Soffitta1's 12 in 12

I know, I know, I keep telling myself not to think about this until I am at least nearing the end of my 11 in 11 Step Challenge, but I couldn't help it ;)

As with the 11 in 11, I will be trying to read a stack from my TBR pile. Here are my categories, they will change, they always do!

Books read:



Books from TBR pile (aquired before Feb 2011, when I moved to Spain):



As ever, I am trying to read books from the 1001 list, so will keep track of how many I read for this challenge:

Category 1: 1001 Books
This is a life time challenge, so will be part of every Librarything year challenge I do until I am at least 70.

1. The Body Artist
2. The Talk of the Town
3. Middlesex
4. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
5. The Gathering
6. In Watermelon Sugar
7. The Magus
8. The Elegance of the Hedgehog **Readalong
9. Youth
10. Eugenie Grandet
11. The Sound and the Fury
12. Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

11th finished

As Steinbeck is up in September, I will try and get a copy of The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row.

Category 2: Films


1. Chocolat
2. On The Beach
3. Women in Love **1001 Book
4. The Virgin Suicides **1001 Book
5. High Fidelity
6. The World According to Garp ** 1001 book
7. Huckleberry Finn **1001 Book
8. Breakfast of Champions **1001 Book
9. Middlemarch **1001 Book
10. The Line of Beauty **1001 Book
11. Matilda (in Spanish)
12. The Portrait of a Lady **1001 Book

3rd Category finished.

Category 3: Asia


I have a huge amount of Asia-themed books on my TBR mountain.

1. The Seahorse
2. These Foolish Things
3. The Rug Merchant
4. To the Navel of the World
5. Family Matters **1001 Book
6. The Shadow Lines **1001 Book
7. Kim **1001 Book, Readalong
8. The Patience Stone
9. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard
10. The Swimmer
11. Love in a Fallen City
12. Twilight in Delhi

4th Category finished.

Category 4: Spanish


I live in Spain and will be here until at least June next year, so seems apt.

1. Tintin Prisoners of the Sun (In Spanish)
2. Poison
3. Estados Desunidos de Latinoamerica (In Spanish)
4. Ghost Train Through the Andes
5. Dark as the Grave wherein my Friend is laid ** 1001 Book
6. Tear this Heart Out
7. Fighting in Spain
8. Viva South America!
9. Still Water Saints
10. El Anillo (In Spanish)
11. The Lacuna
12. La Hija del Sol (in Spanish)

5th category finished

I'm new to this, so can you explain how your challenge works? Is it to read so many books in a certain amount of time? School starts the 27th for me, but I can teach and read:) If you'll walk me through this a little, I think I'd like to try!

Category 5: Crime


I enjoy mysteries, and again I have a stack at home.
1. The Last Testament
2. The Woman in White **1001 Book, ** Group Readalong
3. Sherlock Holmes: The Game's Afoot
4. SS-GB
5. The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Masque of the Red Death ** 1001 Book (I am reading both books as there is quite a lot of overlap, the former is from Penguin's Crime Collection, the latter from Penguin's Chillers Collection, both I got free with The Times)
6. Looking for JJ
7. Moll Flanders ** 1001 Book
8. The Book of Evidence **1001 Book
9. Our Kind of Traitor
10. Mercy
11. Picture Perfect
12. Tiger, Tiger

6th Category to be finished.

Category 6: Books in a Series


I have a few series sat at home TBR - Agatha Raisin, The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Hamish McBeath, Rebus. The plan would be to get cracking on one of them.

Continuing my reread of Jean Auel's books, to bring me back up to speed before I read her new one.

1. The Valley of Horses
2. The Mammoth Hunters (in Spanish, from the library)
5. The Plains of Passage

and from the series by Pamela Aidan, telling the story of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view:
3. An Assembly such as this
4. Duty and Desire

Miss Marple
6. 4.50 from Paddington Miss Marple 18

Mrs. 'Arris
7. Flowers for Mrs Harris **1001 Book

Shopaholic Series
8. The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic ** World Book Night Book

The Obelisk Trilogy
9. The Tropic of Cancer ** 1001 Book

Currently reading:
Three books by Tom Rob Smith
10. Child 44
11. The Secret Speech
12. Agent 6

8th category to be finished.

Category 7: Road Trip


Inspired by one of Katrinat's categories last year. The idea is that each book comes from a country bordering the previous one, e.g. a book set in Spain followed by one set in Portugal.

Spain - France - U.K. / Netherlands / Germany - Switzerland - Italy

TBR
- Austria - Hungary / Romania - Ukraine - Russia - Mongolia - China - Bhutan - India - Pakistan

Here's the map I'll update as I travel.

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Starting point: The French capital, Paris... The Lollipop Shoes
Then across Channel to the U.K., before returning to the Continent, via the Netherlands, to Cold War Berlin ... The Spy who came in from the Cold ** 1001 Book, ** World Book Night Book
And on to Switzerland with German writer Thomas Mann for health reasons ... The Magic Mountain ** 1001 Book
Southwards to the promised land of foodies every where, Italy ... La Cucina
Passing through Vienna with a well-travelled book ...People of the Book
Following the River Danube from Bavaria to the sea in Romania (via Austria, Slovakia and Hungary ... Danube
Northwards to Ukraine ...Everything is Illuminated ** 1001 Book
To Russia, a country which straddles Europe and Asia, deep into Siberia ... Under a Blood Red Sky
The tales of a Chinese princess sent first to Japan, then to Mongolia, before returning to her native land... The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
Across the border to the small kingdom of Bhutan where G.N.H. (Gross National Happiness) outranks G.D.P. ... Dragon Bones
And now to its much larger neighbour, India ...The Namesake **1001 Book
Before finally reaching across the divide to Pakistan ... Burnt Shadows

Well, my first category finished! It's rather difficult to choose favourites when you give 4 stars to 6 books, but I suppose I have just been lucky this year in terms of finding good reads. Everything Is Illuminated was certainly the most unusual of the category, I really liked the writing style and the characters. As a book lover, I'd also have to rate People of the Book highly, a good mystery about a book. As for the books which have stayed with me longest, I am torn between Burnt Shadows and The Namesake, both thought-provoking and page-turning. As for the bottom of the list, well it has to be The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel, a book that I found rather uncomfortable.

4 1001 books, 1 World Book Night Book.

Category 8: Fforde Ffebruary



I was very excited to see Jasper Fforde suggested on the group reads thread, even more so to see a whole month dedicated to him! Well, I have 6 of his books on my TBR pile, so I plan to read Thursday Next books as well as books related to them. To start things off, I have never read Jane Eyre, so how can I read The Eyre Affair?

1. Just So Stories (in The Well of Lost Plots)
2. Jane Eyre **1001 Book (in The Eyre Affair)
9. David Copperfield **1001 Book (comes up in more than one book)
10. The Mill on the Floss (in honour of the character Millon De Floss) **1001 Book

Thursday Next Series - Read in Fforde Ffebruary
3. The Eyre Affair
4. Lost in a Good Book
5. The Well of Lost Plots
6. Something Rotten
7. First Among Sequels
8. One of our Thursdays is Missing

Nursery Crime Series
11. The Big Over Easy
12. The Fourth Bear

Thanks casvelyn for the help!

Category 9: World Book Night



I took part in WBN 2011, giving out copies of All Quiet on the Western Front, and have joined the group which is trying to read all of the WBN books by World Book Night 2012. I had already read some, so am just reading those I haven't already read. As I did well in the charity shops a couple of weekends ago, even finding a WBN copy of A Life Like Other People's, I thought I'd change this category. These add up to 8, but as the next WBN is in April, I'll add from the new selection later. Check out www.worldbooknight.org for more details.

1. Killing Floor
2. The World's Wife
3. Agent Zigzag
4. Toast
5. Dissolution stolen from Mum's shelves
6. New Selected Poems 1966-1987
7. A Life Like Other People's
8. Stuart A Life Backwards

And on the 2012 list
9. Room
10. The Player of Games **1001 Book
11. How I Live Now
12. The Road

9th Category too be finished.

Category 10: Historical

Another favourite, I read a lot of historical fiction. This will also include memoirs, biographies, and non-fiction.

1. How to be a Woman
2. We Speak No Treason The Flowering of the Rose
3. We Speak No Treason The White Rose Turned to Blood
4. Portrait of an unknown Woman
5. Shanghai Tango
6. The Diary of Ma Yan
7. The Virgin Soldiers
8. Ragtime **1001 Book
9. The Pillars of the Earth
10. Miracles of Life
11. Eat Pray Love
12. Cider with Rosie ** 1001 Book

2nd Category to be finished.

Wow, a strong category with all of the books getting 3 - 4 stars. My top read would have to be Miracles of Life, I just really enjoyed getting to know one of my favourite authors better. Ragtime was also very interesting, the way the characters were interconnected and also the historical backdrop. As for the bottom two, Cider with Rosie was a bit overdone for me and Shanghai Tango left me with more questions than it answered.

2 1001 books

Category 11: Africa
Books by African writers or set in Africa.



1. The View from Africa
2. Foe
3. Sweetness in the Belly
4. Deogratias
5. 26A
6. Os Retornados
7. Age of Iron
8. The Conservationist
9. King Solomon's Mines **1001 Book
10. Green Hills of Africa
11. The Constant Gardner
12. Frankie and Stankie

10th category to be finished.

Category 12: Women Writers


Inspired by Carol Shields' Unless, there are so many great female writers out there. These will be prize winning authors / books, from the 1001 list or short-listed books for literary awards.

1. The Sea, the Sea **1001 Book
2. Ethan Frome **1001 Book
3. Wide Sargasso Sea **1001 Book
4. Oranges are not the only fruit **1001 Book
5. Oryx and Crake ** Group Readalong
6. Cost **1001 Book
7. The Awakening **1001 Book
8. The White Woman on the Green Bicycle shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010
9. Too Much Happiness Author was winner of the Man Booker International Prize 2009
10. Uncle Tom's Cabin **1001 Book
11. The House in Paris ** 1001 Book
12. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall **1001 Book

7th category to be finished.

How do I join your group?

Hello MrsFlicker!

The idea is to set your own challenge, you have 2012 in which to complete the challenge. Some people (including myself!) start early, for example on the 12th of December, some people start late. The idea is you are in control.
I am planning to read 12 books in 12 categories, others are planning a step challenge, 12 categories, but the first with 1 book, the second with 2, the third with 3, and so on. Another idea is to set how many books you think you'll manage to read in each category.
I find that half the fun is planning, moving around the categories, finding books to slot in and, of course, chatting with others about books you are reading or want to read.

I am also a teacher, at a language school, my timetable allows lots of time for reading (I work mainly afternoons/ evenings).

Hope that helps a wee bit, feel free to ask more questions.

ETA that you have joined, just by clicking Join this Group. Now you can set up your own thread with your challenge.

