Christina's 1010 Category Challenge

The Categories

1. Story of Their Lives :: biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs
2. Once Upon a Time :: fairy tales, myths, and legends
3. The Twentieth Century :: classics of the last century
4. I Spy :: secret agents, intelligencers, and master spies
5. The Butler Did It :: mysteries
6. All Aboard :: mostly pirates
7. The Play's the Thing :: famous plays
8. The Austen Marathon :: Austen-related books
9. On the Shelf :: books I own but haven't read yet
10. Gallimaufry :: whatever I want!

edited 9/7/09 :: Discworld deleted, All Aboard added
edited 11/4/09 :: Law and Order deleted, The Butler Did It added

Story of Their Lives

1. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography
2. Mary S. Lovell, The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart
3. Catherine Allgor, A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Once Upon a Time

1. Jessica Day George, Princess of the Midnight Ball
2. Alicia Fields, Love Underground
3. Jane Yolen, Briar Rose
4. Francesca Lia Block, Psyche in a Dress
5. Elizabeth C. Bunce, A Curse Dark as Gold
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The Twentieth Century

1. Albert Camus, The Plague
2. Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory
3. Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm
4. George Orwell, Animal Farm
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

I Spy

1. Emily Gee, The Laurentine Spy
2. Lauren Willig, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
3. Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity
4. Gwen Bristow, Celia Garth
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The Butler Did It

1. Gilbert Morris, The Mermaid in the Basement
2. M. M. Kaye, Death in Kashmir
3. Anna Dean, Bellfield Hall
4. Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
5. Vera Caspary, Laura
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

All Aboard

1. Jade Parker, To Catch a Pirate
2. Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood
3. Celia Rees, Pirates!
4. George MacDonald Fraser, The Pyrates
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The Play's the Thing

1. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal
2. Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta
3. Tom Stoppard, Arcadia
4. Molière, Tartuffe
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The Austen Marathon

1. Polly Shulman, Enthusiasm
2. Alistair M. Duckworth, The Improvement of the Estate: A Study of Jane Austen's Novels
3. Steve Chandler and Terrence N. Hill, Two Guys Read Jane Austen
4. Jennifer Crusie, ed., Flirting with Pride and Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

On the Shelf

1. Sharon Kay Penman, When Christ and His Saints Slept
2. Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood
3. Haven Kimmel, Iodine
4. Sándor Márai, Embers
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Gallimaufry

1. Anne Osterlund, Academy 7
2. Ann Aguirre, Grimspace
3. Julie James, Something About You
4. Alison Sinclair, Darkborn
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Love your categories, but what kind of word is "gallimaufry"?

edit spelling

An explanatory note:

I've decided to aim for a 10x10 challenge in 2010; a list of 100 books seems just about doable to me. Although I've enjoyed my 999 categories, I'm changing most of them because I want to move on to different things! I'm keeping On the Shelf, though, in the (probably futile) hope that someday I will actually have read all the books I own. I've tried to choose a nice mix of "fun" and "work" categories, and I'm very excited for next year! Should finish my 999 first, though.... :)

Below are the books I'm considering right now for each category. Asterisks (*) denote books I own. The list is subject to change at my despotic whim!

Story of Their Lives
1. John Adams by David McCullough
2. Marie Antoinette by Hilaire Belloc*
3. A biography of William Wilberforce
4. Ditto Alexander Hamilton
5. Ditto Elizabeth I
6. Harriette Wilson's Memoirs: The Greatest Courtesan of Her Age*
7. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography*

Once Upon a Time
1. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
2. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
3. Hood by Stephen Lawhead*
4. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier*
5. Prospero's Children by Jan Siegel
6. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart*
7. The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart*
8. The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart*
9. The Forestwife by Theresa Tomlinson
10. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

The Twentieth Century
1. The Stranger by Albert Camus
2. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
3. The Trial by Franz Kafka
4. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
5. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
6. Animal Farm by George Orwell
7. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
8. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
9. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre
10. Night by Elie Wiesel

I Spy
1. Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen
2. Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow
3. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
4. The Laurentine Spy by Emily Gee
5. A Sundial in a Grave: 1610 by Mary Gentle*
6. Beneath a Silent Moon by Tracy Grant
7. All Other Nights by Dara Horn
8. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
9. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig

Law and Order
1. The Republic and The Laws by Cicero
2. Commentaries on the Laws of England v. 1 by William Blackstone*
3. The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu
4. Two Treatises of Government by John Locke
5. Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
6. Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
7. The History of Freedom and Other Essays by Lord Acton
8. The Gulag Archipelago by Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn*
9. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

Discworld
1. The Light Fantastic*
2. Equal Rites
3. Mort
4. Sourcery
5. Wyrd Sisters
6. Pyramids
7. Guards! Guards!
8. Eric
9. Moving Pictures
10. Reaper Man

The Play's the Thing
1. Clouds by Aristophanes
2. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
3. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
4. The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe
5. Tartuffe by Moliere*
6. Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill
7. The School for Scandal by Richard Sheridan*
8. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
9. Our Town by Thornton Wilder
10. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

The Austen Marathon
1. North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris
2. Flirting with Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Crusie, ed.*
3. The Improvement of the Estate by Alistair Duckworth*
4. Jane Austen and the Theatre by Penny Gay*
5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith*
6. Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange
7. Jane Austen: Her Life by Park Honan*
8. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye*
9. Jane Austen and Her Times, 1775-1817 by G. E. Mitton*
10. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross*

edited to fix touchstones

12 :: sjm - according to dictionary.com, a gallimaufry is a hodgepodge, jumble, or confused medley. I just like the word. :)

What a great assembly of things to read and then have read. I hope you will find the time to report out on them. I am going to wishlist some of your fun reads.

It looks like a few of us have Briar Rose picked out for next year. Would you like to try a tandem read? And I loved Wildwood Dancing. I want to read the next one Cybele's Secret now.

15 :: Thanks! :) I'm planning to post my thoughts on my Challenge books at this thread.

@16 :: I'm definitely up for a tandem read. Apparently VictoriaPL is also reading Briar Rose, so maybe we can start a group thread when the time comes! :)

>16 cmbohn:, 17 I'd like to join in, too, with Briar Rose!

All of your Once Upon a Time books look great! The only ones I've read are the Mary Stewart books, which I enjoyed very much.

Apparently I own Briar Rose and I can't remember whether I've read it... so maybe I'll join in the group read too! That's one book for my Fairy Tales etc. category.

18 and 19 :: As far as I'm concerned, you're both welcome to join in...I think we have a group read on our hands!

And ivyd, I'm glad you liked the Mary Stewart books...I got them cheap at a library book sale, and I like her suspense/romance novels, so I'm looking forward to the Arthurian trilogy!

I so nearly picked up Hood today when I was in a charity shop. I'd already picked out a couple of others to bring my total bought for the day to 5 (and picked up another from the Post Office as well) so I didn't bother. If it's still there next time I think I'll nab it.

Yea for group reads!

Briar Rose - count me in for group read.

Love how clean your double colons look as separating marks. I will be stealing that idea, I hope you don't mind. Also considering stealing the gallimaufry category name. I love that word. Looking forward to hearing about your Austen read next year. I just brought P&P&Zombies today.

24 :: Double colons are for everyone! I'm psyched about my Austen category too...not sure how I'm going to like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies though! Will be interested to see what you think.

Hey. My M / A / B list is soooooo long, I have to pick the 10 I want to read for this challenge. Plays I think will be harder for me to find. I'll be checking in on yours too.

26 :: I had the opposite problem - plays were easy for me to find, since I've hardly read anything outside Shakespeare. I'm trying to get more into the m/a/b genre, so it's the harder category for me!

Help-help. Translation please. M /A /B ? Thought she was the Queen of Fairies. ;-)

Haha, it took me a minute too. We're talking about Memoirs, Autobiographies, and Biographies. I don't think it's actual recognized jargon...it was just necessity-induced shorthand because we're both doing that category! :)

Thanks. I look forward to seeing what (who) you choose and what you have to say about them.

As I read through the presidents, in order, I occasionally find an interesting character and hope to read more about him or her. Henry Knox, the patriot bookseller, is one. Alexander Hamilton is another.

For Hamilton, I will probably read the Ron Chernow book, Alexander Hamilton. I'd love to find a shorter alternative but will probably just read this one. I'd be curious to see whether you have something else in mind for him.

31 :: Thanks so much for the rec! I had no idea where to start looking for good biographies, so I've been hoping people will just tell me what's good. :)

I see that you have John Adams by McCullough on your list, too. I read that back in April or May of this year and it's probably my favorite book so far this year.

I loved the John Adams book too! Next year I'm planning on reading Theodore Rex.

33 and 34 :: I'm really excited to read John Adams! Everyone has said such great things about it...and after I read it, I'm going to watch the miniseries, which is also supposed to be excellent!

#35 The miniseries IS excellent!

I've had John Adams sitting on my shelf for a while, maybe I should read it in the coming year too.
christina_reads you have some great categories especially your Austen Marathon and Gallimaufry {learn a new word every day}.

I'm 2/3 of the way through John Adams and it's quite good. Adams was probably a bit difficult to be around (opinionated, verbose, NOT shy), but his devotion to seeing our country survive as a nation was unsurpassed.

@37 :: Thanks Retrogirl! If you decide to read John Adams next year, maybe we could do it in tandem (and see if anyone else wants to join us).

@38 :: Yeah, apparently Adams really irritated a lot of people...but I'm interested in finding out why! :)

christina_reads - That would be great!

I'm toying with the idea of changing a category. I have a lot of books on my TBR list that deal with boats and ships, partly because I was originally thinking of doing a "pirates" category for next year's challenge. So now I'm thinking maybe I'll substitute an "All Aboard" category for the Discworld one. On the other hand, I did read and enjoy The Color of Magic, and I'd love to read the rest of the series...argh, I can't decide! Thoughts?

If I do decide to change categories, here are the books I'm thinking of for All Aboard:
1. Gideon Defoe, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
2. Debra Doyle and James MacDonald, Land of Mist and Snow
3. C. S. Forester, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (a re-read, but it's been a long time)
4. Jerome K. Jerome Three Men in a Boat
5. Naomi Novik et al., Fast Ships, Black Sails
6. Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander
7. Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood
8. Sherwood Smith, Inda
9. Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
10. Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out

Definitely do pirates! Someone needs to have a pirates category in this challenge.

You could sub it in for your On The Shelf category since anything you'd read in that one could also go in Gallimaufry.

Great choice of categories and books, especially the Austen marathon!

42 :: Unfortunately, not all the books I'm considering are specifically pirate-oriented, though most of them are. But pirates would be an awesome category! ... I don't want to get rid of On the Shelf, because Gallimaufry is meant to be fun books, rather than books I feel obligated to read because I bought them. But I am still considering scrapping Discworld temporarily. There's always 2011!

@43 :: Thanks mathgirl!

There's always 2011 ... I am cheered and amused that people are already thinking about 2011, one way or another. It's the right attitude. Looking at your challenge list, I think you are absolutely right to protect your "fun books" category. Lots (and lots) of interesting but non-trivial material there. I look forward to keeping current with your reading.

45 :: Thanks! And frankly, I'm a little disturbed that I'm already thinking about 2011, but that's what's great about LibraryThing...I know I'm not alone. :)

It's official - I'm switching my Discworld category to an All Aboard category! Pirates ahoy!

yay!

