Ellie's (elliepotten) vague attempt at 75 for 2017!

Hello, hello, yes, I AM rolling in a month late... I was attempting to digital detox in January, get myself AWAY from the laptop for a bit - though it all went a bit pear shaped mid-month so I might make up the time elsewhere, I was rather enjoying myself! All that reading and knitting and jigsaw-puzzling time, it was lovely. Anyway, that's why I wasn't around before now... :)

For those who don't know me already - this is my TENTH YEAR on LT, how time has flown - I'm a 29 year-old English lass, living in the beautiful Peak District with my family and our three cats, Millie, Domino and Leo. I used to run a second-hand bookshop with my mum, and had a book blog called Book Addicted Blonde for several years, until I realised I'd rather be READING the books than writing long reports about them every few days. I have recently been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (literally, like, a week and a half ago) which has thrown my entire life into daylight for the first time ever. Obsessive, solitary, likes routine and predictability, prefers books and cats to people, WHO WOULD EVER HAVE GUESSED?? I have a library filled with books and cushions and plants (bromeliads mostly, for some reason). Things that make me happy include blackbirds singing, bright flowers, smart sitcoms and long breakfasts with a good book.

At the moment I'm watching season 3 of House, reading a book examining a bunch of mass shootings from a psychological perspective (along with Lucy Knisley's latest book and one on hygge, both of which have gone on the back burner because LIBRARY BOOKS FIRST), eating biscuits dunked in vanilla rooibos tea, and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Isaac Marion's new Warm Bodies novel, which I believe is due to plunk through my letterbox sometime in the next few days, wheeeee!




Any questions? No? THEN LET THE READING BEGIN.

ELLIE'S READING FOR 2017

** Books in bold are my favourites so far! **

1. Mystery in White - J. Jefferson Farjeon (f)
2. The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World - Christina Crook (nf)
3. Dawn of the Dumb: Dispatches from the Idiotic Frontline - Charlie Brooker (nf)
4. The Terranauts - T.C. Boyle (f)
5. Hospital Babylon - Imogen Edwards-Jones and Anonymous (nf)
6. The Circle - Dave Eggers (f)
7. Ceremonial Violence: Understanding Columbine and Other School Rampage Shootings - Jonathan Fast, Ph.D. (nf)
8. Tutankhamen's Curse: The Developing History of an Egyptian King - Joyce Tyldesley (nf)
9. Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride - Lucy Knisley (nf)
10. The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells (f)

11. Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh (f)
12. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (f)
13. The Every Other Day Diet - Krista Varady and Bill Gottlieb (nf)
14. Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 - Naoki Higashida (nf)

1. Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon (3*) - This was one of the new British Library Crime Classics, one of the first to be republished, and everyone went CRAZY for it over Christmas 2015. Rave reviews, bestseller lists, the works - and honestly, I'm not quiiiiite sure why. I mean, it was alright. It's about of bunch of people whose train unexpectedly stops in a blizzard, so they decide to get out and search for shelter, eventually finding an empty farmhouse where, weirdly, the fires are lit and tea is ready. So they move in, and start trying to work out why there's no one here, is it spooky, is it a crime scene, etc etc. Which mostly consists of a young lassy having 'feelings' about bad pieces of furniture, and a weird old man going "ah yes, and now I can tell you that THIS THING HAPPENED HERE, and here is why even though there has been no mention of anything like this so far and I'm pulling shizzle riiiight out of thin air". Fortunately there's a sassy brother and sister to bring a bit of life to proceedings, and... well, I did finish it. It just wasn't anywhere near the breathlessly exciting well-plotted mystery I'd been expecting. More's the pity.

2. The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World by Christina Crook (3.5*) - Another one that was okay but could have been better. This one was right up my alley - digital detoxing, finding a healthier relationship with the online world, being more aware of my behaviour and feelings about the whole thing - and it DID have some interesting viewpoints and studies, and I underlined lots of pithy quotes and bits that I liked. It mentioned quite a lot of people and books that I've already come across too, which helped. Unfortunately it was all rather surface-level, and a bit repetitive, and the little 'reinforcement' info boxes on many pages ironically did exactly what I find hyperlinks and sidebars on a website do, and took me riiiiight out of the flow of the main text. I've kept this one for now, just for the bits I've starred and highlighted, but it might end up going off to a new owner before too long.

3. Dawn of the Dumb: Dispatches from the Idiotic Frontline by Charlie Brooker (4.5*) - Aaaaah, now, here I'm back on comfortably awesome territory. I love Charlie Brooker. I love his 'Wipe' TV shows, I love his columns, I love Nathan Barley... I just love him. He's misanthropic and pithy and smart and HE KNOWS MY BRAIN. This is his second book of TV (and a few miscellaneous) columns from The Guardian (I think), and I loved it. Some of these shows and then-current topics are about ten years old, so I definitely wouldn't recommend it to people outside the UK, who wouldn't stand a chance of knowing what he's talking about most of the time. I have more recent books of his too, but I figured I'd start with his earlier stuff before I forget all the telly and people and incidents he's skewering!

4. The Terranauts by T.C. Boyle (5*) - MY FIRST FIVE STARRER OF THE YEAAAAAR! Not bad for mid-January. This one gets mixed reviews around the interwebs, but I went with gut instinct and I FRICKIN' LOVED IT. It's loosely based on real events (Google 'Biosphere 2'), and it's about a group of scientists going into a closed environment for two years in an attempt to sustain life. Inside there are areas for agriculture, ocean, rainforest and savanna, animals and plants and crops - and eight men and women, along with their very human needs, wants and emotions. It's told from three perspectives, two inside and one outside the biodome, all of which I enjoyed in their own rights, and although it's a big book I was fascinated from start to finish and looked forward to getting back to it every time I had to put it down. A couple of books about the real deal were mentioned at the end, so I think I might look those up at some point too!

5. Hospital Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones and Anonymous (4*) - I do like these books! In case you've never come across the Babylon series, each one is a 'day in the life'-style exposé of a particular industry or workplace, including 5-star hotels, restaurants, wedding planning, and in this case, an NHS A&E department. This one actually does a really good job of balancing scandal and gossip with more moving and hard-hitting moments (including one near the end that took me completely by surprise and nearly floored ME as well as the doctors in the book). It's easy to read, goes at a cracking pace, and manages to both skewer and respect its characters at the same time. I wonder which one I should read next... ??

6. The Circle by Dave Eggers (3.5*) - Awww, I really hoped this might be better. I was finally persuaded to pick it up after the movie trailer came out and piqued my interest all over again - but it didn't really live up to the promise of the 'best book of the year' blurbs on the cover. It WAS a great concept, about a slightly futuristic all-encompassing tech company called The Circle, which is basically every company like Facebook, Google and Apple rolled into one, extended and taken to its creepiest conclusion. It's told from the perspective of a new young employee, Mae, and chronicles her slow induction and almost brainwashing as she works her way up to the upper tier of Circlers. Unfortunately where there should have been Climactic Shizzle happening, there was more Anti-Climactic Fizzle, and it all sort of petered out a bit just at the most crucial point. And it was too long. Shame. I'll definitely be seeing the movie though - maybe it'll streamline the whole thing a bit, and it has Tom Hanks AND Emma Watson AND John Boyega in it. BRING IT ON.

Ellie--You're here!!! Yay!! Starred, of course. I am bummed that The Circle wasn't any better. It may take a while for people to find you so I am taking the liberty of posting you on my thread. :) Glad you got a diagnosis and good luck with all the red tape you are dealing with. Big hugs and welcome back!!

Ellie! Huzzah! Glad you're back. *provides big hugs and then tosses confetti before plopping down in a cozy corner*

>5 Berly: Thanks Kim - for basically everything in that message! I was a bit bummed too - but never fear, the movie trailer looks fab so maybe that'll be better? Some of the concepts and arguments might be better cut down and SHOWN rather than explained at length.

I've only been away a month really, my old thread from last year was just super glacial, but it's nice to be back. And actually mini reviewing the books again! Don't know how long that will last, I get behind every year, but for now I'm up to date - and since it's been quiet around here today it's given me time to get the bunting up, make everything look nice, lay on the snacks, set up Stephen Sensors around the place... you know the drill. :P

>6 MickyFine: HEY MUFFIN, HOW'S MO - *discreetly sweeps confetti under the rug* - HAVE A BISCUIT, GET COMFY, LET'S READ ALL THE THINGS!

