Lidbud's Late attempt at 75. by Jillian.

I know that I am starting late, but never mind here goes...

I didn't read anything even close to 75 last year, so I am hoping that joining this group will give me the motivation to reduce my Mt Toberead. I will start by listing what I have read so far this year:

1) Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Nifenegger. Disappointing follow up to The Time Traveler's Wife, which I loved.
2) How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. I plan to read more Young Adult fiction this year, and this was a good one.
3) The 10pm Question by Kate De Goldi. Another Young adult. A also plan to read more New Zealand fiction this year.
4) The Legend of Colton H Bryant by Alexandra Fuller sad, true story about a young man who lost his life on a oil rig.
5) Death of a Murderer by Rupert Thomson
6) Eating for England by Nigel Slater
7) Edwin + Matilda by Laurence Fearnley. Another New Zealand Writer
8) The Fire Gospel by Michel Faber An enjoyable Da Vinci Code spoof.
9) The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian
10) Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith
11) The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
12) The Sharper your knife the less you cry by Kathleen Flinn
13. After the Fall by Kylie Ladd

Thirteen so far... not too bad a start.

I am currently reading Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

When this is finished, I plan to move on to either Tethered by Amy Mackinnon, or Daphne by Justine Picardie.

Welcome! The Fire Gospel looks pretty interesting...

Hi Jillian - how was Edwin + Matilda? I see it on display quite often and wonder.

Hi, Kerry. I enjoyed it, although it is quite sad and thought provoking. In short, I would recommend it, it is a very different love story.

Welcome to the group!

I read Tethered last year and thought it was terrific. I look forward to seeing what you thought of it.

Welcome Jillian. I keep seeing your additions when I log into librarything.

That is funny, because I always seem to see yours!

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.

Hi Jillian - it's really nice to see another New Zealander joining the group!
I'm away from home (Wellington) at the moment, in Basel till the end of next year with my husband and two kids.

What was Eating for England like? I have Slater's Kitchen Diaries and love it.

Hi, Cmt. I enjoyed Eating for England, it is a very quick and easy read, but I think that I enjoyed his autobiography Toast more. I thought that Kitchen Diaries was one of his cookbooks(?).

It is - it's one of my favourite cook books!

Ah, thanks for that. I have a few of his cookbooks, but not that one.

14. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I really wanted to like this more, I love the idea behind the book, but the writing is so stodgy, and there is no sense of any anticipation or suspense.
15 Tethered by Amy Mackinnon. Liked this, a bit of an unusual take on a mystery. There is a missing child, suspected child abusers, and an interesting heroine with a secret. Very good, and I thought that the ending was fabulous.
16The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. A talking dog. What is not to like?

#12: Tethered was one of my memorable reads from last year. I am glad you liked it.

Inkheart disappointed me as well! In fact, I thought the film was MUCH better than the book, and the ending in the film version made a whole lot more sense than the one in the book. Watching the movie made me want to continue reading the book series, in fact... which I intend to do, one of these days!

I was disappointed too with Inkheart, such a great idea!
I tried the next book but abandoned it.

I might give the movie a try ;-)

Tethered sounds good. I read a thriller about a missing child back in January that was pretty good, John Hart's The Last Child.

I enjoyed Inkheart, mainly because of the idea of being read into books. I've read the other two as well, but did feel that she dragged the story out. When there are too many characters, you don't get enough time with the ones you like which can be annoying.

I recently read The Leisure Seeker and loved it! Welcome to our group!

#17. I really enjoyed The Leisure Seeker too, I thought that it was lovely.

# 16. I have The Last Child here too, it looks good.

17. Trespass by Rose Tremain

This novel concerns two sets of siblings. There is Anthony, a former antiques dealer who was once the darling of the rich and famous set in London, and his sister Veronica, living in France with her rather unlovely partner, Kitty. Also in France is Aramon and his sibling, Audrun. Aramon is a hopeless alcoholic, living in total squalor in the once magnificent family house. Attracted by money, Aramon decides to sell the house to Anthony, and decides to evict his sister who is living in a bungalow on the property. As soon as Anthony expresses interest in the house, things come badly unstuck....

I enjoyed this, Tremain is very good writer. The only other book of hers that I have read is The Way I Found Her, and that was quite a few years ago. I think that I will be seeking out more books by her to add to the groaning pile.

#19: Yours is the second review of Trespass I have read today. I am definitely going to have to find that one.

Yes, definitely read it!!!

18. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

A lovely gentle story about an old woman and her grand daughter spending the summer together on an island in the Gulf of Finland. The child's mother has died, and the father is largely absent, but the loss of the mother, although never discussed is still felt as a back drop to the book. The child and grandmother spend the summer talking about everything - death, life, God, and nature, and there is great affection between them.