Arrrr!

You should aim to finish the pirate category on 19th September to coincide with International talk like a pirate day.

Yarrrrr! (sorry had to join in) I love the Pirates! series. My fav is the 3rd one: The Pirates! In an adventure with communists but the 1st one is still great. You have also reminded me I really need to read Treasure Island!

Haha, glad everyone likes the new category. :) Wolfy, that's not a bad plan - I'll see how it goes! And clfisha, thanks for the input - I've been wanting to check out the Pirates! series for a long time, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Can't wait to get started!

I'd never heard of The Pirates! series, but that sounds like fun indeed. Thus your swapping a category, christina, meant additions to my wishlist...

53 :: Haha, it's a vicious cycle!

I'm also thinking about 2011 as well, and am SO GLAD that I have kindred spirits here at LT!

For your All Aboard category, you could add Silver: My Own Tale as Written By Me with a Goodly Amount of Murder by Edward Chupack to your list of maybes. I got my copy through PaperbackSwap and though I have yet to read it, it sounds nice and entertaining. It's about Long John Silver and some of the gang from Treasure Island, though it's not a retelling. It's always interesting to see where new authors take old classics when they rework them.

Good luck on the 1010, fellow Landlubbers!

LauraBrook, thanks for the rec! Haven't read Treasure Island yet, obviously, but if I like it, your suggestion is the next logical step. :) The "goodly amount of murder" bit sounds promising!

re #41: Master and Commander

I loved Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, and read all 21 books in (I think it was) 2006. I got started on them because a friend gave me the first 3 books for Christmas, along with one of the companion books (which helped me greatly with the nautical terms), and the advice not to decide whether or not I liked them until I had read the first 3 books. It was really good advice: I found the first book somewhat interesting, started getting into it in book #2, and was hooked by the end of book #3. I think that Master and Commander was my least favorite of all the books, and my favorites were later in the series.

57 :: Thanks for the tip! Even if I don't love Master and Commander, I'll be sure to read the next couple of books in the series before making up my mind.

If you haven't already read Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques, it would be perfect for your All Aboard category. It's a YA book so it's a very easy read but it is very well-written and the characters are sensational.

@59 :: Ooh, sounds fun! I've actually never read anything by Brian Jacques before, so this might be a good opportunity. :)

I'm thinking of changing yet another category for next year. My 999 is starting to get pretty onerous, and I don't want my 101010 to be the same way...plus, I've been getting some exciting mystery recommendations lately!

So I'm going to scrap my Law and Order category. I feel guilty, since I really do want to read all those books at some point in my life! But I can see that category blighting my entire year and taking up way too much of my time. Hence, I'm going to get rid of it and insert the new mystery category, The Butler Did It.

Book possibilities:
1. Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
2. Edmund Crispin, Holy Disorders
3. Jeffrey Deaver, The Bone Collector
4. Charles Finch, The Fleet Street Murders
5. Dashiell Hammett, The Thin Man
6. Erin Hart, False Mermaid
7. Tamara Siler Jones, Ghosts in the Snow
8. Gilbert Morris, The Mermaid in the Basement
9. Elizabeth Peters, Borrower of the Night
10. Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs

>61 christina_reads: Excellent solution: it's still Law and Order. You'll probably enjoy the reading more, too.

62 :: Haha, good point! And yes, that was my motivation - the law & government books are more intellectual, but the mysteries will be much more fun. :)

For those who are interested, I've started threads for group reads of The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, John Adams, and Briar Rose. It looks like February is going to be the month for Blood Lily. And for those of you who already saw my other multiple posts, sorry to over-inform you. :)

I cannot wait until January 1!

Well, I finally completed my 999 Challenge with just over a week to spare! My thread can be found here. Now I'm even more excited to get started with the 1010...only a few more days!

Great categories! I'm also going to be reading Of Human Bondage for my off the shelf challenge this year, after re-reading Razor's Edge (and loving it) last year. Not sure I could manage Ayn Rand, however -- that would be a 'wallbanger' of a book for me, I suspect!
Have you starred and look forward to following your literary adventures...

Thanks, Chatterbox! I'm really looking forward to reading more Somerset Maugham...I read The Painted Veil a year or two ago and LOVED it, but I haven't read any of his others yet! As for the Ayn Rand, I've never read anything by her either (although I've heard the stories, haha). So I'm very intrigued to see what awaits!

I see you starting the Vicky Bliss series by Elizabeth Peters, I enjoyed it.

@68 :: I read a couple of Peters' Amelia Peabody books, and I enjoyed them, so I'm looking forward to the Vicky Bliss series!

67 - If you've never read Ayn Rand before, I'm not sure I would start with Atlas Shrugged. I found We the Living to be an easier read (much shorter) but still very enjoyable -- some of the same themes but a little less strident. Just a thought.

70 :: Thanks for the advice. I've been wanting to read Atlas Shrugged for quite a while, but if I find that the going gets too rough, I'll check out We the Living instead.

It's finally time to start the 1010 challenge - hooray! Unfortunately, I'm currently reading a book (The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett, which I'm quite enjoying so far) that doesn't count for any of my categories...and I technically started it in 2009, so I'm not going to count it in "Gallimaufry" either. Still not sure what will be my first official book of the challenge. The possibilities are endless! :)

ETA: My first book will be Agatha Christie: An Autobiography.

Book #1: Agatha Christie: An Autobiography
Completed on: January 8
Category: Story of Their Lives

As even a cursory glance at my library will tell you, I absolutely love Agatha Christie. I’ve collected most of her mysteries and have even read some of the novels she published under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. So, naturally, I had to read her autobiography as well! The book is long, rambling, breezy, witty, and enjoyable from beginning to end. Christie’s style is very conversational; it’s as if she’s telling you the story of her life over a nice cup of tea. Rather than systematically cataloguing the events of her life in chronological order, she focuses on the memories that stand out most clearly to her, and occasionally she jumps backward and forward in time as certain events remind her of others.

For the most part, the book’s tone is light and humorous, which makes it a very enjoyable read. Yet one of the most memorable parts, to me, is the one section that is really serious and somber: in the space of a year, her mother died and her first husband asked her for a divorce. Christie doesn’t delve deeply into this time, and I can certainly understand why – this grief was obviously very private to her. To me, that section is the heart of the book.

I was glad to see that Christie does talk about her writing, and she goes into some detail about specific books. She describes how she came up with Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, how she struggled early on to find publishers, and how she liked to experiment with genres other than the detective story. It’s interesting to read about which books she liked (and disliked!) the most; her least favorite was The Mystery of the Blue Train, which is actually one of my favorites by her! She also muses about what she would have liked to do differently, which was very interesting to me. Ultimately, if you’re a fan of Agatha Christie’s novels, you’ll really enjoy her autobiography as well!

The Agatha Christie autobiography is going onto my TBR pile, too. Like you, I've read most of her books but I've never read much in the way of biographical information about her.

One of my 1010 categories is biographies and memoirs so this'll be perfect.

@74 :: I hope you enjoy it! :)

I'm a big Christie fan, and that autobiography looks very interesting. Onto the wishlist it goes.

Hope you like it, CatyM!

Book #2: Jessica Day George, Princess of the Midnight Ball
Completed on: January 9
Category: Once Upon a Time

Galen has been in the army all his life, so when he is finally allowed to go home and give up soldiering, he is happy to work as a gardener with his uncle in the king’s palace. Soon he begins to hear rumors about the king’s twelve daughters: every night they inexplicably disappear, stay out all night, and come back with their dancing slippers in tatters. The king is frantic to discover his daughters’ secret, especially when several of the princesses fall ill, but they seem unable to talk about their experiences. Galen watches the princesses with interest, especially the eldest daughter Rose, and he eventually resolves to discover their secret and free them from a dreadful curse.

This retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” is somewhat different in that it focuses on the story from the man’s point of view. Though some of the chapters follow on Rose and her sisters, the main protagonist is Galen, and his ingenuity is what eventually rescues the princesses from their curse. In most respects, Galen is a pretty stereotypical hero: he’s handsome, clever, brave, and kind. However, he does have one unique skill, which turns out to be extremely useful to him in his quest – he knits! Rose also has a relatively well-rounded personality, but most of her sisters are flat and have only one character trait apiece (Violet is musical, Hyacinth is pious, etc.). Of course, there are twelve of them, so I can’t be too critical! The book was well-written, sweet, and entertaining, and the final confrontation was very well done. However, it’s obvious that this book was written for a young audience, and in my opinion there was nothing particularly unique about it.

Book #3: Gilbert Morris, The Mermaid in the Basement
Completed on: January 10
Category: The Butler Did It

Lady Serafina Trent is an intelligent, rational woman who believes only in the scientific method. She feels able to cope with any crisis with the power of logic; but she finds herself unexpectedly at a loss when her brother Clive is accused of murder. Clive was in love with the dead woman, a predatory actress, and all the evidence seems to point to him. However, Serafina is determined to clear her brother’s name by finding the real killer. In the course of her investigation, she meets Dylan Tremayne, an actor who knew the murdered woman and who is familiar with the dangerous areas of London that Serafina must investigate. As the two work to solve the mystery, they become increasingly fascinated with each other, and Serafina also finds herself drawn to Dylan’s strong Christian beliefs.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The mystery itself was absorbing, although I guessed the murderer several chapters before the characters did. By and large, I liked the characters as well; my favorite was Inspector Matthew Grant, but the two leads were also likeable and well drawn. I did have one rather large problem with this book though: in my opinion, it was far too “preachy.” Even though I’m a Christian myself, I usually shy away from explicitly “Christian fiction,” because I feel like the books are just a vehicle for the authors to convey their beliefs. It annoys me when Christianity is all the characters seem to talk about, and in this book, Dylan’s long religious monologues frankly irritated me. I suppose it’s my own fault for picking up this book in the first place, since I knew it was a “Christian mystery” going in. And while the portrayal of religious characters didn’t suit my personal taste, fans of Christian or inspirational fiction will likely enjoy it. I do think the book was interesting and enjoyable overall, and I will probably continue with the series.

Book #4: Emily Gee, The Laurentine Spy
Completed on: January 10
Category: I Spy

Saliel has two lives: to the outside world she is Lady Petra, a noblewoman of the Corhonase court. But to the three men she meets in the catacombs at night, she is known simply as Three, a spy for the country of Laurent. Her co-conspirators are One, a nobleman, Two, a servant, and the Guardian, their commander. In the above-ground world, Saliel’s job is to gain as much information as possible about Corhonase military movements; she must brave the ever-watchful eyes of the Royal Consort as she tries to blend in with the other ladies of the court. But her mission quickly takes a turn for the worse when the Consort arranges a marriage for her to the dimwitted Lord Ivo. Then a spy-catcher arrives at the court who has a sadistic streak and an uncanny ability to make people tell the truth. Saliel and her fellow spies must do their utmost to outwit him, but several twists of fate bring them into greater and greater danger.

The plot of this novel hooked me from the very beginning and never let go. It has all the elements I love in a book: fantasy, intrigue, suspense, mystery, and romance. I would probably be squeeing with delight even if it were poorly written and had wooden characters, but luckily, it avoids both of these problems! While this is certainly not a groundbreaking book in terms of style or characters, it’s quite well written, and main characters Saliel and Athan are both well-rounded and sympathetic. Gee does rely on stock character traits to some extent – the novel is definitely more plot-driven than character-driven – but the plot was enough to keep me turning the pages! I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it wholeheartedly for those who like fantasy and political intrigue.