Hi Ellie, glad to see you.
After a few bad reading years I came back last year, only following a few threads. This year I try to keep up with most threads.

Hey, it's about time you showed up! Glad you made it!

>8 elliepotten: Mo continues to be the best imaginary pet moose/sidekick any girl could ask for. :)

I'm failing at reading all the things today. Finished a book this morning but then ditched two back to back this afternoon. Here's hoping the next one in line has a better fate.

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Better late than never, Ellie. xx

Welcome back, Ellie!

So good to see you, Ellie!

>9 FAMeulstee: Hello! My reading hasn't suffered during my absence, thankfully - but I just caaaaaan't keep up with all the threads like I used to! Not without spending twelve hours a day on here, anyway, haha. Everyone's just so PROLIFIC! ;)

>10 drneutron: Hey Jim! I was pondering whether to sneak in late this year, and... well, I couldn't stay away in the end. :)

>11 Morphidae: ALLIE BROSH IS ALWAYS WELCOME ON THIS THREAD.

>12 MickyFine: Good old Mo. How I've missed his furry face. In an imaginary and not at all weird way. Hope you settled on a much much better book by the end of the day!

>13 PaulCranswick: I'll toast to that... *clinks mugs*

>14 foggidawn: Hello!

>15 scaifea: And hello to you too! :)

So good to see you around again!

>17 London_StJ: Hi Luxx! I was just reading through last year's thread (because I'm cool like that!) and wondering if I'd see you today. :)

Glad to see you back!

>18 elliepotten: TA DA!

Is it strange to say "congrats on the diagnosis"? That's my honest reaction - I think it's nice when things click and make sense.

Wonderful to see you around again :).

>16 elliepotten: Happily, I did. Picked up a historical romance whose plot is basically that of Sabrina, which makes me super happy. Sabrina has been one of my go-to comfort flicks since I was 10 or so but I'm a heathen and prefer the version with Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford, and Greg Kinnear. ;)

>19 aktakukac: Thanks Rachel! *waves*

>20 London_StJ: Nope, not strange at all. Me and Mum were both delighted and relieved, we cried and everything - though I don't think I've quite had time to process it properly yet. I've had more assessments and appointments for other things to prep for/panic about/consume my every waking moment, so I don't feel like I've been able to actually stop and get my head round the Asperger's verdict as clearly as I'd like to!

>21 lunacat: Hey sweetness! *waves again* :)

>22 MickyFine: *whispers* I still haven't watched Sabrina. I WILL THOUGH. The Hepburn one. I may have it somewhere? I think a friend bought it for me about 16 years ago, I really suck at that whole 'in a timely manner' thing. :P

>22 MickyFine: I, too, am a member of that particular heathen tribe.

>23 elliepotten: I have both versions and the Hepburn one is lovely as well. But it has some darker moments and it lacks the gorgeous John Williams score of the 90s version. Plus, Harrison Ford. I mean, do I need to say more?

>24 foggidawn: Yay! One of my most frequently reblogged posts on tumblr is a blog about my love for the 90s Sabrina. So we're not alone.

ELLIE! I'm so glad you're back! (I did see something about your digital detox, so wasn't surprised you didn't start a thread right away.)

Looks like you're reading some good stuff, and looking forward to following your reading & life stories again. I watched House of DVD and really enjoyed it a couple years back. I didn't know Hugh Laurie was British until I watched one of the extras with him interviewed *blushes* but I know better now so....

Anyway, welcome back!

Ellie--And I see you've hit the ground running. SO nice to see you again! : )

Hi Ellie! Great to see you here again! I've got your thread starred now.

Karen O.

Hi Ellie!

Starred. Like you, though, I'm finding it difficult to keep caught up with people as I've expanded my group of friends here on LT, have joined one group read, and have created one group read.

I could probably spend 3-4 hours every day just reading and responding on threads.

>25 MickyFine: Oh, I love John Williams' scores! There's a Radio 2 'Friday Night is Music Night' special this week celebrating his 85th birthday, with a live orchestra playing his music for two hours. I can't wait. :)

>26 bell7: Hey Mary! I WAS digital detoxing beautifully, until halfway through the month when I suddenly got summoned to two different assessments (the autism one and also a combination financial/medical one) and had to derail everything. I had some advice and information saved online for both, and needed more for the financial one, so I basically went from two weeks of reading and puzzling and knitting to poring over internet forums for another two. I'll make it up another time though, it did wonders for my sleep and reading concentration! Also LAURIE FOR THE WIIIIIN. He managed to fool one of the House producers, even, so I wouldn't be too embarrassed... ;)

>27 Berly: Haha, one of the perks of rolling in late - I already had books to talk about!

>28 klobrien2: Hey Karen! I'll try to be a bit more regular around here this year, I promise... :)

>29 karenmarie: Oh, I'm terrible at it these days... Back in the day I could keep up with a multitude of threads, including the quickest-moving ones, but now I'm hard pressed just keeping up with my own! It's a conundrum - read the books and spend less time stalking LT, or keep up with everyone and spend no time with my nose between the pages? What are you going to be reading for your group reads?

>30 elliepotten: I hear you. Do I keep up with my LT friends which I admit has improved my mood? Or do I get reading done which I admit has been lacking lately?

>31 Morphidae: If only Time Turners were real, and we could all do both! I'm biased a bit, I think, just because I'm trying not to be online quite so much these days (for various reasons) - so that SHOULD be my answer. Paper pages over internet ones! Yet it rarely is, haha. :D

>30 elliepotten: That sounds wunderbar. I'll have to check their website and see if I can stream it. :)

>33 MickyFine: Oh yes, give it a go! They've had some wonderful ones recently - a few weeks ago they did 'Disney on Broadway'. Songs from things like The Lion King and Aladdin shows, live with the orchestra and different stage musical singers... beautiful. :)

>34 elliepotten: I've been to live events like that. A few years ago I did Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. Our local symphony orchestra plays the music for some of the classic Bugs Bunny musical cartoons, including some of my favourites like the Rabbit of Seville. (Just realized this may be a super North American reference?)

>35 MickyFine: Not so British, put it that way! :D Still very cool though! Free carrots for all guests?

Hello! Just found you. (how is that possible?)
Anyway, you're starred now so at least I won't lose you :)

>37 LovingLit: *waves cheerily* I only started this thread a few days ago, so actually you're right on time! :D

Ellie! You're back! Hooray!

I'm glad you're relieved about the diagnosis. Did that make sense? I've been hearing the ads for the John Williams thing on Radio 2 all week. I probably won't be able to listen live, but you bet I'll be listening on iplayer. It sounds like it'll be amazing :-)

>36 elliepotten: It was a lot of fun. Sadly, no carrots. :)

>39 archerygirl: Hello! *frisbees the biscuit tin across the room* That ABSOLUTELY made sense. We've been searching for 'the right one' for 17 years, I'm over the moon! I might not listen live to the show either - not all of it anyway - as I tend to be cooking/eating around 8 o'clock, but if I miss anything I'll DEFINITELY hit up iPlayer afterwards! Or if I've heard it already sometimes I re-listen to those concerts while I'm tidying up or something. :)

>40 MickyFine: Well, sometimes you just can't have your carrot AND eat it, y'know what I'm saying?

>41 elliepotten: It's true. Plus I prefer my carrots cooked so there's that...

>42 MickyFine: ME TOO. Preferably in a cake with cream cheese frosting. :D

Ewwwww to cooked carrots (except in the cake).
I am an oddball in that I like a lot of vegetables but I prefer them raw, or barring that, roasted and still crunchy.

>30 elliepotten: Yes, I definitely find more time for reading and knitting when not cruising the Internet. It helps that usually when I get home I'm so sick of staring at a computer screen for work that I just don't jump right on anymore. And it totally makes sense why you would be jumping back on. Glad to know I was not the only one fooled by Laurie. Most British actors attempting an American accent have a particular way of pronouncing an "r" sound that usually gives it away imo (and I'm sure there's an equivalent for Americans attempting an English one, but being from the U.S. I simply don't know it).

