75 Books Challenge for 2013: LordKinbote's 1st Year

For my first full year on LT, (and my first foray into the chats) I thought this challenge would be good motivation for me. Also I haven't tracked how many books I read in a year since I was a kid so it should be interesting.

At the moment, I have no plans to tackle any of the extra challenges. My challenge: make a sizable dent in my TBR pile. It's starting to reach Godzilla-like proportions!

My starting conditions are not ideal: I'm partway through studying a diploma, partway through moving house (so my "pile" is actually in boxes) and I'm coming off the back of a couple of rather bad years. I've also just gotten home from my Christmas break, where my main purchases were books. I had to hide some of them from my family so they didn't know how many I had gotten. Isn't that almost the textbook definition of "having a problem"?

So, here's to 2013 being a positive change and filled with reading!

Good luck with your first year of keeping track! I think I started out with a curiosity for keeping track, and now it's very nearly an obsession. Meanwhile, rest assured--even if you're hiding book purchases from your family EVERY holiday, you're not alone as long as you're wandering LT!

Good reading...

Welcome! Given your "problem", I predict you'll fit right in. Don't expect your TBR to shrink though... :)

I concur with the above! My TBR has expanded to unmanageable proportions since joining this group... and yet, I'm happier than ever with my reading... so, doubtless you'll fit right into the group without issue! :D

Welcome to the group! Be prepared for swelling of the TBR list. You have been warned ;)

Welcome and good luck with tackling Godzilla!

Many thanks all for the warm welcomes.

I must admit that I do not hold out much hope for the shrinking TBR but I'm not overly distressed by that, either. It's always nice to find kindred spirits and I kind of figured LT would be full to the brim with fellow addicts.

In spite of still being in the middle of the slowest house move known to man, my reading has got off to a great start. Largely, I suspect, due to the total dereliction of all the things I should be doing.

Posting has also been complicated by still not being connected to the internet. Thank goodness for smartphones!

So I've already finished two books. The Letters of Noël Coward and Lost by Gregory Maguire. Both very different reads but v enjoyable. Lost is responsible for my current tiredness. Last night, I fell into the familiar trap of "just one more page" until after 1am. Work was fun today courtesy of that.

I'm now undertaking my first ever PG Wodehouse which will not help my inclination to speak like a 1920s British aristocrat, brought on by Noël Coward's letters. Truly delightful reading. Pip pip!

A lovely Saturday in sunny Queensland has let me devour The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.

Not surprisingly, I loved it. Wodehouse creates marvellous, hilarious characters and gives them charming, witty dialogue. The lack of outright character exposition didn't keep me from connecting with them all. I loved the way small tidbits of information would crop up, almost in passing and I could hear them speaking as if I were there.

A bally good time, I say, what?

Still going great guns - another book down and much unpacking done too.

I had been intrigued by The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon for a long while before I bought it. Clearly, I do not pay close enough attention to covers because I did not realise it was a children's (well, YA) book until I started reading it.

I really enjoyed it. The tale of a 15 year old boy on the case of the murder of his neighbour's dog. His investigations reveal more about his own family than he could have anticipated.

The narrator's voice is fresh and fascinating. I loved the idea of the whole story being told from the perspective of someone clearly falling somewhere on the autism scale. It was engaging and very difficult to put down!

I really liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time when I read it a couple of years ago. I liked the story, but I also enjoyed the travels around London, navigating the Underground, etc. It brought back memories of doing the same thing when I moved to London in my early twenties - closely observe other people to learn how the Underground system worked.

I read another YA book at about the same time is also set in London and is told from the perspective of an autistic teen - The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. Even though the setting and characters are similar to The Curious Incident, the plot is different and it doesn't feel like the same book.

I really enjoyed the London section, as well. I visited the UK for the first time last March and, as you say, had the same experience of watching people on the Underground to figure it all out. Although it's rather more extreme in the story, it's so easy to identify with someone trying to acclimate to the unknown.

Uh-oh. I was warned that this group would not necessarily help in reducing my TBR. Not that I'm complaining! I've added The London Eye Mystery to my WL, thanks for the tip.

