Ok.... I'm in

My first book of the year! I've just finished Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.

At this rate, I'll never make 50!

My review:

'Funnily enough, my favourite Bryson. Not as outrageously funny as his travel work, but a broad, anecdotal sweep through astronomy (the big world), microorganisms (the small world) and the evolution of human and other life. Bryson's abiltiy to make difficult topics totally accessible for beginners like me is the appeal of this book. He describes concepts and attaches them to anecdotes, say, about the person who discovered the evidence to support that concept. Or,after describing a meteor impact, advises the reader that it is generally a good idea to stand back.'

UPDATED: My book of the month selections are going to go in this first post:

January - A Short History of Nearly Everything. So wide-eyed and funny.

Febraury - Oliver Twist. My favourite Dickens (of 2!) so far.

March - The Shock Doctrine. Just brilliant.

April - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Enough has been said about this totally brilliant 'novel'.

May - A Spot of Bother. Funniest book I've read in years.

June - The Trial by Sadakat Kadri. Well written and interesting.

July - Bypass by Michael McGirr. The best of an uninspiring month.

August - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - wow, slow month...

September The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Two Mark Haddon books on the list in 1 year!

October - Nice Try by Shane Maloney. Won't win book of the year amongst this lot, but very good nonetheless.

November - Ragtime by E.L Doctorow

Two down... I finished Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, possibly the most brilliant book about justice and injustice I've read.

My review:

'A reread, my Aunty bought me this book for Christmas, telling me I couldn't be a good lawyer without reading this every few years. I think the first time I read it, I was too young to appreciate it, but now I see the full picture of innocence, tolerance, conscience and the inviolable principles of justice which should be every society's goal. Scout's naivety is done brilliantly and Atticus is, of course, a hero to every lawyer.'

I'm determined to finish a few books I've started now - Claudius the God and He Knew He Was Right.

I'm trying to read lots of variety this year!

3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Ok, ok, a nice easy reread. I had a busy weekend and felt like reading something light! My review:

'What more can be said than an excellent beginning to a brilliant series. Things happen incredibly quickly in parts, which contributes to the book's short length, but the ability to convey detail in brevity is appreciated more as the series goes on. More and more, that brevity is lost.'

Right then, back to the more serious stuff. The ones I'm slogging through remain sitting on my shelf, I'm enjoying Oliver Twist so that's probably the next one to be finished.

great books so far! Don't worry about making it to 50... it's the journey (and the books) that makes it worth a try...

4. Sucked In by Shane Maloney. Very Australian crime-fiction/comedy:

'Disappointing. The style of writing was funny early in the series, but this felt tired and the plot felt a bit recycled. Not all that funny, really, although readable enough.'

5. The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden:

'Billed as the perfect book for men from eight to eighty, but written in a patronising tone. Talks down to the reader like they are a five year old and, in any case, is totally outdated. I know it is supposed to be a parody on the 50s 'how to be a boy' kind of book, but not well done at all. Gets its 1.5 stars for content.'

Bit of shame, really, these last two were quite disappointing. Oh well, can't win them all!

6. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Sensational. Will post a review later.

Why does the Charles Dickens touchstone not work??? Grrr..

'A thrilling picture of the Victorian underworld. I loved the vivid characters, in particular Fagin and his pick-pocket underlings. The picture Dickens paints of the back alleys of London is fascinating and, unlike other Dickens I've read (IMO), moves along at a cracking pace. The horror of the gallows and the reduction of a previously repulsive character to a shivering, pitiful figure, is gripping.'

-edited for review

Thanks for the post TeacherDad! Feeling a bit more confident now, the pace has picked up!

7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Not that fun, after all.

"I had to read this, because it seems the entire world has and I had to see what I was missing. I knew I shouldn't have, though, as I am just not a sci-fi reader. I found the humour incredibly contrived and the plot boring. Just not that interesting."

> notmyrealname
I agree with TeacherDad's post, It should not be an end unto itself (50 books) but the trip to whatever number you reach should be the fun. If you focus on numbers you wil tend to read short fast reads and your enjoyment of reading will fade and you'll read less. (I've been there, done that and got the T-shirt)

As far as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy goes I agree and I am a sci-fi fan. This was oringinally done by the BBC for radio. They are great to listen to if you come across them. But the books just didn't thrill me either.

Thanks usnmm2!