Have a great weekend!

>43 elliepotten: That is a good way to have them, it's true. As long as there's no raisins or nuts. I'm a purist about my carrot cake. :P

>44 bell7: Well, as a Canadian I can often pick out an American accent as they tend to pronounce vowels flatter (I'm talking a typical midwestern American accent). Brits doing the accent can make it a bit too flat (having just watched a bunch of As Time Goes By, the Hollywood episodes are great examples of this).

>44 bell7: Haha, my IBS would NOT like a lot of raw vegetables... cooked to death all the way, just like my Nana taught us! :D And yes, the reason I decided to 'detox' in the first place was because I'm too much of a binge-Internetter and I wanted to reclaim a balance. Too much time hopping through thirty different Buzzfeed quizzes finding out what kind of dog/cat/breakfast food/season/TV villain I am, not enough time actually shutting the lid and reading a book instead! I think Laurie fooled a lot of viewers too, if the YouTube comments on clips are anything to go by - but of course, we British folks know him originally from classic comedy like Jeeves and Wooster and Blackadder, where he's about as stereotypically 'posh English' as you can get, so... no fooling us!

>46 elliepotten: finding out what kind of dog/cat/breakfast food/season/TV villain I am

*snorts*

Been there, done that. Now I'm on a watchmojo top 10 kick - top 10 funniest music videos, top 10 worst white-washed movie roles, top 5 fascinating Secret Service facts... I could binge watch these all day.

>47 Morphidae: Ohhhh, I do the watchmojo Top 10s too! Usually stuff like "Top 10 Outbreak Movies" and "Top 10 Disney Villains"... The internet is basically an addictive substance, only instead of weight, money and brain cells, I lose time, sleep and my ability to concentrate on anything longer than a paragraph. Hence the January rehab. :)

>38 elliepotten: oooh, yeah. I see that now :)

>44 bell7: soggy veggies are not my cuppa either. I mean really, who wants that?!

Welcome back Ellie!

>46 elliepotten: Ah, well, you know whatever works for you as far as food goes, right? Just leave a few out of the pot for me and I'll be happy (my mom used to do this for me with broccoli all the time...). The Buzzfeed quizzes are pretty fun and addicting, aren't they? So is LT for that matter, and I'm off to actually read (or possibly knit) for the rest of the evening. Have a good one!

>49 LovingLit: Oh good, another one for crunchy vegetables! :)

Hi Ellie!

I like cooked carrots on a dinner plate and in a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum either way.

>30 elliepotten: To answer your question, I'm participating in the year-long group read of the Bible as Literature, and am the leader of the Bleak House group read. I'm caught up on the Bible, going to read Number 23-26 today to stay caught up, and will probably read 2 or 3 chapters of BH - I'm a bit behind my own personal schedule by about 100 pages.

Ellie! Good to see you here again! I lost you somewhere along the way a while back, but it's nice to reconnect!
I'm happy for you for your diagnosis! I can totally get how it can help a lot of things click into place and will hopefully allow you to move forward with lots of confidence!
Lots of books I like the sound of too - I've never heard of that Babylon series - that sounds like lots of fun! And the Biosphere experiment, both real and fictional, sounds good too! Was that aimed towards an eventual space mission type scenario? I read a good book about the perils of sealed bio systems on long space journeys last year - Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't had your fill of that topic yet!

>53 HanGerg: - Thanks, I'll check it out! And yes, the biosphere experiment was meant to eventually facilitate living on another planet - the novel mentions Mars specifically, but I don't know (yet) if the real experiment had the same end-view in mind.

I'm still here anyway, I've had three days of new-medication sickness (nausea, foggy brain, dizziness, wheezing, all sorts of lovely side effects) so not a lot of anything useful going on. Mostly just binge watching The Big Bang Theory season 9 on Netflix, wrapped in a blanket and sipping water. But TODAY I decided to hell with the medication (it's that kind of optional-not-a-big-deal-if-we-switch-it-up type) and YAY I feel so much better. I've dusted and finished TBBT and listened to that Radio 2 John Williams concert and deleted about 600 defunct files off my laptop and I FEEL SO MUCH MORE HUMAN OMG IT'S WONDERFUL.

So tonight I think I'll finally be going back to my book, Tutankhamen's Curse: The Developing History of an Egyptian King by Joyce Tyldesley. It sounds kind of conspiracy-y but it's actually by a professor of Egyptology (I read her book Egypt's Golden Empire a few years ago) and it looks at how his tomb was lost, rediscovered, how it ignited interest in Ancient Egypt, and the sort of ongoing mythology around things like the 'curse' of the tomb. Very interesting and compelling so far! Now I'm not feeling like I've been recently exhumed, anyway. :)

Glad you're feeling more human, Ellie. Sounds like an enjoyable non-fiction read (although binge-watching things on Netflix is always good fun too).

>55 MickyFine: It WAS good fun! Apart from the 'having to sit completely still so I didn't keel over and also not being able to eat delicious Netflix-binging snacks' part... I don't have S9 on DVD yet so it was all new for me. I love Sheldon. :)

>56 elliepotten: Sheldon is good fun. I've got real tv (cable equivalent) so I've actually been able to keep up with the current season.

Glad you are feeling better and I love reading about King Tut--Yay!

>57 MickyFine: I just finished Season 9 on Netflix, and 10 isn't available here yet unless you're actually watching it ON TV AT ITS NORMAL TIME OMG WHAT, so... I shall have to wait. And watch House instead, yaaaay! I'm on season 4, which started out a bit crappito (as we say in our house) - but last night's episode made me laugh so much (and so unpredictably) I nearly choked on my dinner, so now I'm actually looking forward to carrying on! The House/Wilson and House/Cuddy lolz are just the best of best things.

>58 Berly: It's a great book! I love Joyce Tyldesley's books: accessible enough to be fascinating, snarky enough to be funny, gripping enough to keep the pages turning... I might look for her book on Hatshepsut next!

Aaaaand I might even finish Tutankhamen's Curse tonight?? I'm near the end - I've read about how his tomb was built and lost and found and excavated and what conclusions have been drawn about his life - so I'm onto the ongoing mythology of the 'curse' now, which is a fun way to round out the book. I've been reading for an hour or so each night in my library corner, with hot milk and a snack, and it's been lovely.

By day I've been KonMari-ing again, from the start and more determinedly this time, with breaks to watch OTHER people doing clearouts on YouTube to keep me motivated, haha. I found a great new channel along the way, a smart Canadian woman who went from a borderline hoarder to a minimalist and now makes videos about it, which was nice. And I've just finished... *ominous music*... THE BOOKS. About 150 or 200 down, an entire bookcase emptied, and all the remaining books neatly arranged and dusted and looking oh so lovely! I can't wait to finish this last library book just so I can go choose something wonderful from my shelves - I've moved, shifted and considered every single one over the past few days and I've found books I'd not even thought about in months that I'm now eager to read. LOVE it when that happens. :)

>59 elliepotten: I've been binge watching Rizzoli & Isles (sadly, not on Netflix and thus borrowed on DVD from my mom) since the long weekend and enjoying it a lot.

I love getting excited about books I own. I really must remember to add them into my rotation as I usually get antsy when the library pile runs low and I don't have anything new. However, I never think to pick up one of mine. Hope you enjoy whatever jumps out at you next from your shelves!

Ellie--Nice job on the book shelves and rediscovering long lost friends. Yay!

Yay, I finished Lucy Knisley's very lovely Something New! Which MEANS I've finished another three books, which MEANS mini reviews on the way...

Next up, I've picked out Narrow Margins by Marie Browne, another book I've had FOREVER. And another non-fiction, which seems to be very much my thing at the moment. Anyway, this one's about a woman whose company collapsed in the wake of a much bigger one's failure, so she and her husband had to sell their house and move her family somewhere new... like a narrowboat? I've been on two or three narrowboat holidays and LOVED them - you get to be outside and walking and reading and enjoying the natural world all the time, yet your home comforts are literally chugging along right under/behind you, it's the perfect holiday for an IBS-ridden agoraphobic! You can walk for miles along the canals then hop straight back onto the boat for a sit down and a snack. :) So peaceful too. Aaaaanyway, Browne's first book about her narrowboat exploits should be right up my street (or canal?) is what I'm saying. BRING IT ON.

