Ellie's 1010 challenge

This is the first time I've attempted this - and also my first full year working at the bookshop - so I'm not sure just how many books I'll be reading in 2010! I'll add up to ten ideas for each category and aim to read at least five by the end of the year. If I find that I'm getting ahead of myself I'll just add more books later on to bring me closer to a 'true' 1010! I'll move books up from the ideas when I've read them, and add the post number for my thoughts on each one.

I'll probably stick to mini-reviews here, but I'll submit my full reviews to the books' product pages as usual, and post them over on my 75-Book threads (links on my profile).

Category 1: Short Stories, Letters and Essays
Does what it says on the tin
1) The Devil's Larder by Jim Crace (post 78)
2) 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (post 109)
3) The Snow Goose, and The Small Miracle by Paul Gallico (post 114)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* The Timewaster Letters by Robin Cooper
* Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
* A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
* Essays by George Orwell
* Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (re-read)
* The Groucho Letters by Groucho Marx
* The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters edited by Charlotte Mosley

Category 2: Light as a Feather
Pure and unashamed fluff
1) The Secret Shopper Unwrapped by Kate Harrison (post 93)
2) Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (post 95)
3) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (post 98)
4) Never Ever by Helena Pielichaty (post 108)
5) Book Lover, a.k.a. Literacy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack (post 125)

More ideas:
* Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
* Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anon.
* One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
* The Learning Curve by Melissa Nathan
* Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Category 3: Golden Oldies
You can't beat the classics
1) Persuasion by Jane Austen (post 26)
2) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (post 50)
3) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (post 118)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
* Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
* Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
* Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
* Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
* Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Category 4: Dusting Down the Shelves
Books I've had for far too long, that really deserve to see daylight!
1) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (post 63)
2) Crazy as Chocolate by Elisabeth Hyde (post 99)
3) The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long (post 115)
4)
5)

Category 5: I Was Born, I Grew Up...
Biographies and autobiographies, or 'ego massagers' as I sometimes like to think of them
1) 'Too Much Anger, Too Many Tears: A Personal Triumph over Psychiatry' (no touchstone) by Janet and Paul Gotkin (post 77 - including link)
2) Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher (post 86)
3) Library Confidential: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert (post 124)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* Johnny Cash: He Walked the Line by Garth Campbell
* Christy Brown: The Life that Inspired My Left Foot by Georgina Hambleton
* The True History of the Elephant Man by Michael Howell
* James Dean: Little Boy Lost by Joe Hyams
* The Duchess by Amanda Foreman
* Humble Pie by Gordon Ramsay
* Desperate Romantics by Franny Moyle

Category 6: You Learn Something New Every Day
Random non-fiction
1) Bonk by Mary Roach (post 41)
2) Eating Myself by Candida Crewe (post 94)
3) Bedlam: London and Its Mad by Catharine Arnold (post 106)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* Living with Enza by Mark Honigsbaum
* Henry VIII: The King and his Court by Alison Weir
* Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
* The Bohemian Manifesto by Laren Stover
* A Perfect Mess by Eric John Abrahamson
* A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
* The Living Planet by David Attenborough

Category 7: Lights, Camera, Action!
Books that have been adapted for TV or film
1) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (post 67)
2) Jaws 2 by Hank Searls (post 92)
3)
4)
5)

More Ideas:
* The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
* Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale
* The Princess Bride by William Goldman
* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
* To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
* Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller
* The Reader by Bernard Schlink
* Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Category 8: Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone
New authors, new genres
1) Rococo by Adriana Trigiani (post 103)
2)
3)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
* Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
* Atonement by Ian McEwan
* The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
* City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende
* Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt
* Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
* Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
* A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

Category 9: Come Fly With Me
Travelling without the hassle
1) The Snow Tourist by Charlie English (post 57)
2)
3)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin
* A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
* A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
* A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
* Stranger on a Train: Daydreaming and Smoking around America by Jenny Diski
* 'The Lion Children' by the McNeice children
* Duende: A Journey into the Heart of Flamenco by Jason Webster
* The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Category 10: Lady's Choice
Open for new recs, new buys, and general 'I must read this now' stubborness...
1) Sunshine by Robin McKinley (post 20)
2) Teen Valour by Alaric Adair (post 100)
3)
4)
5)

More ideas:
* The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire

Hello elliepotten, your categories are great. I especially like Lights, Camera Action!

I work in an antiquarian bookstore in Arizona USA. That's how I got the reading bug, although I can't afford the books I sell. Good luck with your challenge and you book business.

Thanks! I'm really looking forward to having an afternoon between Christmas and New Year, messing around with my library and filling the categories up. They still won't be set in stone, but I'll have my Christmas presents/wintry comfort buys to add into the mix by then!

Hi, good mix of categories. It is a lot of fun to pick books for this challenge, I just hope I have as much fun actually reading them!

Hi there! I had already starred this thread before your comment showed up on mine, primarily on the basis of your first category. I love your profile. I especially love the listing of favorite books read for each year. Mine for 2009 is almost certainly going to be A.S. Byatt's Possession. Have fun in 2010.

Just popped over to say hello. You have some truly fantastic books on your list. I can't wait to see what else you come up with!

I'm interested to see how your 1010 challenge goes :-) I'm always checking out your profile to see what you're reading. This might be a good way of seeing that as well. I hope I don't sound too stalkerish..

Not in the slightest! It's always nice to know that when you're posting reviews and chattering away on your thread, SOMEONE'S reading along out there!

I can't wait to see what you think about The Enchantress of Florence. We have about 60 books in common, so i am thinking that we might have similar tastes. I really need to stop reading other peoples posts and adding to my wish list!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

Well, it feels a little early to be using up my free-choice category, but since I started the book just before the New Year it doesn't really fit anywhere else!

1) Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Why I chose it:
I'd heard good things about this one - that it was dark and exciting and just a little bit spicy to boot. I've never read an out-in-the-open vampire fantasy novel before (as opposed to one where no one even knows they exist, like Twilight) so that was quite novel.

My thoughts:
I liked it! It took a chapter or two for me to start to settle into the world McKinley has created, a world seething with vampires and demons and Weres, in the aftermath of a nasty war between humans and Others. But it was 'normal' enough not to push the fantasy too far, and McKinley's narrator, the Sunshine of the title, explains many of the little facets of magical life that the reader isn't familiar with. Soon enough I'd sunk right into the story and then I was away!

The basic plotline is that Sunshine, a bakery girl at her family's coffeehouse, drives out to her family's old lake house one night and is captured by a band of vampires. They dress her in a long red dress, drag her to one of the deserted lakeside mansions, and shackle her to the wall in the old ballroom as a tasty temptation for their other prisoner: a vampire enemy of their master. It will take an unlikely alliance and a whole lot of courage and unexpected strength to get themselves out alive and survive the vampires' wrath at their miraculous escape.

I did think maybe the chemistry between Sunshine and Con could have been a little, well, hotter; every time she starts to look sideways at him she seems to hastily remind herself - and therefore the reader - how repulsive vampires are, and it kills it stone dead! But other than that, I was completely absorbed and enjoyed it thoroughly. Four stars, and I'll be looking for more of McKinley's books in the future.

Next up: Persuasion by Jane Austen

I can't leave without giving a big nudge to Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods - it's terrific! (Excellent on audio as well if you ever listen to books.)

You're right, we do have a lot of overlaps. I've starred your thread. I'll be looking forward to what you think of To Kill A Mockingbird. I read it several years ago and it remains a favorite; in fact, it may be time for a reread ...

Ooooh, hello! (OK, how camp was that?!) Corrina - yes, I'll almost definitely be reading one of the Brysons this year. I think I've read all his travel books at least once, but this is one of the two or three I haven't REREAD yet. In fact, I think A Walk in the Woods was my introduction to good ol' Bill, back in the early teenage years maybe...

Alana - that was quick! I'm feeling pretty geared up for this year, looking forward to reading some of these books that have been sitting on my shelves for far too long!

Hi ellie - I read Sunshine just over a year ago and I also remember wishing things would get a little more heated up between them! It was a good read overall.
You have some good reads lined up.

Oh good, I'm glad it wasn't just me! They had so much potential... Given the whole dark, charged, vampire eroticism thing there could definitely have been a little more... spice. I think in that sense they either needed MORE romance or NO romance; the halfway thing didn't really do much for me. I'd even say it jarred a little, because it kept randomly flaring up amidst the luscious prose, but never went anywhere.

