New links

I've added a couple of links this time. One I think you will really appreciate - the phrasal verb dictionary!!!

There is also a site to practice writing formal letters on. I'm sure you will learn a lot of relevant vocabulary and it also is good practice for the English in Use part of the exam.

Finally, under homework I suggest a place to collect language, especially for writing. I actually have opened such a place and would like you to have a look at it - the CAE wiki.
Could you imagine using it? Would you also add to it so others could profit from what you already have? Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the great book reviews! You can always send them to me to correct first, and I can post them to the blog for you, but you can also try doing it yourself. I'll gladly help you if you need it.

But now...
Harry Potter is about to come out in German. The bookstores are no longer allowed to stay open until midnight. What do you think about this restriction? Would you go to a bookstore at midnight just to get the newest Harry Potter? Or any other book, for that matter?

by the way, my son keeps askingme who died. He's convinced it's Hermione. I'm not telling ;-)

The Body – a story by Stephen King

The body – a story by Stephen King

The Body is a story which tends to horrify you, and while you are reading sometimes the hair stands on end.
The story is about Gordie Lanchance and his three friends and starts with descriptions about their not so convenient family lives. They live in neighbourhood in a quite small town, all the families struggle with problems and the boys have to find their own way, neither without any support from theirs parents nor from their siblings. To be honest, these boys aren’t angels and are always ready for adventure. When they hear about a dead body in the forest they go to look for it.
The way through the forest and into the dump, the special meeting with Milo Pressman and his enormous, cruel and ugly dog is without any doubt not a walk.
When they find at the bottom a single, pale, white hand, they discover how cruel the world can be. Moreover, it seems to be the end of the world when a horrible storm brews over the earth, when the elderly gang find them and threaten all the four boys.
But it seems that they grow up in a few minutes, they are brave and aren’t intimidated by this grown-up clique. After a serious argument, it is clear nothing would be like before – the dead body has changed their lives for ever.
Not without any regret the story stopped by telling how the lives from the four boys would continue and I can assure that not anyone’s live is a walk in the park.

Stephen King demonstrates once more he is the master of horror.
There are several versions of books with this title, from Easystarts to Advanced.
I have chosen the Upper Intermediate Level and so it was easy reading, exciting and sometimes thrilling.
I can really recommend this book.

Agi

Your favorite website for learning English

I keep adding sites for you to use to practice your English. So now, what do you think of them? Are there any really practical ones you've found? You can leave a comment with the link, or, even better, write a post and tell us why you tink it is so useful.

Or maybe you think there is something missing. Do you recommend a completely new one? Is there a topic you want to see right away? Let us know.

oh, and of course, we're always interested in books you've read and films you've seen.
I really liked the newest (and last :-( ) Harry Potter. It was an easy read and I finished it in the holiday. I won't give it away, but I can tell you this much: it was a very appropriate ending. Would those of you who have read it agree?

Happy Birthday Fränzi

And she even came to class on her birthday!!!!!

Here is my review!

Donna Leon, BLOOD FROM A STONE

Thwack, thwack, thwack...the African bag-seller cried and sprawled to the ground beside his bags. Why was this illegal immigrant murdered? Where are the diamonds from, which Brunetti found in an apartment of the vu cumpra? But although his superior Patta doesn't allow him to make inquiries, the commissario discovers that matters of great value are at stake in the immigrant community.

But if you expect an action-packed thriller, you will be disappointed. Nevertheless, Donna Leon's BLOOD FROM A STONE is a gripping story. Till the last chapter the reader tries to find out what really happened.

As usual, the charming and thoughtful comissario Brunetti is in top form, at his office and at home. I did enjoy how Leon describes familiar situations by Brunettis. Even if it should be the first story from commissario Brunetti you read, you think to know everybody, his wife Paola, his children Chiara and Raffi and his workmates.