Looks like I'm the first this month, so I'll get it started. I have finished reading Trapped by Edmund Plante, This was an OK book, but it was more mysterious than thrilling. I liked that there were chapters written from the point of view of the aliens, giving a different perspective than we would otherwise have had. It is ironic that the aliens appeared 'evil' to the humans, when they were merely doing to us what we have done to countless other species. I wonder if this was the author's intent? Trapped is certainly worth reading once, but I wouldn't read it twice.

Next up for me, on top of the others that I'm still reading, is The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke.

I have just finished reading Twisted by Jonathan Kellerman, the last of the Kellerman books which I received and, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. It was not an Alex Delaware book, but featured Petra Connor who appears peripherally in the Delaware books and starred nerdy genius and intern, Isaac Gomez.

The story revolves around a series of cold cases, murders which have taken place on 28th June every year for six years and with the clock winding up it is a race against time to find the killer before he murders again. Good stuff !!

Message edited by its author, Aug 1, 2009, 3:46am.

Finished (late last night, so it should go in the July thread, but I can't be bothered tracking down that thread now) The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen. Autobiographical essays about all sorts of things, but mostly about adolescence and growing up in America's heartland in the 1970s. I was a bit worried he was going to be an Angry Young Man, but it turns out he's remarkably normal. I enjoyed this book very much. (Of his fiction, I've only read The Corrections, and I did rather like that although it was rather black. My mum hated it.)

Now, as part of my "Six Degrees" challenge, I should be moving onto The Year of Magical Thinking as I owe that to froggirlwendy at the Oz VBB and both it and The Discomfort Zone are autobiographical, but I've been rather distracted by Sarah Waters' Affinity which is another brilliant Victorian pastiche of a romp. I'll get onto The Year of Magical Thinking as soon as I've finished Waters' novel.

I finished re-reading Trojan Gold by Elizabeth Peters last night. I have read it before and usually don't really like the Vicky Bliss books but after all the death and disaster of the Jonathan Kellermsn books it came as a nice relaxed read.

I have now started on Slay Ride by Dick Francis which I probably read in the dim and distant past but I can't remember it at all, so far ...

Message edited by its author, Aug 3, 2009, 3:21am.

I'm ecstatic - just found a little street in Chiang Mai that has about five different secondhand bookshops,with prices ranging from around $3 to $10 (with half the price refunded if returned within a month). Yippee! Now I know I can live in this town!

On the reading side, things have been a little slow. All the activity leaves me too exhausted to read much. I left Farewell to Arms in Sydney because it was too boring to justify the 150g (sad to say!). I've started God Bless You, Mr Rosewater but haven't got very far. Probably needs to be read in more than five minute slots.

wookiebender - I loved The Year of Magical Thinking, but can understand how Sarah Waters could completely steal the show.

Hey, great to hear from you, Miss-Owl. Glad you got there safely, and found the bookshops (and the internet access of course). :D

I've finished Sacred Country today. Great book, as I find all of Rose Tremain's are. I love her writing, and the books themselves are all so varied . . . you never know quite what you're in for. But thus far I have yet to be disappointed. Sacred Country is, for much of the book, a profoundly sad read. But it's not really depressing - there are moments of light, of hope, of humour, and even of happiness. There's also a heap of very richly drawn characters, each with their own story. It's a book to make you think.

Next up is Old Filth by Jane Gardam.

I've just finished Kate Wilhelm's Skeletons, a mystery/thriller and very different to her sci-fi/clone tale Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang which I read and enjoyed a few months ago.

next up I'm reading Michael Jackson's autiobiography, Moonwalk (originally published in 1988). If anyone would like to read it after me, let me know.

Message edited by its author, Aug 3, 2009, 7:42pm.

I just started Spooks: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach. (Thanks pinkozcat.) I'm passing it on to crimson-tide for the OZ VBB, and I'd been looking for an excuse to start it.

Message edited by its author, Aug 16, 2009, 1:11am.

Oooh, livrecache, I just finished Affinity last night and was wishing I had a copy of Spook to re-read (I borrowed a library copy a year or two ago). It'd be interesting to revisit the section on the Victorian mediums (media?) after my little gothic novel. Must see if I can track it down at the library again.

I did love Affinity. I'd heard (somewhere??) that it was her weakest, but I thought it was brilliant. Maybe a bit too silly at times, but I enjoyed myself immensely from start to finish.

crimson-tide, I'm of two minds over Rose Tremain. Music and Silence was a magnificent book (full stars), but I just couldn't get into The Colour (and I tried twice). I do have many of her other titles, so I should give her another go. Restoration or The Road Home maybe?

Miss-Owl, nice to see you found the bookshop. :) Do let us know if you need anything sent over anyhow. And I'm a bit nervous of starting The Year of Magical Thinking because of the whole death & grieving. I can deal with it in novels (I actually rather like a well done sad book), but in reality, it can be a bit overwhelming and raw. But I'm a few pages in now, and haven't started sobbing, so I may be alright...

But Mr TQD went to the library yesterday (without kids! without me!) and came back with a stack of graphic novels. One of Bill Wallingham's "Fable" ones too (highly recommended to him by a mate, so he was most surprised when I pounced on it and put it in my TBR stack with cries of "freelunch recommended these!" - sometimes it's like a whole different language, I guess). And I quickly read Houdini: The Handcuff King which he'd picked out for me ever since I confessed to a childhood love of the escape artist. It was a fairly simple (in art, as well as in story) retelling of his famous escape from handcuffs and shackles while plunging to certain death into a river in Boston in the middle of winter. (Brrr.) Not a great read (I do like a layer of strangeness, and this was all very straightforward), but nicely done.

I finished To Kill a Mocking Bird! I was so thrilled that I found it as good as everyone says it is.
Just finished The Bookseller of Kabul which was more of a sad family saga then anything to do about selling books. A very misleading title.
About to start another 1001 book Death in Venice at only 70 pages I hope to knock it off tonight and then start on Life a User's Manual which looks very good.

wookiebender, I haven't read The Colour but have heard a number of people say that they weren't that taken by it. Interesting that it is the only one of hers to make the 1001 list (the 2006 version - it was removed in the 2008 edition).

Music and Silence was the first of hers I've read and I too thought it was brilliant. I also enjoyed Restoration, and one other (I think, but can't remember the name). I'll be tackling The Road Home very soon as the bookring copy is sitting here waiting for me. It won the Orange Prize in 2008, and for me that is a pretty good recommendation . . . much better than relying on the Booker I reckon.

