Lethal Intent and Dead and Buried

So, these were both in the same series, which means I figure I can review them together. This is probably one of my all time favourite crimes serieses, even though I've only just discovered it recently, and even though I haven't read anywhere near all of the books in it. I got one of them in a pack from WH Smiths of seven or eight crime books, which I mostly got because it was cheaper than buying the one out of the pack that I wanted. Crazy, isn't it? Anyway, the series is really good, I'd recomend it to anyone who wants a good read about a police officer. He isn't always so conventional, he isn't completely without fault, but that makes him all the more realistic.

Leeds

So, we went to Leeds on holiday over the weekend. The hotel was really nice, four stars, right in the centre, with a swimming pool (which my brother used, but I didn't).
On the way there, on the Friday, we called in at the White Rose Shopping Centre, and I discovered that I really have grown out of Build-a-Bear with regard to choosing new clothes for my teddies that came from there (I have two: Blondey and Samkin), and I wouldn't really want to make a new one, I have enough teddies to fill a room...
We went to the hotel then, and then mum was shattered, even though she'd just been travelling in the wheelchair, so Dad, James and I went to explore Leeds city centre. We went to a Chinese for tea, and I had this seafood platter thing, which was huge, and full of different fishy things, and I hadn't a clue what most of it was. Tasted good though.
Then Saturday, Mum was really feeling grim, so Dad dropped James and I off at the Royal Armouries Museum and took her home. The museum was absolutely fantastic, I loved it. James wasn't as interested, but he liked the drama things they were doing throughout the day, as did I. They had a team of actors who brought the stuff to live, and they were really, really good. It was just a shame that the rain meant the jousting was cancelled. Dad came back and picked us up and we went back to the hotel, then to Pizza Express for dinner. Just about James' favourite restaurant ever. It's all right, better than Pizza Hut in my opinion, but it's not really, really fantastic. It's nice, don't get me wrong, I just preferred the other two meals we had.
Sunday, we went to Tropical World, which was really good. They had all sorts of creatures roaming free, and you could feed the fish. If you ever get a chance to do that, go for it. It's hilariously funny. Immaging feeding really big birds that can't move around properly, and then immagine feeding birds with smaller beaks than the piece of food as well... Twas amusing. Then, TGI Friday's for tea. Burgars and fries, yum! Maybe not healthy, but certainly tasty.
Breakfasts were good too. The hotel had a really nice buffet selection for breakfast, so we were eating two main meals a day, and pretty much skipping out lunch...
Anyway, that was my holiday to Leeds in brief.

Mamma Mia!

Went to see Mamma Mia yesterday with Hil. It was really, really good. Just a nice, feel good chick flick sort of film. Very funny. It's definitely worth watching. Not for boys though. The cinema was the fullest I've ever seen it, it was heaving with people watching that film. Have a long list of things I want to see now, based on the trailors of that and Batman. Think the next one will be Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer. Have to see.

Stay of Execution

This is in the Bob Skinner series by Quentin Jardine, the second one I've read. It has the right balance between action and the cop at work and family problems/home life. Sometimes James Patterson's books focus way too much on the romance side of things. I really like Bob Skinner, he's one of the characters I wish was mine. Same with Jack Reacher from the other series I've been reading recently. It's incredible how hard it is to read a series in something resembling the proper order when relying entirely on libraries. And also incredible just how hard it is to get hold of all the books in a series... Think I shall have to be paying the market a couple of visits, or maybe I can find them in Leeds.

Whoo!! I finished To Steal Faith!!

So, last night, I finally finished To Steal Faith. That means I've written eleven stories (I think). I'm quite chuffed with the ending, even if it took me a while to figure it out. Because I always like to finish with a bit of romance, but the trouble was, I kind of abandoned Terry's potential girlfriend in Libinion, and so I was a bit stuck then. But I found a nice couple, even if it was a little earlier than I expected things to happen.

Whoo! Off to Leeds!

So, we're actually going on holiday this year, to Leeds. Maybe it's not the greatest place in the world, but it sounds quite fun and we're staying in a posh hotel and using up loads of dad's hotel points. He's a platinum customer with the hotel chain. Having a travelling dad has its perks.

The Hard Way

Another book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. Really, really good, plenty of twists, lots of action. I loved it. Read it if you're into action/adventure/crime/thrillers. There should be a genre that encompasses all of that, like you get spec fic to cover sci fi and fantasy... Anyway, I love Jack Reacher, he's one of my favourite characters ever.

