calm counting (should reach 50 by the end of the year!)

As I am popping in on other threads both here and on the 75 Book Challenge I really think I should start my own thread somewhere.

My name is calm and I found LT in June, great place and a fun community to hang out with.

I am going to list everything I have read since June 22nd (when I started tracking reading dates).

I am also trying to review anything with fewer than 5 reviews on LT. They might not be very good reviews but I will try to give an impression of my reaction to the book and some idea of genre.

After a bit of maths and looking at my TBR list I should make the 50 by the start of next year. I know I can have any start date but I like the idea of an annual challenge.




Edit to add : I have marked some books as reviewed, sometimes the review is so short that I have included it; other times it is not much more than an expansion of my post reading comments. There are also times that I did not put post reading comments and instead have linked to the review.

The Books So Far - listed in order of finished reading dates as catalogued.

1) Starlight (http://www.librarything.com/work/203321) by Alfred Bester (reviewed)

2) The Praise Singer by Mary Renault (reviewed)

3) The ThirtyFirst of June by J. B. Priestly (reviewed)

4) Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon (released as Outlander in the USA and the start of a re-read of the whole series based on the knowledge that there is a publication date for the next in the series)

5) Dragonfly in Amber

6) Voyager

7) The Drums of Autumn

8) Fiery Cross (the point that I realised the publication date for the new book I had was for the US hardback so would be unable to request it from my local library until next year!)

9) American Gods by Neil Gaiman

10) Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (reviewed)

11) Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

12) The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

13) Unicorn Variations by Roger Zelazny (reviewed)

14) Falcons of Narabelda (http://www.librarything.com/work/3291230) by Marion Zimmer Bradley (reviewed)

15) Fairyland by Paul J. McAuley (reviewed)

16) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (reviewed)

17) Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

18) Strands of Starlight by Gael Baudino (reviewed)

19) Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin

I have tried to sort out the unloaded touchstones and I am going to say that I think 17 out of 19 is a fair result as the other 2 are still loading:(

Ok I have put in links to the ones without touchstones. I am hoping that everything leads to the right place. I have also marked the ones I have reviewed.

20 and 21) The Songs of Earth and Power by Greg Bear (reviewed)

This is an omnibus edition of his duology so
20) The Infinity Concerto -(start Sep 11, 2009 -finished reading Sep 15 2009). Full review to come sometime after finishing the second book.

My first impressions are that this is about a sulky, spoilt American teenager magically transported to another world. A common theme in fantasy fiction which when done well connects us to the author's world. Unfortunately in this case a large part of my energy at the start of the book was spent trying to sort out two alien worlds -{the world of the sidhe (fantasy world) and 1980's (publication date) America with earlier Hollywood references}. The further I read the easier it was to read as Michael's attitude and way of life changes. I do like the world created even though I did not find Michael a sympathetic character - too much spoilt rich kid for my liking. I liked how the story develops and am hoping that the second book in the duology will be better from the start as the world building has been done and the spoilt kid has grown up (a little bit!).

21) The Serpent Mage - (start Sep 16, 2009- finished Sep 19, 2009)
Much better. Glad I had this in an omnibus edition as I might not have cared enough to get a copy of this! I will think about a review!

Hi calm;
How are you doing? I like how you have set up your thread. Nice to see you have been enjoying the Gabaldon Outlander series. The next one comes out here next month and I can hardly wait. I have had it on pre-order for over a year now. When a new one of hers comes out I always want to go back and reread the entire series. The first one, however remains my favorite of all of them.
Will catch you again soo.
hugs,
belva

Hi belva, I guess I am not very good at visiting my own thread! Unfortunately I cannot afford to be importing new release hardbacks from the US and the new Gabaldon is not released in the UK until next year- so a long wait and, as I normally wait to buy in paperback here, I have to be on the library waiting list. Who knows when I will manage to read it and how successfully I will avoid spoilers!

