Zelda's list for 2008

Not quite sure what to do here but right now I am just going to list the books I have read this year.

Holes by Louis Sachar
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
When Kids Can't Read by Kylene Beers
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Welcome, Zeldalou. I think the readers here are using the group to document their reading in whatever way works best for them. If you are going for a certain number of books, you might consider numbering the books you post. Some chose to write reviews or comments on the books they read, others not. The reviews and/or comments tend to encourage others to visit and comment (we are such voyeurs!).

Welcome Zeldalou. What did you think of Lucky Jim? It's on my TBR shelf.

Thank you for the welcome! You ask about Lucky Jim. I read it because I love British comic writing and many consider Lucky Jim to be the greatest British comic novel.
I certainly enjoyed it and would recommend it. It is not a book I LOVE (like the novels of P.G. Wodehouse or Terry Pratchett or Angela Thirkell - I'm giving myself away here), mainly I think because the main character didn't have me completely on his side. The writing is very fine and the climax "comic" scene is a gem. Obviously I'm not raving about it but I know I will read it again.
I doubt that this helps much as I haven't been very specific. Tell me a book that you would recommend.
Thanks for writing.

Thanks for the welcome! (and the tip about numbering)
I will try to comment. That will obviously force me to organize my thoughts as opposed to just saying "I loved it" or "It's okay"!
This is really neat.
Thanks for writing.

#5 Angry White Pajamas by Robert Twigger
This is my second time reading this so I obviously liked it well enough to read it again. We're living in Japan right now so I can relate with the cultural differences he experienced though not with the martial arts aspect at all! I really enjoyed this book because of the personalities of the people involved. Enrolling in a course like he did would be about the last thing in the world I would do-maybe that is why I found it so interesting. He is a very engaging writer and I love learning about esoteric things.

I love that title! It makes me want to buy a pair of white pjs. Then on bad days I can put them on and say "Back off - I'm wearing my angry white pajamas!!!"

I think the whole idea of color coding your pajamas to your moods would be a great idea. I don't know what my red ones with scottie dogs on them would signify.

#6 The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

re: pyjamas... you should try to find a copy of The Empire of Sleep in which the main character chooses his PJs with extraordinary care, as they are his working, adventuring, and exploring clothes. And they sound really rather fine.

(and, off on a tangent, now I'm thinking of Chrestomanci's lush dressing gowns in Diana Wynne-Jones's novels...)

Now see, who knew that this was going to go somewhere? I love the Chrestomanci books! My husband just reminded me of Arthur Dent's bathrobe in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I will look at The Empire of Sleep.
Thanks!

#7 The Secret of Castle Cant by K.P. Bath.
I admit that I read a lot of "young adult" fiction. This fantasy, set in our time, but in a tiny country that still lives a medieval lifestyle, is a very clever and funny book.

Zeldalou - what did you think of The Nine Taylors? I love Dorothy Sayers and that is one of my favorites.

As far as British comic writing, you might want to consider The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull. It's about a young man who tries to murder his aunt in 1930s Wales. I found it to be a riot.

Karenmarie - I do love Dorothy Sayers and this is my second time reading The nine Tailors. I read fast (for plot) and fortunately I forget a lot so I can read a book again in a few years and be delighted all over again. I think what I like best about her books is the setting and the atmosphere of a lost time. The erudition she (and her characters) exhibit makes me want to weep sometimes at what I don't know and will never experience. Gaudy Night in particular does this to me. England of the 1st half of last century is like a Eden for me. Have you read any Angela Thirkell?

Karenmarie-
sorry, forgot to say in last post - thanks for the recommendation!
Z

I have discovered Dorothy Sayers in 2008. The Nine Tailors was the first one I read - loved it. I have since read Whose Body? and Murder Must Advertise. I also saw the TV production of the later and plan to get more of those from the library. Angela Thirkell is not a name I know, but I will do some research.

dihiba

Angela Thirkell has her own society of devotees both in the UK and America. Her setting is a "fictional" county in England and her many books entwine different people from different families throughout the 30s-50s. She is fantastic!

