chaliepud

Oops sorry! Thanks for the polite reminder Claire! Here you go: I checked my cap in the hall mirror and descended the grand staircase. The panelled reception hall was empty, the servants not yet in position. Everything was ready: tables laid, glasses prepared, drinks pleasantly chilled.

I loved The Secret Life of Bees and I'm now reading The Invention of Wings also by Sue Monk Kidd. I'm only 25 pages in but it's very promising. Enjoy!

As promised here are Regina's life lessons in full for you to do with whatever you choose. As the eagle eyed of you will notice there are now actually 50 of them. As is only fair here is the authors web address, http://www.reginabrett.com/ so that she may be recognised for her efforts. It is actually a very interesting website and one I have bookmarked. I was led to believe Regina was a 90 year old woman when in fact she is in her 50's. Regina explains what led her to write the list and about the events in her life that led up to it. She is a journalist and I find her articles very engaging and relevant to me. Please feel free to post however you see fit here, maybe talk about which numbers you would like to work on or which you think you have got down pat.. then maybe tell us how you achieve that.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone. 8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks. 16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying. 17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today. 18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write. 19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?” 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do. 35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. 36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable. 38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back. 41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful. 43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 45. The best is yet to come. 46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. 49. Yield. 50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift. Thank you Regina!

Thanks Ladies, have had a lovely Christmas but ready for the new year now! The kids have deinsa staying over the next couple of nights so sleep will be hard to come by but looking forward to Thursday as I am meeting a friend at Champneys for a one night stay.. I am in such need of a break, not sure one night will be enough but it will have to do! Hopefully I will get a chance to update my thread with books bought and start my 2014 blog too.

Happy reading in 2014 Laura!

Happy 2014, in every which way Kay!

Happy 2014 Chrissy, may your year be healthy, prosperous, filled with love and many many wonderful books!

It's a prequel Timmo, and yes I thought it was very good, I wasn't expecting it to be particularly good so it was a pleasant surprise..

Monsters University is a definite must see then. I'd even watch it twice and I normally only say that if Hugh Jackman is in it!

We watched this yesterday with the kids and my parents. Definitely one of the better 'with Bear' programmes. Stephen is a delight and I was only disappointed he didn't get a chance to talk more. Did you watch the Jonathan Ross one from earlier this year Kay? I nearly wet myself laughing with that one!

I saw this at the cinema, not having seen the first one as I was lucky that Robbie went with a friend to that one.. I don't really get these sorts or films. I find them far too noisy, and there is always far too much silly shouting and squealing (I can get that at home for free!) I much prefer the Pixar films, Monsters University was one of my favourite cinema visits of 2013.

Ah yes I think I've heard that too Steve. They're trying to wangle more money out of me! It's not really an issue though as I know how it ends.. Unless they change it of course! I've not seen Django yet, I want to watch it but I fear it may be to violent for me! (Insert hiding under chair icon here!)

Hope you find something you enjoy soon Kate, I'm sure you have a couple more books dotted around the place you can try? I've finished The Last Werewolf, but only because I skimmed the second half.. I should've believed the reviews! That takes me to 59 for the year. I did have a target of 60 but hey-ho, the second half of this year was much busier that the first and I've been mojo wrestling the last couple of months, so all in all I'm pretty happy. I think I have actually read more pages (thank you Goodreads stats) this year over last so some of the books have at least been longer. I won't be setting myself a target for 2014 as I don't cope well with failure and would rather just enjoy my reading. On that note I am going to start The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd next, I am hoping it will be as good as The Secret Life of Bees.

Just got home from watching Catching Fire with my 12 year old daughter. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, more than the first film. Looking forward to the final instalment next year!

Thank you ladies.

Satanic Verses?

Belated happy Christmas Laura. You've got some great books there. Miss Peregrine and The Night Circus were fantastic and I also enjoyed The Age of Miracles and Matched. Hopefully you'll have more time to read once the festivities are over.

Finished Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes, now starting The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan.

American?

Great haul! Which will you read first do you think? I have the Mistborn books on my wish list but I'm not sure why as it's not my usual genre.