I agree, numbers aren't necessarily the best way of looking at how well reading is going. I am aiming to read as many classics as possible at the moment and many of them aren't exactly short reads.

Also, it is nice to read a book slowly and dig deeply into it, rather than skating over the top just to reach a numbers target.

However, the numbers target at least encourages one to read as much as possible!

Gee, it feels like a long time since Hitchhiker's...

I'm trying, I'm trying, just can't seem to get anything finished. I'm very close with both The Shock Doctrine and Ethan Frome, so hopefully will be able to feel like I'm making progress again soon. Loving the former, hating the latter!!

I did get married, move house and descend into total chaos in the meantime, so not feeling too bad about not getting much reading done!!

Well then: Congratulations!!! (on the marriage and home, not the chaos...)

Thank you! Chaos abating - TBR pile not!!!

8. The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

'Every now and then, one reads a book which makes the whole world make sense. The Shock Doctrine is the method used by free market ideologues to push their radical agendae. Essentially, where free markets cannot be democratically enshrined, Chicago-School adherents of Milton Friedman wait until a natural or man made disaster to push through privitisation reforms while the general populace is still reeling from the shock of the disaster. This creates a massive shrinking, or outsourcing of government, the goal of a free market idealist. The end result is not governments governing, but overseeing contractors who govern. Of course, the main outcome of this is a huge transfer of public wealth into private hands, usually companies connected with those in the political elite. Once explained, it is so obvious. Think of the privitisations that went with Pinochet's torture, Hurricane Katrina, Bechtel in Iraq (the most egregious example) and the Russian oligarchs after the fall of communism. The world is now built as an economy that profits from constant war, where those military and surveillance companies that can provide security (and who are often connected the military industrial complex and therefore politcal contact) run the show.'

9. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Getting back on track, which is nice. I guess there are always times when one reads lots and times when there is no time, as it were!!

'Bleak, dull and boring. Gets 2.5 stars for the delicacy with which Wharton handles the frustration, tension and failure of Ethan's relationship with Mattie. Gets the other .5 star for the ending, which is fairly shattering. Not sure about Wharton, though, on my first try.'

Congratulations on your marriage!

That's an interesting discussion about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy upthread. I love the whole series, but I've got to admit, I've never actually read any of it; I've listened to all the books on tape. It never occured to me that it might make a difference.

As for Ethan Frome, i answered talked a bit more about it on my thread, but I think you liked the same thing about it that I did - the tension of the situation between Ethan and Mattie. I will admit that it was tough to get into. The part in the beginning with the narrator getting to know Ethan was something I actually had to push past. It's not my favorite Wharton book, but I liked it in the long run. I remember loving House of Mirth when I read it a few years ago - it's more fast-paced, and even a little melodramatic (I mean that in a good way, though). This year I really enjoyed her book Summer. The romance there wasn't as tension-fraught as Ethan Frome, but I felt that she created interesting, human characters.

I think reading one book by an author isn't giving them a chance, so I'm sure I'll read more Wharton. After all, Ethan Frome wasn't terrible, it just didn't grab me.

I would be interested to see how much difference an audio version of any book would make - I've never listened to one!

10. On Reading by Lydia Wevers.

A bit of a cheat, because it is only 50 pages, but a book nevertheless! Well, a short essay at least.

'Lovely, short book about reading. The physical mechanics and the emotional and psychological aspects, as well as the author's own experience of reading. A really lovely, quick read.'

11. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

'Switches brilliantly between the novel like 'story' of the case and the cold, factual background. The tension created in the first part of the book, which builds a picture of the victims and describes the finding of their bodies is incredible and is dealt with like a fictional account. Then, there is a sudden shift to the exposition of the history of the killers, which is clearly factual and doesn't feel like a story is being told. Over the course of the book, Capote builds a moving picture of both the victims and the killers and presents the killers as human, vulnerable and sad. While the reader doesn't necessarily feel sorry for the killers, their hopelessness is palpable and the scene at the bleak, undignified gallows is horrible.'

Not sure what to read next - I still haven't finished He Knew He Was Right or Claudius the God. Maybe one of those...

