General Chat

I've just fnished Joanne Harris - gentleman and Players - very different from her other books and an interesting twist that I didn't see coming till the last minute! Kaz :o)

Has anybody read 'Memoirs of a Geisha'? The film has just come out & looks really good, I would like to read it . Also 'Cold Mountain' I am going to read that soon because I saw the film, which was ok, but generally find the books are better, one exception Lord of the Rings!! :0) Joan

Oh yeah Kaz, I like her books !! I couldn't put 'Chocolat' down !!! I read it cover to cover ! :0) Joan xx

Joan I've read Geisha of Gion if that's what the film is based on. Would like to see it as she irritated the hell out of me!! lol It was an interesting insight into that kind of life and culture though. Daisy

Like Jess I've just finished Gloria Hunnifords and I'm now reading Margrave of the Marshes - John Peels autobiog. Debby

Mags - I think it's because I've been reading the ones *after* the claims are proved to be untrue and am now reading the first one. Although having said that I find it odd that the ones I'd read up til this one make him out to be desperate to return to the cloth and how miserable he is outside the church, while this first one Berneard actually writes that Thomas is not a devout man and had no particular interest in theology, liturgy or pastoral care. I dunno... he goes on to say 'the loss of his priesthood meant little to Thomas'. It all just seems at odds with the guy he paints much later in the series! I think I'm reading too much into this!

I love reading and will try anything that i can get my hands on, including all my Dad's Clive Cussler books. I prefer crime thrillers....not sure if that says anything about the state of my mind....but i am also a huge fan of Manda Scott, her new book should be out soon :-)

LOL DV. - I think he wanted to return because it was the brotherhood and the social standing of the church he missed not so much the orders themselves but what it meant in terms of being a scholar and not having to 'earn' a living. It was a better life as far as he was concerned: 'Returning to the comfort of the womb' if you like! LOL He went into the church because it was expected of him - like many sons. Being devout wasn't a requirement. The clergy was just another way of life. His uncle was a bishop or archbishop or something? Right - we have now done our review! Read anything else I might have done??LOL Mags x

Mags - I read Lindsey Davis, Rosemary Rowe, Peter Tremayne, Paul Doherty and Kate Sedley so take your pick :)

Joan i read memoir of a Geisha - it was a good read, I hope the film does it justice! Kaz :o)

Mags - I should probably add Alys Clare, Deryn Lake, Edward Marston, Marilyn Todd, John Pilkington, Simon Scarrow, Terry Pratchett and Clive Cussler :)

Blimey! LOL You read a lot! I used to be an avid Terry Pratchett reader - someone once told me I talked like he wrote - not sure if that was a compliment or not! LOL ...but I found his earlier books a lot funnier. I haven't bothered with any for a while. I like a bit of a mixed bag really: Nicci French, P.D. James, Martina Cole, Margaret Yorke, Mary Higgins Clark even! - anything with a bit of murder and/or mayhem but I can't think that I have read any of the authors you've mentioned. I will have to look out for them so I can read and report back! LOL Magsx

At the moment I'm reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets lol for the millionth time (ok slight exageration only the 999,999 time lol) I have a pile of books waiting to be read that I haven't read yet but I know if I wait to read HP until I've finished all unread books I'll never get round to reading them again because I'm always buying books or I have relatives with whom I swap books.

Hertfordshire Constabulary's master plan for restructuring Neighbourhood Watch, at the moment. Currently, I don't have time to read - other than reference books. I have a stack of six books waiting to be read. I just hope it's not too long before I find the time to read them. CB >|<

Mags - I suppose it depends on what you're into! Paul Doherty has done a lot of different stuff and his Egyptian and Alexander the Great series don't appeal to me. Love his Brother Athelstan series (parish monk/priest in London in the medieval period who has to cope with his madcap parishioners and helping the Coroner of London). Paul Doherty's other medieval series is the Hugh Corbett. Alys Clare's work is also set in the medieval period. Kate Sedley is also medieval. Lindsey Davis, Rosemary Rowe, Marilyn Todd and Simon Scarrow are all set in the Roman period and all but Simon Scarrow are murder mysteries. Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series is murder mysteries set in 7th century with an Irish Nun. I read an awful lot of murder mysteries! I do read other things like Terry Pratchett and and Clive Cussler. I read fantasy books (as in sci-fi and fantasy before you ask!) like Terry Goodkind's books and recently started Maggie Furey's shawdowleague series. I think at the moment I'm making up for lost time! My parents are librarians so I was surrounded by books for many years. I fell out of reading fiction much in my late teens and when I was at university would not really have the chance to read fiction. Since leaving home and moving so far away from friends and family I find nothing beats a good book :) I live 5 mins from the local library here so am often in there and its great free entertainment when you've not got huge amounts of money!

CB - In the corner of my room is 'Informing the future of the Past: Guidelines for SMRs' (which stands for sites and monuments record). It's a book I'm avoiding reading as its boring and hasn't given me much help with work so far as most of what it says I am already aware of or do. Part of me thinks the further I get into it the better it will get but most of me feels its boring and I don't want to have to touch it!

Julie cat - I want to re-read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I'm sure I'll fit it in sometime! Have re-read the Order of the Phoenix a few times and I'm glad I did. Didn't really like it first time round but now I quite like it and am very fond of some of the scenes!

Also just started Romeo and Juliet for English GCSE. Most of the books I buy are either from the supermarket or 3 for 2/bogof offers.

Darth I have read the Harry Potter series several times and each time I usually notice something in them that I've never noticed before. They also make me laugh when she writes things like 'Snape made them all nervous when they were trying to remember how to make a forgetfulness potion' (wording not exactly same but alone those lines).

Julie - She is just superb whatever her critics might say! Have you tried Jonathan Stroud's Bartmaeus triology yet? I read the first one, the Amulet of Samarkand, over Christmas and couldn't put it down. I did disappear for hours up to my room to read it! Would definitely recommend it if you haven't tried it already.