Paws(forThought) goes at it in 2017, part 3

Hi, I'm PawsforThought/Paws and after several years of being stuck in a reading funk I seem to have got my mojo back. Woohoo! I've had a good flow going for the past few months; I hope it'll continue to go well and that many more books will pass through my hands and before my eyes before the end of the year.

I like books of many different genres, but a lot of what I read are classics, fantasy, science fiction, graphic novels, and mystery Agatha Christie novels (though I've recently discovered the amazing Dorothy L. Sayers so Dame Agatha has some competition now).

I love movies, board games, yoga, cats, reading, TV (mainly British comedy panel shows and quiz shows), podcasts, writing, travelling, and visiting flea markets. This time of year I'm either found out in the woods picking berries and mushrooms, or crawled up in an armchair with a blanket, a book and a cup of tea.

Besides books you'll also find me talking about dinosaurs, astronomy, feminism, nature preservation and other things I'm interested in on this thread. And I'll also periodically post photos of adorable baby animals - just to liven things up a little.
I'm always up for book recommendations (especially if they're about dinosaurs).

Books read in 2017

January
Best Detective Stories of Agatha Christie by Agatha Christie
The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys



February
-

March
-

April
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry



May
Poirots problem by Agatha Christie
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
Maigret's First Case by Georges Simenon
Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie



June
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Maigret's Dead Man by Georges Simenon
Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

Books read in 2017

July
Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie
Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond



August

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Paddington Abroad by Michael Bond
More About Paddington by Michael Bond
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie




September

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Saga Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Saga Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
The Hollow by Agatha Christie
Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie
Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
Saga Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Saga Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Saga Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



October

Nemesis by Agatha Christie
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
Sir Percy Leads the Band by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie



November

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Esio Trot by Roald Dahl
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke by Roald Dahl
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
The Witches by Roald Dahl



December
The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman
Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman
Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
The Wolves in the Wall by Neil Gaiman
M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Ratings
= Terrible - stay away
= Bad, but had some redeeming feature/s
= Good, but could be better
= Really good; loved it
= Exceptional read; favourite
And stars in between.

New thread, same old Brontosaurus.

A cup of tea, anyone? I'm going to have about a hundred cups, because I'm feeling rather under the weather today. I'm hoping it's just a middle-of-the-week slump or something, but I have a nagging feeling that the cold I've felt creeping up the past couple of weeks has finally got a good grip on me.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, and a cute kitten too :)

Happy new thread!

From your previous thread: I had heard that Gnomes was a big hit abroad, but never realised how big!
Nearly no one knows the author over here, we all know the illustrator and most think he wrote the book.

Thanks everyone!

>8 FAMeulstee: Gnomes was even nominated for an Emmy!

Happy new thread, Paws!

>2 PawsforThought: >3 PawsforThought: I said it once and I'll say it again: I love, love, LOVE those Christie covers!

>1 PawsforThought: Great to see you so active this year Paws and as you say with you mojo back!

Happy new thread!

>10 brodiew2: I do too, they're amazing.

>11 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. It feels good to be back in the reading mood again.

Hi, Paws! Happy new thread!

It strikes me that as you have just recently discovered Dorothy Sayers, you may not yet have discovered Ngaio Marsh. She is another of the wonderful Golden Age authors and based on my experiences, I think you might like her books as well. I discovered Christie when I was in 4th grade and loved her, but was so sad after I'd read everything she'd written because in my small town library (and waaaaay before internet) I wasn't finding other mystery writers that compared with her. Many years later, living in a city (maybe still before internet), I found Ngaio Marsh and Dorothy Sayers. Sayers took me a book or two to get into, but I loved Marsh from the beginning. Most mysteries I read now are an attempt to find an author who can create that same experience - there are several of a later period who come close - PD James is another, Colin Dexter perhaps, but none to compare with Christie, Sayers and Marsh. (Some include Margery Allingham in with those, but she is an acquired taste.)

Hope you're feeling better - tea is always a good start!

>13 rretzler: Thank you for the suggestion, those are always very welcome.
I was browsing BookDepository the other day to see what editions of Dorothy L. Sayers books they had (sad results), and I kept seeing the names Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh in the "Other people who bought this..." section so looked at a few of the titles and they seemed really interesting. Sadly, neither author is available in my local library system and I don't want to buy books unless I know I'll want to keep them so they'll have to wait a bit. (I have quite a few Christie and Sayers books left to keep me occupied for a while.) I'll definitely check them both out at some point, though.

>1 PawsforThought: Happy new thread, wonderful kitten picture!

Hope you feel better soon, thanks to that nice cup of tea.

Happy new thread, Paws! Sorry to see that you are feeling under the weather. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Congrats on the new thread! Happy reading. Glad you have your mojo back.

Hiya, lost your thread, sorry...

I've got the sniffles too, and am hoping they will GO AWAY. Not sure if tea will help.

I may have some very elderly Ngaio Marsh tomes in my stack of books to de-accession if you would like them? Just PM me your address and when they surface, I will send them along.

>15 EllaTim:, >16 lkernagh: & >17 Berly: Thank you. It's great to have you all come by. I'm still feeling pretty rotten, but it's finally calmed down a bit at work and it's only two days until the weekend so I think I'll manage, unless something unexpected happens.

>18 Chatterbox: Thanks, it's good to have you back!
It's really kind of you to offer, but it'd be really expensive to send books all the way here, and with the way the post office is "working" at the moment, there's a significant risk they'll never arrive. I'll just wait to read them until later.

35). Saga Vol.2 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



Number of pages: 144
Year: 2013
Rating:

Alana and Marko continue to flee from the people who want them dead, including Marko's ex, Gwendolyn, the freelancer The Will, and the prince of the robots. Their ghostly babysitter is still with them, and then Marko's parents join them, too.

I really enjoyed re-reading this one - not only is the storyline developing, but the characters are great, too. Alana's been amazing since the start, and now we meet Gwendolyn who is also bad*ss. One of my favourites is the seal shepherding a walrus - he looks a bit like the porgs from Star Wars.

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Paws.

>21 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. I'm hunkered down with a big blanket and a cup of tea trying to fight a massive cold, but at least I have books.

>22 PawsforThought: Get well soon. I have managed a good bit of reading today too so far.

>23 PaulCranswick: Good to hear - what are you reading right now?

I haven't made much progress; my head hurt a big too much for me to be able to spend a long time reading.

Get well soon, Paws!

>24 PawsforThought: I am flitting between Kafka on the Shore, The Brothers Karamazov, The Dig by Cynan Jones, The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins and Listening to Van Morrison by Greil Marcus. Not as painful as it all sounds!

Ah, still not feeling well? Bummer! Sending you good mojo and lots of it!

>25 EllaTim: & >27 Berly: Thank you. I'm better today, but it'll take a few days to get back to normal.

>26 PaulCranswick: It does sound a bit painful - several heavy reads on that list.

36). The Hollow by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 240
Year: 1946
Rating:

Lucy Angkatell has invited a few of her relatives to stay at her home, The Hollow, for the weekend. Also invited is her new neighbour, hercule, Poirot, who has recently bought a small weekend house nearby. The atmosphere at The Hollow is a bit strained and it doesn't improve when one of the guests is suddenly murdered.

This was an okay book. It's far from a favourite and I didn't find it very interesting at first but it grew on me. It might sound macabre, but I was delighted when the murder victim was killed - it wa a horrible character and I was glad to be rid of them. Why some of the other characters were so fond of them I'll never understand.

>29 PawsforThought: Glad you're doing better again!

