I glowed in the dark only last summer; I had thyrotoxicosis so they zapped my thyroid with some radioactive iodine. For some weeks afterwards I had to avoid doing certain things, including getting too close to other people for any length of time. I was allowed, for example to go to the supermarket after a few days but had to avoid small children and pregnant women. I was very careful. I went shopping only at times I knew there were likely to be few customers. I made a list and made for those items so I could shop, pay, and get out of there asap. If there were people in Aisle 8 when I wanted to get to the cheese counter I went to Aisle 35 for ice cream then zoomed back to A8 when it was empty. I was really very conscientious about it. And of course as soon as I got to an empty aisle and went to pick cheese from the display, all of a sudden I'd find myself surrounded by women, any one of whom might have been pregnant and all towing small children by the hand. Aaaaargh! I'd dash away, to get some bread. Phew, an empty aisle. Where's the wholemeal. Waaaaah! Where did all those people come from?

Wherever I went, whatever time it was, standing by myself in an empty aisle staring at produce no one else would usually buy turned out to be the best way of attracting people to my side than anything else ever has done. Forget match.com - if you want to be followed around by total strangers, take radioactive iodine!

Isn't that just the limit? You do everything possible to protect everyone, then they just darned go and walk in the way of trouble themselves!

(& hope that radioactive iodine did its job and you are no longer glowing in the dark)!

"The Big Picture" William Goldman. A collection of articles he wrote in the nineties about movies of the time.

I've probably said this before here, but I love reading what Goldman has to say about Hollywood. He's smart, he knows the business (he wrote "Butch Cassidy", "Maverick", "Marathon Man" "The Princess Bride" among many others, along with some flops) he's been in, he's been out, he's been back in again.... He's got an enormous amount of insight into how the business works, and he tells his stories so well.

If you are interested in the creative process, and how it intersects with the nuts and bolts business of turning out a product, pick up any of his books about movies - he's written about a half dozen.

Speaking of Goldman, he was one of the script writers for one of my favourite movies of all time "Chaplin" (with Robert Downey Jr)

What am I reading right now? Nothing. Sort of waiting for Emily Croy Barker to write her sequel lol

I have just finished "Tim" by Colleen McCullogh, A shorter read than her "Thorn Birds", but beautifully written and very touching. Yes, it's chick-lit, but of a better standard than most.

I'm about halfway through "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr. So far very good, I'm enjoying it. Hard to put down, as there are some elements of suspense, sort of.

Silken Prey - John Sanford

I am ashamed to say that, in spite of all his acclaim I have never read any of the works of VS Naipaul, Nobel writer. So I am making a start with
" The Bend in the River" The revues are very good.
Have you read any of his?

I haven't read any V.S. Naipul, though I know he has been in the media recently for some of the slightly misogynistic things he has uttered. It wouldn't disqualify me from reading him, but I would probably have it on the brain as I read. Sometimes I wonder why people say such grouchy things.

Ooops now I looked him up and I see what you mean. Hmm. I bought the book now!. Well we will see.

I am almost positive I read that book forty years ago and can remember nothing about it, if that helps.......

Gee thanks, Agony!
Well it was only a quid from Amazon so....

I've just finished Sorrow Wood, Raymond L Atkins. Just a lovely book, wonderful, believable characters that you just get immersed in. Probably not something I would have tried were it not a 99p special from Amazon.

Heh, yes, I realize that was pretty unhelpful

Only joking. I am just about into it . He draws characters well.

I am reading Ratner's Star by Don DeLillo right now. I mostly read it on the bus, which is kind of difficult because it is so dense that I end up reading some paragraphs multiple times.

My bus is dense too....oh! the book? Right.
Actually I am the same if I try to read anything remotely dense.
I am hearing lots of authors names that I just don't know. Thanks all for your recommendations.
Today the postman arrived with 10 books from a special offer so I shall be busy. I shall take the least dense on the bus to work.See you all in a week or two.

Ha. Well, I do live in Korea. I had to stand in a crowd for a half-hour commute home from work last week because there were so many people.

Can highly recommend "The Disappeared" by Kristina Ohlssen. Comes under the Scandinavian Noire heading. A real twisty plot, very human and believable characters, gripped me from page 1.

The Burning Bed

Now now DN! What sort of book is it? Do you recommend it? Why? Who wrote it?

Hi Ren! It's been awhile! Four years to be exact! How are you?

The Burning Bed was written by Faith McNulty and is the true story of Francine Hughes, a woman who burned her physically abusive ex-husband to death after 13 years of horrific abuse.

I highly recommend the book!

Now. there's a good girl! Thanks. Now we know more about it, thanks to you.
Welcome back . I am fine and have hardly moved in 4 years, as you see!
It must have been a big shock to see we lost our Great Gatsby. In photos- the themed threads, there is a thread for him which you might like to see.
Make sure you stick around now!

Will definitely stick around! I didn't realize how much I missed this place until I came back!

Sad thing is, I forgot a lot and now I have to get my feet wet again! Hahaha!