Thanks for dropping by, it's nice to have a visitor :)

calm

22) Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (start Sep 20 2009 - finished Sep 21 2009) (reviewed)

Still reading sci-fi and fantasy with teenage protagonists but this one at least was published in the 21st century and, so far, is an easier read. Good story and interesting world building.

Sep 21 - A quick and easy read, I liked the way the world was described. Nice ideas but in some ways derivative but then again how many plots are there?
In this one a young orphan boy travels through the landscape of a futuristic Earth trying to get home and in the process discovers that home is not the great place he thought it was. I do not think I will bother with the sequels but as this was Philip Reeve's debut novel I might read them one day!

23) Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne (start Sep 21 2009 - finished Sep 21 2009)

A couple of weeks ago I found a nice hardback omnibus copy containing Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh corner with the E.H. Shepard illustrations and as I was having a few computer problems this morning I felt in need of a visit to old friends!

That made me feel good. I love the illustrations (especially Eeyore!). I will save The House at Pooh Corner for another day.

24) Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes; translated by Motteux (start Sep 21 - abandoned unfinished at the start of chapter 59)

This is an old copy I found in a used book shop. I know that the Motteux translation is not well thought of, but I wanted to read a version that had been translated soon after the original publication of Don Quixote. It has the name H. Evans with the date Aug 1927 inscribed on the fly leaf. It is in lovely condition. Being so old the pages are very thin and the typeface very small!

ABANDONED (writing this Oct 27 - I haven't read this book for a couple of weeks)
I really enjoyed reading book 1 — I liked the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and the way Cervantes satirises the popular fiction of the day.

Then I started book 2 — written (I think) 10 years after the first and the whole feel is different. I am actually finding this mean spirited and cruel. It lacks the charm of the first. I can not persuade myself to continue reading.

I have been having a few computer problems so haven't been updating here:( Time to rectify the situation. At the moment I am reading three books. Still reading the Cervantes:) but as much as I am enjoying Don Quixote the typeface isn't that easy to read so I have added a couple of others to the mix.

25) Tides of War by Steven Pressfield. (start Sep 22 - finished Oct 3) (reviewed)

A fictional account of the Peloponnesian War. This was slow going. My main problem being the distance between me (as reader) and the protagonist.
First of all there is the author; then the story is filtered as though an old man relating the story to his grandson; he is doing this as he was the man defending Alcibiades' assassin (Polemides) - who is in a prison cell awaiting trial for another murder.

I sort of understand why Pressfield does this. It gives him an opportunity to tell the story where Polemides is not present and also have an additional storyline of Socrates last days.

This means that there are so many layers between the reader and the actual story that I could never really connect. A pity as I think if this had been a straight story of one Athenian's experience of the Peloponessian war it might have been a better book. As is it is too dry an account, a much expanded history book. I suppose you do get some idea of what it might have been like to live through those times.

Third book on the go is a collection of short stories.

26) Free Amazons of Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley (start Sep 23 - Finished Sep 27 ) (reviewed)

This is a re-read. A collection of short stories based on MZB's Darkover series. These stories focus on the women who become renunciates (Free Amazons) and the women in the history of the world who helped create an escape for the abused or misfits within that patriarchal society. I can not say whether this book would work for anybody who is not familiar with the world.

27) Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood. (start Oct 1 - Oct 16) (reviewed)

Margaret Atwood collection of short stories.

Margaret Atwood writes beautiful prose, each of these stories evokes a real feel of time and place -from summer camp; first love; looking back on life and career. The only thing is that none of them invoke a feel of peace or contentment with life. These are stories of loss and pain and sacrifice, I made the mistake of reading 3 or 4 in a row without stopping. This is a collection to be savoured slowly — to think about life and choices. Beautiful; evocative and to be read slowly.

28) Under A Velvet Cloak by Piers Anthony (start Oct 3 - finished Oct 4 ) (reviewed)

Book 8 in the Incarnations of Immortality series - what can I say apart from "I am a completeist". I think that this series started with some interesting ideas and that some of his earlier works are really good but he does drag things out.