By the way, anyone reading this, it was still a great read - don't be put off by my apparent need for my vampire men to live up their rather sexy reputation!

*SLIGHT SPOILERS... MAYBE*

2) Persuasion by Jane Austen

Why I chose it:

It's been a while since I read Austen - a couple of years at least. This was my fourth of her novels and I kept putting it off because I'd heard it was a bit more old-fashioned and I thought it might be a bit... dull. I know, I know. Then my sister bought me the TV adaptation for Christmas and I wanted to read the novel before I watched it, so away I went!

My thoughts:

Oh, how I loved this book. I have just officially found my new favourite Austen novel. Since I started getting stuck into Mount TBR I'm learning that some of my favourite books of the year/ever turn out to be ones I had repeatedly rejected, underestimated and shoved to the back of the queue!

Anyway. Anne Elliott. What a girl. She captured my heart completely. She has all the virtue of Fanny Price and none of the weakness. She's loyal and loving and perceptive - but she has a much deeper inner strength, and doesn't have to sit down in a rose garden every time she ventures out of doors for two minutes. Within a chapter or two I was swept up in the heartache of Anne's separation from her beloved Captain Wentworth seven years ago, and her horror at having to meet him again, knowing that she was still in love with him. Her humiliation was heartbreaking, her dignity enviable. I watched their slow reconciliation with bated breath, tried to figure out the good guys from the bad guys... and I must admit, the Captain's heartfelt, desperate letter to Anne as he clutched at his chance to marry the woman he loved made me cry. I have never cried reading Austen before - only watching it... Oh, and the DVD? Brilliant stuff, very moving - and Captain Wentworth was VERY yummy!

Next up: The Snow Tourist by Charlie English

I know exactly how you feel about Persuasion. It was the last book I read by Austen (not counting all the juvenilia, etc.) and I didn't know what to expect. It's one of the lesser known novels and rarely mentioned. As soon as I read it though, I felt this to be my favourite, or at least as high up as Pride and Prejudice. It's just so powerful. And also, who could not love it for the letter alone?

I know! I did a proper, girlie, hand-on-heart smile-and-sigh when I read that part, a little tear sprang to my eye... This is what people say Jane Austen's all about, but this is the first time I've REALLY felt it. You can't beat a bit of romance on a winter's day!

I know they say that that is what Austen is all about, and I'm a bit of a romantic, so I felt it with Pride and Prejudice as well, I guess, but that letter really.. blew me away, somehow. It made me feel that if I ever were to receive a letter, please let it be like that. Hehe, but then I woke up from my daydream :P.

I actually try to explain why I like Austen as much sometimes, and it has a lot to do with her style and her jokes (although people often stare when you try to explain that she has humor) and just that tiny edge of criticism/feminism hidden in her books, that I really enjoy.

Anyway, sorry for rambling.

#29 If people don't believe you about the humor, just tell them about the dirty joke in Mansfield Park . . .

SaraHope: I must have missed that when I read it ten years ago...will you enlighten us? ;-)

Doesn't Mary Crawford make a joke about her uncle who is in the Navy during a dinner party? Something about "Rear Admirals"...? I have flipped through my copy looking for it and can't seem to find it.

Mary says something to the effect of "Of their Rears and Vices we know enough. But do not suspect me of a pun, I entreat you." Rears and Vices are parts of naval titles.

Haha, I missed that one when I read it! I can thank Austen for really putting me back in the mood for classics. I'm having a 'mixed interlude' of a travel book and a James Bond novel, but then I'm kinda itching to start another classic... Don't know which one yet. After that I'll try and cycle through my categories a little more, so I don't end up with loads from one category left at the end of the year!

I read The Princess Bride while in high school. I loved it! Of course, the main reason I read the book was because I had seen the movie. I still love the movie, but haven't revisited the book. After seeing this I believe I will add it to my tbr pile.

Hmmm... I have Emma on my list for this year, but now I'm thinking maybe I should switch it to Persuasion. Thoughts?

I LOVE the "Light as a Feather" category. We all need some of those books each year! You have so many good books on your list, I salivated when I looked through it. If you decide to try The Handmaid's Tale, let me know. That's one I'm considering too. I read Atwood for the first time last year and loved both of them - The Blind Assassin and The Robber Bride. Anyway, I'd love to do a tandem read if you do decide to read it. That's all for now, but I'll be back!

@ jhedlund: Have you ever read Emma or Persuasion before? If you like Austen mostly because of Pride and Prejudice I would definitely recommend that you read Persuasion first.

Great choices! We have a few authors in common. I've just started some of George Orwell's essays myself, from Penguin's Great Ideas series.

Julie - I started Emma last year and am ashamed to say I abandoned it a few chapters in... Then again, I was in a complete 'I can't read anything or my brain will melt' slump, so perhaps it wasn't the best choice at the time anyway... Have you checked out the Atwood in April group read (wherever it was...) - I was going to read The Handmaid's Tale for that so we could do a tandem read WITHIN a group read, since we've chosen the same novel!

Hello everybody else who's dropped in - I hope you all made yourselves a cup of tea, cracked open the biscuit tin and enjoyed your stay... I'm reading still, honestly - two books on the go for my 1010 right now - so I'll be back soon!

Reading The Handmaid's Tale in April sounds great - count me in!

3) Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science by Mary Roach

Why I chose it:
Well, I keep hearing about it from, ahem, 'satisfied customers' here on LT, so I thought I'd check it out for myself. Even though I had to stop reading Stiff because it was making me so queasy, I had an idea I'd be safer with sex than dead bodies - fortunately, I was right!

My thoughts:
What a fascinating book. Mary Roach is one helluva lady - no situation is too delicate, no question goes unasked, no naked body lies uncovered... She is also a fantastically funny writer, with a wry and self-deprecating sense of humour that acts as the perfect antidote to the cringeworthy, the ridiculous, and the downright embarrassing elements of the research she pulls together here. Everything from female libido to erectile dysfunction to primate sex is covered, with research drawn from the most ancient of philosophers right through to the most cutting-edge modern studies. Roach even participates in some of the studies herself, in the name of science and finding out what the hell goes on behind the closed doors of sexual research institutions. All in all, a really excellent book, which managed to be incredibly interesting AND made me giggle every other page. Read it!

Next up: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

That sounds like an interesting book, though I'd never dare read it I think: I'm a bit of a prude.

Have you ever read North and South before? It's one of those other books that I really liked. I inevitably compare it to my love for Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion.

#41 One helluva lady indeed--she actually posted on facebook the ultrasound tape from the experiment in which she participated (yes, THAT one). I love Mary Roach--I read Stiff a couple years ago and then Bonk last year, so now I just have to read Spook.

#41 I keep seeing positive comments about her books, I guess I will have to break down and actually try one for myself.

Well, I'm definitely not a prude - but then, I'm not normally a squeamish person but now I can't even read the word 'cadaver' without shuddering at the thought of the couple of chapters I managed of Stiff. Clearly I prefer the business of life to the business of death in my reading... ;-)

I've never read North and South - or any of Gaskell's novels - before, but it's been on my TBR pile for FIVE YEARS now so I'm glad to be finally reading it. Plus it's a great excuse to watch the adaptation again when I finish it, yay!

Wow! You certainly read a variety of books! From Jane Austen to sex education! I guess that's what this challenge is all about, challenging yourself to read different types of books.

Your review is great! Bonk sounds like a fun book, but I would be to embarassed to read it. You are a braver gal than I.

Stiff made me queasy too, I don't easily scare in books but the 1st chapter was er.. hard. Although in the end the whole topic was so bizarre it end up being kind of soothing. I really must get around to reading Bonk though.

Caroline - I wasn't 'embarrassed' to read it exactly, but I definitely didn't bring it to work to read behind the counter... Actually, I think Mary Roach does a really good job of STOPPING the reader being embarrassed - she's just another woman, after all, and she sees the ridiculous side of this area of research so clearly. The humour's like an ice breaker at a party, it takes the blushes away!

I've had Bonk on my wishlist forever - maybe one day I'll get it from bookmooch. I could never read Stiff after having buried my father a couple of years ago. I truly don't want to know what goes on behind the scenes. I have no doubt it would haunt me forever. I'll have to look into Spook. I hadn't heard she had a new one out.

4) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Why I chose it: I fell in love with the story when I first saw the adaptation on TV (with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe - highly recommended), bought the book (and the DVD!) soon afterwards... and it has been sitting on my shelves for FIVE YEARS waiting for me to finally get my act together!