>62 elliepotten: Yay for non-fiction! It's the area for which I do selection at work so it's always nice to see it getting love.

>63 MickyFine: It already made up about half my reading, but it's tipped well into the majority this year so far. Not sure why, but I'm enjoying it! :)

>59 elliepotten: I've been reading for an hour or so each night in my library corner, with hot milk and a snack, and it's been lovely.
That does sound lovely. When we got our new bookshelf, we had a spare little one that W thought would look good squared off against the new one. Thus creating a "library corner". It is still that way now, as we have got used to it.

You are on a roll with NF! I wouldn't say that about me, but I have already read 5 NF and that is usually a good yearly total for me. Yay!

Hello, Ellie!

7. Ceremonial Violence: Understanding Columbine and Other Rampage Shootings by Jonathan Fast (4*) - Weeeell, this one pretty much does what it says on the tin. It's a sort of case study collection spanning from Brenda Spencer to Columbine (which Fast believed would be the sort of 'can't get worse' benchmark of mass shootings - a belief he sadly acknowledges turned out to be false). Through these case studies he explores the similarities between the killers - factors like bullying, childhood abuse, and peer influence - in an attempt to draw together his titular theory of 'ceremonial violence'. Very interesting and very sad, particularly given how many more high-profile cases there have been since Fast's study concluded.

8. Tutankhamen's Curse: The Developing History of an Egyptian King by Joyce Tyldesley (4*) - I've read Joyce Tyldesley before - specifically Egypt's Golden Empire, which contains chapters on each Pharaoh alternated with sections on topics like women and religion - and really like her accessible, dryly humorous approach. This one turned out to be equally worth reading, covering what's known of Tutankhamen's life and death, the natural burial of his tomb during a flood, Carter and Carnarvon's discovery and the subsequent excavation. This is followed by a second, rather different section about Tutankhamen's legacy and his enduring effect on modern Egyptology, including the so-called 'curse of the tomb', belief in Ancient Egyptian magic, the popularity of Egyptian artefacts, and the question of whether Tutankhamen's enigma, youth, finery and that strikingly beautiful mask have actually sort-of eclipsed the rest of the field and even the other towering figures of Ancient Egypt. Loved it. Now, which of her books to read next?!

9. Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley (4*) - Awwww, this was my favourite Lucy Knisley so far! (Just Displacement to go...) It's bigger, more expansive and more personal than ever before, I think. It's a graphic memoir about Lucy and John's engagement and the process of planning and 'making' their wedding, helped by friends and family, and it covers everything from traditions to music, dress shopping to food, all in her usual colourful, down-to-earth style. It made me smile, it warmed my heart, and I think I'll be keeping this one, not least because if my sister gets engaged anytime soon, Knisley has a very modern, individual, secular-yet-incredibly-respectful, pro-woman, common-sense thing going on that I think she would really appreciate. A great little read, whether you're married, engaged, loved up or happily single but with a romantic little heart like me! :)

Is it bad that I'm now reaaaaally hoping Lucy keeps drawin' and creates a new book soon about life with her first baby? No? I think I'm a bit of a Knisley addict at this point.

>65 LovingLit: YES, THIS! I have a kind of U-shaped deal right now, but it's about to go back to an L-shape around the walls. I've managed to empty a 4x4 cube bookcase which I think my sister is going to have, so that one - currently dividing the room - will be gone soon. I mean, sitting in a book enclave with a light on is fine in winter, but in summer the library is dark even when there's full sunlight streaming in through the window across the room. It needs opening back up!

>66 Berly: Hello! I do seem to be steering towards NF every time I go to choose a book at the moment. Though I'm THINKING of picking up a long-neglected classic next. Maybe Gulliver's Travels? Or Imagine This, about the young John Lennon, but that's nonfic again, so... who knows?

>67 alcottacre: HI STASIAAAAAA! *barrels across the thread for a hug*

>68 elliepotten: I was just looking at a related book to Tutankhamen's Curse. In the sense that it is about ancient Egypt.....I read it a few years back and remembered it fondly when I came across it today. It is called Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth, where Akhenaten (who eventually married Nefertiti) is described by those closest to him, and the descriptions then down by a scribe, who narrates the story. It is, I suppose, in a way describing that objectivity is impossible in the telling of history. Either that, or the man from the title was multi-faceted.

>67 alcottacre: and >70 elliepotten: OMG a Stasia sighting and Ellie on one thread! :D

Something New is on my list. I'm definitely a Lucy Knisley fan.

>71 LovingLit: Akhenaten is a fascinating one... was he mad, forward-thinking or just massively egotistical? Everything about his reign at Amarna turned his predecessors' work upside down, from religion to art. Another book you might like, if you haven't read it already, is Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. That tells the story of the Amarna period from the POV of Nefertiti's sister Mutnodjmet, who later went on to become Queen as Horemheb's Great Wife. I loved it when I read it a few years ago! And I highly recommend Joyce Tyldesley if you're interested in nonfic about Ancient Egypt, she has books on different aspects of the culture AND works on various 'big names' like Nefertiti, Hatshepsut and Ramesses II.

At the moment I've got my eye on a beautiful Folio edition of Howard Carter's The Tomb of Tutankhamun, which comes with a separate volume of photographs of artefacts from the tomb, all bound and slipcased. It's £80, but my 30th birthday is coming up in May, so... I MIGHT ask for it, or treat myself, as a special gift. ;)

>72 bell7: Yaaaaaay! I only found out about her new book a couple of months ago but it went straight on my Christmas list and my lovely mum delivered. :D

Thought I'd stop by to say hello.

>70 elliepotten: >71 LovingLit: Loving all this Egyptian talk. I haven't read anything about that period in so long. Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth sounds really interesting as does Tutankhamen's Curse: The Developing History of an Egyptian King. Thanks you guys!

>74 Morphidae: *waves cheerily* Hey chuck!

>75 Berly: *bows deeply* I'm a teeny bit of an Egypt nerd, in an extremely amateur way. I can go ages without it showing then a TV series comes on or something and I'm like LET ME TELL YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THIS DUDE and Mum's like "here we go again CAN WE LET THE NICE MAN ON TV SHOW US THE THINGS PLEASE?!" So then I have to go be a nerd on the internet and/or at the library instead.

Ooooh, also, if you like the sort of art and pretty things from Ancient Egypt, there's a beauuuuutiful book called The Treasures of Tutankhamun, and of the Egyptian Museum of Cairo by Alessia Amenta. It's an entire large-format book of glossy photos with little explanations of what each item is, all sorts of jewellery and furniture and statues and just... gorgeous, gorgeous things. It's one of my favourite physical books out of everything I own, I can spend hours just oohing and aahing over the pages. :)

I have reaaaaaaally not been reading very much this week, which is kinda sad. I've cleared out some more crap from my room, which is probably a good thing. I'm on the last few problem areas now and I've stalled a bit, but I'm SO CLOSE to being all tidy and neat again. I've watched the last few episodes of House Season 4, which totally made me sob in a very unexpected way, rewatched Ruby Sparks because PAUL DANO OMG, got hooked on Jenny Mustard's YouTube channel even though I'm not a fashionista or a vegan, she's just so calm and positive that I can't stop watching, and then today I've had a horrible throbbing headache so I've taken lots of painkillers, eaten an entire pizza and binge watched the first disc of 2 Broke Girls Season 1, which I know a lot of people hate, but I love the dirty humour, totally fancy Max and the whole series was a small pleasure during a terrible depression a few years ago so I UNASHAMEDLY ADORE IT OKAY. *takes deep breath*

I'm still reading the narrowboaty book, but it's a bit ploddy so far (much like a narrowboat in fact, but less serene, more stressy) and they've literally only just taken to the canal 70 pages in, so... Oh, and I actually managed to go shopping for clothes in town this week, for the first time in months (that agoraphobia is still ever present!) and on top of buying some new summer clothes that actually fit, and some comfy trousers to replace the ones my cats have kneaded holes in, I also went to Waterstones and bought Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching by Adam Alter, using up some of the many loyalty points accrued during previous years' ill-thought-out book buying binges. I have a new rule where if I buy a book, I have to read it next - so I'm really excited about this one. It's had really good reviews in a few places I've seen recently, and trying to declutter my life, including online, and get my bad habits under control is kinda my pet subject right now, so this should be perfect for me!

