Judylou's 100 in 2012

One Mile Beach at Forster, NSW

Well, I'm back. Full of good resolutions for the new year to come. Looking forward to reading lots of new books and reading about all your new books too.

Excellent, good to see you here again for 2012!

*waves*

Looking forward to following your reading again this year!

I'm hoping to read at least one Orange for January, but first i must finish my current book The Street Sweeper, which I am enjoying very much.

Oh, I've got The Street Sweeper coming up as a bookgroup read, I'm looking forward to it! It sounds quite fascinating. (Damnit, it's not scheduled until August!)

Happy New Year!

wookie, it is getting better and better!

Bookmarking your thread :D And reading more Orange books is also one of my goals (although I seem to like Booker nominees/winners better usually).

Some years I find the Bookers great reading; other years not so good. I don't know why that is.

This...might seem like a silly question, but what are Orange books? Google has been returning many brightly-colored but less-than-informative results.

When I say Orange books I mean those books nominated for or winners of the Orange Prize for Fiction from the UK. I am hoping Judylou means the same thing, otherwise it's foot-in-mouth time for me :-)

You are right- there is a group that reads books nominated for the Orange Prize in July and January- let me see if I can do this properly

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

No silly questions here! Thanks torontoc and divinenanny for the explanation!

1. The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman

Perfect. My first book for 2012 is a 5 star book!

This is a massive story. It follows a number of characters who appear to have nothing in common, but there is always the expectation that they will converge at some point. I won't spoil the plot by telling you if they do or not though. Adam is an historian, the son of a famed civil rights lawyer, and friends with Charles, the son of his father's colleague. Adam inadvertently comes across some transcripts made from conversations with recently released death camp survivors. This takes him on a long voyage of discovery, both personal and career related. Meanwhile, Lamont, recently released from jail has found a job at a hospital where he meets and befriends an elderly dying Jewish man.

Simply wonderful. Highly recommended.

Aha, thank you all!

And where else did I see The Street Sweeper recently? I guess I know where I'll see it again, anyway. (That being my wishlist, if it's not already there.)

Sounds like a great way to start off the year, Judy. I had a 5 star book for my first one too.

Oh hurrah! I'm looking forward to The Street Sweeper very much now!

Happy New Year Judy, and what a great way to start the year. I'm adding The Street Sweeper to the TBR list, although it looks like I'll have to join the queue at my local library! Look forward to following your reading this year.

2. Larry`s Party by Carol Shields

My reading year is off to a very slow start, but at least it has started with two excellent books. I loved the way Shields structured this book. Going through time by looking at significant factors in Larry`s life. It was very readable and very enjoyable. I found myself wanting to know Larry more and more.

3. The Cockatoos by Patrick White

I read this book because I joined a Patrick White group started by amandameale, and it was the only one I could find on the shelf before going on holidays. It is a book of short stories written about ordinary kinds of people, middle aged, married couples, seemingly ordinary, but always with some underlying difficullty. Sometimes a bit confusing, sometimes a bit dated and old fashioned in its concepts, but always very readable.

I enjoyed Larry's Party too, although I thought in some areas Shields gave us TOO much information about Larry. Sorry, I just didn't care about his penis. ;-)

What's the significance of the picture in post#1?

Thanks Joyce. I can understand your doubts about that chapter! Although as a whole, I found the chapter by chapter glimpse into Larry's life quite fascinating.

I was at or near One Mile Beach when I set up this thread. It is near my mother's house.

4. Summer at Mount Hope by Rosalie Ham

I thougt I would enjoy this one a lot more. I quite like this author's other books, but this one, set in the late 1800s near Geelong, Vic, really didn't excite me much.

Oh dear, I have been so bad. I have read one or two books since number 4 and will do my best to catch up over the next couple of days. But being in the middle of renovating my daughter's flat, I'm not sure whether I can manage or not. But I'll be optimistic!

Good luck catching up! Maybe listening to audio books while you work would help?

Good luck with the renovations, too!

I'm not very good at listening to audio books (too distracted, not a great listener, ooh look, something shiny), but I've been listening to a very silly podcast on my walks to/from work and loving it: The Thrilling Adventure Hour. It's like the old-time radio serials, done with a live audience. There's "Sparks Nevada, Marshall on Mars", "Captain Laserbeam", "Tales from the Black Lagoon", "Jefferson Reid, Ace American", and my favourite, "Beyond Belief", about Frank and Sadie Doyle, mediums to the upper crust of Manhattan, and never without a drink (or three). Each of their episodes start with:

FRANK: Who cares what evil lurks in the hearts of men!
SADIE: Unless evil is carrying the martini tray, darling.
SOUND EFFECT: *ting*

I think it's the short nature of each story (and the silliness of the scripts) that's made me addicted.

So, if you want something to listen to that doesn't take a lot of concentration (ooh, shiny!), then this is good.

hahahaha wookie, they sound verrrry interesting! Might have to look them up.

To add to my woes, we have lost internet connection yet again at home (we really have to research our options again) unless I tether to my Samsung Galaxy. So the good intentions may be delayed some more, at least until the providers get their fingers out of their proverbials.

5. Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron

This was a very powerful book. Very highly recommended.

You can read my review here

6. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

I do enjoy listening to these on audio. But basically Sookie just keeps on getting into trouble and then getting out of trouble again.

7. Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

The sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, this one follows Annah, Gabry's sister who was left behind injured in the forest. Annah and Elias go to the city where they eke out an existence until Elias joins the recruiters. When he doe come back he brings Gabry too. They, along with immune Catcher, are taken by the Recruiters to the last stronghold against the undead. Expect the next one in the series soon.