Book #5: Albert Camus, The Plague (trans. Stuart Gilbert)
Completed on: January 16
Category: The Twentieth Century

The small town of Oran on the Algerian coast is, at first glance, a perfectly ordinary commercial port. However, strange events soon begin to occur. First, the town’s rats begin coming into the open in large numbers, dying in stairwells and even in the streets. Then come the first signs of illness, as a few townspeople experience bad fevers and swollen lymph nodes. Finally, the deaths begin, and Dr. Bernard Rieux becomes convinced that the sickness is one of the most feared and fatal diseases in history: the plague. The city attempts some preventive measures, but the plague inexorably claims more and more lives, and the people of Oran must eventually grapple with the ultimate questions.

This is a rather strange novel, because not much happens in terms of plot, but there are also very few characters. Camus is not so much telling a story as he is meditating on the mystery and meaning of human suffering. I was very interested in the philosophical and religious speculation, and I was fascinated by one character’s use of the word “plague” as a metaphor for something inherently flawed in the human condition. I’d recommend this book for people interested in the philosophy and psychology of suffering; however, if you’re looking for an exciting story or compelling characters, it’s probably not the book for you.

Book #6: Polly Shulman, Enthusiasm
Completed on: January 16
Category: The Austen Marathon

Julie has always lived in the shadow of her best friend Ashleigh. Ash is passionate and outgoing, and she drags Julie enthusiastically along from one crazy hobby to the next. As they prepare to start their sophomore year at Byzantium High, Ashleigh becomes obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and insists on dressing in nineteenth-century fashions, using Austen-esque speech, and of course, trying to find her very own Mr. Darcy. Julie is a little resentful at this – after all, Austen has always been her special interest – but she follows along as usual. That is, until Ashleigh decides to crash a dance at a local boys’ prep school, where she falls for the good-looking boy Julie’s been secretly crushing on! As the girls become friends with him and his friends at the prep-school, several romantic complications ensue, and Julie might eventually have to decide between friendship and true love.

What an adorable book! As someone who’s more than a little obsessed with Austen herself, I’ve read a lot of Austen-inspired fiction, and this is definitely one of the better efforts. Instead of copying the plot of any single Austen novel verbatim, Shulman draws inspiration from P&P, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion while still managing to create her own story. I identified with Julie and could definitely sympathize with her throughout the novel. I think the subplot with her parents’ divorce was unnecessary and a little unoriginal, but the main story was exuberant and a lot of fun. Even though it’s written for young teens, and most of the scenes take place in a high school, I found a lot to enjoy. I got this book from the library, but I’m definitely considering buying it now!

Nice review of The Plague. It's been a number of years since I've read it, but I still recall a character saying to a priest something like "Ah, well you know he was innocent" in referring to the death of a child. I love how small moments of books can really stick with you over the years.

83 :: That was definitely one of my favorite scenes in the book!

Book #7: Jade Parker, To Catch a Pirate
Completed on: January 16
Category: All Aboard

When she was sixteen years old, Annalisa Townsend voyaged across the Atlantic with her father to deliver a royal treasure to the governor of a small Caribbean island. En route, the ship was attacked by pirates, and Anna was accosted by the dashing young pirate James Sterling. He threatened to take her necklace, a gift from her dead mother; to save it, she gave him a ring – and a kiss – in exchange. Now, a year later, Anna has become a pirate hunter. She’s determined to recapture the treasure that was stolen from her father, in hopes of salvaging his reputation with the British crown, and James Sterling is part of her plan. Once she has him in her clutches, she’ll be able to force him to help her…if only she can forget the way his lips felt against hers.

I wasn’t expecting too much from this book, since I knew that it was written for a young audience and was quite short as well. However, I was hoping it would at least be fun and entertaining; unfortunately, it was so riddled with clichés that I found it extremely dull. Pirate novels should never be dull! Anna and James were cardboard cutouts, and none of the other “characters” had even a spark of individuality. The plot was predictable, not to mention entirely implausible – a seventeen-year-old girl buys a ship and forges a letter of marque so she can become a pirate hunter? And her father doesn’t even try to stop her? Really?? This might have worked as a pirate-themed romance novel, if the plot had been fleshed out much more and there had been any naughty parts. But unfortunately, I can’t find one unique thing to praise about this novel. Hopefully I’ll have better luck with the other pirate-themed books on my TBR list!

I just stumbled on Enthusiasm last year and loved it!

86 :: It was so much fun! I'm very wary of Austen spinoffs now, because most of them read like bad fanfic, but I really liked this one!

Book #8: Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal
Completed on: January 17
Category: The Play's the Thing

Sheridan satirizes Georgian high society in this comedy of manners, where every character has an ulterior motive and every friendship is a source of mean-spirited gossip. Sir Peter Teazle has just married a wife much younger than himself, and he jealously watches while she gads about London with the wrong crowd. Sir Peter’s ward, Maria, is in love with the disreputable Charles Surface, but Charles’ brother Joseph also has designs upon her. Sir Oliver, the Surfaces’ uncle, has just returned from India, and he intends to leave his fortune to one of his nephews – but which? It will take several illicit flirtations, a moneylender, duplicitous servants, a bout of drinking, and lots of eavesdropping to reach a happy result!

Right now I’m wishing I had lived in 18th-century London so that I could have seen this play performed! I love Sheridan’s combination of subtle, finely polished wit with broad slapstick comedy. The play’s focus is on social satire, so there is no deep psychological character study or anything like that; but if you’re looking for a light comedy of manners, you’ll enjoy it. This play was a great deal of fun to read, and probably would be even more fun to watch! I definitely recommend it, especially if you’re a Georgian/Regency-era geek like me!

Book #9: Anne Osterlund, Academy 7
Completed on: January 17
Category: Gallimaufry

Aerin is a fugitive slave, fleeing a life of violence and forced labor on the planet of Vizhan. With a dead father and a mother she can’t even remember, she has nowhere to go; that is, until an Alliance spaceship rescues her. Inexplicably, she receives an offer to attend Academy 7, the most prestigious school in the universe. When she arrives at the Academy, she meets Dane, the rebellious son of an important Alliance general. Aerin and Dane soon strike up a friendly rapport, but she must cope with constant fear and insecurity, and Dane has secrets of his own. Their growing friendship tests them both, and eventually they will face the greatest challenge of their lives; but will their fragile trust in each other be able to survive?

I haven’t read much science fiction, and I was intrigued by the blending of genres in this novel. Although I love fantasy, it was a bit of a relief to get through a YA book that didn’t once mention vampires, werewolves, or shapeshifters of any kind. That said, this book doesn’t seem particularly strong as a science fiction novel; while there are a few mentions of advanced technology (spaceships, fancy computers, laser guns, etc.), the sci-fi elements are clearly just a backdrop for the main story of Aerin and Dane. I enjoyed the unfolding of their relationship, and I was glad to see that neither of them had magical powers or a grand save-the-world destiny. At bottom, this book is a nice YA romance with sympathetic protagonists and a few futuristic trappings. It’s not earth-shatteringly unique or excellent, but it is a refreshing change from a lot of the current YA trends.

I remember being fascinated with The Plague, which I read for my IB English course in high school. It's a great exploration of the human condition. Just read a book about Camus that made me resolve to go back and re-read the novels and tackle some of his heavier stuff as well. That is Camus: A Romance, which is part memoir and part literary biography. It was so good that I found myself reading it in lines while waiting to pay for groceries...

That sounds interesting! Maybe I can fit it into my biographies category! :)

Your review of Enthusiasm made me put the book on my Austen-category list for 2010. It sounds like a good spin-off for a change.

Hope you like it, morninggray!

Book #10: Sharon Kay Penman, When Christ and His Saints Slept
Completed on: January 23
Category: On the Shelf

When King Henry I’s only legitimate son William dies, the whole of England is dismayed when the king names his daughter Maude as heir to the throne. Despite Maude’s royal blood and her father’s endorsement, the people of England worry about her ability to rule: not only has she lived much of her life abroad, but she is also a woman and thus unfit to rule. In addition, the people will not accept her husband, the hotheaded and sometimes cruel Geoffrey of Anjou, as an acceptable king. So when Maude’s first cousin Stephen lays claim to the throne of England, he finds many supporters despite his own blunders and cluelessness as a politician. Maude is enraged by Stephen’s power grab and promptly retaliates, and soon the entire country is at war. This novel tells the epic story of the civil war between Stephen and Maude and the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty, as well as painting portraits of the most influential historical figures of the time.

This novel is extremely long and epic in scope, embracing scores of characters – some real, some fictional – as they navigate their way through one of the most turbulent times in English history. In a sense, the book is a tough read, because there’s not one clear protagonist; instead, the myriad characters all have their own stories, which weave in and out of the larger historical tapestry. However, between the intrigues and battles, politics and lovemaking, friendships and jealousy, it is also a very entertaining read. Penman makes the Middle Ages come to life: she re-creates the world of twelfth-century England in vivid detail, and she makes the dusty old historical figures seem like real people. One of my favorite sections of the book was the description of Stephen’s attack on Shrewsbury, because it also provides the backdrop for one of my favorite books, Ellis Peters’ One Corpse Too Many. Though I may need a short break before continuing with the Plantagenet trilogy, I’ll definitely be returning to it soon!

...and when you finish the Plantagenet trilogy (which will soon become a quartet, I hate to tell you...) you will want to read the Welsh trilogy! It was actually written before these novels; I think this trilogy is better written (fewer "certes" and such like archaic touches for emphasis), but my view is the minority. If you want a break, the author also has an excellent series of mysteries, which are much shorter -- start with The Queen's Man.

Oh, and do try to squeeze in the Camus book. It's an intriguing combo of bio & memoir and I loved it. It will help you frame The Plague as well.

95 :: Thanks for the recs, Chatterbox! I actually read Penman's Welsh trilogy first, and I absolutely loved it -- that's what convinced me to read more of her work! The Justin de Quincy mysteries are great too...I really hope she writes more of them in future!

I've heard of Panman, but have never read anything by her. I've seen Here Be Dragons, and think I actually had it out of the library once, so I'm going to try it again. Thanks for the recommendations.

@97 :: Yes! Here Be Dragons is great! I hope you enjoy it. :)

>97 sjmccreary: & 98: I've had Here Be Dragons on my tbr stack since sometime last year after I saw it recommended on LT. I'm glad to see that you liked it so much.

99 :: It's definitely worth a read when you get the chance!

January recap:

10 books total, one in each category. I actually like splitting up the reading that way, because it gives me a greater variety. Plus, if left to my own devices, I would read all the fairy tales and mysteries first, and then get stuck with all the biographies and 20th-century classics in the second half of the year. :)

I also did a lot of non-challenge reading in January, mostly chick lit and YA:

- Galen Beckett, The Magicians and Mrs. Quent
- Anna McPartlin, Pack Up the Moon
- Nora Roberts, Vision in White
- Laurell K. Hamilton et al., Never After
- Tamora Pierce, Alanna: The First Adventure
- Tamora Pierce, In the Hand of the Goddess
- Tamora Pierce, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
- Tamora Pierce, Lioness Rampant
- Sally Gardner, The Red Necklace

Does anyone else get distracted by non-challenge reads?