I'm slightly more tempted by Restoration because it's period, and it's about a terribly lush period of English history. But that Orange Prize recommendation is always a great one, too!

I've also got (according to LT, and it's pretty accurate) The Way I Found Her and Evangelista's Fan (short stories). Most were donated to my shelves by a friend who had been given them (hardback!) and didn't want to keep them.

ETA: KimB, I have Life: A User's Manual on my shelves, and every time I see it all I can think is "what was I thinking???". It's GINORMOUS, and it looks bloody challenging. It's going to take quite a bit of psyching myself up before I read it.

Message edited by its author, Aug 3, 2009, 11:37pm.

I have finished The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke. I still have not decided whether or not I liked this novel. The characters were quite flat and the story un-engaging, and there were loads of seemingly unnecessary boring bits of commentary. However, there were some interesting observations and viewpoints expressed, as well as some interesting conceptions for the future of mankind. For me, the best aspect of the book was Kali. A rather small percentage of the story actually takes place on Kali, yet her presence is felt. Through all the flashbacks and commentaries we feel the ominous, brooding presence that is Kali, lending a sense of doom to the entire novel. This book is difficult to classify. I'm afraid readers will simply have to judge for themselves.

Still reading Illustrated Anthology of Sorcery, Magic and Alchemy

This is probably a silly question, but what are the green ticks beside some of the touchstone works?

I think the green ticks mean that you also have that book in your library.

KimB's quite right. I use it as a quick glance to see if the thread is about books I've read (the more green ticks, the more I can contribute!), and to add in books that I know I've read and are listed there, but I may not actually own (or which live in a bookshelf I'm yet to catalogue).

There used to be a couple of very useful links that would appear when you clicked on the title in the touchstone list, but they've gone missing for me (using FF3). One would highlight all the mentions of the book in the thread, the other would take you to the book's page. It's a shame, and I really should go and check the bug collectors' messages to see if it's a known issue...

Restoration was one of my contributions to the OZ VBB. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As c-t says, Tremain covers so much ground, and she does it well. I really like Sacred Country which must have a bookring – possibly the same one c-t has. The Way I Found Her was the first Tremain I read, some years ago, and it's quite startling different again. The Colour didn't grab me, but Music and Silence was wonderful and I kind of regret passing it on.

By the way (casual boast here), I'm going to the APA educational book awards tomorrow lunchtime because the first book I published has been shortlisted for an award.

Message edited by its author, Aug 16, 2009, 1:14am.

If anyone is interested I thought I would start a bookray for The colour. Only one participant so far. Please either contact me through here or send me a message on bookcrossing if you would like to join.

livrecache, cool boast! Have a wonderful time, I hope it's fun!

Working my way through the pile of graphic novels brought home by Mr TQD and tonight polished off Point Blank, the second "Alex Rider" graphic novel adaptation of the book series. Thing. Whatsit. Oh, you know what I mean.

Another spiffing adventure, definitely too old for Mr Bear (death! torture! teenage rebellion!), but I do hope he likes them when he's older. And in the meantime, I'll just work my way through the back catalogue...

Having hideous problems adding it to my catalogue however! Have given up being able to solve it myself, and have posted over with the Bug Collectors. Damn it, first time this site has failed me!

I have just finished Slay-Ride by Dick Francis.

It was a good book and one which I hadn't read before. I'm not sure how I missed it earlier as it was published in 1973. And I found it on a remainders table; a bit sad really ...

My last post took about an hour to appear and I couldn't pursuade the site that I had already read this months Group Reading Log.

It is not you, wookiebender, it is the site itself. I had a problem earlier when I tried to download a bookcover. It didn't want to let me and I took ages to bring up the edit page.

And the mysterious problem has vanished overnight. (As did my bug collectors post, which had me swearing at the computer last night! I spent a good 20 minutes composing that message! Argh!) Maybe it was a local caching issue, and I just needed to try from a different computer (but I did logout/in, clear my cache, delete the book and re-add it...).

Oh well, first time I had any serious hiccups, so they're still doing well in my book!

ETA: The Year of Magical Thinking is most excellent! The grief is rather raw, but it's wonderfully written and about such a basic human need and emotion. Why has no one every written a book like this before? (Actually, they probably have, and I just haven't read it.)

Message edited by its author, Aug 4, 2009, 9:29pm.

#22 > The touchstone links still won't work for me. Strange.

Sorry, crimson-tide, the touchstone links are still not working (haven't for months, I really must post over in Bug Collectors). But I can now edit the book I added last night. Last night, it was in some sort of strange limbo where the site knew I'd added it, but not really. (If I searched all my books, I couldn't find it. But if I clicked from the author link, there it was. Go figure.)

Ack, too much pottering on LT today, not enough working!!

As well as reading Spooks: Science Tackles the Afterlife , I'm also reading Sea of Poppies.
But why I'm really posting is to say that the APA award for a single book (rather than being part of a series) was won by our team (I was the project manager for it). I'm still amazed.

Thanks for the info on the ticks. I thought it might be something like that, but some of the books are on my wishlist not my library. I guess the ticks haven't caught up with collections yet lol.

Anyhoo, I have finished reading The Encyclopedia of Immaturity. This book is filled with tricks, pranks jokes and trivia. Some are worth reading, others not so much. I'll tell you one thing, though. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when some of these pranks were played on unsuspecting parents! At times boring, but mostly funny. Your kids will love it!

I am still reading Illustrated Anthology of Sorcery, Magic and Alchemy and I may start another book tomorrow since I have to go out & that's too big and heavy to take along. Don't know what yet, though.

livrecache, congratulations!! Don't be amazed, be proud. :)

yes, congratulations livrecache!

I've finished Moonwalk and found it much more enjoyable that I expected to. Its a shame there'll never be a second volume.

next up for me: Closed Circle

wtg, livrecache! You show 'em girl. :D

Congrats, livrecache! Soak it up :)

I also like the diversity of the books you're reading.

... As am I, I guess... God Bless You, Mr Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut and Chaucer's The Wife of Bath. Guess which one is for teaching -!

I'm glad you liked The Year of Magical Thinking, wookiebender. Other reviews I read found it a bit cerebral & detached, even in the process of grieving - but I had a similar experience to you.

Btw, I saw Coraline on the plane over. Is it out in Australia yet?

Coraline opens today - I took my son to see a 'preview screening' last weekend. liked it a lot, though it was VERY different to the book.

Hi there everyone

Back from my travels - still trying to update my reviews here and on my blog of the seven books I read while I was away - but am now reading Zipporah, Wife of Moses by Marek Halter, and The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman.