@ 15 -- MrsFlicker, welcome! I would suggest that you look at some of the threads in this group, because they'll give you an idea of how to structure this challenge. The only real rules are: (1) Pick 12 categories (a few examples could be "Mysteries," "Books with one-word titles," and "Books set in Africa"); and (2) read at least one book in each category. Hope you decide to join us, and have fun!

I forgot to say - why not have a look at the threads for the 2011 Challenge, that'll give you a good idea of what people are doing now.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/the11in11categorycha

Love the road trip category :-)

yeah I like that one too. Was thinking another variant could be a Time Traveler - books set/about sequential decades or centuries

Great categories, I'll enjoy seeing where you go on your road trip.

I just joined this group. It sounds like a lot of fun and a good way to read some books I've meant to but never got started on. I hope no one minds that I will be borrowing categories!

@ 22 -- I highly doubt that anyone will mind! After all, we all get category ideas from each other (or at least I do!), so you'll fit right in!

re 20 - I like the Time Traveller idea, another good way to help decide what book to read next.
re 22 - I "borrowed" Road Trip from another challenger, after all imitation is the highest form of flattery! No one minds here, we are a friendly bunch :)

I have an Asia category also, though mine is specifically Japanese. I look forward to seeing if we read some of the same books!

I love forward to seeing what Asian themed books are in both your threads. I am reading two right now: one is a family saga with sumo wrestlers and theatre mask makers and the other is about Geisha. There is just something so magical about the Orient.

Hmm, Road Trip... now that sounds like something to 'steal'. Although if one steals from a thief, is it then righting a wrong? :)

Now I can't wait for 2012. I've started on categories and I've already ordered a few books to fill them in. The easiest one to fill will be a TBR from books I already have!

*starred*

Bouncing through to say 'great categories' and to echo everyone else above that likes the Road Trip category. While I haven't continued with my 'What is Stephen Harper Reading' category this year, I will continue to read books from that list as there are a number of books listed that will fit my other categories (plays, poetry, etc).

Lots for me to keep track of here. I'll look forward to seeing what you fill your categories with.

Good luck, nice to see you using the travelling idea, I'm doing this one again too.

Well, I can now look at this thread without feeling guilty! I have just finished my 11 in 11 Step Challenge :) I look forward to reading your comments and also to look at your own threads.

Re 31 - thanks again for your idea! I'd like to do a second one, I have a stack of African books, but will have to see how I go.

Congratulations!!!

Congrats! So are you going to put up another thread and start 2012 right away? Or are you going to use this thread as your *real* thread? Or you could savor the planning until Dec 12. ;)

Congrats on completing the challenge! Well done!

Congratulations on finishing your 11 in 11. Your 12 in 12 has a number of categories and possible books listed that I'm interested in, so I'll be following you next year.

Thanks! I think I'll just continue here, I've already begun my first book - The Sea, the Sea. I love doing the challenges and want to get stuck in again. I am still tinkering with my categories, I brought back a stack of books from the UK and am trying to slot them in.

1. The Sea, the Sea
I finished the 11 in 11 Step Challenge with a slim jim, So long a letter, so thought I'd kick of the 12 in 12 with a mighty tome, The Sea, the Sea.
A narcissistic actor turned director retires to the coast, living in a strange house. He doesn't get the peace and quiet he was expecting, rather it turns into a literary version of the romcom Ghosts of Girlfriends Past as he is both besieged and obsessed with his exes. The exes are not alone, they come with baggage, both in the physical form of their menfolk and emotional. I enjoyed this, especially the narrator's musings on food, often at critical moments in the narrative.

2. Fighting in Spain
One of Penguin's Great Journey series, two extracts from Homage to Catalonia and Orwell in Spain. I read the former at uni, but it was interesting to revisit it as I now live in Spain, the latter I had never read. Worth a read.

Someday I'll read Homage to Catalonia again. I loved it when I read it, but knew nothing about the Spanish Civil War then and was quite confused.

The Sea, The Sea sounds really good. I should've guessed it was Iris Murdoch. She wrote many beautiful and complicated novels.

I read Homage to Catalonia for a module on the Spanish Civil War, it was good to have that context around it.

3. Chocolat
A reread for me, as I have The Lollipop Shoes to read. I do enjoy reading Joanne Harris's books, you get sucked in so quickly. Perfect book for the last calm days before classes start again on Monday.

I'm already 100 pages into the sequel!

Vianne and her daughter, Anouk, arrive in a small French village with the wind. They rent a small shop in the centre, transforming it into a chocolaterie, an exotic, decadent choice of establishment for a conservative settlement on the eve of Lent. Their strange ways soon put the local priest's back up, as he tries to keep his parish in line. When Vianne openly befriends the river gypsies, the priest, Reynaud, declares war, forcing the village to take sides.

This is a sumptuous book, one that captures all of the reader's senses. Harris takes the classic plot-line of good versus evil, blurring the lines, whilst also standing up for the white witch, a figure which has always been viewed as suspicious in villages. Fans of the film will notice quite a few differences, but I have enjoyed both the adaptation and the book, and I believe that the overall message is the same in both.

4. The Lollipop Shoes
The sequel to Chocolat. Vianne and her two girls are now in Paris, trying to blend in, but trouble comes on the wind as another witch sets her sights on them. Enjoyable, darker than the first book.

This is the sequel to the best-selling Chocolat, continuing the story of Vianne, and her daughter, Anouk, now known as Yanne and Annie, living in Montmatre with new addition, Rosette. Vianne has gone underground, keeping her gifts on the quiet, just as her daughter is discovering her own powers as puberty kicks in. Their life is turned upside down by Zozie, who is very much like the Vianne of Chocolat, but with a much darker agenda.

The book has three narrators (Vianne, Anouk and Zozie), which helped keep up the tension in the book. I missed Vianne, Yanne is a shadow of her former self, leaving Zozie to command even more attention in the book. I did like the move to the dark side that is in the book, and I look forward to reading further books about Vianne and her daughters.

5. The View from Africa
A collection of extracts, short stories and articles with an African connection. The book covers many topics, from race and nationality to the very different countries in Africa. I enjoyed the variety of the book, and will definitely look out more by some of the authors.

Recommended for people looking for a taster of a vast and varied continent.

6. Tintin Prisoners of the Sun
My brother left me this to read, I have read few books in the series, but remember watching the animated shows as a kid, so this was rather nostalgic for me!

Currently reading The Woman in White and The Last Testament.

7. The Last Testament
Finished this morning, before my birthday breakfast. I've had friends / meetups over the last few days, so precious little reading going on (much more wine and nattering!).

Negotiator Maggie Costello is called out of professional exile to mediate in the latest peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. There is much in play, with American elections not far off and a chance at peace, Maggie can not afford her heart to cloud her judgement.

I enjoyed this, it is a page-turning thriller, though one in which there are a few convenient coincidences. Bourne brings together all the elements you want for a good summer read, recommended for fans of thrillers with a historical connection.

Birthday breakfast, you say? Well then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Thanks! I had a great few days :)

8. On the Beach
I heard part of this on BBC Radio 4 Extra, and was happy to see it in a local charity shop.

Set in the aftermath of a nuclear war started in the Northern Hemisphere, radiation has already snuffed out life up north and it is now on its way south. World War Three was sparked by two smaller countries, not the giants of the Cold War, but nuclear Armageddon played out. The World's southern-most cities are holding out, but it is only a matter of time before they too become infected.

Yes, this is a depressing book, to see how quickly a nuclear war could escalate, and so quickly, despite surely all of those involved knowing that to hit that red button not only signs the death warrants of other people, but also their own. Those not involved in the conflict having to pay for the warmongering of others is also brought up in the text, a very real fear, even now. The World has moved on, but Shute's scenario of WW3 being caused by a smaller conflict is chillingly realistic. I am glad I have read On The Beach, getting caught up in the possibility of nuclear disaster, but also the revelation of human interaction in the face of impending doom.

@46 I think that's the second most depressing book I have ever read!

If that's only the second most depressing, what was the first?!

9. The Spy who came in from the Cold
Picked this up at work, finished it over lunch, very readable.

My first John Le Carre book, I picked this off the shelf after seeing the new adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Written in the '60s, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is very much a novel of its time, it is easy to downplay the Cold War years and what life was like under the threat of war. The Cold War atmosphere in the book is well-created, the narrative is tense and there are many twists and turns. Le Carre shows us a grittier side to spying, a game in which anything goes, of bluff and double bluff, in a world that could blow up at anytime.

10. The Woman in White
Librarything Readalong, and well worth it!

I read The Moonstone a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, so was pleased to pick this up at a local charity shop. As with The Moonstone, The Woman in White is a multi-layered mystery, starting with the titular woman who meets the main narrator, Walter Hartwright, on a road outside London, who tries to help the distraught woman.

The plot is fast paced and its epistolary form, with the rotation of narrators, helps to drive the narrative on, but also keeping up the tension. It is an entertaining read, with lashings of melodrama and Gothic ingredients, with lots of threads which pull together at the end in a satisfying conclusion.

I would recommend this for fans of Sarah Waters, Gothic novels, as well as those looking for a cracking mystery.

Currently reading Poison and Women in Love.

I look forward to seeing what you think of Kathryn Harrison's Poison. A girlfriend passed on her copy to me and I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

Not bad, just right for a lazy end of summer weekend of reading. Two threads - the French wife of Carlos the Second and the daughter of a silk worm farmer. Lots of historical detail, rather different in tone from her other books, but OK. Worth a read, I'd say.

11. Poison
Set in 17th Century Spain, Poison has two threads running through the narrative. The first follows the daughter of a silk worm farmer, a young woman called Francisca who is currently in the clutches of the inquisition. Her fate is tied with that of the Spanish royal family, the young French wife of Carlos II is still not pregnant.

Poison is entertaining, with lots of historical detail, it had a rather different tone from the other books I have read by the same author. Harrison takes us into the heart of the silk industry and also into lives of two very different women, both isolated. Just right for a lazy end of summer weekend of reading.

12. The Valley of Horses
The second in the Earth's Children series. I read the first 5 books in the series a few years ago, but wanted to reread before finding the latest book in my Christmas stocking (hint, hint Father Christmas). Still entertaining, but can be a wee bit repetitive as Auel moves between chapters following the two main characters, Ayla and Jondalar. I don't have the third one here in Spain, but the library has it in Spanish, so will check it out.

13. Women in Love
Took a while over this, timing I suppose. I read The Rainbow recently, so was curious to see what was in store for the Brangwen Family. This book focusses on sisters Gudrun and Ursula and the men they fall for. The tone has moved on from the first book, with the much rawer feelings.

14. The Virgin Suicides
Excellent, but I'll need time to get my head around it.

I saw the film adaptation years ago, and wanted to see the original material, so grabbed it from a bookbox.

Major events in our childhood have a great impact on our lives, and for the men living in Grosse Pointe, it is the suicides of five sisters that coloured their adholescence. The untimely deaths of their contemparies continues to be a topic of discussion when they meet up, even years later. The collective voice of the narrator tries to reconstruct the events, trying to find out what pushed the girls to do what they did.