8. To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal

Judith has a demanding job, a teenage daughter she doesn't understand and a husband she suspects is having an affair. She begins to wonder and dream about her first love, WIlly, and discovers where he is. She makes contact with him and goes to spend time with him. But he is not the same man he used to be. I liked this one. I guess it speaks to those of us of a certain age who wonder about the one/s who got away.

9. The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

Their three kids are all living in the city, but one by one they are forced to come back home. First Lillian with toddler and new baby, escaping her straying husband; then Stephen and his pregnant wife, who planned a weekend visit and ended up staying until the birth; and finally Rachel, who has just broken up with her boyfriend. Not bad, but a bit ordinary.

10. Too Close to Home by Georgia Blain

Freya is a playwright. She lives with her husband Matt and young daughter in the outer suburbs of Sydney. Shane and his two children move in up the street. Shane is an old friend of Matt's. Matt discovers his old girlfriend has a teenage son about the right age for him to be Matt's. I really liked this one. It was very believable and true to life.

11. The Love and Death of Caterina by Andrew Nicoll

Set in South America, Caterina is a Uni student who meets her idol Valdez - a famous writer. They fall in love. He has writer's block and she writes beautiful stories. What happens next is a tad predictable. I fell in love with Nicoll's first novel, but this one, although still very good, was a bit of a disappointment for me.

12. The Life by Malcolm Knox having trouble finding the correct touchstone

This one is at the top of my favourites list for the year! Loved it!!

DK is pushing 60, living with his mother in a retirement village. He is overweight, paranoid and obsessive, living a life of strict routines. But he used to be the surfing world champion. He hasn't been on a board for nearly 40 years but he is starting to feel the lure of the waves again. He and his mother are visited by a young girl, a writer for a surf magazine, who wants to do a story on the famous DK.

I just loved this story. Knox includes real life surfers in his descriptions of the surf scene of the late 60's early 70's in Australia which makes this novel feel so true. The language, the people, the waves themselves. I wanted to research DK and find out if he really existed!

13. What the Family Needed by Steven Amsterdam

Alek asks "would you rather be able to fly or become invisible?" And with that, each member of his family discovers an astonishing ability. But this is not some sort of "Incredibles" story, it is much deeper than that. Quite surprising and quite moving, this one will keep you guessing.

14. Divergent by Veronica Roth

A YA dystopia where society is divided into factions. Abnegation - selfless; Erudite - knowledge; Amity - peaceful; Dauntless - brave; and Candor - truthful. At the age of 16 after an aptitude test, each young person chooses their faction. Tris goes from Abnegation to Dauntless and faces a very long initiation, which is tough and nasty and hard and makes her cry and she falls in love and someone tries to kill her and oh, did I mention, she is also divergent. I found it hard to understand exactly what divergence meant though. It was a bit vague, or perhaps I read that part with my eyes closed or something. Anyway, divergence makes it all much harder but she is a tough little cookie and so you just know that everything will turn out ok. Did I mention there is mind control involved? And I nearly forgot. A war as well.

And no, I didn't like this one much. I just found it all too unbelievable.

Ooh, looking forward to your review on What the Family Needed, that's one that's been catching my eye.

I agree with you on Divergent being unbelievable, but I just went with it and enjoyed the adventure side of it. I didn't have a problem with the concept of Divergence though, which probably made it easier. :)

I wish someone could have explained it to me while I was reading it!

15. Why be Happy when you could be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson

Winterson's story of her life as a young girl growing up with an extremely strange mother and a loving but fairly useless father reads like a novel. It is written beautifully as you would expect of Winterson.

16. The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen

Minou is 12. She lives on a tiny frozen island with a priest, a magician, a dog called No Name and her father, a philosopher. A year ago her mother went for a walk and never returned. Minou cannot believe her mother is dead. One day she finds a dead boy washed up on the shore and he is taken to their house until the delivery boat arrives the following week. A lovely story. Recommended.

17. World House by Guy Adams

Interesting! A variety of people from different places and times each come across a small wooden box which sends them to a very strange house. The house has bathrooms which hold oceans, greenhouses which contain rainforests, playrooms where the games become real, corridors that go on forever, and many other weird and wonderful things. Quite an adventure. I am already on the lookout for the sequel.

World House sounds fascinating, and I hadn't heard of it before! It might just have to go on the wishlist...

I think you will enjoy it wookie.

18. Miss peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This one started out with great interest but after about 100 pages I thought it lost a lot of its promise. It seemed to change from an adult's novel with a 16 year old protagonist, into a YA novel about monsters. Shame, because the story itself could have been really good. I just felt confused. I like to read YA novels, but I like to be forewarned that that is what I am reading. It is all about the expectations I suppose.

And it is very important for an author to understand the difference in meaning between "taking a piss" and "taking the piss". Something that seemed to be confused in the beginning of the book.

A book suddenly taking a downward turn is the worst! It's especially sad since that one has such a promising title. Plus it's surely not hard for authors to get contemporary slang right... Sigh!

Hmm...weird that I hadn't noticed that mistake in my copy. I'm usually quick to nit-pick over things like that. Now I have to go back and see!

***SPOILERS in this paragraph.***
I guess I can see what you mean when you mention the shift in tone. When I read it, it felt more like the narrator was written too old for his age...which turned out to be fine for me once the idea of time travel came into play.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't like it, though. I hope you'll enjoy your next book more!

I have noticed so, so many mistakes in the books I am reading lately. I sometimes ring my daughter just to tell her about the latest one! When reading Divergent there was a plane/plain mistake. I read it about a hundred times before I could move on. LOL! When driving today, we passed a billboard with a "your" instead of "you're". How does this happen??? OK rant over. I used to be a teacher. That might explain my tendency to nit-pick!!

Oh, that happens very frequently where I live! My favorite this week has been a sign outside a used car lot that says, "something-something, bad credit something, YOUR APPROVED." In neon yellow letters.