I saw Coraline the movie as well - have to say I preferred the book to the movie

I finished The Year of Magical Thinking and I thought it was a great book. Possibly even a necessary book, being so open about grief while we live in an age where death is sanitised and grief is somehow embarrassing.

And I finished reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to Mr Bear last night! It's only been six months since we started! (I do have to say the final chapter laid on the religion rather thick, but Mr Bear was too tired to really care about Aslan appearing as a lamb etc.) And I introduced him to Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day since he's hit a phase of "worst day of my life!!!". It's up to him which chapter book we choose next, but I'm hoping for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

And now I'm reading Opportunity by Charlotte Grimshaw for my ANZ Literature reading group. It's a collection of interweaved short stories, and won the premier NZ literary award last year. I've read the first two stories and haven't been grabbed as yet, but I can see the threads starting to interweave, and that's always intriguing stuff...

Was that the first of the Narnia series that Mr Bear has encountered? Me being me, I read them sequentially as soon as I could read chapter books. I still love them, despite the heavy-handed religious allegory.

It's the third. We've been reading them in movie order (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Dawn Treader), but are now far ahead since the movie adaptation isn't coming out until next Xmas! I'd probably go for The Silver Chair next, but I do have to admit my memory of the order of the series is very muddled.

They are probably a bit too old for him as well, I do have to explain lots. But it's all about snuggling up in bed, really. :)

The copies I'm reading him are the copies I had when I was a child. And when Mr TQD asked what was so wrong with the final book (he's not read any of them), I was in tears when I tried to explain how they all died and it was so completely wrong (and Su-su-su-san doesn't get to goooooo! etc) and I was never going to read that one to Mr Bear. So I think I'm still rather in love with the series myself. (Or I have issues.) But I am finding the religious side of it chock full of sledge hammer subtlety, which I never noticed as a child. I think I'm mainly noticing now because I do have to explain what I'm reading to him sometimes (he was too tired to care last night, so I actually skimmed a number of paragraphs and just gave him the abbreviated version).

What about The Magician's Nephew, wookiebender? I don't think Lewis wrote that till afterwards, but I believe it's the prequel to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Don't know if they ever plan a movie of that one, but it would be interesting.

Oh, I think I read The Magician's Nephew first! It is the prequel (it's about the start of Narnia and how the White Witch got there), but I was going along with the movies. (Undermining Star Wars, to be frank. ;) Not sure when I'll introduce it to Mr Bear. I like it, but so many of my friends when I was a kid thought it was the boring one.

Okay, back to my reading. Finished the graphic novel Fables: Storybook Love and while some of the stories didn't grab me 100%, I loved the concept and the characters and will be tracking down others in the series.

I'm still reading Opportunity for the ANZ literature bookgroup, but I can't say it's grabbing me very much. The characters are all just too unpleasant and while each story is written from a different character each time, the "voice" doesn't change at all. But there is an interesting thread interlinking all the stories that I want to know more about... But since it's the weekend, I wanted something fluffier to read so I'm also now reading The Household Guide to Dying. (This also follows on from The Year of Magical Thinking for my "Six Degrees" challenge.)

I have just finished The Silent Pool by Patricia Wentworth which is a nice quiet country-house murder mystery starring Miss Silver.

Such a nice change from the modern day psychopaths and serial killers, this book was first published in 1956.

I have started reading Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen and I really MUST settle down and finish Mother of God: a history of the Virgin Mary. I can only read it in small bites because it makes me angry. But a friend wants to borrow it so I need to hurry up and get it out of the way.

#38 I read The Magician's Nephew first too. I didn't think it was boring at all.

I am really enjoying Sea of Poppies, which I am now properly reading after distracting myself with My Name is Will. Thanks so much Miss-Owl!

Message edited by its author, Aug 8, 2009, 10:49pm.

The Magician's Nephew is my favourite Narnia book. I was most disappointed when they didn't film it first.

Message edited by its author, Aug 9, 2009, 3:04am.

Favourite Narnia book: The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe - It was the one I read first. So I'm pretty happy with that one having been filmed first ;-)
It wasn't until all the hype of the movie came out that I found out about the christian connotations. My brother refused to see the movie on principle! I thought that was taking atheism a bit too far - a bit like see too much of the devils ways in Donald Duck. He had never read the books as a child, although, he was a devotee of Donald Duck comics, now I can understand where his teenage heavy metal tendancies came from :-)
How's that for a 6 degrees of seperation link! Maybe I'm making more of a quantum leap.
38 Speaking of the 6 degrees challenge I do really like the way you are linking them WB. I must get back to that.
39 I do really enjoy Carl Hiaasen's books pinkozcat, although, it's been a while since I read them so I get many of the stories muddled now.
40. livrecache, how are you finding Sea of Poppies? That is my favourite, so far, from the 2008 bookers challenge.

I'm trying to finish off Death in Venice, a tiny book, but not one I can seem to focus on. Looking forward to Blood of Flowers which I think I'll read first before tackling Life: A User's Manual.

Finished Old Filth, which I thought was a good story well done. Next will be The Bluest Eye.

Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only "freak" who enjoyed The Magician's Nephew. I shall say pshaw! to all my old school mates who reckoned it was boring. :)

And I'm completely unable to focus on anything at the moment. So I started yet another book this evening - Henning Mankell's Faceless Killers, the first Kurt Wallander mystery. At least this one seems to be keeping me focussed, even if I am rolling my eyes on occasion with its heavy-handed clunky language. (Similar to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, so maybe it's common to Nordic murder mysteries.)

ETA: KimB, Donald Duck and heavy metal??

Message edited by its author, Aug 9, 2009, 7:29am.

I've just finished Closed Circle. I don't have much experience with mysteries - I discovered Robert Goddard through bookcrossing and I've now read several of his books, all of which have been great fun.

next I'm back to bookrings with Will The Vampire People Please Leave The Lobby?

Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? was a fun read. I helped run a popular Internet forum/community in the late 90s/early 00s and it is surprising how many of the author's stories parallel my own experiences.

next up I'm reading Dead Until Dark, despite being advised not to read it before watching True Blood. I need something for my bookcrossing basket at work and I think it'll fit the bill (and hopefully my mood)

Why did they say not to read Dead Until Dark before the TV series? I read the first book (can't say I was that impressed) but am very interested in the TV series.

I got Persepolis in the mail last night on a bookring (Miss-Owl, you're on this ring too, you may want to let Carole888 know you're no longer in the country! http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6810...) and read it overnight so I could pass it onto Fleebo at bookdrinks tonight. (She, in turn, forgot she was on the ring and had sourced another copy elsewhere, so it's moving along to the next reader...)