A very dark book, one that I know I will come back to. Eugendides´ debut novel is one of the best books I´ve read this year, I look forard to Middlesex.

15. Foe
Coetzee takes the story of Robinson Crusoe, as told by Daniel Defoe and gives it a clever twist, that Defoe's source was Susan Barton, a woman who was on the island with Cruso (sic). Barton tells Foe of her struggle to find her daughter, who was kidnapped, in the New World, and of her arrival onto the island where Cruso and Friday have lived for many years.

There's more to the book than just a clever rewrite, there are underlying issues. As is said, history is told by the victor, and thus it is that the writer of a tale has the final say, with Foe cherrypicking his source's experiences.

Foe is a marked departure from the other books I have read by the author (Disgrace, The Age of Iron, The Life and Times of Michael K), but for me can only solidify his position as a Nobel Prize winning author.

16. How to be a Woman
Given to me by a friend, who was given it for her birthday. I must admit, I'd never heard of the writer, but I have probably read her articles. The book moves through her life, starting with her 13th birthday and the hopes and dreams she had then. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of being a woman - from sexism to periods, pregnancy to abortion, with lots of pop culture and anecdotes. Good for dipping into, but not to read cover to cover quickly.

17. Ethan Frome
Slim volume by Edith Wharton, the writer of The Age of Innocence which I read recently. Good, very much deserves its place on the 1001 list.

A newcomer to the town meets the titular character, a man with a sad story. The narrator then takes us back in time to find out how Frome becomes the broken man he is today, his downfall culminating in a terrible accident.

This is a short, terse book, but Wharton packs a lot into it, from the bitterest of emotions to a snapshot of rural New England. Deservedly on the 1001 Book List.

18. The Seahorse
Vanessa takes her mother, Marion, to India, where she grew up. Ashgari holds many memories for Marion, but for her daughter, it is a place her mother has kept from her. Marion went to school in the hill station town, but her time there was overshadowed by a tragic event that she hasn't thought about in many years.

I read this on a long journey, I was in the mood for some mother - daughter drama, but was pleased to see that there was to the book. I enjoyed the added dimension of the unsolved tragedy at the school, heightening the tension and driving the plot on.

19. Sherlock Holmes: The Game's Afoot
A selection of Sherlock Holmes short stories written by modern writers. A right mixture, as ever some were better than others. The stories were from different stages in Holmes' career, from stories before Watson's marriage, after his wife's death to after Holmes' "death".

20. Sweetness in the Belly
Another long-term TBR, but worth the wait! The narrative moves between Ethiopia in the '70s and the U.K. in the '80s and '90s. The main character is Lilly, the daughter of two English speaking drifters who end up in Morocco. Lilly converts to Islam as a child, something which helps her cope with her parents' death, and leads her on an unexpected journey to Ethiopia. Lilly is a fish out of water, she doesn't seem to belong anywhere, being a white foreigner in Ethiopia marks her out as different, suspicious, but then in the U.K., her faith sets her apart. I enjoyed this, not only for Lilly's remarkable tale, but also for the backdrop of '70s Ethiopia, a country I only know through famine appeals.

21. High Fidelity
I was given this years ago, and can't believe it took so long for me to get round to it. We were chatting about Nick Hornby the other week, and it inspired me to bring it back to Spain.

Rob owns a record store, likes to make top 5 lists and is in the aftermath of a breakup.

Rob, like many of us, is at a crossroads, he has to decide what he really wants, his love-life and his career. Rob and his relationships ring true, making it a great read, especially with the musical references, such nostalgia!

@ 61 -- Agreed! Also, if you haven't seen the movie (starring John Cusack as Rob), you should check it out! The setting was changed from London to Chicago, so all the characters are American instead of English, but otherwise the movie is pretty faithful to the book.

I have just put it on my wishlist! I haven't seen it because I wanted to read the book first. Can't wait, I am a big Cusack fan and can imagine him doing the role well.

22. We Speak No Treason The Flowering of the Rose
The first in two books about Richard III, the first part from the point of view of a young girl in love with him, the second from the Fool. Enjoyable read, and also interesting to see another side to one of Shakespeare's villains.
One huge drawback is that there appear to only be 4 names in use in England at the time, so you really have to pay attention!
I have the second book ready to read next week.

23. Deogratias
A graphic novel covering the civil war in Rwanda. The action moves between the titular character's pre war and post war experiences, from school boy to young man made insane by what happened. It's a short book, less than 100 pages, but, actually, the author packs in a great story, as well as showing us the personal cost of the genocide. Recommended.

24. Killing Floor
One of the 2011 World Book Night books, I had recognised the author, but had never read any of the Jack Reacher series.
This is the first installment in the series. A man with no papers and only what he has on him gets off a bus, and gets picked up by the local police for murder. Reacher has stumbled in on a large scale criminal organisation, one which is killing to keep it secret.
Not bad, page turning enough, but a little too gung ho for me.

25. Breakfast of Champions

Kilgore Trout is back, Vonnegut's prolific sci-fi writer, and unbeknownst to him, a chance encounter with Dwayne is about to change both their lives.

The text is interspersed with Vonnegut's drawings, ostensibly to aid understanding of the story, whilst also building on the ironic tone of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the interjections of the writer, both written and pictorial, especially when his characters don't behave in the way the author imagined they would, even to the point of turning against him.

I would recommend making yourself a large cuppa and losing yourself in Vonnegut's vision of the world.

Still reading The Magic Mountain, over half way, but it will take a while.

I have both the Rosemary Hawley Jarman books in my TBR shelves, glad to hear the first was a good read, looking forward to hearing about the second.

Book 2 is calling me from my nightstand, but I trying to read Asian books at the moment, so will have to wait. The detail in book 1 was excellent, you can tell the books were written a while ago, not because they have dated as such, but they are much less risque than their modern counterparts! Still, I love to read a story well-told.

26. Shanghai Tango
Another long-term TBR. This is the memoir of Jin Xing, a famous Chinese dancer and her story of becoming a woman. There is a lot in the book, sex and gender as well as cultural issues as Jin Xing travels for her art. Recommended.

27. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard
My second Kiran Desai, and another good book by her. Following an eccentric Indian family, from a mother obsessed by food, to a son who decides to leave his normal life and live in a guava tree. Evocative and funny, another LT reader recommended this for fans of Like Water for Chocolate, and I agree, though this book has more humour.

28. Wide Sargasso Sea
A prequel to Jane Eyre, which is on my long-term TBR pile, looking at Rochester's first wife and her life in Jamaica.

I really enjoyed this, I got caught up in Rhys' claustrophobic world of Obeah, crazy relatives, post-emancipation Jamaica.

29. The Magic Mountain
A 700+ page weight of my conscience! Finished this today, good, but took me a while to read as you can't read lots in one sitting.

This has been looking down at me from my TBR shelves for many a year. I studied Death in Venice at uni, and always meant to read this, but was put off by its size.

Hans Castorp is a young man drifting through life, he has been left with enough money to live off without getting his hands dirty. He decides to visit his sick cousin, Joachim, who is at a sanatorium in the Alps. Joachim has TB, which has put paid to his army career, though he is still hopeful that he will be declared fit.

There is a lot in the book, there is also a lot of French without translated footnotes, which is frustrating. I found parts tougher going than others, I found reading in chunks helped me get through it. Worth the read, but footnotes would have increased my understanding of the book.

30. La Cucina
Complete indulgence after such a heavy tome. Rosa is an amazing Sicilian, and the book follows her recipes, loves and losses. Fluffy, but great for a lazy Sunday morning.

31. The Mammoth Hunters
Book 3 of the Earth Children series (in Spanish). I enjoyed rereading this, a good story with lots of detail about hunting techniques, as well as seeing Ayla domesticate a wolf. I have book 4 in English here, The Plains of Passage, but that will have to wait until the New Year.

32. The World According to Garp
My first Irving, and sure not to be the last. I never knew where the book would take me, but I really enjoyed it.

The life and times of T.S. Garp, an unusual story right from conception to the end of the book. The narrtive is spliced with Garp's own work.

Garp is barely in control of his life, events overtake him at every turn, which adds a layer of irony to the book. This is my first Irving, and sure not to be the last. I never knew where the book would take me, but I really enjoyed it.

Garp is my absolute favourite Irving. He is a wonderful author - I wish I could rediscover him!

I've had the book for a while, no idea why I haven't read it before! I couldn't get Breakfast of Champions out of my head, having recently read it. I must get hold of more of Irving's books, I am trying to cut down on picking up new books, but there is another of his on the charity shelf at work.

Talking of not buying books, two parcels arrived this morning!
The first was through Bookcrossing, from the First Pages of Asian Books VBB. I had chosen 4 based on their first pages: The Rug Merchant, Twilight in Delhi, This Earth of Mankind and The Patience Stone.

The second from Amazon. I had ordered the DVD of The Snowman (I already have the book with audio CD) to do in class with my little'uns. As it is only free postage to Spain for spending £25, I HAD to add a few other things. Gutted! I decided to order The World's Wife and New Selected Poems 1966-1987, both of which were part of 2011's World Book Night.

I think I'll move The World According to Garp up my list of tbr's. It will fit in at least one of my categories for 2012 so hopefully I'll get to it next year. Will be my first Irving too.

I would!!

33. We Speak No Treason The White Rose Turned to Blood
The second of two books about Richard III. The books are very detailed, giving you the life of Richard from different points of view - his first love, his fool and one of his men. Richard is such a hard person to get to, especially with a bad reputation cemented by Shakespeare. He is still enigmatic in the book as we don't get his version, so the other characters second guess him. I would recommend it, especially for the period detail.

34. People of the Book
Excellent! A book about a well-travelled book, I just got completely caught up in the action. An Australian is asked to check out an old book, and finds some interesting additions and omissions to the book. As she travels the world in search of answers, using these clues to find out where the book could have been in its 500 year history, we also discover more of her personal story.
Highly recommended for book lovers like me!

Glad to see People of the Book was a great read for you! I loved it when I read it!

I really like her books, I read Year of Wonders for my 11 in 11 Step Challenge, I'd recommend that too.

35. 26a
Another long-term TBR.

26 is the house of the Hunters, an Anglo-Nigerian family. Aubrey has four daughters, Bel, Kemy and twins, Bessie and Georgie. Bessie and Georgie are more than twins, they are twinned souls, they need each other more than anyone else.

Evans brings together family drama, with a touch of the exotic, adding up to a page-turning novel which will stay with you after you turn the final page. Good, but, perhaps inevitably, sad.