A lovely, thoughtful read.

#22: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I just need to get my hands on a copy.

19. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.

Ruth Reichl was the restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times, when her husband heard that the present critic for the New York Times, the most prestigious newspaper in the country had resigned, he persuaded her to apply for the job.
Ruth quicky finds out that the New York restaurants have done their homework on her. Rumours circulate that her photo is posted in restaurants and some establishments are offering their staff a bonus of $500 for spotting her in their restaurant. Ruth realises fairly quickly that she will have to do her reviews incognito, or it will be impossible for the experience to be an honest one, due to fawning waitpeople and chefs going out of their way to provide her special meals that the average diner would not get to experience.
She seeks help from an acting coach and begins work.
There is a lot about the restaurants, and the food that she eats - Ruth is incredibly knowledgeable about food and ingredients, to the point of sometimes being a bit of a show off, but we also find out a lot about Ruth. She is quite surprised by how her behaviour changes when she is dressed in one of her costumes - sometimes rude and superscillious and sometimes meek and shy, depending on circumstances. Ruth becomes more and more uncomfortable with her own behaviour, after being told a few home truths by her husband and friends.
I found this very good, and very entertaining. Ruth is now the editor of American Gourmet magazine.

I really enjoyed this one and her first 2 books as well - have you read Tender at the Bone? It's funny and sad and has some great recipes in it!

#24: I read that one a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Have you read any of her other books, Jillian? I have a couple of them but have not yet managed to get them read.

Hi, yes I have read Tender at the Bone, and I really enjoyed it. You would enjoy this too, if you enjoyed that, and this one also has recipes!

So late to this party...forgive me?

The Michael Faber...he of Crimson Petal and the White...a loverly Historical & Under the Skin..a devastating Dystopian. I never heard of The Fire Gospel...ashamed to say....Thank you for alerting me, if no one else...

;-}

I also really enjoyed the Ruth Reichl books. I think there is a third one besides Tender at the Bone and Garlic and Sapphires.

Eating for England is already on my wishlist. Food books are so much fun to read!

#28. Yes, That Michel Faber.
#29. I love food books too. And yes, the third one is Comfort me with Apples

Book no 20: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I have never read Gaiman before, but felt that I should after enjoying an interview with him that I heard on the radio recently.

The book is about Nobody Owens "Bod" for short who comes to live in a graveyard following the murder of his parents. He is looked after by the graveyard inhabitants, who are of course, all dead. He is well looked after by his surrogate parents, who really just want the best for him, I became quite fond of young Bod as he grew up, acquiring all the skills that he will require in the world as a young man, and the final scene, where he leaves to go and enter the world is just lovely.

#31: I loved that one. I am glad you enjoyed it too.

Book no 20:

The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips.

This is the debut novel of Gin Phillips, an American writer. It concerns the Moore family who are living in Carbon Hill, Alabama, a coal mininf town, during the depression. There is the father, Albert, a coal miner, mother Leta, and their children Virgie, Tess and Jack. One night 8-year-old Tess sees a woman go to their well and throw in a baby. Tess and Virgie want to find out who the woman is, and make systematic visits to their neighbours, or any woman who may have had a baby recently, trying to find out who the woman was. Then Jack has a serious accident, and the family forgets about the baby for a while, as they look after Jack.
The book is well written, but I felt that it was lacking something. The chapters are narrated by each family member, and I founs ir hard to remember who was narrating some of the time, as the voices are quite similar.
Eventually the identlty of the well-woman is uncovered, and then the book finishes rather abruptly.
I would recommend it, but with reservations.

#33: I have that one in the BlackHole. Eventually I will get to it.

I know what you mean about multiple narrators. Sometimes, it seems that they know where they want to go..but can't seem to get there..in an interesting fashion. Multiple narratives are difficult to write....with separate/distinctive voices.. I'll put this title on THE LIST...to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.

Book No 21.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

Alice is a Harvard Professor with a formidable reputation. She has three adult children and a husband who adores her. She has started having problems with her memory, which she puts down to overwork. Then she gets lost in a familiar place, and seeks medical help. The diagnosis is devastating - Alice has Alzheimers disease. She is barely fifty years old.
The book follows Alice, in her rapidly deteriorating state, firstly refusing to accept that the disease is going to change her life, and that she has many years left, as a teacher, as well as a wife, mother and grandmother, to the later stages, when she has trouble remembering who her children are.
A very good book, well written and with an emotional punch.