My thoughts: Basic storyline: Margaret Hale and her family move to the Northern industrial town of Milton from their sweet Southern village. Their first acquaintances are the wealthy, proud Thorntons, famous in the cotton industry - but despite handsome Mr Thornton's best efforts, Margaret believes Milton to be inferior to London society... and so the scene is set for a Pride and Prejudice-esque story of wounded egos, longing glances, misunderstandings and, finally, true love.

Despite the similarities between this novel and the Austen favourite, there are big differences. This book is much more complex, and much grittier, leaning further towards Dickens in some respects. The poverty of the Milton workers, in which Margaret takes a philanthropic interest, is a major focus of the novel. At the same time the progressive ambitions and difficult decisions made by the masters are never overlooked, providing a balanced view of industrial progress in the mid-19th century. At the same time, it never loses the intimacy that draws the reader into the lives of these characters, who burrowed their way into this reader's heart over the course of the book. A fantastic read.

Next up: Finishing The Snow Tourist by Charlie English, then moving onto Eat, Pray, Love so I can pass it on to one of my customers

Did North and South live up to your expectations? I hope it did, it's one of my favourite books.

I'm curious to see how you like Eat, Pray and Love. I couldn't stand it towards the end.

#50 North and South isn't what I expected - I've never heard of this book and was envisioning a US Civil War novel! This one looks interesting, though, and you've got a hot review for it - congratulations!

Glad you liked North and South--I read it last year and absolutely loved it. Now I need to read more Gaskell!

I did indeed love North and South - and thanks to everyone who gave me the thumbs up! I got that warm fuzzy feeling when I saw it come up on my homepage this morning!

I've heard that Eat, Pray, Love is a bit like Marmite - love it or hate it - so if I don't like it I have no qualms about passing it on to my nice lady customer sooner than expected! In the meantime I'm thoroughly enjoying the fascinating The Snow Tourist, so I'll finish that one up first...

Hi Ellie, I clicked on The Snow Tourist to see what it was about, but no one has reviewed it yet. I'm looking forward to reading your review.

Congrats on the thumbs up! You deserve it!

Ah at last found you and stared you Ellie!

5) The Snow Tourist: A Search for the World's Purest, Deepest Snowfall by Charlie English

Why I chose it:
I'd heard vague whispers about it in the newspapers when it was first published, but it was only a chance spying of it in Waterstones just before Christmas that reminded me it even existed!

My thoughts:
What a fascinating book this turned out to be. Charlie English has grown up with a love of snow, and here formulates a plan for a Snow Tour of the world. From France to Vienna to the Alps to London, he travels in search of knowledge and understanding. He learns about avalanches and the history of skiing, visits perilous glaciers and stops at the mountain claiming to be the snowiest place on Earth, explores the lure of snow to artists and poets, learns how to build an igloo from an Inuit, and looks back at the scientists who helped form our knowledge of snow and snowflakes down the years.

This friendly and accessible homage to snow is a genre-defying mix of science and travelogue, sport and nature, history and literature, memoir and art, which means there is something for everyone and it never failed to keep my interest. I have no knowledge of winter sports or of the wintry places English describes, but I never felt that I was being shut out from his journey. The only thing I would have liked was photographs - I felt that the book would have been enhanced still further by being able to see some of the incredible sights being described, evocative though the author's prose was as I was reading. There was, however, a nice little section at the back of the book filled with snowy trivia, survival tips and snippets of poetry, which was a nice touch, as well as a glossary of scientific and indigenous terminology. All in all, highly recommended - though I would caution that it's definitely best read snugly wrapped up with a mug of tea, as it's hardly the most warming of topics!

Next up: Eat, Pray, Love, which I will be clearing off my shelves and into the hands of a customer who is eagerly awaiting it! I may also be starting the 75-ers GR of The Count of Monte Cristo, not sure yet.

Oops there goes another book on my wishlist - The Snow Tourist.

Sorry! ;-)

>57 elliepotten: Sounds like a good read. Glad you enjoyed it; I enjoyed reading about it!

I'm slowly making my way through the 1010 threads, and I laughed out loud at the subtitle to your first category, 'does what it says on the tin'. That's one of those phrases that doesn't cross the pond too well, and I just learned about it while I was chatting with my English bibliophile girlfriend, who was explaining what it meant to me, and how it caused a lot of confusion during a work meeting. I work for a British company, and our team is 1/2 US and 1/2 UK, and it's always interesting when we catch ourselves with these expressions. Thanks for the laugh!

Glad to put a smile on your face, however serendipitously!

OK, I'm just going to post my whole review of this one, because I loved it so much!

6) Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything by Elizabeth Gilbert

Why I chose it:
Long ago, before LibraryThing and bad reviews, this book appealed to me. Naturally, it has been sitting on my shelves ever since - until a nice lady came to the shop asking if we had a copy (we didn't), and I decided I could buck up my ideas, finally read it, and give her mine...

My thoughts:
Oh, how glad I am that I discovered this book, at this time, in this place, right here and now. Elizabeth Gilbert would say that the pieces were falling into place exactly as they were meant to. There were so many negative reviews that I went into this journey with scepticism and entirely accepting the idea that I might hate it - but it ended up changing my life for the better. No word of a lie.

Liz Gilbert went through a messy marital disintegration, then a messy divorce, and rolled into a messy relationship, and no matter how much she tried to clean things up she was pretty much at rock bottom. What she wanted, when she managed to delve that far, was to regain her strength, find peace, and ultimately achieve the perfect balance between spirituality and pleasure in her life. The best way to do this? Four months in Italy eating, drinking and being merry; four months in India, living in an Ashram and finding inner peace; and finally, four months in Bali, under the watchful eye of an old medicine man, finding her balance.

Well, once our Liz had gotten over that miserable early stage of laying out her despair (we've all done that, and to be fair it didn't go on that long), it was an exquisite journey and I felt privileged to be along for the ride, learning as she learned, understanding as she understood. In Italy she regained her strength, ate pasta, learned Italian, made friends, and came back to life. In India she learned the art of meditation, new ways of looking at life, and found peace. And in Bali she honed everything she had gained so far: generosity, spirituality, friendship, enjoyment of life. And there, too, she finds love again.

The book is split into 108 mini-chapters, like the ancient beads used to count mantras, making it easier to absorb each morsel of what Gilbert has to say, whether it is about her learning, her past, or her ideas. She is quite honest about her joy and sadness, her virtues and her vices, the parts she enjoys and the aspects she struggles with. Like everyone, she has her misgivings about certain elements of her journey, but she is never afraid to voice those misgivings, or to admit when she is wrong.

All in all, I found this to be fresh, honest and inspiring. I had bits of paper dotted through the book by the end, marking things I wanted to go back to and write down for the future. I think Eat, Pray, Love may have changed my life. I learned so much and found so many things to think about within these pages. Having an anxious personality and still suffering agoraphobia, I've already found myself using some of the techniques Gilbert used to find her peace - and they work! She's reminded me of who I want to be, how stuck I am in my own fear so much of the time, and how I lose the chance of enjoyment and peace as a result. Now I feel like I can take steps in the right direction again without being afraid.

How I can I offer any better review than that?!

Next up: Um, not entirely sure yet. Possibly a book of short stories I found in the shop yesterday, alongside The Count of Monte Cristo?

Wonderful review of Eat,Pray,Love. I read it several years ago when it was first published, before the negative reviews started piling on. I picked it because I love travel narratives. At the time I was also just getting interested in yoga, etc. and I love Italy. So this was a good fit. And you are right, the "messy, miserable despair" didn't go on for that long. Thanks for the redemptive review.

You've basically just described where I'm 'at' right now too - evidently a book to be approached in the right mindset!

So glad you loved Eat, Pray, Love. I LOVED that book, but there is a lot of hate for it here on LT. I guess it's one of those "love it or hate it." I'm due for a re-read on it myself.

7) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Why I chose it:
I'd felt the hype rising all that time ago, then I got drawn into Series 1 of 'True Blood', which became me and my mum's weekly treat on our day off (usually with Gu banoffee pie!), so I thought it was about time I finally got to the books...

