brochettes' 2011 challenge

2010 was a pretty bad year for me in terms of reading. I only just hit the 50-mark, which, compared with 71 books in 2009, is quite pathetic. I also only read three books each in the non-fiction and 1001 category, which I am rather ashamed of.

So, I am not going to change my total target for 2011, but I am going to make more of an effort to work on my backlog of non-fiction and 1001 books, setting a target of 5 each, which may not seem much, but would still be an improvement from 2010.




1001 books:

1. The Midwich Cuckoos
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. White Teeth
4. Kristin Lavransdatter
5. Die Taube

Non-fiction:

1. What We Believe but Cannot Prove
2. In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food
3. Kitchen Confidential
4. In the House of Silence
5. The Life of Charlotte Brontë

Early Reviewers:
1. The Remains of Sherlock Holmes
2. False Friends- Faux Amis: Book 2

Everything Else:

1. The Woman in Black
2. Ashes to Dust
3. The Witch's Trinity
4. One Good Turn
5. The Killing Dance
6. Frevelopfer
7. Started Early, Took My Dog
8. Special Topics in Calamity Physics
9. American Gods
10. The Book of Air and Shadows
11. Jane Slayre
12. Burnt Offerings
13. Dead Reckoning: A True Blood Novel
14. The Black Cat
15. Good Omens
16. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: The Last Gleaming
17. Mittsommermord
18. Real Murders
19. A Bone to Pick
20. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
21. The Julius House
22. Dead Over Heels
23. A Fool and His Honey
24. In The Woods
25. Kafka's Soup
26. Dragonflight
27. Firewall
28. The Haunting of Hill House
29. Shopgirl
30. Jamrach's Menagerie
31. The Shadows in the Street
32. A Fistful of Charms
33. Der Letzte Winter
34. Eine Unbeliebte Frau
35. On Chesil Beach
36. The Various Haunts of Men
37. The Pure in Heart
38. The Chrysalids

#1. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

A nice straightforward little ghost story to start the year off.

#2. Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

A little sad, but a good read.

#3. The Witch's Trinity by Erica Mailman

A little gruesome, but a good read.

#4 One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson

While this was an enjoyable read, I am beginning to see a pattern with the Jackson Brodie novels- everyting is always interlinked to such an extent that it becomes rather implausible. Still, Atkinson's style is enough to keep me hooked anyway.

#5 The Remains of Sherlock Holmes by Paul W. Nash

Received as part of the Early Reviewers programme, and was surprised that I really enjoyed it.

Another Yrsa Sigurðardóttir reader?
I read Last Rituals last year and have another on deck, Soul to Take.
Not my favorite, but fun and have been reading Icelandic lit lately.

Thanks for the comment, boulder_a_t. I think that what sets Sigurðardóttir apart from a lot of others in the genre is her heroine's cheerfulness, so fun is probably the right word to use. It's refreshing, although I also quite enjoy a bit of Nordic glumness on occasion. Luckily, I have the Erlendur novels for that ;)

#6 The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Anita Blake novels have become my go-to series when my brain can't deal with anything taxing, such as when I am too sleep-deprived to focus much due to night- to day shift switchovers. I know what to expect from them, the chapters are short enough for me not to dose off in the middle of one, and so far they have been fairly reliably entertaining. Maybe not exactly high praise, but I keep reading them, so she must be doing something right...

#7The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

My first 1001-book of the year; I have to say I am surprised how much I enjoyed this. I am not exactly a sci-fi reader, but this struck just the right balance between eerie and humorous for me. I definitely think that this deserves to be on the list.

#8 What We Believe but Cannot Prove by John Brockman

From the Amazon product description: '"What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?" This was the question posed by John Brockman to a group of leading scientists and thinkers via his Edge.org website. The subsequent answers created a media storm and prompted a fiery debate about all aspects of science, technology and even the nature of "proof".'

This book is a compilation of these answers, mostly very short essays that are both entertaining and educational. The majority is also surprisingly positive in their outlook, which surprised and delighted me. There are a few which seem to have misunderstood the question, and a couple that simply weren't all that interesting to me; but mostly I found this to be a very enjoyable read.

#9 Frevelopfer by Arnaldur Indriðason

An Erlendur novel without Erlendur present- as he is away on a self-searching trip to the Eastern Fjords, it falls to his colleague Elinborg to solve the mystery of the murder of a rapist. Despite Erlendur's absence, the usual mix of melancholy and suspense have been preserved. While not particularly outstanding, all in all a good read.

#10 Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Probably my favourite one of the Jackson Brodie novels so far. The (painfully) familiar locations probably didn't hurt, but I think even if the book had been set elsewhere it would still have been an incredibly enjoyable read for me. My one issue with the book is its mysterious open ending, which is rather frustrating. I can only hope that she picks up the thread in a follow-up at some point, even if it's just in the same blink-and-you miss it way the father of the previous book's heroine (When Will There Be Good News?) was mentioned in here.

