I love discussing books and ideas, and I am dedicated to helping Booktalk grow -- we have had quite a few new members recently, and I am delighted about it.

If you are new to Booktalk and feel a little confused, know that this has happened to others before you: Chris has to pack a lot of information on the home page, and after a while you will understand how everything works and be able to navigate the entire site easily.

In the mean time, don't hesitate to ask questions. I'll be happy to answer them, and you'll find that other people in the different forums will be helpful too. There is an e-mail link to me as a moderator, and you can also send me a private message (pm).

One feature that I would like to see utilized more is the BookTalk Chat Room. The link to enter the chat room is situated in the left sidebar of the home page. If you see that I am currently browsing the forums, it means that I am also available for a casual chat. All you need to do is go into the chatroom and I should be able to recognize the little music that accompanies somebody entering the chatroom.

I would also like to attract more attention to the "Fiction Book Suggestions & Polls" forum. As we discuss our current fiction selections, we also need to think of the next selection, so we need your input about what books you'd like to read and discuss, and your comments about the other books that have been suggested. Just follow the general guidelines for suggesting books, and then remember to check back with this forum from time to time.

Naturally, I am available for questions and feedback about the forums I moderate.

If you want to read more about me, I am writing a journal about immigration and current affairs in France in the "Introduce Youself" forum.

I have also just begun writing about French books I like (in the "Additional Fiction Book Discussions" forum.).

Happy reading and discussing everybody!