Hayley

I've just finished The Fog, one more book from the list which is starting to seem much longer than it did at the start... Overall I enjoyed reading it. It was easy to read, a grippingly action-packed plot and actually becomes a more feasible story line than the blurb suggests. I found the story actually had a few similarities to Cell, the main similarity being the theme of human instinct. In both books this is split into two different categories. One explores survival instinct, what a person is actually willing and able to do in the interest of self preservation, and the other explores what would happen if the human mind were completely stripped bare so that basic instinct and nothing else controls us. It's an interesting concept, certainly a thought-provoking one. I did have a couple of negative feelings about it though. Firstly, I found some of the content a bit unnecessarily disturbing. In particular there were a couple of occasions in which frankly paedophilic acts or thoughts were just mentioned and glossed over as though there was nothing unusual about them. I'm not really sure if this was intentional but it just felt a bit odd and unnecessary, none of them were in any way important to the plot. My other negative would be that there just wasn't anything really new or exciting about the story or the writing. It had me hooked because I wanted to find out what happened with this tragedy at the end of the book, but it's not something I would read again. Anyway that takes me on to my last classics section book, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Horror, which doesn't feel very festive but oh well . I am going to re-read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde because it's been a while since I did and I like it anyway. The other two stories included, 'Olalla' and 'The Body Snatcher', are new to me and I'm really interested to see how they'll compare. So I'll be back once I've finished

Is anyone playing this year? I think it's worth a try for a years supply of books http://caboodle.nationalbooktokens.com/hiddenbooks/default.aspx?competition=8#.VIzd2U1yaP8 I have 9 so far but now I'm completely stuck!

Ok definitely time to update this! I finished Possession and Raising Steam a while ago now but I've had a LOT of work to do for uni, including a lot of reading which has taken up most of my time. A few days ago though I picked out The Fog by James Herbert as my next book for this challenge (partly because it was one of the shortest ones I have left in the sci-fi/ fantasy category ). Blurb... The peaceful life of a village in Wiltshire is suddenly shattered by a disaster which strikes without reason or explanation, leaving behind it a trail of misery and horror. A yawning, bottomless crack spreads through the earth, out of which creeps a fog that resembles no other. Whatever it is, it must be controlled, for wherever it goes it leaves behind a trail of disaster as hideous as the tragedy that marked its entry into the world. The fog, quite simply, drives people insane. I did think originally that it might be a bit too far-fetched to get into, but having read the first couple of chapters it's actually quite addictive, so we'll see how the rest goes! Edit: I just realised I haven't changed my 'Reading now' since I read The Spy Who Came in From the Cold...

Hi I'm glad you have time for reading again, if you stay here long enough though you'll have a wish list longer than you could ever read . Do you have any favourite books?

Hi I love Carlos Ruiz Zaphon too, but I also really liked The Historian! What didn't you like about that one?

Terry Pratchett's Nac Mac Feegle (from 'The Wee Free Men', 'A Hat Full of Sky' and 'Wintersmith') come to mind (or at least they did after I read Frankie's explanation )

Has anybody here ever used the website 'webuybooks.co.uk' to sell books? I did a search for reviews of it but they were quite mixed. The main problem seemed to be that few books are actually accepted by them. If these are just from people trying to send poor condition books I don't mind as I know mine are in very good condition, but I wouldn't like to think they reject them for no reason once they have them.

I want to go to them all! I was in Ross Old Book Shop on Monday and it was lovely, much bigger than it looks on the outside or even in those pictures, and there's a 'books under £3' section at the back which is just brilliant.. I seriously wanted to buy the whole case! If I could add one I would say Bosco Books in Looe, which is in a converted chapel right by the harbour. They have the most amazing rare antique books. Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture of it when I went... Oh well I'll just have to go back for one...

Daily unless I'm away without my laptop. Although as others have said, I don't always have time to post, I often just have a quick check of what's new

I saw this on twitter this morning and I did wonder why he tweeted at Waterstone's after being stuck for two hours rather than just phoning the police to be let out... however, I do completely understand wanting to remain stuck in an enormous bookshop by yourself all night I also liked the suggestions that he should build a giant book fort

I was actually surprised to find I barely knew any of the books on my list! (1992). I have read three... Terry Pratchett - Small Gods Terry Pratchett - Lords and Ladies Jacqueline Wilson - The Suitcase Kid I also discovered that Angela Carter and Isaac Asimov both died that year. Interesting thread idea

I thought I should come back and point out that I haven't abandoned this challenge! I started reading both 'Raising Steam' by Terry Pratchett and 'Possession' by A.S. Byatt while on holiday and Possession just seems to be taking forever to read (although I stopped reading Raising Steam to try finishing faster). I'm quite close to finishing it now and it never takes me long to finish a Pratchett book so I should be back to the challenge soon!

Aww! I saw a similar video on a documentary about the born free foundation, I just tried to find it but for some reason none of them seem to have the sound, this one had a little explanation at the beginning though so just in case anyone needs more emotional lion videos... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiGKWoJi5qM

This sounds like a great challenge, you'll certainly get a lot of variety! Are you going through them in the order of the list or just based on what you feel like reading next?