Aaaaaand that's enough breathless outpouring of boring updates for one afternoon - I'm going to go and read for a bit now while my headache's blissfully damped down, then make cornflakes for dinner like a MOTHERFRICKIN BOSS. Because hey, I may be nearly 30, but I still LOOK 13 (as evidenced by me getting ID-ed for age-16-and-over paracetamol products the other day), and everyone KNOWS that when you're feeling a bit crappy and have just eaten an entire pizza, it's perfectly okay to regress to being a teenager for a few hours. Laters, all! xx

Glad you're doing generally well, Ellie. Having turned 30 back in November, I can tell you that it is still totally ok to have non-adult days (or even a whole week :D) when you go over that number. I even have a mug I break out on those days that my mom gave me: "I can't adult today." And I hear you on the being IDed thing. I was going to an event at a casino a couple months ago and was carded. I didn't think I could pass for under 18 anymore but apparently...

Wishing you a fabulous and headache free weekend.

Hi Ellie--Hoping the headache has left the scene by now. I don't think you should ever give up those non-adult days--they are essential!! And don't forget to Walk Like An Egyptian!!

>77 MickyFine: "I can't adult today" made me laugh so hard! I want one.

>78 Berly: My mom found it on Etsy. :)

: )

>77 MickyFine: Oh yeah, I still regularly get ID-ed if I'm buying alcohol. But for paracetamol?! That was new... The worst thing is, the same woman at the supermarket pharmacy counter did it twice over a couple of months, and admitted the second time that she'd nearly cried with embarrassment when she saw my actual age. Poor lady. I told her the story about buying a new handbag on the market and being encouraged by the stallholder to buy a backpack instead 'because it's more comfortable for school', and she felt better after that. :P

>78 Berly: Still not feeling great tbh - I had cornflakes for dinner AGAIN last night because cooking pasta and broccoli and stuff was just noooooot happening - but I FINISHED MY ROOM. Almost. Just photos and one hard-to-reach spot on top of the wardrobe to go, but the rest is beautifully clean and arranged and just looking so lovely it makes me smile every time I look around. Leo (big black floofy cat) has installed himself on my library chair this morning, and the windows are open to listen to the birdies flirting with each other in the garden, and all is well. :)

Now if I could only bring myself to actually do some reading... ???

Awwww, I had to give up on Narrow Margins. I almost Pearl Ruled it, carried on, and now I'm two thirds of the way through and I just caaaaaan't bring myself to plod on through the last 100 pages. I don't know who would like it more to be honest. I appreciated having some previous knowledge of boating because I feel like that helped me 'imagine' things right, and I'd been along some of the same canals which was nice, but at the same time maybe someone who HASN'T been on a narrowboat before would be more likely to enjoy the minutiae that I found a bit boring? I don't know. Marie Browne seems like a nice lady, and I LIKED the book and all, I just didn't feel the need to potter on any further with her on her journey. More's the pity; she has about five more books out that were all on my library list. Oh well...

I'm supposed to be reading Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching next, as per my new 'read the new books first before they lose their shine' rule, but I'm CONSIDERING picking up something fictiony instead as a kind of palate cleanser. I feel like something a bit more fast-paced might be in order after the narrowboaty snailiness. Maybe something sci-fi-y? I DON'T KNOW. Maybe I'll just watch a bit of TV and try to bust this headache before I choose. I can't be choosing well with a headache. Watch this space?

Ooooh, and out of curiosity, I was watching Dave @ Boyinaband's new video today about the Myers-Briggs test, and decided to give it a go finally. I got INFJ-T but I haven't finished reading the megablurb about it yet. I'm apparently in the company of such individuals as Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and J.K. Rowling, as well as fictional hot doctor Wilson (from House), which is cool - but also Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, which is not so cool. Any other Advocates up in here? There must be a couple, being a quiet booky community here and all!

>82 elliepotten: Something quick and sci-fi-y you say? Might I point you towards Ticker, which I just finished a couple days ago. I think it might fit the bill.

Sorry, I'm an ISFJ. Which I only ever remember because I know that on the Harry Potter character's put through Myer-Briggs types I'm the same type as Neville. :P While looking for the link to the image for the Harry Potter Myers-Briggs that I always refer to I discovered Mental Floss has a cool set of a bunch of popular culture characters divided by type.

>83 MickyFine: - Fatal flaw: I do not have Ticker. Or an e-reader. Sounds fun though! :P

Ooooh, yes, I saw on the 'official' site that Jon Snow is apparently an INFJ. Not that I've seen Game of Thrones, but he DOES look good striding about in a cloak, so... Galadriel, cool. The website gave Aragorn as well. REMUS LUPIN OMG YES HE IS MY FAVOURITE. Pocahontas, also my favourite, along with Belle obviously because books. GROOT! JEAN-LUC PICARD! Okay you just became my new favourite person for enabling my nerdery so beautifully. :D

I'll stop listing fictional characters now.

>84 elliepotten: Library ebooks a thing in your neck of the wood? A lot of those you can read on a computer if you don't have a tablet/smartphone/ereader.

Glad to enable the nerdiness.

>85 MickyFine: Ummm, poooooosssibly, I just haven't been able to work the system out yet. It's on a separate website to the rest of the catalogue and it keeps taking me round in circles. The audiobook loan system's the same. I actually submitted a suggestion form thingy to the council to make it all more intuitive - very unlike me - but they said they'd invested a lot of money in this 'new' system and they couldn't make any changes or tweaks. At all. Which will be handy next time they need updates or technology moves on again. :/

I'm going to browse my bookshelves right now and choose something new before bed. Or maybe I'll just read the one about internet addiction after all - that's sort of sci-fi-ey, in some ways! And it's brand new out so I'm sure it'll have some weird and wonderful techy stuff in it that I've never heard of and/or will freak me out and make me never want to touch a gadget again. :D

>86 elliepotten: Huh. I have to admit, I haven't done much reading on the ebook platforms used in the UK. This side of the pond it's usually OverDrive or 3M.

Hope you found a lovely read regardless.

>87 MickyFine: Agh, I don't mind too much. It's not like I don't have plenty of my own books to choose from - and reading too long on my laptop would make my head spin anyway. *Always look on the brrrriiiiiiiight siiiiiide of liiiiife etc etc* :)

And I haven't actually started reading anything new yet! I've been watching Season 3 of Orange is the New Black, and also Season 3 of 2 Broke Girls, and TODAY I went to see the new Beauty and the Beast film with my mum and sister.

AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MAGICAL THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN. I had maybe middling expectations, I didn't want to be too disappointed - but it was like my childhood coming to life on the screen. I totally cried during The Dance, and had to sternly tell myself to behave when they kept a lot of the original Transformation music, which is one of my three most favourite spine-tingly pieces in the whole Disney ouevre. ALL HAIL ALAN MENKEN. In fact, all the music was amazing. And the costumes. And LeFou was wonderful. AND THE LIBRARY. *ded* Wonder if my sister would go with me again, it's been about four years since I last went to the cinema and I'd forgotten how glorious it is to watch a film like that in full cinema sound and HUGE. :D

I'm also an INFJ! I'm told it's a less-common type, but I always find lots of them among my bookish friends, so I guess we tend to cluster.

>88 elliepotten: That is such great new! (that you loved "Beauty and the Beast"!) I had read a review that said, "Well, it's okay, but why remake a classic?" Now I'm really looking forward to watching it (hopefully at the theater).

Karen O.

I also loved Beauty and the Beast. I went to one of the preview showings on Thursday and I'll be going again in a couple weeks with some friends and our moms. :)

Beauty and the Beast looks *amazing*! I'm so glad you loved it.