I have slowed right down at the moment. We've finally just handed the keys back from our old house. Meanwhile, I've found the workbook for the unit of study I'm due to complete by the 29th. Obviously, I've been working ridiculously hard to try to finish this in time for my due date.

I am still reading but at the moment it's only a little bit just before bedtime. With a little luck I should have my current one finished within the week!

Very distracted and busy time! I've still been reading but haven't been able to get on LT to check in.

Book #5 for the year: Presence: Collected Stories by Arthur Miller. Noel Coward believed Arthur Miller was everything wrong with modern theatre. I don't know how relevant that is, but I really enjoyed this book. Miller's stories seem to be more about character development and insight than necessarily plot. That's not to say that there isn't plot but in each story the focus seems to be on connecting and understanding the character whose tale it is. I love a good character exercise so there was plenty here for me. It's also interesting to think about the difference in writing for a play to short stories.

Book #6 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It's a personal favourite and one of my dream authors. I read it in search of a reading to give at my friend's wedding (it's a fave of hers, as well). I didn't find anything quite right, so I might need to read it again shortly with a different approach. Does that count as two books in the year if it's the same one, twice? Suggestions welcomed!

Book #7 was slightly different: Discovering Epitaphs by Geoffrey N. Wright. This book was small but fascinating. A brief study of the different types of gravestones and the inscriptions on them. It's interesting the way epitaphs have changed over the ages and there are some very entertaining and educational inscriptions! Lots of fun.

Book #8, completely coincidentally, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I love Neil Gaiman's work so it's not surprising that I also loved this book. The story of a child raised by ghosts in a graveyard to protect him from the man who killed the rest of his family. Bod and his adopted, ethereal family are all wonderful. The Man Jack and the Convocation are fantastic and creepy. Long and short: brilliant and everything to be expected from Neil Gaiman.

#9: The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan.

This book is very handy. I've been reading Austen's novels since I was about 9 and there's a far amount of the Regency era that you can pick up merely from osmosis when reading them. However, this book wraps up the basic niceties of Austen's time in a nice, palatable little package, complete with reference with relevant aspects of Jane Austen's novels.

It was a perfect book for reading while studying, as I have been. Each section is just long enough to cover the basics of what you need to know, but short enough that you don't feel guilty about using it as a study break.

Now, I feel like reading some Jane again, though.

Wow. Probably a good thing no one is really paying attention to my thread here. Otherwise, I'd have to make apologies for disappearing for basically all of February.

I've only read a couple of books in the meantime, but I have hit a whole lot of fanfiction. Probably not the best use of my reading time but what can I say?

#10 for this year - Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother by Xinran. This book was a tricky one. I love reading about China and learning more about it. The real issues behind the rate of girls abandoned in China under the one child policy was something I thought would find fascinating. Especially as it promised to tell these stories from the perspective of the mothers that have had to give up their children.

I did find the stories sad and enlightening. However... I feel like it was delivered in a rather heavy-handed manner. The opportunity to tell the stories of women dealing with the loss of their daughters was obviously very important to the author and something very close to her heart. I did feel it was valuable that these stories were told. But there was something in the style of the writing that I found difficult to wade through.

That being said, it's not an overly long book and it does address the issue of female child abandonment with greater depth than just the perceived traditional value of sons over daughters in China. It's always important to consider these issues in a context that recognises the complexity of modern China and the problems it faces.

#11 - Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Confession: I broke my own rule for this year on this one. This is a book from the library, not my TBR pile. Sometimes, I just have to go to the library though!

This one is basically just a fun piece of fluff. I did strugle in the beginning with the author's fondness for punctuation but after a little while, I just started to block out the overuse of commas and went along for the ride.

It doesn't really bring anything new to the genre of YA paranormal romance but I did enjoy having the story told from the male perspective. Though, it did seem to me that, for all of her being the one with the superpowers in the relationship, Lena still spent most of the book needing Ethan to rescue/protect her.

That being said, it did manage to pull me out of a very unhealthy relationship with fanfic.

It's good to see you back! I think I have something by Xinran in my TBR list for the library but I don't think it's that one.