I loved The Red Necklace. What did you think of it? Another book by Sally Gardner is I, Coriander which is one of my favorite books.

re: off-challenge reading.... Absolutely! That's why I have a Misfit/Spontaneous Read category this year. I get off-challenge all the time.

Good for you for finishing one in each category. I have not yet done so. Must work on that....

102 :: I really liked The Red Necklace too! I'm definitely going to buy the sequel, The Silver Blade, when the paperback comes out in March. I haven't read I, Coriander yet, but I probably will read it now.

@103 :: That spontaneous category is a real godsend! I've decided to limit myself to one entry in that category per month. Otherwise, I would be practically done with the category by now, and I want to savor it. :)

#101, absolutely I get distracted by non-challenge reading! Which is why I have a couple of challenges going to cope with that, including a 50-book challenge which is completely open; I've called it my 'overflow challenge'! That way I don't feel guilty about reading a non-1010 book... :-)

Very disciplined re categories. I've been reading disproportionately more in the dystopia category, which, if I stop to think about it, is slightly worrying... :-D

@105 :: Good idea with the overflow challenge! I'm participating in several other challenges, including a historical fiction and a YA one, so that takes care of most of my "fun" reads. As for the discipline, I have no idea how long I'll be able to keep it up -- but it's working for now!

Book #11: Lauren Willig, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
Completed on: February 2
Category: I Spy

WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers.

Tempestuous Penelope has never been the kind of girl to sit back and let others determine her fate. She delights in scandalizing London society, but after one too many amorous trysts, she finds herself the wife of Lord Frederick Staines. Now she and Freddy have been packed off to India, where her new husband plans to take a government position. Although Penelope is intrigued by India and its customs, she is painfully aware that she and Freddy aren’t well suited to each other. She also learns that the political climate in India is unstable, to say the least: both the British and the French have forces there, not to mention the various local rulers who don’t exactly welcome foreign interference. Things go from bad to worse when a pro-French spy called the Marigold begins stirring up revolutionary sentiments in the area. Penelope finds herself in the midst of it all, and a few thoughtless comments place her life in danger. Despite herself, she asks for help from Captain Alex Reid, the taciturn young man whose grudging respect for Penelope soon grows into much more…and Penelope finds herself feeling something for Alex that she could never feel for her husband.

I think Lauren Willig did a smart thing in moving the setting of this latest book to India – it was refreshing and interesting to catch a glimpse of British India. I thought Penelope was a great heroine, even though I didn’t always like her; in fact, I think that’s why her characterization is so strong. Alex is my kind of hero – tall, dark, and honorable, with a good head on his shoulders and a sense of humor. The aggravating thing about their romance is that Penelope is married to somebody else, so I was in the awkward position of hoping her husband would die so that she and Alex could be together. I don’t care how much she and Alex love each other; I don’t want to see them committing adultery. I can’t root for characters who would do that, especially when they don’t really seem to experience any negative consequences. That’s just not okay. Anyway, it’s just my opinion, and I still liked the book overall. The focus was heavily on the romance, so the spy plot suffered a little from neglect. However, I did enjoy the book, and I think the Pink Carnation series is still going strong!

Book #12: Alicia Fields, Love Underground
Completed on: February 3
Category: Once Upon a Time

Persephone has happily lived a very sheltered existence for sixteen years. Her greatest pleasures are chattering with her friends Echo and Narcissa and helping her mother Demeter in the garden. Demeter’s one rule for her is to stay away from boys, but as the most beautiful girl in the village, she can’t help but attract a few. Her most prominent suitor is Hermes, a cheeky ladies’ man who wants Persephone’s love without having to stay faithful. Persephone’s not playing, however; she knows better than to give in to Hermes, and she’s not terribly interested in marrying anyone. Everything is fine until the fateful day when Hades, Lord of the Underworld, catches a glimpse of her and falls in love. He steals her away to his underground realm, to her horror and her mother’s dismay; but the longer Persephone stays with Hades, the more she rethinks her preconceptions and sees her world from a new point of view.

I’ve always liked the Persephone-Hades myth, and recently I started looking around for a good re-telling of the story – preferably a romantic one. This book was a little disappointing to me, because there really wasn’t much romance in it. Yes, Persephone’s feelings towards Hades definitely change throughout the novel, but their relationship is not really the focus. I think this book is really about choices, particularly the choices of women in a patriarchal society. While it’s not “feminist” in a preachy way, the book definitely raises questions of feminine agency: there’s Demeter, who is husbandless but has great power in the village; there’s Narcissa, who is married off to a kindly man against her will and slowly wastes away; and there’s Persephone herself, who must eventually choose her own future. Overall, I thought the novel was a well-written and innovative retelling, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. If anyone can recommend another book about Persephone and Hades, I’d appreciate it!

Book #13: M. M. Kaye, Death in Kashmir
Completed on: February 7
Category: The Butler Did It

Sarah Parrish just wants to enjoy her relaxing holiday at a ski hotel in Kashmir, but her vacation takes an unpleasant turn when one of the other hotel patrons is found dead. Everyone believes that Mrs. Matthews’ death was an accident, until Sarah discovers that another hotel guest, Janet Rushton, is actually a British Intelligence agent – and that she and Mrs. Matthews were working together. When Janet herself dies “accidentally” shortly thereafter, Sarah is plunged into a mysterious network of criminal intrigue and espionage. But the more she learns about the sinister plot that Janet had uncovered, the more dangerous her own search becomes.

This was my first book by M. M. Kaye, but it definitely won’t be my last. Death in Kashmir is an entertaining cozy mystery set a year before India gained its independence from Britain – so, in addition to the mystery plot, the book documents a significant cultural shift from the perspective of the British occupants. And since M. M. Kaye actually did live in Kashmir for a while, her descriptions of the country are (most likely) accurate! The mystery was well done also; there was a comfortable number of suspects, and I didn’t discover who the villain was until Sarah did. Overall, the novel reminded me strongly of Agatha Christie’s books, and I think anyone who likes Christie will like M. M. Kaye as well. I’ll have to go find Death in Berlin now!

>109 christina_reads: I read the M.M. Kaye books years ago, but they are still among my favorites!

M.M Kaye is a good companion to your recent read of The Betrayal of the Blood Lily. I noticed she's mentioned by name in the book.

I noticed that too, Victoria! I was undecided about what to read after I finished Blood Lily, and seeing the shout-out to M. M. Kaye made up my mind for me. :)

Book #14: Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory
Completed on: February 9
Category: The Twentieth Century

In the 1930s, a certain Mexican state has outlawed the Catholic Church and executed all the priests that can be found. Now only “the whisky priest” remains, a weak little man who skulks from village to village hiding from the police. As he wanders throughout the state seeking shelter, he continually faces the dilemma: should he escape and save the villagers from the burden of his presence (because the police will shoot anyone who is caught helping him), or does his duty require him to stay and administer the sacraments to these people despite the danger? The whisky priest knows that he is not a good man, and he struggles daily with temptation and despair. Through this priest’s fate, the novel asks fundamental questions about sin, suffering, and the possibility of atonement.

I can’t say it’s fun to read a Graham Greene novel, but his books certainly make me think. I’m not quite sure what to take away from this book; I don’t think the priest is meant to be a hero, yet he does make heroic sacrifices in this novel. I think part of Greene’s purpose might have been to strip heroism of its glamorous trappings; despite the fact that the priest does some noble things, he is certainly not portrayed as a noble person. The police lieutenant with whom he interacts is far more heroic in a traditional sense, and I felt quite sympathetic towards him. Catholicism permeates the entire novel, and that might bother some people. For me, it’s the conflict between the old world (Christianity) and the new world (socialism) that I find interesting, and that might appeal to a broader audience. Overall, I thought this was a very good and thought-provoking book, though I didn’t enjoy it as much as The End of the Affair. It’s definitely a book that I will continue to think about for a while.

Book #15: Alistair M. Duckworth, The Improvement of the Estate: A Study of Jane Austen's Novels
Completed on: February 11
Category: The Austen Marathon

This book contains seven essays of literary criticism about Jane Austen – one for each of her completed novels, plus one for the Sanditon fragment. Duckworth’s thesis is that Austen uses “the estate” in her novels as “a metonym of an inherited culture endangered by forces from within and without” (p. 71). In other words, Austen’s estates (Mansfield Park, Pemberley, Donwell Abbey, etc.) are a metaphor for traditional social structures and morals, which are threatened in all the novels by dangerous “improvers” from the outside (most notably the Crawfords in Mansfield Park). Duckworth views Austen as a conservative author in the Burkean tradition, who believed in an objective morality founded on Christianity. He contends that Austen’s use of “estates” and “improvements” supports this claim about her worldview as a whole.

First of all, anyone who reads this book should be familiar with the plots of all Austen’s novels; Duckworth is a scholar writing to other scholars, and he clearly doesn’t care about “spoiling” the plots for anyone! Because of the academic orientation of this book, the writing style is pretty dry, and Duckworth also spends a lot of time referring to other scholars and discussing their interpretations of Austen’s work. That said, I found his arguments very interesting, and mostly quite persuasive. I particularly liked his interpretation of Mansfield Park, which he gives in the first chapter (although he discusses all the other novels in chronological order); it makes a lot of sense and makes Fanny Price a slightly more likeable character for me. This book isn’t intended for a general audience, but a diehard Austen fan or eighteenth-century scholar would probably find it interesting.

Book #16: Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood
Completed on: February 12
Category: All Aboard

After spending some time as a soldier of fortune in Europe, Peter Blood is happy to settle down in a small English town and practice his trade as a doctor. But when he uses his skill to heal a man who has rebelled against King James II, he suddenly finds himself convicted of treason and sentenced to slavery in the colony of Barbados. Stung by this injustice, Peter vows to get revenge by any means necessary; and when fate offers him the chance to escape, he turns to a life of piracy and becomes “Captain Blood,” one of the most notorious pirates of the Spanish Main. The novel follows Captain Blood’s many adventures, daring military exploits, and run-ins with several sworn enemies, until at last he can achieve his vindication.

For a straightforward, masculine adventure story, I don’t think you can beat this book. To a modern eye, it’s quite racist and misogynistic in places, but I must admit it’s also a lot of fun to read. The characters are more or less stereotypes, and I got a little bit tired of how villainous all the villains are. Peter Blood himself is slightly more complex, but character development is definitely not the focus of the novel. The action scenes are very entertaining, and I found myself fascinated by Blood’s tactical maneuvers during the many battles. In short, I’d recommend this book to people who are looking for a good swashbuckler. I also feel compelled to see the Errol Flynn movie now!

Improvement of the estate sounds like an interesting book!

>115 christina_reads:

Oh, do see the movie! I've watched it many times when it's been on some station or other. Completely unrealistic and very old style film acting, but still great fun.

@116 :: I definitely recommend it if you're interested in the subject matter!

117 :: Sounds good! After all, who really looks for realism in pirate movies? :)

Captain Blood (the movie) is one of my favorites. The sword fights between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in both this movie and in Robin Hood were quite authentic as both actors were trained swordsmens but off screen they apparently were also very good friends.

@119 :: I knew Basil Rathbone was a trained fencer, but I didn't know Errol Flynn was too! I'm looking forward to seeing the movie...hopefully my public library has it!

