digifish books in 2008

In 2007 I 'inadvertently' read 67 books even though I never got around to signing up here. So, this year I would like to keep track a little better and see what happens... :)

1. He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope.

A great way to start the year! I became a big fan of Trollope in 2007 and this book represented a brief break from the Barsetshire series, which I recommenced in February 2008 (see below).

2. Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson.

My first Benson novel. Not sure yet whether I liked this enough to want to read the whole Mapp & Lucia series. Lucia and esp. Georgie started to irritate me a little by the end of the book.

3. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I listened to the unabridged audio version. Some of the graphic descriptions of war scenes near the end of the book were not my cup of tea. But overall a solid book and I'm still an Ishiguro fan.

4. Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith.

I even had the Rooibos tea ready to go with this one! The book is better than the tea, however :)

Slowly working my way through the whole No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...

5. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner.

Hmmm... yawn.... :P

(Edited to fix touchstone, after I woke up)

6. The Card, A Story Of Adventure In The Five Towns by Arnold Bennett.

I listened to the unabridged audio version, courtesy of one of my favourite readers - Andy Minter (LibriVox). Nicely read, and a funny little story. Recommended!

7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Very enjoyable! Its hard to believe its taken me about 20 years to get around to reading this!

8. The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope.

As per message 2, I completed the Barsetshire series. Finally. A very long novel but a fantastic story with so many familiar faces from the previous books who seem to have super-sized personalities this time round. Recommend (esp. for lovers of classics and/or AT).

9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

10. An Artist of the Floating World - Kazuo Ishiguro

Another unabridged audio book. Not as good as The Remains of the Day but better than The Unconsoled :)

11. Charles Dickens, the last of the great men by G.K. Chesterton

Some interesting insights on Dickens, his life and works.

12. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Lots of sugary sweetness here. But an enjoyable book nonetheless.

13. The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope.

14. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams.

15. The Cranford Chronicles by Elizabeth Gaskell.

OK, so the touchstone isn't working at the moment. Never fear. This was the Vintage edition, BBC tie-in volume which consisted of Mr Harrison's Confessions, Cranford and My Lady Ludlow. Three books in one. The first two books were excellent and recommended. 'My Lady Ludlow' failed to capture my interest fully. Nevertheless I'm am now fully prepared to watch the TV series :D

You are off to a great start digifish! What did you think of The Prisoner of Zenda??

Thanks marise! The Prisoner of Zenda isn't bad if you are in the mood for a relatively short adventure/action story, but its not particularly deep. I know a lot of people adore this book and consider it a classic.

16. Harry Heathcote of Gangoil: A Tale of Australian Bush Life by Anthony Trollope.

I am anxious to know about Harry Heathcote, it's one of the ATs that I haven't read.

Marise ~ Harry Heathcote is certainly the shortest AT novel I've read so far (only 12 chapters). Although the story felt rushed and the characterisation was not up to his usual standards, I found it fascinating to see how farming life, squatters & the occasional ex-convict were depicted :). Evidently AT's son, Frederic, tried his hand as a sheep farmer in Australia and in his autobiography, AT stated: "I was not loath to describe the troubles to which my son had been subjected, by the mingled accidents of heat and bad neighbours', on his station in the bush."

That quote is so deliciously AT! Thanks!

17. Shakespeare: The World as a Stage by Bill Bryson

A very interesting and accessible biography which also brings England in the late 16th century to life. Bryson writes well and I hope he will do more in the history or biography genres in the future.

18. Wild Swans - Jung Chang

19. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym.

Ahhh..... such a lovely book! So relaxing to read a Pym book (esp. after all the trauma of book #18). I could quite easily spend a whole year reading just Barbara Pym and Anthony Trollope (with a cup of tea and some shortbreads)!

digifish: I'm enjoying your reading list, and of course you are making me want to buy more books.

>26 amandameale: Thanks, Amanda. Its certainly true that LT leads to Book Challenges which lead to yet more book buying!

20. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

I really enjoyed Wharton's style, although the book wasn't outstanding plot-wise. Looking forward to reading The House of Mirth later this year.

21. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith.

The fourth book in the 'No. Ladies Detective Agency' series and one of my favourites so far. I enjoyed learning a little more about Mma Makutsi. Witty and heart-warming reading.

22. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams.

Unabridged audio version (read by Douglas Adams); the third book in the Hitchhikers series in which Arthur Dent finds himself at Lord's Cricket Ground, still wearing his dressing gown!

digifish: I read The Age of Innocence in March. And I have read the first three of the Precious Ramotswe series. Those books make me want to live in Botsawana.
Typos.