My thoughts:
I'm coming to the Sookie Stackhouse series rather late, and that made a difference reading this first novel. It meant I didn't feel the suspense or the chemistry in quite the same way, I was waiting for people and events that never appeared; and keeping up Anna Paquin's drawl in my head was quite a task for this British girl! Despite that, I really enjoyed it. It was quick and fluffy, with a few genuinely thrilling moments and some nice splashes of lust and blood in there, as there should be in a good vampire story. The relationships between the characters unfolded nicely and the end of the novel tied everything up neatly while still making me wonder what was going to happen next. I'm definitely looking forward to reading on (I ordered the next book already - so next week?!), and I'll make sure I get plenty more Harris under my belt before Series 2 of True Blood hits the screens here!

Next up: Continuing reading The Count of Monte Cristo and The Devil's Larder, for the most part...

Never too late for the Sookie Stackhouse books. I still have yet to watch season 1 and 2 of True Blood. Season 3 is supposed to start I believe this summer over here. I love your review of Dead Until Dark. Happy reading!!

We have quite a few of Charlaine Harris's books and got the 1st season (or series if you are in the UK :-)) of True Blood on DVD. I totally agree with your review - quick & fluffy, lust & blood. But really for the series is that the best they could do for Eric (or Bill for that matter?) No offence to the actors, they do a good job, but I wanted, expected soemthing more. . . ? Ah well that is the problem with fantasies in your head, reality usually pales in comparision.

DS

(Bruce's evil twin :-))

#69: Glad to see I am not the only one not impressed with the choices for Eric and Bill. I think I was expecting more and that is why I am not watching them every minute.

Ah, I like Eric! A tall Nordic god being played by... a tall Nordic god. Yep, Eric is officially my new fictional man-crush. ;-)

OK, I finally caved in and joined the Books off the Shelf challenge too... The books for my challenges are all criss-crossing over each other anyway, but I figured it would be a nice way to see what I'm actually clearing off my shelves compared to the new stuff that's hopping into my eager hands! The link's here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/85818

Now that we have Netflix, I just got hooked on the True Blood series. I've only seen the first three episodes so far. I hate to say it, but I'll probably just stick to the series and skip the books this time.

A good theory - but there are a fair handful of books out so far (8?) and numero uno, Dead Until Dark, covers the WHOLE of Season 1 on TV. What about the other 7 books?! It would be such a shame to miss out... *cackles evilly*

Huh. I didn't realize there were so many. So there are going to be at least 8 seasons of True Blood then?

One can only hope - it became a little ritual for me and my mum: me in my flat, her in the house, watching True Blood with Gu banoffee pie or cheesecake, calling each other at the breaks to ooh and aah over all that was unfolding... We would have watched it together, but there was so much sex we thought it would spare our blushes to just ENJOY the chiselled naked bottoms and discuss them later...

Anyway, a brief diversion from my 1010 to throw my Member Giveaway book into the mix. I'm not adding it to my challenge because it was a 20-minutes children's story, but since it came from DiDi LeMay and I don't have a blog to post this to (I've hit the Amazons and Facebook with it already), I'm sticking it on a couple of my threads instead...

A WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION by DiDi LeMay

Running a second-hand bookshop, I very often get customers coming in, heading to our kids' section, and telling me how they enjoy finding new books for their children and grandchildren that 'aren't Disney!' What they're looking for are books that are a little different, with a good story and original illustrations, to snuggle up and read together. I think this book would go down brilliantly.

It looks a little different to most children's books, which makes it stand out straight away, with the whole story written in wintry white capital letters on dark blue paper. The story is simple and easy to understand, drawing us into the tale of a little girl's meeting with the animals of the forest, and how she fights to stop her village cutting down trees for their human celebrations of the Winter Solstice. There are a few more challenging words to be learned along the way, as well as ideas and lessons about the way humans treat the world around them to think about. The illustrations by Jacquie Campbell fit in nicely with the story and add an extra dimension for children to enjoy.

It dropped a star for me just for the fact that occasionally the underlying message clobbered me a little TOO hard over the head - and for British children, there are occasional words and figures of speech where they might need a little adult 'translation' to help them understand. I also had trouble figuring out the dialect of the feisty crow in the story - was he supposed to be Jamaican?! All in all though, a sweet and wholesome, beautifully presented story, which I will be happily passing on to a little girl I know who will just love it!

Another one that's hard to review succinctly, so I'll just post the whole thing:

8) 'Too Much Anger, Too Many Tears' by Janet and Paul Gotkin

No touchstone, so link is here

Why I chose it:
I'm manic depressive and agoraphobic - though I coexist with both quite comfortably these days - so I'm always interested in books like these, and pounced on this one when it arrived at our shop via my mum's old GP.

My thoughts:
I've been plugging away at this memoir for about four months now - not due to any fault on the book's part, but because the subject matter is so intense. This is what I hoped for when I picked up books like Girl, Interrupted and The Bell Jar in my teens: a book that gives insight into the mind of a mental health patient, and a glimpse into the world of the mental hospital.

Janet Gotkin was diagnosed with schizophrenia around the age of 20, and her life was never the same again. She left college and spiralled into a vortex of psychiatrist appointments and hospitalisation, shock treatments, drugs and humiliation. Her memories of this time make up 'Part 1', and it is a grim and harrowing story. Her experiences of forced dependence and fear, medical abuses and breakdowns, are exhausting to read, but so fascinating and beautifully written that you can't help but read on.

Finally, in her mid-20s, Janet met Paul. At this point the viewpoint switches to show his take on their lives. For me, this section was easier to read, freshening up the narrative at a crucial point and allowing the reader to step back out of the black hole of Janet's existence a little. His new perspective on the doctors and hospitals, on Janet's state of mind, and on their struggles to get through each collapse together, in one piece, was heartbreakingly honest and offered new insight into the numbing existence Janet was living.

Ultimately, though, came enlightenment. After a horrific suicide attempt, after which Janet was in a coma for five days, she awoke with a new sense of life that changed everything. She found the strength to get away from her psychiatrist, who had so encouraged her absolute dependence on him and the drugs he doled out, and moved with Paul to Paris. There she finally found anger and clarity as to the abuse she had suffered at the hands of the psychiatric profession, the way they had labelled and humiliated her for their own benefit, not hers, and the way they had continually berated every emotion and idea she had as 'part of her sickness'. She was determined to speak out, wrote this book, and has been an activist for people like her ever since.

Janet's hospitalisation predominantly took place in the 60s, back when institutionalisation was brutal, treatments were misguided, drugs and shocks were handed out liberally, and the world bowed to the revered psychiatrists who were 'saving' the 'sick'. Today most people have a more enlightened view of mental illness, demand more from the specialists they see, and are encouraged to take a more proactive role in their own 'recovery'. Janet Gotkin's theory is that there is no mental illness, which I don't agree with. I do, however, agree that even today, psychiatric labels are often affixed to people too quickly and without thought for how they can become self-fulfilling prophecies, damaging lives and creating stigma unnecessarily. And insights like these into how it feels to live with mental illness - and treatment - are always valuable in a world in which there is still a lot of ignorance and fear surrounding mental health sufferers.

Ultimately, this book was a very rewarding read. It gave me a lot to think about, about mental health and how it can be handled, about the way we defer to experts, and about how we can make our own futures as bright as we want them to be, with a little persistence and the right attitude. And I truly believe that the insights offered by brave people like the Gotkins into how it feels to live with and around mental illness - and its treatment - are always valuable in a world in which there is still a lot of ignorance and fear surrounding mental health sufferers. I don't feel the need to keep it to read again in the future, but I certainly won't forget it in a hurry.

Next up: Finishing The Devil's Larder, continuing The Count of Monte Cristo, and devouring some fluff on my days off tomorrow and Wednesday to boot!

9) The Devil's Larder by Jim Crace

Why I chose it:
The description sounded yummy! A collection of food-related vignettes, a touch of eroticism, a bit of decadence swirled in... how could I go wrong?

My thoughts:
Well, everything went wrong. I was expecting a mixture of Joanne Harris and Laura Esquivel, a rich and sensuous celebration of food and food lovers. But no. Out of the sixty-four vignettes here, most of them left me baffled, many of them left me feeling plain sick, and all of them left me cold. The majority of them were laced with bodily functions and death, perversion and general unpleasantness (a chef feeding bad mussels to his complaining customers, with a graphic description of their later symptoms, would be one example). I gave him half a star for effort, and just for managing to keep maybe two of the snapshots clean. Avoid like the plague.

Next up: Concentrating on The Count of Monte Cristo for a day or two - maybe something lighter over the weekend when the shop's busy...