It was an excellent read, highly recommended. Forgive me while I just cut'n'paste my bookcrossing review here (it's late, and I want to go to bed):

A simply marvelous book.

I'd seen the movie when it came out, and absolutely loved it. While my memory of it is a bit hazy now, this seemed a remarkably faithful adaptation.

I found the plight of the family incredibly moving: their lives, work and family are all in Iran, but they can see this isn't a good place for Marjane to grow up. But to send their only daughter to Europe on her own was just heartbreaking. I did shed a tear or two while I read some of her adventures. And her honesty in retelling what she went through made this an exceptional book.

I am always affected by people who end up "between" countries. In Europe, she was an Iranian. But when she returns to Iran, she's seen as a decadent westerner.

And everyone deserves a Grandma like her Grandma. She rocked.

#47 because I'd enjoy the TV series less if I went into it with expectations based on the book. that might happen, but I'm prepared to risk it :)

Well, I didn't like the book much, so I don't think your expectations would be too high. :) The TV series does sound fab though.

Finished Death in Venice well written but a bit tedious on the plot side of things. Enjoyed The Blood of Flowers great brain candy, an engrossing tale.

A case of Exploding Mangoes has arrived and I dont think I can resist it so I'm off to have an early night.

Thanks, wookiebender, for the reminder. I'm sad I don't get to read Persepolis. Was really looking forward to it, too! Forgot it was just an OZ-NZ ring.

Finally finished God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Finding that I'm so tired these days that I just collapse into bed & fall asleep. So I'm doubling up on my review too, from BC:

A whimsical read. Took me some time to get into its episodic nature, but then I really enjoyed its sprinkling of sardonic humour over a skewer of satire of Western civilisation in the late C20th.

Next up: The Namesake, courtesy of freelunch's RABCK for July. Thank you!

Miss-Owl, do try and source a copy of Persepolis to read later! It was wonderful. (Mr TQD's reading it now, and enjoying it. Must buy my own copy...)

I finished Faceless Killers last night, and enjoyed it (some clunkiness of writing aside). It really reminded me of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - set in Sweden, simmering violence, racism, occasional clunky writing. I'm beginning to think the insane detail of mundanities in these books is something to do with the swedish psyche. Probably explains Ingar Bergman movies as well.

Back to The Household Guide to Dying for the weekend...

I watched 'The Beach' (nostalgic reasons) last night, which has sent me back to re-reading The Beach by Alex Garland because I'd forgotten how much I retained from the book, and I enjoy comparing (some) films against the original book (and vice versa). Nearly finished, and then I'll be back to Sea of Poppies which I seem to be struggling with.

Dead Until Dark was good fun - I'm looking forward to True Blood even more now, and to continuing with the Sookie Stackhouse books.

back to bookrings with Louis Nowra's "Ice"

#54> I know, I know. I'm just far too fussy about my vampire fiction (and movies). Other people like them...

People at work are obsessed by True Blood. They talk about it to the extent that I feel I don't need to know any more.

56> I don't talk TV with anyone so I can keep most things spoiler-free since we don't get around to watching some series until years after they are first broadcast.

55> I can think of better too, but I've read a lot worse :)

Finished The Bluest Eye and now starting Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.

The Doomsday Book by Connnie Willis is one of my all-time favourite books, crimson-tide. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

I just finished I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti. I have to think about it for a while before I comment.

Message edited by its author, Aug 16, 2009, 1:09am.

The Doomsday Book is quite brilliant. It's one of the rare books I make time for a re-read every now and then. I like a few of her other books as well, but nothing is as good as Doomsday.

livrecache, I was impressed by I'm Not Scared when I read it a few years ago, but I can't remember details now. It was pretty frightening stuff, from (vague) memory.

Mr Bear & I finished The Twits last night. Jubby had previously lent a copy of it to me (being totally shocked that I'd never read it) and I was underwhelmed, reading it as an adult (I never got into Roald Dahl as a child). However, reading it to a six year old was fabulous fun, he really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed creating silly voices for Mr and Mrs Twit and grossing the small one out with descriptions of worms in spaghetti, etc. :)

I tried for the second time (because it was given to me for my birthday) to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time but still found it very trying and again gave up. The other book I received for my birthday was Cockroach by Rawi Hage in which the narrator was obsessed by sex and micturation so I didn't finish that one either. I generally bypass anything which has won a literary prize ...

To take the taste out of my mouth I passed on to Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George, a nice comfortable whodunnit in which I guessed the murderer long before the rest of the cast did.

And now it is back to Mother of God ... I've got until the end of September to finish it.

>60: Yes livrecache, it is actually your copy (or one of your copies) I am reading. You gave it ten stars (a la BC rating) and freelunch gave it nine, and now wookiebender is saying the same thing . . . that's quite some recommendation! I may not want to pass it on as promised when I'm finished. But when I think sensibly and realistically I realise that is very silly. I have hundreds here yet to read, so the chance of it (or any book for that matter) getting a re-read is about zilch! ;-)

As you know, crimson-tide, I often need to re-read books. I don't have your fantastic memory, and I re-read books often for comfort (because I loved them so much) or because I'm a film nut, I'll have to re-read them because (Did I already mention this? I don't have your great memory :)) I have a good visual memory. Then I have to check the book against the film. Or sometimes, when I've fallen in love with a particular author, I like to re-visit (and collect) their ouvre to see how they've developed as a writer.

Pinkozcat, Elizabeth George is one of the few who dunnit novelists, I still feel comfortable with. I don't often guess the perp, but I go along with the characterisation. Same goes for P.D. James, and to a certain extent Michael Connelly.

OTOH, I did like The Curious Dog in the Night-time. I didn't like A Spot of Bother, so don't bother. That's my HO.

I loved The Curious Dog in the Night-time - thought it was fantastic how he managed to get inside that boy's brain.

And for anyone who did enjoy it and who enjoys a good dose of political satire, try reading The Curious Incident of the WMD in Iraq by Rohan Candappa. "Written" by Tony Blair during a certain time when WMD were on the agenda, it is very, very funny. The "What Alistair Said When I Showed Him This Chapter" chapters are brilliant!

I haven't read A Spot of Bother.

I thought The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was a great book. Mr TQD works with intellectually disabled adults, so I had an interest there, and then I found it a complete edge-of-your-seat read at times. One of those rare prize winners that is also compulsively readable. (Unlike many other prize winners that make you wonder what the judges are smoking...)

