h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yarkshire? Ah thawt so. Lawrence is in Notts. Yawkshire I can 'andle lass. Eee by gum, thar's a reet grand lass.

Mum-in-law had some Tesco's gift vouchers she wanted me to have. They just covered the cost of To Kill a Mockingbird, so I bought it last night. It's a lot better than I remember, but then it's nearly 30 years since I last picked it up. Proves (to me, at any rate) that picking a book apart isn't always a good thing.

I have just finished Children of Men by PD James which I thought was excellent. In some parts it was reminiscent of the Handmaid's Tale. I can't really work out why they even tried to pretend the film was of the book as they were so different. Still liked the film too though!

Just getting on with In the Heart of the Country by J. M. Coetzee.
Lust, degeneration and fantasy. It's all there.

For contrast and relaxation I've started Mortal Mischief by Frank Tallis, a kind of Viennese Sherlock Holmes meets Freud whodunit.

If you fancy one more crack at Lawrence...might I suggest 'The Rainbow'?

Currently reading: 'Bash The Rich: The True Life Confessions of an Anarchist" by Ian Bone

Extraordinary! Extraordinarily poor. I read it thinking that it might give some kind of coherent picture of the motives and objectives of the Class war group. If you want to learn about anarchist ideas, ignore this book. If you want to read the poorly-written self-aggrandisement of an alcoholic political peabrain with a mental age of fourteen - then this might just be the book you've been looking for. A far beter book set in the same milieu is 'Dreams of Sex and Stage Diving' by Martin Millar.

Some wonderful writing in J M Coetzee's In the Heart of the Country. An amazing story of a forsaken woman in the veld. I'll read it again!

Now starting Nine Suitcases by Bela Zsolt, one of the most important memoirs of the holocaust and the fate of the Hungarian Jews ever written, according to the blurb. I bought it recently in Budapest.

Finished lady C and I loved it!!

I may try more laurance stuff at some point.

currently reading the wind singer by william nicholson

Just about to start The Time Machine, by HG Wells.

W H Auden is 100 today.

Give the dog the juicy bone
and get along to a dive on 42nd St.

Started into Patrick O'Brian last night. Good stuff, but a bit too soon to say.

Hah! He'll suck you in!

I resisted temptation. Instead of starting the next O'Brian (The Letter of Marque), I settled on 'The Crying of Lot 49' by Thomas Pynchon.

Am aiming to read both Paulo Coelho 'The Alchemist' cause I haven't and it's embarrassing already and Ian M. Banks 'Consider Philebas' cause someone lent it to me, but I'm sceptical as to its appeal for me.

Why is 'revealing' what you like to read so personal? Or is it just me?

I always think people would be horrified at what I read, but surely they can't, not all of them as some must read the same things as the books sell enough copies!

anyway, that was my

cheers ismarah

I've finished To Kill a Mockingbird. Thank you to everybody who said what a great book it is. I've really enjoyed it.

The only change to my list of books I'm reading right now is Barbarians by Terry Jones and Alan Ereira. It was a (slightly strange) St. Valentine's Day present from hubby, and it's my bedtime book.

As to revealing what you like to read being personal, yes, it probably is. You can tell a lot about a person by what they have on their bookshelves. I described the contents of my bookshelves to somebody. They said I sound like a practical person who likes to know how things work and why the world is the way it is. I'd never thought of myself that way, but it's a fair assessment.

Even though I've already made a comment I'd like to second that last comment about Mockingbird. I reckon the court house scene will be in my mind forever.
I've nearly finished Nine Suitcases, a ture story. Man's inhumanity to man is beyond belief. Forunately there was the saving grace of some wonderful people, appearing like miracles, against all the odds.

The heat, the ladies fanning themselves...

I love the names in it. Atticus Finch. Dolphus Raymond. X Billups. But I'm still not entirely sure what 'scuppernongs' are.

scuppernong is a variety of grape or a wine made from this grape; the name comes from the Scuppernong River in Tyrell County N.C.

(def. from Webster's)

Actually, I did know that. They're American native Concord grapes - the ones that taste of grape-flavoured chewing gum. Or grape Nehi.

I babysit so get access to loads of peoples houses. i fnd it really fascinating seeing whats on their bookshelves.

they really do tell you alot about a person

For anyone who likes books, the bookshelf is the first place one heads for in someone else's house. I don't think it's considered nosy. Anyone with a large bookshelf understands.

I shall have to have my own shelf analysed someday. Its state of disarray must say something about me right off.