You've made me curious. I seem to have read The Hollow, and can even vaguely remember I liked it, but who was the murder victim you are referring to, and why did you think them so horrible? Must do a reread.

>30 EllaTim: John Christow, the doctor, was the one who was murdered. I just found him to be a despicable person, who seemed to expect people to worship and obey him even though he treated them badly.

>31 PawsforThought: Spoilers are even worse for curious people!

No, I don't remember him at all. A bit full of himself, eh?

I still can do a reread, I seem to have forgotten the plot completely.

>32 EllaTim: I tend to forget the plot/killer of most Agatha Christie novels within 6 months of reading them, so I could probably re-read every single one I've read before this year.

Yes, but when you start reading, don't you find that memory comes back, when you do a reread too soon?

>34 EllaTim: Sometimes, but usually not, when it comes to Christie. I think it's because crime novels do tend to be pretty similar so they all get muddled up in my head and I can't separate them out again.

ETA: Also, if it's "too soon", I generally know it before I start reading it and only re-read because I want to enjoy the writing again, not because I want to find out who the murderer was. I'll sometimes re-read a book knowing full well who the murderer is and not caring.

>35 PawsforThought: ETA comment--well put!! Although The Hollow is definitely one of Agatha's I haven't read, so no worries about it being too soon.

>36 Berly: It was a brand new acquaintence for me too. One example of an Agatha Christie novel I have read several times and remember full well who the murderer was is 4.50 from Paddington - but I really like that book and it's a bit of a comfort read.

For me that would be Murder on the Orient Express
She did like trains, apparently! And I love the setting, with all the exotic people, and the mystery of a closed room.

>38 EllaTim: I really wanted to like Murder on the Orient Express, and did like it to begin with (for the same reasons you mentioned) but really didn't like the ending, so that spoils it a bit for me.

>39 PawsforThought: That's a shame! you don't like the movie too? I love it, all the luxurious details of the train, people's clothing etc

>40 EllaTim: I haven't seen the old one, because I doubt I'll like it more than I did the book. I'm not planning on watching the new one, partly for the same reason, partly because while I think Kenneth Branagh is a genius, he's not Poirot.

>41 PawsforThought: A new version? O, it'd have to be very good. How would be able to better the old one? And I had a look at the IMDB site, and no, Kenneth Branagh is good looking, but he doesn't resemble Poirot at all.

>42 EllaTim: Yeah, due out next year I think?

I can't imagine anyone else playing Poirot but David Suchet - he looks exactly how I imagine him when I read the books.

>29 PawsforThought: "I was delighted when the murder victim was killed -"

That is a quote worth saving :)

>44 sirfurboy: It sounds horrible, I know. But he really was a horrid character.

37). Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



Number of pages: 144
Year: 2014
Rating:

The flight and the hunt continues. This volume collects parts/chapters 13-17 of Saga and we follow Hazel and the rest to Quietus where a certain author lives. Also there's a cameo of farmer/shepherd seal and his walrus cow.

Gwendolyn (on the cover) continues to be badass - so do Alana and the others. The women are really the best characters in this story: apart from Gwen and Alana there's also Klara and The Stalk (who reminds me of looking at a 3D image without the glasses).

38). Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers



Number of pages: 242
Year: 1926
Rating:

Lord Peter Wimsey and his manservant Bunter have gone on holiday in Corsica to relax after the taxing job of solving the mystery in Whose Body?. But just as they've made it to Paris, news reaches them that Wimsey's brother, the Duke of Denver, has been arrested for the murder of their sister's fiancé. The evidence piles up and the Duke refuses to provide an alibi.

My love for Wimsey and Bunter, and in particular their relationship to each other, keeps growing. I liked the actually mystery in this story better than the one in Whose Body? but it's not a masterpiece (the chapter with the defense attorney explaining every single thing that happened leading up to the murder and after it was downright boring) but I still liked it. It was also nice to get know the rest of the Wimsey family a bit better.

Looks like you're enjoying the Saga Series. :)

>48 Kassilem: I am, and I knew I would be as I've read the first two volumes and part of the third before. From now on it's all new to me, though - but I have no doubt I'll love it just as much.

Lovely new thread, Paws, with an adorable autumn kitten.

>41 PawsforThought: "...while I think Kenneth Branagh is a genius, he's not Poirot." Amen to that.

>50 EBT1002: Thank you! Adorable autumn kittens aer a must on an autumn thread.

39). The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 243
Year: 1931
Rating:

On a snowy and stormy Friday night in the little village of Sittaford, a group of neighbours are invited in to Mrs and Ms Willett's and the party decide to hold a seance and the "ghost" tells them that Captain Trevelyan - who owns the house the Willetts are renting for the winter - has been murdered. Mr Burnaby, Captain Trevelyans longtime friend, decides to go check on him - despite the looming storm.

I really liked this one - it was *almost* a four star read, but not quite. I really liked the character of Emily - she's got spunk.The ending was a little bit of a cheat, but I didn't really mind. I did laugh at everyone seeming apparently perplexed over the "crucial piece of evidence" and how it could possibly fit into the puzzle - even though it was incredibly obvious.

I took part in the LT Talk Like a Pirate Day treasure hunt and I finally got all the treasures. I needed a clue or two (or five) on most of them, but I got there in the end.

Talk like a Pirate Day? What does that mean? And what treasures did you hunt?

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well and thought this might help.

>54 EllaTim: You've not heard of Talk Like a Pirate day? It's the 19th of September and it's celebrated big time on LT. They have an annual (I think it's annual) treasure hunt where you have to figure out clues that will lead you to various pages on LT, where you collect your treasures (just going to the right page is enough, you don't have to do anything when you get there). You get 48 hours (so a few more hours left) until time's up. This is the link to the page that explains it.

>55 ronincats: Thanks, kittens always help when you're feeling a bit rotten. I seem to have caught one of those colds that go up and down - I was feeling better for a few days but now it's worse again. One of my collegues at work said her sons have had the same thing.

>54 EllaTim: Thanks for the explanation Paws, I'll have to take a look. Sounds like fun. Hope you feel better soon!

>55 ronincats: So cute! The blue eyed one, very brave cat.

>56 PawsforThought: Oh my, I have seen it, and am now filled with admiration, how did you manage to solve that! No way for me.

>58 EllaTim: I didn't manage on my own. I think I got 3-4 by just thinking hard, but the rest I needed help with. There's a thread where people give hints to point you in the right direction, and I got the rest of the clues with the help of that. Some of them are pages that I really don't visit on LT, so wold never have been able to figure them out all on my own.

>58 EllaTim: Yup, it's not common for people to solve them all on their own, and the biggest hint-givers are Tim and the other LT folks! It's been fun the last few years for me.

40). Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie



Number of pages: 461
Year: 2012
Rating:

This is the first book ni the series about Sidney Chambers, the vicar who turns amateur detective in 1950's England, solving mysteries either on his own or assisting his friend Detective Keating with ones. Sometimes there are murders, sometimes art theft, sometimes jewellery theft.

I liked this book, which is actually a collection of short stories (something I didn't realise until I'd finished the first one), though not as much as I liked the TV series that's based on it. But TV has James Norton for your eyes to rest on...
I'm a non-believer and don't usually enjoy reading things with a religious theme, but that part of the book is actually surprisingly small. Sidney's work as a vicar is obviously important, but it's mostly about beina good persona nd doing "what's right".

I think I saw the tv series, and liked it. Sounds like the makings of a nice series. Maybe a bit more relaxed, because of the fifties setting?

>62 EllaTim: Yeah, the TV series is really good. I'm waiting for the third series to start airing over here. It's definitely less gruesome than shows set in the modern day can be.