#36: I will be reading that one in the next week or so. I am glad you enjoyed it.

Book No 22.

A Quiet Belief in Angels by RJ Ellory

I have never read Ellory before, but thought that this was a very well written book, and I will be seeking out more of his.

The protagonist, Joseph Vaughan is just twelve when a young girl from his school is brutally raped and murdered. Joseph and his friends form a group called The Guardians, to look over and protect the young girls in their community, keeping them from harm. Joseph feels responsible, especially regarding Elena, a young epileptic girl.
Although this book is basically a murder mystery, it is lifted out of the ordinary by very beautiful writing:-

"I am an exile.
I take a moment to look back across the span of my life and I try to see it for what it was. Amidst the madness that I encountered, amidst the rush and smash and brutality of the collisions of humanity, I have witnessed, there have been moments. Love. Passion. Promise. The Hope of Something better. All these things."

I will be seeking out more by Ellory to read. He is a very skilled writer, and I can highly recommend him.

#38: I have never heard of Ellory before. I will look for his books. Thanks for the recommendation, Jillian.

No 23.

So many books, So little time: A year of passionate reading by Sara Nelson.

Normally, I just love books about books, and books about what people like to read. I felt that this was missing something though, and I can't pinpoint what. Sara Nelson decided to read a book a week, and write about it. The result is this book. I think that I wanted more information about the books that she read, and less about her son and husband, but maybe I am just being picky. The jury is still out on this one.

Interesting - I bought this one a few years ago, but still haven't got round to reading it after all this time. I was disappointed in Susan Hill's Howards End is on the Landing for not saying as much about the books she had read as I expected, either.

No 24: An Education by Lynn Barber

I am only familiar with this book because of the Nick Hornby scripted movie of the same name (which I have not seen).

When Lynn was 16, she was picked up by a much older man at a bus stop and began a relationship with him. He claimed to be 27, although subsequent events showed that she could not believe anything that he told her about himself. He travelled with her, often staying overnight in expensive hotels, although it appears from Barber's description that their sex life was almost non-existent. She later found out that he was a conman, and was in fact married with two small children. I believe that the movie is mostly concerned with this period of her life, although I found the remainder of the book, about her life as a journalist, and the eventual death of her husband to be far more interesting.
I was surprised by how much I liked this, actually, and would recommend it.

#42: I have added that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Jillian. Thumbs up for your review.

No 24: Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson.

I have had this one on my shelf for a while, my son read it, and pressed me to read it too.

It starts off fairly simply - two lonely kids make friends at school - they are both outcasts, Jess because he comes from a poor family and wants to be an artist, and Leslie, whose bookish parents treat her more as a friend than their child, and invent a secret country called Terebithia that only they know about. Jess and Leslie become King and Queen of their secret country and it becomes their ideal refuge. Then one day something awful happens to Leslie - I won't tell you what it is, as it is a major spoiler, but Jess finds a strength inside himself that he never knew he had prior to becoming Leslie's friend.
I found this book surprisingly affecting, particularly as I was not that impressed with it to start off with. It is intended for readers 9 and up, so I am far from being its target audience, but if you want something short and touching, I would recommend this.

#44: I have not read that one. I will give it a shot!

I found you Jillian! And now you have a star, so I will find you again. My daughter loved Bridge to Teribithia and 'made' me read it, as she often does.

Have you read The Hunger Games? Two of a set of three are out -- again my daughter said, "READ!" and she was right!

Thank you, Lucy. I have you starred too!. I haven't read the Hunger Games as yet, but have heard very good things about it.

Not my usual practice, but I saw the film Bridge to Terabitha before reading the book. Both are excellent.

I read Bridge to Terebithia in sixth grade, at the urging of my mother, and it was the first book that ever made me cry. I immediately decided I wanted nothing more to do with books of that kind and I believe that's about the time that I started reading Piers Anthony's Xanth series and the Lord of the Rings. LOL. That said, I now think Bridge to Terebithia is an excellent story... though it still makes me cry...!

Book 25:

The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden

I have owned this book for quite a few years and picked it up, as I felt that my reading was a little bit stalled, and I needed something that would be a quick read. I am very glad that this was the book that I chose.

The story concerns the five Grey Children, who travel to France on holiday with their mother. The mother thinks that the children are spoiled and wants to show them the battlefields of France to make them less selfish. As soon as they arrive their mother becomes sick, and is confined to a hospital bed, leaving the children to stay at a local hotel, largely unsupervised. They are taken under the wing of Eliot, an enigmatic Englishman who seems to live permanently at the hotel. They find summer in France to be very different to what they are used to in France, They gorge themselves on greengages from the orchard, and discover adult 'pleasures' such as drinking alcohol. The narrator of the story is thirteen year old Cecil (a girl), but it is her elder sister, Joss 'suddenly achingly beautiful' who is at the centre of the action as she attracts attention from the men at the hotel, leading to the crisis near the end of the novel.

