Hi BB,

No I haven't- I would be very interested in seeing them both though.
Do you have any links to them? Perhaps PM me as this is a bit offtopic really...

Cheers.

It's ok. The topic is books. I lost the thread but I spent some time to do a search just for you. Here is one on an interview with Collins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml0FqyFYfrU&NR=1

But I can't seem to find the debate between Collins and Dawkins. I believe it was organised by Time magazine or possibly Newsweek. If you search in youtube, you will find lots of videos on Dawkins. There are too many for me to list here - thousands!

If I may steer the topic back to music, I am also reading the Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet. A remarkable book for a truly remarkable instrument.

Bought one of the Shopoholic books today

I'm reading the Susanna Gregory series at the moment - I'm on to book 8 - they're a mystery series set in medieval Cambridge. I'm really enjoying them - I like historic whodunnits anyway, as they're as informative about the history as they are enjoyable with the plot and action........

OMG SQUEE LEANNE SQUEE!



*has finally found someone else who has read them*



Those books are amaaaazing. Have you read New Moon? && Eclipse?



<33

I'm reading "Europe", by Norman Davis.

It's very long.

In addition, about a bazillion books about Richard III. And a Terry Pratchett book

I've just finished The Pianist - such a moving book..

Oh have you seen the film? I started watching it a couple of times but couldn't get into it (short attention span) but when I did watch the whole thing through it was deeply moving and left me thinking for days.

I have seen the end where he plays the Ballade, but I couldn't bring myself to watch the beginning where they are being shot and things...

Ah, a woman after my own heart!

*ex-member of the White Boar Society*

I was never a member, but I like Richard III too.

The film is quite heart-wrenching but it is worth a watch. Just don't watch it when you're feeling low. It's very well done and generally (with a couple of additions...!) is close to the book. The book is so moving.

I read Roald Dahl's 'Boy' in the school library, and I'm now reading 'Going solo', which is a sequel to 'Boy'.

I'm halfway through "Black House" by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Is anyone else reading the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde? I've just finished the last one "First among Sequels", and can't wait for the next one to come out.


It's Roald Dahl Day on Thursday!

I read the first series - Eyre Affair, Well of Lost Plots, Lost In A Good Book, Something Rotten. Yet to read First Among Sequels but if they're a fraction as good as the first series then I can't wait!

'Nobbut a Lad' by Alan Titchmarsh. A really interesting insight into his childhood in 1950's Yorkshire .

Hooray! Lovers of Richard III unite!!!

I just finished 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' by Paul Torday. I bought it because of the name, but it turned out to be a good read too.

Pele's autobiography.

I don't usually have too much time to read, but my English teacher wanted us to bring an autobiography into our next lesson. I found Pele's, starting reading the first chapter and now I can't put the book down.

Glad you like them as well - First among Sequels is my favourite - it even has a conversation about Dr Who DVDs in it!

Fantastic! Just about to start re-reading Eyre Affair et al.

I've just finished reading "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" by Mark Haddon - brilliant brilliant brilliant!!! Took me a couple of days but only because I had a wedding nearly all day Saturday.....otherwise ........

I've just finished reading "Memoirs of Geisha". I've no idea why I picked it up and decided to read it, but I'm so glad I did. Amazing.

Light on Snow, Anita Shreve. Different to what I usually read but really like it. Think I'll get some more books by her.

Ooh I read that a few months ago. It's different, and interesting. I want to try some of her other books soemtime.

Hmm I read that too, it's good isn't it? It's not my usual thing either, I just happened to be bored in the library and picked it up.

Bump..

Good books that I've read recently:
Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Veronika decides to die - Paulo Coelho
The Hobbit - Tolkien
Also read Jane Eyre 'at last'


I must read Terry Pratchets 'thief of time'...

I am currently ploughing through:
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (my fave!)
Lireal - Garth Nix (for the second time)
Beware Princess Elizabeth - Catherine Meyer (though nobody I know has heard of this one)

Just read the Pillars of the Earth, and its sequel
World without End

both by Ken Follett

Yesterday I read The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan - it was really good. I read The Joy Luck Club a couple of days ago... And then before that I systematically went through everything by Jane Austen - that was fun.

"The Stranger House" by Reginald Hill

I'm reading 'The Last King of Scotland' about the scottish doctor and Idi Amin.. very good (I haven't seen the film).

I had just finished 'The Discovery of Chocolate' and it was beautiful, sensuous and filled with foodie descriptions (bleaugh).

Why are all books about chocolate full of descriptions of food. I like chocolate but my pet-hate is reading about food or, my total nightmare, watching television programmes about food... I'm off to start a thread...

"Cut" by Patricia McCormack.

The latest 24 novel: "Storm Force"

'Never the Bride' by Paul Magrs

Recently finished The Past is Myself by Christabel Bielenberg, which I had a to read for history. Was rather hard to get in to, but immensly interesting and although I don't think it's really a book to be enjoyed, I'm really glad I read it. Currently searching for the sequel

Also re-reading Northern Lights after seeing the film.

I'm reading A Brief History of Time (Steven Hawking). My physics teacher has said i have to finish it by march.

Have just started one of the great American classics I always missed previously. 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' by Harper Lee

I'm reading the Making of Music by James Naughtie and although I've
enjoyed learning more about the composers, I find his style annoying. I think he's smug and patronising like the worse sort of school master.

I've also recently read Mozart in the Jungle - ###, drugs and classical music, by Blair Tindall. Now that was thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend it. If anyone can recommend any other modern autobiographies of classical musicians I'd appreciate it (they don't have to have ### and drugs in them!).

Enharmonic, compulsory reading for all classical music lovers is the trilogy about Beethoven by former TV newsreader John Suchet. Its a mixture of fact, and plausible fiction which Suchet thoroughly researched, to make as authentic as possible. Yes there is a little *** as well, when he is taken by a friend to a brothel !
They are entitled 'Passion and Anger' , 'Passion and Pain' and 'The Last Master' . If you read the first one you will certainly want to read the other two.

Theres also a book called 'Chopins Funeral' (a full biography not just the funeral!), though I cant remember the authors name as Ive lent it to someone.

Thank you for that, fsharp, I'll enquite at the local library and failing that I'll get on to amazon.

Re reading The Chalet School books now that I've managed to complete my collection by finding the 5 missing ones on ebay.

ah, brilliant book, certainly better than some other english lit. books there are on the aqa syllabus, i really hope we do to kill a mockingbird or catcher in the rye (though it doesnt have much of a plot line), will have to wait and see.

I'm reading A tale of Two cities (have to keep re-reading chapters to make sure i understand it) and Villete (Charlotte Bronte).

A Piano in the Pyrenees, by Tony Hawks

I agree, To Kill a Mockingbird is a fabulous book and well worth reading.

The Princess Diaries - they're so addictive, I never thought I'd like them before!

Just about to start Englebey by Sebastian Faulks

Also the Cambridge companion to the Organ and The Technique and Spirit of Fugue.

Yep, i'm hooked too! One of my friends bought me the 9th one for my birthday!

Nice to find an adult who admits to reading children's books! I love the Little House on the Prairie series and and have been trying to get the full set from second hand book shops. I far prefer them to what I remember of the tv series.