>gruesome, that's what I was looking for. You know, I'm starting to feel a bit bored by all these serial killers. And all the violence that is necessary to keep everybody entertained.

>64 EllaTim: Yeah, I feel a bit jaded with those types of shows, too. At least the ones that are very bloody. A lot of what I watch nowadays (in the mystery/crime genre) is either a period crime drama (like Grantchester, Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery or Endeavour) or more gentile approach and not so gory (like Midsomer Murders or Inspector Lewis). I do like Criminal Minds, which is ALL about serial killers and frequently has blood and gore but it focuses on the psychological aspects, which I like.

>61 PawsforThought: That is a series I haven't see before and looks like one I would enjoy. Cannot beat gentle murder!

Have a lovely weekend.

41). Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers



Number of pages: 301
Year: 1927
Rating:

This is the third installment in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, with Wimsey and Parker looking into a murder case where they don't actually know if the person in question has been murdered or not (it seems like a natural death) and if she has, can't figure out why or how.

This book is a bit different to the first two Wimsey stories in that it's very unclear whether a crime actually has been committed or not, and it's not made certain until very late in the book. I quite like that and the book as a whole is really good. Miss Climpson was a nice new acquaintance - I found her quite charming. I was very grateful to not have to read another runthrough of the court proceedings, as they were by far the dullest part of the previous books.
A word of caution: there is quite a lot of very non-PC words and phrases about black people in this book, which is obviously typical for the time it was written but still very jarring to our modern eyes. (They are mainly uttered by people we're not supposed to really like.)

Hello Paws! I hope all is well with you.

>52 PawsforThought: Yours is the second Sittaford review I've read today. Both of your seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. I will have to take a look.

>67 PawsforThought: Lord Peter is always a good bet.

>68 brodiew2: I know someone else was reading it for the TIOLI challenge, so I guess that's who it was. Good to hear I'm not the only one who liked it.

And yeah, Lord Peter is becoming one of my literary favourites. The mysteries aren't always that interesting, but Wimsey and his relationship with parker and particularly Bunter is just great.

>69 PawsforThought: I liked Wimsey as well. The relationships, the conversations, they're really fun to read. But I can't remember if I read this one.

>70 EllaTim: Yeah, they're the best part. I'm trying to read all the Wimsey books in order, since I know there are developments in Wimsey's personal life and I'd prefer not to get that out of order. But I'm not sure my library has all the books - I might have to improvise a bit.

42). Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



Number of pages: 144
Year: 2014
Rating:

Alana and Marko continue to run from the people hunting them (and getting into a massive fight over poor choices and behaviors on both parts). Prince Robot has bad news from home.

Still really good, even though I wanted to smack both Alana and Marko over the head a few times in this. And shepherd seal has a name: Ghüs! He's still one of my favourites. Sadly, very little Gwendolyn in this - we only really see her in the last chapter - but she's as awesome as always.

43). Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 210
Year: 1969
Rating:

The famous detective novelist Mrs Ariadne Oliver is staying with a friend and helping to organize a party for the youths in Woodleigh Common when one of the children at the party is murdered. Earlier in the day she'd been bragging about having witnessed a murder a few years ago. Mrs Oliver asks her friend Hercule Poirot to come down to Woodleigh Common.

I rather like this one. It's strange how often I find myself thinking "Oh, this is one of Agatha Christie's "different" novels"", but it happened again with this one. It isn't as straight forward as some of her other novels are, with a murder happening and a list of suspects being worked through. This time Poirot first has to figure out if the victim actually *did* see a murder happen or not. And how does a falsified will, an au pair that took off suddenly and a stabbed legal assistant fit into it all?

44). Saga Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



Number of pages: 152
Year: 2015
Rating:

In this volume Gwendolyn, Sophie and a new acquaintance get very up close and personal with some dragons. Marko is trying to get back to his family and Alana and the rest try to get out of being hostages.

I don't really know what to say except that this is still a great series and I'm enjoying it a lot. We get to know The Brand, who is another strong and fierce woman, and the scene with the male dragon is just disgusting.

45). Saga Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



Number of pages: 152
Year: 2016
Rating:

Alana and Marko continue their search for Hazel, who is now at school. Ghüs has traded in his yellow overalls for a sou'wester and a blue jumper, making him look like a French fisherman. And the journalists are back in the game.

No Gwendolyn at all in this, which is obviously a let down, but there's plenty of Alana being back in the game, and there's a new acquaintance as well.
Hazel is now old enough to be interesting as a character, so that's nice too.

Wow, 4 books read, you're doing great.

>73 PawsforThought: I like the books with Ariadne Oliver, exentric and scatterbrained, endearing combination.

>76 EllaTim: Well, three of them are graphic novels which are read in an hour or less. I'm finishing the 7th volume right now - want to finish up the series so far before October.

46). Saga Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples



Number of pages: 152
Year: 2017
Rating:

The last one for now - the next volume is due out in January. We meet a new species, that look sort of a like a panda-otter hybrid and who belong to a religious cult, but we also have massive losses, including one of my favourite characters.

I finished this one right as I was about to fall asleep so decided to wait until today to post about it. I'm really rather sad about the character that was lost, but I suppose in Saga it's always possible that people come back again.

>73 PawsforThought: Nice review, Paws.
I am going to read my first Poirot this month (my second Christie), so I don't know about "different" Christie books yet ;-)

September:

Number of books finished: 15
Longest book read: Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie, 461 pages
Shortest book read: Saga Vol. 2, Saga Vol. 3 and Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, 144 pages
Pages read: 3323 pages
Oldest book: Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers, 1923
Newest book: Saga Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, 2017
Male vs. female authors: 8 vs. 14
Favourite read: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

>79 FAMeulstee: Thanks. I hope you enjoy getting to know Poirot as much as I have. He's a strange one but he does draw you in. And I somewhat envy you that you have only read one Christie so far - so much left to look forward to!

>80 PawsforThought: Yeah for The Borrowers, wonderful cover as well.

>78 PawsforThought: Ah, graphic novel, I'd missed that.
I'm in a bit of a reading slump at the moment, and find myself wishing for pictures, making me turn away from a book to go do something else. It's like the left, serious reading part of my brain is getting tired, weird but how to describe it, i don't really know. So maybe I should try some graphic novels as well. Yours sound nice anyway.

>82 EllaTim: The Borrowers was one of my favourite books as a child, so I was really glad to discover that it hold up really well and that I still enjoyed it as an adult.

Sorry to hear that you're in a reading slump - I've just come out of one so I think I know how you feel. I had a really had time focusing on text, too, and reading shorter things or things with pictures is a lot easier at times like that.
I do recommend Saga, but be aware that it's really graphic both violence and sex) at times. I usually don't like when things are graphic, but I like the characters, story and drawing style in this so much that I can handle it anyway.

Oke, Thanks, it's always nice when people can confirm one's experience! That's it indeed, focussing on longer or more difficult texts, short ones, like here on the internet are not a problem. Glad for you that you are doing better.

It might just be a case of me feeling tired, and needing some relaxation.

I was looking for some kind of graphic novel that might be available in my library. But I'm not much into violence, not even in ordinary books without pictures. Hm, now how to find a list of graphic novels in my library catalogue?

>80 PawsforThought: That is the same cover of my version of The Borrowers too, Paws. It was also one of my favourites from my youth.

Have a lovely Sunday.

>84 EllaTim: I hope some rest and relaxation will be just what you need and that you'll be back to regular reading soon.