This is a very well written book, and one that I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys coming of age fiction.

Oh I remember this book -- I think I was about 16 when I read it....... I'll have to find it and read it again, I remember loving it. There's another one a little like that The Battle of the Villa Fiorita-- also by Godden?

#50: I picked up that one at the library after reading and loving Godden's In This House of Brede recently. I am glad to know that it is a good one!

I read The Greengage Summer a few years ago and loved it. I've been collecting more of her books this past year after seeing other good reviews.

#26. Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel.

This is a strange little book, and I am still not quite sure what I thought of it. The Protagonist is a writer called Henry who wrote a successful novel, and has struggled with his second book. It was to be a combined essay/fiction about the Holocaust, in a flip book format. However, his publisher hated the idea, sending Henry away to work on it. Henry and his wife move to another city, Henry takes a job in a chocolate shop, and has a child. Everything seems to be going fine for him, and then he receives a letter from a fan, enclosed with the letter is a short story in which killing of animals features strongly, and a scene from a play where two characters "Beatrice" and "Virgil" discuss what a pear is. Henry goes to meet with his fan, who is a taxidermist also named Henry, and the taxidermist shows him the 'real' Beatrice and Virgil, a donkey and a howler monkey that he has mounted in his shop. He also shows him the rest of his play "A Twentieth Century Shirt",in which the two feature. By now, I was reasonably sure that a point was being made, but I was not sure as to what it was, but then it all becomes very clear - the book is a parable about the Holocaust, and how it is always with us. Henry the novelist (or is it Martel himself?) states near the front of the book that the Holocaust has never been given a proper serious treatment in fiction. Well, this may or may not be so, but I am not sure that an obscure story about a donkey and a howler monkey can be a wholly serious treatment.
All in all, an odd little book, and one that I have not as yet made my mind up about.

I haven't read Life of Pi yet, so will keep that on my tbr list and avoid this one.

Kerry, I loved Life of Pi, which I can highly recommend, but this one, I cannot decide whether or not it is very clever or pretentious rubbish, but the more I think about it, the more I dislike it.

Just saying hi -- you've been very quiet for days! Hope you are finding time to read.

Hi, back!!!

Yes, I have been a bit quiet on here - not reading nearly enough though!!!

#27.

The Bed I Made by Lucie Whitehouse.

Lucie Whitehouse was hailed as a prodigy following the her first novel, The House at Midnight. (which I have not read.

This novel is a thriller concerning a young woman, Kate, who flees to the Isle of Wight, following a nasty incident with her increasingly possessive married lover Richard. Kate no longer loves him, her initial infatuation has totally evaporated, and she wants to be alone to sort out her thoughts. While there, she takes a job in a local cafe and befriends Peter, a local man whose wife has drowned in an apparent suicide. In the meantime, Richard is stalking her by e-mail, and his presence is becoming increasingly creepy. All of this comes to a head in a quite exciting ending.

This was a good read, and the book was actually better than I have made it sound. Whitehouse writes very well, and is very good at slowly building tension. All in all, very enjoyable.

I'll keep an eye out for that one.

#28.

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K Lee

This is a dual narrative set in Hong Kong, around the time of the Japanese invasion, and also around ten years later. The piano teacher of the title is a young woman, Claire, newly married and already dissatisfied with her older husband. She begins to give piano lessons to a young Chinese girl, and meets their chauffeur, Will Truesdale. The book is called "The Piano Teacher", but the story really is Will's. The story of Will and Claire's affair is told along with flashbacks to Hong Kong's rapid fall to the invading Japanese, and Will's involvement with a Eurasian woman, Trudy, at around that time.
Janice Lee writes well, this is her first novel, but I did find the opening sections very slow moving, and felt that the pace through out the book was rather sluggish, but she sets out the class society, the underlying racism, and the terrible privation sufferred by the Chinese and ex-pat communities in Hong Kong.
An interesting, but slow moving book.

#61: I did not much care for that one myself when I read it.

I hope you enjoy your next read more, Jillian.

Thanks, Stasia. I am glad that it is just not me. It is certainly not a bad book, but I felt that it was missing something.

#63: Well, if you missed it, I missed it right along with you!