Another very long break, sorry! I get very caught up in everyday life and although I am reading and finishing books, I just don't seem to get around to coming by and updating. I will get better, I'm sure!

#13 - Divergent by Veronica Roth.

I'm rather fond of dystopian YA, not sure why. I think part of it is that I enjoy seeing the different ways authors can envision the human race surviving in an altered environment - whether it be on earth, extraterrestrial or some other realm entirely. I'd heard a lot of good things about this book, so again, I broke my rule and borrowed it from the library.

I loved this book. Very different from Beautiful Creatures, as Tris is a very strong, determined, well-realised female character. Her relationships with those around her is not defined by their need to protect her as she is perfectly capable of looking after herself. In fact, her connection with one of the other characters suffers because he expects her to need sheltering and she doesn't conform to his image of her.

It was good enough that I immediately went in search of the second book in this series. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is!

#14 - The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

I have been have a lifelong Holmes fangirl. I picked this up from the library, as a refresher, in preparation for the third season of BBC Sherlock (of which I am also a massive fangirl). Prior to this, I had not read these stories as an adult and believed that I had never read them (out of respect for Doyle's unwillingness to write them).

It did not take me long to be reminded of why I love Doyle's creations in Holmes and Watson. Nor to realise that I had actually read them before, but a very, very long time ago. That had no impact whatsoever on my enjoyment as I found that it was fun to see if I could see how Holmes reached his conclusions, when I already knew the result. The answer is: not really. Doyle often hides just enough information from the reader that though at times you can see what is significant, there's no way to know exactly what that means.

Still, all Holmes stories are always a great time.

I've been very slack at entering my books on here. Rest assured, I am still reading away, despite frequently being distracted.

I also noticed that I've miscounted here. So #14 Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

I love these books. There's not much more I can say than that, particularly without giving anything of the story away. Other than to say: Veronica Roth has done a brilliant job of developing this story and the characters of Tris and Four. I'm very much looking forward to the final installment of this series.

#15 - Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.

So you're seeing a theme develop here, right? What can I say, I love some well-written YA and I was desperately awaiting the release of the final book of The Infernal Devices series.

Clare has done a wonderful job of wrapping up the story, tying it to the ongoing arch of the Shadowhunters universe and providing an amazingly satisfying conclusion.

Now I've just got to last until the final TMI. Easier said than done.

#16 - An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

I feel like I'm taking the easy way out with these few books. Second in a series, final installment and John Green. After all, what can be said about John Green?

Nothing like a novel that incorporates mathematical theory in an entertaining and accurate manner! I particularly love the appendix that explains all the workings in the Theorem in a way that even the mathematically impaired like me can follow.

Not only that, but as one can always expect from John Green, the people are well-realised and believable. The great American road trip tale is captured and retold in a modern setting with far less infuriating characters!

An Abundance of Katherines has been on my wishlist for a while. Maybe I need to bump it higher!

I did love Katherines. Of course, I'm already quite partial to John Green so I could be biased. But ignore that part of the comment and do it!

My progress at the moment is just pathetic. Not much study left to go now, though, so hopefully that will change. Moving right along!

#17 - Neverwhere by the incomparable Neil Gaiman.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: I love Neil Gaiman. His ability to take the everyday and twist it and so beautifully realised in this novel. I kind of wish I had read it before I visited the UK last year, but it was still thrilling to hear of these places after wandering London a little myself.

Croup and Vandemar are wonderful villains with just the right mix of comedy and creepy. Our "merry" band of adventurers are a motley crew that I can't stop loving and I long to visit a Floating Market and meet Old Bailey.

If anything this has only made me wish even more that I could do an underground tour of all the major cities of the world. Not going to happen, but a girl can dream!

> 13 - The Graveyard Book is now on my wishlist....