>85 PaulCranswick: The book i read didn't have the cover I posted here - it was an old Swedish version and the cover wasn't that interesting. I don't necessarily post the cover art that belongs to the edition I've read - I just pick the one that I like the most because I like it when my thread looks pretty.

>86 PawsforThought: Thanks, I'll get to 75 or maybe not, will just have to see how it goes.

>87 EllaTim: I looked The Borrowers up in LT, and apparently, as I have it in my library, I get to see my version, the Dutch one. But that doesn't have a cover at all. Can't remember what it looked like, I had a paperback version that has completely fallen apart. I like to pick a nice cover as well.

>87 EllaTim: Have a look in under "change cover" - you can look at all the Amazon and member uploaded covers, and usually there quite a few non-English covers. I think I see a Dutch cover, but it's incredibly blurry.

This is the cover of the Swedish version I read (for some reason, it's called "The Boy and the Borrowers" in Swedish):

Today is my fifth Thingaversary, and I've received a lovely 5 year badge from the LT crew. I also had a birthday recently and to celebrate I will be buying myself some books - just haven't quite decided on which ones yet. There will be some Donald Duck, some women's history and a classic or two. And something else, that I'm still pondering over.

Hope you're all having a good start to the week - I am, despite the pouring rain and the fact that we're dog sitting for the next week and a half (poor kitty is very upset).

Happy 5th Thingaversary!

Good morning, Paws and happy 5th Thingaversary! Reminds me I should check when mine is...

>90 EllaTim:, >91 FAMeulstee: & >92 brodiew2: Thank you!

I just saw that Kazuo Ishiguro got the Nobel Prize, which I wasn't particularly surprised by, I figured they'd go for a more "typical" author this year, and someone not from North America or Europe. I know Ishiguro is a well-liked author, so I'm sure a lot of people are very happy about this.
I've never read any of his novels before, but I did put The Remains of the Day on my TBR list just last week.

>93 PawsforThought: I haven't read Ishiguro either, but have 5 of his books patiently waiting at the shelves.

>93 PawsforThought: Did you see the movie Remains of the day? I thought it was wonderful, That's one book I would like to read.

>95 EllaTim: No, I never have. It's on a very, very long movies-to-watch-list

47). Nemesis by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 367
Year: 1971
Rating:

Upon the death of an acquaintance (whom she met in A Caribbean Mystery), Miss Marple is postumously asked to solve a mystery. She doesn't know what the mystery is or who is involved, but decides to take it on. The only thing she's certain of is that it involves a murder.

I greatly enjoyed this one. What the crime actually is and who is involved is kept a mystery for a very long time, without it feeling like you're just being taken for a ride. I did have an inkling on what was happening and what had happened in the past, but I hadn't quite made up my mind about the murderer (because of course it was a murder).

Reading in October is slower than reading in September, so far. I don't think I'll get anywhere near as many books read this month as I did the last, but then I did read 7 graphic novels, which are much faster than regular books. But we'll see. I have a few tomes at home that I hope I'll at least make a small dent in each, and possibly finish one of them - but only time will tell.

Hello Paws! Happy Friday!

>95 EllaTim: The Remains of the Day is a brilliant film, but I've been advised recently to read the book first. It was so long ago that I saw the film that the book will likely retain its surprises.

>97 PawsforThought: I will never tire of these Christie covers. Keep 'em coming!

>99 brodiew2: Oh, I intend to keep them coming. I loved these covers as much as you do!

Happy 5th Thingaversary, Paws!!

>101 ronincats: Thank you!

Happy Thingaversary, Paws.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

>103 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! My weekend was fine - just hanging aroudn the house reading and cuddling with kitty.

I've just quit reading a book for the first time in so long that I actually can't remember the last time it happened. I've been trying to read The Chilbury Ladies' Choir for the past couple of weeks but I just am not enjoying it at all. Life's too short and I have too many other books to read so I've decided to Pearl Rule that one.

>105 PawsforThought: Good for you. When it doesn't appeal, it doesn't. After trying for a couple of weeks, well that's long enough!

>106 EllaTim: Yeah, I just couldn't keep trying. I'd only read about 60 pages, but I kept looking at it and thinking "nah", and that really should be a red flag. So it's gone back to the library and I've picked up a new one instead.

>107 PawsforThought: It happens to me a lot, even in good books I can somehow lose interest halfway through. Trying to finish them more often, though, for the 75 challenge. Often it was a temporary slump, but there are some books that just won't work for me. Then I regret trying, as it spoils the fun of reading.

>108 EllaTim: Yeah, same here. If it's a book I really want to have read for some reason (a classic, for instance) or one I do like but just can't seem to get around to picking back up, I do try to plow my way through it. It helps a little if I set a daily target, like having to read a certain number of pages or "at least two chapters" before I'm allowed to read somethign else or watch TV/movies.
But some books - like the one I just put away - are not ones I've been wanting to read but just seemed interesting, and then I just put them away.

48). Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 174
Year: 1924
Rating:

A collection of Poirot short stories, narrated by Captain Hastings.It is a mixture of jewellery thefts, missing persons and murders, all of which Poirot of course manages to figure out the solution to when no one else even could come close.

I like this one - it's a bit "old-fashioned" Poirot even if it's short stories instead of a longer mystery. It's the kind of stories that made me like reading Christie in the first place. It's also an excellent example of what an annoying character Hastings generally is. Apart from being annoyed with Poirot all the time, he also keeps assuming that anyone who's a pretty, well-articulated young-ish woman must be innocent of all crime. And he never learns.

This is only the second book I've finished so far in October, even though we're nearing the half-way mark. Sounds dreadful but I actually think I've been doing alright. My cold has returned and I've barely been able to make it to work this week, so my head hasn't really been fighting fit to read, and I've opted for TV a lot.
I did have to put away one book, but I've also started a couple of different books but not finished them. Then there's the plowing through of the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga, which takes some time.

49). Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt



Number of pages: 312
Year: 1981
Rating:

When their mother abandons them in the car park outside a mall, thirteen-year-old Dicey and her three younger siblings have to look after themselves and decide to make their own way to "Aunt Cilla" in Bridgeport - even though that means walking the whole way and borderline starving. Once they reach Bridgeport they realise things are different than they thought it'd be.

I read this book when I was about 11, but all I can remember from it was the name of the main character (Dicey) and the fact that they were walking a long, long way. Re-reading it didn't trigger any memories at all. It's a good book, but not an easy read. There's a sequel that I'll probably read someday but not right now.

>110 PawsforThought: Hi Paws, sounds like a nasty cold. I hope it Will clear up soon.

When I feel a bit under the weather I always go for the comfort reads, often rereads.

Plowing through A song of fire and ice? Because of the length? I confess I abandoned this series halfway through book one.

>112 EllaTim: Thanks. My cold has now spread to the muscles in my neck, resulting in a wry/stiff neck. it's a bit better now, but on Sunday I could barely move my head.

And yeah, it's the length. I really do like the books, but they *are* very long so it takes a good long time to get through them, especially when you're reading other things at the same time. And being so long makes them too heavy to lug around in a handbag so I can't read them on the bus/at work like I do with other books, so they take longer to read for that reason too.

>111 PawsforThought: There are 6 Tillerman books, I re-read the all last May.

>114 FAMeulstee: That many? There are only two available at the library here.

>114 FAMeulstee: Sorry, there are even 7 books. 4 about the Tillerman kids and 3 about side characters.

>116 FAMeulstee: Good to know. I doubt I'l get to more than the ones I have available here.

