short story fan though. What language are most of your books written in? English Favourite book shop(s): It's been a while since I've been to a physical bookshop, as there aren't any decent ones in town. So, I'll have to say Amazon. Do you buy a lot of books? In the past yes, but the plan is to cut down. I bought far more than I read in previous years (I blame my Kindle) and I am trying to cut down on that. Do you spend a lot of money on books? Not as much as I would if I were buying paper books. Amazon have quite a few freebies or very cheap ones, so I've been mostly buying those. Amount of owned books: Honestly, too many to count. I probably have 300 odd on my Kindle and probably the same number on the shelf behind me. Amount of books read: I'm now averaging 50 books a year but when I was a young 'un I could read easily one a night, so it would probably be over a thousand? I don't know actually! Amount of books TBR: Quite a few hundred, and I'm slowly working my way through them. Reading How often do you read? Nearly every day. It's rare that I don't, as I read in the morning when I'm getting ready for work and I always go to bed a bit earlier so I can read for at least half an hour. Where do you read? On the sofa, in the kitchen, in bed, in the bath, in front of the computer (when I'm waiting for it to boot up). When do you read? During the week it's mornings and nights. I'd like to read in my lunch hour but find it hard to concentrate. Weekends I read during the day when I can. How fast do you read? Well, I average a book a week, so I suppose I read at an average speed. The Forum When did you join this forum? I can't recall. Maybe two years ago?? How did you find this forum? Good old Google!

It is very good. Makes me want to visit the zoo again.

I'm about 40 percent through We Bought A Zoo. It's so fascinating to read what they went through!

Roast chicken dinner. Looking forward to it.

The Puppy to Junior slideshow is my favorite. I can't believe how fast he has grown, but I still think of him as a puppy! He's faster now than when he was younger. Looking at some of the videos of when he was 6 - 9 months, he just looks like he is all legs! I think he must have grown taller quite quickly, and then slowly grown outwards. We've taken more photos of Reuben than of our previous dog. I think it's because they grow up so quickly we want to hold on to what it was like when they were younger. Yeah, the humping is a bit ridiculous. He is due for his booster in March, and then probably in April we will get him snipped. We are both dreading it, as it will be the first time he has been away from us (even though it will only be less than a day), and we are worried about whether he will be ok. I don't want him to be in any pain, even though it is a very routine operation. Neo looks like he's having loads of fun in the snow. I'd love to see Reuben playing in the snow like that!!

I'm just over halfway through Elizabeth Street. Once that is finished, I will be moving onto We Bought A Zoo by Benjamin Mee.

It's an easy read, Athena, and the advantage is that you can pick it up and put it down without worrying about where you left off, given that there's no 'plot'.

More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea - Tom Reynolds This is based on a series of blog posts by a London EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). The name is a pseudonym, and his blog is (obviously) on the net, but I don't know if the same blog posts appear in this book. It's a sequel, and I had bought this one and it's prequel before I realised that they were a series of blog posts, but never mind - if I recall, it was a Kindle cheapie. I enjoyed it more than the first one, but I'm not sure why as the content is similar (if my memory serves!). Each chapter is very short, and details a day on the job, plus some rants and raves about things that get on his nerves. It's a good book to pick up when you have a spare few minutes which is what I have been doing. I found it a real eye opener in the lives that EMTs lead. It's not particularly gory, and it's easy to read. There are some touching cases in there, but also some that just make your blood boil, with people hoax calling or EMTs having to waste time on people who have drunk far too much and passed out on the street. I was also surprised to hear how many people ring an ambulance for very minor injuries (ie. period pain, or someone who had stepped on tiny sliver of glass). Every news report always seems to harp on about people not calling an ambulance (out of embarrassment, is what they usually say). I learned a few things as well, for example EMTs cannot have more than 3 periods of sick leave in an 18 month period. I don't know what happens if you are sick more often than that - perhaps you get the sack? Anyway, all in all it was an easy and interesting read, and another one off my pre-2012 list. 3/6

I have this on my TBR list; looks like it might be time to bump it further up!

KFC.

This is Reuben's You Tube video channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/NancyH41?feature=watch I may have posted this before, not sure. Haven't done any in a while, but just looking back at them I can see how he has grown!

Great Apes by Will Self is today's Kindle Daily Deal. I've bought it even though apparently it's not the easiest read.

Taken 2. I found it a bit disappointing.

I only heard about the dew claw thing from The Art of Racing in the Rain, when Enzo was reminiscing about getting his removed with no anaesthetic. I haven't read anything further about it, because I find it a bit distressing/depressing. I've had dogs my whole life and never recall their dew claws getting caught on anything but maybe it's different if they are 'working dogs'. Oh Reuben does have a good life. I don't think any dog has ever gotten away with acting so naughty before. He's chewing my slipper as I type this, but he's just so adorable I can't tell him off!

Phew - glad you liked it.

At least you're starting with one of his better (best, IMO) ones.

Very exciting!! I really hope you enjoy it as much as I (and many others) have. I enjoyed this. I know Chevalier seems to get mixed reviews, but I think a lot of people think highly of this one.

Chalie, they're not cheap - an extra large one is £10.99 (and you usually have to rustle around until you find the best sized one) from Pets At Home. But they keep Reuben occupied, and a good sized one can last him 3 weeks (which doesn't sound long but for him it's a record ). A co-worker got one for her dog (retriever-spaniel-other cross) and he's had the same one for months! The best ones I think are the ones with 3 prongs to chew on, as it makes them more interesting. You can get sections of antler with the bit that joined to the stags head, but Reuben never manages to wear down that bit. If you do get one I'd love to hear how Obi gets on with them. I think they're brilliant!

My usual evening drink - a hot chocolate.

I'm quite lazy, but because I'm quite busy I have to force myself to keep on top of things. Sometimes (this sounds terrible), if I see some rubbish on the floor at home, I'll be too lazy to pick it up. I'll just leave it there, and it can be there for days (unless hubby picks it up ). It's more the little things with me - like when I take my boots off when I get home, instead of putting them in the wardrobe, I'll just leave them in front of the door. I try to do things as a routine now, like forcing myself to study each evening, doing washing on the weekend, cleaning the bathroom on the weekend. The problem is that little things that you think will take 10 minutes can take an hour, and it sometimes seems easier to not bother doing them.