36. Os Retornados
I thought I would read this on my trip to Coimbra (Portugal), to get me back into the Portuguese language. The titular people are those who "returned" to Portugal from Angola when the latter became independent. Many of the people left everything to return to a country that some had never even been to. Joana, a TAP flight attendant, is part of one of the crews which is part of the air bridge sent to take them to Portugal, and she soon gets caught up in the emotion of the experience. Joana is at the start of the career, but this is the moment that changes everything in her life.
I enjoyed the book, which, while at times was very convenient, captures the history and humanity of that time very well.

37. Age of Iron
A J.M. Coetzee book that I have had for a while. Sad, thought-provoking.

38. The World's Wife
Brilliant! I have been reading this at night for the last couple of weeks and will be rereading it soon!

One of 2011's World Book Night books. I am not normally a fan of poetry, but I am trying to read all of the 25 books before World Book Night 2012.

Behind every great man, as the old saying goes. Duffy brings us a collection of women, behind the men and well-known in their own right. Through the different poems, Duffy brings us the many facets of women's lives, their emotions, their fate, and all in different tones.

You have quite a jump on the year! I look forward to following your thread. I can heartily recommend The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. They are marvelous.

That's true! Living in Spain means I don't have all of my TBR books, so I thought I should start right away. I also couldn't wait!

39. Agent Zigzag
Another World Book Night book, all about a double agent during WW2. Very interesting, it's funny that fact is stranger than fiction.

40. Just So Stories
Oops just noticed I had missed a book, I had been reading Just So Stories at night, and forgot to add it. A very enjoyable reread for me, I am hoping to do a couple of the stories with my students.

41. An Assembly such as this
OK, couldn't resist picking this up the afternoon after our work night out. Perfect for relaxing, highly indulgent. A friend has lent me this and the second in the series. This is Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view, from his first encounters with Elizabeth Bennett, through his meddling in Bingley's love affair with Jane and filling in the gaps in his story. I really enjoyed it, and I imagine I'll dip into the second book, Duty and Desire tonight!

I am also reading a Pride and Prejudice spin-off right now. I was fully prepared not to like it, but I am actually enjoying Mr. Darcy's Daughters, it's a nice, light read.

I haven't heard of that series, but will look out for it. I enjoy reading Austen spin-offs, and so far have only been disappointed by Emma Tennant's books, as the problems faced by the characters seemed forced and out of character. I read Persuading Annie for the 11 in 11, a modern adaptation of Persuasion and really liked it.

42. Duty and Desire
Couldn't resist it, and just had to get stuck into book 2. This volume is based on the gap between the dance at Netherfield and Darcy visiting his Aunt Catherine, and the result is rather gothic. Entertaining to see how Pamela Aidan filled in the dots. I just need to get my hands on book 3.

DQ, I really liked Mr. Darcy's Daughters as well! The series has 6 books in all, and as I recall, they're all fun reads.

43. Los Estados desunidos de Latinoamerica
Very interesting book, a series of articles by an Argentinian writer for the Miami Herald. Looking at relations between the countries, as well as with their Northern neighbour, the US.

44. Portrait of an Unknown Woman
Interesting read, as the cover says, it is for fans of Philippa Gregory. Holbein, the artist, comes to England and comes to the house of reknowned Humanist, Thomas More. More has an unusual family set up, with his children and wards, all of which have been given a lot of access to learning. Bennett marries a good story as well as a lot of historical detail, recommended.

45. The Body Artist
The story follows a woman dealing with the suicide of her husband. From a mundane final breakfast to her expressing herself through her body.

This is a very strange book, and I'm not sure it really hits the mark. I read it in one sitting, but only really perservered because it was so short. Unsatisfying.

Currently reading Jane Eyre.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman sounds good. Wishlist!

It was good, I am a big fan of the genre, and am always looking out for new authors.

46. SS-GB
I love alternative histories, and this thriller is set in 1940s England, but in a world where the Germans won the war in 1941. What would life have been like? This is GB, but with POW camps, British Jewish citizens wearing stars and the SS in control of Scotland Yard. The Yard's finest, Superintendant Archer is called in on a murder trial which has both national and political ramifications. Interesting, but the plot got overcomplicated by the end.

Not much reading being done at the moment as we have been playing lots of games, but will be back to the books soon!

@98 if you love alternative history may I recommend Kim Newman? He and Eugene Byrne wrote one of the best back in the USSA

Thanks, just added that to my wishlist. I haven't heard of those writers before. I just like the ide of "what if", how would we react, that kind of thing.

47. Jane Eyre
Finally! For many reasons, I have never read this and as I have a Jasper Fforde category, I thought I should rectify that.
I enjoyed it, it was very dramatic at times, I imagine my 15-year-old self would have loved it! Jane is good without being a prig, and Rochester is "ugly", but I can see how he caught Jane's eye. It was strange reading a book that is so familiar, despite having never read it.

That dark stranger gets the girl every time!

Ha ha, every time! I'm really up for seeing the new film, I enjoyed the BBC version a few years ago, Toby Stephens was wonderfully brooding and I'd like to see how Michael Fassbinder measures up.

48. Toast
Another World Book Night 2011 book, rather a quick read in the end. Nigel Slater writes about his childhood through the dishes he ate. Enjoyable, well-written, as the naive child lets slip what's happening in his family.

First 1/3 done, and it has been as enjoyable as ever.

As for the top books, I'd better start with the 1001 books. My top two were The Virgin Suicides and Foe, both were gripping and thought-provoking. My best discovery was John Irving and his book The World According to Garp, I can't wait to find more of his work. The best "why didn't I read that sooner?" was Jane Eyre and its well-written prequel, Wide Sargasso Sea. I love crime fiction, and the top spot has to go to Woman in White, I especially enjoyed the readalong on the 11 in 11 Challenge.

As for the rest, they are an eclectic mix. I found High Fidelity a real blast from the past, it certainly holds up to the rest of Nick Hornby's work. The quirky style of Toast made the book unputdownable, revealing, as it did, the family's history recipe by recipe. On the Beach was terribly sad, but I like books that make me take stock of the world around me. Estados Desunidos de Latinoamerica, given to me by my brother, not only was good for my Spanish, but as it was a collection of articles, written in managable chunks. A good insight into the Americas. People of the Book and Sweetness in the Belly were also very good, but I have to say that The World's Wife was an excellent find.

The bottom two were Killing Floor and The Body Artist, the former because it wasn't my cup of tea and the latter because it just didn't go anywhere.

Roll on Part 2!

49. Oranges are not the only Fruit

A girl is adopted by a Pentecostal family, a strange upbringing indeed. Her mother takes it badly when Jeanette falls for another girl at the church, going against her strict beliefs.
A short 1001 book, loosely biographical, proving that truth is often stranger than fiction.

50. The Masque of the Red Death and The Murder in the Rue Morgue
My last book of 2011, well I am counting the two books as one, as you can see below there is quite an overlap. I enjoyed reading Poe's stories, but I would say that the Crime Collection was more my cup of tea than the Chillers. As for my favourites, I would have to say they were The Tell-tale Heart with its paranoia, The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter for their French detective Dupin and, finally, The Pit and the Pendulum for its menace.

The Masque of the Red Death: Penguin Chillers
1. The Fall of the House of Usher **1001
2. Ligeia
3. The Oval Portrait
4. Eleonora
5. The Masque of the Red Death
6. The Pit and the Pendulum ** 1001
7. The Tell-Tale Heart
8. The Black Cat
9. William Wilson
10. The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
11. The Cask of Amontillado
12. Hop-Frog

The Murders in the Rue Morgue: Penguin Crime
1. The Balloon-Hoax
2. The Facts in the Case of M. Valdermar
3. A Descent in the Maelstroem
4. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
5. The Purloined Letter **1001
6. The Black Cat
7. The Fall of the House of Usher **1001
8. The Pit and the Pendulum ** 1001
9. The Masque of the Red Death
10. The Tell-Tale Heart
11. William Wilson
12. Berenice
13. Ligeia
14. The Man of the Crowd

I'll always remember the suspense of The Pit and the Pendulum. Rats - ew!

Utterly terrifying!

51. Oryx and Crake
Just finished this, off to check the readalong thread. Excellent.

n the near future, a man called Snowman is seemingly the last man on earth, an earth that has been all but destroyed. Living in a tree, his only contact is with the Crakers, genetically modified people who see him as a kind of sage. In his visits to the compounds for supplies, the reader gets more of an idea of the scale of the ecological disaster.

It's funny, but when I read The Handmaid's Tale in the days before 9/11, I was blown away, but thought, luckily the world has moved on and that won't be happening any time soon. However, the book seems more probable now than ever. Oryx and Crake is scarily possible, too.

52. The Diary of Ma Yan
Another long-term TBR down. The diary of a young Chinese school girl who is determined to get an education, despite coming from a poor family. Insight into life in rural Ningxia province and a Muslim Chinese family. The diary entries are interspersed with notes that help you get the most out of Ma Yan's diary. Very interesting.

53. Dissolution
Stolen from my Mum's bookcase, the first in the series. I took it because it was one of World Book Night 2011's selection.
I really liked this, a good mystery with such a detailed backdrop, with the dissolution of the monasteries and religious turmoil in England.

I will be coming back for more!

I am currently reading Ghost Train in the Andes, which I am really enjoying, but I am also trying to catch up on my reviews. I have been shockingly lax in this challenge. It is nice to add reviews of books that have none or few reviews, makes it worth the effort. Only half way done though :(

Only review
The Seahorse http://www.librarything.com/work/1249196
Shanghai Tango http://www.librarything.com/work/4145771

I read Dissolution last summer. Continuing the series is something I look forward to.

Mum has books 2-4 on her shelf, and it is tempting to nick them, but will have to be good and read more of my TBR books.

54. Ghost Train through the Andes
Picked while travelling in that area last year, but only just got round to reading it. Jacobs follows his grandfather's travels with the railway in Bolivia and Chile through the letters to his then fiancee. I really enjoyed this, especially as he passed through some of the places I went through with my brother.

Good to learn you enjoyed Dissolution! While on a trip to one of my favorite used bookstores last year I picked up Revelation, not realizing it was book 4 in a 'new-to-me' series (the book didn't give a clear indication that it was part of series). Luckily, my local library has the other books in the series so I can start at the beginning....

The Diary of Ma Yan sounds interesting! I never think of their being Muslims in China. Being a girl from a poor family is challenge enough, without being from a minority group within your own country as well.

re 115 - it's always great to get hold of a new series, especially to have all the books ready to read. There is nothing worse than only have a couple of the series, so just when you get into stories, you have to stop!

re 116 - I had heard about the Uighars, but didn't know anything about this minority. Very interesting.

55. Cost
A family falling apart, Julie's elderly parents are showing their age, her mother already in the grip of Alzheimer's, and her younger son's addiction to heroin. Blood is thicker than water, but that doesn't necessarily mean that every family is close. There are skeletons in the cupboard as well as grievances never aired, but long harboured. Recommended.