50). Sir Percy Leads the Band by Baroness Emmuska Orczy



Number of pages: 254
Year: 1936
Rating:

The Scarlet Pimpernel and his band of brothers have to first rescue the priest who heard the French king's confession before he was executed and then the noble family who let the priest stay with them temporarily before he was sent further away to Belgium. But not everyone in the band is completely faithful to Sir Percy - there is a traitor among them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. It's been a little while since I last read a Scarlet Pimpernel story, which I think is probably a good thing - I enjoy them more when the reading is a bit spread out. The one thing I miss about this one is Marguerite's presence. She's such a good character, and I wish she had a larger role in these books.

Look at you just tearing through the Sagas and Agatha Christies!! Congrats on your 5th Thingaversary and a very belated Happy Birthday.

Hi, Paws, missing you here, are you still sick?
Here's something for if you are still feeling the cold:

>119 Berly: Thank you. I'm not tearing through anything at the moment, but it did feel good to get so many titles in last month.

>120 EllaTim: Hi Ella. Yeah, I'm still I'll. I've even been home from work for the past two days (which never happens!) and will be home at least tomorrow too. Hopefully back on Friday.
I was at the doctor's this morning, just to check that nothing serious was going on but it was fine. Just an extreme case of stuffed nose which is causing me to mouth-breathe 24 hours a day and thus causing my throat to feel horrible. And the lack of proper breathing is making me super tired.
Thanks for the cold cure - looks like a real witch's brew.

>121 PawsforThought: I'm sorry to hear it, so nothing serious, but it is annoying to be feeling under the weather when it lasts for such a long time. I've had bouts of that, myself, and sometimes wished to be more I'll, as it'd pass faster!

Witch's brew Yes, wonderful ain't it?

>122 EllaTim: That's what I always say. I'd rather have a high fever and not be able to get out of my bed for a couple of days than feel "pretty bad" (but good enough to be out and about) for weeks.

51). Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 281
Year: 1958
Rating:

Dr Calgary returns from a trip to the Antarctic to find that a man has died in prison after being found guilty of murder - a man Dr Calgary could provide an alibi for. He reveals his story for both the police and the family of the murder victim (and the murderer), with all the consequences that entails.

This was apparently Ms Christie's favourite of the novels she wrote. It's a well written novel, and the "solution" is quite a clever one, but I don't agree with her that it's the best she's written. I prefer the more typical Marple and Poirot novels.

October:

Number of books finished: 5
Longest book read: Nemesis by Agatha Christie, 367 pages
Shortest book read: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie, 174 pages
Pages read: 1388 pages
Oldest book: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie, 1924
Newest book: Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt, 1981
Male vs. female authors: 0 vs. 5
Favourite read: Sir Percy Leads the Band by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

October has (as is evident by the summary above) not been a great month reading-wise for me. There are several reasons for this, with the two most important being that I've been pretty sick the last couple of weeks and I've been wanting to catch up on podcasts and TV shows I've been putting aside for a while. I'm feeling better, and the podcast queue is looking less scary than it did before so I think November will be a pretty good month for reading. I'm planning on letting it be a mostly easy read-filled month, because I have a couple of tomes at home and I need to get a bit of a break from that sometimes.

Gotta balance out the tomes...! Here's to a great November. A HEALTHY one. : )

Hi Paws, wishing you a happy November. How is it going with the podcasts, and everything?

>128 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella, and same to you!

I'm slowly but surely catchig up on the podcasts, I don't feel as swamped as I did a few weeks ago. I'm re-listening to a couple of them, so it'll take a long time before I'm done with that but I'm not in a hurry with those. Somewhat caught up with TV as well - I've seen the new season of Stranger Things, so I'm content with that side of thigns too. Getting my Netflix list down to a reasonable size will take a while, though.

52). James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 174
Year: 1961
Rating:

James Henry Trotter (which I kept reading as Henry James Potter for obvious reasons) lives with his two ghastly aunts who treat him worse than vermin. One day James accidently spills some magic beads in the soil by the peach tree in the garden and a magical adventure starts.

I've only read a few of Roald Dahl's books and thought reading some more would be a good way to decompress between reading the heavy tomes I also have at home. This is one of the books I haven't read before, and it was quite delightful - as Dahl always is.

>130 PawsforThought: Glad you liked that one, Paws. I remember reading it for the kids a number of years ago and it had their full attention.

53). Esio Trot by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 59
Year: 1990
Rating:

Mr Hoppy is secretly in love with his downstairs neighbour Mrs Silver - but Mrs Silver only has eyes for her tortoise Alfie, and she's very worried about him not growing properly. So Mr Hoppy offers to help.

There are times when I wish i could switch of the more political/feminist/whatever part of my brain and just enjoy a book, but I just can't. It's a well-written book but I can't enjoy it the same way I enjoy other Dahl books because of the way Mr Hoppy acts in order to get the woman he wants. He flat out lies to her, steals her tortoise and deceives her.

>130 PawsforThought: I read it as a child and loved it. Those horrible aunts!

>132 PawsforThought: Now I'm curious. All is fair in love and war? Dahl can think up a nasty plot, of course. Have you read one of his short stories, like in Kiss, kiss?

>131 PaulCranswick: I had a feeling I'd like it, and was happy to see I was right.

>133 EllaTim: I really don't think all is fair in love and war. Deceiving someone to make them fall in love with you isn't romantic, it's emotional abuse. It was partly coming from a good place, but it was still wrong, and I don't like that he got away with it scot-free. It's one thing if the antagonists behave appalingly, because they always get their come-uppance in children's books, but my Hoppy was the protagonist and he behaved horribly and it was apparently just fine.

I haven't read any of his short stories. The only ones I've read before now are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Vicar of Nibbleswicke and Matilda. And an excerpt from his autobiography.

>134 PawsforThought: I think you're quite right, but I'm still curious. I recently read A guide to the birds of East Africa, and I think you'd like it. It's funny, and a romance where the protagonist is fair, while very much in love.

I like his books for children better, his short stories do show a lot of people behaving badly, they are funny, but a bit 'sharp', (I don't know what word to use)

>135 EllaTim: I don't mind if people behave badly, but not when it's portrayed as okay or even encouraged. I do realise that this book was written nearly 30 years ago and that we think differently about a lot of things now than we did then, and I shouldn't read too much into a children's book (but what we read as children has an effect on us).
I'm not a fan of romance in novels, so don't know how I'd feel about A Guide to the Birds of East Africa.

>136 PawsforThought: What we read as children has an effect on us, but there are lots of books where children are a bit naughty. Is it encouraged? It feels a bit freeing to read about. Like in the books by Astrid Lindbergh, Pippi Longstocking maybe?

But I wouldn't like to read about children or adults hurting others and that being encouraged.

>137 EllaTim: I don't think this is anything like children being naughty. This is a grown man (an elderly man, in fact) who willfully lies to a woman, steals her beloved tortoise and replaces it with others, lies again, sells her tortoise to a pet shop and never ever tells her about any of it. That's not being naughty - that's being a horrible person.

54). The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 64
Year: 1966
Rating:

The eight-year-old girl who's telling the story hates that her neighbours, The Greggs, go out hunting everday, and after witnessing them shooting a deer she's fed up and points her magic finger at them. After that, strange things happen to the Greggs, causing them to re-evaluate their love for hunting.

This is a rather sweet story that deals with the topic of how we humans see ourselves as better than animals simply because we're humans - and that we can do whatever we want to them because of that. It's far too short, though.

Loving all the Dahl reviews. Hoping to get to one soon...but maybe not the Tortoise one.

I always loved Roald Dahl books. Thanks for these reviews.