Thanks. I will keep my eyes open for her books.

Zeldalou - Hooray! Another new author. I haven't even heard of Angela Thirkell so will check her out. Thanks for the tip.

karenmarie,

I fee like it's Christmas when I find a new author. I hope you will check her out. Have you read any Barbara Pym? I have Excellent Women but haven't read it yet. Is there any particular author you couldn't live without? I saw on your list that you have read Michael Chabon. I just checked out Summerland. Any opinions?

Hey Zeldalou - I have heard of Barbara Pym but when I looked her up just now I didn't recognize any titles, so either read one a long time ago or not at all. I'll add her too.

I listened to The Yiddish Policemen's Union and absolutely adored it. See my review if you want. (not long or complicated, but just a few thoughts). I have The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay on my 888 challenge. I'll probably continue to read him. I heard an interview with him at the end of TYPU and really enjoyed hearing him talk about the book and himself. I just looked at Summerland - YA - I'd be less inclined to read it than adult fiction but it sounded good and the reviews looked good.

Authors I can't live without. Rita Mae Brown's non-Sneaky-Pie books, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Georgette Heyer. Depending on how long the list can be, Michael Connelly, Bill Bryson, J.K. Rowling. How about you?

Hey Karenmarie,
Yeah, I am reading a lot of YA now because I keep finding new authors that i like and I just can't find anything long that I like right now.
I have never read RMB and haven't even heard of Heyer. I will look at both. I like Bill Bryson a lot (except for that Mother tongue which is filled with errors. We lived in England for 3 years, and Notes from a Small Island has me rolling-- it is all so true. What can you say about Potter? I don't think I remember a time before Harry. We have all the books on audio CD too (Jim Dale) and they are an intimate part of this house!
My authors that I can't live without are going to expose me quite alot.
I LOVE Terry Pratchett. Not everything is of the same quality but he is just great. (cont)

I'm back.

I love Wodehouse, E.F. Benson (Lucia!!!) and I really do like Jasper Fforde and the Tuesday Next novels. They are not great works of art or anything but I find them clever and I enjoy rereading them. Oh, yeah, and I am a huge fan The Lord of the Rings. Alexander McCall Smith because his books are so humane and make you want to be a little better. If you want to talk individual works then I can list some "deeper" stuff but when picking authors in general you can see I go for humor.
cheers!

Zeldalou - Potter is very special to me too. For a while my (now) 14 year old loved for me to read them to her and listen to them in the car on the way to school, but for her they're a done deed for a while. I hope she reads them on her own one day. I've listened to the CDs so often (40 minute commute each way) that I will probably wait another 6 months before starting the series again. And, Jim Dale has absolutely spoiled me for readers - I've only just started listening to "books on tape" again. I just checked out (first time in 7 years I've been in a Public Library - USA - 911 - Patriot Act etc) cassettes of Murder Must Advertise and A Blunt Instrument (Sayers and Heyer respectively). Sorta like comfort food.

I have Pratchett's The Light Fantastic and The Color of Magic - his first two I think - but when I started reading him it was just not the right time.

Which is a deviation on not being able to read anything "long". That's why having a library is so wonderful.

I love Wodehouse and enjoy, to a lesser degree, Benson, too. There's a British theme here... have you ever read any Edmund Crispin?

Hi,

Edmund Crispin - another author I've never heard of! I'll look into him. I have to tell you about Pratchett. The two books you mentioned are two that I won't read again. They are too broad in their humor and he tries too hard. After them I think he gets better fast. He was just diagnosed with a form of early onset altzheimers. He also has written books with Neil Gaiman who is pretty good.
I'm really glad that you are writing. I must admit that after reading Sayers last month and you mentioning her again, I may just read her next.
Cheers!