#29. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

In 1951, a young black woman called Henrietta Lacks died at Johns Hopkins hospital, she had a very painful death from cervical cancer. Her death changed the history of medicine. Prior to her death, her doctor had removed some of her cancer cells, in an attempt to grow them. This had been attempted by many other doctors, but the cells always died soon after removal. However, when Henrietta's cells were cultured, they kept on dividing and growing, and these cells, removed without Henrietta's knowledge became one of the most important tools in medicine, the first 'immortal' human cells to be grown in a laboratory. The cells, known as HeLa were used to develop the polio vaccine, to study cancer and viruses, were sent into space, and exploded in bombs. The cells also led to important breakthroughs in Invitro fertilisation and gene mapping. The cells have been bought and sold in their billions, are even today are widely used.
Rebecca Skloot is a science journalist who became interested in Henrietta while she was still in High School, she did years of research and met with Henrietta's family, and this book is the result, telling the story of Henrietta, a dirt-poor tobacco farmer, married to her first cousin, the legacy of her cells, and in particular, Henrietta's daughter Deborah who was devastated to find out what had happened to her mother's cells.
It is a fascinating story, well told, and in parts very moving - when for instance Deborah and her brother view their mother's cells under a microscope for the first time.
Recommended.

There's an interview program here called Fresh Air (streamable -- Terry Gross on WHYY) and so I heard Rebecca Skloot talking about working with the family and writing this book, I think maybe the daughter was also there. Nice work!

#65: I liked that one too. I am glad you did as well, Jillian.

Just stopping by to say hello.

Hi, Sib!. I hope that you have something good to read. It must be Spring where you are. It is Autumn, but very Winter-like and pouring with rain here at the moment. Ugh! (Good reading weather though)

I'm reading The Magicians by Lev Grossman -- I like it a lot, enough so that I haven't really started my NF read, Bill Bryson on Shakespeare, sure to be extremely entertaining.

With a bro in Canberra we're usually somewhat aware of what season is going on down under. When our mother was ill he kept having to visit while he wasn't teaching (prof linguistics at ANU) and this meant WINTER here and missing some of summer there which drove him batty. Of course, his winter there isn't much compared to the NE of the USA, but still, it's cold enough.

What are you reading now, cozy and inside?

Hi, again. It is still raining and more rain is predicted. I live opposite a river (actually it is just a large creek), and when it rains heavily, it has been known to burst its banks, stranding us in the house. (Luckily I have food, wine, and plenty to read) I have just finished:

No 30.
A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson

I read this book, after reading several positive reviews on LT, notably the review by richardderrus. (If you haven't read it, please do!!)
This is a lovely, gentle love story. The hero (Mr Malik) is not your typical romantic hero - he is shy, retiring, loves birdwatching, and has a comb-over. He is in love with the lovely Rose Mbikwa. But he has a rival for his affections, flashy Harry Khan. Mr Malik and Harry both want to invite Rose to the Hunt Club Ball, so a competition is devised. Who ever spots the greatest number of bird species within a week, will have the honour of inviting Rose to the ball. The competition forms the heart of the book, but there are also themes of goodness, decency, fairness, along with some lovely writing.
If you are looking for an uplifting read, then I recommend that you spend a few hours in the company of these characters. You will not regret it.

#71: I have that one on order from Amazon. I hope I enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to have done.

>71 Lidbud: "...food, wine, plenty to read"

Sounds great. I'm in the same boat with the rain (the same rain even!) but my toddler and his cabin fever is ensuring my TBR pile isn't going anywhere until after bedtime.

I started A guide to the birds of East Africa last night and am already really enjoying it!

#73. I am lucky that both of my kids are school age!!

#74, Good, I hope that you like it!

I agree with your comments regarding A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, it is such a delightful book!

Just checking in!

Hi, Sib. I just posted in your thread.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Charlie Bucktin has a terrible secret. One hot night, Jasper Jones the town outcast - part aboriginal and universally despised comes to his window. Charlie is thirteen, clever, bookish and doesn't really fit in in the mining town of Corrigan, a rather unlovely place where racism and prejudice run deep. Jasper has witnessed some thing terrible, and he needs Charlie's help. Charlie and Jasper are both tormented with guilt following Jasper's awful discovery, and the town is filled with suspicion. During the summer, he comes into conflict with his mother, and falls in love for the first time.
Some of the best scenes in the book take place between Charlie and his friend Jeffrey Lu. Jeffrey is witty, clever, and great at cricket, but he is also Vietnamese, and this is 1965, and young Australian men are being sent to Vietnam. As the anger in the town simmers, Jeffrey's family are easy targets.
Despite the sometimes grim subject matter, this is not at all a grim or depressing book. Silvey has a lightness of touch, writes great dialogue and his three-dimensional characters almost jump from the page.
Highly recommended.