12. Claudius the God by Robert Graves

'It only took me 18 months to get through this book. It is a bit of a shame I kept stopping, because of course that reduces the liveliness of the story and one's ability to keep track of characters etc. I thought Claudius's voice was a bit unbelievable, in that he was consistently virtuous, balanced, considerate and Republican. I'm not entirely sure I believed it. Further, Graves overlaid a British colour on the top of the Roman story - Claudius had yeoman, things were described as plastic and Claudius tried to impose a form of government on Rome that was suspiciously Westminster, with freedman as head of government departments. All a bit hard to swallow, really, but a good read.'

On we go!

13. The World of Odysseus by Moses Finley

'A little outdated, but amazingly relevant and Finley was obviously a formidable scholar. This almost reads like 5 short essays, but gives insightful discussion of the family, wealth, gift giving, Homeric divinity and the methodology of the bard in Greek society. Nice to read something classical again, it has been a while!'

So nice to read some Greek history again. I've been tied up with the 'Penguin Classic' genre for ages. I am determined to finish He Knew He Was Right, but I've started Shadows in Bronze, the second in the Falco series, in the meantime. Silly, silly me. I even joined our new local library just to borrow this book!

I've decided from here on in to do a book of the month, in the first post.

I would like to do more than that, like say a top 5 (!), but I'm just not reading enough books!

14. Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis

'My second in the Falco series - although there are some convenient plot holes and deux machina, I love this series. Given the paucity of actual depictions of underground/on the ground Roman life, these books bring that world to life. As far as I can tell, the historial accuracy and quality of scholarship are high.'

15. The Uncyclopedia by Gideon Haigh

'A totally quirky collection of random, but very interesting facts. I think this short book shows how knowledge is obtained in random, small chunks. We don't sit and read encyclopedias, we find bite sized bits and pieces, a few of which were contained in this book!'

Edited to add review

My read-of-the-month for April is In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Although it only just scrapes in as an April read, nothing else was particularly inspiring. I've had a 'light reading' type of month. Lots of Falco!

16. Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis

'The third instalment in the Falco series, which I do love for its Romanness and easy-reading mystery. This one petered out into not much, though, the mystery was solved but it didn't feel like much of a resolution. As usual, Davis understands the mechanics of Rome in a way few authors do, even academics. The falling down tenements, the ways of the Roman street and the politics of freedmen are all in play here.'

I feel like I am on a bit of a roll now. It is nice to do some easy reading every now and then, rather than trudging through a pile of classics.

17. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon.

'My kind of book - 140 chapters in 390 pages... This is black, black comedy about a family who are in total and utter chaos, a father going mad, a mother having an affair, a daughter remarrying and a son having relationship issues. Well, they all have relationship issues, really, and the punchy, wacky nature of the writing shows how these issues can pile on top of one another until everyone is out of control. I loved it, and thought the writing style complimented the story, rather than detracted from it.'

thanks for reminding me! I started this one a couple of months ago, liked it a lot, then got sidetracked... now I wonder where it's hiding?

You mean A Spot of Bother? I found it a good 'on the train' book, when you only have snippets of time. Very funny, but so bleak at the same time!

18. The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton.

'Similar to other books I have read by de Botton, in that he presents very complex philosophical ideas in simple language. This was delightful - dealing with the development of architecture, but also why buildings around us make us feel. Why should concrete or wood make us feel safe, comfortable, alienated or outraged? As I understand it, the appeal of architecture is often the seeking of balance, so that ordered buildings and grounds appeal to us because we feel out of control in our environment. Crazy buildings appeal because we are sick of routine, daily existence. All very interesting ideas, really.'

Getting some really good reading done - I'm on a roll. Currently reading Absurdistan, the reports of an Australian foreign correspondent working in places such as Chechnya, Moscow, Belgrade and Kabul.

19. Absurdistan by Eric Campbell

'Interesting tales from an Australian foreign correspondent, detailing his (mis)adventures in places such as Grozny, Belgrade, Moscow and Kabul. Often the chapters ended abruptly and there wasn't really much flow to the story, despite it being a chronological account. A bit lightweight, lots of telling, not much other than fact-fact-fact.'

Not sure what to read now. I started The Great Gatsby on Saturday when I had nothing to do at my in-laws' house - maybe I'll finish that.

I really enjoyed To Kill A Mockingbird. I must re-read some day soon

Hi KB. It really is wonderful, and given its particular social and historical context, had dated surprisingly well. There are a few really key life lessons in how to treat people and conduct oneself that I just loved.