#11 In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food by Stewart Lee Allen

I had really been looking forward to reading this book, as the idea sounded great: Forbidden foods throughout the ages, categorised by the type of sin they represent(ed). Unfortunately, while a great idea in theory, the execution was rather lacking. There was the odd tidbit I found interesting and/or amusing, but on the whole it was a rather rambling account of often unsubstantiated anecdotes, which didn't appear all that coherent.

#12 Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

This book was a little like Marmite for me- people have been telling me for ages that I'd either love it or hate it, and it turns out that neither was the case. While it was certainly an enjoyable read, and I can see why it's been compared to the Secret History (which I did love), it didn't exactly knock my socks off. It felt that at times, it was a little too aware of it's own cleverness, and it could also have done with a bit of a trim in the middle. Nevertheless, Pessl is definitely a very promising author, and this is impressive for a first novel. It just won't be on my 'recommend to everyone'- list.

#13 American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Mostly loved it.

#14 The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

A pretty amusing romp. There's Shakespeare, espionage, cryptography, Jewish gangsters, Russian gangsters, Bookbinders! It was entertaining, although the Bracegirdle letters were difficult to read. While I understand that the English was written to look authentic, did it have to be in cursive as well?

#15 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Wonderful book, makes me regret not having read it when I was younger. Definitely one that deserves to be on the 1001-list.

#16 Jane Slayre by Charlotte Brontë and Sherri Browning Erwin

Probably one of the better ones of the monster mashups of classics. Entertaining enough, but I think I am done with this particular fad- for now at least. There are too many original books out there that I want to read.

#17 Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton

I'm getting really bored of these, which may explain why it took me such a long time to get through this book. Definitely time to take a break from the series.

#18 Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Quite funny and entertaining in the beginning, getting a little repetitive towards the end. Not quite what I was hoping for, but still a mostly enjoyable read.

#19 Dead Reckoning: a True Blood Novel by Charlaine Harris

While the writing style makes this an easy and enjoyable read, and Sookie's voice makes her very likeable, I had the feeling that nothing much happened here, and I couldn't really bring myself to care all that much about any of the other characters. After eagerly anticipating the release of this, I am a little disappointed- much as I was with the previous offering.

#20 The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

It was OK. While I am still annoyed by the talking animals, a pet peeve (no pun intended) of mine which permeate her novels more and more, it wasn't quite as bad as the previous couple. Still nowhere near as enjoyable as the first few in the series. A quick and easy read, but I'm not really getting my hopes up about this series any more- I don't really see her returning to previous form again.

#21 Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Very funny, and well-timed reading, considering the recent/failed/imminent rapture/apocalypse.

#22 Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon et al

Kind of upsetting, although I knew what to expect. I hadn't really expected to enjoy it, but I have to say that I am now actually glad Season 8 is over and that I am now through with this. After the travesty that were that last few volumes I definitely will not be buying season 9.

#23 Mittsommermord by Henning Mankell

Very enjoyable and engaging as usual.

#24 White Teeth by Zadie Smith

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to reading this; but I am very glad I finally have. Very clever, very funny, and a story that kept me engaged to the end. Definitely deserves to be on the 1001- list, and one hell of an impressive debut.

#25 Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

A nice little piece of fluff.

#26 A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris

More escapist fluff.

# 27 Three Bedrooms, One Corpse by Charlaine Harris

Yet more fluff.

#28 The Julius House by Charlaine Harris

Fluff, fluff, fluff.

#29 Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris

Yup, the fluffiness continues. Luckily, I have only one more of these at the moment, which is good, as I am beginning to get just a little bored with them.

It is kind of nice knowing that you can actually get bored by fluff, isn't it. I am a bit like that with Colin Forbes books - a couple in a row and then back to something a bit more meaty! Enjoy while you are on a roll!

Thanks for the comment, notmyrealname- I have been enjoying the fluff but I think it's now time to move on to something different (a bit more meaty like you said) for a while.

#30 A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris

Probably one of the better ones in the series, and a little less fluffy than the rest, but yeah, time to move on.

#31 In the Woods by Tana French

While I really liked this book it took me ages to get through for some reason. This may just be because I'm currently easily distracted. I guess it's a positive thing that despite my wandering mind, it was never difficult to get back into. A good solid read.

#32 Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

I am really proud that I have finally made my way through this one- it took me a few years of stop/start attempts, so it really does feel like an accomplishment. This is not to say that I didn't like it; it was just very long (too long in places for my taste). This book was odd for me in the sense that there are plenty of reasons for me not to like it: it was a little melodramatic in places, overly long, and most importantly, I didn't really particularly get to care about any of the characters, and yet I did enjoy reading it. The descriptions of medieval Norway are lush, and something in the way this was narrated made this my go-to book when I needed some time to really get away from it all. It had an oddly calming effect on me that made it perfect for sitting down with on a rainy Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours, and feeling strangely better for it afterwards. Just for those soothing properties (add a decent pot of tea and you have one serene individual) I give it a thumbs up on the "does it deserve to be on the 1001 list?" question.