>89 foggidawn: That's what I was thinking! :)

>90 klobrien2: Yeah, there'll always be the 'BUT THE ORIGINAL!' critics I suppose. I tried not to go into the movie with too high hopes, to be honest, because I wasn't at all sure it'd live up to them - especially because the 1991 animation is my favourite Disney film - but I loved it. Hooray for things exceeding our expectations! :D

>91 MickyFine: Yup, me and my sister are going again this weekend. Mum came with us the first time and loved it too, but she's going away for a few days with my stepdad so me and Hannah are loading up on popcorn and hitting the cinema again on Sunday morning. I haven't done a twice-in-theatres thing since LOTR I don't think!

>92 scaifea: Yeah, I was a bit disappointed by the first couple of teaser trailers (except the music, which was all INSTANT CHILLS, BRB I NEED A HOT WATER BOTTLE), but the final trailer convinced me all would be okay. Definitely gone a bit fangirl over this one, haha, it hasn't happened in a while so it's nice to indulge it a bit!

BTW, for anyone who DIDN'T know Disney released the soundtrack on their Vevo YouTube channel... they did. And it's glorious. Dan Stevens's voice in 'Evermore' does funny things to my insides, it's so rich and deep, and 'Days in the Sun' is officially my new 'Disney song that can reduce me to floods of tears in the space of two and a half minutes'. Also the orchestra behind all the songs, and the harmonies in the 'big numbers', seem even more grandiose and beautiful than the original, I love it. Oh, AND the mob song is even more scary, it's like... I don't know if it's the way it's sung, or the fact that it's live action so it feels more visceral and real, but it's genuinely terrifying. Gaston is EVIL, and there's an amazing line from LeFou added into the middle, "There's a beast running wild, there's no question / But I fear the wrong monster's released..." which juuuust sent a chill down my spine.

I'll shut up now. Just go listen. Turned up loud, or with speakers or good headphones or something. :)

>94 elliepotten: I'm a big advocate for seeing the film before listening to the soundtrack - I think listening to it in advance spoils some of the new twists they put in this version. But I do love the soundtrack. Listened to it on repeat on my iPod for 3 days. :)

Quite ridiculous that the Malaysian censors here were cutting and carving at the film until Disney told them they were pulling the film. It was great to see that the pillocks here backed down due to pressure from an enraged watching public.

The faux religious nutters are still at it though:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/three-ngos-lodge-police-repor...

Then don't watch the film you morons!

Just another reason to get back home to the UK as soon as poss.

Have a lovely weekend, Ellie.

Yay for Beauty and the Beast!! It is definitely on my to-do-soon list and I know both my girls want to go. Thanks for the positive rave. : )

>73 elliepotten: At the moment I've got my eye on a beautiful Folio edition of Howard Carter's The Tomb of Tutankhamun, which comes with a separate volume of photographs of artefacts from the tomb, all bound and slipcased
Delicious!! I hope you got it ;)

And thanks for the rec (Nefertiti by Michelle Moran), I may as well WL it, I have nothing to lose.

>95 MickyFine: Yes, I didn't listen to the new songs until later. Mostly because without knowing the context and 'seeing' it in your mind, they don't mean much anyway! Same with movie scores. I listened to a couple of the 'old favourites' beforehand instead, like Belle (which was released as a proper video so you could see the new parts) and Tale as Old as Time. I liked them better after I'd seen the movie, definitely! And for the record, I HATE the Ariana Grande/John Legend version they released first... >:)

>96 PaulCranswick: Ugh, riiiight? Just because a man dances with another man for about half a second. HEAVEN FORFEND! I'd be more bothered by very small children getting terrified at a couple of the darker scenes, which happened when I saw it on Sunday. Two little ones had to be removed crying at different parts of the film!

>97 Berly: I went to see it again at the weekend, it was lovely. I noticed more little details the second time around which is always nice. Lots of little kiddiwinks there this time, all bedecked in princess dresses and tiaras! And a Queen of Hearts crown, for some reason. Twinkling away two rows in front of me, perched atop the head of a very small girl, like a little sequinned star. :D

>98 LovingLit: It's not my birthday just yet - I'm still thinking about it! And yes, WISHLIST ALL THE THINGS, no harm done as long as they stay on a list and not in your shopping basket! *cackles because lol yeah right* ;)

I've finally started reading again today after a week of binge-watching Netflix while my mum and stepdad were away, haha. It's my only chance to get at our one Netflix-enabled telly! So I watched the whole of Stranger Things (finally!), the two full seasons of Don't Trust the B* in Apartment 23, which I liked way more than I expected, mostly because of James Van Der Beek sending himself up so shamelessly, PLUS two episodes of Once Upon a Time with my sister, the new Cinderella live-action film AND Sixteen Candles, which I'd never seen. Not bad for, like, four days of viewing time.

Now I'm rewatching Season 1 of Outlander at mealtimes (because JAMIE FRASER AMIRITE), still reading the book on internet addiction, I started War of the Worlds this morning which is fab so far, and THEN at some point I need to squeeze in a chunk of Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall because the TV series is about to start on BBC1. And I want to watch Legion because... well, all-powerful tortured Dan Stevens and his magnificent eyes. And read Room before the movie disappears off Amazon Prime. Might have to spend a little time outside in the spring sunshine with my books and devour some episodes of stuff over breakfast and dinner in between! *so many books, so little... etc etc*

Tell me what YOU'RE reading and watching, I haven't had anyone to chat to about these things in forever. Any recommendations for stuff available on UK Netflix or Prime or just generally?

>68 elliepotten: Tutankhamen's Curse is now in the BlackHole. I love books on Egyptology!

I FINALLY read Luck and a Lancaster that you sent me from your bookshop a mere 7 years ago. I loved it. Consider this a very, very belated 'Thank you' for what turned out to be a great read.

>99 elliepotten: because JAMIE FRASER AMIRITE Yes. Yes, you are.
On to your questions!

I just finished re-reading Sense & Sensibility. I'm seeing a play adaptation next month so I wanted the book fresh in my mind as there's always details I forget as I watch the film more often. Every time I forget that in the book Sir John Middleton actually has a wife and children. And this time I forgot that Colonel Brandon basically states he and Willoughby had a duel over Willoughby knocking up Eliza. Such drama. I'm currently reading a fluffy historical romance novel but next up after that is Mitzi Bytes, which is being billed as Harriet the Spy for grown-ups so I'm pretty excited for it.

As for watching, I just finished binge watching the second season of Poldark this past weekend and I'm working my way through Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix. I do have the second season of Broadchurch checked out from the library but I haven't mentally geared myself up for it yet as the first season was basically an emotional suckerpunch. Not even David Tennant and Arthur Darvill can completely compensate. :P

>99 elliepotten: And both my girls saw Beauty and the Beast without me. But they both promised to go again with me. : )

Reading update? I am doing a reread of Harry Potter for the Obama April thread. And I have some poetry lined up. I am in the middle of Louise Erdrich's LaRose. On audio I am listening to We Are Legion, a Sci-Fi book with a great sense of humor. Life is good!

>100 alcottacre: Hooray for pinging a book into the Black Hole again, for the first time in years! :D And double hooray that you enjoyed the book we sent. Those were the days...

>101 MickyFine: Every time my mum watches Outlander she sends me a Snapchat of Jamie that just says "woof!" :') And YES I want to reread Sense and Sensibility soon... mostly for Dan Stevens again, to be honest. I realised The Enchantress from BatB is Elinor (my favourite Elinor yet, I might add), and the Prince is Edward, all twinkly blue eyes and smiles, and I have the DVD already because I loved it so much when it was on telly - but I've told myself I need to reread the book first. Poldark, yassss! Broadchurch... haven't seen the second series but yasssss! And Brooklyn Nine-Nine... not yet. Some day! I was just looking through some of the Netflix release dates for 2017 so I think Mindhunter (based on the book) and The Defenders will be high up my list. MORE JESSICA JONES SWILLING WHISKY AND KICKING ASS IN HER AMAZING LEATHER JACKET.

>102 Berly: Awwwww. As long as you get to see it too! For their part, it definitely holds up to seeing twice in a short space of time, hope they love it all over again! I also would like to reread Harry Potter sometime soon - and watch all the movies along the way, I still haven't seen the last two, I couldn't bear the thought of so much sadness! I usually stall at rereading somewhere around Book 2 or 3 for the same reason. I think it's time though! Stock up on snack food and tissues and just go for it!