20. He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope. Hooray!

'Finally, finally finished this book! Took almost 12 months to read the first half and a week to finish the second. So glad I did, as this was typical Trollope (which I love!), a sweeping story littered with comic characters, a plot secondary to the main focus, but gripping nonetheless and, of course, the happy endings all tied together in 10 pages. Really enjoyable reading and my only regret is that by the time I picked it back up, I had forgotton a lot of the detail of the first half.'

I've started The Absentee, which I hope will be interesting. I'm very keen on Irish history!

Read of the Month for May has to be A Spot of Bother. I know it isn't as sophisticated or high-lit as He Knew He Was Right, but the sheer joy of reading it means it gets the nod this month.

21. Melbourne Architecture by Phillip Goad

'This is a fascinating trundle through Melbourne's architectural history, from the pre-fab cottage of our first governor, through the gold rush, classical revival, gothic, moderne and to the funky postmodern designs. However, this book is also a lovely history of Melbourne itself, with lots of anecdotes in the potted history of each site. For example, a surgeon built a house near mine, who was tried 3 times in 1910-11 for murder. He was accused of botching an experimental procedure in which a young woman died, then dissolving the body in acid and putting the bones in the sewers. I'll never look at the building in the same way again! Great mix of public institutions, domestic space and commercial statements.'

Also, my uncle shared a house with this guy in uni. He is now a professor of architecture at my home university. Such a small world!

22. The Trial by Sadakat Kadri

'The story of the criminal trial, from Socrates, an early self-represented defendant, to O.J Simpson, the beneficiary of a bothched prosecution. In between is an ingloruis history of torture, execution, papal Inquisitions, bad evidence and lively barristers. A well-written, interesting, lively history and worth reading for its more serious aspects. Discusses in depth the Nuremberg trials, the Moscow show trials of the '30s and the lack of trial of U.S commanders who authorised torture at Abu Gharib. Wonderful book.'

23. The Appeal by John Grisham

'SPOILER ALERT... What I like to call McDonald's reading. Total dross really, one dimensional characters as usual. There is a bleeding heart trial lawyer, a rapacious, cigar smoking, toxic chemical dumping Mr. Big, shady political operators and a mostly obvious twist at the end. Although, I must say, it is the first Grisham I have read where the bad guy wins. The fact that the judge still overturns despite what happens to his son is a bit of a twist on the usual formula. That's where it gets its 1 of its stars, the other half is for relieving me from quite horrible stress at the moment.'

24. The Turning by Tim Winton

'Only lost stars for being typical, predictable Winton. If you have read Winton, you have read this, although the stories are filled with complicated, deep characters. Most have something hidden away and Winton often only hints at what really happens or what is really thought. I loved the way the stories were interwoven, so that they are all connected by the same small town and are often stories about the same person at a different point in their lives. As Winton often is, this is very young man, very Australian-bush type fiction.'

On a bit of a roll towards the halfway point of the year. A 4 book month, this was...

Book of the month this month had to be The Trial by Sadakat Kadri.

Nothing really stood out this month, although I did read three very good books, none jumped out into the top-shelf category.

25. Bypass by Michael McGirr

Halfway! Woo! And only 4 days late.

'Quite a lovely story, but quite disjointed and staccato. The author rode the length of the Hume Highway, a major Australian highway, and the stories of the people he met and the historical figures who have influenced the area were well drawn. However, often chapters would end halfway through an idea and there was no connection between them. Quite odd. Not a bad read though.'

Went to the bookshop last night, how exciting.

26. The Death of Venice by Stephen Fay

'Impassioned, but not much depth. Lots of pointing out how little is being done to save Venice from destruction and how urgent action is, but there isn't much beyond this.'

27. The Iron Hand of Mars by Lindsey Davis

'The fourth in the Falco series. Good, consistent, predictable characters and this one had a bit more substantial plot. As always, very well researched and life at the frontier of the Roman Empire was obviously wild and unforgiving. A success!'

28. Among the Dead Cities by A.C Grayling

'Not the most inspiring work. Although this was a searing indictment of area bombing campaigns in WW2, it was very repetitive and could have been done in half the time. Also, it wasn't as international lawwy as I thought it would be, which was a bit of a disappointment. I think area bombing is fairly obviosuly morally wrong, but what about legally??'

29. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan

Another one knocked off the 1001 as well...

