General Chat

I am currently reading Anna Karenina. After this I want to read North and South - I really enjoyed the BBC production. I haven't read the Da Vinci code. Can you tell me what it is about? Lucia :-)

Andrea arent they just bad those books!! Have you ever read anything by a woman called Torey Haydn? I ordered them off the internet! If you liked David Peltzers books then give these a go! They are written by a teacher who worked with underpriviliged kids..but be warned..you will need a box of tissues

Yes, da Vinci was fun - but got a bit over the top later, I found. But if you want to check out Rosemary's reference to Fibonacci, try this for REAL fun! http://www.mcs(.)surrey(.)ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fib.html Fun with numbers and series and the golden ratio. What else am I reading? Possesion, by AS Byatt - I just saw the video, starring Gwynneth Paltrow and Jennifer Ehle. Good movie, just started the book. Also, The Origins of Knowledge and Imagination, by Jacob Bronowski... I think it has been on a BBC series. Excellent stuff for the inquiring mind. And- aren't we all, on here? Michael

The Private Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Fictional story about blacks and whites in the fifties in America. Not bad, but not gripping, not yet anyway. Jo

I have just finished The Da Vinci Code and enjoyed it.I have also read Holy Blood Holy Grail,The Messianic inheritance and The templars.The last three book I think are a must,before reading the Da Vinci Code.It would also help to have some knowledge of the Gnostic Gospels. As a Mathematician I do wish Brown could move on to more complicated codes, he has used the Fibonacci ,one of the simplest squences,in a previous book and as this is only his fourth book I do wonder if his knowledge of codes is limited. I invent codes for fun,particularly when I get bored,but it was a good story. Rose

The House In South Road By Joyce Storey A Biography of a woman growing up in pre war Bristol,

Who's Who in Tudor England - love a bit of history Lin

I have found a web site related to the Da Vinci Code. You have to be a sleuth to uncover cryptic messages that are on the book cover. I must say, I am stuck on one of the clues. Have a look after you have read the book and see what you think. Oh yes the site is www*randomhouse*com/doubleday/davinci Remove the *'s and replace with dots. Deb

Has anyone read - 'Never hit a jellyfish with a spade: How to survive lifes smaller challenges' by Guy Browning ?? Just been browsing around on amazon and saw it on there. Looks quite good and there are a couple of good reviews about it. Anyone here read it and can give an opinion? Kxx

I have read all of Dan Brown's books ( loved the Da Vinci Code ! ) I am really into Kelley Armstrong at the moment.... they are a little "different"!! But I am running out of things to read, so I am re-reading " Want to Play " by P.J Tracy. Andrea PS Bev I read all 3 of those books..... made me cry !

Does it strike you these days, as it does me, what a huge business that of book cover illustration/design must be ? I always find the hardest thing when browsing Waterstones is that the books all look so beautiful and it becomes harder to make a judgement on what the actual content will be like. I think the business of book design must be now almost as key as that of CD/Video design. Thankfully the cost of paperpacks has maintained a relatively low-ish price, despite the money that obviously goes into it.

At the moment I am reading A Child Called It by David Peltzer It is a harrowing true life account of his early childhood It must be about the 5th time I have read it and I still end up in tears at what he went through

I'll read anything. Mysteries, thrillers you name it I'll read it. Roll on Xmas I've nothing left to read. Hi Deb, The Da Vinci Code is good. Caused quite a stir in the newspapers here, there was a big article. Love Lord of the Rings but The Hobbit is one of my favourites. The Chronicles of Narnia is another. Started reading stories to my young grandson so will get into all the other wonderful stories I read as a child all over again.

Cheers Linda

I've just finished John Updike "Seek my Face". I find his books a fascinating insight to 20th century America.

I finished the book a couple of weeks ago (The Davinci Code). A very good read. Today I have started "House of Sand and Fog". Looks like its going to be a good one. I haven't seen the movie of the same name - I like to read then watch.

Hi Deb, I'm reading a deadly boring technical book on Digital Photography and Brian Keenan's 'An Evil Cradling' at home. Read Keenan's book ages ago--still gripping second time round though. At work, I spend my breaks with a book--at the mo, it's 'The 9/11 Commission Report'. It's gripping in parts, but incredibly long-winded in others, so today I gave myself permission to skip a few pages! After that it will be Bill Clinton's biography.

Oh Helen, yes!! I read The Shipping News last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Another good one was White Oleander - although I can't remember who wrote it. Again good film too, but not as good as the book. I used to read things like Susan Lewis and Olivia Goldsmith, but recently I'm reading more 'grown up' stuff! Also a lot of non-fiction. We have some great looking traveller's tales and biographies in the library - just not enough hours in the day! Maz. XX

I'm reading for the third or fourth time 'The Shipping News' by Annie Proulx. I love it. Even my teenagers have read it. I saw the film which wasn't as good but still enjoyable. I read all the Lord of the Rings as a teenager and loved them as well as the recent films. Maz, I read the Life of Pi and The Curious Incident..... and would agree with you about both. Another writer I like is Jane Smiley; my husband says he only finds me books with prize stickers on the front!!!! What a shame we don't have our own library - what is the Da Vinci code about? Sounds like I should read it.

The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. I enjoyed it. Although thee was a full page article in The Mail this week contradicting a lot of what was written.