Great line up of books, Digfish. I also enjoyed the Bill Bryson Shakespeare book - it was a fun read with great presentation of the few known facts.

>32 kiwidoc: Thank you, Karen! :) I'm hoping to read a few more of Bryson's books later on.

23. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith.

24. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.

Surprisingly good fun! Perhaps it was because I listened to this an unabridged audiobook, but I found it to be more engaging and humorous than some of Austen's other works (e.g Persuasion).

25. Lady Anna by Anthony Trollope.

Digifish - many people seem to really enjoy Northanger Abbey. It was the last of all her novels I read and liked it the least (definitely in the minority on that one).

I found her gothic novel spoof and slight hysteria a bit too 'teenager' for me. (It might be because I am in the middle of the teen years with my kids!!) My total favourite is Persuasion!!

>37 kiwidoc: Thanks for your comments, karen! It's possible that I enjoyed Northanger Abbey because I don't have kids! ;D

I've found a great audiobook version of Persuasion so I hope to re-read it again (or rather, listen to it) someday.

26. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I listened to an unabridged audio version from LibriVox. A charming and entertaining book, my first by Ms Burnett. It served as the perfect light interlude during my slog through Middlemarch (I am at the half way point now).

Digifish - come over to the 'gathering place to chat' thread - you can introduce yourself!

How did you find Lady Anna? I loved it - I really enjoy the Trollopes that focus on one narrow plot point (like Cousin Henry eg) and look very deeply at the character of the protaganist.

27. Some Experiences of an Irish R.M by Edith Somerville & Martin Ross.

Quite a witty little book about an ex-British Army officer (Major Sinclair Yeates) who is appointed as a 'Resident Magistrate' in Ireland. Plenty of funny, colourful characters and lovely Irish humour. There was evidently a TV series based on the Irish RM books, but I haven't seen it.

28. Middlemarch by George Eliot.

A good book.... but give me Anthony Trollope any day!

>41 notmyrealname: notmyrealname ~ I did enjoy Lady Anna for the sharper focus on fewer characters, as you mention. I am yet to read Cousin Henry, however. Have you read He Knew He Was Right? Its one of Trollope's longer books, but also deals with psychological themes.

Digifish-books - we have a chat threat now. You are welcome to come over and introduce yourself on 'a gathering place to chat'!!

Glad you are back, digifish! And congrats on Middlemarch!

Is there an Anthony Trollope next in line?

>44 kiwidoc: I am sorry, I have to laugh at your typo! Does a chat threat mean that you are threatening people if they don't come over, or that you will threaten them when they get there? ;-) Just my silly sense of humor finding that too good to pass up, ha ha.

I was eyeing the Trollope books at the bookstore last night, but I already had a huge pile of books to buy, so I resisted this time. I think I will be getting them at some point, though.

>46 sussabmax: LOL!! I hadn't even noticed kiwidoc's typo! :D

#43 - I am about 2/3 of the way through HKHWR now. I put it down about halfway for about a year, I just couldn't get over that hump that sometimes arises in longer Trollope novels, where you put it down for a week or so and never quite get back into it. I'm feeling a bit like it is overlong and develops inordinately slowly. However, I'm just at the part where Mrs Rowley meets Louis in the dodgy 'cafe', and I think I am back on a roll.

I'll let you know what I think of the ending!

>48 notmyrealname: notmyrealname ~ there is also a good BBC TV adaptation of He Knew He Was Right if that is your sort of thing :)

29. Esio Trot and Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl.

Some light entertainment post-Middlemarch.

30. Hard Times, For These Times by Charles Dickens.

One of the more depressing of Dickens' books and certainly one of the shortest. For critiques of Victorian industrialisation there are more enjoyable books around, such as Gaskell's North and South.

31. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.

Some light entertainment post-Hard Times!

32. No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins.

A short novel, recommended for fans of either author.

>45 marise: Thank you, marise! My TBR is 'on hold' while I read my Early Reviewer book which arrived last week. I'm hoping to read either Rachel Ray or The Vicar of Bullhampton next.

33. Hal Spacejock: No Free Lunch by Simon Haynes.

My first (Australian) Early Reviewer book. Thanks to Simon Haynes for getting Fremantle Press on board!

34. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne.

Unabridged audiobook from LibriVox. Its interesting to read a book by AA Milne that is not from the children's fiction genre. All along, I kept expecting Pooh or Piglet to pop up with a jar of hunny :)

#54 I did not know that A.A. Milne wrote ANYTHING for adults. How interesting.