'Incredibly well written, McEwan is very easy to read. The narrative pushes the reader along until you arrive breathless at the end. Quite a short, sharp shock of a book about a man with delusional love and the train wreck it makes of the victim's life.'

July's read of the month is Bypass, the story of a bike ride up the Hume Highway (which is about 800km).

Quirky and quaint, the best of a bad bunch in this 5-book month.

30. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

31. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I know, I know. But if you can't have a reread every now and then, where are you left? These were both MUCH better than I remembered, especially HBP. That's the best in the series, in my opinion...

32. Candide by Voltaire

'I'm not a huge fan of early novels - it is amazing that when the form was emerging how much the authors packed in to such a small space. There is little character development in this, just event...flash...event... etc with a bit of philosophy thrown in for good measure. I didn't enjoy this.'

33. The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope

'Really lovely story about the poor innocent country gentry suffering because of the sweeping gale forces of change, principally encapsulated in 'swell' boys coming down from London. Lily Dale is a tragic figure, but even though Trollope demans that she be loved by the reader, she is a touch irritating by the end. Get over him! He is a barstad... One of the few Trollopes the end of which is not marked by a rush of happy marriages. I guess he ran out in Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne and Framley Parsonage - all the eligibles are already married!'

By the way, August's read of the month was Half Blood Prince. I almost went with Candide but it just irritated me too much. I even bent my no-rereads rule...

A week in Bali and I finally got some reading done! A 4 book holiday, indeed:

34. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

A lovely book about hope and, interestingly, suicide. Four people go to the roof of the most popular suicide spot in London on New Year's Eve and come back down again. The book details their perspective, indeed it tells the story variously from their perspectives and in their voices, and their backgrounds. All messed up, but all redeemable.

35. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

Truly amazing book - how he got inside the mind of a person affected by Aspergers astounded me. This beautiful story highlights the utter despair of the parents, but at the same time the love they have and the very different way their child has of viewing the world.

36. The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd

I like Peter Ackroyd's non-fiction, London: the Biography in particular, but this is unmitigated guff. I won't spoil the ending, but it made me throw the book across the room. If you are going to write a book with a totally pretentious, ridiculous premise, at least carry it through and don't give us this rubbish way out which is a TOTAL letdown.

37. The Last Chronicle of Barset by Antony Trollope

Like all good series', when one closes the book for the final time, their is a sense of loss: the characters, their adventures, hopes, dreams and losses. This is an incredibly well crafted series and although this felt like it went on forever, there really wasn't a lot of fat. The entire series is almost worth reading for the last page or two, when Trollope takes his faithful reader by the metaphorical arm off into the sunset, never to visit his beloved Barchester again. I can imagine the same sense of loss that Trollope would have felt as he wrote those lines, a writer that creates a world of their own, such as Tolkein, would surely feel the wound at this closure even more than we, the mere readers.

Although I am very sentimental at finishing The Last Chronicle of Barset, September read of the month goes to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. The way this book was crafted and its incredible realism won me over from page 1.

>51 notmyrealname:

Nice review of The Last Chronicle of Barset! It's a sad moment when the series has to end...

Thanks Digi! Although having a reread, I am ashamed to notice the their/there mistake. Silly me....

38. 12 Books That Changed the World by Melvyn Bragg.

'Good enough, but treats the books it examines in a very superficial way. Lots of context, but again, not particularly deep treatment of the time in which each book was published.'

39. Watching Brief: Reflections on Human Rights, Law and Justice bu Julian Burnside.

'Average. Although Julian Burnside is a brilliant advocate, this is a collection of essays and, probably, newspaper articles. Reading these 6 months apart is fine, but when they are crammed into a couple of days, you realise Burnside grabs hold of particular phraseology and concepts and bangs away at them ad nauseum. This is sad, because it takes away from the desperate urgency of the causes for which he is advocating. Got much better towards the end with a series of short, sharp case studies of injustices perpetrated by courts.'

40. The Justice Game by Geoffrey Robertson

'Very interesting details of famous trials in which Robertson has participated, chosen to illustrate how the legal system is a game with rules, strategies, justice and injustice. He has a wonderful style, which brings the law to life and makes every moment sound cloak and dagger, MI5 interesting. Of course, it isn't like that, but then again, I'm not involved in the cases Geoffrey Robertson is...'