I think I'm something like a bipolar pedant. I'll swear up and down that I love learning about how language evolves (and I do!), but then things like this still make me grit my teeth. (Maybe a more appropriate term for that might be "hypocrite?" Haha.)

It will always be hard to fully support the evolution of English when the grammar and spelling are drummed into our heads year after year after year. My mind slightly thinks, "I took the trouble to learn this, and I bloody well want everyone to keep to it!"

Misspelt words and misplaced apostrophes are jarring, because they derail comprehension. Hate them. (Although sometimes I don't notice them at all! Does seem to be a factor of how wrapped up I am in the story as to how jarring it is - if I'm fidgeting anyhow, then the errors really bug me.)

Can't remember who told me this plan, but: open up a sign writing business, offer two rates: one with spell checking, and one without spell checking (but an extra cost to fix afterwards, if they're really insistent on continuing with "broccoli's" or "accomodation").

Happily, the next book had nothing to cause me to get the red pen out!

19. Blow on a Dead Man's Embers by Mari Strachan

I thought I was going to like this one, but my mood kept changing while I was reading it. At first it was good, then I got bored, then it got better, then it was just silly, . . . I think you get my drift.

20. The Song House by Trezza Azzopardi

Audio book. This one took way too long to listen to. I think I started about October last year. So it lost some of its rhythm along the way. But even so, I don't think I would have thought too much of it. It was a bit predictable.

21. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

I was pretty disappointed with this one as well. I expected a lot more from it after hearing so many reviews and good things about it. I thought that it was a bit plodding and predictable, even though the story itself was quite good. Oh well, lets hope the next one is a winner.

Bother! I really liked Mari Strachan's The Earth Hums in B Flat, sorry to hear her next is not a great read. And I've got When She Woke out from the library at the moment. I was looking forward to it, too!

Also enjoyed The Earth Hums in B Flat, nice to know she has another novel, will be chasing it.

I loved The Earth Hums in B Flat. That's why I was disappointed with this one.

22. When the Night by Cristina Comencini

Interesting. A story about obsession, or maybe obsessive love, a mountain, lots of snow and mountain men. I liked it.

23. Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany

Betty and her two young children live next to Harry, a dairy farmer, recently divorced. Harry is a good friend to Betty and a father figure to her children. The book progresses slowly, but nicely so. Harry and Michael, Betty's young teenage son, converse through their love of birds and in watching his local kookaburra family, Harry tries to make sense of his life.
Very nice.

24. The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki

This one is on the Orange Prize longlist. It is one of the few Orange Prize books that I really don't like. I didn't finish this one. I just did not like the tone of the book and I really disliked the main character. I think the reader is supposed to dislike him, but there just wasn't anything left to read for as far as I was concerned.

25. Floundering by Romy Ash

When Loretta entices her two young boys into her old yellow car as they were walking to school one morning she takes them away from the stability of their grandparent's home where she left them some time ago, and into a road trip across the continent. When they finally arrive on the western coast, she takes them to an isolated camping spot where she finds her parent's old caravan. Here the boys are forced to come to terms with many things and learn to fend for themselves in many ways. A very well written book.

26. The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks

I listened to this one while I was painting a couple of rooms. It was a great adventure story - the third in this trilogy. Good fun.

27. The Mary Smokes Boys by Patrick Holland

Grey North is 10 when his mother dies giving birth to his sister. They have a difficult childhood; their father is often absent and often drunk. They live in a small town in the Queensland hinterland where the Mary Smokes creek runs. This is a beautifully written story of growing up, making do and survival.

28. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

I enjoyed this story set in the southern USA. Samuel Lake is a preacher but his inclusive style does not sit well with the hierarchy, so he fails to secure a ministry. He is forced to take his family to the home of his in-laws where the children thrive, his wife is happy, but he feels hard done by.

Some good reading going on, as usual! Looks like the Orange Prize judges agreed with you, and The Flying Man did not make the shortlist. (Neither did The Blue Book, which was the one I was most interested in. Still have to actually read it, mind.)

I was a bit surprised at a couple of the ones chosen this year. I just finished Island of Wings which was disappointing too. I have read so many books that I think are wonderful which don't get chosen. Oh well, I guess when they invite me to be on their judging panel things will change ;o)

29. Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg

An Orange Prize longlisted book. Set on the Isle of St Kilda in the 1800s. A young minister and his new bride go to St Kilda to administer to the natives. They are a peaceful group of people with a highly successful democratic way of life. But naturally, the church looks down on their lifestyle and they are being forced to change. The book didn't do much for me, and I admit that I skimmed quite a bit of it.

30. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
31. The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

I forgot to add these two. I listened to them while painting the house (well, parts of the house anyway). I didn't think I would like them much, but now more than halfway through the third installment, I am being drawn in even further. An interesting meld of fantasy, western and dystopia.

32. Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

I thoroughly enjoyed Harkaway's first novel. But this one frustrated me a bit. The story itself was really good but I felt like I was plowing through a lot of extra story to get to the crux of the novel. Oh well, can't like them all I guess.

33. Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

This was an excellent story set in Berlin and Paris at the beginning of the second world war. Sid and Chip are black American jazz musicians living in Berlin, watching the city close down under the influence of the Nazis. They befriend young Heiro, German born son of an African father and German mother, and an exceptional musician. Their attempts to flee to safety are hampered by Heiro's stateless status and their reluctance to leave him behind.

I liked Half Blood Blues - I never knew about this slice of history.

It was all new to me too.