#33 Die Taube by Patrick Süskind

A quick read, and both entertaining and thought provoking. Not quite sure whether it deserves to be on the 1001 list though.

#34 Kafka's Soup by Mark Crick

An enjoyable little book. It made me cackle in places, but I probably won't be using it as a genuine cookbook anytime soon.

#35 Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

While I think I may have loved this book if I'd read it in my early teens, it didn't do much for me coming to it only now. I don't regret reading it; it passed the time and wasn't particularly offensive, but I found neither story nor characters engaging in a way that I have any particular wish to return to the series anytime soon. Meh.

#36 Firewall by Henning Mankell

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as I did the previous Wallander books- I think it may be time for me to take a break from Scandinavian Crime novels for a bit. I'm not feeling all that inspired to read in general at the moment, which may also be part of the problem, but I'd better get inspired a little more if I want to hit 50 by the end of the year!

#37 The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

A quick read, and fairly spooky; but I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if I'd felt more sympathetic towards any of the characters. Still, pretty good reading for a cold October night.

#38 Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Quite enjoyed this.

#39 Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch

A bit of a slow start, but then barrelled through the second half of the book in one go. Recommended.

#40 The Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill

Really liked this- I guess this means I have another series to collect. Yay!

#41 A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison

Fluffy fun.

#42 Der letzte Winter by Åke Edwardson

While I am a little sad that this series has come to an end, it makes it easier for me to keep track of my growing list of series I have yet to complete- especially since I have just recently added a couple more.

The story itself was one of the better ones, but it may be that I just felt like that because knowing it was the last one heightened the suspense for me.

#43 In the House of Silence: Autobiographical Essays by Arab Women Writers by Fadia Faqir

The first time I attempted to read this I got stuck on the introduction and never had the focus to make it further. This time, I am glad I persevered: A collection of essays definitely worth the effort. While they do at times make for difficult reading, they are illuminating, fascinating and inspiring, especially when one considers what these writers are up against.

It also makes an interesting counterpoint to the other non-fiction book I am currently reading: The Life of Charlotte Brontë, the subject of which could probably have written an essay or two herself on the perception of women writers.

#44 Eine Unbeliebte Frau by Nele Neuhaus

A fun, undemanding romp featuring jealousy, blackmail, human trafficking, drug smuggling, domestic violence, abduction, infidelity and insider trading- among other things. Oh, and horses. Just the kind of soapy fun needed for a dreary afternoon spent in bed with a case of the sniffles.

#45 On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

A lovely, very sad little novel. Despite the melancholy ending I didn't find it depressing, which is strange. I am intrigued to see that they intend to turn this into a film- not quite sure how they will go about it, but I'm definitely curious...

#46 The various haunts of men by Susan Hill

While a little clunky in places, especially the beginning, still a well-written crime novel and with quite a nasty, unexpected twist at the end.

#47 The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill

Yup, I'm hooked on another series. Not your average crime novel, in that not everything gets resolved by the end, which I like.

# 48 False Friends- Faux Amis: Book 2 by Ellie Malet Spradbery

This is a book I received as part of the LT Early Reviewers program.

A quite useful little book which highlights potential pitfalls for learners when translating idioms too literally or confusing similar-sounding words. It is also amusing just to dip into and pick up a thing or two. It would however have been much more helpful if there had been an index attached to make it more easily searchable. All in all a handy little book I would take on holiday with me, as I am sure it would help me to immerse myself in the language.

#49 The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

I didn't like this quite as much as The Midwich Cuckoos, but still an engaging book. The themes of otherness and how people frightened by it deal with the occurence of it in their midst are certainly still current.

#50 The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elisabeth Gaskell

Well, I have cut it close, but I have made it!! With under ten hours to go in 2011 I have hit my 50 books target, and my goal to read at least five non-fiction books!

I was expecting to enjoy this biography, or at least find it interesting; but I have to admit that I found it tough going, and have developed a thorough dislike of Elisabeth Gaskell in the process. Of course it is to be expected for a Brontë biography to be a little melodramatic- the amounts of gloom and suffering and death in their lives are quite ridiculous- but Gaskell's portrayal of Charlotte takes the biscuit. It seems that she was determined as soon as she met her to turn her into a saintly, long-suffering heroine, and thanks to her emphasis on Charlotte's otherworldy saintliness and the horrors of her deprived life, it is difficult to tell how much relatively normal life was left out as it didn't fit in with Gaskell's Victorian ideal of gloom and Christian suffering.

I am looking forward to reading the Brontë Myth in comparison, but I think I need a little break in between.