>54 digifish_books:, 55
I have a copy of Everyman's Library Modern Plays (no ts apparently) which includes A. A. Milne's "The Dover Road." He wrote a number of plays, I believe. Years ago I read a memoir by his son and remember he mentioned that his father was not overjoyed at being thought of as a writer of children's books only.

I remember enjoying The Red House Mystery but don't remember too much about the plot - it has been a while!

35. Emma by Jane Austen.

Austenites will hate me for this, but I'll admit I prefer most of her works as TV adaptations... this is not to say that Emma isn't a great book. Its just that I seem to have a short attention span :)

36. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith.

Gorgeous! Every bit as enjoyable as the renowned No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Makes you want to move to Edinburgh!

37. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

Unabridged audiobook, courtesy of LibriVox. Elizabeth Klett's reading was excellent, although the book itself was a bit average. I know, it's a Victorian melodrama, but some of the scenes were a bit overdone. Even the admirable Robert Audley starts to get on your nerves by about the 30th chapter.

38. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

Fantastic!

39. The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.

Unabridged audiobook, read by Johnathan Cecil.

I just read The Inimitable Jeeves a few weeks ago. It's great, isn't it? It was my first Wodehouse novel.

>61 jfetting: jfetting ~ I think I need to try some Wodehouse in printed format. I have only audiobook versions and find it too easy to tune out of some of the stories, hence missing some of the 'punch-lines' :)

40. The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. Jerome.

Unabridged audiobook, courtesy of LibriVox reader 'czechchris'. Enjoyed this one.

41. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams.

# 60 - 62 - for me, Wodehouse and Jonathan Cecil are a team! I feel as if Cecil understands Wodehouse so perfectly that I miss his voice if I just read Wodehouse straight from print.

If you can get hold of them, listen to Cecil's readings first of Psmith in the City, then Psmith, Journalist, and then, for the final crowning masterpiece, Leave it to Psmith. You have to already know the character of Psmith to properly appreciate Leave it to Psmith, and believe me, it's well worth it.

(btw, Mike and Psmith is the first Psmith book, which is early Wodehouse and set at school - still good, but the author's still getting into his stride.)

Oh, and re the A.A Milne thing - I've read a biography of him too, and agree with Marise's comment - Milne actually really really hated being known as a children's author, and ended up wishing he'd never invented Pooh & co. No one took him seriously after that, and he himself took his scholarly plays VERY seriously indeed.

>65 ChocolateMuse: Thanks for the Psmith recommendations, ChocolateMuse. I will look out for them! Yeah, I prefer Johnathan Cecil's reading of the Jeeves stories too. And he does a much better job than either Simon Callow or Frederick Davidson, IMO. :)

42. The Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope.

One of the more neglected of AT's books. It has some flaws but overall a worthwhile read. Second half much better than the first half!

Finally made it through HKHWR! Might have to check out the BBC adaptation - they are usually pretty good. I thought the ending was quite drawn out, although I do like Trollope's depiction of the gradual descent into total madness.

>68 notmyrealname: Great! I reckon the BBC adaptation of He Knew He Was Right is definitely worth watching.

43. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson.

44. Mrs Lirriper by Charles Dickens.

45. Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith.

46. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.

Unabridged audiobook from LibriVox. Reading and audio quality were excellent, even though the story itself was a little tiresome.

47. Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope.

Recommended!

48. Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.

Some of the best and funniest Jeeves & Wooster stories.

49. Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym.

Crampton Hodnet is in my TBR stack. What did you think?

>77 marise: Hi marise ~ I can only compare it with two other Pyms I've read (i.e. Excellent Women and Jane and Prudence). I enjoyed Crampton Hodnet marginally less than these, perhaps because I didn't care much for the tutor Mr Cleveland and his behaviour. However, the story has a couple of highly amusing scenes (incl. a particularly lame marriage proposal) and the book introduces us to the wonderful Miss Morrow (who appears later in J&P).

It would be hard to beat Excellent Women, I guess. Must find J&P! Thanks!

50. Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith.

51. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

52. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

I pretty much devoured this is one or two sittings! Compelling reading! :)

53. The Man of Property (incl. "Indian Summer of a Forsyte") by John Galsworthy.

54. In Chancery (incl. "Awakening") by John Galsworthy.

Books 1 and 2 in The Forsyte Saga. I enjoyed In Chancery a little more than The Man of Property, perhaps because the story didn't just centre on Soames and Irene. Loved the characters of James, Emily, Winifred and Aunt Juley! :)

55. To Let by John Galsworthy.

The third book in The Forsyte Saga.