56. The Virgin Soldiers - had forgotten to add this one.

The book takes as its base the experience, or lack of, of young conscripts sent to Malaya. As Private Briggs is put through his paces along with the other new conscripts, but this is not WW2. There is a lot of slack time and the conflict is indirect, a series of guerrilla attacks rather than face to face contact. This gives the young lads time to dream, time to obsess about sex.

I found the book really enjoyable, funny and tragic, but certainly entertaining.

57. The Talk of the Town
As a huge fan of Father Ted, I was curious to see how O'Hanlan's book compared to his on-screen persona of Father Dougal.

Patrick Scully is a young man from a small Irish town. Killeeny. Despite a promising start, Patrick screws up his Leaving Cert and is not sure where he is heading. His best friend, and idol, is "Balls" O'Reilly, studying in Dublin and definitely more successful with women. Patrick is in a problematic relationship with Francesca, a uni student. He doesn't connect well with her, his envy driving a wedge between them.

What drew me to this book were the tone and its realistic setting, O'Hanlan recreates life in '80s Ireland and the problems and frustrations of being young. The balance of the two narrators works well, too.

58. Middlesex
Brilliant, one of the best books so far. I have had it for ages, put off because of its size, but once I started, I didn't want to put it down.

The story of a Greek-American family, with all the classic elements of Greek Drama and mythology - birth, death, incest, secrets, gender confusion.

59. Looking for JJ
Given to me by a colleague, a thought-provoking YA book. JJ killed her best friend when she was 10, but has been released. It's hard to describe it without ruining the plot, but I think that Anne Cassidy got the balance between drama and humanity just right.

60. Moll Flanders
I have been keen to revisit Daniel Defoe since reading Foe. This is Moll's story, in her own words, her life, times and, of course, crimes. Engaging, hard to put down, partly from the story, but also because it a narrative with no breaks in it!
I'd recommend it, a good look at life at the time, as well as how hard it is to climb up from the bottom of the social ladder, and how easy it is to fall again.

61. The Swimmer
From the writer of Brixton Beach, this book deals with a lonely poet living in Suffolk who falls for a visitor to her river. Race, family relations and an almost local setting (my parents live across the water in Essex).

62. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
I read The Dubliners while travelling a year ago, and have been wanting to read this ever since.

Joyce's book follows the life of Stephen Dedalus, from an impressionable boy living in a strict catholic society through to becoming a man.

I am still not sure about it, it is not an easy read because of the lack of punctuation, but it was interesting.

And now for something lighter: These Foolish Things

63. These Foolish Things
A retirement home in India for Brits, funny but a reminder to live life to the full.

I recently read Portrait of an Artist as a Young man, and have to say wasn't a fan of it. I enjoyed Dubliners, but Portrait of an artist was a let down. I wasn't a fan of the punctuation either.

Moll Flanders is one of those books that I read back in high school and didn't get much out of. I've been intending to give it another try for a while now - glad to know you enjoyed it. Maybe this year I'll get to it!

I have Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man on my kindle, but I have never attempted Joyce before. Any opinions on whether it would be a good place to start?

I started with The Dubliners, and from what I've read, it is the place to start, then head to Portrait of the Artist, and finally to Ulysses. The Dubliners was short stories, unlike The Portrait. To be fair, the book gets less structured as it continues, breaking the reader in a bit.

Thanks for the tip! I don't know that I'll attempt Joyce this year, but I'll keep it in mind for when I do. A short story collection does sound like the best way to start.

64. The Gathering
Very well-written, also very sad. A woman reanalyses her life after the death of her brother, finally opening the can of worms that the past can be.

65. Plains of the Passage
Book 4 in the Earth's Children series, another reread, but I have to admit I remembered least about this one. This book follows Ayla and Jondalar's trip back to his own people.

As ever, through their interactions, we get to see how they lived at the time, advances in technology and society. There is a lot of repetition from the previous books, making this book more formulaic than previous ones in the series. It appeared to me as the reader that Auel had her destination lined up, but skimped on the story to get there. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, but rather that I preferred the ones before.

Just need to get number 5, The Shelters of Stone from the library (in Spanish).

66. The Awakening
After a couple of false starts, I really got stuck in today. Enjoyable, but tragic, a discontent wife falls for a young man, the catalyst for changing her own life.

67. The Rug Merchant
A lonely Iranian rug merchant living in New York meets an American college girl. I loved the way this was written, the plot played out slowly and it was beautifully written.

Good summery of The Awakening, I read it last year, was an okay read

68. To the Navel of the World

Somerville-Large takes the reader with him as he travels around the two Himalayan nations, in spite of officials' best efforts to stop them with Kafkaesque bureaucracy. The book moves quicker than the two yaks, with a large dose of humour, which is needed when confronting an army of unimaginative officials. Nepal and Tibet are two countries which have always fascinated me, with cultures so different from my own. Somerville-Large has written a book which brings us a little closer to understanding both countries, both amusing and informative.

69. Dark as the Grave wherein my Friend is laid
A writer journeys to Mexico where he was inspired to write a book, one that hasn't exactly shaken the world, and his latest keeps being rejected.
A bit of an odd one, but I got caught up in it, Lowry certainly has an entertaining style. The tortured meanderings of a writer seemed very authentic to me, another reason why I'd recommend the book.

Wow - lots of great reads! I've added 13 books from what you've read. Thanks for your summaries!

Thanks :)
I've been pretty lucky so far this year! Though I do feel a bit guilty that so few have come from my TBR pile. I do need to get cracking on my reviews, I have written less than half of them.

70. The Conservationist
Very well-written, set in South Africa (written in the '70s). Race, family relations and land. Worth a read.

137 - Sounds good. I am on an African journey this week so this one sounds perfect. I just watched Last King of Scotland (Uganda) and this morning I finished Half of a Yellow Sun (Nigeria). Maybe I should start a mini-challenge to see how many African countries I can cover this year!

Ah! Nadine Gordimer. Was The Conservationist really depressing? I read her July's People and it was beautifully written, but very bleak.

Re 138 - I'd recommend reading Last King of Scotland, it is one of the few occasions where the book and the film are both good, though the script differs quite a bit from the book. I read Half of a Yellow Sun last year, really good, I have another of hers on my shelves in the UK TBR - The Thing around your Neck. I've enjoyed the books for my Africa category, some of which I have had sitting around for a while.

Re 139 - I found it strange to read it 30-odd years after it was written, after the end of Apartheid. I don't think it was bleak, though it was sad. There is a lot of frustration in the book. What I liked was that Gordimer switches narrators, so we can see life in South Africa from three different perspectives: the white business man who is playing at being a farmer at weekends, the Indian shopkeeper and the black foreman who keeps the farm ticking over.
I haven't read July's People, though I have heard of it, it is a 1001 book (I think).

71. New Selected Poems 1966-1987
From World Book Night 2011. I had to read a stack of poetry for GCSE, and Heaney was one of the few poets I enjoyed, so it was a wee bit nostalgic for me.
My 2nd-hand copy came with notes on a chunk of the poems, which was good for some of the historical poems (I didn't have to google!) There's a mixture here - nature, history, personal and political and I have enjoyed reading it at night.

140 - had no idea it was a book! My local library doesn't have it but I will poke around the used bookshops for a copy. Thanks!

I love Heaney but haven't read him for awhile.

I think I'll try The Conservationist. I'm pretty sure July's People is a 1001 book, and it deserves it. Just plan to follow it up with a cheerful and mindless book.

72. Family Matters

This is my second Rohinton Mistry, I read A Fine Balance fairly recently, a great book, and I am happy to say that Family Matters does not disappoint.

As the title implies, the book is all about a family, the family of Nariman Vakeel, the whose marriage to a widow turned him into the patriarch of an extended family. Now an old man, Nariman's family is on the brink of collapse as he becomes sicker. Palmed off on his daughter and step-children, he has lost control of his life, leaving him with more time to reminisce about the past, of their life together as a family as well as his tragic love affair.

Mistry has written a novel which has a good plot, well-drawn characters and which will keep you turning those pages to see how it all hangs together in the end.

The Thing around your Neck is a great collection of short stories, I also loved Purple Hibiscus

I will bump it up my list then, she is such a great writer. Purple Hibiscus was the first of her books that I read, and I loved it.

I am glad that you liked Oryx and Crake and thrilled to see you have an entire Fforde February section! I may end up reading three of his books this month, and have started with First Among Sequels. Since it has been a couple years I may go back and read The Eyre Affair with the group as well.

Plock!

I have had a stack of his books for a while, so decided to jump in with two feet when I heard about Fforde February!

73. The Eyre Affair
My first Fforde, and I loved it! Thursday Next has to catch a fiendish criminal before Martin Chuzzlewit gets it.

I a re-reading The Eyre Affair just for the heck of it and enjoying it as well. Rest assured the books keep getting better!

74. Lost in a Good Book
As Bcteagirl says, the books get even better!
Thursday's happy ending is taken from her, and she needs Miss Havisham's help.

75. Huckleberry Finn
Took a while to read as I had to read it out because it is written in Finn's words. Well, I'm glad I've read it, but can't see myself getting hold of Tom Sawyer.

76. A Life Like Other People's
Bennett tells his parents' stories, starting his Mam being evaluated, and then going backwards. Sad, funny and highly readable.

77. 4.50 from Paddington
A reread for me, I swapped the book at a hostel in Madrid. Reading a Christie book is like chatting with an old friend. I knew who had done it, but it was fun watching the plot unfold.

The Conservationist sounds interesting, thanks for brining it to my attention, I think I may have to check this one out.

78. The Well of Lost Plots
Book 3 in the Thursday Next series, and this time she is in Book World trying to live a quieter, safer life. Book World, however, is not a safe place, what with a minotaur on the loose, internal power struggles and a speed freak mentor, Thursday also has to deal with an enemy in her head, trying to make her forget her nearest and dearest.
Roll on book 4!

Hee, I am so glad you are liking the series! I love the idea of books 'knowing' when they are being read, but it also makes me feel badly for all the 'unread' books just sitting around :P

Very true, and all those half ideas...

79. Ragtime
I enjoyed this, the intertwining of people's lives, how interconnected we all are. I did feel I might be missing a lot not knowing who all the real people were in the book. Recommended.

157 - Ragtime is a great book and unfortunately, it is made greater by all the references. Being Canadian, I think I got most of them but I am sure more than a few went over my head!

Well, it did make me go online after to study some history!

80. The Pillars of the Earth
I had had my eye on this for a while when I found it in a hostel book exchange. I had already read quite a few of Ken Follett's thrillers, so was curious to see how this would turn out. Really good, I could hardly put it down (despite its size - well over 1000 pages!). This is the story of a cathedral, those that built it as well as those whose lives depend on it.

oo that sounds good - straight onto the WL

Don't forget the sequel. It's not as good as the first but continues the story nicely.

When I first Pillars I liked it so much that I started it over again (no shelves full of unread books at that time). I appreciated the fact that the characters spoke in modern language which didn't subtract from the story at all for me.