...and it is true.... stick around here and you'll find your TBR and WL growing like a baby in their first year LOL... welcome to LT even though it is now may.... my fist year I only got on here once a month... the next year I spent a little more time but not as much as this year... start commenting on others threads and dive into the madness and then you end up like the rest of us.... LT addicts.... have fun reading!

oh.... and I meant to give you a recommendation.... if you enjoyed Divergent and Insurgent you might look into Legend... I thought it was awesome.... another YA dystopia I liked was Partials.... I could list so many others..... let me know if you would like me to :D

Wow, I'm terrible. Thanks for the recommendations, by the way. I'm definitely going to look into those but I'm HAVE to hold off for a while. I made a decision in the last week to make my TBR pile into an actual pile. It nearly makes me want to reevaluate my life choices. Nearly. Not quite enough, though. Especially since I went out the other day and bought enough to start another pile. Some of my family and friends are getting concerned.

I have not been completely idle (other than book-buying). I'm still doing my studies and last weekend my best friend got married. The wedding ate up a significant amount of last month so I haven't read as much as I would have liked but it was definitely worth it. I cried a ridiculous amount.

On with the count!

#18 - Theatre's Strangest Acts by Sheridan Morley

This book is essentially a collection of anecdotes from the world of theatre, predominantly British theatre.

To be honest, I was a little disappointed. While most of the stories were very interesting and I enjoyed getting some small tales of some of the stars and writers that I have admired/appreciated. The writer's style was ... odd. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. He is a critic whose father was an actor, so he approaches a lot of the stories, particularly the more recent ones, with an air of familiarity with all the players and locations. While this could make the reader feel comfortable, as well, I found it quite off-putting. I also found the stories at times lacklustre.

"Strangest" acts is a bit of a misnomer, if I'm being perfectly honest.

That being said, if going into the book with expectations lower than the absolute strangest events in theatre, it's not a bad read. But it's definitely not going to be setting the world on fire any time soon.

(I feel horrible for this review. I've never committed my dislike for a book to a public record before. It's rather daunting.)

#19 - A Haunted Land: Ireland's Ghosts by Bob Curran.

I love ghost stories. I have to put that out there.

Bob Curran has collected 11 stories of ghosts in Ireland. These tales are well-told with explanatory introductions of the kind of supernatural being that will be covered in the story. These introductions also cover the way Irish approach death and the dead and the way they're treated in Irish culture.

This is a nice, little read with some really great stories in it. I probably should not have been reading this before going to bed at night. There were some late nights while I read something else straight after this, just so I could go to sleep comfortably. If that isn't a recommendation for a book of ghost stories, I don't know what is!

#20 - The Boy Who Kicked Pigs by Tom Baker.

I bought this book, purely because it was written by Tom Baker. I was operating under the assumption that if Tom Baker had written a book, it would have to be mental. This book did not disappoint.

It is weird, twisted, at times horrifying and I loved it. It's got some great illustrations.

I really cannot emphasise enough how truly bizarre this book is, but not surprisingly so, considering its author.

#21 - Footprints: The Inside Story of Australia's Best Loved Band by Powderfinger with Dino Scatena.

I love Powderfinger. Their music has been a significant part of my life since the release of "Pick You Up" off their second album, "Double Allergic". I was in primary school and I grew up with their music seemingly always around me. I was incredibly sad when they announced their intention to split back in 2010 but I loved that they announced before their final tour so I could make a concerted effort to see them, despite financial constraints.

This book is fantastic. The 'Finger always presented such a solid front to the world that it did seem the announcement was coming out of the blue. Not only does this make it clear that all was not as rosy as it appeared on the outside, but it also demonstrates their process for songwriting, recording and touring. At the end, the end of the band was bittersweet, inevitable and for the best. Sitting here, listening to Bernard Fanning's latest solo album (released Friday), I can't help appreciate all that these guys went through together and on their own to bring such fantastic music that has had such an impact on my life.

I may not be the most impartial reviewer of a story about this band, but I loved this book. Any fans of Powderfinger should definitely check this out.

> The Boy Who Kicked Pigs is now also added to my wish list.... my TBR pile continues to grow and grow.... the ones at my house get read when I have fines that I can't afford to pay at the library... and I have several books (at least 50) that I have yet to read at home.... and about four floor to ceiling length bookshelves that my husband constantly grumbles about... something about a yardsale and my books.... I don't know I have selective hearing....

good luck with your mount TBR pile(s)

#22 - Edinburgh: City of the Dead by Jan-Andrew Henderson

As I said before: I love ghost stories. This book is slightly different, in that it's more about the history of Edinburgh than strictly sharing ghost stories.