Are you going to read the complete 'Forsyte Saga'? I've got an old Norwegian edition (1941) in five double-volumes, and an English paperback edition in three volumes (haven't received volume 3 yet, though). I haven't started reading it, but I plan to when I've finished my current reading (Bleak House).
My TBR pile is much too high (Sigh!!), but very interesting.
Kjell.

>85 kjellika: Hi kjell ~ I think I will take a break from the sequels in The Forsyte Saga for a little while. I love Galsworthy's writing but some of the stories are quite emotionally draining!

Large TBR stack = lots of choice! :)

56. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.

4 out of 5 stars. A somewhat predictable ending but an enjoyable read overall.

57. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

58. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy.

59. The BFG by Roald Dahl.

Unabridged audiobook narrated by Geoffrey Palmer. Hilarious!

60. Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird by Gisela T. Kaplan.

I decided it was time for some non-fiction! And I have had this book for several years and never read it fully. The Aussie Magpie is one of my favourite birds.

Oh, the BFG. I think I read that about 15 times when I was a kid. The poor runty giant! I'm all nostalgic now.

You are reading sensational books, by the way. I'm very impressed by you finishing the Moonstone that fast...

How did you like Jude?

>92 notmyrealname: Thanks for your kind words!

I read The Moonstone as both an audio and as a printed book. When I wasn't reading the printed version I was listening to the audio while going about my chores, so I was able to 'blast' through it pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the story.

I didn't find Jude the Obscure to be Hardy's best. Although it's been about 15 years since I read any of his works. To me, Sue Bridehead's behaviour and the tragedy overload at the end seemed difficult to believe. More a book to appreciate than enjoy? :)

61. How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide by John Sutherland

Mildy interesting.

62. The Wicked Wit of Charles Dickens by Shelley Klein.

63. The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett.

(Unabridged audiobook). Less humourous than another Bennett novel I've read (The Card: A Story of Adventure...), but every bit as enjoyable. And another wonderful reading from LibriVox's Andy Minter.

64. The Struggles of Brown, Jones and Robinson by Anthony Trollope.

Not one his best efforts.... guess they can't all be brilliant ?!

So true!! At least there are enough good ones to keep you going. I can't help remembering The Way We Live Now every time I read an article in the news about banks collapsing, bubbles etc...

>99 notmyrealname: Indeed, especially this week!

65. Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy.

66. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster.

67. Very Good, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.

68. On the Edge: My Story by Richard and Mindy Hammond.

69. Love and Freindship by Jane Austen.

70. The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith.

71. Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky.

72. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh.
Didn't really enjoy this as much as I was hoping to.

73. Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym.
Another Pym classic. I am slowly working my way through all her books :)

74. Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.
Of the five Jeeves book I've read this year, this is the first full-length novel I've completed (the others being short stories). The humour is a tad dated but I still enjoyed it.

75. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith.
Borrowed from my local library, since the paperback edition won't be available until 2009. I found the themes in this latest edition more serious and sobering than the preceding Scotland St books.

Interesting eclectic selections, digifish.
I see that you did not like The Sea of Poppies as much as hoped. Was it the saga style or prose style or busy aspect of the story

I also see you read Under the Greenwood Tree - isn't he a wonderful writer.
Some writers remain timeless.

Thanks, kiwidoc ~ my main problems with Sea of Poppies were that I didn't understand some of the vocabulary (and was too lazy to look it up as it would interrupt the story) and although well written it seemed a pretty depressing tale (all that cruelty and inhumanity stuff). After finishing it I immediately retreated to the comfort zones of Pym, Wodehouse and McCall Smith :)

76. Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann.

Unabridged audiobook read by Humphrey Bower.

77. The Secret River by Kate Grenville.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

78. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James.

79. An Old Man's Love by Anthony Trollope.

Unabridged audiobook read by Tony Britten. Some of character voices were hilarious - Montagu Blake, for example. Otherwise, the story itself was decidedly B-grade Trollope with very little to the plot and none of the usual sub-plots that are in the better Trollope novels. Altogether too simplistic but enjoyable enough...

80. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson.

Even though I had seen the movie first, I quite enjoyed this Persephone Classic with its amusing little illustrations :)

81. Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron.

82. Searching for the Secret River by Kate Grenville.

Deals with the genealogical research Grenville undertook for her novel The Secret River.

83. Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier.

Wow, this seems so corny to me now! It is my first re-read since going through a big du Maurier stage about 30 years ago.

84. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons.

Unabridged audiobook read by Anna Massey, who does a wonderful job with all the voices of the Starkadder family.

85. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith.

I have returned to the Mma Ramotswe series, after completing the Scotland Street series (for the time being). I noticed more than the usualy amount of re-capping of the story and characters in this one, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

86. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.

Unabridged audiobook, read by the author. Witty stuff.

87. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte.

Pleasant, but not outstanding.

88. The Lost Village: In Search of a Forgotten Rural England by Richard Askwith.

89. Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum.

90. Bill the Conqueror by P.G. Wodehouse.

Hey, looks like you could make 100 books this year! Great list, too!

>117 marise: Thank you, marise. I am inching ever closer....!

91. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith.

Really enjoyed this one, which had a goodly amount of 'mysteries' to be solved :) I listened to an unabridged audio version read by Hillary Neville.

92. A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: The Life of William Dampier by Diana & Michael Preston.

An LT-inspired group read. Very informative. I especially enjoyed the sections about Dampier's discoveries in Australia.

93. Cousin Phillis by Elizabeth Gaskell.

Poignant novella from one of my favourite authors. Unabridged audiobook read by Kenneth Branagh. Minor quibble - the reading was a little too quick!

Great reading Digifish. Looks like you will reach 100 in no time.

It seems like you are a fan of McCall-Smith - I must get to some of his books. I am also intrigued to read Cousin Phillis. Do you have a short list of favourites?

>119 kiwidoc: Oh yes, do try McCall Smith's novels kiwidoc! I have read most of the novels in the Ladies Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street series. Haven't sampled his other series yet. I find his books charming and consistently enjoyable.

I hope to try most of Elizabeth Gaskell's books eventually. I tried Mary Barton a few months ago and couldn't get into it for some reason. I wish Cousin Phillis could have been made longer, it left me with a lot of questions!

Still working on a shortlist for 2008 :)

..and Alan Bennett is a hoot, isn't he. I enjoyed his little romp into his own family vaults Telling Tales. It is a quick and very sweet tale of his childhood in the 40-50s England. (and smallish so it will get you to 100 faster!!)

>121 kiwidoc: Thanks, kiwidoc. I shall seek out Bennett's Telling Tales!

94. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams.

95. Something Fishy by P.G. Wodehouse.

96. Dr Johnson's Dictionary by Henry Hitchings.

97. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith.

Did you enjoy the Dictionary book, Digifish? I have the book Reading the OED waiting for me - I love dictionaries!!

>124 kiwidoc: I did enjoy the Hitchings book and learnt a lot about Johnson and lexicography. I'm hoping my library will get Reading the OED next year, it does sound interesting.

I am giving The Secret Life of Words by Hitchings to my son for Christmas. Maybe I'll get a peek at it when he is done.

98. Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite by Anthony Trollope.

99. By Hook or by Crook by David Crystal.

100. Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel.

Back shortly with my summary for 2008, top 5 books, etc. :)

Congrats on making 100 books in 2008! Happy New Year!

Thanks marise!

Time for some very nerdy stats:

2008 SUMMARY
100 books completed

Genre
Fiction 84
Non-fiction 16

Format
Print 60
Audio 37
Ebook 3

Ratings
Average 3.8

Authors Read More than Once
Alexander McCall Smith x11
Anthony Trollope x9
PG Wodehouse x7
Douglas Adams x5
Jane Austen x4
Charles Dickens x4
John Galsworthy x3
Elizabeth Gaskell x3
Barbara Pym x3
Arnold Bennett x2
Roald Dahl x2
Kate Grenville x2
Thomas Hardy x2
Kazuo Ishiguro x2
Edith Wharton x2

Top 5 Fiction
He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope (5.0)
The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope (5.0)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (4.5)
44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith (4.5)
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (4.5)

Runners-up Fiction
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams (4.5)
Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (4.5)
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (4.5)
In Chancery/Awakening (Forsyte Saga 2) by John Galsworthy (4.5)
The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett (4.5)
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith (4.5)

Top 5 Non-fiction
Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird by Gisela T. Kaplan (4.5)
Shakespeare: The World as a Stage by Bill Bryson (4.0)
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: The Life of William Dampier by Diana & Michael Preston (4.0)
Defining the World by Henry Hitchings (4.0)
By Hook or by Crook by David Crystal (4.0)