New story idea

So, I had an idea for a story, which kind of draws on other ideas a bit, and is kind of new. The other ideas never really got all that far, and though I hope this one will, there's no guarantee. At the moment, it seems to be a bit hit and miss whether I actually continue a story or not. I will finish The Desert Rat at some point though, because I like the characters in it, and I like the idea, it's just that I keep getting bogged down with other ideas.
Anyway...
I had this idea of a civilisation that lives below ours, a little like the fairies in Artemis Fowl. However, this civilisation is at threat because of rising sea levels beginning to flood some areas of Inside. Three years ago, a were-centaur by the name of Tatharn was sent out. His goal? Study Outside and see if it is habitable once again. At that time, Inside was not under threat by flooding. Since he left, the flooding started, but not only that, an extremist group of 'politicians' called the Elva took over control of Inside. They want him to report that Outside is habitable, which, as we all know (seeing as we live Outside) it is, and then they want to launch a war, in collaberation with the USSR. It'll be set in the 80s (I think, because I need a communist nation, although maybe I could use China... worth a thought I guess, it might be easier for me to set it now), who they've already told about their existence. The Elva is basically based on Communists, and emobdies that kind of totalitarian society.
However, the Elva don't know exactly when or where Tatharn is due to return--only two people know that. These two were once his commanders, although they have now been stripped of their rank and are ordinary workers. They meet Tatharn, and tell him about what's happened. He reports that since they went Inside, several thousand years ago, the earth has once more become inhabitable, and that a race of creatures has taken it over. Tatharn persuades his two friends to leave with him, and to go find help from Outside, to deal not only with the flooding, possibly by integrating those who live Inside (elves, centaurs, possibly others too, I haven't yet decided) with those who live Outside. Inside has a lot to offer Outside--they have developed technology for harnessing the power of the earth, which they call Mayjiche, or, the human equivilant: magic. Their weapon technology is surprisingly primitive in comparrison though. They still use swords and bow and arrows, although as both elves and centaurs can use Mayjiche personally, they are able to use these arrows with astonishing acuracy and power over huge distances. If it came to a war, who knows who'd win? But Tatharn and co are hoping to persuade the US, or perhaps Europe, to lend a hand and defeat the Elva, preferably without even having to embark on the path to war, though this seems unlikely. The Elva, on the other hand, are determined to embark on war, along with China, to subdue the rest of the world. After all, they have the might of previously unseen species, and previously unheard of Mayjiche on their side.
So, that's my idea. Before I get really stuck into it though, I'd like to finish To Steal Faith, which is nearly, nearly finished now...

Heartland

I read the five Heartland books I got yesterday today. I like them, even if they aren't exactly a challenging read. Nice though. About a horse farm, where they deal with problem horses, and they're more mature books than you usually get about horses and stuff like that. Nice books. Worth reading if you like horses and feel like something 'gentle' to read. If you don't particularly like horses, don't bother. Despite the fact that they're very nice reads, they are horse-orientated, so don't try reading them if you're not interested in horses.

Bad Luck and Trouble

This was the 11th Jack Reacher book, by Lee Child. I haven't read any of the others. I would've found an earlier one, but they didn't have any in at the library. Anyway, I've read it now, and it is fantastic. I loved it, and if I don't manage to find another one in the series when I go to the library again tonight, I may very well have to read it over again. In fact, I think I might do that anyway. It's about an ex-Military Policeman, who travels around doing nothing, and is just about untraceable. However, a member of his old unit finds a way to get in touch with him, because members of the unit are being killed. The uncover a plot to sell sensitive hardware to terrorists. The action is great, the plot is brilliant, with plenty of twists, and I absolutely love the main character.

For James...

Happy Birthday to you,
You live at the zoo,
With the monkeys and the elephants...
And you smell like one too!

Only kidding.

Happy Birthday little bro. 13 today. How's it feel to be a big bad teenager at last?

Hope you have a good time in York at the train museum.

Joey ;D

The Dark Knight

Wow! What a great film. It's definitely worth going to see. Went with my brother this afternoon, and I absolutely loved it. Really clever, and the characters were so real! You could actually relate to them, and to their dilemas. Except the Joker, but then, you're not really supposed to be able to relate to the bad guy, because otherwise you start to sympathise with him and get miffed when he's ultimately defeated. However, I really want to write a story where the reader totally cannot make up their mind about which side is the right side to support. That's what I'm trying to do with The Desert Rat, a tale of love, war and betrayal, set in 1916 and 1929, showing how the decisions characters made during the War, often impossible ones to make, affect how things turn out later on.

The Midnight Club

Another James Patterson book. I do like his books, but I'm convinced the older ones are a lot better than the more recent ones, with the possible exception of the Alex Cross books, where the most recent ones really are quite good. This one's definitely one of his earlier books--published in 1989.
I absolutely loved it. The main character is really intriguing, and I absolutely loved him. He's in a wheelchair, and he's a cop working the streets. I love the way he's so determined to keep going, and the book has plenty of twists. I would have liked to see more books about John Stefonovitch, but not now, because he's no longer in a wheelchair (sorry if that spoils it a bit for anyone). I so think he should've done a trilogy or something, it was so cool to read about him, and having taken my mum round places in a wheelchair, I can totally sympathise with how difficult he found some things. Anyway, this one's well worth reading, if you don't mind being completely unable to stop reading, even if your torch is slowly but surely dieing...

10000 Words!!!!

I managed to write over 10000 words yesterday. Am now quite proud of myself. But a little peeved I haven't managed anywhere near that today. Maybe I need to stay up all night and write... Shall go do some work on Winged Fire I think. It has thrown up a few surprises, despite being a rewrite and so in theory there shouldn't be anything new in there. Humph. But I like what's happened with Ternalice and everything, so it's definitely staying in. Ternalice is just absolutely full of surprises. I never imagined half of hte stuff about him that's happening/being revealed when I first wrote him into my book. He was supposed to be quite like Foaly in Artemis Fowl, but as a love interest as well. Now... Well, you'll have to read my books to find that out. Although you'll struggle, since they're not yet published and I forgot to print the stuff off AGAIN. I will send it off though. I will.

I am purple.

Well, I'm partially purple. I have purpley-reddy streaks in my hair. It took absolutely ages, but I'm really pleased with how it looks. I'll post a picture when I have one. Am now tired. But oh well.