41. In Ruins by Christopher Woodward

'This pompous nonsense was not at all what I expected from Woodward, given he often produces brilliant work. This was supposed to be about why ruins are important, why we are attracted to memory, our past and belonging. Instead it was a mish mash of tenuously connected quotes from famous authors and the like who had been to ruins. Little analysis and little impact. A real shame.'

42. Nice Try by Shane Maloney

'The peak of the Murray Whelan series. This is screamingly funny, never takes itself too seriously and moves at lightning pace. The way Maloney captures the beating heart of Melbourne is spot on, I recognise the places, smells and people in this novel.'

Almost there, only 8 to go now!! I should be fine, with 2.5 months to go, but maybe I will read a big one like Bleak House or something to keep it interesting....

43. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

'I'm just not sure what to make of this. I hated it to start with, but warmed to it as it went along. I understand why, in 1961, this book would be so shocking - what with the whores, and beatings and utter madness. However, it is somewhat a book of its times - now it seemed flat and I felt I was just reading for the end. Yet there was something about Yossarian that just lit up the craziness of war, the frustration and the anger that the world should feel about war. I ended with much warmer feelings than I thought I would.'

October book of the month is.... Nice Try by Shane Maloney.

I was going to go with The Justice Game, but I really preferred a belly laugh in a tough month. On with November!

44. The Penguin History of Economics by Roger Backhouse

'I'll admit I gave up on this one. The first hundred pages or so of clear history and development of economics through ancient times, the medieval era and the enlightenment hit a brick wall halfway through, giving way to dense discussions of money supply and labour value. I couldn't cope with it anymore, which is disappointing because I stopped before the modern Keynesian theory and all that follows. I'll ask an economist friend about that stuff...'

A tough reading month so far. I'm feeling a bit lost and nothing has really grabbed my fancy, probably exemplified by the fact I couldn't struggle through this last book.

Still, 44 down, 6 to go!

6 to go -- gettin' close, congrats!

glad you and Catch 22 warmed up to each other, it's one of my all time faves. Agree that not all of it is timelessly classic, but what works still works very, very well...

Thanks Teacher!!

Yeah, it was a funny one. My brother-in-law loves it and I've always wanted to try it. He quotes from it, especially, of course, the Catch-22 scene.

I wouldn't read it again, but I did end up enjoying it, which 100 pages in I thought was going to be impossible.

45. The Epigrams by Martial

'Fantastically bawdy, witty and sharp, I read this in a day. This is a bit misleading, because the Penguin edition is a bit of a best of, rather than every epigram Martial wrote. Still, these give a fascinating insight into the Roman world. I much prefer the underbelly-type works, like this and Juvenal, to the epics of poets like Virgil.'

46. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow.

'The tension is wrung out of this story ever so slowly, but deliciously. The story places historical characters within a fictionalised account of one negro's struggle to get his car reinstated when it is damaged by white firemen. There is so much pain and passion in this, and an ever-present, unsettling feeling of doom. Just wonderful.'

November Book of the Month - Ragtime by E. L Doctorow. A pretty slow reading month, I am tackling some classics which are taking some work!

47. Down Under by Bill Bryson.

A reread. I got sick of a couple that are taking some getting through, so I read this instead. I have a week to finish 3 more books!!

13 books from the 1001 so far this year. I am hoping to finish The Red and the Black, and A Confederacy of Dunces this week, but I guess 15 for the year wouldn't be so bad. Being a western male, I apparently need to read 19 a year for the rest of my life. I can feel the pressure building already....

#47 - what did you think of Down Under? I have it on my TBR pile

#70 - Hi KB. I generally like Bill Bryson's stuff, although I think this was a bit weaker than his UK/US 'notes'. I am Australian, so I view what he says through a different lens than, say, his British or American readers would, but it gives a fairly good look at Australian sites and sounds. It does feel a bit perfunctory and rushed at times, which I think reflects more on his trip than anything else.

It doesn't take long, so have a go!

48. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Come on, that counts!! Sadly, though, that will be it for 2008. Almost made it, but just not quite. I will have to get a better start in 2009, because clearly December is not a good month for reading.

I think The Tales will have to be December book of the month.

Book of the year goes to.... In Cold Blood, shortly followed by The Shock Doctrine for purely awesome investigative journalism and A Spot of Bother for making me laugh so hard I thought I would burst.