At least it didn't take long to read and I know not to read any more. I am still a fan of some of his earlier work but any ideas he may originally have had are buried under endless descriptions of sex. The main character is a girl who has lots of sex while looking for her first lover and then (when her son is cursed) even more sex seeking revenge on the incarnations. This book even includes a sparkly vampire!! - not my idea of a good book.

29) Un Lun Dun by China Mieville (started Oct 4 - finished Oct 6) (reviewed)

YA/children's book (and I am "borrowing" the cover idea! as seen in other people's threads)

Brilliant. Loved it and reviewed it! Hope this links.
http://www.librarything.com/work/1326705/reviews

30) The Grey King by Susan Cooper (start Oct 6 - finished Oct 6)

Part 4 of The Dark is Rising Sequence for the group read. The further I read this series the more I want to read. I didn't want to put this down and I wanted to go straight into the fifth and final book.

31) Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay (start Oct 7 - finished Oct 9) (reviewed)

Loved it! So much that I am going to read the second book straight away. I also need some time to think of a review. (Poor Don Quixote is on hold for now)

32) Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay (start Oct 9 - Oct 11) (reviewed)

The second part of the Sarantine Mosaic is a wonderful fantasy, GGK’s reworking of Byzantium is a gem of a book. An intricate interweaving of light and dark; pain and hope; as beautiful as the mosaics crafted. The characters, descriptions and use of language are a delight. 5 stars.

33) The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (start Oct 11 - Oct 12)

A very nice twist on the Alice in Wonderland story.

34) Runemarks by Joanne Harris (Oct12 - Oct 14)

Joanne Harris has written a children's book about a world set 500 years after Ragnarok. I am not able to review it properly until I re-read (I've had a head cold and find it difficult to arrange my thoughts). Initial thoughts are that I found it very readable; a different take on the Norse Gods and their relationships and rivalries; she obviously knows her subject and how to write but I think this is one for older children.

35) Song of Sorcery by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (Oct 14- Oct 15) (reviewed)

This is an enjoyable romp of a story. Maggie Brown is a witch who goes looking for her pretty, flighty sister who has run off with a Gypsy. Elizabeth Scarborough manages to fit in encounters with goblins, dragons, unicorns, Knights, princes and minstrels (and other fantasy regulars) without the story seeming rushed or stereotyped. Great fun and I look forward to reading more from this world.

36) The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany (start Oct 15 - Oct 16) (reviewed)

1960's Science Fiction. This is a strange book, Delaney has taken mythology and 60's pop culture and twisted them into a future world of mutants, interspersed with fragments of his life — diary entries from Venice and the Greek Islands as he is writing TEI and quotes from sources ranging from James Joyce to Billy the Kid.

The result is a haunting, confusing take on the tale of Orpheus and the Underworld. Definitely worth a re-read one day.

37) Quest For the Faradawn by Richard Ford ( start 16 Oct - 19 Oct)

This is one that by my own rules (fewer than 5 reviews on LT) I have to review. So here is the link

http://www.librarything.com/work/52557/reviews/52081176

Short version — he can write but is heavy handed with his message. 2 stars.

38) The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (19 Oct -21 Oct) (reviewed - as below may expand later!)

This is an amazing book. The interweaving of the past and "present" to form one story; the cultural misunderstandings (both on earth and Rakhat) and thinking you "know" what happens as the story is slowly revealed make this a shocker. Loved it.

39) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenger (21 Oct - 24 Oct)

This is one of those books that people told me "you will love this book" —from years of experience I know that hyping a book to me means that I am overly critical when I come to read it. So I put them to one side as a "maybe one day" and read them with some preconceived idea of what they are about.

So I finally got around to reading The Time Traveler's Wife which I thought of as a romance; a love story where the couple's relationship develops as a result of Henry (as an adult) meeting Clare (who is a child) and recognising her as his future wife. Now this sounded like it might be an uncomfortable read and in some ways it was but not in the way I expected.