Wow, that sounds like a horrible read.

Well I have watched about 8 episodes of the first season so far. The first few episodes didn't have too much of Eric in them and what was shown of him I wasn't impressed. Now I just watched the episode when Sookie is called by Eric to listen to his human employees. I found Eric very sexy compared to Bill. I hope to finish watching the first season this weekend. My son has already watched my DVD of the first season even though he has done nothing but complain about the show.
I actual have laughed while watching the show because my hubby is watching it with me and his looks just crack me up. He thought Sookie got turned into a vampire because Bill had bitten her.

I like your review of Too Much Anger, Too Many Tears. Sounds like a very interesting read. I will have to see if I can find the book.
Now for The Devil's Larder, I will keep my distance.

Yes - unless you enjoy the 'vomiting between chapters' reading experience, I really wouldn't bother. Naturally the critics have hailed it as intoxicating and mischievous and all sorts of other gushing praises, but in this case it would seem it was just a whole lot of industry bootlicking... Either that or there are some serious weirdos working in reviewing!

Jim Crace certainly doesn't shy away from the grotesque/gruesome, and The Devil's Larder is not one of his best (although I liked the story about the tins with no labels), but his other books are worth reading - try Quarantine, or maybe Six.

Quarantine did sound interesting, I must say - though if it follows some of the same style I'll be giving it a miss. It wouldn't have been so bad if just the odd couple of mini-stories tipped the balance or crossed a line of taste, but for a book ostensibly about food to be so full of food poisoning, growing things in sewers and latrine heaps, and particularly disturbing, a man with binoculars watching shellfish-collecting schoolgirls urinate on a beach while their teacher encouraged them... It was just warped. It was like he'd just made a list of revolting and shocking ideas and crammed them all in there. I don't normally have this strong a negative reaction to a book - I'm very open-minded, not easily shocked at all - and I kept reading in the hope that there might be just one or two vignettes that touched me or were really profound - but... ick. Just, ick.

No, it's not that style at all. I only mentioned that Crace can be sometimes a bit gruesome eg the book Being Dead which is, in part, about the physical decay of the body. But certainly nothing like The Devil's Larder.

Maybe once the bile's settled I'll give him one more chance to redeem himself then... :-)

10) Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher

Why I chose it:
I'm bipolar, so I tend to gravitate towards mental health memoirs anyway. This one jumped out at me rather more than some of the others on offer, so I thought it was about time I gave it a try!

My thoughts:
I guess the problem with reading an autobiography that deals with something you've experienced yourself is that you go into it with different expectations to other books. But I really enjoyed this one! It had its disjointed moments, it had its moments of utter, well, madness - but to my great delight Hornbacher kept this at a level where it deftly illustrated the mania and the psychosis she was experiencing, but didn't detract from the flow of the book. The memoir reads as a journey, not from madness to sanity, but a journey from a wild place to one of growing wisdom and maturity, acceptance and hope.

There was a fair bit that I could relate to, and I got the impression that Hornbacher is a very genuine, self-aware and intelligent woman. She writes with humour and sparkle which stops her story feeling too self-involved and introspective. And a final nice touch: the end of the book has a useful and informative section with lists of websites, bipolar statistics and a great bibliography. Recommended.

Hi Ellie,

Great review! It's nice to see you back on this thread.

Thanks - it's good to be back! I've been floating around LT occasionally but I've been having a bit of a time of it recently and haven't been online as often or reading as much as usual... But the important thing is that I am still reading when I'm focussed enough, a few pages at a time, so it could be worse! :-)

Ellie, I admire you so much for posting about a bookg related to your personal life. I don't know, but I think it's brave to state online that you're bipolar.

Also, just like craso, I'm glad to see you're back.

I hope things will get better or easier, so you can enjoy yourself more often (not necessarily reading-wise).

Ellie,

Like you, I've been a bit MIA from LT for a while, but I'm trying to catch up. You've done some fascinating reading, and I especially enjoyed your review of A Winter Solstice Celebration. I am always on the lookout for new and different types of children's books, both to read to my kids and because I am writing them now.

Good to see you back!

I'm still a bit AWOL - I've been spending most of my time on the shop floor reading and trying to catch up on emails recently, rather than playing on LT! Which is probably a good use of my time, but not helpful when it comes to catching up on the threads, as I'm finding right now!

Oh, and thanks Iris - though I don't think 'brave' is the word. It's a lot easier to say it online than it is in real life, and even that's just not an issue for me any more. When I was at school I was made to feel so ashamed of myself, as though it was my fault, and I had a lot of trouble with my so-called 'friends' suddenly forgetting they'd known me for years and that nothing, fundamentally, had changed. So when I went to uni I made a clean sweep of it and decided I'd just had enough skirting the issue. I told the people around me straight away and nobody batted an eyelid, really. There was a bit of curiosity, one or two interested questions, then we all just got on with our lives! I even did a couple of presentations on it, indirectly in a discussion of some of the more mercurial Romantic poets, and as a personal approach to an assignment on stigma in society.

I guess I just figure that if people have a problem with it I don't need them hovering over me anyway - and at the end of the day the more people who bring it out into the open and help debunk the myths and the stigma, the better! I'm in good company after all, everyone from Carrie Fisher to Stephen Fry!

Soapbox moment over... :-)

11) Jaws 2 by Hank Searls

Why I chose it:
I came to it in exactly the same way as I came to the original Jaws a few years ago - it was a tatty, unprepossessing old paperback that I idly picked it up off the shelf in a bored moment, then read a couple of pages, got utterly sucked in, and ended up devouring the whole thing!

My thoughts:
Quite the dark horse, this one. It turned out to be a taut and atmospheric thriller, haunted by the looming white threat of death circling the deep, which held me captivated from start to finish. Giving the shark her own 'mind' (if that's the word for it) in short segments between the human story, clearly demonstrated the lethality of her instincts and the single-mindedness of her life, and added to the tension. All the way through I was just waiting for the next fatality - who would it be? Man, woman, child, beloved animal (which, let's face it, is often just as heartbreaking)? The string of twists hiding the fishy truth from the people of Amity was incredibly frustrating, each death painful to read, and the final frenzied climax genuinely nailbiting. The political side-story through the novel was a little distracting but everything came together in the end so all was forgiven.

Next up: Too hard to say, I've got so many swimming in and out of my 'currently reading' heap at the moment!

12) The Secret Shopper Unwrapped by Kate Harrison

Why I chose it:
I know it's a Christmassy book, but it came into the shop looking so shiny and enticing that I just had a 'what the hell' moment! And since I've read it now, it'll be ready to go out on our Christmas table come December.

My thoughts:
This novel reunites the characters from The Secret Shopper's Revenge for a festive rollercoaster of ups and downs, highs and lows, laughter and tears, with each character facing down their own demons in time for the New Year. Sandie might be pregnant and already has enough on her plate coping with her boyfriend's awful mother and her own broken family. Emily is trying to keep her fairytale emporium - and her relationship with the lovely Will - afloat while engaged in battle with her slimy ex-husband. Grazia isn't so sure that she can grow old gracefully after all. And young Kelly, Sandie's new employee, is slowly sinking under a past that just won't let her go... It's pure fluff, of course, but it's well written fluff, and skims over a few profound issues to stop it veering into candyfloss territory. A good little read.

Next up: Ummm... Where do I start? :-/

13) Eating Myself by Candida Crewe

Why I chose it:
I picked it up on a whim - I spotted it while I was browsing at the library and vaguely recognised the title and author, probably from a newspaper review or something...

My thoughts:
I almost Pearl-ruled this one, but I'm glad I didn't. This is part autobiography, part 'women's studies', part social sciences. The first fifty pages or so, in which Crewe lays out her family background (as she explains later, in an attempt to give some context to the rest of the book), seemed a tad unnecessary, but after that it was plain sailing. Like a kind of extreme Bridget Jones, Crewe's experiences with food and diet are every woman's. Her descriptions of things we would usually take for granted - from her thought processes on a diet to the way she arranges food on her plate - are things most women could identify with, and there were some thought provoking points about why we feel the need to be thin, and the pointlessness of restricting our lives through dieting in the hope that it will solve all our problems in life and love. I think every woman, young and old, fat and thin, would come away from this book with something positive.

Next up: I'm partway through Crazy as Chocolate by Elisabeth Hyde, and hoping to make the most of the sunshine on my day off tomorrow with something girlie - maybe a Nicholas Sparks or Charlaine Harris?

14) Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Why I chose it:
It was my day off, there was pizza and chocolatey goodness at the ready, and I just felt like consuming a one-day slice of romantic weepiness.

My thoughts:
This is the story of a divorced woman, a widowed man, and the heartfelt letter that crosses the ocean to bring them together in their time of loneliness. When you read a Nicholas Sparks novel, you pretty much know what you're getting. You're going to be swept off your feet into a whirling romance, there'll be happiness and moonlight walks and dinners for two, the odd complication thrown in for good measure, and you'll read the last few pages of the book unable to see through a veil of tears. Well, let's just say this one delivered the Sparks formula perfectly...

Next up: Crazy as Chocolate by Elisabeth Hyde and Club Dead by Charlaine Harris, amongst other things...

Hi, Ellie,
Just stopping by, and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your reviews. I haven't read a Nicholas Sparks book yet, but I have one or two around here in my tbr. Have a nice weekend!
--BJ

Hi BJ! You should definitely try one soon - they're the perfect guilty pleasure. Set aside an afternoon for yourself, hole yourself up with a cup of tea and a hanky (weepie books, like weepie movies, are always best wallowed in alone for embarrassment-free enjoyment), and read away... ;-)

15) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Why I chose it:
I started it on Tuesday evening intending to finish it on my day off on Wednesday, but then ended up picking up Message in a Bottle as well. It seemed to have been an awfully long time since I had a fix of Eric Northman, so I brought it to work instead!

My thoughts:
Another Southern Vampire mystery that hit the spot beautifully, as I hoped. Although it started a little slowly, by the end it was racing along nicely and I finished it in the early hours of this morning. There isn't too much I can say without giving things away... Bill leaves on a secret 'mission' for the vampire queen of Louisiana and then goes missing, only for Eric and Pam to land a hefty blow on Sookie when they tell her what he's really been up to. Despite this she heads straight off to Jackson, Mississippi, with the dashing werewolf Alcide on hand to help her infiltrate the local Supe scene, to find out what's happened. Throw in a sprinkling of all the usual drama: damsels in distress, handsome heroes, supernatural intrigue and violent clashes with the bad guys, along with a dose of Sookie's wry commentary and Eric's determination to seduce her one way or another, and you've got another cracking little read. Looking forward to the next one!

Next up: Finishing Crazy as Chocolate and hopefully going back to The Count of Monte Cristo for a while too - beyond that's anyone's guess! Maybe one of my Early Reviewer or Member Giveaway books, which are starting to glare at me and whisper accusingly from the coffee table every time I walk past...

16) Crazy as Chocolate by Elisabeth Hyde

Why I chose it:
It's been sitting on my shelves for a long time, and it just fell into my hands when I was browsing for my next read.

My thoughts:
I wasn't as blown away by this novel as I expected to be after I'd sailed through the first few chapters - but I still enjoyed it. Hyde tells the story of Isabella, about to reach her 41st birthday and pretty darn nervous about the whole thing. Although it's not conventionally an important birthday, for her it officially marks the day she passes the age at which her eccentric and troubled mother committed suicide. Switching between flashbacks to Isabella's unusual childhood, and her attempts to handle this milestone in the present day, this is a complex and beautifully written little book with a whole heap of twisting issues running through it. I didn't love the book and I'm going to give it up to the shop shelves quite happily, but I'm glad I read it. My advice? Maybe get it from the library rather than buying it - but worth a read.

Next up: My reading's so 'on a whim' right now that I'm not even going to try and answer this time - wait and see!

I'm just going to copy across my full review for this one, since it's a Member Giveaway book from the author.

17) Teen Valour by Alaric Adair

Hmmm, where to start. This was a book that raised some huge issues for me, and has a heap of flaws that left me rather conflicted about the whole experience. Teen Valour, as the name suggests, is a young adult novel about a teenage boy who achieves recognition and success through his bravery, intelligence and innate goodness. This message that young people need to be given the right opportunities to fulfil their potential is discussed in Adair's 'mission statement' foreword and is a worthy goal in a society which has increasingly demonised young people into nothing better than layabout criminals.

On another level, this is a cracking action/adventure story, rather in the vein of the Young James Bond and Alex Rider books. Adam Cranford is recruited into 'The Foundation of Honour', a highly secret but undeniably powerful group, like a cross between MI5, military cadets and the Scouts, with a vast stash of private wealth to fund its activities. They pay for Adam to attend the best local school, set about training him in everything from physical fitness to disaster management, and assign him the (rather dubious) 'special skill' of lock-picking. So when Adam and a group of his school friends are kidnapped by armed eco-terrorists and held hostage at a remote Scottish base, who better to take command, drawing on everything he's learned and everything inside him to save the day?

So why, then, did I almost give up on this book about ten pages in? And what stopped me giving it a higher rating for all the complexity and excitement? Well... the writing's atrocious. I mean, REALLY atrocious. It reminded me very much of a fan fiction story - which is, by definition, an amateur and unedited piece of writing. There are words added in, words missing, typing and spelling mistakes, punctuation errors galore, and some of the grammar is, frankly, disgraceful. Certain explanations of events are convoluted, repetitive or unnecessarily detailed, and there are some real howlers thrown in there too - for example 'the roar of the distant breaking waves just some 150 metres away in the dark', and my particular favourite, 'There is 20,000 volts here. It is very painful. Speak now and tell me where he went or you will all feel the pain from my little stick.' Well, quite. It actually made me wonder if English isn't Adair's first language, because some of the turns of phrase are so odd.

Not only that, but the dialogue is so stilted it's painful. When the coachload of children is attacked the armed hijacker opens, rather hilariously, with: 'Stay calm, do nothing and you will all be okay. I am the leader and we are terrorists.' Teenage boys chatting to each other never use slang or contract their words ('I'm going out' instead of 'I am going out'), and there is a noticeable and completely unrealistic overuse of names. At one point I felt like there was something not quite right about the novel - and then I realised that while the characters smile and cry, they don't FEEL anything. The reader never sees inside Adam's head to find out how his logic is working to solve a crisis, or how he feels about what's happening to him, which makes the story feel rather shallow.

So, the question remains: is it worth reading, or not? I did feel myself being drawn into the story, partially helped by the short, snappy chapters, and I became quite immersed in the strange and privileged world of the Foundation. The plot is complex and Adair has clearly done his research, even if it is rather obviously deployed at times. There is plenty of plotting and gadgetry to satisfy action junkies, and all the loose ends are tied up nicely by the end.

The problem I have is that a book with this poor a grasp of basic English is being targeted at young adults. Let's be honest, today's school children aren't known for their superior grasp on literary matters, particularly when it comes to writing. Although I'm very much in favour of exciting books encouraging children to read, I just feel that it's irresponsible to offer such a flawed novel to a young audience. Young people learn the ins and outs of language through reading, and to set this book as an example feels downright irresponsible. At least for an adult reader the errors are more jarring than misleading - personally I wouldn't give this book to a child unless I knew they were strong on literacy and would read the book as I did, skimming over the mistakes in pursuit of the plot. My advice to Mr Adair? Get yourself a good editor and proofreader, and you've got yourself a great book!

Next up: Finishing Bedlam: London and its Mad, trying to finish a couple of other reads that have been floating around for a while - and probably getting sidetracked by a few other books along the way...

Another great review! The book obviously provoked some strong thoughts and feelings in you. It sounds like this author has good intensions, but needs writing lessons or a better editor. Hopefully your review will be read by the author and he will take your well thoughtout criticism into consideration when writing his next novel.

Too late... book 2 of the Adam Cranford series has already hit the shops! Blimey heck. The reviews seem to be split between people who couldn't even finish the book and people who adored every second of it, so maybe a bit of constructive criticism from someone who read the whole thing but doesn't think it's the best thing since sliced bread might just get across? Apparently there's even a range of Adam Cranford merchandise and a special fan club thingy, which seems a little optimistic. The website's dreadful!

18) Rococo by Adriana Trigiani

Why I chose it:
I keep seeing Trigiani's books coming in to the shop and flying out again, and never really bothered picking one up - but when I started flicking through this one in the office I liked the look of it so away I went!