Book #17: Ann Aguirre, Grimspace
Completed on: February 13
Category: Gallimaufry

Sirantha Jax is a woman with an unusual ability: due to a genetic abnormality, she’s a jumper, which means she can travel through grimspace, an alternate dimension where the normal rules of time and space don’t apply. While this ability would normally make her a valuable asset to the Corp (the enormous corporation that governs the universe), Jax is currently in bad shape: she’s the only survivor of a massive crash that killed over 80 people, including her pilot/lover Kai…and it might have been her fault. She’s on the verge of mental collapse when a mysterious stranger called March breaks into her psych ward and essentially kidnaps her. March and his band of rogue followers are on a dangerous mission that could threaten the Corp’s very existence, and they need Jax’s help. However, Jax isn’t sure whom to trust – especially when she begins to remember what happened in the moments before the fateful crash.

After reading so many glowing reviews of Aguirre’s work, I finally decided to dive in, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed! Jax is a fun character to read about, with her penchant for sarcasm and ass-kicking. The plot is exciting and adrenaline-pumped, with plenty of action sequences that held my interest. I really enjoyed watching Jax interact with the other characters, particularly the brooding, buttoned-up March: their evolving romance was a nice complement to the fast-paced violence of the plot. The weakest part of this book is probably the world-building, at least in my opinion. I haven’t read much science fiction, but it seems like a lot of the sci-fi elements here weren’t terribly original, particularly the sinister and all-knowing corporation that’s engaging in horrific genetic experiments. Also, when Jax was explaining grimspace, I couldn’t get the image of hyperspace from “Star Wars” out of my head. Be that as it may, I couldn’t put this book down, and I look forward to reading more by Ann Aguirre.

So I started to read Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas...but I couldn't get past the first chapter! The author's tone was completely obnoxious to me: he made sweeping (and often inaccurate) statements about history, and he quite obviously had a religious agenda that he was eager to push on his readers. Also, there were NO footnotes or endnotes, and the "bibliography" simply listed a few secondary sources on which Metaxas supposedly relied.

I understand the desire to create a readable biography that will have popular appeal. I just think that, when you're writing a nonfiction work about an actual historical figure, you should have citations to back up your assertions. I'm frustrated that I couldn't finish this book, because I think William Wilberforce is a fascinating and admirable man, and I'd really like to read a good biography of him! Any suggestions?

Wow, that sounds like a bad book experience... I discovered a similar hidden agenda with Five Cities that Ruled the World a Christian/free market capitalism triumphalist work that 'forgets' to refer to the market crash either the Internet or credit bubbles, despite being published in December 2009...

As for Wilberforce, the most accessible and interesting recent bio was, curiously, written by former British Tory leader, William Hague. It was good enough that I'm now going to order Hague's bio of William Pitt the Younger. If you haven't read Adam Hochschild's book about the abolition campaigns, I'd recommend that highly. It's called Bury the Chains. There's also the movie, Amazing Grace, which is good if slightly over-romanticized. It shows how the issue of slavery divided Pitt and Wilberforce; Pitt was a political pragmatist whom Kissinger would have loved; Wilberforce an idealist.

123 :: I liked the movie "Amazing Grace" quite a bit, which made my experience with the book even more disappointing! I have to admit, I'm not always against books with an ideological bias, but this author's particular bias just grated on my nerves. Oh well! Thanks for the alternative recommendations - I'll have to check out the Hague book!

I thought the movie sounded good, but I never did see it. I'll have to look for both the movie and the book.

125 :: I would recommend the movie. It's moving and inspiring, the acting is very good, and there are some hilarious scenes of Wilberforce in Parliament!

You've been busy! Grimspace sounds interesting!

127 :: I would definitely recommend Grimspace. As a not-fan of sci fi, I still liked it! :)

I'd definitely recommend the movie. It was a good & convincing political/social drama.

It sounds like Amazing Grace is a very frustrating read. When trying to read about missionaries that happens a lot: a Christian agenda with no footnotes. It's a frustrating agenda when you do not read the book from a religious background, but because you actually want to find out about things. I do not mean to say that writing from a religious background is non-informative per se, but there is a genre of books out there that seems to put religious inspiration up front in such a way that the actual theme of the book seems to matter little.

@130 :: That describes my problem with the book very well. I do think there's a place for inspirational and devotional reading; it's just not what I expected with this particular book. I was hoping for (and expecting) a more scholarly, historically accurate biography.

@130/131 -- it's targeted at a different audience, which is looking for a different 'book experience'. You and I might be looking for information, insight into the time frame, the personalities, the political and economic context, while someone coming at Wilberforce's story from the perspective of him as an evangelist transforming the world according to his religious visions is looking for inspiration and enlightenment. The two can coexist, to be sure, but a book written to cater explicitly to the latter is less likely to appeal to the the former than vice versa, I suspect. Strictly on a personal level, I always wonder about any book written with an axe to grind, however benign. Will it tell me honestly about what happened, or will it pull punches when the truth doesn't fit in with the overarching message? I worry about that as much with Michael Moore as I do with inspirational/religious writing. Is the intent to inform/clarify/elucidate, or to inspire/convince? The moment that latter triumphs, I get twitchy, unless the scholarship is impeccable. But I'm not a scholarly reader, so it's hard for me to judge that.

132 :: I agree with your "target audience" point; I simply wasn't the right audience for Metaxas' book. I don't mind reading a book with an ideological bias, as long as the author is up-front about that bias and doesn't falsify or misrepresent factual information. As you say, the danger of books with an explicit agenda is that they will not tell the whole story.

I agree with your suggestions on the audience the writer had in mind. And it's true for scientific writing aswell that a writer can never be un-biased or that his worldview might come into play. Sometimes it's really hard to distinguish between the two. Take every biography that was written about Mary Slessor (a missionary), even the ones claiming to write from the perspective of giving information aren't really scientific and don't really hide their respect for her christian lifestyle.
It's true, you should be careful with whoever wrote a book: Micheal Moore can be really frustrating in that part as well. Also, I am very dubious about some health books being "neutral" or subsidized by either vegan organisations or industries like the meat industry. It's annoying when you think about it: how hard it is to get "real" information.

@134 :: You make a good point about some health books being subsidized by different industries...obviously that could have an effect on the book's message! I guess we should always take the information we receive with a grain of salt.

Book #18: Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood
Completed on: February 17
Category: On the Shelf

Hazel Motes has always known that he’s fated to become a preacher like his grandfather, even though he doesn’t believe in Jesus, sin, or atonement. Yet even when he moves from his dead country hometown to the city, he still finds himself preoccupied with the idea of being redeemed. Eventually his destiny as a preacher catches up with him, and he forms a new church called the Church Without Christ. Yet he finds that, despite escaping from the old faith, he still has to defend this church from false prophets and greedy, hypocritical preachers. Hazel’s journey is a twentieth-century pilgrimage that illustrates the conflict between his desperate hope that Christianity is false and his sneaking suspicion that it might be true.

I don’t think I entirely understood this book. The characters are all extremely bizarre and unpleasant, and most of their actions are so strange that I was at a loss to interpret their meanings. Apparently this book is supposed to be a “comic” novel, but it’s a very unique type of comedy: O’Connor throws the most grotesque characters and situations into a setting of extreme realism, and this contrast is what creates the humor. The premise of this book is a very interesting one, in my opinion: Hazel is an unbeliever, but he still treats belief as a matter of life and death. Despite his insistence that Christianity is false, he mortifies his flesh like an ascetic monk. There’s a lot of food for thought in this book, but I’m not sure I really get it!

Book #19: Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta
Completed on: February 18
Category: The Play's the Thing

In this play, written by one of Shakespeare’s most famous contemporaries, the eponymous Jew is a greedy man named Barabas. He has spent his life amassing a vast fortune and is now the richest man in Malta – that is, until the governor decides to seize half the wealth of all the Jews in Malta so that he can pay off a debt to the Turks. When Barabas refuses to give up half his wealth, the stern governor decides to take it all. Enraged, Barabas concocts various dastardly schemes of revenge that eventually lead to widespread death and destruction.

I was very impressed with the multiple layers of meaning in this play. Even on the most superficial, obvious level, there’s an interesting plot with lots of action (and quite a bit of gore!), but there are also several literary and religious allusions which I found extremely interesting. Although Barabas is unquestionably an evil character, I don’t see this play as anti-Semitic at all; while there are plenty of slams at Jews, there are an equal number of insults directed at Christians! Barabas may be a “villain,” but he is clearly not the only one – in fact, none of the characters come off very well, with the possible exception of Barabas’ daughter Abigail. I was also interested to see many little parallels between this work and some of Shakespeare’s (Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and especially The Merchant of Venice). Since I don’t know the exact chronology of the plays, I don’t know who was stealing ideas from whom, but I couldn’t help but laugh when I noticed some of the similarities. I think that fans of the Elizabethan era should definitely read this play!

Shakespeare borrows heavily from The Jew of Malta in The Merchant of Venice. If you enjoyed this play, you'd probably also like his other plays, particularly Edward II (which compares interestingly with Richard II).

138 :: Thanks for the rec! I'm definitely interested in reading more by Marlowe in the future.

Book #20: Mary S. Lovell, The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart
Completed on: February 28
Category: Story of Their Lives

This biography details the life of Amelia Earhart, her dramatic and public career as one of the first female pilots, her marriage to publicity giant George Palmer Putnam, and her tragic attempt at a round-the-world flight. The book does not spend a lot of time speculating on Earhart’s sensational disappearance; rather, it focuses on Earhart’s personality, her interactions with the media, and especially her relationship with Putnam. Indeed, the book is as much about Putnam as it is about Earhart; Lovell’s main thesis is that Putnam’s forceful personality and unerring intuition as a publicist contributed greatly to Earhart’s fame and legacy.

I started this book knowing next to nothing about Amelia Earhart; I only knew that she was a famous woman pilot who had broken a lot of world records and who had mysteriously disappeared while trying to fly around the world. After reading this book, I definitely know a lot more! I was extremely impressed with the amount of research that went into this biography, especially Lovell’s use of primary sources. I really got a sense of Earhart’s and Putnam’s personalities; they seem to have been very dynamic, intelligent, and determined individuals, although neither one of them was consistently likable. I will reiterate that the book focuses a lot on Earhart’s relationship with Putnam, and that might turn off some readers; there’s even one point where Lovell says that Earhart wouldn’t have achieved as much without Putnam, which turned me off a bit. Overall, though, I thought this biography was both informative and accessible, even to those with little prior knowledge about Earhart.

February recap:

Once again, I managed to read one book in each category - but only just! Other than a couple of re-reads, I didn't do any non-challenge reading this month. What can I say - February is short!

Book #21: Anna Dean, Bellfield Hall
Completed on: March 1
Category: The Butler Did It

As an unmarried woman of a certain age, Dido Kent is used to being at the beck and call of her more fortunate relatives. So when her niece Catherine urgently requests her presence at Bellfield Hall, the estate where Catherine has been visiting, Dido is not particularly surprised – until, that is, she discovers that Catherine’s fiancé has mysteriously disappeared, and Catherine wants her to find out the truth. When Dido arrives at Bellfield Hall, however, a second mystery falls into her lap: a woman has just been found shot to death in the shrubbery. Worried that Catherine’s fiancé might have had something to do with the dead woman, Dido begins to investigate both problems, but she soon finds that everyone at Bellfield Hall has something to hide.