The Welsh Senedd (Welsh national assembly - the legislative arm of Welsh government) is located at Roald Dahl Plass:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl_Plass

If you ever watched the Torchwood series, the Torchwood headquarters were located just underneath that.

>140 Berly: I mean, it's a short read, so it won't take much of your time if you do decide to read it. But I've read dahl before and know how great he can be so I just got annoyed. And those kinds of tropes drive me crazy.

>141 sirfurboy: Glad you're enjoying them. I didn't know the Welsh Assembly was located at a place named for Dahl - that's lovely.
I have watched a bit of Torchwood but didn't care much for it so have no memory of where it was located (except that it was in Wales).

55). The Twits by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 87
Year: 1980
Rating:

This is a very short story about Mr and Mrs Twit, two ghastly people who are not just mean to each other (and continually playing horrid pranks) but also to every living thing around them. One day the monkeys they're training for the upside down circus have had enough.

This is a fun read - I can't imagine a child who wouldn't like reading this. It's hilarious, and the horrendous Twits get their comeuppance - just like mean people should.

56). The BFG by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 224
Year: 1982
Rating:

After waking up in the middle of the night at the orphanage where she lives, and meeting the Big Friendly Giant, the BFG takes Sophie with him to where the giants live - all of whom (except the BFG) are evil things that like to eat humans.

This is a treat! It took me a little while to get into, but once I did I really liked it. It's completely nutty, but that's the joy of Dahl's books. And the wordplay in this book in phenomenal!

>144 PawsforThought: That sounds like a very enjoyable book (and I love the cover).

>145 EllaTim: It was!
I'm really fond of the covers of these editions - very much my style.

Good to see you enjoyed the Dahl books :-)

I think I like The Witches best of his kids books, Paws.

Have a great weekend.

57). The Vicar of Nibbleswicke by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 22
Year: 1991
Rating:

This is a really short tale of a dyslectic vicar who is sent out to lead a congregation for the very first time and is so nervous that he starts jumbling up words when he speaks - causing the congregation to think he's out of his mind. It's a sweet and fairly funny little ditty that Dahl wrote to benefit the dyslectic society.

>149 PawsforThought: Sounds like fun.
Must be the ultimate nightmare for a vicar. Mine is where I'm in a play but can't remember the words.

>150 EllaTim: It all works out in the end for the poor vicar, though.
My ultimate nightmare is death by frogs.

58). Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 32
Year: 1982
Rating:

This one was recommended to me by a friend a very, very long time ago. It is a collection of some of the classic fairy tales, but not the versions we're used to - these are the "correct" versions. The prince in Cinderella is a bloody-thirsty lunatic and a good soak in the bath changes the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
It's funny and macabre and very well written, of course.

>152 PawsforThought: And do the stories rhyme?

I had no idea Dahl had written so many.many stories! I really have to get to some of these. I think the BFG is top of my list right now...

>153 EllaTim: Yes, they all rhyme! I read it in Swedish (it's not available in English in my library system) and it was all in rhyming iambic tetrameter couplets - not an easy feat when doing a translation. I think the original English version is also in this meter, but can't say for sure.

>154 Berly: Oh, he wrote loads more! I haven't even got to half yet!

>155 PawsforThought: Now I must really look for it. (And will look up the iambic tetrameter, ;) Translating poetry must be difficult to get right.

59). The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 64
Year: 1978
Rating:

This is another of Dahl's shorter works for younger kids, about an enormous, wicked crocodile, who lives in the dirty, muddy river and decides to go into the town and snack on a child. He tells all the animals he meets on the way about his snacking plans and they all get upset and yell at him. But he won't be persuaded.

This is a perfect read-aloud book for kids aged maybe 5-6-7, something. It's funny and a little bit scary and as always with Dahl, really good. The Quentin Blake illustrations are fab as usual, too.

>156 EllaTim: This explains iambs and iambic pentameter fairly well, I think.
Shakespeare's sonnets are a typical example of a iambic PENTAmeter, so if you imagine the rhythm of a Shakespearean sonnet but with two syllables less (ten syllables in iambic pentameter, eight in iambic tetrameter) you're on the right track.

>158 PawsforThought: Ah, Thanks for the explanation.

I went to the library today to look for the dutch version of Revolting rhymes called Roald Dahl's gruwelijke rijmen. According to the online catalogue my branch was supposed to have it, but unfortunately nothing. I was pretty disappointed, I had wanted to read these revolting iambic tetrameters for myself!

>159 EllaTim: Ah, what a shame. Hopefully it will resurface some day - that does sometimes happen.

60). Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie



Number of pages: 294
Year: 1929
Rating:

Tommy and Tuppence (real name Prudence) Beresford are asked by Tommy's boss at the intelligence agency to take over the running of a detective agency that has been a front to Russian spies. They acquiense and take the opportunity to also solve a number of smaller mysteries and riddles - usually by appropriating the mannerisms and styles of famous literary sleuths. This appropriation is Christie's way of playing with the styles of other crime writers and is quite fun - though I think I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd been more acquainted with the writers in questions.

I had a blast reading this. It's my first time reading a Tommy and Tuppence book, and this is the second time Christie wrote about them. It's a collection of short stories set in a wider arc story of the Russian spies. Tommy and Tuppence are lovely characters and I really like the relationship they have with each other (which often includes throwing pillows at each other when annoyed or fed up).

61). George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 113
Year: 1981
Rating:

George has possibly the worst grandmother in the world. She's mean and horrid, and is always yelling and nagging at George. So noe day when his mother is at the shops, he decides to not give his grandmother a spoon of her regular medicine but instead cook up a medicine of his own and give her - and he pour in a bit of everything he can find in the house.

I can definitely see kids enjoying reading this one (though I'd be a bit worried about them trying to drink engine oil and nail polish). It's pretty typical Dahl, in that it's absolutely bonkers and you can't imagine where he got everything from.

62). Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 107
Year: 1970
Rating:

Mr. Fox supports his family by stealing food from three horrible and mean farmers who live near the tree on the hill where the Fox family resides. He takes it in turn to steal chickens, geese and turkeys but the farmers are cheap and don't want anyone stealing their things so one day they've had enough and decide to shoot the fox. But he's cleverer than they are.

It's a fun and short read, and I'm sure young-ish kids would be delighted to hear what the fox gets up to.

You are racing through the Roald Dahl books :-)
I liked Fantastic Mr Fox half a star better, my favorite remains Matilda closely followed by The BFG.

>164 FAMeulstee: Ah, I wrote the wrong starnumber in the code - I'll adjust that.

>165 PawsforThought: Then I liked it half a star less ;-)

>166 FAMeulstee: Haha!

63). Matilda by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 242
Year: 1988
Rating:

Matilda is a very intelligent little girl who learns to read all on her own and plows through both Dickens and the Brontës by the age of five. Her family are horrible and think she's nuts for wanting to read when she could be caring about scamming customers. Finally, it's time for matilda to start school and she's put in the class of the wonderful Ms Honey. If only it wasn't for the horrendous principal Ms Trunchbull.

A teacher recommended this book to me when I was around nine - and though i don't have any strong memories of it from that time I know I read and liked it. It's a terrific book - probably my favourite of Roald Dahl's writing. The characters are exaggerated to the extreme (the good characters are incredibly good, the mean ones are real monsters) but it works, partly because of the humour that is always prevalent in Dahl's works.

64). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 127
Year: 1964
Rating:

Poor Charlie Bucket lives with his parents and both sets of grandparents in a rackety little cottege. They have hardly any money and mainly survive off watery cabbage soup. And then one day, Willy Wonka - the owner of the amazing chocolate factory in town, announces that there will be a contest. The five children who find a golden ticket in their chocolate bars will be allowed in to the factory for a tour - where no one has set their foot for decades.