Luckily my Mum has the sequel on her shelves, so I look forward to stealing that! I also have the DVD of the mini series to watch, it has a great cast.
As for the language, I agree, if it had been to thee / thou, it would have detracted by the story, and one thing I like about Follett is that he never lets that get in the way of a good story.

81. Something Rotten
Thursday is back in the "real world", accompanied by Hamlet. Kaine is still a threat, trying to thwart an old prediction by a saint, leaving Thursday with a croquet world cup to win.
I am really enjoying this series!

82. Miracles of Life

I am a big fan of Ballard's work, the adaptation of his book "Empire of the Sun" is one of the first films I really remember watching over and over that wasn't a cartoon, so you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on his autobiography.

For those of you who have read his books Empire of the Sun and The Kindness of Women (or seen the film of the former), there are many episodes that you will recognise, though as the author writes, not all of them happened to himself. The tone is engaging, he shares with the readers, on his terms, a life that was lived to the full. Highly recommended.

83. Tear out my Heart

Thoughts to come.

84. First among sequels
Number 5 in the Thursday Next series, still good. We have jumped ahead in time from the previous books. Thursday is joined with her two fictional representations - Thursday1-4 and Thursday5. They are very different, but both have some of Thursday's characteristics.

Is First Among Sequels the one with the Volatile Cheese Market (it's not the market that's volatile, it's the cheese)? That joke always cracks me up!

It is indeed! Cheese strong enough to kill! I enjoy his sense of humour, I am sure that I am getting weird looks when reading the books in public!

Ah, you're making me want to read Fforde again. I new Thursday should start running into variations of herself. & You've got to love Volatile Cheese. I've had some leftover blue cheese crumbles in my fridge that were definitely evolving that way.

I think it's a great idea having different versions of Thursday. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait a while for the next book.

85. One of our Thursdays is Missing
The sixth, and final (so far), of the Thursday Next series. The written Thursday needs to help out the real Thursday. I liked this one a lot, as Book World was much more fleshed out and we get some new characters.

OK, now back to my other challenge, much neglected by Fforde Ffebruary. I am currently reading David Copperfield, another crack at Dickens, though I am finding it mixed going, sometimes so engaging, at other times painfully dull. I am also reading The Shadow Lines, I really like Amitav Ghosh, his books hook me from page 1. This book is a blend of real life (well, of the characters) and the fiction as life stories are told, remembered differently and even embellished.

86. The Shadow Lines
As good as I thought it would be.

The narrator tells us his family history, of life in India as well as their links with England. The unnamed narrator dearly enjoys the stories of his uncle Tiridib, tales of his time in England which are so vivid that when he finally goes there himself, the narrator is able to find his way around a city he's never even visited before. The book reaches a climax when we find out the tragedy suffered by the family.

As ever with Ghosh's work, The Shadow Lines had me hooked from page one, not only because of the story, but also because of the sumptuous writing style.

87. David Copperfield

88. In Watermelon Sugar

You couldn't get two more different 1001 books! The former weighs in at 737 pages, the latter at less than 150, with many pages only half-filled. So I am not the biggest Dickens fan, the old rhyme comes to mind - when he's good, he's very, very good, when he's bad he's tedious. (please excuse my artistic licence!) I really enjoyed In Watermelon sugar, strange, simply written, but with so much between the lines.

I have in watermelon sugar on my shelf yet to read it, didn't realise it was a 1001 book...

I enjoy Brautigan too. Such great details! & such strange writing. & your rhyme about Dickens seems very apt to me. :) Those Victorians.

Thanks! I think I'll wait another 18 months for my next Dickens

89. Flowers for Mrs Harris
A short book on the 1001 list by the author of The Snow Goose. The titular Mrs. Harris is a London charlady, a very particular type of cleaning lady, both historically and culturally. Ever since she saw a client's Dior dress, it has been her goal to have one, no mean fact. Her dream is brought a step closer by a win on the pools, but fate seems to help and hinder all at once.

As the previous reviewer of my copy said, this is a book to read when you are in the right mood as what is uplifting one day could be saccharine sweet the next. This is , however, more than a twee novel about a savvy charlady, while it is a sweet book, Gallico captures the period really well.

90. Danube
I have had Danube for a while, and have picked it up and put it down a number of times throughout the years.

This is a book with an epic undertaking, to travel down Europe's main fluvial artery whilst informing the reader about the history and culture of the region. As I said, an epic undertaking, what with the turbulent history of the countries that the river runs through, a tangled thread of attack and counterattack, of different religions, nationalities and languages.

This is not a book for the faint-hearted, nor for someone looking for a light read, but readers will be rewarded by a book which celebrates a river which links much of Central and Eastern Europe and gives an insight into the peoples that live on her banks.

91. Viva South America

Have had my parents visiting, so am way behind on reviews.

92. Everything is Illuminated
Another long-term TBR, and what a brilliant book!

Writer Jonathan goes to the Ukraine in search of his own family's history. His family was saved in WW2 by a Ukranian woman, and it is Jonathan's goal to find her. His guide and translator on the trip is Alex, a gregarious young Ukrainian, very much a fan of the U.S., and who is planning his escape from Lvov. Jonathan's search takes them to the countryside, being driven by Alex' grandfather, whose dog takes quite a liking to the author.

I really enjoyed the style, the mix of narratives kept me turning the pages. It is a book that is often raw, but it is the jagged edges that will make you read on. I would recommend this for those who like their literature with a good dose of humour, as well as those who like a well-explored yarn.

93. Stuart A Life Backwards
This is the last of the 25 World Book Night 2011 books I had to read. A workmate picked up a WBN copy of it in Cambridge and gave it to me, the last book I needed to pick up and set in the Cambridge area. What a stroke of luck!

As suggested by the subtitle, Stuart's story is told in reverse. In this way, we see how Stuart ends up on the streets, a combination of many factors. What makes the book so readable, though, is the relationship between Stuart and his biographer, making both more 3-dimensional.
Recommended.

Stuart sounds like a rather odd book. Sounds interesting.

It is very odd, but the writer does well to lay Stuart's life bare so the reader can understand better.

94. Under a Blood Red Sky
Another long-term TBR. Taking place in Russia, the book is centred round a bond between two women, a bond forged in a gulag in Siberia. Sofia realises that Anna won't last out her sentence, so escapes to get help.
I wondered how the plot would stretch to 500 pages, but Furnivall throws family drama, the hard life in the USSR of the '30s and a bit of magic. Entertaining enough to help break up the gloom of report writing.

95. Room
One of World Book Night 2012's books.
Excellent, I was hooked from the first moment and it made a long train journey fly by.

Jack lives with his mother in Room, a one room world cut off from the rest of humanity. Their only connection with Outside is Old Nick, their keeper, and TV.

Seen through the eyes of Jack, the book is reminiscent of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The narrative is compelling, with Donoghue able to transmit the horror of life in Room by letting a child narrate. This leaves the reader to join the dots, so as to fully understand what Old Nick is doing. The book is also about the bond between a mother and a child, Ma does everything she can to bring up her child, I think it is this bond that makes the book so readable. Highly recommended.

I love how you are reading through the World Book Night books!

I am enjoying it, it means I get to try new authors. This year's list is just as varied, I have a stack to find though.

96. Still Water Saints
Very good. Behind on notes, but as tomorrow is a holiday here, will have plenty of time to write some reviews.

Round up of Part 2: 49-96

97. Kim
Just finished this, enjoyable, but need to give it some thought.

98. The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
An interesting read off my long-term TBR pile. Based on the true life, much stranger than fiction, this is the story of a girl who goes from Chinese princess to Japanese spy.

This is a gripping read, but difficult at times. Eastern Jewel, or Yoshiko as she was known in Japan, is a woman beyond her time. Independent, fiercely loyal to her adopted country, but it is a country which betrays her just as she needs it. She is a prickly woman, honest in her encounters with men, but I felt pity for her as she was also the product of a cruel upbringing, passed between men at a young age.

The jury is still out on this one.

Based upon LT ratings, it looks like I am one of the few readers that really enjoyed this one. Yoshiko isn't a character that is easy to love so I can see where the divergence in views comes from.

It was well-written, but it was uncomfortable, warts and all. I felt that she had been conditioned, her fierce loyalty for Japan came from abuse, as did her rejection of China.

99. Cider with Rosie
Finally read this, had many false starts along the years, the first time being extracts at school. A glimpse at a world that has gone, village life in the Cotswolds between WW1 and WW2. Lee's childhood straddles changing times, rural life was becoming more and more mechanised, the towns were growing and children had more freedom.

100. The Patience Stone
A short book, but full of drama and suffering. An Afghan woman is trying to care for her husband, who has been shot in the neck and is in a coma. Much of the text is her talking to him, about their lives, and, as she becomes more frustrated, she tells him her most secret thoughts and actions.
Recommended.

@189 I enjoyed it but I got a bit fed up with the tone, bit unfair of me as it was a child innocent joy but something irksome about all they tweeness.

Haha that's so true! I think that's why the whole class groaned when we had to read excerpts at school.

101. Eat, Pray, Love
I saw the film a couple of months ago, and picked this up at a charity shop later. I enjoyed it, though I would say a lot of that depends on how you find her. Gilbert chose three very different places to visit, which make the story interesting.

102. King Solomon's Mines
Another long-term TBR down! Very much a book of its time, KSM is rather gung-ho, but the story is certainly page turning.

103. Dragon Bones
An Early Reviewers book off my conscience. It took me a while to get round to it, but it was an interesting read.

An Australian newly-wed moves to Bhutan to be with his French wife. It is a quite a culture shock, especially with Bhutan still being fairly unknown to the outside world.

It is an interesting read, though at times I wish Gunn had gone into more detail as some of the sections seemed to end abruptly, though the book is a good jumping off point.

104. The Namesake
Another great book from Mount TBR. I just loved this, the characters, the tone and the portrayal of the difficulties of being caught between two cultures.

I like your short reviews. Looks like you've gotten a lot of reading done lately. The Namesake has been on my WL for awhile. Perhaps time to move it up.

Thanks, they salve my conscience as I still have lots of long ones to write. I've just hit the 500 mark on LT reviews, but still have about 40 to do from this challenge to do :S

I am trying to read more of the scary chunksters on my shelf, so don't think that I'll be reading as many books this month

Chunksters scare me too - I've got a borrowed Nook right now and am trying to talk myself out of buying one, but one advantage of the Nook is it isn't immediately obvious how chunky a chunkster really is.

And you don't get sore wrists!

105. The Magus
Where to start, a page turner that gets stranger and stranger as you go on.

I have two versions of the magus on my shelf and can't now remember which one I read a few years ago - there is the original published one and the author's preferred text, am considering a Fowles re-read next year and thought if I could stand it to read both and see which one I prefer....

The edition I have is the updated one, with an introduction from the author. I did enjoy it, creepy really isn't the word, though having already read The Collector, I was expecting this. I imagine I'd get a lot out of reading the book again in the future, to catch any twists I missed.