I recently discovered A Spot of Bother in Mt TBR (last weekend, I completely overhauled it, down from 5 teetering stacks to two less teetering stacks and found all sorts of books buried at the bottom out of sight). A loaner from a workmate, I should get onto it soon! (Meep!)

I'd like to read some Elizabeth George soon. What's a good one to start with? I'm having a bit of a crime (reading) frenzy lately, discovering Henning Mankell, and I've got PD James' Cover Her Face coming through bookmooch (yes, I know, it's out in a nice new Faber Firsts for a mere $15, but I couldn't find them at the local bookshop for some strange reason until after I mooched a copy), not to mention the historical crime novels by Ariana Franklin and Elizabeth Peters. And if only I could find the first Colin Cotterill, I'd be happy (local bookshops seem to be stocking all but the first, and I'm trying to not order in more than one book at a time...).

I'm abandoning Ice. I'm sure many people will enjoy it but I've been dodging reading it all weekend and I don't want to work that hard to have fun.

moving on to The Third Day, The Frost, and I'm also reading The Doctor Who Storybook 2009 (which I started this morning when I couldn't drum up the necessary enthusiasm to open Ice)

Well, freelunch, I'm still looking forward to Ice. It's an intriguing sounding story.

Just finished The Household Guide to Dying, which I thought was very good. Took away 1/2 a star for making me blubber pathetically, however. And have left it on a workmate's desk, with a post-it note at the start of Chapter 42, with "don't read this chapter" on it.

And will be starting Throne of Jade, the second "Temeraire" novel by Naomi Novik. I'm over death and grief as themes in books. Dragons and manly men in tight trousers for me!

>69: But wookiebender, isn't it meant to make you blubber pathetically? And if it is, and you do, then isn't that really worth the extra 1/2 a star??? ;-)

crimson-tide: nope, because I get all mean when I feel emotionally manipulated to that extent. This was more subtle than a Spielberg movie, but I still resented being pushed that far emotionally. (I pay Spielberg back by not crying during his movies, and by eternally calling him "Senor Spielbergo", yet another Simpsons reference.)

Plus, it left me with piggy red eyes, and I've got a very shallow streak.

Oh, forgot to mention, last night Mr Bear & I started reading Death Diamond, the first in the "Dragon Blood Pirates" series (arrrrrr!). Very straightforward chapter books, should knock it off much faster than Narnia! And after we read a few chapters, we folded out the pirate map at the back and had fun finding where our heroes had been.

wookiebender, it's interesting that you see it as emotional manipulation rather than something akin to . . . "the extreme pathos of the tragic events unfolding, the keen characterisation that allows you to identify with the character in question, and the sheer brilliance of the writing . . . " *lol*

But then again, 'piggy red eyes' says a lot! *snort* ;-)

I'll admit to being a real sucker for 'piggy red eyes' over some books and movies. I don't often think of it as manipulation when I'm reading a book, but definitely do sometimes in movies. Interesting.

Yes, movies are generally less subtle than books. But it's all emotional manipulation, and usually I'll go along with it and happily weep gently into my hanky (hello, "Brokeback Mountain", "Underground", "A Star is Born" in movies; and books too numerous to mention), but this crossed a line and went too far and I cried too much and now I'm feeling slightly resentful. (And piggy eyed.)

Oh, I read something by James Patterson - Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas - and it was so blatantly calculated to make readers cry I just loathed it. So it's not just movies that are unsubtle, but I think we generally gravitate towards better quality books!

Enjoying Throne of Jade. Not a single death scene in sight, although some French sailors are about to probably meet their maker...

> 73: Yep, I agree. And I meant to say the same sort of thing . . . as in I tend to stay well away from the obviously manipulatively weepy type of books. But sometimes the second thought in my head just will not stay there long enough while I get the first one out.

See, it's happened again! Edited to add that I'm thoroughly hooked into Doomsday Book and loving it. :D

Message edited by its author, Aug 18, 2009, 9:44am.

I have all but given up on Mother of God. I could cope with conception through her ear and the baby floating down on high after two months.

I can cope with Mary growing up in the temple and being fed on bread, salt and herbs; I can cope with her being given, at the age of thirteen, already pregnant to Joseph who would have given her back except that a voice from 'within' told him that the conception was immanculate, and I can cope with Mary remaining a virgin throughout all this although Joseph went blind. Hairy palms were not mentioned but he probably had those too.

However, what finished it off for me was the assumption by an Irish monk that Jesus grew up in a Christian household and that they were Augustinians.

I will lend it to a friend who grew up a Roman Catholic. It will be interesting to get his slant on the obviously manufactured life history of what was probably a perfectly ordinary woman who gave birth (the normal way) to a rather special and very gifted son.

Mmm, bread, salt and herbs... pinkozcat, you went far further with that book that I ever would have! I think you need your friend to just summarise the salient points for you.

ETA: Yep, crimson-tide, I do that too. Glad you're loving the Doomsday Book!

Message edited by its author, Aug 18, 2009, 8:59pm.

finished The Third Day, The Frost and loved it as much as the first two books in John Marsden's Tomorrow series.

next up: The Good Thief

Message edited by its author, Aug 19, 2009, 12:03am.

I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog inthe Night-Time! So much so, that I obtained a copy from OzVBB to read to my daughter.

I also loved The Magician's Nephew. It was one of my favourite Narnia books!

I think I must have missed something at some point. What is this six degrees challenge everyone keeps referring to?

I have been laid up with flu for a while so I have been reading a few books at the same time to keep my mind active.

I have finished Illustrated Anthology of Sorcery, Magic and Alchemy. This is a very interesting delve into the history of, and attitudes towards, the occult. The chapters dealing with magic and alchemy were interesting, but some parts were a little on the technical side, making them difficult to understand. The chapters dealing with sorcery were my favourites. They were intensely readable, written in simple layman's terms, without being dumbed down, and the content made fascinating reading. While much of this book is written from a Christian perspective, it is not so heavy-handed as to make it hard to ignore. I found this book extremely informative and insightful.

However, even if you have no interest in the subject matter, Illustrated Anthology of Sorcery, Magic and Alchemy is worth perusing just for the wonderful selection of illustrations included. There are over 300, many of the gorgeously intricate plates and artwork, most of them difficult, if not impossible for the average person to access. My only lament is that they are reproduced in black and white - I would have loved to view these beautiful pieces in colour!

This book is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in the occult, alchemy, history or art.