34. Pure by Julianna Baggott

This YA dystopian novel was a thrill-a-minute read for me. I liked it. After 'the detonations" the only survivors outside of The Dome are fused with whatever they happened to be near at the time of the explosion. Pressia is fused to the doll she was holding in her hand, Bramwell is fused to the birds he was running through, El Capitan is fused to the little brother who was riding pillion on his motorbike. Others are fused with groups of people, animals, machinery, and the earth itself. The Pure of the title is Partridge who is on a quest to find his mother who did not make it into the Dome. The final page announced it was the end of Part 1. I will be waiting eagerly for Part 2!

35. In search of the Blue Tiger by Robert Power

There are no touchstones for the book or the author who is a local Melbourne man who just happens to be a co-worker of my daughter's.

Oscar Flowers is a little boy who lives in the House of the Doomed and Damned. He knows that people can become animals because the mother calls the father pig and the father calls her bitch and cow while her blood spatters the walls and Oscar lies in his bed trying not to hear. Oscar wants to become a blue tiger. He knows they exist because his friend the librarian is helping his research.

An interesting book. A fantasy with a bit of humour and a message of of hope for those in seemingly impossible situations.

32. The Waste Lands by Stephen King

The third in the series. Still listening to the audio version and still enjoying!

33. The Submission by Amy Waldman

I had heard some negative things about this book, but I enjoyed it once I got into it. Two years after the September 11th attack, a competition to find the best memorial to those who died is won by an architect who just happens to be a Muslim. Once this is discovered it throws everyone involved into a right tizz. I found that I just had to keep reading (a few late nights involved) so I could discover how the whole thing was resolved. It wasn't until the final page or two that the resolution is revealed. My only misgivings about the book were that I felt that the characters were a bit stereotyped; perhaps in order to fit the storylines better.

34. Restoration: World House by Guy Adams

The sequel to The World House which I really enjoyed a few months ago. However, I didn't like this one as much. The characters have moved along on their quest to save the world. They are spread throughout the House, the World and in different times and places. I have to say I got a bit confused with all the goings on and I did a bit of speed reading to get through it.

35. Blood by Tony Birch

Can't find the touchstone for this one.
I hesitate to say that this was another book in the dysfunctional Australian family genre because it was a very good story. I have just read a few of its kind lately.
Jesse is Rachel's big brother. He has sworn to take care of her always. But he is only a child himself and he can only do his best in the face of an alcohol and drug affected mother who brings strange men into their family and ignores the needs of her children.
Worth looking for.

36. On the Floor by Aifric Campbell

Nothing much to say about this one. Meh.

Hi judylou - enjoying your reviews too. I have The Submission and Nick Harkaway's first book on Mt TBR at the moment, and am now even more keen to read them, although I might avoid his second one for the moment.

Sounds like a good idea seekingflight! The first Harkaway is the better I think.

37. Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick

A contender for the Orange Prize this year. I really liked this novel. I've never read anything by this author before, but I like her style.

38. Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka

I started this one with high hopes. The first page had me laughing out loud. But I lost interest by about 50pages in and just skimmed through the rest. The story is interesting (Sri Lankan cricket anyone?) and the title refers to some kind of left arm spin action. But I think the tone of it annoyed me. A bit sardonic / sarcastic? I just wasn't in the mood.

39. The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

Thoroughly enjoyed this old fashioned ghost story. Set in the late 1800s, a group of well-to-do birthday party attendees are forced to deal with a carriage load of 3rd class train passengers after a railway accident. But they are not quite what they seem . . . Throw in an isolated house, a storm, high emotions, and a pony in a bedroom and you have quite a story!

40. My Hundred Lovers by Susan Johnson

A beautifully written book of 100 chapters. Featuring all the many and varied loves of Deborah, a daughter of a dysfunctional family in Australia who spends much of her adult life in Paris. But the hundred lovers are not all of the human kind . . they range from chocolate to crisp bedsheets to new born babies to hands to the ocean to a bridge in Paris to the men and women Deb has loved. Lovely!

Oh, yes, I've heard great things about the latest Susan Johnson! Apparently she spoke at the Sydney Writers' Festival and, due to the title of her book (and maybe some confusion about the *other* Susan Johnson, an American author who writes bodice rippers), everyone was expecting some sort of "Fifty Shades of Grey" talk. Shame, she is an excellent author.

I haven't read any of her other works, but I have wishlisted a couple now. Her writing is quite beautiful. Shame about the SWF. I'll look it up online.

41. The Forrests by Emily Perkins

An excellent, slow moving, but compelling story about a family that has moved from New York to New Zealand. The story becomes focused on one of the daughters - Dorothy - and we follow her through childhood, adulthood and old age. Recommended.

42. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

A beautiful story. Based on the Russian fable where an older couple wish so hard for a child that when they make a little girl out of snow she comes to life. Well worth reading!!

43. The girl in the green raincoat by Laura Lippman

An entertaining story about a girl in a green raincoat who disappears one day and the detective who is stuck in her front room due to pregnancy complications (a la Rear Window) who attempts to find out what has happened.

Oh, I've been trying to find a coy of The Forrests, I keep on hearing good things. I also really liked her last one, Novel About My Wife.

I found it at the library. It is worth hunting a copy down!

44. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

What a treat! Loved this story of survivors of a shipwreck and how they managed to survive . . or not. Excellent writing and kept me wanting more!

45. The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

I had high hopes for this one. It sounded so good. But. An Icelandic orphan taken to live with her uncle; he dies, the aunt and cousins are mean; she is sent to a boarding school where she is put to work as a servant; she goes to the Orkneys as a Governess, falls for the boss (much older); lies and drama; blah blah blah. Oh well.

So halfway through the year and haven't reached 50 books yet. Seems like my reading has slowed down for some reason. That is strange because I am working less this year than previously and should have more time to read. I know I am listening to fewer audio books, perhaps that is the reason. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I am free to read as many books as I can and I intend to read as many books as I can!!

