dawnbirduk

The Bloody Chamber and other Stories by Angela Carter This is Book Club Forum book of the month for January, I really wasn't keen on it, I am not keen on short stories as I like a book I can get my teeth into, but I didn't enjoy the writing style, I found it most longwinded. From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss-in-Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires, werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.

1. Which story was your favourite, and why? I think my favourite was The Bloody Chamber, I don't really know why. 2. Who was your favourite character (from one story or from each story), and why? None of the characters really sprang out to me. 3. Was there a particular part that you enjoyed or disliked more than the rest? I found the storylines very long winded. 4. Was this the first book you've read in this genre, or by this author? Has it encouraged you to read more? Yes it is I would,'t read anything else 5. Were there any parts or ideas you struggled with? I am definitely not a prude but some to the sexual connotations made me feel uncomfortable. 6. How did you find the experience of reading a collection of short stories? Were you able to engage with the characters in the same way? I am in the minority I really didn't enjoy this book, I don't get on terribly well with short stories, I didn't relate to the characters 7. Overall, did you find it an enjoyable experience? To be brutally honest, I was glad when I finished it.

Hi VF, I am doing great with my kindle I love it, I have an external hard disk which I back up laptops on and put all my ebooks on their, it took me ages to sort them, I put them in categories and alphabetical order, got rid of duplicates so I have a pretty good ebook library now. I always said I would never have a kindle because I like the texture and feel of books, but I must say I might eat my words , it could well take over my reading life.

I have not heard of hardly any of them either Janet, maybe it is because after the show they become celebrities

Sorry to hijack thread, but I love your description, you describe Mills and Boon to a T, my son says they are written by bored housewives for bored housewives lol and yuk is a very apt review lol. Sorry no desrepect intended if you are into Mills and Boon

My case arrived yesterday, it is hard backed for protection and Red and it has got a cool light attached, very pleased with it, I got mine for ebay for only £19.95, which I thought was good, some of them on amazon were about £50, and had no light.

I did lose weight yes, but problem is you can't shouldn't stick to it because long term it is unhealthy as it isn't balanced, and then same old same old, you come off it, revert back to normal eating habits and pounds go back on, or it did for me, but it is a good way of detoxing and kick starting a diet routine for 3-4 days ( a week at the most I would say), if you are strict with yourself and have a regime in place for when you come off.

I think the biggest difference it is anonymous online, you don't know who is reading your blog

I agree Kell I have a passionate dislike of reality TV, I feel they must be rehearsed because you wouldn't want all that pain and anquish on show for public view (well I wouldn't). For the same reason I couldn't imagine reading my diary to any group, no way, although my diaries are blogs and I am usually selective although I have a private one

Well, I have had a birthday, christmas and new year has been and gone, time to get back on track, so weighed myself on the Wii this morning, yikes I gained 9lb, time to really get working on it now.......

I use MFP it is very good, well worth a shot Oh dear, cabbage soup diet, been there got the t shirt, the thing I remember most is the smell in my kitchen ugh

Vengeance Lies in Wait by Janice B Scott I got this book as a Birthday Present, it is set in Norfolk and the story centres around a woman rector. It was a very good story set round human intrigues passions and jealousies. The characters were very well presented and I got very involved in them.

I do not get on with biographies and autobiographies, because I prefer to read books in the right timeline and they invariably jump around a bit, I also have difficulty with classics because of the writing style, although hopefully I will find one I get on with someday

I also enjoy books set in bookshops and libraries

Sorry this is brilliant, I may have to pinch it lol

My first read is/will be Vengeance Lies in Wait by Janice B Scott, got great potential so far

I like the sound of this, I too have never done a challenge but keep thinking I would like to, maybe I will join you if you don't mind

Hijack as much as you like, no I haven't see it, I think I am about the only person who hasn't seen it, people are flocking to see it, I feel it is a bit gruesome

P = Paperback K = Kindle H = Hardback January Vengeace Lies in Wait by Janice B Scott - P - Brilliant The Blood Chamber and other Stories by Angela Carter - P And Then There were none by Agatha Christie - K The Girl who played with Fire by Stieg Larsson - K February The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson - K The One you Love by Paul Pilkington - K On The Fifth Day by A J Hartley - K March The Mask of Atreus by A J Hartley - K The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - P Pied Piper by Nevil Shute - P The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - H An Axe to Grind by A A Fair - K The Tenth Chamber - Glenn Cooper - P Twisted by Andrea Kane - K April Drawn in Blood by Andrea Kane -K Thr Dark Tide by Andrew Gross - K Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross - K Level 26 by Anthony E Zuiker - K Speak no evil by Allison Brennan - K Fear no evil by Allison Brennan - K May See no Evil by Allison Brennan - K June July August September October November December Wishlist Down to Earth by Melanie Rose Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising 1) by Susan Cooper The Shack by William P Young Murder at the Alter (Ellie Quickie 1) by Veronica Heley Murder in Steeple Martin (Libby Sargeant Mysteries 1) by Lesley Cookman Through a glass darkly by Bill Hussey London: The Novel by Edward Rutherford Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Book of Faeries 1) by Maggie Stiefvater The Woman in Black by Susan Hill Emotional Geology by Linda Gillard Howards End is on the Landing: A year of reading from Home by Susan Hill In the Bleak Midwinter (Rev Clare Fergusson 1) by Julia Spencer-Fleming A Christmas Guest - A Novel by Anne Perry

Hi Julie Thanks for your comments, I have just finished one to give our Minister who is retiring in January However, I have to say I find getting kits quite difficult, they are either large and very complicated, or got Teddy's on, so I am experimenting using a cross stitch designer on the computer, taking photos and converting them into cross stitch, I have done my first one of the Lighthouse a short distance from me, just waiting for the thread to arrive to start stitching so watch this space

The Black Shuck - The Devils Dog by Piers Warren This is set up the coast from me in Blakeney, Norfolk, based on the Myth of the Black Hound, a good stimulating reed, characters were very good and likeable, I enjoyed it, living in Norfolk, it was so descriptive, I know the Watch House, Cley and Blakeney. I could imagine I could smell the salt in the salt marshes, fantastic book.

After all this talk I decided to take up the gauntlet, I found a half done cross stitch in my craft box and finished it tonight, not done cross stitch for years so pretty pleased with the effort

Ha ha I was was doing my TBR list last night, but I got rid of a lot, and starting again, cos I couldn't remember why I put them there in the first place, so having a clean slate for 2012

Last night I started Black Shuck The Devil Dog by Piers Warren it is a while since I have had the wow factor soon as I opened a book, but it is beautifully well written and descriptive without being boring. I live in Hunstanton which is a short way down the North Norfolk coast where it is set, I adore North Norfolk, and it got the description so so right, I felt it and smelt it, fantastic, the big skies, the salt marshes, the changes in weather was right to a T. And as for the story, the characters are right and interesting, I just want to know what happens next I need to get ready for work but all I want to do now is read read and read

Children's Stories From The Village Shepherd, Vol 1 by Janice B. Scott I run Junior Church and had this book bought for my Birthday by my Mum, it is a series of short stories with a christian Moral, very interesting and informative.