I am now just about finished the following:
How to Be Comfy by Shannon Lush & Jennifer Fleming
The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth by The Earthworks Group
Bite by Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight & Vickie Taylor
Nothing to Lose by Lee Child
Vitamin Q by Roddy Lumsden

fairy-whispers, that's a lot of reading you've been getting through! :)

The "Six Degrees" challenge is basically reading six books in a row, each one linked (somehow) to the next. Some people are insane, and have come up with beginning and ending themes, I'm just going with the flow (and picking up other books in the meantime).

Mine is: Mistress of the Art of Death - linked through Jewish communities to: The Yiddish Policemen's Union - linked through a certain Simpsons episode featuring both Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen to: The Discomfort Zone - linked because they're both memoirs to: The Year of Magical Thinking - linked through death/grief to: The Household Guide to Dying - linked through Australian authors to Jasper Jones.

I haven't started that last one yet, and it's a bit of a naff link considering I'm in Australia and read a fair amount of Oz Lit, but it'll fit with the Global Reading challenge this month (indigenous people), and it's been hovering near the top of Mt TBR for a while, trying to catch my attention.

ETA: The group is at: http://www.librarything.com/groups/minic...

Message edited by its author, Aug 19, 2009, 1:47am.

Interesting, w-b. Just what I need, another complication in my reading life.
I am SO glad that you're enjoying The Doomsday Book, crimson-tide. I would have been devastated if you weren't.
I, who should be reading some bookrings, have fallen prey to Norwegian Wood, which has been lent to me. I'm loving it, so far.
My work has set up a bookshelf swap, and I have been introducing bookcrossing books to it. No one has picked up one of them so far (and I can't be explicit about it, because it's not something a publishing house can actively condone). Anyway, yesterday I found The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I've been meaning to read, and I replaced it with The Looking Glass Wars, which I started but found wasn't for me. Anyone here interested? I can easily substitute it at work with something else.

Thinking on it, I don't know about the 'Six Degrees' thing. I am way too spontaneous in my reading for any sort of theme to develop.

Thanks WB.That sounds like an interesting challenge. When I finish all those books on my list, I might give it a try - nothing official, just for fun :-)

I have finished reading How to be Comfy. I moved out of home when I was very young and knew very little about housekeeping. Therefore, I find books about how to clean and decorate incredibly helpful. How to be Comfy is the best book I've read so far in this genre (I haven't read Spotless or Speedcleaning yet, but I sure will be now!). It is packed full of helpful tips about how to make your home a place you you want to spend time rather than just the place you sleep and eat.

In addition to the main text, there are hint and tip boxes which are very helpful, and some interesting little peeks into cleaning in days gone by. I found the tips on how to iron interesting and the entire section on choosing and storing food was incredibly helpful - up to now I'd just been guessing (wrongly in some cases).

This book is a must-have in any home and I will be obtaining it for my personal collection.

Interesting, w-b. Just what I need, another complication in my reading life.

*snorfle* It's been rather easy (the way I do it anyhow: not picking a theme, and reading other books in between) and it's also challenged me to pick some books off the bottom of Mt TBR (tangled metaphor there!). It was great reading Yiddish Policemen and The Discomfort Zone because I was pretty sure I'd like them when I bought them *mumble* years ago now, but had never made the effort. And I managed to work in the book I had to read for the Oz VBB (now to get around to actually posting it off!).

The worst part is, I keep on seeing links back to books I'd already read! Affinity, Spook by Mary Roach, and What I Loved would have made a brilliant trio to read together. But you don't know that until after you've read them, which makes it hard to plan these things!

I have finished reading Nothing to Lose by Lee Child. This was an OK book. The characters were well written, but a little cliched - the drifter who used to be a cop blowing into town just in time to save the world and emotionally rescue the small-town female cop with a tragedy in her past. I also found parts of this book a bit MacGyver-ish for my taste. After all, who repeatedly bats heads with fanatical terrorists bent on kick-starting Armageddon and still comes out on top? The other thing that annoyed me about this book was the strong political message contained within. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with books that have a moral to the story - but could we be a little more subtle about it?

If you can look past the faults, this is an enjoyable story. However, it is not one I'll be reading twice.

Hey wookiebender, I just read a passage in an online review of Muriel Spark's biography - and it made me think of our previous discussion. Thought you (and others) may appreciate it:
"I like purple passages in my life," Muriel Spark once told an interviewer. "I like drama. But not in my writing. I think it's bad manners to inflict a lot of emotional involvement on the reader - much nicer to make them laugh and to keep it short."

Well, I wouldn't say it's "bad manners" - how terribly English! - but that's a great quote. I've never read anything by Muriel Spark, maybe I should rectify that...

And I do like a nice gentle weepy book, but I'm just feeling like I've been through an emotional wringer with Household Guide and Magical Thinking (still not in the post! I forgot to copy down her address, d'oh!) almost back-to-back.

Much happier with Throne of Jade where the death count is alarmingly high (one minor character just got bit in half by a curmudgeonly sea serpent), but the grief is remarkably short (throw the remains overboard, continue with the biffo). I'll be back onto serious literature one day, but just not yet, this is far too much fun.

ETA: I have read one of her books! I'd forgotten she'd written The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. That was a bit of fun, I shall keep my eyes open for others of hers now.

Message edited by its author, Aug 20, 2009, 11:39pm.

I have given up on Mother of God. It makes me so angry to read about the faked history compiled by the early Christian fathers and foisted onto poor gullible people who were unable to read and therefore had to believe what they were told by their priests.

I have come to the conclusion that the unfortunate Mary was elevated to 'Star' status by celebate men who needed a glamourous female figurehead to keep them on the straight and narrow path to heaven.

So now I am reading The Birthday Present by Ruth Rendell masquerading as Barbara Vine. I normally avoid Rendell but her name was in the small print and, so far, I am quite enjoying it.

I have finished reading The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth by The Earthworks Group. This book concentrates mainly on America and it would be nice to see more Australian content. Despite that, this book is well-written - simple for kids to understand without being boring for adults to read. It is filled with fascinating facts and helpful tips. As an adult, even I learned a lot from this book. I particularly like the inclusion of websites for us to look up further information. This is a great resource for parents and teachers because there are loads of activities and experiments to do with kids. Whether you believe the argument for global warming or not, most people cannot deny that we are damaging the environment in many areas and overusing the world's resources. This book can shows us dozens of ways to reduce our impact on the Earth, leading healthier lives and saving money in the process. The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth is a great addition to any bookshelf.

I have just finished Lost by Michael Robotham. Now I am reading The Xenocide Mission by Ben Jeapes. It is a YA Science Fiction book - with planets, space Stations and Alien critters. I picked it up solely for its title - I needed an X title for my alphabet challenge - but I am enjoying it :)

My other read is The thing around your Neck a book of short stories by the wonderful Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

I woke up early this morning so I got up and finished reading The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine.