Go for it! The exact number is not nearly as important as the act and joy of reading.

Good for you! I was disappointed to be having a slow year reading wise but I finally shrugged my shoulders and just thoroughly enjoy it :-)

Thanks for the words of encouragement!! I have a few more to add to the list today . . .

46. The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman

The title refers to a lighthouse situated on a tiny island where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet off the coast of Western Australia. The lighthouse keeper (recently returned from WW1) and his new wife live an idyllic life on their island, but with a number of unsuccessful pregnancies all they desire is a healthy child. One day a boat is washed up on their island with a dead man and a tiny crying infant. The choices they make then and later are ones that you will both agree and disagree with at the same time. One of those stories where you will wonder what you would have done in their place. Very good!

47. Talullah Rising by Glen Duncan

This is the sequel to The Last Werewolf which I very much enjoyed a while back. I liked this one even better. After Jake's death Talullah believes she is the only werewolf left, but after she has given birth she discovers there are others out there. The vampires are still after them though and what with the WOCOP agents chasing her and the vampires causing mayhem, it is a very exciting story! This is a very good example of literary horror and well worth reading.

48. A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

Listened to this during a recent mammoth road trip. I loved it. I haven't read a big fantasy series since The Wheel of Time some years ago so I am looking forward to getting stuck into some more in this series. And the TV adaptation isn't bad either!

49. Wizard and Glass by Stephen King

The fourth book in the series. I am enjoying them a lot. Already on to the next one!

Oooh nice to see Talulla Rising is good.

Count me in as someone excited about Talulla Rising now.

50. Surfari by Tim Baker

Saw this at the library and it appealed to the 70's surfie chick I used to be! Tim, a surfer and journalist for surf magazines, takes his young family on a round trip of Australia - his mission is to surf as many new waves as possible. It is an interesting view of Australia's different coastlines, the surfing culture of today and the difficulties of travelling with a large caravan and small children.

51. The Grief of Others by Leah hager Cohen

A lovely story about a family and how grief has affected each member when a new born baby dies. Very sensitive writing about a difficult subject.

52. Drowned by Therese Bohman

Set in Sweden, two sisters, one married to Gabriel, an older mysterious man, the other a student. There is an affair, heartache, a death. meh.

53. Niceville by Carsten Stroud

"Evil is Coming" So says the cover of this wonderfully horrible story. Set in the US South with a huge cast of characters in a town called Niceville, but it isn't very nice at all. Lots of people have disappeared over the years from this small town. too many to be a coincidence or the work of one killer. From a police procedural start it soon becomes a really strange and gripping story a la Stephen King. Worth taking a look if you enjoy that kind of thing!

54. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

When I started this book, I was unable to stop reading for 150 pages. Then I had to stop. I couldn't read it while I was asleep! But after such a wonderful start, it somehow lost its way.

Imagine if one day the earth started to rotate more and more slowly, until days (or periods of light) were lasting two weeks and nights the same. Think about how society would change, how the environment would change, and how individuals would change. This is what happens in The Age of Miracles. It is a coming of age story, told by a young girl, just hitting puberty. I think what annoyed me in the second half of the book was that it focused on the girl's loneliness and boyfriend woes more than on the events caused by the earth's slowing. But that is just my opinion and this book has been well reviewed in a number of places. So I think I was after a grittier story than I got. But having said that, it was still a great story!

55. Darkness on the Edge of Town by Jessie Cole

I slurped this story up in a day. Another gritty Aussie story set in a small town. Vince is living "up the hill" with his teenage step daughter, one day he comes home to find a young woman next to her overturned car holding her dead baby. Vince takes her in reluctantly and then her story comes out slowly. Excellent story, very well written.

56. A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

Wow what a trip! I enjoyed this book so much! Each chapter is written from thee viewpoint of one of the main characters. As I finished each chapter I would get so annoyed that I was leaving Sansa, or Jon and having to suffer through another chapter about Catelyn or Arya, but by the time I'd finished the first page of the chapter, I was immersed yet again into their life! Can't wait to return to their world again!

57. The Boy Under the Table by Nicole Trope

Tina is a runaway 17yo living in Kings Cross and working as a prostitute. When she goes to a client's house she discovers a small boy tied up under his kitchen table. Even though Tina is herself damaged and tempted to forget what she has seen, she finds herself unable to ignore the little boy. She goes back to the house to try to free him.

This was a difficult book to read - child abuse is never easy to read - but some good can sometimes come out of bad situations; at least in this book they can. Not a great book, but I don't regret reading it.

Thanks for visiting my thread, judylou. You inspired me to catch it up to date review-wise. Looks like you've been moving right along as well.

I'm trying ronincats!

58. The Silent Land by Graham Joyce

This was a great little story. A married couple are on a skiing holiday when they re caught in an avalanche. They escape, but when they return to their hotel, they find it deserted. in fact the entire village is deserted. When they try to drive, walk and ski out of the village strange things happen. I liked it!

#39 This sounds interesting, I may have to add it to my list! It appears there is a sequel now as well.

#45 ... I get annoyed by poor English as well, (maybe because I was an English major in college) and refuse to use nearly all the modern contractions Instance messaging and texting has created. I did notice alot of errors in the first 20 or so kindle books I bought, I am guessing they are OCR errors, (and poor proofreading afterwards) lately they seem to be better.

#56 you are choosing to read the series at a good time, (unlike those of us who had to wait 5 years for the latest book A Dance with Dragons to come out; that was painful, as it kept being delayed. It is a good series, but definitely a darker one, IMO. And for me, i prefer lighter books and happy endings (though I don't always get what I expect when I pick a book up) since I already have enough to deal with in Real Life.

59. Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer

Sunny, very pregnant, was born without hair, Maxon, her husband is a genius Nobel Prize winning astronaut flying to the moon (and autistic), their son Bubber is also autistic and Sunny's mother is dying in a hospice. I really liked this book. It is very clever and very engaging and quite unique.

60. True or Totta by Riika Pulkkinen

I expected to like this one more than I did, but it was disappointing. A story of a family grieving the impending loss of the mother.

61 metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

I have never read this one before, but what a treat to finally get to it. Nice and short, strange but wonderful story about Gregor who wakes up one day to find he has become a cockroach. I know there is a lot of symbolism, a lot of allegory and a lot to consider about the story, but I chose to just read and enjoy it for what it is.

a lot of allegory and a lot to consider about the story, but I chose to just read and enjoy it for what it is.

Yes, yes and yes. That was my experience too. Great novella.

62. How I became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely

A bit of fun. I liked it.

I'm heading off on a three week break tomorrow. I'm taking only one physical book with me. But I have about twenty on the tablet. I am a little bit panicky about flat batteries and system crashes; what will I do with only one book and a broken tablet????????

book stores? extra batteries?

No book stores on a cruise ship, but a not too bad library was available. Anyway, I didn't have time to read much. My visions of lying around all day reading on a deck chair were waylaid by all the other stuff there was to do on board!

However, I did manage to read . .

63. The Last Policeman by Ben Winters

A meteor is due to hit the earth within a year. Most of the population have left their jobs and are off fulfilling their bucket lists or whatever. However, Henry remains at work as a policeman and he is determined to solve a murder case. Not bad. not really my cup of tea though. The end of the world scenario got me in, but it was really a crime novel.

64. Z by Michael Thomas Ford

Very disappointing zombie story.

65. Night Terrors Anthology by Karen henderson

An Early Reviewers copy. Not very impressive.

66. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I have had a copy of this book for ages, but have never chosen to read it for no apparent reason. However, I should be ashamed of myself! this was a brilliant book. I loved every thing about it. Highly recommended!!!

Have you tried The end of science fiction by Sam Smith? Same type of thing as The Last Policeman (which I haven't read) but I loved its portrayal of the end of world how if effects people, the fact there is no future. All the panic and ennui seeping in.

Thanks! I've just wishlisted it. It does sound very similar, but perhaps even better?

67. Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears

When I started this one I was a bit underwhelmed, but by about 60-70 pages, it had me. Then I couldn't put it down. Set after WW2 in a small country town where the Nancarrow family run a farm and aspire to be the best horse high jumpers in the country. Beautifully written and highly recommended.

I think it balanced the detective part with the apocalypse rather well. It was more a case if why bother when the world is ending & how to find peace etc... Mind you I was in floods of tears by the end!

Oh, finally catching up! From waaaay up there somewhere, I've added Niceville (the library will be texting me with a copy to pick up in a day or so); and good to hear Talulla Rising is another good read, I will be picking that one up sooner rather than later.

And I'm glad you liked Foal's Bread too! I wasn't expecting to like it (I was convinced it was going to be for the horse lovers amongst us only), but I thought the whole show-jumping thing was fascinating.

I'm an ex-member of the horsey set, so I'm going to order up myself a copy of Foal's Bread. Thanks for the recommendation!

68. Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King

The next episode in King's series remains consistently good. I am enjoying them.

69. Summer of the Dancing Bear by Bianca Lakoseljac

A promising start but a disappointing end. Kata is a small girl in a village in Yugoslavia in the 60s where a group of gypsies camps occasionally. There are secrets and a bit of gypsy magic but the story just sort of petered out I thought. Oh well, on to the next one.

70. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Lanagan has written a fairy tale that has it all. A wonderful story with magic, lost worlds, strange characters, love, and most of all imagination! This story is wonderful, horrible, amazing and nasty. Fantastic!

Ooh, I'll definitely have to add Tender Morsels to my to-read list.

Good to hear that Tender Morsels was a hit with you! And it has a great cover!

Yay! I have Tender Morsels already in Mt TBR! Phew, love dodging book bullets that way. :)

Read it, read it, read it!!!!!

LOL! Okay, it's getting bumped up higher. :) I do have a couple of bookgroup reads to do first, and *gulp* 1Q84 so I may be some time...

If only I could read books as quickly as I can eat chocolates!

71. How to Tell if your Cat is Trying to Kill You by Matthew Inman

A silly book of cartoons etc which has actually helped me to understand what Cookie is thinking while she is being so nasty!

Oh, a friend recommended How To Tell if your Cat is Trying To Kill You just the other day! Funny how these things come around. :)

Oh glad you like Tender Morsels it rather blew me away!

72. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

The second in the series which started with I am Number Four. Not too bad. Numbers 4 and 6 find each other and proceed to try to beat the Mogadorians. Meanwhile another of the Nine is having a hard time in Spain. I enjoyed it enough to be looking forward to the third one!

73. A Trick I Learned from Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge

Lee is an apprentice undertaker. He is fond of the girl who delivers the flowers and is just waiting for the right moment to ask her out; his mother has recently died; his step father has taken to the armchair and never leaves it; his brother who is deaf relies on him for everything. Through all this he remains quite cheery. Not a bad story.

#136 - that sounds pretty funny, actually. I'm keeping my eyes open for it.

Great to see the love for Tender Morsels, her next novel Sea Hearts is just as challenging !

It's on my list :o)

74. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

This seems to be one of those books that is either loved or hated. I fall into the "Loved it" category. Told through a series of letters, emails, reports, etc which have come into the hands of young Bee, the story of Bernadette slowly emerges. Yes, it is a bit silly. And no, it is not realistic. But it is charming, and amusing and entertaining.