I really enjoyed this approach. Getting some insight into the aspects of Edinburgh's history that contribute to it's reputation as a particularly haunted city adds depth to the stories, which is something I appreciate. The vast majority of the book is dedicated to Edinburgh's relationship to various paranormal/supernatural events or entities in it's past, including witchcraft, satanism, paganism and magic but there's also an appendix that gives details of people's experiences with the South Bridge Entity and the Mackenzie Poltergeist.

At the end of the day: fun with some great spooky tales that took me back to a fantastic ghost tour that I did while in Edinburgh. Nothing like a read that leads to reminiscing.

#23 - Wolverine: Origin

I was very excited to read this one. Wolverine is such an iconic character in the Marvel universe and his origin story has always held such fascination. His ignorance of his own past is such a driving force of his character that I must admit I was worried about the impact of my knowledge of his history on how I view him.

I was also concerned - I'd heard a lot of mixed responses to this, some from people with the same concerns as my own and some people just didn't like it. It's a contentious topic to tackle by Marvel. So it's time for me to make my stand.

I liked it. It was clever, intriguing and full of foreshadowing. I love a bit of foreshadowing. So many aspects of Logan's character were given their seeds in this story and it was great to see these kernels placed in small references for future growth.

As always, beautiful artwork, particularly in the moments in the wilderness. Great work from Marvel, as always. It's been a while since I read a comic/graphic novel and this was a good choice to get back into the swing of things.

#24 - The Ghost That Haunted Itself by Jan-Andrew Henderson

I bought a few of Jan-Andrew Henderson's book after doing a ghost tour in Edinburgh. This book discusses the background and activities of the Mackenzie Poltergeist, which haunts the Greyfriars Cemetery in Edinburgh.

The Mackenzie Poltergeist is purportedly one of the most active and well-documented paranormal cases in history. Whether or not you believe in ghosts or other entities, the documented events around the Black Mausoleum and the Covenanters' Prison are fascinating.

The tour I had been on, led by City of the Dead, concluded inside the Black Mausoleum and I have to say, I was somewhat disappointed to not have a run-in with the Mackenzie Poltergeist, but after reading this book, I'm kind of glad that it clearly wasn't interested in me.

As with Henderson's other book, this is an excellent combination of spooky story and historical background, along with eyewitness accounts. A great read.

#25 - English Fairy Tales and Legends by Rosalind Kerven

This book was beautiful. There are some gorgeous illustrations and lovely, old-fashioned fairy tales.

What I really enjoyed was the Notes and Sources section at the back of the book. After reading the tales, this section provides additional background on the themes and background of each tale. There are details of stories that follow similar lines in other areas of England and the world. It's wonderful as it really allows you to see the common threads in traditional tales around the world.

I love a good fairy tale and these were great.

#26 - Her Ladyship's Guide to Modern Manners by Lucy Gray

There is nothing like an old-fashioned guide to proper etiquette. However, for a book that is a guide to "modern" manners, this one has some seriously Victorian-era ideas that I just don't think hold in today's world.

The idea that at a wedding, all the men should be wearing top hats and tails, for example. Maybe it's just being isolated in Australia and our incredibly laid-back approach to events, but I couldn't imagine many places were people go to weddings, expecting the men to be traditionally attired. I hope to be proven wrong because I do love the image.

That being said, it's not a massive tome so it doesn't get a chance to overwhelm and you never know when you just might need to know the appropriate way to greet the Queen.

#27 - The Emperor's New Kilt by Jan-Andrew Hansen

Another book by Hansen! Just to explain - a little over a year ago, I went a trip to the UK and when I travel, I buy books. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. This is me, finally working my way through my purchases.

Unlike his previous works, this book addresses what Hansen refers to as the dual nature of Scotland. The tendency to overlook their genuine accomplishments, while exaggerating the perhaps less-welcome aspects of the national character and the romanticised or completely invented history of the country. I found this fascinating.

