Woman in the 5th

[janeyo]

I only read chick lit and garden mags.
This is because I did English Lit A level, then did a French literary degree and apent 4 years reading 17/18th centuary french poems, balzac, camus, zola.... and stuff so dreary you'd want to slit your wrists lol.

chicklit all the way now I like FLUFF!!!!!!!

[bobleponge]

I like FLUFF!!!!!!!

Shame this is a family forum!!

[janeyo]

PMSL............ I should have realised

[Alison]

chicklit all the way now I like FLUFF!!!!!!!

Nooooooooooo - most of the characters in those make me want to scream, always seem to fully of dippy women who are nothing like any of the real women I know! Just end up annoyed.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I adore Terry Pratchett, especially the Discworld ones featuring the Watch (I love Vimes' cynisism (sp)), and Moist von Lipwig (a girl could 'fall' for him quite easily). I find Terry very re-readable, so if theres nothing new on my bookshelf, I just dig out an old TP.

I love Phillipa Gregory too. Don't be put off by the film 'The Other Boleyn Girl', which bears very little resemblance to the book, its a superb read and full of historical background which makes it a really lush. I couldn't put it down.

Non fiction wise, I recently read 'The Lost Boy' which is about the Moors Murders, and was fascinating and frightening all at the same time.

[janeyo]

Nooooooooooo - most of the characters in those make me want to scream, always seem to fully of dippy women who are nothing like any of the real women I know! Just end up annoyed.

Not mills and boon!
Proper chicklit has proper women in

[bobleponge]

I have been musing whether the original book that forced my scorn would be classed as chicklit, but I dont think it is even that good.

[bluemoon]

I very rarely read fiction (no imagination as my ex wives will tell you) but the world and its dog were raving about a book a few years ago, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.
Just didnt get it. Soooo boring, nothing happened, couldnt finish it.

Nothing Happens!!!??? What about all the true horrors of the first world war? What about the fact that it's so beautifully written? Admittedly it's not a gung-ho, war-time, shoot-em-up "adventure" so I suppose anyone expecting some Andy McNab type rubbish would have been disappointed, (and I'm not suggesting you were expecting that, boblesponge) but to my mind it's one of the best novels I've ever read and, as I say, I've been reading 5 or 6 a week for the best part of forty years so it's near the top of a very, very long list.

[bluemoon]

I only read chick lit and garden mags.
This is because I did English Lit A level, then did a French literary degree and apent 4 years reading 17/18th centuary french poems, balzac, camus, zola.... and stuff so dreary you'd want to slit your wrists lol.

chicklit all the way now I like FLUFF!!!!!!!

I took a conscious decision and read for a Science degree because I feared that Eng Lit would ruin reading for pleasure for ever. So pleased I did now!!!

[bobleponge]

And there, Bluemoon, I guess is why we all have different tastes. For me it just wasnt beautifully written, nor did it describe the horrors of the first world war. Lyn Macdonald presents the "true" horrors of the first world war far better than any fiction I have ever read, because its written by people who were there.
And no, you are quite right, Randy McScab is not at all my preferred reading material.

I did add my disclaimer to disparaging your fave novel by saying I dont read fiction, as I have no imagination. I just happen to find factual accounts better to read than fictional ones.

[Incy]

I did add my disclaimer to disparaging your fave novel by saying I dont read fiction, as I have no imagination. I just happen to find factual accounts better to read than fictional ones.

I must say Bob, one of the most interesting things I have read recently was a collection of personal memoirs from members of my family, most of whom have now passed away. My Uncle had put together a whole bunch of stuff whilst researching the family tree and the memoirs and letters date back to the 19th Century (possibly further).... Absolutely rivetting stuff particularly knowing they are my ancestors.
The most funny story was from my Grandmother (She died last year aged almost 99). She wrote about being chased by an ostrich whilst on horseback as a child in South Africa.....the mental image of Gran on horseback with an ostrich in hot pursuit was just too much

[bobleponge]

Yeah I can see how that would be interesting. And more so because its personal and its characters you either know or know of.
Both my parents were adopted so I have more of a family twig, exactly one generation.

[Incy]

Yeah I can see how that would be interesting. And more so because its personal and its characters you either know or know of.
Both my parents were adopted so I have more of a family twig, exactly one generation.

The twig will grow Bob
A friend of mine who is also adopted has recently traced, and got in touch with loads of family he didn't know......His twig has become several branches and continues to expand

[bobleponge]

And good luck to him. Not my thing, which is possibly a touch odd given my love of history.