This is a beautifully written novel. I never got lost in the convoluted time-lines and the story progresses in a way that feels real and possible. The genetic quirk that makes Henry a time traveller is actually believable; his desire to live a life as normal possible (given this condition) is understandable and the way Henry and Clare's relationship unfolds is a not just a romance.

Am I going to regret not reading this sooner? The short answer is no I am just glad that I finally did read it.

40) Skallagrigg by William Horwood (24 Oct- 28 Oct)

There is going to be a review, partly because this is one of my favourite books of all time and also because (for some reason) there is no LT review yet. Some initial thoughts (full review pending)

Initially all I am going to say is that this is not a comfortable book. If you know this author's works from his Duncton Wood books you might recognise some of the themes of darkness and suffering but here they are not filtered through a fantasy about moles. This is a graphic portrayal of life as a handicapped person and how attitudes and treatment change. There is one character committed to an asylum as a child in the 1920's and another born in the 1960's.

I have never been able to adequately explain why I think that this is a brilliant book and I am sure that many people will find it incredibly disturbing.

The simplest explanation is that I find its themes of hope and belief; the power of love and faith and friendship worth the struggle.

41) India's Story by Kathlyn S. Starbuck (28 Oct - 29 Oct) reviewed as below

I am not sure what to think about this book.

India is a psychic. She is telepathic; can levitate and burn things with the power of her mind. The only problem is that someone is messing with her memory. She is hunted and ends up in places where people appear to know her and want to help her; but who does she trust?

This book is like India's mind - disconnected and confused. It wasn't so bad that I wanted to stop reading, in fact it held my attention all the way through, but a lot of the time I felt like asking what is going on?

42) My Name is Legion by A. N. Wilson (29 Oct - 2 Nov)

This is a book I picked up as part of my summer "book splurge", a moment of madness in my local town when nearly all of the places you can buy second hand books practically give them away. My copy of this book has no publisher's blurb but is covered with snippets of reviews that led me to believe that I would be reading a modern satire (published in 2004) about Fleet Street. I read a couple of random paragraphs and added it to the pile of books that I wanted to read. It turned out to be much more.

A.N. Wilson takes a cast of characters and ties their stories together in such a way that you don't know whether there is any hope in the world. This is a story about the ability to manipulate the truth so that lives are built up and destroyed on a whim. It covers life in modern Britain; the media; religion; modern art; the politics of post colonial Africa; what people hope for in life and how our choices can destroy us into one amazing book.

43) Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper (4 Nov - 6 Nov)

Final part of the Dark is Rising Sequence which has been a group read in the 75 book challenge thread. So here is a picture of the actual omnibus edition that I have been reading for the last few months.


Discussion of this part gets going on 8 Nov.

44) Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip (6 Nov - 8 Nov)

I love McKillip's use of language and imagery. This is a wonderfully layered fantasy with story unfolding within story. A wonderful, magical world where the stories of many characters and different lives collide and entwine. It is also a story of love tipping over into obsession. The love of books, language and knowledge within the library; the passion of first love; the love of country and what one might do to sustain love.

45) Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams (9 Nov - 12 Nov)

Another fantasy, this time about cats. It is a quest novel but Tad Williams has created a mythology that explains a lot of cat behaviour. Believable characters and great description means that this merits 4 stars.

Oh ho ho; I just have to ask you..................
Oh, hi calm; just me, belva.

But I do have to ask you...........I read this years ago as an answer to a request of my now 40 year old daughter. I think it was in the 80's as she was still in school. It totally creeped me out and she thought it was wonderful. Were you not creeped out by it? If I hadn't already loved cats, I never would have become a cat person after this read. It felt so realistic to me and yet I knew it could never be, but what if.....................
Ya know?
hugs,
belva

Hi Belva, I really like this book but (to try to answer your question) I'm not sure what it would be that might have "totally creeped" you out ... it is creepy in places but the mythology from the cats' point of view is interesting and the "big bad" is destroyed.