He's always interesting - I have nearly all of his books collected over a period of many years which is why I was thinking of a re-read next year. the french lieutenants woman is his best I think

I read The Collector first, about 3 or 4 years ago, and The French Lieutenant's Woman more recently. I really liked the author's meddling in the latter, the way he reminded us it was fiction and also gave us detail about what happened to the characters after the book finished. A great writer.

106. Burnt Shadows
Really liked this, a story than spans the globe, starting with the bombing of Nagasaki, through Partition and finishing in our post-9/11 world.

Burnt Shadows sounds interesting.

I was trying to write a mini review without giving too much of the plot away, but there are interconnecting relationships that link those events together, putting the emphasis on the human cost. I have read another book by the author, Salt and Saffron, I really like her style.

107. The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic
I've been having a lazy morning, it is miserable outside, all drizzle and no sun, and this book fitted the bill nicely.

Becky is in debt, credit cards maxed out, but still she NEEDS to shop, to get that high. Of course, like all of us can, she justifies the purchases, like when she takes the advice of a self-help book to take her own coffee to work rather than buy it, she first has to buy a flask, a grinder and coffee beans. I am not a shopaholic (well maybe a chocoholic!), but no matter, it was the internal monologue that kept those pages turning.

While you might laugh or tut at her delusions, Kinsella intersperses the text with bank offers, loan offers and the like, showing us how easy it is to get in over your head.

Fun, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. This is on World Book Night 2012's list.

108. The Book of Evidence
The confession of a murderer and a thief, in his own words.
I soon got caught up in this, his narrative is compelling.

A week's holiday with lots of time spent on trains and waiting in train stations, as well as coffee drinking and ice cream eating in the lovely region of Catalonia.

109. Middlemarch

110. El Anillo
A thriller left by a colleague, in Spanish. A young woman receives 2 rings on her birthday, the first is an engagement ring and the other a very old ruby ring. Little does she know, but this is the start of a big adventure, one that will take Cristina back to Barcelona where she was born in search of the Templar's lost treasure. A good enough travel read, but I felt the male author didn't always depict his female protagonist very well, and the book was repetitive at times.

111. The Green Hills of Africa

112. The Line of Beauty

The author takes us back to '80s Britain, where Nick, a young gay man, fresh out of Oxford, is living with the family of a university chum.

Through Nick, we see the rise and falls of the '80s. On the political side, the decade starts with the Tories riding high after a landslide electoral victory, but as the decade draws to a close, scandals have started to drag the party down and the Iron Lady herself is at risk of losing her position. On a more personal note, as a young gay man, Nick arrives in London at the moment of sexual freedom, but the end of the '80s brings with it the shadow of AIDS as more and more cases are reported.

Recommended.

113. The Constant Gardener
News comes in that a British subject has been found violently murdered near Lake Turkana in Kenya. Tessa, the wife of a British diplomat named Justin Quayle, is found dead in a locked car with the headless corpse of her driver next to her. British police fly out to work on the case, which has far reaching implications.

Le Carre brings together a convincing, compelling thriller, one which in today's climate appears all too realistic. The God of Profit, as one of the characters terms it, is all too omnipresent today. The reality is that developing world is being used as a testing ground for new drugs and that our governments pick and choose when to support or condemn a regime on financial grounds. The book had even more resonance for me in the wake of the Arab Spring and various scandals about the misuse of aid.

This arrived in a bookbox not long after seeing the film adaptation. The film differs rather a lot from the book, but both are worth your attention.

114. The White Woman on the Green Bicycle

115. Matilda
I picked this up at a hostel in Spanish, it was great to reacquaint myself with Roald Dahl's gifted heroine. A book that will capture the imagination of every reader, be they a child or an adult. Just fabulous!

I am currently reading Our Kind of Traitor, which I picked up at the hostel in Girona along with Matilda, I am pleased as I have a copy sat in the U.K. As ever, I am behind on my reviews, but I have got a couple on paper, just have to type them. Right, time to wash off the grime of an overnight train ride and to get some kip.

Looks like you had some great reading over your holidays! What did you think of The White Woman on the Green Bicycle? I have heard that a number of other readers had difficulties with the story and haven't gotten around to reading it myself.

Absolutely, even had time to do some sightseeing! I enjoyed it a lot, the story was very engaging. The writer starts with the end of the story, before going back to let us see how it all unfolds. The book has lots of threads - an estranged couple, race, politics and a great setting in Trinidad.

116. Our Kind of Traitor
Another enjoyable thriller by Le Carre, this time about a Russian criminal who wants protection from the U.K. in return for information.

I have been procrastinating and reading today when I should be tidying (I procrastinate by tidying when I have reports/ exams), so have filled up my final slots for the challenge. I am hoping that this will give me the encouragement I need to read the 12 1001 books I have left on my shelf here and to not be seduced by shiny new books purchased on a recent visit to Scotland (damn those airport offers!).

117. The Player of Games
I am a big Iain Banks fan, but this is my first Iain M Banks. Not a huge sci-fan, and I have to admit the first chapter or so made me concentrate as I got my head round the the society and people. I did get sucked in though, being in the mind of the player, Gurgeh, as he gets to grip with a new type of game.

@215 - I think Iain Banks has been pretty prescient with his "Culture" novels with people wanting to be "on the net" or not - I seem to remember (and its been a few years since I've read them) that player of games was my favourite culture book

I haven't read any of the other books, but will keep my eye out for more, it is the only one of the series on the 1001 list and it is also a WBN 2012 book. I liked the way Gurgeh was fallible, as well as how the character of Mawhrin-Skel, his robot friend is so human in his feelings.

118. The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Loved it! Katrinat was kind enough to post me the book out to Spain for the readalong here on Librarything. I'll be posting my thoughts later, but this was a book that I just knew I'd enjoy from page one. A great combination of characters, the clever concierge who hides her intelligence under the projected stereotype of her job and a young girl who has had enough of the world are the two narrators.

119. Love in a Fallen City
I am on a roll, loved it! A collection of short stories set in my birth city of Hong Kong and Shanghai. Love, and the problems it causes, culture, history, war and human relationships, this book has it all. I was hooked, though the stories are rather tragic.

120. The Portrait of a Lady
Read on train trips this weekend, an I really enjoyed it.

121. Mercy
A standard Jodi Picoult, with a multi-layered dilemma to think about. In this book, Jamie Macdonald arrives in town having killed his wife who was terminally ill. He turns himself and the body over to the police, throwing himself on the mercy of his cousin, local police chief and clan Laird, Cameron Macdonald.

Thought-provoking and page turning enough for a horribly driech week in Avila.

122. Youth
I seem to be on a J.M. Coetzee reading binge this year, this is my third after Foe and Age of Iron. I had wondered why a writer could have so many books on the list, but these books are all very different. In this last one, Coetzee brings us a chapter of life, a frustrated young poet who leaves South Africa to fulfill his dream, but ends up working for IBM.

I found myself drawn to the book, despite, or maybe because of, the flawed and brutally honest narrator.

Lots of good reading going on here! Isn't Catalonia beautiful? Hope I can get back there some day...

This is turning out to be one of the best challenges I have done, a really good selection of books and writers.

Catalonia is lovely, so worth a visit. I am still thinking of other trips I could do up the coast, in better weather though!

123. The Lacuna
I think I'll have to add Barbara Kingsolver to my list of favourite writers, this was great. So much packed into the book - the Mexico of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera through to paranoid anti-communist post-war U.S.A. All seen through the eyes of a young writer. Really recommend this.

124. Eugenie Grandet

There are worse ways to spend a rather miserable day than a good book and unos cafes con leche in a friendly cafe! This is a book to read in a oner, or as near to a oner as you can, because this is a one take narrative following the life of Eugenie, the romantic daughter of a miser. The lives of the Grandet family are knocked off course by the arrival of her cousin, Charles, sent from Paris by his soon to be penniless father.

125. Twilight in Delhi

I bumped this up my TBR list after it was mentioned in Burnt Shadows, written in the 40s, but set in the first quarter of the last century, Twilight in Delhi is a snapshot of life at the time. What sets the book apart from others is that the action mainly takes place in the houses, giving us a look past the curtain into the inner sanctum.

Good.

126. Picture Perfect

Second Jodi Picoult this month!

126. Picture Perfect
I started Mill on the Floss, but it is not a book I can read a lot of at once, partly because of the dense narrative and partly because of the tiny type which makes me have to hold the book almost flat to be able to read it all. So, I decided to read some lighter fiction with bigger type!

This is my second Jodi Picoult in as many weeks - again, rather true to form. In this book, a woman comes to in a graveyard with a head wound and no memory of how she got there nor of who she is. She is picked up by Will Flying Horse, a cop who has transferred from the Reservation to the LAPD. It turns out that her husband is the famous actor, Alex Rivers, and while Cassie is envied by women everywhere who dream of being married to such a talented heartthrob, it seems that her private life is not as happy as she would wish.

I didn't enjoy it as much, there was too much crammed into one book, making it unsatisfying.

127. How I live Now
From this year's World Book Night list. Really good, a young girl is caught in England when war breaks out, leaving her and her cousins with no adults to help them, they must fend for themselves.

128. Mill on the Floss
I've been reading this in chunks over the last week. It is a long book, and unfortunately my copy has tiny type meaning you have to dislocate your thumbs to read the words on the inner edge of the pages. That aside, I did find myself engrossed, Maggie is a great heroine, though you know from the start that she won't have a happy life. This was my second George Eliot for the challenge, in fact the first time I had read her work, after being put off her at school - the other English div studied this very book and, as you know, very few books can survive being studied by teenage girls.

129. Too Much Happiness
A short story collection, very different and yet with some threads running through them. Highly recommended.

1st Completed Category

Category 7: Road Trip


Inspired by one of Katrinat's categories last year. The idea is that each book comes from a country bordering the previous one, e.g. a book set in Spain followed by one set in Portugal.

Spain - France - U.K. / Netherlands / Germany - Switzerland - Italy

TBR
- Austria - Hungary / Romania - Ukraine - Russia - Mongolia - China - Bhutan - India - Pakistan

Here's the map I'll update as I travel.