>103 elliepotten: Wait, wait, wait. Which version of S&S has Dan Stevens in it? I don't think I've seen that one. And huzzah for more Jessica Jones!

Oh and on an HP front, you might want to try the podcast Witch, Please. Two lady scholars discuss all the books and films and various other HP things. There is so literary theory and I don't always agree with their readings but it is a lot of fun.

>104 MickyFine: It was a BBC multi-parter with Hattie Morahan as Elinor, Dan Stevens as Edward and David Morrissey as Colonel Brandon. I loved it! You can get it on DVD, or online somewhere I'm sure. Well worth a look! :)

'Witch, Please'... AWESOME name. Although I'm a bit leery of dissecting the books these days; a group readalong I was 'watching' a few years ago (some bloggy friends were doing it) kind of tore them apart, in a meant-to-be-flippant-and-amusing way, but it ended up highlighting things that I can't unsee now, if that makes sense? Like it destroyed a little bit of the magic? I stopped reading their takes on things before the third book. Is the podcast along those lines, or is it a bit more reader-friendly? I DON'T KNOW IF I AM MAKING ANY SENSE I HAD MY MEDICATION WITH DINNER AND NOW I'M ALL SNOOZY. *slumps off to pick a new book to read*

Oh, yeah, I just finished The War of the Worlds! Early verdict... on a par with The Invisible Man, I must read more H.G. Wells soon - and I also watched the 2005 movie and the tripods scared me to death. The book was a bit tame alongside that! The first tripod coming up out of the ground and making The Noise?! (Fun fact: John Williams, who scored the film, said that moment was one of the scariest he'd ever seen). And the bit where they're queuing for the ferry and 'the trees are funny!' and then IT IS THERE and IT MAKES THE NOISE AGAIN and just WATCHES them all, like a kid picking which ants to fry with his magnifying glass. THAT NOIIIIIISE!

>105 elliepotten: Doing some IMDbing, I realized I've seen the cover of that particular S&S all over the place but haven't actually watched it. I love the Emma Thompson version so much that I kind of ignore the existence of any other version. But as you liked it, I'll give it a whirl. :)

As for Witch, Please if you want a sense of what the podcast is like and whether the academic discussion will ruin your reading experience, I suggest listening to this live episode where they discuss literary criticism. Even browsing the accompanying slides ought to give you a sense of whether it will be too much for you. :)

>106 MickyFine: I think I maaaaaaybe even prefer the newer S&S? The girls are a bit more... sisterly... and it feels quite fresh and lovely. No Alan Rickman though, which is obviously a negative. :)

I finally finished the miniscule Decline and Fall, having nearly given up on it twice. I wanted to read each section (it's split into three) before watching the corresponding BBC episode though, so it was a good incentive to finally pick it up, AND to finish it once I started. Nooooow what shall I read next? I'm considering a little nostalgic Da Vinci Code read actually - I got it out of the library last week, it's been 12 YEARS - orrrrr possibly something that was made into a movie, so I can read-then-watch. Wild? Room? The next book in The Corfu Trilogy, before season 2 of The Durrells arrives this month? Something else?

To be honest I was introduced to Pentatonix about four days ago, discovered Scott and Mitch's Superfruit YouTube channel about six hours later, and have been binge-watching both ever since, so I should probably pick up a book again at some point and make an effort. :D

>107 elliepotten: I love Pentatonix!! Sometimes you just have to binge-watch. LOL Happy Easter, if that is something you celebrate. Otherwise, Happy Sunday!

Wishing you luck on the "what to read next" decision. Always a toughie.

Happy Easter, Ellie!

>107 elliepotten: Count me in as a Pentatonix fan too!

>108 Berly: Yaaaaaay! Easter isn't a religious celebration for me, but I did have an Easter egg to dig into and sort of made it a kind of 'special day' nonetheless. :)

>109 MickyFine: Riiiiiiight?! Sometimes I have a vague idea of what I might fancy next, and then it's relatively easy, but otherwise I can be drifting about in front of my bookshelves for ages before I finally settle on something. Or start reading about four different things and don't really get going with any of them, which is even WORSE.

>110 alcottacre: Happy belated Easter! And hooray for two Pentatonix fans leaping fabulously out of the woodwork! :D

10. The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells (3.5*) - Hmmmm. As with The Invisible Man, I loved the iconic elements in this little novella, but maybe the actual execution didn't stir me as much I expected? I don't know, I seem to connect with the ideas but not with the actual characters in Wells's stories. Maybe BECAUSE the most awe-inspiring elements of the book are so well known in pop culture at this point - the falling stars, the alien tripods - they seem to fall a bit flat on the page. I feel like I was actually helped, rather than hindered, by having seen the 2005 movie and thus being able to picture the tripods (and that noiiiiiiise) and things like their horrific 'feeding' method, even if the settings and characters were otherwise completely different. It had its moments, sure - especially the opening of the first cylinder and then later the eerie quiet of the post-alien landscape - and by the end I definitely felt like I'd been through the wringer a bit, but not enough to make it a keeper. More's the pity!

11. Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh (2.5*) - Another, somewhat bigger disappointment. Doin' well, Ellie! I wanted to read this alongside watching the new BBC adaptation - I already had the book anyway - but unusually, I vastly preferred the screen version. Again, the novel had its moments of impetus, but also great swathes that draaaaaaagged, and the humour seemed to drop off fairly heavily after the first few pages. It certainly wasn't the laugh-out-loud riot I'd been promised, and it veered so deeply into 'crude, dull and hard to get through' at a couple of points that I nearly gave up. I really liked some of the characters though - especially the rascally Captain Grimes, and innocent young Peter Beste-Chetwynde - and the unexpected change of setting in the last section almost redeemed it by the end? I'll stick with the adaptation in future though, should I ever get the urge to relive Paul Pennyfeather's story; it managed to be quite faithful to the novel while retaining a better pace and sense of humour throughout, so... no complaints there. I won't be in a hurry to get to Vile Bodies anytime soon... :(

12. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (5*) - Nearly 12 years on from my first reading of this one - in my first year at university - and I suddenly got a hankering to relive the excitement and checked the book out of the library. AND I LOVED IT EVEN MORE THIS TIME. Less time pressure (the first time around we were going to see the movie that night) and a vague recollection of the basics meant that this time I could catch my breath and savour every twist of the mystery, but I'd also forgotten enough of the details to still be surprised and engrossed and even be quite proud of myself when I 'got' one or two of Sauniere's clues! It wasn't anywhere near as frustratingly convoluted as Angels and Demons, which I read later, or as clunky as I sort-of expected having seen people's strong reactions to Dan Brown over the years. I thought that might be something I'd really notice this time, reading at a less break-neck pace. But I didn't, hooray! I also rewatched the movie when I was done and was swept back into nostalgia for a second time. That gorgeous music! Paul Bettany's bottom! Tom Hanks looking so much younger! Yeah, I loved the whole experience of going back to this one. :)

Now I'm reading Room by Emma Donoghue - devouring, in fact, I've been tearing through it all day - but having reached a pivotal turning point in the novel (I won't say what it is, in case anyone else is several years behind like me!) I'm starting to falter a bit. I don't know, Jack is so overwhelmed and clueless that it's making ME feel overwhelmed too, and not in a good magical wondrous way. It's just making me feel anxious and a bit lost. Again, I think I'd like to watch the movie, but I really should finish the book first so if it's actually wonderful I haven't spoiled it for myself. Except I kinda don't want to. Ugh, does this even make any sense?

Oh, and I'm also doing the Every Other Day fasting diet at the moment - an attempt to get both my weight and my cholesterol under some kind of control - so there might actually be quite a lot of reading going on in the immediate future. Sticking my nose in a book seems to be an excellent way of riding out any stray hunger pangs, avoiding physical activity, and generally whiling away the hours on fasting days! :D

Looks like an interesting mix of reading happening in Ellie-land. Glad your re-read was so satisfying. :)

I finally watched the version of S&S we were discussing awhile ago. While the Emma Thompson version remains my favourite, I did enjoy it a lot. Dan Stevens' Edward makes it worthwhile - I think I prefer him to Hugh Grant and not just because he's more handsome.