My thoughts:
This was my first Trigiani, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of her books. It tells the story of one Bartolomeo di Crespi, interior designer extraordinaire of coastal New Jersey. In between brief flirtations with beautiful women of the design world and dealing with the dramas of his boisterous Italian-American extended family, Bartolomeo manages to secure the job he has always dreamed about: the renovation of his beloved local church, Our Lady of Fatima. However, it soon becomes apparent that there will be huge obstacles to overcome in the quest to turn this old Gothic building into a heavenly haven, and Bartolomeo must bring together all the people he loves and learn a few lessons along the way in order to fulfil his dream.

The novel is, quite simply, delicious. It drips with colour and texture, fabrics and furniture, and our charismatic narrator's knowledge and passion for his work infuses every page. The characters are larger than life, and the dialogue within the feisty family just sparkles. I looked forward to returning to the book each time I had to set it aside, and thoroughly enjoyed savouring each and every moment I was reading it. I can't wait to see what else Trigiani has to offer!

Next up: Finally finishing Bedlam so it can go back to the library at long last. And, dare I say it - could I finally be ready to go back to The Count of Monte Cristo?

Wonderful review! I added this one to my wishlist and thumb's up from me.
--BJ

Thanks BJ! It's yummy - I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her books now, for some more Italian-American wittiness!

19) Bedlam: London and Its Mad by Catharine Arnold

Why I chose it:
This has been hovering on my radar for a while and on my wishlist for months, so when I spotted it in the library I had to pick it up.

My thoughts:
This is a terrifying book but I am so glad to have read it. As the title suggests, it is predominantly a history of the Bethlehem asylum in London, soon contracted to 'Bedlam' in local slang and quickly fixing the term in our language as a byword for chaos.

Bedlam's history is a horrifying tale swimming with chains and straitjackets, ice baths and purging, bleeding and starvation, mania and despair. Arnold draws the reader through the years from Bedlam's conception, into different locations and grand buildings, through the reigns of monarch after monarch. Doctors and superintendents come and go, treatments fluctuate and metamorphose, knowledge grows and changes for the better... eventually. Through the sweep of Bedlam's history, Arnold has included the stories of some of the saddest, quirkiest and most notorious patients to haunt its cells, as well as extending her research to offer the reader a wider historical context and a broader look at the treatment of madness across the country. There is also an interesting chapter on mad women as a cultural construct, including a look at Miss Havisham and Bertha Mason as literary representations of contemporary stereotypes.

As a manic depressive, all I can say is, thank heavens I'm not living my life any time but now. Right up the mid-20th century, people suffering from mental illness have been 'treated' with a host of remedies from the ridiculous to the barbaric to, just occasionally, the hopeful and enlightened. I found this book by turns sad, wry, mind-boggling, thoughtful and plain horrific. I feel like I've come away from it having been educated and enlightened, not to mention harbouring a profound feeling of gratefulness that today's medicine has, for the most part, finally rejected the attitudes and approaches to mental illness that made elements of this book so painful to read. Highly recommended!

Next up: Back to The Count of Monte Cristo... probably. And now my library books are collectively done I'm free to pick up whatever the hell I like on the side, yay!

Great review! I gave you a thumbs up. I've looked at Bedlam: London and Its Mad and similar titles before, but have shied away because of the horrorific way people were treated in mental institutions in the past. It intrigues me yet it disturbs me. I think that's because I like the subject in horror movies and fictional books, but not in real life. One of the books I just recently read Fingersmith has a character who is sent to a madhouse and is subjected to the "cold bath' treatment and other cruelties by the so called doctors that were trying to cure her.

20) Never Ever by Helena Pielichaty

Why I chose it:
It was hard to tell from the cover whether this was a teen book or an adult chick-lit novel - and not wanting complaints from parents if I shelved it in the wrong place by mistake, I thought I'd better read it first!

My thoughts:
I'd place it as a top-age young adult novel, girlie and great fun. Erin is in year ten, and she is having to move from her posh house onto the local council estate following her dad's bankruptcy. Not only is the family struggling to make ends meet and fighting between themselves as they settle into their new home, but to Erin's horror they're now living just down the street from Liam, the arrogant class stud. Of course, events throw them together and as time goes on each realises the other isn't so bad after all. Ever few chapters the viewpoint switches between these two chalk-and-cheese characters, so the reader can sit back and watch their walls being knocked down and their prejudices fading away.

Pielichaty is a teacher by profession and her understanding of teenage life shines through. She touches on everything from alcohol to sex, money to friendships, moving house to family identity, with sensitivity and insight, and throws in a hefty helping of humour and a stirring message of loyalty, generosity, and How We're All The Same Really. The interactions between friends, classmates and siblings ring with authenticity, and the sweet growing attraction between Liam and Erin is the icing on the cake. The verdict? Pure fluff, but it's fresh and smart and for older teens it really hits the mark.

Next up: Finishing 84, Charing Cross Road, continuing along my journey with The Count of Monte Cristo, and on the side... well, who knows what'll grab my attention next?!

21) 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Why I chose it:
I'd heard far too much about it's charm and it's bookish loveliness NOT to, really!

My thoughts:
My copy of this book included both 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. In terms of the former - the letters that slot it into my first category - well, I am definitely drawn to books that are witty, charming, and full of, well, books - so this, er, book, a compilation of letters between two witty, charming people brought together by, yes, books, fits the bill perfectly! Helene Hanff wrote to the Marks & Co. bookshop in London's Charing Cross Road for twenty years, acquiring all kinds of books from them without ever leaving her typewriter. In doing so she broke down the reserve of Frank Doel, her chief correspondent and buyer at the bookshop, and formed friendships with everyone from his wife to his colleagues to his elderly neighbour. Her generosity and wit charmed her English friends just as they charm readers still. Although the book is short, it is just delicious to read, putting a happy smile on the reader's face on every page. It evokes nostalgia for the 'good old days' of bookselling, and I could almost smell the dusty pages as Helene opened each new package, freshly arrived from England. I just wish there were more letters remaining from those years to make for a longer book!

My full review, for both books in the volume, is on the book's page and over on my 75-Book Challenge thread (link on my profile, as always)...

Next up: Onwards with The Count of Monte Cristo - and for a less hefty book to cart to the shop every day... well, I haven't decided yet. I tried this morning but nothing's jumped out yet!

I loved 84, Charing Cross Road when I read it earlier this year, a book from my local library. Loved the movie as well and I recommend it if you haven't seen it!

I attended my local newspaper's annual book three weeks ago and was overjoyed to find and purchase a copy of both 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street - they had obviously been purchased originally as a set and were perched together in the corner of a box of books for someone to pick up.

I bought the film a few days ago and since last night ended up being so humid and, well, wakeful, I watched it into the very wee hours of the morning. At 2:30am I got into bed with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, it was lovely!

Wow some great books and reviews. I love how you just pick up books at random and start reading them. I love to do that. I never know what will peak my interest at any given time during the day.

I definitely want to read 84, Charing Cross Road sometime soon. It sounds intriguing as I also like books that are full of books :).

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it.

22) The Snow Goose, and The Small Miracle by Paul Gallico

The back of my book says 'The Snow Goose' is 'a beautiful tale of a hunchbacked artist, a girl, a wounded bird and a courageous act at Dunkirk.' It being a short story, there really isn't much I can add to that without ruining it. From the first page it resounded with poetry and bravery, deep sadness and a profound love and respect for the natural world. By the end I was in tears and absolutely certain that this book wouldn't be leaving my shelves any time soon.

The second story, 'The Small Miracle', is a modern fable about a poor orphaned Italian boy, Pepino, and his quest to save his best friend and only remaining family, his beloved donkey Violetta. Again, it's a very moving story - orphan boy, sick donkey, here come the tears again! - and it's woven through with an appealing atmosphere of innocence and faith.

For me, the first story will be unforgettable; the second story less so, but lovely all the same. Very highly recommended.

As ever, my full review (I've chopped a chunk out here!) is on the book's page...

23) The Bad Mother's Handbook

Why I chose it:
I wanted something fluffy and light, for a day in the sunshine and as a little break from The Count of Monte Cristo!

My thoughts:
Well, it wasn't quite as fluffy as I'd expected. In fact, this book covers everything from teen pregnancy to adoption to child neglect to dementia. Charlotte has discovered, to her horror, that her less-than-idyllic dalliance with arrogant Paul has left her pregnant at seventeen. Her mum Karen is left reeling when she finds out she's adopted - will her enquiries bring her a fairytale reunion, and can she cope with Charlotte's revelation on top of everything else? And as for Nan, poor senile Nan with her colostomy bag and her penchant for toasting letters - well, she just wants everyone to be happy...