It was a suspense book with only an incidental murder but primarily the story started with the accidental death of the mistress of a very ambitious politician and his coverup so that the press would not get hold of his connection to the death and the subsequent escalation of events.

The only problem I had with it was that there were a couple of narrators with no indication which one had taken centre stage. It was easy enough to work it out but would have been so easy to put the name at the top of the chapter.

I had a lot of escapist reading this weekend:

I finished Norwegian Wood and nearly went straight on to Kafka on the Shore but I realised bookrings were calling so I went on to:
Addition which should have been chick lit, but was a bit more intelligent than that.
The Memory Room, which I'm only part way through. The author has irritated me by setting the Hobart of the 1950s in the 1970s, but we're out of Hobart now, so I can relax.

I now have to add The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to my wishlist.

I have just ordered Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam which won The Age book of the year. Sounds very not fun.

Didn't get anything read on the weekend (caught up with friends face-to-face instead, how shocking), but woke up this morning with a head full of cotton wool. Which meant I spent the day in bed, finishing Throne of Jade (not as much fun as the first - lots of action, but the plot felt like it was going nowhere much; I'm putting that down to it being the second in a series and will get #3 when I get the chance - it was fun, but was lacking in certain elements that would have made it an excellent read as well), and starting and finishing a bookring: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. (One of those rings that turns up unexpectedly, because I forgot to note it was coming...)

It was cute, but a bit sentimentally twee at times, so I'm feeling like getting back into serious literature (already?? after only two trashy books??). I picked up Jasper Jones by Australian author Craig Silvey - not sure how "serious" it's going to be, but it's got a very good beginning.

Jasper Jones is brilliant. You'll laugh and you'll cry. Have you read Rhubarb by Craig Silvey - his first novel? He is one of my favourite authors and both books are brilliant. I loved Rhubarb and so had high expectations for Jasper Jones ... although it wasn't as serious the humour in it is great and it's a brilliant read. I hope you love it as much as I did. I'm ready to re-read it and I only read it a few months ago.

** Clearly too early in the morning as the only adjective I can think of is 'brilliant'! - just realised I used it three times! hehe. =) But it's true.

Message edited by its author, Aug 24, 2009, 7:17pm.

#93> Yes, I am really enjoying Jasper Jones - it's beautifully written, hits every "true" nerve I have, and is really quite funny to boot, although I know there will be tears at some stage as well. I will be pushing this book on people, if it keeps this level of excellence up.

I haven't read Rhubarb, but by about page 20 of JJ I was thinking I should probably track it down...

And I think Craig Silvey has been listening in on some of my conversations. Charlie's opinions about Superman are exactly what I was expousing on a different site not that long ago. Only far better expressed.

I've just finished The Good Thief and liked it a lot. Author Hannah Tinti is currently participating in a LibraryThing Author Chat. I really must start making a note of where I hear about books, I'm not usually big on historical fiction and it wasn't a bookcrossing book so someone must have told me about it...

next up: Blooded, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel. I mooched, traded or otherwise acquired an almost complete collection of original Buffy novels a couple of years ago. It seemed like a good idea at the time, now I better make time to read them.

Message edited by its author, Aug 24, 2009, 9:22pm.

At the moment I am reading Knit Two by Kate Jacobs which is the sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club.

It is of the 'older women bonding' genre and I must say that I am getting a run for my money. So far we have had miscarriage, both threatened and complete, menopause, geriatric sex, death, petulant teenagers, uncontrollable small children, infertility, ungrateful adult children etc ... and I am only up to page 82.

Message edited by its author, Aug 24, 2009, 10:12pm.

I have finished reading Bite. Those who like vampire fiction will love this book. Bite is an anthology of short stories from some of the genres best authors. The included stories are:

• 
  The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death by Laurell K. Hamilton This is the story of a Vampire Hunter hired to find a seventeen year old girl, before her vampire boyfriend is able to give her that fatal third bite.


• 
  One Word Answer by Charlaine Harris A small-town woman is given the opportunity to decide the fate of her vampire cousin's murderer.


• 
  Biting in Plain Sight by MaryJanice Davidson This is my pick for second place. A vampire lives peacefully as a small-town vet, until a rogue vampire begins luring young girls into killing themselves. It is up to her to put a stop to it, with the help of a reluctant vampire Queen.


• 
  Galahad by Angela Knight My favourite story in this collection. Welcome to a whole new mythology where Arthur and his knights are actually vampires, created by Merlin (an inter-stellar traveller) to keep order in the world.


• 
  Blood Lust by Vickie Taylor This is my pick for third place. Join a scientist in his quest to become a vampire in order to wreak his revenge on the vampire thief of his formula for synthetic blood.

I am still relatively new to vampire fiction, so most of these author's are new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed these stories, however, and I will most certainly be delving deeper into this genre.

I've read too much good YA-lit recently to be bothered with the thoroughly average. Goodbye Blooded (maybe my daughter will like you) and hello Portal Through Time (another Buffy novel)

Finished Doomsday Book last night (technically this morning actually... yawn) and I thought it a thoroughly engrossing story. The first half could possibly have been tightened up a bit as it was a little repetitive in parts, but the second half certainly tore along. Well written, well researched, graphic, and compassionate. It was also interesting reading about the goings on in Oxford health wise in view of the current 'swine flu' pandemic. As an aside, I can't believe that Willis wouldn't envisage the use of mobile phones (of some sort) in the year 2054!

Today has been a busy, not time to read at all day. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get started on a bookring, The Road Home by Rose Tremain.

I have finished reading Knit Two by Kate Jacobs. It was mawkish in the extreme and I don't think that I'll bother with any sequel which might eventually appear but I read it all and only had one very quick peek at the last page. This, in itself should rate the book at a 5 out of 10.

But do't bother unless there is absolutely no alternative ...

I'm continuing with bookring reading, August has been bookring flood month. I started A case of exploding mangoes but hubby was without a book and nicked it from under me. So I stayed in the same country with Three cups of Tea an amazing true story. Almost finished I'm not scared from the 1001 list and I still have plenty of choice from the other bookrings that I have here. My reading has slowed a bit, I've just started a new job.

Finished Jasper Jones, and am *highly* recommending it to everyone. Absolutely brilliant.

And, in inspiration, am moving on to Huckleberry Finn which I have sadly never read, but Mr Twain's writings play a fairly minor, but important, role in JJ (as does To Kill a Mockingbird, but I'm not sure where my copy of that is - on loan to Dad, quite possibly).