(trying very hard not to write any major spoilers)

IMO part of the book is about cats not being able to understand how some become more domesticated and dependent on man (not hunting or living any kind of "wild" life). I think that it was a strength in Tad Williams' writing that makes it feel so realistic and plausible.

My daughter, Robbi, and I were discussing this very thing tonight when she called. She said that her take on it is that it is a "spiritual version" (for the cat, not the reader) of what was a "survival version" (for the rabbit, not the reader) in Watership Down. It is one of her favorite books of all time. She is a big mythology and fantasy buff and I am not, so therein may lie the differing thoughts and opinions.
Thank you for your thoughts. I think she feels quite as you do.
belva

46) The Harp of the Grey Rose by Charles de Lint (12 Nov - 14 Nov)

Charles de Lint's first completed novel. A fine first book rooted in a traditional style folk tale. This tells of the young orphan Cerin; his falling in love and his quest to battle evil. Most of the traditional elements are here and it shows the promise of de Lint's future work.

Hi Calm- You've been stopping by my challenge and cheering me up, now it's my turn to return the favor! I didn't even realize you had a challenge going, but now I do! I don't read much fantasy (although I have no bias toward it). I have read George R.R. Martin and Philip Pullman though and loved both of their series. I do have The Sparrow sitting patiently in a pile, after hearing such good things about it, here on LT.
Glad you are enjoying the group read, it's been a lot of fun! Take care!

47) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (2 Nov - 16 Nov)

Read as part of the group read. So just a very brief comment.

Like the illustrations in the Haggadah Geraldine Brooks has created pictures of important points in Jewish history. Wonderful story telling and heartbreaking in places. Four stars.

48) The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (16 Nov - 18 Nov)

The tenth book set in the world of the Six Duchies/ Bingtown/ the Rain Wilds. There are brief cameo appearances from the Vestrit sisters (Althea and Malta from the Liveship traders trilogy) but this is about a new cast of characters. This is about the rain wilds and the newly emerged dragons. Robin Hobb's return to this world is worth reading but ends abruptly and leaves me needing to read the next book (which is as yet unpublished).

Looks like you are doing a great job with your book challenge. I will have to check out some of the authors you've mentioned, it looks like we have similar taste in books. BTW-how do you get the pics of book covers in your thread, it's great to see them there.

49) Out of Eden: The Peopling of the World by Stephen Oppenheimer (29 Oct - 22 Nov)

This is a synthesis of genetics, archaeology and climatology that looks at how and where our ultimate ancestors could have lived. Stephen Oppenheimer presents a plausible theory about the earliest days of man. It is categorised as popular science but it is not always an easy read and, for me, some of the chapters dragged. Worth reading but I do not think it should be read without some knowledge of the topic.

kaida46 - thanks for dropping by. I messaged you the details on how to put cover images in a thread, hope you have fun with your challenge.

50) The Floating Book: A Novel of Venice by Michelle Lovric (19 Nov - 24 Nov)

Historical fiction that melds fictional characters and real people from history in a recreation of the early days of the printing press and the coming of "quick books". One of the main themes of the book is the printing of Catullus's poetry. The book focuses on several characters involved with this; their lives and relationships. Each section of the book is prefaced by a snippet of Catullus's life and relationship with Clodia (the inspiration for much of his poetry) these reflect aspects of the Venetian story.

I must say that the voices of the various characters were not always distinct (it sometimes took a paragraph or two to decide who was speaking). Apart from that minor quibble I really liked this book. The author created wonderfully evocative images of Venetian life.

51) The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (25 Nov - 29 Nov)

The fifty-first book listed on this thread but actually the fiftieth book completed! and what a book to read for that milestone.

I loved it, I am back in a world which I discovered nearly 20 years ago. The characters were well written; the plot moves on apace and I think that having Brandon Sanderson continue this epic was a brilliant decision.