After watching it, I had to track down one of my favourite old YouTube videos. I'll leave you the link because I'm positive you'll love it.

>114 MickyFine: HONOR ON YOU, HONOR ON YOUR FAMILY, HONOR ON YOUR MOOSE. That was positively scrumptious and I have NOT ONLY favourited it on YouTube (y'know, for 'future reference'), but also immediately sent it to my mum and sister. Such loveliness deserves to be shared.

Also now I need to have a period drama binge... *scrabbles frantically in DVD cupboard*

>114 MickyFine: I was expecting this one, but that works, too!

>115 elliepotten: It is one of my favourite internet things. And enjoy that period drama binge. :D

>116 foggidawn: Oh that one is delightful too!

Wishing you a great weekend, Ellie.

Hi Ellie! How is the Every Other Day Fasting thing going? Not sure I could do that....

Ramadhan or fasting month is imminent. Only time of the year that I really shed any weight.

>116 foggidawn: Oh yay, more sexy men! I'll watch that later with chocolate. :P

>119 Berly: So far so good! 5 weeks, nearly 10lb down, and almost 2 BMI points dropped. I've been 'off' for the last few days as I was away with my mum and sister, but I'll be back to normal tomorrow. :)

A rogue Ellie appears!

>121 elliepotten: Wow, great job!! Keep up the good work. Do you have much more you want to lose or are you almost there?

Ellie...oh, ellie! Where are you? : )

At the risk of repeating myself...Where are you? : ) Hope all is well.

Yeah- what gives? ;)

I can't believe I've deserted this thread ALL YEAR. I suck, I know. I haven't actually read a book since... April? APRIL. It's unnatural. I'm still editing my uncle's sci-fi novella, and when I'm not doing that I feel like I shouldn't be reading anything else, so it's been box sets and jigsaw puzzles all the way!

I did just mostly-read Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 by Naoki Higashida (the follow up to The Reason I Jump) and... well, it was a lot better than the first one. Still not as amazing as the colossal hype would suggest, for me anyway - though I can see how a non-verbal autistic writer getting published outside of the kind of 'interest bubble' of the autistic and advocacy communities, by a giant company, is groundbreaking, and probably eye-opening for many people who haven't been exposed to this kind of material before. I definitely found this one a lot more balanced, quite heartwarming in places, and thought-provoking at times; there are less of the blanket statements and sweeping generalisations that got my back up last time*, and his style has matured into a more nuanced and personal voice that I rather liked. Once again, however, it didn't really leave a lasting impression. I think there are better writings by both verbal and non-verbal autistic folks out there, online and off.

* Feeling the need to clarify this bit, just because I seem to be in a tiny minority that hated it, and I'm not being mean to the kid or his work, I had a valid reason! That reason being that the book was a lot of people's first and only exposure to a non-verbal and/or autistic kid's thoughts, and it was being taken as gospel, if the hundreds of reviews I saw were anything to go by. The 'if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism' thing wasn't clear - he was confidently offering instructions and solutions that worked for him but were often directly contradictory to what other kids might need. So when parents were then commenting along the lines of "Oh thank god, now I know exactly what to do for MY child!" that didn't sit especially well with me. Maybe it was a translation issue, or black-and-white thinking, or just the confidence of a 13 year-old boy, who knows? Whatever it was, it was toned down a LOT this time around; he made it far clearer that he was speaking for himself, not everyone.

Most useless and unnecessarily apologetic non-review ever? Yeah, probably. :)

A rogue Ellie appears! *tosses confetti*

Hey, look at you stopping by!

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

You live! Well, not that I doubted that, but it is so nice to see you here. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. : )

Good to see you, Ellie!!

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

Worst. Reading. Year. Ever.

I think at this point I'll just be starting fresh for 2018, haha. Just a few more pages of my uncle's book to finish editing, and I can let loose on my bookshelves again at laaaaaaast! I have a whole heap of things at the top of my to-read list, including:

- The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2 by Jayne Poynter, a non-fiction account of life inside one of the biosphere experiments in Arizona. Inspired by my absolute love for The Terranauts earlier this year!

- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, which sounds as 'me' as any novel ever but which I STILL haven't read. I need to get on that before the movie comes out!

- The entire Harry Potter series, which I haven't reread in its entirety for about 10 years now. I promised myself that once I'd reread them all AND (re)watched all the movies (I've never actually seen Deathly Hallows) I could have a little spending spree on the WB Studio Tour online shop. I didn't buy much while I was actually there, so a Ravenclaw cushion and a chocolate frog or three will be MINE.

- Tracks by Robyn Davidson, because I'm a shallow person and when I see that Adam Driver and his arm muscles are in a movie, I read the book so I can WATCH the movie. Actually that's only partly true, I only rewatched the trailer last week and I've had the book for about two years before that anyway, haha. Half shallow?

Aaaaaand about ten thousand other books. SO CLOSE, PEOPLE. SO CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO READ MY BABIES AGAIN!

In the meantime, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other holidays you celebrate around this time of year! I did more helping with stuff than actually enjoying it yesterday, but my sister made a killer game of Christmas bingo (with novelty prizes) that wound up with my Mum wearing an umbrella hat, and my grandparents dressed as Santa and a (cooked) turkey, so... worth iiiiiiiiit. Today will involve playing with Lego, eating brandy snaps, attacking the teatime leftovers (trifle!) and watching Jurassic World, so Imma go get started on that. :)

Love to you all! Thanks for putting up with me for another year! xx

Merry Christmas Ellie!

We'll see you in 2018, I hope!

>135 norabelle414: - Thanks sweetpea! Still at the 'I didn't even drink, how do I have a Boxing Day hangover?' headachy tired stage, but there's trifle (and Chris Pratt running around an island in shirt sleeves) on the cards tonight so it'll aaaaaall get better. :)

>136 drneutron: - Hey Doc! You will... I'm just trying to decide whether to join the ROOT group for 2018, but I think I'll definitely 75 as well. I can't wait! You know in horse racing when all the horses are still in their boxes and they're all bouncy and ready to go hell for leather when the gates open? LIKE THAT.

Less than 30 pages of dodgy-sci-fi-novella-editing left - if I can finish by the New Year I can have a clean slate, a fresh start and just spend a couple of months devouring actual books again! It's like a big chunk of my personality has been on hold for about nine months and I WANT IT BACK! :)

>137 elliepotten: I hope you feel better! I get ""hangovers"" without drinking in the winter a lot because I always forget to hydrate when the weather is cold!

>138 norabelle414: Ohhhhh, yup, I get those too. I think this one's maybe because Christmas Day is a bit of a marathon, haha. So much socialising that I don't normally do (Asperger's), food I don't normally eat (IBS), a complete break in routine, and a hell of a lot of medication to get through all of the above in one piece! Haha, totally worth it though, I had a lovely day and managed to help my frazzled mum out a fair bit to make HER Christmas easier, I just feel like I've been steamrollered in the aftermath!

Give it about forty minutes and I'm totally doing Jurassic World, salmon sandwiches, party nibbles and homemade trifle though. I'll be right as rain tomorrow morning. :D

I've set up my new thread for 2018 by the way. There'll be actual reading there next year, I swear!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/279006

Happy Boxing Day!!



And best wishes for a better reading year in 2018!! : )

>141 Berly: Thanks! That trifle and Chris Pratt in his shirt sleeves running away from a dinosaur was just what I needed to round out my nice quiet lovely evening. :P

Sounds like you had a lovely Christmas and Boxing Day. Here's hoping the last little bit of the year treats you well. :)

>143 MickyFine: Thank youuuuuu. The bad side - I have a cold and a slightly unwell little cat; the good side - I only have 27 pages of my project left before I can read my own books again, and I have a chocolate reindeer to snack on. I beheaded him mercilessly already. NO MORE REINDEER GAMES FOR YOU, BUDDY. :D

Happy New Year to you and Mo! (Maybe don't tell him about the reindeer, don't want him getting the wrong idea!)

Right! Happy New Year all - I'm officially moving over to my 2018 groups now - here are the links if you need 'em:

75-Book Challenge 2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/279006

ROOT (Read Our Own Tomes) Challenge 2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/279694

See you over there if I haven't already!

*Ellie out* :)