One, that is, besides a PhD or academic sort of book. Since I do not have any TV in Bleak Towers, I have turned to reading as a way to spend my off hours winding down...when normally someone might watch TV. I have found an Oxfam shop that sells used books--and good ones--so have enjoyed reading a few books over the past several days. I am in the middle of Half of a Yellow Sun, about Biafra and Nigeria in the late 1960s-1970's --not an event I knew much about, but now want to do some more reading on to improve my own knowledge...its such a well written book, but its very tragic...

Another one, by American author Jane Smiley ( I still love her first book, Barn Blind, to anyone ever involved with horses...this book captures it all, the obsession, the love, the highs, the lows...) called the True Life Adventures of Lidie Newton ( title is close to that, I don't think its that exactly), about the saga of Bleeding Kansas, when the United States was torn over the question of slavery, and how to deal with it in its new territories that wanted to become states. The territory of Kansas became a literal battleground...the story rings very true, but again, there is much of this history that I was not aware of, and would like to read more, and heart breaking stories of the depravation and hardship that people went through trying to settle "new" lands.

I would recommend both books highly to anyone looking for some excellent fiction!

Hmmm...at that....I really want to find a way to horse ride again...which seems like an impossibility for lots of reasons, money perhaps being the first. But there might be some kind of activity through the Students Union or whatever they have for students to organize themselves. I will have a look. Maybe I will just go once and get it out of my system ( as if such a thing were possible.)

Now I am talking to myself....can we say work avoidance??!!??!

I'm a huge reader of fiction, especially when I'm supposed to be working on the PhD. I liked Dorothy Koomson's latest book "Goodnight beautiful". It tackles surrogacy. I was crying my eyes out in the last few pages, very sad.

A non-fiction book I enjoyed recently was Shattered Dreams by Irene Spencer who wrote about her time as the wife of a polygamist (9 other wives).

I'm really sad, my version of avoiding finishing my MA dissertation is to steal my mothers Mills and Boon for an evening because it only takes about 3 hours to read one if i'm reading it properly and thats 3 hours succesfully avoiding Microsoft word! And tbh, some of them aren't bad.......

3 hours??? It takes me that to read a normal 350page paperback!

I watch TV at the same time...

On a serious note tho, the Pullman trilogy of northern lights, subtle knife and amber spyglass are a good read...

Freya Norths books (Cat, Fen, Pip etc) are really good reads for women, I've quite enjoyed them, also Chris Bunchs Dragonmaster trilogy for the geeks out there are very adult fantasy books about a world war where Dragons are a highly prized weapon.

If you like dragons, the third book in the Eragon series is out soon! I've just realised I leant my copy of Eragon to my friend last year and I still don't have it back! I hate it when people don't return my books or give them back and they look like they've been in a war. Especially as I hardly crease the spine!

Also the question is H, it may take you 3 hours to read a 350 page paperback, which is incredible, more than my mum can read in that time, and she's an apallingly fast reader, but honestly, how much have you taken in, or are you skimming like I do with my uni texts?

I like Dragons, but I've heard about the storyline for Eragon and it sounds like a childfriendly copy of the dragon master series which has been out for years so i'm not overly keen on reading it as it would probably irritate me! I could be persuaded otherwise but currently thats the opinion I hold of it, Boy finds he can work with dragons when its a really rare skill, starts fighting for one side, cept in dragon master he ends up as the leader of a military group planning raids against the otherside adn is very military and tactical. As i said, could be wrong, is just my opinion from what i've heard of the eragon story.

Eragon is not bad. The second book Eldest was quite annoying really. I'm hoping the 3rd is better and I want to know what happens at the end!

As for reading fast, I read a lot, at least 3 books a week. I HAVE to read for at least half an hour before I go to bed because it relaxes me. I guess it's just from practice. When I'm reading the more literary-type books, I do take my time but for the normal paperback (like the ones in supermarkets) I just read quickly because there isn't anything technical to take in. I don't skim read unless it's a book I've read lots of times before and I just go to the most interesting bits.

Motley Crue's "The Dirt" - even if you are not into hair metal, it is a book you could literally read from any point and say how could this happen ... and also question the reasons for not taking up the guitar or any other musical instrument - or become a drummer (no offense lads) - from an earlier age.
Don't like fiction too much but "Stardust" is a good read - haven't seen the movie but the book is brilliant at conveying some class imagery.
If feeling in need of a lift, "The Tao of Pooh" and "The Tse of Piglet" are class (you can get them as one in most good bookshops). Great if needing to take a break from the tedium and reminding yourself of the more simpler but more important things in life.
Must get a few books as the library at the uni here, while great for academic stuff, isn't so great for other reading.