52) St Patrick's Gargoyle by Katherine Kurtz (29 Nov - 30 Nov)

I picked this up after reading about it on another LT thread thinking it was a dimly remembered book I read around 20 years ago. It's not that book but it was an enjoyable visit to Dublin to meet some very interesting characters. A different take on urban fantasy where the gargoyles are not what they seem; also an interesting look at religion, church history, angels, life and death. Highly enjoyable.

I've started my 75 book challenge thread here http://www.librarything.com/topic/78027 but will continue adding books to this thread until the end of December.



53) Forerunner Foray by Andre Norton (30 Nov - 2 Dec)

Enjoyable SF from the 1970's, reminded me of why I loved Andre Norton way back then. Time to look for more of her books:)

54) Black Venus by Angela Carter (26 Oct - 4 Dec)

A collection of short stories, this was a book that lived in my bag for those rare occasions that I had time to read (and didn't choose to read something else) while I was out of the house.

I find it difficult to review short story collections. A couple of these stories just miss for me but most are little gems. A wonderful use of language to create evocative scenes, some of them surreal and dream-like; others read like snippets of history; rambling and succinct at the same time. Four stars.

calm;
I love you cover art for People of the Book. Mine is not nearly as gorgeous, but it read just as well I guess. That is what happens when you buy used books online. You never really know what you are going to get.
have a great weekend my dear.
belva

55) Holy Fools by Joanne Harris (2 Dec - 7 Dec)

After reading Joanne Harris's Runemarks I wanted to read more of her work. I've got a few on my TBR shelf now but this is the one I picked up first and as far as I'm concerned it was a very good choice and for me a 5 star book.

Joanne Harris has crafted a wonderful piece of fiction. The characters; their motivations and lives are revealed in beautiful prose that draws you into the story.

A community of seventeenth century nuns is disrupted by the death of the Reverend Mother. The new abbess brings change and a man into this world of women, some of whom have used this place as an escape from life outside this isolated place. Religious fervour, mistrust and suspicion escalate. Highly recommended.

Belva, I answered you on your own thread and forgot to comment here. I took a look at some of the other covers for People of the Book and agree that the one I have is gorgeous. Unlike some of the others it gives a real sense of the story.

56) Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (7 Dec - 10 Dec)

Brilliant, don't miss, five stars!

Terry Pratchett is a brilliant social commentator, taking aspects of our society and sprinkling them with Octarine and reflecting them back on us. In Unseen Academicals he takes a look at community, race and prejudice and delivers his usual magic.

57) Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres (7 Dec - 11 Dec)

I picked up this collection of short stories after some one asked about books about Australia. From memory I had rated it as a 4 star book, on re-reading it has been reclassified to 5!

This is about the life of Red Dog, a stray dog in a Western Australian mining town in the 1970's. As the community grows Red Dog is the connection that brings this town to life. Louis de Bernieres has a wonderful eye for character and description. If you haven't read any of his work this might be a good place to start; if you have don't miss this one!

58) The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea (10 Dec - 18 Dec)

As this is a Penguin Puffin (youth/children's division) I was expecting a reasonably light read to distract me from RL and the other book I am currently reading. I am not sure how to describe this though.

The main characters are 10 year old Pidge and his 5 year old sister Brigit. After he finds a book in a second hand book shop strange things begin to happen and the children end upon a journey meeting characters from Irish mythology and talking animals along the way. It seems to veer from episodes of broad comedy (and thick dialect) to almost philosophical musings. A strange combination that makes the story disjointed and episodic. So the story is a bit patchy but the actual quality of writing is good.

59) Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (18 Dec - 20 Dec)

After reading People of the Book earlier this year I wanted to read this novel and I wasn't disappointed. When the Great Plague of 1665 hits a small English mining village they make the decision to isolate themselves rather than spreading the disease. This novel takes the few facts known about a real town that made this choice and gives us a truly wonderful story. The various reactions of the villagers to the deaths of family, friends and neighbours feel real. Definitely my kind of historical fiction.

60) Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (21 Dec - 23 Dec)

This is one of those books that should fall into the "why haven't I read that yet" category. Hailed as a classic of Science fiction writing, it was first published by the Polish writer Stanislaw Lem in 1961. This English translation, by Joanna Kilmartin and Steve Cox, dates from 1970. At least I have now read it and will return to read it again. I think this is a wonderful book.

If you are looking for action packed SF this is not for you. This is a philosophical musing on humanity and its relationship with the alien, the unknown. This book is rich with descriptions of the ocean planet Solaris. It also describes the increasing isolation of the scientists as over the years they fail to come to any understanding. Is it sentient? Is it trying to communicate? Theories aplenty but no real conclusions. I like the questions it asks of us.

61) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (23 Dec - 25 Dec)

What does one say about such a well known story. It is a timeless story of the importance in the way we live our everyday lives; that love, family and community are more than money or material possessions.

Nearly every year I watch one (or more) of the film versions. But, even if you think you know the story, I recommend that you still read the book. Coming back to Dickens' own words adds a depth to the story. The richness of his descriptive language and his ability to paint a scene in a few words is wonderful. One well worth revisiting time and time again.

I agree with you regarding the value of reading Dickens' original story. Most of the movie versions don't do justice to just how spooky this Victorian ghost story really is. I also think that Dickens' peculiar brand of sentimentality works better here than in just about any of his longer works.

I also see that you enjoyed Year of Wonders. I liked the book very much, though I felt that the ending was a disappointment and seemed rather unconnected to the rest of the novel. Still, I'm glad I read it and I may need to pick up People of the Book.

62) Feline Friends by Quercus (28 Dec)

A short book consisting of photographs of cats and quotations from various sources. Quotes from nursery rhymes, proverbs and poems and general musings on cats that match the photos beautifully. A lovely addition to any cat lovers library.

63) The Paladin by C. J. Cherryh (25 Dec - 28 Dec)

Fantasy novel set in an oriental style world. After the death of the old emperor one of his adherents, who was tutor to the heir, flees to the mountains to escape the killing spree of the regent. Years later his solitary refuge is disturbed by a young girl seeking his help in training her so that she can revenge the atrocities that are still taking place.

It was interesting to see how legends can be built up around flawed humans but I didn't get any feeling of real emotion from the main characters or a definite sense of place. So in the end I'm not sorry to have read this but found it slightly disappointing.

64) Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond (24 Nov - 30 Dec)

Unfortunately I am not going to join the crowd of people who rave about this book. For me what was an interesting idea was spoilt by Diamond's constant repetitions; his lecturing style and his insistence that the way of life that has resulted from history and geography is automatically a "better" way. An adapt or die attitude. He touched upon ideas and concepts that are worthier of more investigation but I will be looking for other authors to explore those ideas.

65) The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (28 Dec - 31 Dec)

A parallel novel set in the same world as her earlier Oryx and Crake this tells the stories of two women linked by God's Gardeners — a cult that preaches living closer to nature and mourns the extinction of species, believing that we are all part of a chain of life. The story is told in flashback after they have survived the Waterless Flood - a plague that has killed most of humanity.

The characters of both Toby and Ren drew me into the story. Knowing where they are after the plague and following their stories as they reached those places created a fascinating near future world. With her usual strength of description and the ability to create realistic characters Margaret Atwood delivers a believable vision of that world.

That was the last book I read in 2009. I have really enjoyed posting about my reads. If anybody would like to see what I read in 2010 my new thread is here

http://www.librarything.com/topic/79013

in the 75 Book Challenge for 2010 Group. Having read 64 books in the last half of 2009 I have decided to move to that group,

I'm also taking part in the 1010 Category Challenge here

http://www.librarything.com/topic/70719.

Happy New Year to everybody and wishing you all good books and good friends in the year ahead.