This is the original crazy adventure children's book, I think. I've read it before (and seen both film versions - Gene Wilder was a way better Wonka than Johnny Depp) and always liked it but I think it might be even better now. It's a testament to Dahl's incredible imagination - how he could come up with not just the fantastic candies that Wonka has invented but also the fates of all the children.

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Hi Paws, you're zipping through the Roald Dahlbooks!

>165 PawsforThought: Can you tell me how I can add these green stars to my posts? I would like to use those as well, but can't find a description anywhere.

>171 EllaTim: Well, they're pretty quick reads (at least most of them are) and I wanted to get through them before the end of the month as I have something else planned for December.

It's just an image link to get the stars. Put this text (img src="http://static.librarything.com/pics/ss9.gif") into pointy brackets instead of the regular ones I used and you'll get
And then you just change the number to change the number of stars you want. 1 equals half a star, 2 is one star, 3 is one and a half, etc. Does that make sense?

Hi Paws, thanks very much, yes that makes sense! I'm going to save that text.

Poking my head in to wish you a fabulous weekend, Paws. I have been enjoying following your Roald Dahl reading.

>174 lkernagh: Thank you! Nice to hear people are enjoying my Dahl-mania. I wanted to finish three more Dahls before the end of November but this past week's been busy and I haven't got as far as I'd like so it'll be two instead of three.

65). Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 191
Year: 1973
Rating:

Picking up right where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory left off, this tells the tale of Charlie, Mr Wonka and all of Charlie's family travelling in Mr Wonka's glass elevator, which takes them up into space and back.

This is a good book (though a word of warning for some insensitive imitation of Chinese people's pronunciation), but it just can't measure up to the amazing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There's a lot of talk of maths and some of physics (though obviously not necessarily true) which might make it a fun read-aloud book for school age kids who are working with maths, the same was The BFG would be for talking about language.

66). The Witches by Roald Dahl



Number of pages: 212
Year: 1983
Rating:

After his parents are killed in a car accident, the narrator of this book goes to live with his grandmother, who lives in Norway and knows everything there is to know about witches - Norway has especially many witches and the boy's grandmother used to be a witch hunter. When they are on vacation in Bournemouth they stumble upon the great yearly meeting of the witches of England.

This is one of Dahl's greatest books.It's both funny, like all Dahl books, and a bit scary. Nothing really goes the way you'd think. I was at the edge of my seat a few times so I'm sure most children would be too - but it's the good kind of scary.

This is the last Dahl I'll read for now - a new month is coming up and I want some new reading to go with it. It's been great fun, and I've really enjoyed myself.

>177 PawsforThought: Hurray for Roald Dahl. So The Witches was a good conclusion to this series? I have yet to read it, and I haven't seen the movie, will have to remedy both.

So waiting to see what you will come up with next:-)

>178 EllaTim: Yeah, it was really good. One of the top four, along with Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The BFG.
I haven't seen the film either - I think the only Dahl films I've seen are Matilda and the two Charlie and the Chocolate Factories.

I haven't seen a lot of Dahl films either, not even the ones you mention. I nearly went to see the BFG, it was in the movie theatres this year, but then I saw the reviews were unfavourable. So I skipped it. (There are so many good movies to see we don't get to)

But I will be on the lookout for The Witches, I wanted to see it when it came out, but missed it.

November:

Number of books finished: 15
Longest book read: Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie, 294 pages
Shortest book read: The Vicar of Nibbleswicke by Roald Dahl, 22 pages
Pages read: 2012 pages
Oldest book: Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie,
Newest book: The Vicar of Nibbleswicke by Roald Dahl, 1991
Male vs. female authors: 1 vs. 14 (1)
Favourite read: Matilda by Roald Dahl

>181 PawsforThought: Nice sum-up!

Those covers go together really well.

>182 EllaTim: I love them. I wish all of Dahl's books came in editions with those more minimalist covers - I'd buy them all in a heartbeat.

67). Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 32
Year: 2008
Rating:

An ABC book like no other - this is a "piratical ghost story" that following two children and a gazelle through a rather nasty journey, where they meet (and are attacked by) monsters and other scary things.

I don't know whether this book really is for kids, or if it's one of those books that look like they're for kids but actually are more for adults. The drawings (which are kind of manga-inspired but with a creepier look to them) are not what I'd assume kids are into, but they are really interesting and the writing, as always with Gaiman, is fantastic. My favourite line is for "L": "L, like 'eaven, their last destination". That is dark for a kids' book. But then again, most kids love scary and creepy things.

68). The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 64
Year: 1997
Rating:

The title explains the start of the tale fairly well. The narrator's friend Nathan comes over to show off his two brand new goldfish and the narrator askes if he wants to swap them for something. After not finding anything in the bedroom worth swapping over, a deal is made to exchange the fish for his dad. And then mom comes home and makes him go and get dad bac - which is easier said than done.

This was a fun read. The drawings aren't really to my taste, but I enjoyed the storyline, and it's the kind of things I believe most kids would like to (at least the ones I've met).
I was a bit shocked to see a mention of a stuffed clown (as in doll or soft toy, not a taxidermied human) - who in the world would ever want a stuffed clown? I'd have constant nightmares.

>184 PawsforThought: >185 PawsforThought: Neil Gaiman! Both books look good, the alphabet one would be my first choice. Illustrated by Gris Grimly, I suppose that would not be his real name?
Kids do like dark, lots of fairy tales with giants that can eat you, and similar stuff.

I've never read anything by Gaiman, but there's lots of praise for his books on LT. So he's on the wish list.

>186 EllaTim: Yeah, it's a Neil Gaiman month for me this December. I've read some of his but a lot got put on the wiating list when I was in my readinf funk, so I'm catching up. He's a fantastic author.

Google tells me that Gris Grimly is a pen name, but there doesn't seem to be a record of what hisher real name is.

>187 PawsforThought: Have fun!

Ooh, real name unknown by google, is that even possible in this digital age?

>188 EllaTim: Unknown by Wikipedia at lest, which was the first and only link I clicked. There was a ton of information about Grimly's life and such, but no other name.

69). Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman (illustrations by Dave McKean)



Number of pages: 32
Year: 2005
Rating:

This is a wild and imaginative story about a girl who is asked why she doesn't try to tame her "crazy hair" - and we are told about the amazing things that live/exist in her hair, including pirates, big game hunters and an entire amusement park. It's all in rhyming couplets, which are beautiful even in the Swedish translation.

I adore the writing and story of this book, but the illustrations really don't do it for me. We all have different taste, and this type of illustration gives me the creeps. It reminds me of the African masks that acquaintances used to bring home from their holiday, and of a children's show that gave me nightmares as a child.

70). Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman (illustrations by Adam Rex)



Number of pages: 32
Year: 2013
Rating:

Chu spends the day with his mum at the library, his dad at a restaurant and finally they all go to the circus together. Chu's been on the verge of sneezing the whole time, due to dust, pepper and other itchy things in the air.

This is such a beautiful little gem of a book, and the illustrations are incredible - just perfect for the story (and Chu himself is absolutely adorable). One of my particular favourites are the repurposed card catalogues at the library - now used as a computer lab for mice (!) I know that there are more Chu books, but they aren't available in my local libary system. I think I'm going to buy them all for my nephew.

>191 PawsforThought: Hi Paws, Chu looks adorable. And a computer lab for mice? Would like to see that. Buy them for your nephew, good idea.