Again, Hansen has a relaxed and conversational style that makes history approachable and accessible - not that I usually struggle to connect with history. He does display some obvious biases but these don't detract from what he's trying to convey. If anything, it encourages you to take the time to examine the events and people he describes to uncover the truth behind Scotland's mythologising of history.

I have one more book of his to go and I am really looking forward to it.

Since I fell off the bandwagon in such a big way, I'm just going to do a listing of books read in the time I've been absent and leave off reviews. If anyone's interested, feel free to ask about any of them!

#28 - Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography by Elisabeth Sladen
#29 - Silent Bob Speaks by Kevin Smith
#30 - Dark Heart: Tales from Edinburgh's Town Jail by Douglas Skelton
#31 - Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi
#32 - Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki
#33 - Haunted Scotland by Roddy Martine
#34 - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
#35 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (I know, I've already read it this year but I did read it again so I'm counting it!)

I've got my work cut out for me to make my 75, but I'm not despairing just yet!

I haven't yet joined the graphic novel bandwagon, but Persepolis will probably be the first one I try. How was your experience with it?

It was brilliant. A really interesting perspective on the Iranian Revolution and life in Iran both before and after the regime change.

It was fascinating to see the changes to that society from the standpoint of a child growing up in it. She's old enough to be aware of the changes but not quite old enough to fully grasp the ramifications. The impact on her family of Communists and dissidents is compelling.

I would highly recommend it.

#36 - Shadows Among The Leaves by Bill Scott

This was recommended to me by a friend, who read it about 20 years ago, while at school. This particular friend does not have a great memory for stories so the fact that she could recall any of the plot was all the convincing I needed to check it out.

It's a good story, though something of a slow burn for such a short book. For a great deal of it, there doesn't appear to be very much happening and then right at the end, it becomes gripping and quite dark. There is an interweave of Australian country life and folklore throughout the entire story that gives it a somewhat ominous undercurrent that all comes to a head at the conclusion. There's also a great line from the main character's father on the second last page:

"That's the best thing about being alive. Finding out. You never stop doing that if you're really alive. It's the only way to be."

My friend read it when she was about 12 and I think it would be perfect for a someone around that age. Although I'm not sure what it says about me that I enjoyed it.

#37 - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

John Green does it again. This is a clever concept, well-executed and an emotional but enjoyable read.

Let me put it this way: I'm going to have to wind this up, I'm exhausted. I stayed up far too late last night because I couldn't go to sleep until I finished reading this book. There was a point at which I rationalised 50 pages as not being that long and since I'd already stayed up later than I should, I may as well just finish the whole thing. The damage was already done and I wanted to know how it ended.

Make of that what you will.

#38 - The Town Below The Ground: Edinburgh's Legendary Underground City by Jan-Andrew Henderson
#39 - Deadpool: Secret Invasion
#40 - Deadpool: Dark Reign

I'm going to deal with these all in one post. Not a great number completed in October but I blame that on my birthday, it was a busy month.

Jan-Andrew Henderson continues to bring an entertaining but informative approach to Scottish history. I really enjoy his books and would highly recommend them, particularly for anyone interested in history with a side of the supernatural.

Deadpool is brilliant. The Merc with the Mouth is sassy, violent and completely mental. I adore him. The art is fantastic, the stories are clever and funny and feature some great villains. Now, I have to read more of the Dark Reign series.

#41 - Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

Wow, this book was terrible. I really wanted to like it but it was just so bad.

Maybe the problem is that I've read P&P twice this year so it's all very fresh but I truly did not like it. The characters did not ring true, their lives took directions that were in complete opposition with what Austen had indicated for them. The exposition of the legal system of the time was forced and stilted. The attempts to write in Austen's style seemed to consist of not using contractions and lifting whole phrases from her novels and using them in smatterings throughout the story.

My biggest issue, however, was the changes to the relationships between characters. I know that time can impact on how people relate, but James made changes to motivations and feelings that were taking place during the original novel. For example, somehow Charlotte's joy at her friend's marriage, which necessitated the Collins' removing from Kent to Lucas Lodge so that she could properly share in Elizabeth's happiness was not real. PD James has altered this to create an estrangement between the two friends based on Charlotte's belief that Elizabeth was being mercenary in becoming engaged to Darcy.