Have I mentioned you all must read Jasper Jones?

So glad you loved it!! =)

It was really, really, good. How come Craig Silvey is not winning the Miles Franklin?

I just realised that reading it was like reading my first Kate Atkinson. Sort-of crime, funny, sad, beautiful. An instant 10 stars.

Finished reading Luci in the Sky. Those who believe the CIA is behind every major event in the last hundred years will love Luci in the Sky. All the cliches are here. Girl invents new technology and game software. Long-lost father steals it to create space-age plane which is, to all intents and purposes, invisible and has a hidden doomsday feature that will turn it on its creators. CIA wants it for their own sinister purposes. Girl enlists aid of criminal mastermind to steal it back. Girl and criminal mastermind fall in love. However, Chris Fox moves beyond the cliches to deliver a fast-paced and thrilling ride about modern society's worst nightmare - what happens when our technology turns on us? This book will have you on the edge of your seat.

I am now reading:
Vitamin Q by Roddy Lumsden
Grim Crims & Convicts by Jackie French
The Safe House by Nicci French
Haunted Australia by John Heffernan
The Haunting by Margaret Mahy
The Best Poems Ever: a collection of poetry's greatest voices edited by Edric S. Mesmer

I have finished reading The Best Poems Ever. This is a moving compilation of poems by some of the world's most famous poets. The small, light design makes this book ideal for carrying in a handbag or briefcase. As with any compilation, some of these poems were not to my taste, others (such as Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est) took my breath away. This book may be small, but it is packed full of beautiful poetry and is well worth reading.

ETA: I am now reading The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Message edited by its author, Aug 27, 2009, 10:03pm.

I have just finished reading Mum's the Word by Kate Lawson.

It is chicklit of the very best kind with a fluffy storyline and witty dialogue.

I bought it off a remainders table but will look out for more of Kate Lawson's books. After struggling with the likes of Mother of God and Cockroach it came as a very pleasant interlude.

I just finished The Memory Room and my feelings were and are quite ambivalent. There was way too much detail about street names and such. Christopher Koch's detail about Hobart particularly irritated me. The geographic detail was spot on, but beyond that he described a Hobart that may have existed 30 years earlier. I don't know when Hobart lost its trams, but they certainly weren't there in 1970. The university he describes is the one my mother went to (although it's a really beautiful building, much better than the current campus). This made me question the veracity of other descriptions, although Canberra was spot on.
I found Erika tedious, one dimensional and predictable. The men's characterisation was much better, even if dated. And I too share doubts about people being able to be so detailed in their diaries. Nonetheless, I was drawn into the story, but in the end I felt it really hadn't gone anywhere. However, it was interesting and I'm glad to have read it.
#99 You're right, crimson-tide. Of course, the Doomsday Book should have preempted mobile phones. But I was really drawn in by the characterisation. That is what makes it for me one of my favourite books. Another book well worth reading by the same author is To Say Nothing of the Dog. It's not only clever but witty. It draws on the same premise of time travel (even down to using some of the same characters), but is really light-hearted and playful.

Isn't To Say Nothing of the Dog also referencing Two Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome? (Can't get touchstone to work!) I think the sub-title of Two Men is "To Say Nothing of the Dog". I read it a few years ago, and thought it was a rather delightful piece of Edwardian whimsy. But I'm yet to read the Connie Willis, despite it being on my shelf for many years now.

About 1/3 of the way into The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - and it's a great romp. I can see why it didn't take my fancy as a child, but I'm loving it now.

I have just finished The Thing around your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

It is a book of 12 short stories - some, as I find with all books of short stories, are better than others. Was not a 5 star read like her others - but definitely a 4 star - so well worth picking up.

Is about to be on its way to another active Aussie bookcrosser - so keep an eye out for it around the bookcrossing traps :)

# Yes, you're right, w-b. To Say Nothing of the Dog heavily references Three Men in a Boat, which I hadn't read when I first read NSNotD. It's certainly whimsical.
I'm now reading The Unknown Terrorist (link with the previous book I read being that they're both Tasmanian-born authors).
I might go on a Mark Twain binge next, and actually read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Like you, it didn't grab me as a child, although I did like Tom Sawyer. I really like his adult writing.

Message edited by its author, Aug 30, 2009, 11:02pm.

I am right out of unread books so I have been re-reading my Terry Pratchetts. I have just finished Reaper Man and have started Soul Music.

Nation is on the way from Amazon.co.uk and I have pre-ordered Unseen Academicals.

The exchange rate is so good at the moment that I went a bit crazy with the books and don't actually remember ordering Nation. Never mind - I am sure that I will enjoy it when it arrives.

wookie-bender & livrecache - I'm sorry to say that I've not yet attempted Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer, even as child. I'm sure I'll get to them one day, however.

Meanwhile, I have finished reading The Haunting by Margaret Mahy. This is actually pretty good for a teen thriller written in the eighties. You actually believe right the way through that something sinister is going to happen to Barney - that his 'ghost' actually means him immeasurable harm. There were times when, as a mother, I worried about him. And other times when I just wanted to kick his older rellies. I mean, here is a young child in distress, and they couldn't just come out say what they wanted, plain and simple? In any case, this is a good book for adults to read. Young adults (especially tweens) will love it.

fairy-whispers, being born in the States means that Twain is a Must Read. I never even heard of Enid Blyton until I came to Australia, but had read Tom Sawyer several times, and knew the basic outline of Huckleberry Finn, at least. I'm not surprised anyone outside of America hasn't read them, but they are great (American) adventure stories, although I'd hold back on Huckleberry for a while. You'd have to explain the "N" word, for one and why it's not used now. (And all my explaining got used up on the weekend when Mr Bear stumbled across "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on TV. Far too many grey areas for a small(ish) boy. Although I did promise him the first movie on DVD next weekend.)

And, having now started To Say Nothing of the Dog, it is Three Men in a Boat that it references, not two men (d'oh!), and it's Victorian, not Edwardian. Those two eras tend to blur a bit for me, it's all high tea and women in white lace and consumptive poets, and the only difference is the year and the person on the throne.

Am enjoying To Say Nothing of the Dog, she's got a great way with humour and characterisation.

pinkozcat >>> "I am right out of unread books"... WOW!!!

Not reading a great deal at the moment. Since moving to Thailand, my downtime has been with email/skype/the evil facebook, catching up with family & friends.

I also think a bedside lamp will revolutionise my life.

Apart from that, I'm really enjoying The Namesake. Thanks so much, freelunch - it's the best book I've read in quite some time!