Done, this is so sad

I read differently depending on what I'm reading. If it's something factual I usually sit at my desk chair to read, where I have easy reach of all my post-it's and notepaper! (although actually I don't usually sit normally on the chair, I sit with one foot up on it and rest the book on my knee... I must have lazy arms ) If it's a book I'm reading just for pleasure I mostly read in (or on if it's daytime) bed, propped up with all my pillows (and sometimes a fluffy penguin which, turned sideways, makes a really good head rest). If I've been reading for a long time like this though it starts to make my back hurt, so then I turn onto my side (left because that's the side my light is on). And if the book is particularly big or heavy I sit cross-legged on the floor with it in front of me..

I like the UK one

It's actually really hard to decide! I think I'd go for A Love Like Blood, the first sentence in the description is definitely intriguing!

Well I finished Fludd... To be honest I found it a bit odd. The blurb confused me for a start. The three things that seemed important to me in the blurb were the tapestry, the 'art of coffee making' and the theme of transformations. Both the tapestry and coffee are mentioned once, and not at remotely important times, and it's really not about transformations. I found it difficult to get into the book. By the time I got to chapter five I completely lost motivation to continue because I felt like nothing had really happened. The last few chapters are a bit more exciting, but then the story took on another weird trait. There's a really odd thread of supernatural in the text which just baffled me. I think I worked out what the ending was meant to mean... But if I'm right there are still a lot of things that don't make sense. Those of you who have goodreads will notice I rated it as 'ok', which is because technically I thought it was well written, and there are some parts I thought were done very well. I can see what the appeal might be to others, but overall I just didn't enjoy it that much. It just felt a bit muddled and didn't grip me enough. I think I'm actually going to take a couple of weeks break from my challenge since I'm going on holiday soon and I already have the books planned that I want to read while I'm away. I'm thinking of starting 'The Blade Itself' when I get back, but I might have changed my mind by then so I'll wait and see

I do use bookmarks, but they are so easy to lose! I find them all over the house. I have a little organiser box and I've started using one of the drawers in it just for bookmarks, so whenever I find one around the house it goes in the drawer, then I at least know where I can find one of them For books I'm using for uni, since I'm often reading quite a few at once, I use post-it notes. I keep loads of them by my desk so they're easy to find, and they actually stick to the page so they definitely won't fall out!

Hi and welcome Interesting title, it isn't a reference to 'The Secret of Monkey Island' is it?

I went to an amazing bookshop this year which might be able to help, they have a pretty big collection of antiquarian books, and they're lovely people. They don't have a website but they have a page on abebooks which I'll link you to. You would have to check if they ship to America but I'd say it's worth phoning them. Even if they don't have anything they might be able to help you find what you're looking for http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Bosco-Books-Looe%2C-Cornwall/695623/sf

Thank you Athena It definitely seems like a re-readable book, I'll be keeping my copy for the future too! Thanks Ben. I think there's always that fear with such a popular 'classic' that it can't possibly live up to expectations, but this one certainly did I don't know how my next read is going to live up to it though. I've only read the very beginning, but between the (seemingly) alcoholic priest and the frizzy-haired, nosy housekeeper, I feel a bit like I'm reading an episode of Father Ted... but not a funny one. It wouldn't be fair to judge it this early but it doesn't really have me gripped from the start.

I loved this book, I just finished reading it, it has such a beautiful message. I have a couple of things I was wondering though, for those who have read the book... and second... I would be very interested to hear other people's thoughts

Ok you were both right, I loved To Kill a Mockingbird! Such an incredibly heartfelt message, delivered beautifully by Scout's narrative voice which also gives it a wonderful simplicity. The child's perspective is done so well it really makes you feel just how ridiculous the prejudiced norms and values of the adult world can be. I particularly liked Dill's conclusion.... “There ain’t one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh, so I’m gonna join the circus and laugh my head off.” There are a few things about the book I'd really like to discuss but I'm sure we probably have a thread for this book so I'll post them there I think I'm back round to best sellers now so I'm going to try Fludd by Hilary Mantel, the blurb for which is.... Fetherhoughton is a Northern mill village, remote, backward, veiled from the twentieth century by moorland fogs. Father Angwin, its parish priest, presides over the souls of its brutish tea-swilling inhabitants. He has lost his faith and replaced it with a strong desire to be left alone - especially by the new-broom bishop. In the convent, the nuns work away at their tapestry, depicting the plagues of Egypt. The young Irish nun, Sister Philomena, yearns for freedom and a good meal, while the demonic Mother Perpetua plots her downfall. One night, a visitor appears at the priest's house, wrapped in a cloak and carrying a black bag. His conversation is learned and his table manners mysterious. Who is this Fludd? The new curate? The bishop's spy? A practitioner of dark arts? He has come to introduce the art of coffee making; to stir up dead passions; to force confrontations. 'I have come to transform you,' he says. 'Transformation is my business.' To be honest I just picked it because it was first on my bookshelf, and it's nice and short. It's not a book I would have bought for myself, and it definitely doesn't seem like anything I've read before but we'll see