I found these kinds of reactionary changes frustrating and irritating and I struggled to finish the book. I hear the BBC are airing an adaptation sometime over Christmas - I can't help but wonder if a bad book can become good television?

#42 - The Jedi Path

Confession of a not-kept-at-all-IRL-secret, I'm a massive Star Wars fan. Huge. I was born in the mid-80s and I can't remember a time when I hadn't seen the movies. I've read some of the Expanded Universe over the years, but not all of it (something I'd like to remedy but damn if my TBR piles don't just keep growing!)

I loved this book. It's always fun to see the background workings of a universe with which you're already familiar. To see the depth and regimentation of the Jedi training, the background that has gone into it is very impressive.

A bit of good, clean, Star Wars-y fun.

#43 - V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

This was one of my, "I've heard so much about this, I really have to read it" purchases. It did not disappoint.

It's strange to read a tale set in a dystopian future that's already our past. That being said, certain aspects of the cruelty and viciousness that Moore and Lloyd were clearly concerned about are clearly part of the world today. There's probably an argument to be made that those traits have always been present in the human condition. Maybe I'm getting a little too philosophical, but it seems to me that is the point of this kind of story.

We're supposed to question the negative forces in our own inclinations and in our own society. While I may not advocate a state of pure anarchy, as V does, it is important to not accept the status quo when the status is not quo.

This has obviously not be a review, more a rambling, stream of consciousness rant that you can take or leave, as you will. Here's the review: awesome book, fantastic art, would recommend.

#44 - Tough Sh*t by Kevin Smith

Another book that got me thinking.

Here's the thing with Kevin Smith: he's not everyone's cup of tea. He can be, and often is, crass. He can be disturbingly fixated on things that may seem inappropriate. If you've ever seen one of his Jersey series of movies, you'd already be familiar with that. That being said, the man can write. When talking about his movies, it's easy to forget that the guy who made Jay and Bob Strike Back also made Clerks and Chasing Amy.

Here, he tackles making the tough decisions in life and the tough decisions that life makes for us. He does this to make a point: he's living his dreams and if he can do it, anyone can. I don't know that he actually means to motivate people so much as just share his own experiences before he closes the book on his life of making movies.

Smith is funny, introspective, clever and insightful. He is also crude, sweary and gives more details of his sex life than most of us would really find necessary. In my opinion, that adds an extra something to what he's trying to say, but if that kind of thing is not your bag, you're best off avoiding anything he's written.

#45 - Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds

I knew very little about this book when I bought it, just that it looked interesting. It did not turn out like I expected!

It was definitely interesting. The characters were fascinating, flawed, well-developed people. The art is beautiful and evocative. The story was kind of a slow-paced study of life in the country, with the added bonus of a writer's retreat for a dash of colour.

I really enjoyed it - I devoured in during a morning lie-in, the whole time intending to get up and get going but I couldn't stop reading until I was finished.

#46 - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This book was wondrous. I had never read it before and I loved it!

I laughed, I was inspired, I cried and cried and cried. A truly beautiful tale with gorgeous illustrations. It's a wonderful parable with so much heart. I don't have the words to express how lovely this book was.

#47 - Cadbury's Purple Reign: The Story Behind Chocolate's Best-Loved Brand by John Bradley

I spent this whole book craving some delicious Cadbury chocolate, so I guess from a marketing perspective, Cadbury's made a good call in selling this book.

I had anticipated that this would be a book about the Cadbury family (I obviously didn't read the blurb properly.) It's actually the story of the building of the Cadbury brand and how the company became such a strong player in so many markets. As a lover of chocolate and Cadbury, in particular, I found the story fascinating.

The development of their most well-known products, the revolutionary approach to production at Bournville, and their expansion into other parts of the world are all set out and explained in an interesting and entertaining way.

Now, I have to go and eat my weight in Dairy Milk.

#48 - The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes

This is a beautiful book. I'm sure plenty of people have read The Sandman but this was my first foray.