#79: I already have that one in the BlackHole and just checked - the local library still does not have it. Rats.

Rats indeed, it is very good.

Oh, well. I will just have to look further afield for it.

Jasper Jones was a great read. Have you tried his first book, Rhubarb? I loved the characters in that.

hmmmm, Jasper Jones sounds good. Will have to check it out!

Just checked it out and have decided to start with Rhubarb as it's set in Fremantle. I lived there for a while and still miss it, so am looking forward to "going" back!

No 32.
A Cat Abroad: The Further Adventures of Norton, the Cat Who Went to Paris, and His Human By Peter Gethers

OK, I am a sucker for cat books, I live with five of them, and I absolutely loved Peter Gether's first book, The Cat Who Went to Paris, which tells of Peter's life with his very intelligent, Scottish Fold cat, Norton, so I was positively delirious with joy when I discovered that he had written two sequels, this book, and a subsequent one. However, I am sorry to report, this does not live up to the many delights of the first book. When reading this, I was constantly annoying my husband by wanting to read yet another passage to him. This one, however had far too much about Peter and what food he ate on a particular day, and not nearly enough about the lovely Norton.
This was readable, but nowhere near the delights of the first book.

#85: Sounds like I should stick to the first book and skip the second.

I hope you enjoy your next read more, Jillian!

Definitely!! Especially if you are a cat person. Give this a miss, though.

I'll be on the lookout for The Cat Who Went to Paris as well! Sounds like something I'd enjoy. I'll be wary of book 2 though, as you say.

Yes, definitely the first, the second with reservations, though.

Dammit, I just realised I used the word 'delights' twice!!

We all do that! I can't really do more than cursorily edited my posts or I would never get anything done at all.

Ha ha, very true.

No 33. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay.

Dexter Morgan works with the Miami Police force as a blood splatter analyst. He also has a deep, dark secret - he is a serial killer, but with a difference - he kills other serial killers, so justifies himself with the belief that he kills only people who deserve it.
Outwardly, Dexter is a nice guy. He has a good job, a nice, shy girlfriend who has two young children who like him very much. He knows how to appear to be normal, and how to behave appropriately in polite society, but inside he is an empty shell, totally devoid of all normal human emotions. In this novel, Dexter is disturbed by the appearance of another serial killer on his patch, a clever, manipulative killer who taunts Dexter relentessly, and almost seems to be goading him to join in some sort of game.
This book is gruesome, but not overly so, it is well written and very witty, narrated in Dexter's self-deprecating voice.

I like the Dexter books, although I do not think the last two were as good as the first couple.

Hi, Stasia. I enjoyed this, and I will be reading the others. (not immediately though!)

I will be interested in seeing what you think of them when you have a chance to read the other books. I do not blame you for not starting the next book immediately.

I'm stopping by -- nice writing in yr. review above. I haven't been bitten by the gruesome thriller bug yet, I suppose it is only a matter of time......

Thanks, Sib. I always read your reviews and think 'I wish I could write like that'.

No 34.

The Winter House by Nicci Gerrard

Nicci Gerrard is probably better known for the thrillers that she writes with her husband under the name Nicci French, but she also writes more 'mainstream' fiction under her own name.
This book concerns three friends, Marnie, Oliver and Ralph. Marnie is summoned to Ralph's bedside in the dead of winter - Ralph is dying of pancreatic cancer, and doesn't have long to live. Marnie has a history with both men - both men were in love with her, while she pined after Oliver, a misunderstanding had caused them to part, and now they were coming together to look after Ralph in his final days.
Quite a sad book (due to the subject matter, obviously), but not overly heavy or depressing. The book's main theme is how childhood events can impact on adult relationships, and also (although it is not exactly a theme), the value of kindness, and of caring for someone. Better than I expected it to be. Recommended.

#98: I have read a couple of Nicci French's books, not realizing she wrote under another name as well. I will look for The Winter House. Thanks for the recommendation, Jillian.

She has written a couple of others too, Solace and The Moment You were Gone, but this is probably the most mature and accomplished, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, it does not look like my local library has any of the books she has written as Nicci Gerrard.

Aw, thank you Gillian. It means a lot to me to hear that. Sorry I've been so absent, btw, but the move has been more work at this end than I ever could have anticipated......

No. 35.

The Knife of Never Letting Go:Chaos Walking Book One by Patrick Ness.