75. A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin (Part 1)

This volume has been made into two parts, so I am counting the first half as one book. I am very much enjoying the whole escape into this word of Kings and secrets and torn apart families and wargs and Others and everything else! Can't wait to start the next one, but I have about ten library books I have to see to first :o(

76. An Unexpected Guest by Anne Korkeakivi

A day in the life story about the wife of a diplomat in Paris. There is a secret in her past which threatens to come to the surface on a day when she cannot afford to threaten the calm and stable life she has developed for herself and her family. This was a good story, though hardly memorable.

77. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Loved it! Harold Fry hears from an old work colleague who is dying. He sets out one morning to post her a letter but he just keeps on walking. He decides to walk the length of England to visit her, determined that she will not die while he is walking. During his walk he meets many and varied people, has crises and adventures, and thinks deeply about his life, his wife and his son. Excellent!

78. Sweet Old World by Deborah Robertson

Set in the dramatic landscape of an island off the Irish west coast, this story is about love and misunderstandings and loss. But it is also, and surprisingly, about the desire and craving for a baby by David - the 43 year old writer who feels the need for his own child so desperately.

79. Creepy and Maud by Dianne Touchell

A YA book about two misfit teens who live next door to each other. Nothing wonderful.

Just dropping by to say hello - it's always well worth catching up on your thread. Mt TBR has both grown and gained in quality as a result!

#145 - Yes, Judy makes my TBR and wishlist grow too!

145 & 146 - Yes! I know exactly what you mean.

80. The Fine Colour of Rust by P. A. O'Reilly

Another great Australian story! Loretta is a single mother who lives in a small country town. She is striving to make the town a better place by forming committees to save the school and questioning the Council's decisions. She is a great character, with many foibles and a great sense of humour; and even though she constantly fantasizes about dropping the kids off at the orphanage, a wonderfully caring mother. Recommended.

81. Zone One by Colson Whitehead

A brilliant zombie novel. But not an ordinary one. This is a very thoughtful and well written tale of one young man and his quest for survival. After the apocalypse, a Government of sorts has formed and the island of Manhattan is to be cleared of plague victims and resettled. Worth reading, even for those who don't love the zombie genre.

I'm a newbie to the zombie genre, so I'm going to put this on my hitherto-nonexistent list. Thanks!

I hope you enjoy it!

82. Various Pets Alive and Dead by Marina Lewycka

I have enjoyed all of Lewycka's books. This one is populated by the usual mix of characters. Doro and Marcus were formerly members of a commune, and now as they age, they try to keep their beliefs in the changing world. The story is a mix of humour and drama, and is a great read.

83. Song of Susannah by Stephen King

Looks like I had forgotten to add this one. I am already three quarters f the way through the next one, and I'm thoroughly enjoying this entire story!

Good reading here, still! I've got a copy of Zone One, must get to it. Too many books, so little time...

judylou Various Pets Alive and Dead sounds great, thanks !

Definitely adding Various Pets Alive and Dead to my list. Sounds slightly like my parents' lives and how their fervent back-to-land hippie ideals faded over the years.

You are really moving along!

Thanks guys!

84. The Blue Book by A. L. Kennedy

I expected to like this one, in fact I expected to love it on the basis of so many good reviews here and in other places, but it frustrated me and made me cranky! I just did not like it at all. Sorry.

85. The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster

The story begins with a family coming together for the funeral of Emmett Brown, father and husband. It then moves back to when the children were very young and we discover what kind of person Emmett was. Through the eyes of the children Emmett is drawn as a monster, a bully and a person to be hated. But there were moments of fun and even love for these children amongst the awfulness of their lives and these are the moments that each of Emmett's children try to remember. A beautiful story, although harrowing at times told perfectly!

86. Married Love by Tessa Hadley

A book of short stories. Some better than others, but mostly good.

Oh poo! I've got a copy of The Blue Book somewhere! It did *sound* good. :(

I have to admit, I didn't finish The Book of Emmett. I wasn't quite in the mood for (yet another) dysfunctional Australian family tale. (Please, Australian authors, find another theme!)

But they do it so well wookie!

87. The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Finished! This was a wonderful wonderful series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will miss Eddie and Susannah and Jake and Roland.

#162 I read the first one years ago and it didn't grab me, maybe need to revisit the series ?

I listened to the whole thing on audio. The reader was very good which might have helped get me through the early parts. However, the story just gets bigger and bigger as it progresses and had me well and truly hooked by the third book.

It's back on my TBR list, thanks judylou !

I've been a bit slack about posting, so here goes.

88. The Twelve by Justin Cronin

Second in the soon-to-be trilogy starting with The Passage. It took me a little while to get into this one again, simply because I could not remember the characters of the first book well enough, and although there is a whole new cast of characters in The Twelve, they are related back to the originals at some point. However, this book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The only problem with it was the finale. My expectations were huge by the time I got to the last chapters, but then when it happened, it just seemed to be over too quickly and too easily. But I am still hanging out for number three!!

89. Let the Old Dreams Die by John Ajvide Lindqvist

I am a real fan of Lindqvist and was looking forward to this set of short stories. There were a couple of good ones, but most of them left me a little underwhelmed. Oh well, I'll wait in hopes of a novel in the near future.

90. Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

Yes, it is getting a bit obvious . . I am in the depths of a zombie mania!! This one was entertaining and fun, but not particularly well written when compared to something like Zone One. Allison is trapped in the book store in which she works with a random selection of co-workers. Will she ever escape??

91. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

The third in the series of these very enjoyable books. The children of Lorien are trying to find each other so they can join together and fight the baddies. Good fun.

92. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Sookie continues doing what she is good at. Falling in love with bad men and remaining upbeat in the face of adversity.

93. Dolly by Susan Hill

Another creepy ghost story from the wonderful Susan Hill. This one was perhaps not as good as some of her others, but it was still very good. What's not to like about a creepy old house on the fen, two cousins, equally strange, a cranky old housekeeper and a decidedly spooky doll.

