bobblybear

Neo's adorable. They grow far too quick, don't they? He looks like he loves to chew - have you tried giving him Stag Bars (not sure if they are available in Sweden)? Reuben is a real chewer, and he loves his! It's his favourite 'toy' - that and his Kong.

Great review of David Copperfield. Your enthusiasm is very catching. I have to say, even though I have put classics on hold for a while, David Copperfield (as well as A Tale of Two Cities) is one that I can't get out of my mind and feel somewhat compelled to read it.

You're welcome, Kidsmum. I have to say, I enjoyed it a lot as it was educational without being too heavy. Can't criticise that!

I've had this on my wishlist for a little while. Someone on here raved about it, and it does sound interesting. I just need to get through my older TBR books.

I'll be adding it to my wishlist as well! Devi, I think the author is Cherie Priest from the synopsis.

Oh noes! Do you have an old favourite that you can pick up? I find that usually helps me out. I'm loving Elizabeth Street; I wish I'd read it back in 2011 when I bought it!

Glad to hear it. I remember it gripping me from pretty early on, so if you like the beginning chances are good that you will enjoy the entire book.

I'm sure it was very common 'back then', as they weren't very sensitive about issues concerning animals. I know they also used to remove the dew claw (maybe they still do?), which is another thing I never understood. Don't they also do something to the ears, especially on Dobermans, so they stand up straight? And for what purpose?? Thankfully, things have somewhat moved on.

I hope you like it! I'll feel guilty if you don't.

I think that sums it up for me, Nollaig. At least I know I'm not alone in feeling this way.

Third The Stand!!

Roast pork dinner. It was nice, but I wish I had some Yorkies to go with it.

Oh man, is that where he is from?? I vaguely recognised him from some medical TV series from years ago but had no idea he was the guy from The Princess Bride!! Crikey, he's aged (haven't we all, though!). I think he's my favorite character in the show, probably the most complex one. I wouldn't like to cross him! Quinn was nice as well, but that's from a purely shallow eye-candy point of view.

Just finished Season 2 of Homeland. Sooooo good!

Inver, I read Me Before You last year and loved it. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Now reading Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano, and really enjoying it so far. I love the descriptions of early New York.

Off With Their Heads: All the Cool Bits in British History - Martin Oliver This is a British History book written for children, probably pre-teens I would say. Nevertheless, I found it extremely readable and enjoyable. My history knowledge isn't the best, so this was a perfect introduction as it was very basic, with short chapters and illustrations. The book is only 125 pages long but covers all major events from Prehistoric Times, through to the new Millenium. It is clearly indexed and so very easy to also use as a reference point if you are after dates, or the bare bones of what happened and when. The book covers both World Wars, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Britain, The Tudors, Roman Britain, The Stuarts, and the Middle Ages. So as you can see, it's a lot to pack into only 125 pages so you get some idea of how short the chapters are (2 or 3 pages each at the most). It's great to pick up when you have a few minutes spare, and probably best used for understanding the timeline of British History. A great read, for children and non-history-orientated adults alike. 4/6

Which would be your favorite classics, Brian? The same does happen with non-classics; there have been quite a few that others raved about, that I haven't enjoyed, so I don't know why I'm so hung up on wanting to like classics. No, Kylie you shouldn't feel responsible at all!! I thought I'd enjoy it, and it's most likely one I would have read anyway as it was one of the shorter ones. Anyway, nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say! I think I'll stick with more contemporary books (ones I prefer), until I'm really in the mood to try something more challenging. It's not like I don't have enough on my TBR list to keep me busy!!

Karsa, I don't get the new quoting system either, especially when it comes to quoting multiple posts. I've given up trying to quote sections, because either my response appears as a quoted text, or I end up deleting the part I'm quoting! Bree: Yeah, I think that part of the problem is that I forced myself to read it simply because I'm trying to whittle down my pre-2012 purchases. I didn't wait until I really felt like reading it. I'm still not going to give up, as there are some I really would like to read, such as A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield. Maybe I start off with a slightly negative attitude towards them because of the intimidation factor, which doesn't help. Karsa: True, that I shouldn't feel like I need to like it, but I keep feeling that there must be something I'm missing, like maybe with the right classic a lightbulb will go off in my head and I'll start appreciating them. That sounds really silly, actually. I mean, I don't like bodice-ripping romances, nor do I feel I should like them. It's all very complex, and I really should stop making these rules for myself and just read what I enjoy.

Oooh yum!! Hopefully slathered in big chunks of butter?

Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson I don’t get on well with the Classics, and while I read this one through to the end, I still think I would have preferred a more contemporary tale, though I can’t altogether put my finger on why. Written in 1883, Treasure Island follows a group of buccaneers and ‘privileged gentlemen’ on their journey to Treasure Island and their subsequent search for treasure. The story is mainly narrated by young Jim Hawkins, aside from a few chapters in the middle which are narrated by Doctor Livesey, one of the others on the ship. I enjoyed the beginning (and finally thought I’d met a classic I could get on with), up until they landed on Treasure Island, but then for me it just seemed to drag on a bit. I didn’t find Jim’s adventures particularly exciting or suspenseful; I just kind of wished he would get on with it. Certain sections seemed to take forever (such as when Jim is trying to board the schooner), and Long John Silver just waffled on a bit too much for my liking. The language used was a bit of a barrier for me as well, as it was of course written of the times and just requires that extra bit of effort. This, coupled with the story, made it something that I found a bit of a struggle towards the end. I don’t even know why I want to enjoy the classics, but I feel like I’m missing out on a big literary section if I don’t. 2/6

Water

I watched that, wasn't it brilliant??

Six Seconds - Rick Mofina The lives of three characters intertwine – a woman’s son goes missing, presumably taken by her husband who had been acting strange since returning from Iraq. A Canadian Mountie is involved in a canoe rescue/recovery and follows his hunch that all is not as it seems. A young woman, who’s husband and son were murdered in front of her vows to seek revenge. All three plots hinge around the upcoming papal visit. It all sounds rather predictable, and it is. It’s a (semi) political thriller and there are no real surprises, but it’s still a page turner as you really want to find out what happens next. It needs to be taken with a grain of salt as some parts are a bit implausible, but it’s a quick easy read that you can forget about as soon as you put the book down. Not necessarily a bad thing, as I know I need to read books like that to keep my mojo refreshed. The chapters switch between the three characters, and I have to admit that through some sections I tuned out, but I could still follow where the story went, so it's not the kind of book that you need to dedicate all your attention to. The writing is a bit basic, especially at the beginning. I had to re-read some sections as they were written in a way that conveyed no emotion whatsoever. I found it a tad odd. However it does have some suspenseful parts and did have me on tenterhooks at the end. 3/6

Aaargh, can't get the quote function to work properly, but that Nikki Catsouras case is horrific! I haven't googled her name for fear of any images that will show up, as according to Wiki they are still out there. It's very disturbing that these officers chose to distribute the pictures - one of them said they sent it to their personal email address for 'viewing at a later time'. Really???? I mean, REALLY? Ugh, the state of mind of some people are so disturbing. And the fact that some people chose to caption the pictures and send them to Nikki's parents!! I do wonder what is wrong with some people! There was a recent case (last year) where a woman was hit and killed by a lorry (I think here in England), and apparently within minutes pictures of her dismembered body were posted onto twitter. I don't think they ever named and shamed the culprits, which is unfortunate. I think if people knew their actions would be made public it would make them think twice (unfortunately, their own moral conscience isn't deterrent enough!).