71). The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 64
Year: 2013
Rating:

I thought this was going to be a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, but it's more than that. It's a version of Sleeping Beauty featuring Snow White post-waking up, and with a pretty big change in the end of the story.

It's an interesting read, and I liked finding out that my preconceived ideas of what was going to happen were wrong. I should have known, because I'm not a newbie to Gaiman's writing he's not the kind of author who writes obvious things.

72). Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 121
Year: 2010
Rating:

This is a tale of how the fatherless boy Odd, who crushed his leg trying to fell a tree, meets an eagle, a bear and a fox when he runs away into the woods. It turns out that the animals are in fact Odin, Thor and Loke, and they could really use his help.

This is a most excellent primer of the Norse myhts and gods to people (and especially children, but it works well for adults, too) who aren't very familiar with the stories. There are very few people I trust to get Norse mythology right, but Neil Gaiman is one of them (the fact alone that he always portrays Thor as a redhead is a big plus).

>194 PawsforThought: Going through my library catalogue for Neil Gaiman... you're doing a good job promoting him!

>195 EllaTim: Glad to hear it. He's possibly my favourite contemporary writer, and while he certainly doesn't *need* my promoting him, he certainly does deserve any and all promotion he can get.

73). Coraline by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 163
Year: 2002
Rating:

This is a scary and creepy story about a girl called Coraline (although her the neighbours in the new building they've moved into keep calling her Caroline) who discovers that the bricked-up door in the drawing room actually leads to another flat, or rather another version of her own flat. And in that flat there is an other mother.

I love this book. I've read it before, about 7-8 years ago, and watched the excellent film around the same time. So I knew I'd like it this time too, but I'd forgotten just how creepy and scary it actually is. It's the kind of scary that actually frightens me, unlike the more jump-scare type fiction.

74). Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Divya Srinivasan



Number of pages: 40
Year: 1995
Rating:

A tale set in "a small hot country" about a princess called Cinnamon, who has pearls for eyes and is therefore blind. But the problem for her parents, the Rajah (king) and Rani (queen) is that Cinnamon doesn't talk, so they offer up gifts for anyone who can make her start talking. But things don't go as they'd imagine.

This is a lovely story, which is richly illustrated (though not really in my personal taste). The style of the language is very similar to that used in stories I've read from south Asia which makes it feel more "real".
My favourite part is probably the gifts the princess's parents offer up for getting Cinnamon to speak: a room in the palace, a field of stunted mango trees, a portrait of Rani's aunt, and a green parrot.

75). Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 157
Year: 2013
Rating:

When mum goes away for work, dad forgets that the milk is almost out so when the kids are left without any milk for their breakfast cereal (and dad without any for his tea, which is the greatest tragedy, in his eyes) so he has to pop out and get some. It takes him *forever* to get back and when he does, it's with a tale that includes pirates, dinosaurs, time travel and an emerald known as Splod's Eye.

This book is crazy. It's like that game where one person starts off telling a story and then someone else continues it, and then another, and another and for every new person the story gets more and more mad. Except in this book it all ties together at the end.

76). The Wolves in the Wall by Neil Gaiman (illustrations by Dave McKean)



Number of pages: 56
Year: 2003
Rating:

Lucy can hear noises coming from the walls, and she's certain that there are wolves in there, but her parents keep insisting that it's just mice. And, they say, if it really was wolves then they'd be in trouble because when the wolves come out of the wall it's all over. What is over? It.

This is a bit of a romp, and I enjoyed reading it, but the illustrations aren't my thing. One thing I always like about Gaiman's books is that it's nearly always impossible to figure out how things are going to end.

I never thought this would happen - I didn't think I had it in me to read 75 books in one year, and considering the reading funk I've been in for so long, and which I was still in the middle of for the first third of the year, it's quite the little miracle. Obviously, I wouldn't have reached this if it hadn't been for the fact that many of the books I've read in the past couple of months have been children's book, but i still consider it a great victory.

Well done! You have earned the official LT reward

Thank you!

Like I said over on the Bragging thread, I think it's awesome you had such a great reading year! Congrats!

>204 drneutron: Thank you. It still hasn't quite sunk in that I made it. And with 2 weeks left of the year, I'll definitely hit at least 80, but we'll see.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

>206 FAMeulstee: Thank you!

Congratulations on 75, Paws! Love all the Gaiman reading.

Well done on making it to 75 Paws.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

>208 lkernagh: Thank you! I'm greatly enjoying my Gaiman phase and hoping to get through most of his oeuvre by the end of the month.

>209 PaulCranswick: Thanks! I'll have a busy weekend ahead (lots to do before Christmas) but I'm hoping to fit in som reading time, too.

Congratulations on reaching 75.

>211 sirfurboy: Thank you!

77). M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman



Number of pages: 249
Year: 2007
Rating:

A collection of short stories for young people, the tales in this book ranges from a version of the man who sold the Eiffel tower, to one about a troll under a bridge, to one about a group of people who like to try everything you can eat to one about a couple of boys who go to a party but the people there aren't who they thought they'd be partying with.

Like all short story collections, this has a range from great to more "meh". I wasn't too fond of the first couple of stories, but as I read on there were more that I liked. There's "How to Talk to Girls at Parties", which has apparently become a movie recently (I have no idea how you'd go about making a movie from that story), which I didn't really "get". The ones I like the most were "Sunbird", "Chivalry" and "The Witch's Headstone", which is an excerpt from The Graveyard Book.

Hi Paws, you must be busy somewhere, just passing through, and wishing you a good holiday weekend.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a lovely holiday season, Paws.

>214 EllaTim: & >215 cameling: Thank you! And Merry Christmas to you too! I’m at my brother’s over the holiday so not much LT:ing getting done - and not much reading either.

Hi Paws, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

(Or in other words, Happy Christmas, to you and yours!)

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

wishing a holiday and new year of peace for you and yours!

Thank you all for your well wishes. I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate and a great weekend if you don't. I'm still with my family - was supposed to go home today but the weather's been too bad for driving long distances so it's been postponed until tomorrow.

Hi Paws, a bit early, but tomorrow will be a busy day, so here 's to a wonderful new year to you, with lots of good reading, laughter and books!

>224 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, and a happy new year to you too!

I will sadly not be able to finish any more books this month/year so I check my stats and post them now. It's been a good year; I finally got my reading mojo back on a sort of track - it's not great yet but at least I'm reading on a regular basis.
I had been hoping to finish a few more books in December but a combination of overestimating my reading abilities, spending time with family and a nasty combination of cold and migraine put the brakes on that.

December:

Number of books finished: 11
Longest book read: M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman, 249 pages
Shortest book read: Chu's Day, The Dangerous Alphabet and Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman, 32 pages
Pages read: 1010 pages
Oldest book: Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman, 1995
Newest book: Chu's Day, The Sleeper and the Spindle and Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, 2013
Male vs. female authors: 11 (1) vs. 0
Favourite read: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

And a wrap-up of the year:

2017:

Number of books finished: 77
Pages read: 14308 pages
Male vs. female authors: 44 vs. 40
Favourite read: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I managed to read 14308 pages in 2017, which is an average of 1192 per month, despite having two whole months where I didn't read a single book. I'm quite proud. I'm not going to set any strict goals for my reading in 2018 but I'm hoping to read 100 books and 20 000 pages. We'll see how it goes.

It was a good reading year, not just because I got back into reading but also because the books I read where mostly really good. My two favourite reads this year were re-reads (Matilda and Coraline), but there were so many others I really enjoyed and the ones I'm currently reading are setting the bar high for 2018.