Since I’m a big fan of both mysteries and historical fiction set in the Regency period, I was hoping to enjoy this book, and I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed! Dean effortlessly re-creates the language of Jane Austen’s England, and I very much enjoyed spending time in the world of this novel. The mystery was well plotted, with red herrings liberally strewn across Dido’s (and the reader’s) trail. I did guess many plot elements that Dido didn’t discover until much later, but there were still a few surprising twists at the end. As a mystery, the book is entertaining but not terribly innovative. However, the characters and setting were very well done, and I will definitely be purchasing the next book in the Dido Kent series when it comes out!

N.B. This book has also been published as A Moment of Silence.

Book #22: Tom Stoppard, Arcadia
Completed on: March 2
Category: The Play's the Thing

Sidley Park, 1809: Septimus Hodge, an urbane and witty young man, is the tutor of Thomasina Coverly, a 13-year-old mathematical genius. He also has romantic liaisons with several different women on the estate, one of which results in a challenge by the lady’s husband. Sidley Park, present day: A group of scholars studying the history of Sidley Park believe they have discovered an incredible find: the presence of Lord Byron at the park in 1809. As the two stories progress, they start to overlap more and more, until finally both stories are played out simultaneously on the same stage.

If the idea of combining literature, time paradoxes, sex, mathematics, and Newtonian determinism appeals to you, you should definitely read this play! It’s an unconventional work in several ways: the stage directions are extremely long and detailed, the action from two different time periods occurs at the same time, and several of the characters never speak a single line or even appear on stage. Stoppard is obviously being postmodern or avant-garde or something of the kind, and I’m quite sure I didn’t understand everything in the play, but I found it fascinating all the same. Thomasina’s mathematical equations were particularly interesting to me, especially when they became a sort of metaphor for the action of the play as a whole. I definitely recommend it!

The Anna Dean book, Bellfield Hall sound goods. I love mysteries and the Regency Period as well, must add this to my list!

@144 :: I definitely recommend it - it's a fun read! :)

Just wanted to let you know that I read and loved Enthusiasm, thanks for pointing the book out to me (or well, reviewing it here).

Book #23: Celia Rees, Pirates!
Completed on: March 5
Category: All Aboard

Nancy Kington has had a privileged childhood as the only daughter of a prosperous Bristol merchant. But when her father dies unexpectedly, Nancy discovers that her entire future has been decided by others: she is to sail to Jamaica and be married to a rich Portuguese plantation owner. Nancy is horrified by the treatment of slaves in Jamaica and repulsed by her intended groom, so, along with her personal maid/slave Minerva, she decides to run away. Together, the two girls eventually take to a life of piracy, have several adventures, and take their destinies into their own hands.

I should have paid more attention to the fact that this is a book for a much younger audience. I frequently enjoy reading YA and even children’s books, and I often find that they’re just as well written and interesting as their adult counterparts. However, that was not the case here. Nancy is the stereotypical “extraordinary girl” heroine, to whom the rules of her society somehow just don’t apply. She also has very modern sensibilities about slavery, which seemed a bit out of place in a novel set in the 1720s. The book is quite well written, though, which I finally noticed about three-fourths of the way through; at that point, I was able to enjoy certain passages. But overall, I think this book was just too “young” for me.

Book #24: Julie James, Something About You
Completed on: March 6
Category: Gallimaufry

Assistant U.S. attorney Cameron Lynde and FBI special agent Jack Pallas have never really gotten along. Three years ago, Jack was at the forefront of an undercover investigation of one of Chicago’s biggest mob bosses. He finally got the evidence he needed to put the criminal in jail – but Cameron, who was supposed to prosecute the case, inexplicably decided not to press charges. Infuriated, Jack made an ill-advised comment about her on national television, and was reassigned to Nebraska for his trouble. Now Jack blames Cameron for ruining his career…but unfortunately, he’s stuck with her once again when she turns out to be the key witness in a current murder investigation implicating a senator. As Jack is forced to protect Cameron, old tensions resurface; but just as aggravatingly, sparks start to fly. Can Cameron and Jack finally let bygones be bygones, or will the murderer strike again before they get the chance?

Ever since one of my friends recommended Julie James to me, she’s been one of my auto-buy authors. If you like well-written, funny, contemporary romance with an actual plot, you’ll probably like her too! This book was fluffy and charming, and I really liked it a lot. Since James has a legal background, the “law” parts of the book ring true, and I enjoyed the inventiveness of the plot: not only does it make the book read like a thriller, but it also provides Cameron and Jack with the perfect intimate setting – personal surveillance! I actually would have liked to see more of Cameron and Jack’s relationship, and a little bit less of the murder investigation plot. I also didn’t expect to get the murderer’s perspective as well as Cam’s and Jack’s; those sections were definitely the least fun parts of the book to read. Luckily they didn’t last long! Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you like contemporary romance – and check out James’s other books as well!

Book #25: Jane Yolen, Briar Rose
Completed on: March 7
Category: Once Upon a Time

Becca Berlin has grown up listening to her grandmother tell the story of Sleeping Beauty, or Briar Rose. Gemma’s tale is a little bit different from the Disney version of the story, but it’s Becca’s favorite anyway. However, when the last words Gemma speaks before she dies are “I am Briar Rose,” Becca is shocked: is Gemma’s mind wandering, or do her words have a rational meaning? Becca promises Gemma that she will discover the truth of the story, thus beginning a quest that will take her all the way to a tiny village in Poland. Ultimately, she learns the horrible truth behind Gemma’s fairy tale and discovers a new aspect of her own identity.

I was so intrigued by the concept of this book, connecting the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty to the Holocaust. In my opinion, Yolen does this beautifully: Gemma’s story intertwines with the mysterious events of her early life perfectly. I must confess, I found Becca herself a bit annoying, and her love interest Stan even more so. In fact, all the modern characters (except Becca) seemed basically unnecessary to the novel. Gemma’s story is much more interesting, and I felt that this aspect of the book could have been fleshed out a lot more. It seems like Yolen had to skim over or rush through a lot of things, possibly because this is a YA novel, and I think an adult novel might have been more successful. This book wasn’t a bad read by any means, but I was underwhelmed by it, probably because I’d heard so many rave reviews. I’d recommend it for the concept, but I was not a huge fan of the execution.

Book #26: Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm
Completed on: March 15
Category: The Twentieth Century

Flora Poste is an energetic, capable young woman who likes her life to be tidy; so when she goes to live with her cousins the Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm, she knows immediately that she has hard work ahead. Her cousins are unkempt and unhappy; the farm and its livestock are falling to bits (literally – several of the cows have lost legs and horns!); and everyone is frightened of Aunt Ada Doom, who only leaves her room twice a year. Flora has an uphill battle ahead, but her brisk efficiency soon begins to have an effect on those around her. Can she save the gloomy Starkadders from themselves, or will she be caught in their toils and obliged to marry the ridiculous Mr. Mybug?

When I first started reading this book, I had to read in fits and starts, because I didn’t have enough time to sit down and give it a proper start. For this reason, I wasn’t really aware of how great the book is until I was about halfway through. Having finished it, I now feel enraged that no one ever recommended it to me before – I had to discover it on my own! This book is absolutely hysterical, and I’m so glad I picked it up. Flora is a delightful character who reminded me somewhat of Jane Austen’s Emma, and it was great fun watching her try to organize everybody around her. The Starkadders are a morbidly comic bunch, particularly old Adam, who cleans dishes with a twig and talks like Joseph, the servant from Wuthering Heights. I love how Gibbons put a star next to the “good” (a.k.a. most hilariously parodic) passages, and I’m still wondering what exactly it was that Aunt Ada Doom saw in the woodshed! If you’re in the mood for a light read or a good laugh, I definitely recommend this book!

Book #27: Steve Chandler and Terrence N. Hill, Two Guys Read Jane Austen
Completed on: March 16
Category: The Austen Marathon

The title of this book is pretty much self-explanatory: Steve and Terry are two men in their 60s who decide to read Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park, then write each other letters about their reactions to the novels. Interspersed with their discussions of Austen are their musings on other books, music, love, politics, the modern age, and anything else that comes to mind.

I’ve often been interested in what guys think about Jane Austen. Most of the ones I’ve come across didn’t like her – if they even bothered to read her! So Chandler and Hill surprised me by liking P&P and MP a lot. This was gratifying; however, they didn’t really discuss the books on a particularly deep level. Anyone who’s studied Austen in a college lit class has probably engaged in more intellectually rigorous commentary. But the authors are good-humored and likable enough, although I didn’t agree with all their opinions, and it’s obvious that they are very close to each other. Overall, I found this book mildly entertaining, but I wouldn’t read it again.

However, let this be an invitation to all the men out there: if these guys can handle it, so can you!

The premise of the book did spark my interest. I'm always curious to hear what guys thinkg about Jane Austen. I'm not really surprised that they seemed to like it though, you can hardly write a book with such a title and end up hating her work.

@152 :: Haha, that's probably true -- if they'd hated it, their book wouldn't have been published!

Book #28: Haven Kimmel, Iodine
Completed on: March 19
Category: On the Shelf

Trace Pennington is a brilliant, beautiful young woman just a few credits shy of her college graduation, but her intellectual achievement masks an extremely troubled mind. There are portions of her childhood she can’t quite remember, and she has disturbing dreams. After running away from home to escape an abusive mother, she’s now hiding in an abandoned farmhouse with only her dog Weeds for company. As Trace takes courses on psychology and literature, she falls in love with one of her professors and slowly starts to reassemble the pieces of her past.

I’ve been a fan of Haven Kimmel’s work for a long time now, and I must say that this novel is very different from most of her earlier books. It’s a lot darker, and there is much less humor; additionally, most of the book takes place in Trace’s own mind. That’s not to say that the book isn’t good – far from it – but it’s nothing like A Girl Named Zippy, for example. I actually liked all the emphasis on psychology, and the discussions of Freud, Jung, and Hillman were probably my favorite parts of the book. I didn’t find the main characters likable, but at least Trace was interesting. The writing style was a bit hit-or-miss for me; some parts seemed pretentious, but others were quite beautiful. Overall, I’m glad I finally read this book, but it’s not my favorite by Kimmel.

Thank you for your description of Cold Comfort Farm. It has been recommended to me, but I never actually knew what it was all about. It sounds pretty good and I'll have to push it up the wish list, maybe I'll add it to my Recommendation Category.

@155 :: I really enjoyed Cold Comfort Farm, so I will officially recommend it to you! :) Hope you enjoy it if you do pick it up!

Book #29: Catherine Allgor, A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation
Completed on: March 28
Category: Story of Their Lives

In this biography of Dolley Madison, Allgor claims that Dolley had an extremely important role in the development of the early American republic. James Madison, despite his brilliant intellectual achievements of drafting the Constitution and co-writing The Federalist, did not have a very strong social personality. Fortunately for him, his wife did: Dolley’s friendly, sociable nature enabled her to operate covertly in the political sphere. Her extravagant weekly parties, to which all the important political players were invited, provided the opportunity for political deals to be struck in an informal setting. According to Allgor, Dolley also used her position as First Lady to unite America through the use of political symbolism, especially in her famous rescue of George Washington’s portrait from the burning White House during the War of 1812.