This book, quite simply is astounding. Twelve year old Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town full of men. Travellers from another planet, they have been infected with a virus called noise, which means that they can all hear each other's thoughts. There is no privacy and no where to hide. One day Todd makes a discovery and then he is on the run, with his dog Manchee (who he can also talk to) for company. to be honest, nothing that I say about this book is really going to do it justice. All I can do is urge you to read it. Although aimed at older children, this is an exhilarating, exciting read.

So pleased that you felt the same about The Knife of Never Letting Go. Ness never lets up its pace throughout the entire trilogy.
And I should try the Dexter books, they do sound quite different.

Thanks for recommending it, Kerry.

Sounds really fascinating. I will be looking for it. For me and my daughter.

Your daughter will like it too - and there are two sequels!

#103: I just received that one recently. I must bump it up the stack!

Yes, you must!

Stopping by to say hello and report that it is raining. And windy. And there is a terrifically strong smell of cow manure that just got spread on the big field below our house......

Okay, you hooked me in, I am going to add The Knife of Never Letting Go to my growing list. It sounds very intriguing.

#110. Eau De Manure. How delightful for you!
#111. It is definitely worth it!

Hello! I just now found your thread and imagine my surprise when, back in Post # 1, you reported that your next book would be either Tethered or Daphne. Those two very books are in my pile as the next fiction reads for me right now! I have also added some books to my wishlist from your thread. Looks like I should check in more often. :)

Hi. I did go on to read Tethered, and I thought that it was very good. I still have not read Daphne.

Hi there...what are you reading at the mo? We are just about even stevens with our books read so far! It's a great way to keep you on your toes this website isn't it!

Hi there, yes it definitely is. I haven't been on here much lately due to school holidays - having kids to keep entertained when it is cold and damp outside definitely puts a dent in my reading.

After reading the Patrick Ness, I started on The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. While I was reading, I was having a major problem, in that I was still thinking about the characters from The Knife of Never Letting Go, and so was not giving the book my full attention. So, unfortunately, I wasted about a week on a book that I abandoned unfinished. I then decided to read the book that I really wanted to:

No 36: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness. Second in the Chaos Walking trilogy. This book starts right where the first one finishes, Todd and Viola have arrived in Haven, now chillingly called New Prentisstown, where Mayor Prentiss has proclaimed himself president. Todd and Viola spend most of this book separated, Todd joins The Ask, and Viola joins The Answer, a group of female freedom fighters and healers, proclaimed terrorists and outlaws by the President. The book covers some fairly 'tough' themes, from ethnic cleansing, female repression, terrorism and torture.
Once again, a fast moving, exciting read and a worthy sequel to the first book.

I'm about to plunge into The Lacuna, but first I'll try to finish up my current reads - I heard that it gets quite political. Sounds like Ness got you hooked too.

Yes, most definitely hooked. I will have to go back and finish The Lacuna at some stage, but I am just not in the mood for it at the moment, and certainly not because it is a bad book.

No 37: Goodnight, Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

This made me bawl like a baby. During WW2, young Willie Beech, an evacuee is sent to live with Tom Oakley. Tom is a gruff rather solitary old man who has lived a solitary life since the death of his young wife and infant child many years ago. Willie is a sad, neglected child, covered in bruises from his mother's frequent discipline with a belt, and for the first time he finds out what it is like to be properly looked after by an adult. Tom comes out of him self too, and the two forge a strong bond. Then Willie's emotionally unstable mother calls him back to London, and something terrible happens - it's a very big plot spoiler, so I won't tell what it is, but I nearly could't see the page for tears.
Very highly recommended - but you will need tissues.

>123 Lidbud: ha ha (I probably shouldn't laugh!), I remember my friend telling me about this book, she said much the same. I wont go near this book I don't think, I've had enough tears lately trying to deal with the IRD!

#123: I loved that one! I am glad you liked it too, Jillian.

Hi Jillian -- I've been running around for over a week and in fact am still running around, technically, but have decent internet tonight..... so here I am. At present I have to keep my reading not too emotional.

No 38.

The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens.

On the eve of her wedding anniversary, Mary Gooch's husband disappears. Mary is an unhappy, overweight 40-something, who the sets off to find her missing husband, and in the process finds herself. I found this book terribly predictable, and wouldn't really recommend it. I don't think that it was exactly a bad book, it was just not quite what I was after.

No 39.

The Firework Maker's Daughter By Philip Pullman

Lila is a young girl who lives in an unspecified Asian country "a thousand miles ago." She yearns to be a firework maker like her father, but he does not want her to follow in his footsteps and insists that she must find a husband when she is older. Annoyed, Lila sets off on a quest to a mountain grotto to face a Fire fiend. Along the way, she meets some fairly useless pirates, battles a tiger and learns all about courage. Nice story, probably suitable for children aged about 8.