I loved it. Dark, spooky, and just a tad unsettling so overall, just the way I like my stories. Annoying as well, as now I have to read the rest of the books and I found an absolutely gorgeous bound version of them in a bookstore a few weeks back. I might have to take the plunge and buy them now.

#49 - Cold Days by Jim Butcher

I bought the latest Dresden novel when it first came out and as an incentive to get me reading through my TBR piles, I wouldn't let myself read it until I reached it in the pile. Finally! It's been driving me crazy.

Jim Butcher does not disappoint. The Dresden Files are always entertaining, edge-of-your-seat, fantasy roller coaster rides and of late, he has emotionally ruined me by the end of each novel. Honestly, probably not my best week to read this - I have cried at least once a day every day for the last four days. After watching The Walking Dead and Supernatural, I really should not have combined a Dresden book with Amanda Palmer music for my Saturday entertainment. Admittedly, it was not as draining as the previous two novels, it still packed some serious punch.

This is my tired, meandery way of saying: I still love Harry Dresden and by extension, Jim Butcher.

Now, stop distracting me, I have to pack and I can't decided how many books I need for a three day trip. I think I'm down to six, in addition to the two I'm in the process of reading. That's reasonable, right? I'm trying to avoid the need to buy more. I think it's reasonable. Definitely.

#50 - The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

I love Terry Pratchett but must confess I have never read Stephen Baxter so I'm not in a position to note the impact of their individual writing styles.

That being said, I loved this book. The complex changes to our world by the sudden discovery of parallel earths between which humans can travel fairly easily was fascinating. I think that was one of my favourite parts of this novel. I love the way they tried to fully address the implications of this discovery, while still driving the plot forward.

This novel is part road trip, part mystery, part wild west frontier and I love it. Now I have to go and get the sequel and add it to my pile.

I have had a surprisingly busy couple of weeks' reading, so I'm doing another quick list. Lazy, I know, so sue me.

#51 - The Crow by James O'Barr
#52 - Deadpool: X Marks The Spot
#53 - Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
#54 - Deadpool: Monkey Business
#55 - Allegiant by Veronica Roth
#56 - Deadpool: What Happened in Vegas
#57 - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
#58 - Deadpool: I Rule, You Suck
#59 - The Great Ghost Tour of Great Britain: Scotland by Richard Felix (Side note: I strongly do NOT recommend this book. In fact, I strongly recommend active avoidance of even glancing at this book.)
#60 - Marvel 1602: New World/Fantastick Four
#61 - Marvel 1602: Spider-Man

Yeah, I'm on a bit of a graphic novel/comics bender. It's a lot of fun.

#62 - The Inheritance by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm

Sometimes all you want to read is a good collection of short stories. If you are a fan of fantasy, these stories will fit that bill. I have not read a great deal of Robin Hobb and I have never read any Megan Lindholm. I certainly never knew that Robin Hobb had published anything under a different name.

At any rate, these tales are very enjoyable. It's difficult to pick a favourite. From Lindholm, I particularly liked "The Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man" and "The Fifth Squashed Cat". That being said, I also really enjoyed "A Touch of Lavendar". You know, I'd love to be able to claim to discernment but I actually loved all of these stories, both Lindholm's and Hobb's. I'm not actually sure what that says about my taste.

#63 - Sherlock: The Casebook by Guy Adams

A lot of people in the BBC Sherlock fandom have some not hugely positive things to say about this book. Thing is, they're not wrong. There are glaring inaccuracies in this book. Particularly noticeable, when you read it the way I did - in tandem with a rewatch of the series, in preparation for the new season.

However, starved as I have been for new BBC Sherlock content, this was a nice way to tide me over until the new series starts. Only a couple more days to go and there are worse books to be my last read of 2013.

I've just realised how unflattering that is. Oh, well.

There's about 45 minutes left of 2013 in Australia. Clearly, I'm not out celebrating. Personally, I never really "got" New Year's as a celebration so I'm perfectly happy here at home. I'm pleased that I got so close to reading 75 books and don't mind that much that I only got to 63.

I wish I was getting off to a better start for 2014 but I am pleased that 2013 is over. I will be participating in the challenge again in 2014, so I look forward to meeting it next year!