As with most nonfiction, it took me forever to get through this book. A Perfect Union is a well researched and extremely detailed biography, and the writing style is lively and interesting. Nonetheless, Allgor repeats herself at times in her eagerness to state her thesis, and in my opinion, she overstates it somewhat. It does seem likely that Dolley was aware of the political significance of her actions, but maybe not to the extent that Allgor believes. Significantly, Allgor often makes claims beginning with words like “surely” or “undoubtedly” – a sign that actual historical evidence may be lacking. My other issue with the book is that it spends a lot of time on the broader history and politics of the day, much of which had nothing to do with Dolley. Did we really need such a long and involved section on the War of 1812? While the context was helpful, it got a bit tedious at times. Overall, I thought this book was interesting for the history of the early 1800s in America, but it wasn’t particularly compelling for me.

Arcadia ranks up there as one of my fave plays and all-time fave Stoppards ever -- it is so clever and witty on so many different levels... And I have Bellfield Hall on my TBR pile -- under both its titles *eyes roll* having assumed they were different books. Ho hum...

@158 :: Why do they publish books under different titles? I've never really understood that. I mean, yes, sometimes the UK title might have a cultural reference that Americans wouldn't understand, or vice versa, but most of the time there doesn't seem to be any reason for it!

I really loved Arcadia too! I remember seeing it performed many years ago, long before I could actually understand what was going on -- but I'd been wanting to read the play since then. :)

March recap:

What a slow month! I almost got through one book from each category, but alas, I got stuck on The Bourne Identity, which goes in I Spy. I'm about halfway through it, though, and it moves pretty quickly, so hopefully I'll be done soon! I'm looking forward to new adventures in April.

Book #30: Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity
Completed on: April 4
Category: I Spy

An unnamed man is attacked by fishermen on a boat somewhere in the Mediterranean. Gravely injured, he falls overboard and loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he remembers nothing, not even his own name. But when several attempts are made on his life, he comes to the terrifying realization that someone wants him dead – and he doesn’t know why. Now he must race against time to solve the mystery of his own identity. How did he learn so much about weapons and combat? What is his connection to the infamous assassin known as Carlos? And, most importantly – who is Jason Bourne?

I had been looking forward to reading this book, but I must say, I was somewhat disappointed. The plot is extremely interesting, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the ingenuity of some of the plot twists. Actually, though, this was part of my problem with the book as well: there were just too many events in the plot. Just when I thought I understood what was going on, something would happen that would open up an entirely new storyline. Instead of adding to the suspense, the constant twisting and turning just made me want to put the book down. Also, Ludlum’s writing style is not the greatest, especially his dialogue. That said, the book was reasonably entertaining, and I certainly don’t consider it a waste of time. However, I won’t be continuing with the later books in this series.

Book #31: Francesca Lia Block, Psyche in a Dress
Completed on: April 4
Category: Once Upon a Time

In this extremely short verse novel, some of the best-known stories of Greek mythology are transposed into the modern world. Psyche is the daughter of a film producer who forces her to do nude scenes in his films. Her mother left years ago; lost and alone, Psyche has no one to turn to. Then one night a mysterious lover enters her bedroom window, and the two fall deeply in love. However, their relationship is short-lived, and when her lover disappears, Psyche must cope with her terrible loss. She goes on many journeys, experiences new loves, and eventually comes to a greater knowledge of herself.

This is a strangely beautiful little volume of poetry, full of vivid imagery and whimsical descriptions. I thought the re-imaginings of the various myths were interesting; I especially liked Orpheus as a burned-out musician with a gravelly voice who performs at open mic nights (when he’s not working as a bartender). Another of my favorite parts was the description of Aphrodite’s clothing shop: “There were dresses of petals / jackets of butterfly wings / or bird feathers / cloaks of leaves / coats of spiderwebs.” Some of the individual stories are quite disturbing, and nearly all of them contain overtly sexual elements – I was surprised to see such explicit content in a “YA” book. Ultimately, I think this is the kind of work that needs to be read more than once, and I’d definitely be willing to do so. If the concept interests you, I would recommend this book.

>161 christina_reads: -- the movie is far better, as you don't have to wrestle with Ludlum's 'prose'...

@163 :: I did enjoy the movie, and it seemed to be paced much better than the book. I did like the plot of the book better -- they left a lot of things out of the movie, if I remember correctly -- but the writing style was pretty distracting!

Book #32: Gwen Bristow, Celia Garth
Completed on: April 8
Category: I Spy

It’s 1779 and the American Revolution is in full swing – but to Celia Garth, a twenty-year-old seamstress in Charleston, SC, the war seems very far away. Celia’s biggest problem is that her employer, Mrs. Thorley, won’t let her do the complicated and elaborate sewing that she yearns to do; but even this problem seems to disappear when her work catches the eye of the rich and influential Vivian Lacy. However, in 1780 the British successfully invade Charleston, and suddenly everything changes. Celia sees and experiences the ravages of war firsthand, and her support for the patriot cause grows stronger every day. Ultimately, Celia moves past personal tragedy and discovers new sources of strength and hope.

I don’t know what’s going on with me, but for some reason books just haven’t been grabbing me lately! I find myself getting distracted and not being able to concentrate on what I’m reading. So I didn’t enjoy Celia Garth as much as I know I would have at another time. It’s definitely the kind of book I enjoy, and I have no complaints to make about plot, characters, style, or anything else. It’s sweet and nostalgic, and it seems a little bit like something that Louisa May Alcott or L. M. Montgomery would write. I was especially pleased with the ending, because there was a certain element of the book that was bothering me for a while, but it got ironed out in the end! So I would definitely recommend this book, and I plan to try it again sometime when I’m in the right mood for it.

I read all of Gwen Bristow's books many years ago and absolutely loved them. I'm sorry that you are in a bit of a reading slump right now, I know how frustrating that can be. Hope your next read will be the one to snap you out of it.

@166 :: I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Bristow! As for the slump, I'll just have to snap myself out of it, for there are challenges to win! :)

Book #33: Jennifer Crusie, ed., Flirting with Pride and Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece
Completed on: April 11
Category: The Austen Marathon

In this collection of essays and stories, well-known writers of the romance and chick-lit genres share their thoughts about Jane Austen’s most beloved novel. Contributors include Jo Beverley, Mercedes Lackey, Teresa Medeiros, and Karen Joy Fowler. They speculate on the fate of Austen’s secondary characters like Mary Bennet and Charlotte Lucas; they discuss the various P&P film adaptations and modernizations and compare them to the book; they swoon over Mr. Darcy, both in his original form and in his incarnation as Colin Firth. Through it all, they talk about why they love the novel and offer theories about its enduring appeal.

I didn’t enjoy this book, but it’s my own fault; my expectations simply weren’t reasonable in light of the book’s cover, blurbs, and title. Maybe if I had read it when I first bought it several years ago, I would have liked it more; but between now and then I’ve become pretty jaded about the Austen mania currently sweeping the publishing industry. For example, some of the essays talked about Charlotte Lucas’s decision to marry Mr. Collins – was she a mercenary gold-digger, or was she very sensibly settling for the best fate she could get? Since I’ve heard the debate several times before, I didn’t really get anything new out of those essays. Also, if I read one more gushing tribute to Colin Firth in the wet shirt, I’m going to scream!

The contribution that irritated me the most, though, was a short story about Mary Bennet, in which Mary was actually a clever and witty character who simply refused to conform to her society’s norms. It really frustrated me because that is simply not the character of Mary Bennet as Austen wrote her. The Mary Bennet of Pride and Prejudice is pompous and vain and silly, and no amount of creative interpretation can change her into something else! Anyway, as a whole I was disappointed with this anthology. Some people might find it a fun read, but it definitely wasn’t the book for me.

Completely agree with you re Mary Bennet -- feminist re-interpretation run amok, I fear!
I'm not sure which is becoming more oppressive, Tudor-mania, or Austen-mania. Both are in full flood, definitely.

169 :: I think a lot of the problem with Austen mania is that some people want all of Austen's characters to be Elizabeth Bennet. Look at what they did to Fanny Price in the 1996 and 2007 versions of Mansfield Park! Sure, Lizzy is a delightful character, but she's not the only character that Austen wrote!

There does seem to be a lot of Tudor mania out there as well...I haven't really gotten into it though. But I was thinking of doing a category on the Tudors for the 2011 challenge! :)

The Colin Firth in a wet shirt gets on my nerves as well. You know I never really remembered that scene until everyone started to talk about it. I mean, it was funny when Bridget Jones did it (because that was the first time I saw it), but it got old soon.

And Mary Bennet as a non-conformist, I think I've heard about that before and it just isn't how Austen intended her to be.

I think your observation that everyone's trying to turn every character into Elizabeth is an interesting one. I think it might be true for a lot of adaptations.

If Colin Firth in a wet shirt gets on your nerves, you are welcome to send him over to me. :)

@171 :: Yes, I had no idea the wet-shirt scene was such an important event! Perhaps there's something wrong with me! With regard to the fanfic and films, I do enjoy many of them; it just bothers me when the authors and adapters completely change Austen's original characters. Why mess with excellence?

@172 :: Haha, it's not Colin Firth in the shirt that gets on my nerves...I certainly don't mind seeing that myself! It's just the fangirlish gushing that bothers me. Some people seem to view Colin-in-the-wet-shirt as the only source of Mr. Darcy's sexiness --but I think his nobility of character makes him sexy! :)

So true re Colin Firth, Christina. It's like sexy=ultra-explicity & excessively numerous sex scenes, when really sometimes less is more. And Darcy's character, his ability to think of others and what they need, and what he can do for them, in a low-key way, was always what impressed me. I wouldn't go sleep in the bathtub if I found Colin Firth lounging in my bed, but it's as if that is the be-all and end-all to Austen, when what she is really addressing is long-term compatibility. She makes a similar point with Bingley & Jane, both of whom, as Lizzie observes, are almost too sweet to be true.

@174 :: Exactly -- less is more! There's no overt sensuality in Austen's novels, yet the sexual tension is still there. I don't need to see (or read about) the hot sex life of Lizzy and Darcy. I'm sure it exists, but I'm happy to leave them to their privacy. :)

Book #34: Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Completed on: April 12
Category: The Butler Did It

Flavia de Luce is a precocious 11-year-old girl with a gift for chemistry and a passion for poisons. She lives with her father and two obnoxious older sisters in a crumbling mansion in rural England. She spends most of her time concocting elaborate schemes to make her sisters miserable, so when she stumbles upon a dying man in the cucumber patch, it’s the most thrilling event of her life. Flavia’s intimate knowledge of chemical compounds (as well as vast amounts of trivia) leads her to suspect foul play, so she decides to solve the mystery. Her investigation leads her to a decades-old scandal, several run-ins with the local police, and an extremely valuable postage stamp. But will Flavia’s discoveries put her own life in jeopardy?

I’ve read several reviews of this book – apparently I’m the last person on earth to read it – and the most frequent criticism I’ve seen is that Flavia is simply not believable as an 11-year-old girl. She’s too smart, she knows too much, and she’s too calm in the face of danger. I’ll concede all of it, and even add that, if she were a real 11-year-old girl, she would be in need of some serious psychiatric treatment. I could see her growing up to become a serial killer herself! Despite the improbability of Flavia’s character, though, her voice is absolutely irresistible. Her narration is a joy to read, especially her whimsical descriptions of the other characters, and I was happy simply to be carried along for the ride. I found the plot intriguing and well crafted, and the short foray into philatelic history was fascinating. My only other quibble with the book is that there’s an extremely large info dump in the middle, where Flavia’s father delivers an improbably long monologue about his past. Though the information was necessary (and quite interesting), I thought the delivery was clumsy. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Flavia’s adventures!