Suitable for 8 year olds- Is it actually a kids book, or is it that you think it should be! I haven't heard of your last few books.

Haha. It IS a kid's book. I loved Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials a few years ago, which I can highly recommend. this was however rather more juvenile.

Have you tried Pullman's The Butterfly Tattoo? It's a teen novel that I read a few years ago and remember it as being quite a good read.

No, I have never even heard of it, but I will keep an eye out.

Just stopping by to say hello.

No 40:

Lost by Alice Lichtenstein

Similar to Still Alice in that it deals with a person suffering from Alzheimer's, but nowhere near as good. Susan's husband, Christopher has Alzheimer's and pne morning when she goes for a short walk, she returns to find him missing. The book covers the hunt for Christopher and Susan's guilt regarding his disappearance. Not a bad book, but I just didn't care about the characters.

#134: OK, I think I will pass on that one.

I hope your next read is a more enjoyable one for you, Jillian!

No 41.

Sex and Stravinsky by Barbara Trapido. Complicated relationship tale that I was seriously not in the mood for. Chugged through it, but could not really be bothered.

Ha ha. It wasn't.

Well, rats. Your luck has to turn around soon though, right?

I agree. I am on a bit of a reading downer at the moment, where nothing really appeals. It has been a week or so where I just cannot be bothered - and the books that I am reading are not grabbing me. As you say, it cannot last forever.

Maybe fall back on one of your 'comfort' reads to see if it can pull you out of the slump? That normally works for me.

Funny how those 'down' spells just sort of happen -- I'm trying to learn to just stop reading whatever it is, esp if it is the 2nd or 3rd one in a row, and keep looking til something does grab.

Lessing did say in the book of essays I just finished that a certain amount of the time it's you, not the book -- which I am interpreting to mean that if I know a book is good -- I put it down and plan to try again. I couldn't read Margaret Atwood twenty years ago, and now, apparently, I can -- I've changed, or something..... sometimes of course (but it's usually obvious) a book is just bad. But then you can just chuck it happily!

Really hope you and your family are all ok this morning. Just talked to my parents in Wellington and they got woken up there.

I bet you don't get much reading done this weekend!

Jillian, I add to Cushla's hopes that you and yours are well!

Hi there, I am in Christchurch, right where the earthquake was centred. It hit at 4.35am, and was probably the most terrifying 5 or so minutes of my life. There was the original rumble, where I woke and thought "Shit, we are having an earthquake", and then there was the sound of books falling off bookcases. It then went sort of still and quiet, and then there was a noise like a train impacting with the house, and the shaking began again. It came in waves, and would die down and build again. We have no real damage, other than things that needed to be picked up, but many have not been so lucky. We have only just got electricity back , we have been told to boil all drinking water, as the water supply might be compromised.

Very, very scary I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. There have also been around 50 or so aftershocks although they seem to be lessening in frequency. Hope I can sleep tonight!!!!, and thanks for the kind wishes.

I am so glad you're not hurt, and your house sounds like it's been minimally impacted! Will keep all crossable bits crossed for your continued good fortune.

Thanks, Richard. We were pretty lucky, some parts of town have massive damage, but amazingly no one has been killed.

That is the best, and most amazing, news! Are you by any chance acquainted with fellow 75er joannasephine? (I mean here, not in person, though that would work too.) I know she lives in Christcurch. I'm hoping she came through the quake as well as you did.

Glad you're ok, good to hear from you.

I'm pleased to hear you got through it ok as well. I thought those bookshelves of yours might take a hit.

Keep us posted as you can about what is happening there, Jillian!

Yes, they did, dammit. I have spent most of the day putting books back on shelves.

Glad you're ok. Sounds really scary.

Yes, it was extremely scary!

Hi Jillian, pretty scary day wasnt it. Our place isn't damaged thank goodness, just my foot as I stood on a light bulb from my lamp while rushing to the doorway this morning! Hope we both escape aftershock dramas. Its strange feeling that constant apprehension. Hope you and family are well. (PS my bookcase didnt topple! phew)

Glad to hear that you are ok. I know what you mean about constant apprehension. And there are still some fairly big aftershocks happening! EEk, one just happened as I typed this!!!!

#147. Richard I don't know her, sorry. I hope that she is ok.

Jillian -- I've been sort of absent lately -- oh my goodness -- I'm so glad you are OK! Even a very small earthquake is unsettling.

Hello, long time no see (as it were), how are things reading and otherwise? Loving the summer feel lately- glad the long wet winter is passed finally.