94. Lola Bensky by Lilly Brett

Loved, loved, loved Lola Bensky. What a fabulous character. Lola is the only child of two survivors of Auschwitz who now live in Melbourne. She leaves school and somehow gets a job as a journalist for a rock magazine. She goes to London and New York in the 60s to interview rock stars such as Jagger and soon to be rock stars such as Hendrix and Joplin. She is a wonderful character who makes a mark on every one she meets; yet she is constantly questioning herself, planning her next diet and stressing about her place in the world. Just read it.

95. Ashes by Ilsa Bick

A teen story about a young girl who finds herself alone when some sort of electrical pulse kills most adults and sends most teenagers mad. Not such a great story, but was fun to listen to while working in the garden.

I know I'm getting Dolly for Xmas because I added it to mum's stack of books she was buying for my kids for Xmas. Naughty, I know, but I have always enjoyed Susan Hill's books.

96. The Midnight Promise by Zane Lovitt

I found this book because of a review I read which basically said that it was a great detective story for readers who don't read detective stories. That sounded like me so I gave it a go. I still don't like detective stories but the writing was very good and the style - made up of ten stories which told the story of the detective - was interesting and told about his fall into disgrace and self despair well. I also liked that it was set in Melbourne and the locations were all familiar to me.
Worth a try.

97. After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell

This was OK. I became very confused at times because of the sudden changes in time and character but overall it was a good story. Basically a love story, but there are secrets and tragic circumstances. I very much liked her The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. This one was not as good.

98. Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux

The writing was not that great, the plot had some major holes in it and the characters were all a bit lame, but I loved it!!! I don't know why, but I seem to be on a bit of a zombie kick t the moment. Oh well, please don't judge me :o)

99. Tarcutta Wake by Josephine Rowe

A simply beautiful set of short stories. Some are only a paragraph long, others are a few pages, but every one of them is compelling and brilliant.

Now off to find something suitable memorable for my 100th!

And finally . . .

100. The Burial by Courtney Collins

This story is loosely based on a female bushranger in NSW in the early 20th Century. Jessie flees her brutal husband and gives birth prematurely to a baby on the same night. She buries the baby and her story is then told by the baby. A strange premise but it works. Jessie is a horse thief and a rustler and those skills come in handy while she tries to survive her time on the run. This is quite a dark tale but a very powerful one as well. Jessie is a very strong character and I found myself reading late into the night to find out what was going to happen to her.

Now that I have reached 100 books, I will post a list of my favourites from 2012.

In no particular order . . .

The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman
Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal
The Life by Malcolm Knox
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
The Book of Emmet by Deborah Forster
Lola Bensky by Lilly Brett

These were all my 5 star reads. Apart from those I had 27 4 1/2 star reads as well. So I think I had a good year this year! However, I did read a few duds - 5 books that I rated with 1/2 star only. But I think those odds are still pretty good! I expect to have a few more books to add here before 2013, and I know I will have lots and lots of books to look forward to in 2013.

Thanks for listing the top books - makes it much easier to cut and paste and transfer to my "to-read" list! It looks like you did have a great reading year, and I look forward to following your reading again in 2013.

Congratulations on reaching 100! I think The Street Sweeper will probably be on my top 10 list for 2012, although I didn't finish The Book of Emmett.

Congratulations on hitting the 100 book mark!

Thanks for your comments. I always enjoy seeing if my comments about a book I have read will encourage someone to write something. I'm always hopeful!

I look forward to following your threads in 2013 and discovering lots of new books and authors.

101. Breed by Chase Novak

A rich New York couple go to Slovenia for radical fertility treatment. It works. When their twins are reaching puberty, they notice strange things happening to their parents. A bit silly,but quite readable.

102. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

I know, another zombie book. I blame the end of the world scare we all just lived through :o)

This one wasn't bad. The usual sort of plot - very few survivors, difficult encounters, blood and gore; but it had a couple of good female lead characters which was interesting. It is the first in a trilogy. I will be looking for the next two.

103. Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater

Continuing the story of Jenni and Katie, this book was a fast and exciting read. The zombies are still trying to get them, but now the bad guys are after them as well. But with the small community adding to their fort, and more survivors adding to the mix the story continues to grow. It is not literature by any means and the e-book version I read had so many mistakes it became ridiculous - spelling, words left out, tense changes, word substitutions, etc. I wonder if that is a fault of the e-book, or if this book was published like that? Anyway, I will still be reading the third one!

I've only read one zombie book and loved it (that would be World War Z) so now I'm adding all your zombie books to my TBR. The First Days sounds promising.

Congratulations on going past 100 books read this year and good reading next year!

#186 It is a great story. The writing sometimes made me shudder a little bit. But if you want an exciting story, this is it!

#187 Thanks Cyrel!

104. Not Your Ordinary Housewife by Nikki Stern

This will be the last book for 2012, and what a doozie it is! Nikki is a work colleague of mine and I have been following her progress while she was writing this book and then through the publishing process. She was always a bit coy about the subject matter and I assumed it would be about her life as an adopted person. But what she hadn't told us, was that she was once quite famous in the porn world, known as "The Horny Housewife". She goes into detail about her life as a porn star and how she went from her privileged life with loving parents to a life on the edge of society. All I can say is, I will never see Nikki as the same old ordinary library worker again!!!

OMG! (Sorry, been hanging out with the kids' furbies too much this silly season!) I read about Not Your Ordinary Housewife just the other day, it did sound fascinating. Good on her for being so upfront about her previous life!

Wookie, you might have seen her on the Saturday before Christmas in the Good Weekend magazine. A very saucy cover of Nikki as a sexy librarian!

Belated congrats!

Thanks!