Oh dear, I think I may be the last person on LT who hasn't read this book yet! I plan on it, just don't know when I'll get around to it. Maybe you should recommend it to me and I can add it to that category! By the way, I am now reading Cold Comfort Farm - thanks to your recommendation :)

Ms. Flavia de Luce is sitting here atop my TBR pile, staring at my reproachfully. So you're not the only one to have delayed reading it!! That said, I do hate data dumps in novels. Isn't there a more skillful way to achieve the same end??

Re Colin Firth: Yes, less is more absolutely!
I actually came across a book with a title something like"The forgotten sex scenes of Jane Austen"? I was astounded, cannot believe it's published and sold, although I guess I'm not surprised that it sells.

Funny, I have both The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and Cold Comfort Farm on my TBR list. I'm just waiting for it to be available to read (or arrive with the post).

@177 :: Want me to recommend The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie to you? Consider it done! :)

@178 :: I definitely think the info dump could have been done more skillfully...it was frustrating because the rest of the book was so good! To be fair, I don't really know how else the info could have been conveyed, and it was definitely important to the story. Yet I still complain. :)

@179 :: Re the sex scenes: it makes me sad that such a thing exists, but like you, I'm not surprised that it would be popular. I just wish they would leave Jane Austen alone already!

Book #35: George MacDonald Fraser, The Pyrates
Completed on: April 16
Category: All Aboard

Imagine every pirate novel you’ve ever read and every Errol Flynn movie you’ve ever seen: combine them all together, and you pretty much have the plot of this book. The impossibly heroic Captain Ben Avery is charged with an important, top-secret mission: he must deliver a crown made of priceless gems to the king of Madagascar. Naturally, his transport ship is beset by pirates, and Avery must recapture his precious cargo so that he can perform his duty and save his reputation. However, Avery is plagued with difficulties, including not only the band of cutthroat pirates, but also a scurrilous rogue named Colonel Blood, a melodramatically evil Spaniard, a race of cannibals, the censure of his own government, and various beautiful women who all have lecherous designs on his virtue.

If you’re in the mood for nonstop parody from beginning to end, you can’t do better than this book. Fraser delivers a hilarious send-up of the swashbuckler genre, complete with wanton anachronisms, cheeky cinematic references, and several weird accents. You’ll certainly appreciate the humor more if you’ve encountered some of the classic pirate books and films, but there’s plenty for neophytes to laugh at as well. I do think the book is a little one-note; after all, once you’ve gotten the “funny book about pirates” concept, there’s not much else to it. But it’s definitely an entertaining read, and I’d recommend it if you’re into this sort of thing.

Book #36: George Orwell, Animal Farm
Completed on: April 16
Category: The Twentieth Century

One night, all the animals of the Manor Farm decide to rebel against its human owner and institute a new regime. Their chief ideal is that all animals are equal, and they believe firmly that, by eliminating humans from the farm, their lives will greatly improve. However, shortly after the revolution, things start to go awry. The pigs, being the smartest animals, start to take control of everything, and a power struggle emerges between the two most prominent pigs, Snowball and Napoleon. Before any of the other animals know what is happening, they find themselves cold, hungry, and terrified of saying or doing anything that might incur the pigs’ wrath.

Believe it or not, I never had to read this book in school, so this was my first exposure to it. Nevertheless, I knew that it was an allegory of the Russian Revolution and Soviet Communism, with the various animal characters standing in for actual historical figures such as Stalin. As such, it is a very thought-provoking and sobering read, with the ending being particularly chilling. I can definitely see why it is still required reading in most (though apparently not all!) schools, because the fundamental political questions it raises are still relevant today. Although this is a short novel written in a very plain style, it definitely has staying power and provides a lot of food for thought.

Book #37: Alison Sinclair, Darkborn
Completed on: April 17
Category: Gallimaufry

The ancient city of Minhorne is under a curse: the people have been split into two races, Darkborn and Lightborn. The Darkborn are completely nocturnal and will die immediately upon contact with sunlight; they cannot see, so instead they use a process called sonning, similar to a bat’s echolocation. The Lightborn, by contrast, cannot abide the darkness, so the two races have little contact. When Balthasar Hearne, a Darkborn physician, delivers a set of Darkborn twins who can see, he soon realizes that something unusal is afoot – and when thugs come looking for the twins a few days later, kidnapping his own daughter as a hostage, he also realizes that he’s in an extremely dangerous situation. Now Bal, his wife Telmaine, and an assortment of friends and family must discover who wants the twins and why, because the answers might have far-reaching consequences for Darkborn and Lightborn alike.

On the whole, I thought this was a solid fantasy novel. The setting was intriguing, the characters had some depth and complexity, and the plot moved at a good pace. However, I never really lost myself in the world of the book. Although the Darkborn supposedly can’t see, all the characters act as though they have perfect vision: they can drive carriages, make judgments about physical beauty, even shoot weapons! I guess sonning is supposed to be a perfect substitute, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around the concept. Additionally, there are a lot of disparate plot lines running around, and most of them are not resolved at the end of the book, since it’s the first of a trilogy. I’m probably interested enough to continue with the series, but I hope the next book provides some resolution!

Book #38: Molière, Tartuffe (trans. Haskell M. Block)
Completed on: April 18
Category: The Play's the Thing

In this French comedy, the eponymous Tartuffe is a scurrilous hypocrite who has insinuated himself into the household of Orgon. Orgon is completely deceived by Tartuffe’s expressions of religious piety, even though everyone else in the family can see through him. Tartuffe’s influence over Orgon increases until Orgon is ready to give Tartuffe everything, including his own property and his daughter’s hand in marriage; so his shocked wife and children decide that they must put a stop to Tartuffe’s devious plans.

Although this play is technically a comedy since everything ends well, there’s actually not much humor in it, which I found disappointing. The maid Dorine has a few funny lines, and I admired her as the spunkiest character in the play, but I felt like a lot more could have been done with her. In fact, the overall tone of the play is pretty somber, and things just get worse and worse for Orgon’s family until a deus ex machina (the King of France) steps in to save the day. Nonetheless, the play has some very interesting things to say about religion; in fact, it was originally banned in several parts of France because it was considered to be impious. But Molière argues in his preface that he is not making fun of truly religious men, but only of hypocrites who use religion to justify their own corrupt desires. He also makes a very persuasive argument in favor of the proposition that “the function of comedy is to correct men’s vices.” Ultimately, I found the historical context of the play to be much more interesting than the play itself.

Book #39: Elizabeth C. Bunce, A Curse Dark as Gold
Completed on: April 19
Category: Once Upon a Time

When Charlotte Miller’s father dies, she inherits both the crumbling Stirwaters mill and all the troubles that go along with it. She and her feisty sister Rosie struggle to make ends meet as one catastrophe after another befalls the mill. Practical Charlotte thinks that the problems are sheer coincidence and bad luck, but rumors around town whisper of a curse on Stirwaters and the Miller family. After a particularly harsh blow falls, Charlotte is in danger of losing Stirwaters, and she’ll do anything to stop that from happening – even if it means making a bargain with a mysterious stranger who offers to spin straw into gold. But what will happen when the stranger’s price is something Charlotte cannot pay?

This imaginative retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is well written and beautifully plotted: each seemingly random detail unfolds at exactly the right moment to provide the ingenious resolution of the curse. The story can be a bit dark and dreary, but that fits the nature of the tale and creates a compelling atmosphere. I especially liked the revelation of the story behind the curse, which was emotionally concentrated and very intense; it made me pity even the villains. I also liked the romantic aspect of the novel, which was rather unique in that it continued to develop after the marriage. I honestly can’t think of any criticisms; if you enjoy fairy tale retellings, I would definitely recommend this novel.

I love fairy tale retellings and A Curse Dark as Gold sounds really good. I am adding it to my wishlist. Thanks.

Hope you enjoy it! I love fairy tale retellings too, and I liked that this book was inspired by Rumpelstiltskin, which is not one of the more commonly retold stories!

Book #40: Vera Caspary, Laura
Completed on: April 21
Category: The Butler Did It

This novel, a quintessential example of noir fiction, centers around the murder of the beautiful and talented Laura Hunt. Police detective Mark McPherson has been assigned to the case, and he investigates the murder by cultivating relationships with Laura’s friends and family members. As he searches for motives, McPherson becomes particularly interested in the men in Laura’s life, her fiancé Shelby Carpenter and her old friend Waldo Lydecker. He also scours Laura’s personal belongings in search of clues; but as he learns more and more about the dead woman, he finds himself falling under her spell.

I read this book because I absolutely love the movie of the same name (starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, and Clifton Webb). I was very impressed at how closely the movie follows the book – obviously certain things are left out of the movie, but nothing central to the plot or atmosphere. One interesting aspect of the novel is that it’s divided into sections, each narrated from a different point of view, which gives a unique insight into the characters’ motives. The strength of this book is definitely its plot, which is wonderfully suspenseful and unique; however, the characters and writing aren’t particularly interesting. I would recommend this book in conjunction with the movie, but I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if I hadn’t seen the film.

Hi Christina - I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the book. I've had it on my TBR shelf for years, and the movie is one of my favorites! I'll be moving the book up my reading list. Thanks!

Hope you like it, LauraBrook!

Book #41: Sándor Márai, Embers (trans. Carol Brown Janeway)
Completed on: April 24
Category: On the Shelf

One afternoon in late summer, an old general receives word that a guest will be visiting him at his estate that night. The general is excited but not surprised; he knows that the guest is Konrad, a man who was once his best friend, but whom he hasn’t seen or heard from in more than forty years. Since that breach, the general has waited for this moment, when he will finally see Konrad again and obtain the answers to questions he’s been asking for decades. When the two men meet again, their conversation comprehends both their shared history and the ultimate meaning of their friendship.

The action of this book takes place almost entirely in a single room; the dialogue is essentially one long monologue of an old man narrating a series of events that took place many years ago. And it’s completely riveting. This book surprised me by being beautifully written, extremely suspenseful, and deeply profound. It carried me along on the characters’ dark emotional journey, and the sudden revelations of past mysteries took my breath away, even when I suspected them ahead of time. I was also very interested in the characters’ reflections on fundamental questions about life, friendship, love, guilt, and death. If you’re interested in reading a deeply introspective novel with richly complex characters, I would definitely recommend this book.

I just bought a copy of Embers yesterday. I'm glad you found it worthwhile.

I hope you enjoy it, RidgewayGirl!

That's weird because I just bought Embers as well! $2 at a used book sale--glad to know I made a good choice!

April recap:

I'm doing the recap now because I'm fairly certain I won't finish another book before the end of the month! I'm still hard at work on John Adams for the group read, but aside from that, I've read one or more books in each category. I even managed to do a little non-challenge reading: Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet, The Sword: Chiveis Trilogy by Brian M. Litfin, and Lord of the Far Island by Victoria Holt. I just bought a lot of new books that can be used for this challenge, so I'm excited about what lies ahead! :)

Also, as a logistical matter, I decided to start a new thread, since this one is getting pretty long, and a lot of other LTers seem to be doing it! So I will succumb to the peer pressure and start a new thread, which is here. Please come over and visit! :)

@194 :: That's $2 well spent. :) Hope you enjoy it!