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Starting point: The French capital, Paris... The Lollipop Shoes
Then across Channel to the U.K., before returning to the Continent, via the Netherlands, to Cold War Berlin ... The Spy who came in from the Cold ** 1001 Book, ** World Book Night Book
And on to Switzerland with German writer Thomas Mann for health reasons ... The Magic Mountain ** 1001 Book
Southwards to the promised land of foodies every where, Italy ... La Cucina
Passing through Vienna with a well-travelled book ...People of the Book
Following the River Danube from Bavaria to the sea in Romania (via Austria, Slovakia and Hungary ... Danube
Northwards to Ukraine ...Everything is Illuminated ** 1001 Book
To Russia, a country which straddles Europe and Asia, deep into Siberia ... Under a Blood Red Sky
The tales of a Chinese princess sent first to Japan, then to Mongolia, before returning to her native land... The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
Across the border to the small kingdom of Bhutan where G.N.H. (Gross National Happiness) outranks G.D.P. ... Dragon Bones
And now to its much larger neighbour, India ...The Namesake **1001 Book
Before finally reaching across the divide to Pakistan ... Burnt Shadows

Well, my first category finished! It's rather difficult to choose favourites when you give 4 stars to 6 books, but I suppose I have just been lucky this year in terms of finding good reads. Everything Is Illuminated was certainly the most unusual of the category, I really liked the writing style and the characters. As a book lover, I'd also have to rate People of the Book highly, a good mystery about a book. As for the books which have stayed with me longest, I am torn between Burnt Shadows and The Namesake, both thought-provoking and page-turning. As for the bottom of the list, well it has to be The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel, a book that I found rather uncomfortable.

4 1001 books, 1 World Book Night Book.

I am trying to catch up on my reviews, and realised that I hadn't posted my round-up for the second part of the challenge, so here goes.

Once again, I'll start with reads from the 1001 list. The two that stand out are The Shadow Lines and Middlesex, the former for the narrative stye and the latter for expressing so well the complexity of life. The two most disappointing were Huckleberry Finn and David Copperfield, I had heard so much about both, but neither grabbed my attention.

As for the rest, Miracles of Life was highly anticipated and did not fall short of the mark. Empire of the Sun was one of the films that marked my childhood and I have read 3 of Ballard's books, so there were a lot of stories that seemed familiar in his autobiography. A whopper of a book, but very engrossing was Pillars of the Earth. Mum has been recommending it for ages, and once I started, I found it heard to put down. The clunker of the second part of my challenge has to go to Tear this heart out, the main character annoyed me so much, I just wanted to shake her out of her pity party.

Of course, a special mention has to go to Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, I really enjoyed getting stuck into the books in February and look forward to reading the two I have from the Nursery Crime series. It was such fun seeing the literary world through the eyes of the author, with its great characters and fun asides.

Congrats on completing your "road trip' category.... and what a fun idea for a challenge!

Thanks, it was fun. It also made me really think about my reading. Another advantage was the occasional overlap of countries. I will definitely have this category again in the future.

130. La Hija del Sol
Oh man, I've had this book so long that the price is in pesetas on the back! I bought it while interrailing and just never got round to reading it. A Native American scientist discovers a well-preserved body in a cave in the ice. Little does he suspect that it will change his life as well as our ideas about Neanderthals. The woman was pregnant and Yute inserts the embryo into a young Native American girl, but his idea of studying the child as it grows up proves more difficult than he thought it would be.

Not a bad thriller, there are many threads, from the significance of this scientific breakthrough, the difficulties of growing up, as well as the struggle to keep your culture together, especially when you live in an area with international mining companies trying to exploit it.

2nd Completed Category

Category 10: Historical

Another favourite, I read a lot of historical fiction. This will also include memoirs, biographies, and non-fiction.

1. How to be a Woman
2. We Speak No Treason The Flowering of the Rose
3. We Speak No Treason The White Rose Turned to Blood
4. Portrait of an unknown Woman
5. Shanghai Tango
6. The Diary of Ma Yan
7. The Virgin Soldiers
8. Ragtime **1001 Book
9. The Pillars of the Earth
10. Miracles of Life
11. Eat Pray Love
12. Cider with Rosie ** 1001 Book

Wow, a strong category with all of the books getting 3 - 4 stars. My top read would have to be Miracles of Life, I just really enjoyed getting to know one of my favourite authors better. Ragtime was also very interesting, the way the characters were interconnected and also the historical backdrop. As for the bottom two, Cider with Rosie was a bit overdone for me and Shanghai Tango left me with more questions than it answered.

2 1001 books

131. Uncle Tom's Cabin
What a book! I can see how this caused quite a stir on publication. Highly recommended.

I agree.... Uncle Tom's Cabin is quite amazing, even today.

True.

132. The Tropic of Cancer
Bit of an odd one, a stream of anecdotes and thoughts about sex, money and Paris. It was page-turning, as I wanted to see where the narrator would go next, but I think I need to process this one.

133. The House in Paris
A slim 1001 book, a young boy comes to Paris to meet his mother who gave him up for adoption. Leopold is at the house of Miss Fisher, a friend of his mother's, but he is not the only visitor, Henrietta, a young girl, is also passing through. The first and third parts are in "The Present", taking place in a short space of time, whereas the second part explains the circumstances around Leopold's birth. Bowen puts human relationships under the microscope, the complexity of them and also how people are interconnected. I liked the book and look forward to reading the other two of hers that I have on my shelf - The Heat of the Day and The Last September.

I just bought a copy of Tropic of Cancer... sounds intriguing.

Wow! You've read tons of books since I last stopped by. Elegance is definitely going on the WL, & I was interested in what you had to say about The White Woman on the Green Bicycle since its on my list for my Caribbean category. I haven't read Tropic of Cancer but I've read some of Anais Nin's work. Was it like a male version of her diaries? It sounds kind of like it was.

I've been busy reading - we've had quite a few public holidays here. I will be looking out for Tropic of Capricorn, the sequel to Tropic of Cancer. I haven't read Anais Nin, but they had a relationship, I think.

As for The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, I have written half of a review, just need to type it up here. I would recommend it.

They definitely "had a relationship" but it certainly wasn't a relationship that could easily be described as playmate or lover or husband or friend or teacher/student. I might have to check out Tropic of Cancer. & I'll keep my eyes open for a copy of The White Woman on the Green Bicycle. I'm only doing 6 in each of my categories, and sometimes I get sad because the categories fill up fast but I also know there's only so many books I can read in a year!

Have finally typed up my review of The Woman on the Green Bicycle
http://www.librarything.com/work/8113987/details/77748603

134. Tiger, Tiger
This was a tough read, I am not a big fan of misery memoirs, but had been recommended this by the friend who gave it to me. I have to be honest, it is very graphic, a warts and all true story of a girl who had a 15 year relationship with a paedophile. There were times when I got so angry or upset that I had to put the book down and walk away from it, especially as I am about the same age as the writer, which made the book hit home even harder when she mentioned cultural references, like dancing to Madonna and listening to Kurt Cobain and Hole, which I did.

I wish I could say I was reading something lighter, but I have dived into The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I am enjoying greatly. It seems that I am reading around social problems at the moment - from racism and slavery, through those must vulnerable to the rights of women.

Great review of The Woman on the Green Bicycle! Thumb! I have read a number of reviews for this one over on the Orange group and I have to say I am more inclined to pick up a copy of the book if the opportunity arises than I was after reading the other reviews for the book.

Thanks. It seems that the dividing factor was the narrative shift, which I thought was effective, though I can see how it could be strange.

135. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Helen Graham, a young widow, moves into the rundown Wildfell Hall, along with her young son. The locals are intrigued by her, and the rumour mill runs overtime as visitors try to winkle out information from her. One of her frequent visitors is Gilbert, a flighty young man who Arthur, Helen's son, takes a shine to. But Helen has a secret. She has left a bad marriage and is in hiding.

Bronte doesn't confine herself to issues of gender, but also brings up the topics of class, behaviour, addiction to gambling and drinking, whether it is possible to avoid them, as well as scrutinising the institution of marriage.

This is the second book I've read by Anne Bronte, and it stood up to the standard set by Agnes Grey. It is sad to think what others books she could have written if she had not died so young.

136. Child 44
The first book in a trilogy starting in Stalin's Russia. Leo is a secret policeman whose world is blown apart by a gruesome murder in Moscow. The authorities pass the crime off as an accident, and when Leo pushes, he is relocated with his wife. One murder in Moscow turns out to be the tip of the iceberg, as another dead child turns up, Leo makes the connection, but must work outside the law to track down the murderer.
Entertaining thriller, the backdrop of a country in the grip of a paranoid dictator adds to the tension, as Leo's investigation has political ramifications which the authorities wish to avoid.

Started book 2 already!

137. The Secret Speech

138. Agent 6

Both good thrillers continuing and concluding the story of Leo Demidov.

I've on read Child 44 so far (enjoyed it when I did) but haven't got around to the sequels yet. They're both on the tbr shelves though so it's good to know you enjoyed them.

I'd recommend both, though I think there was a lot going on in book 3, maybe the book could have been split into 2?

139. The Road
Father and son walking to the coast in the wake of disaster. There are very few people left, and those that are can not be trusted. A battle to stay alive, to find food and water. I am a fan of Cormac McCarthy, and this did not disappoint, the book is well written, with so much emotion crammed into the sparse text.

140. Frankie and Stankie
Dinah is a girl growing up in '50s South Africa, her memories take us through the post-war period up until the '60s. Through her eyes and observations, which are made the observations of Dinah at the age she is describing, Trapido shows us life in South Africa, from race to gender, from sex to education. I really enjoyed it, the book requires concentration as there are throw away remarks which could be missed. Recommended.

The Road is on my TBR bookcase and is one I will get around to reading at some point. Well written and crammed with emotion sounds intriguing.

I would recommend it. I will type up my review tomorrow, but I gave it 4 stars.

141. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

142. The Sound and the Fury

I wrote the reviews on the train, will type them up tomorrow.

I love The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Hope you liked it.

Child 44 sounds like one for the WL.

Busy week, I have students doing the Cambridge English exams. I did enjoy The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, it was a really easy read in the end, I mean I got stuck right in. I enjoyed Child 44 and the rest of the series, though they could have separated book 3 into two books as it was rather crammed with plot.

143. The Big Over Easy
The first in the Nursery Crime series, really funny and perfect for escaping from marking!

Final book coming - The Fourth Bear, I'll probably start it later this morning at a local cafe soaking up some sun.

144. The Fourth Bear
The second book in the Nursery Crime series. This time Goldilocks is dead and the Gingerbreadman is on the loose. Good mystery and very funny.

So, that means I am finished, though nowhere near on the reviews. I'll keep posting as I finish the reviews for the books in each category.

WOW!! Great reading you've done already! I saw your other thread so I'll keep following you there. Congrats on a great reading year - and not even half way done!

Thanks, I've had a great 7 months of reading - I started in October, couldn't wait until the new year. *sheepish grin*

Congratulations on finishing your challenge! Well Done!

Congratulations!

Congrats on finishing. Good to know that you're staying with us for another go as well.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! And what a way to end it too, I loved that series. Glad you are sticking around!

Congrats!

Wow, I can't believe people are finishing already! Should I create an "I'm done" thread?

Big Congrats!!! What are you going to do now? Maybe we should have an I'm done thread. & a plans for 13 thread.

Oh, there's already a thread about next year! I can't remember what it's called, but it's definitely been getting a lot of traffic lately! :)

ETA: Here it is: http://www.librarything.com/topic/137804

Thanks everyone! I have started a step challenge, which will see me through until winter.

re 265 Thanks for posting about next year, lots of good suggestions. I will definitely be taking part.