I live in Manchester in the North of England with my partner, my son and my daughter. I'm 45 years old and have recently started to research my family history - a very addictive pastime. My grandfather was a blacksmith who used to shoe the mules in the Blackpool Tower Circus. Well, it's different!

I've been involved in Bookcrossing for about four months and through it I've already encountered several wonderful books I would never have come across any other way, and made one significant new friendship, which started with a RABXK. I can recommend BX to anyone who wants to broaden their outlook.

I'm interested in fiction that makes you think, and spiritual matters. I like to write, and probably waste too much time reading about creative writing instead of just doing it. I read some SF as well, when it fits into those particular categories. I'm a great admirer of Kim Stanley Robinson, especially his massive Mars Trilogy. He can be heavy going at times, but always has something interesting to say.

I have a particular passion for getting children and young people into reading. I started up a fiction lending library at my kids' school. The way it happened was - I had a friend who was cataloguing their non-fiction stock when I asked if they had any fiction and was told by the head, "No, the children would want to take it home and we haven't the staff"!

How could I resist?

I used to be a Christian until a thoughtful reading of Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy changed everything. I'd been struggling with aspects of evangelical Christianity for some time, particularly the relentless march of fundamentalism. After 9/11, I found it difficult to align myself to any strident and exclusive religious group. Pullman's books convinced me that humanism is a realistic alternative for moral people - something my husband had been trying to convince me of for years.

I have already had some interesting releases, and one catch - a book on depression "Sunbathing in the Rain", which I left in my doctor's surgery waiting room, and which was last heard of on a bus to Manchester. I hope it helped somebody....

I'd be interested in joining any book rings/rays/boxes, preferably in the UK and into fantasy for older children (or crossover).

My Wish List

Books Read This/Last Year (not a comprehensive list)

Life of Pi
The Remains of the Day
The White Mare
Transmission (Hari Kunzru)
Traveling Mercies (Annie Lamott)
Bird by Bird (Some thoughts on the writing life)
The Testament of Yves Gundrun (Emily Burton)
Voyageurs (Margaret Elphinstone)
I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
Sabriel (Garth Nix)
The Society of Others (William Nicholson)
My Life in Orange (Tim Guest)
Kiss of the Fur Queen (Tomson Highway)
Star of the Sea (Joseph O'Connor)
A Passionate Sisterhood (Kathleen Jones)
Broken Ground (Tom Hodgkins)
Small Island (Andrea Levy)
A Dangerous Vine (Barbara Ewing)
Catherine Cookson: The biography (Kathleen Jones)
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)
Rebecca's Tale (Sally Beaumann)
Mrs Slocombe's Pussy (Growing up in front of the Telly) - by Stuart Jeffries
$30 Writing School (Michael Dean) - I only got it because he says nice things about BXing, but in fact it's the best writing book I've read.
Shopped: The Shocking Power of Supermarkets - Joanna Blythman
Not on The Label - Felicity Lawrence
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Sixth Lamentation
Miss Garnet's Angel - Salley Vickers
Learning Not to Be First (The Life of Christina Rossetti) - Kathleen Jones
The Secret Purposes - David Badiel
The Voyage of the Narwhal - Andrea Bennett
Collapse - How societies choose to fail or survive - Jared Diamond
Earth and Heaven - Sue Gee
We need to talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling
Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracey Chevalier
The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd
The Diary of a French Herb Garden - Geraldene Holt
Labyrinth - Kate Mosse
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audery Niffenger


Would like to hear from anyone re these or any item on my bookshelf. I'll post overseas if you'll tell me what you thought of the book.