I have some Edmund Crispin books in my TBR pile and would be happy to hear what others think of him.
I found Murder Must Advertise book a bit of a slog - then watched the TV production which was better.
I still plan to read more Sayers, though, as I liked the Nine Tailors.

Hey Zeldalou - warning! early morning verbosity.

I just toddled over to my library and found my Edmund Crispins. I have 9, all about an eccentric English Professor at Oxford, Gervase Fen. I just love the titles, in order published:

The Case of the Gilded Fly
Holy Disorders
The Moving Toyshop **accidentally omitted on original message *don't have this one
Swan Song
Love Lies Bleeding
Buried for Pleasure
Frequent Hearses
The Long Divorce
Beware of The Trains
The Glimpses of the Moon
Fen Country

Crispin is very funny, very literate, very clever - which is right up my alley. I think I'll re-read them, interspersing them with my 888 challenge books.

#26 dihiba. Murder Must Advertise and The Nine Tailors are both about Wimsey only. You should read the Vane-Wimsey books, starting with the first one Strong Poison. Harriet Vane is a writer accused of murdering her lover, Peter steps in and finds the real murderer, and falls in love with Harriet.

One final question - Zeldalou - can I, should I, skip the first two Pratchett books? I'd really like to like him and if I can skip or slog then I'll have another new author.

Hi karenmarie!
Crispins sounds wonderful! I will go to the library today! If they don't have him I guess I know how Amazon.com will get my money today.
Skip the first two Pratchetts. If I may suggest the book to start with.
Read Men at Arms and if you do not like it then Pratchett is not for you. His various books deal with different main characters and the ones centering on the nightwatch I think are the best. Men at Arms introduces you to some great characters that will continue on in other books.
I love Pratchett but I don't care for the first two books and the ones that feature a wizard called Rincewind.
They get cast as fantasy because they have wizards, trolls, magic etc. But they are social satires (and hilarious) and he just uses these characters and the setting to show human foibles etc. Wonderful!

Hi again. Now on to Dorothy Sayers.
I have actually already read most of her Vane and /or Wimsey novels but I read fast and I forget the plots over time so I get to enjoy books again when I reread them. I basically remember whether I really liked a book or not. I remember especially Gaudy Night because of the Oxford U lifestyle and erudition of all there. It actually makes me feel very uneducated.
We just came from England and got very spoiled by the radio programs especially there.
BBC radio 7 is their arts, comedy and drama station. There are radio adaptations of lots of books including Sayers (I remember listening to Murder Must Advertise. So if you are interested, check out Radio 7 (or Radio 4) schedules and listen online to your heart's content. They really do some wonderful stuff. In fact, they just finished a 5 part adaptation of Pratchett's Night Watch on Radio 4 which I listened to.

I live in Canada and our pulbic library system in my city carries a lot of the Peter Wimsey shows on video and as taped books. Am not sure how the US libraries are with British books/shows/audio products.
The last couple of nights I have been watching the Inspector Morse series (books by Colin Dexter), which I believe were broadcast in the US (A&E perhaps?). I checked those out from the library. Last night's had John Gielgud as the chancellor of Oxford.

Hey Zeldalou. Thanks for the tip on Pratchett. I'm going to buy Men at Arms right now! Instant gratification, thanks to Amazon Prime. And, thanks for the info on BBC. I've never listened to it and have a hard time finding enough blocks of time to do one thing exclusively, but will "take it under advisement."

Just checked out Angela Thirkell. She sounds very interesting. It appears that High Rising is the first of the Barsetshire series... so shall start there.

I started an Edmund Crispin murder mystery last night - I love it! I'm halfway through and have laughed out loud many times

Hi,

I didn't need to hear that. Checked at our library and they have none by him. Guess it's Amazon time for me. They sound great.

#9 Strip Jack by Ian Rankin
#10 Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
#10 1/2 The Mouse and the Motocycle by Beverly Cleary (read as part of a book club at our elementary school).