With all this going on, it's fortunate that the characters are so endearing, and that Long has managed to create an absorbing story that never loses its lightness of touch and sense of humour. The narrative switches between Charlotte's rapidly maturing voice, Karen's rather self-absorbed musings, and Nan' wistful recollections of her own past, bringing together these three women, three ages, three personalities, into one winding family history. I wasn't completely blown away, but I'm glad I read it and I'm sure I'll enjoy the other two of Long's books that are still waiting eagerly on my shelves!

Next up: Continuing with The Count of Monte Cristo, with The World According to Clarkson for light relief. And, probably, another quick fluffy book on my next day off - got to make the most of any chance to clear a space or two on my poor buckling shelves!

I loved The world According to Clarkson! He is totally funny. I loved the one about the electrical plugs.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

It's brilliant for a 'light bite' at the end of the day or between customers - I've already read this one once, but I have volumes 2 and 3 waiting for me as well so I thought I might as well start from the beginning!

I'm just going to post my whole review for this one - it's too vast a book to cut bits out!

24) The Count of Monte Cristo

Firstly, a quick note on this edition: having started an old, archaic and atrocious translation to begin with, I can heartily recommend the crystal prose of Robin Buss's translation for Penguin Classics... The difference was startling, and it made it an absolute joy to read where it could so easily have become a chore!

Now, this is going to be a tricky one to review. What to say about a book so well loved, so widely read, so generally revered? Well, let's start with the basics, the bits most people already know. The novel opens with young Edmond Dantes, on the verge of becoming captain of his merchant ship and husband of the beautiful Mercedes, being betrayed by his jealous friends and thrown into jail for his alleged support of Napoleon. During his fourteen years in the terrifying Chateau d'If, he meets a 'mad' old abbe, who introduces him to the world of learning and tells him about a secret treasure that he wishes Edmond to have should he ever escape. Well, escape he does, and is reborn as the Count of Monte Cristo, using his incredible wealth, power and intelligence to bring justice down on the heads of the three men who condemned him to the dungeons.

This book is so many things: it is epic, complex and exciting; it is heartbreaking, sorrowful and romantic. It touches on the heights of emotion, society and the human condition, as well as the depths of despair, corruption and depravity. I found myself speeding along in breathless excitement as Edmond's true identity was revealed to each of his tormentors, and felt the full horror of the tangled webs he wove to destroy them one by one. It made me ponder the relationship between wealth and power, between knowledge and power, and the way that faith can save someone's life but also, if they don't take care, lead them down a path swathed in darkness. The Count's lesson for jealous Danglars, for example, was deeply satisfying - whereas his quiet destruction of Villefort's entire family was devastating to read. Of course, all this is terribly unlikely and deeply dramatic, but that is part of its charm - this is escapism at its finest!

Quite simply, this is a masterful novel that drew me in gently then refused to let me go. The characters are wonderfully drawn - I even got a bit of a crush on Dantes, fallen angel that he is - and the story seeps forward deliciously, bringing everything slowly into focus as the scattered elements of the Count's plans draw together. This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of the year and one of my favourite books ever! Read it!

Wonderful review! It seemed like you were struggling to read this for awhile. I am glad to hear you finished and enjoyed it. It is interesting how much difference the translator can make. Consider this review thumbed!

Yup, great review. Makes me want to reach for my, so far, unread copy of the book.

>118 elliepotten: We read The Count of Monte Cristo in 10th grade (I won't say how many years ago that was), and I think it was such a fun book that we all loved it.

Oh, I loved it! Definitely this year's best book yet.

>119 craso: - I was struggling for a while, to read ANYTHING, while I was depressed (the joys of being bipolar!), but I was surprised how easy it was, after a month or more of not reading it, to just dive right back in where I left off... Kinda like going back into a conversation with an old friend, it was just so easy!

yup great review. It also might explain why I have never wanted to read it, our copy sounds like a poor translation.. time to get a new copy.

Definitely worth a try - I nearly threw the first copy across the room within about five pages... (Instead, I bought a new one and took my attractive-looking 2-volume version to the shop, where I sold it for about £12... mwahahaha!)

25) Library Confidential: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert

I thought I'd like this a lot more than I actually did. How could I not? It's about libraries, and books, and eccentric bookish people! Well, it is and it isn't. This book is 'loosely' many things. It is 'loosely' the sum of one man's experiences as a California librarian; 'loosely' a homage to the library staff he has known; 'loosely' a timely reminder of all the wonderful things a library stands for; 'loosely' a romp through some of the weird and wonderful patrons that one finds lurking in the stacks.... The problem for me was that Borchert never really fixed on any of these things long enough to bring together a coherent memoir. Time skips backwards and forwards. The anecdotes can be quite mundane where they were supposed to be scandalous. The reflections on libraries petered out before they said anything profound, and books themselves scarcely seemed to factor at all.

That said, there are some interesting stories here, and Borchert is very good at capturing the ambience of a library, from the quietest of mornings to the busiest after-school bustle. It is obvious that over the years Borchert has seen it all, from drug dealers stashing their wares in the toilets to old ladies who just want someone to talk to, mothers scrapping in the car park to UFO geeks determined to uncover the truth, no matter how many internet hours it takes. In short, there are ups and downs for Borchert AND for his book. It has its flaws, but at the same time I'm sure I'll hang onto it for a while, because I so enjoyed following these anecdotes back into my own memories of the libraries and librarians that have brightened my life over the years. Worth a read...

26) 'Book Lover' (a.k.a. Literacy and Longing in L.A.) by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack

Why I chose it:
How could I not, given the title, the cover, the whole PREMISE?

My thoughts:
Dora is a serial book binger - whenever life throws too much her way, she locks the door, runs herself a scalding hot bath, chooses a pile of books and settles in for a good wallow. Occasionally she might call for a pizza or whiz over to her local bookstore to restock, but that's about it until the world is set to rights again. It is at this bookshop that she meets Fred. He loves books, he makes her melt, and his family are wonderful - what more could she want? Then something terrible happens and Fred starts to show his true colours...

Well, up to that point it was all going well, for Dora and for the book! I was enjoying the literary banter, the bookish quotes and the references to wonderful-sounding novels. I had bits of paper sticking out everywhere marking books I wanted to hunt down and sentiments I liked, and I was looking forward to seeing where this bookstore romance would end up. Except... well, it didn't really end up anywhere!

Essentially the book just tailed off. The plot drifted on, then wham! I turned the page and suddenly I was in the epilogue! A confusing, inconclusive little epilogue which felt horribly like the authors had just gotten bored and plumped for the dreaded 'And then they went home for tea'-type ending... So, not quite the bookish deliciousness I had hoped for. In fact, past a certain point the books pretty much disappeared from the story anyway, so it just became a fairly weak chick lit novel in the last third or so. I did like the extra little section at the back, with author interviews, a literary quiz, and a jumbled list of all the books mentioned throughout the novel, which was a nice touch. The verdict: I enjoyed it - it was a nice little read for a day off - but it could have been so much more.

Next up: Still reading The Lion Children, which is just charming. I might start another fiction read on the side, not sure yet. Today I'm all headachy so I thought about starting Strawberry Shortcake Murder - but if the headache goes away I might leave that one for a cosy day off...

OK, heads up peeps - having started a blog and with the busy summer season coming up in the shop, I've (slightly reluctantly) decided to scrap the 1010 in favour of Free Reading - and getting some summer fluff back on our shop shelves! At the moment I'm almost reading to demand - 'what are we low on at the moment' kinda reading...

All my reviews (and lots of chatter) are over on my 75-Book Challenge thread anyway, and I'm keeping up the 'Books off the Shelf' challenge just to see how I'm doing with reducing the stack a bit... Links on my profile, as always! See you over there!
*bows out gracefully*

I have to say that I love your review for the Count of Monte Cristo and now I want to see if I have a copy of the book at home. I will just check my library listing on here after this post. The Count of Monte Cristo is one book I have wanted to read but just put it off.

I will see you over on your other threads, sorry to hear you are stopping this challenge, yet I understand your reasoning. I think you have done a great job with this challenge by reaching the half way point already.

Happy Reading!!

Come by my 75-Book Thread - all these reviews are over there anyway and I'll still try and read the same kind of variety of books, it'll just mean I don't get fixed thinking 'Oh no! I haven't read enough travel writing!' or whatever... Less copying and pasting reviews, too... *phew*