Soffitta1's 11 in 11

Great to see this up already, have really enjoyed the last 2 challenges, so here I am again!




Just adding another ticker. This year I want to read as many books from Mount TBR as possible. This ticker will also be good for me, as it'll show me how many new books I get. OK, this could be scary, I am a sucker for bookshops, charity shops, Bookmooch, Bookcrossing...



82 isn't bad!

A big thanks to Ticket Factory for their great tickers, I love the new ones they've added recently.

Category 1: Latin America

In the 999 Challenge I had a Portuguese speaking world category and in the 1010 Challenge, a Spanish speaking one. This time I thought I would concentrate on Latin America related books as I am curretntly travelling there. As Latin America can be taken in many ways, here it will be all countries (or regions - like Quebec) in the Americas speaking a Latin language.

1. The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
2. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord ** 1001 Book
3. Malinche
4. The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman
5. La Ciudad de las Bestias (in Spanish)
6. El Reino del Dragon de Oro (in Spanish)
7. Relato de un Naufrago (in Spanish)
8. El Bosque de los Pigmeos (in Spanish)
9. Captain Pantoja and the Special Service
10. The Queen of the South
11. A death in the Sanchez Family

A very strong group, I cleared 9 books of Mount TBR. The list is made of two Latin American trilogies. The first by Louis de Bernieres, was very good, I enjoyed the style (magical realism) and the characters, as well as the absurdity and contradictions of life described. The second was by Chilean author, Isabel Allende, once again magical realism. Though written for YA, the stories about Kate Cold and her son, Alex, and their travels will also appeal to adults. While most of the books were indeed written in the style of magical realism, a genre which I clearly enjoy, it was interesting to read one of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books from before he had fully developed his writing in that way. I also thoroughly enjoyed Captain Pantoja, a biting satire.

As for the negatives, well, only one really, Malinche. I don't think it stood up to Laura Esquivel's other work. I also took El General en su Labirinto back to the library, I'll try reading it again when I have more time to concentrate on it. I am happy that 4 of the books were read in their original Spanish.

Category 2: 1001 Books

I have the all singing and dancing spreadsheet and would like to boost my stats. I had this category over the last 2 challenges as well, spurring me on with my 1001 reading. I have enjoyed reading 1001 books as it has definitely broadened my reading, getting round to reading those classics and also putting me in touch with many new authors.

1. The Idiot
2. Of Mice and Men
3. Schooling
4. Pereira Maintains
5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay
6. Platero and I
7. Invisible Man
8. The Reluctant Fundamentalist
9. A Fine Balance
10. Under the Net
11. Burmese Days

I really enjoyed reading Pereira Mantains as I had already Declares Pereira, a different translation of the original Italian. I think I found it better because I lived in Portugal before reading the former, so the situation described was much more familiar. As I am now living in Spain, I did so enjoy Platero and I, such a well-written book. I devoured The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and am sorry to see that it has been left off the 2010 list.
It is probably easier to say which books didn't grab me as much, and they would be The Idiot, just because it was rather dense, and The Invisible Man, but these are 1001 books, so I had higher expectations of them.

Category 3: History
Fiction and Non-Fiction


Another returning category as this is an area I enjoy reading about. I hope to have more non-fiction here this year.

1. The Help
2. The Bamboo Palace
3. Ivanhoe ** 1001 Book
4. Shakespeare: The World as a Stage
5. Bound Feet and Western Dress
6. The White Queen
7. Guernica
8. The Clan of the Cave Bear in Spanish
9. Salt and Saffron
10. El Capitan Alatriste
11. Rebel Heiress

I do love reading historical fiction, only two non-fiction, which is a pity. I really enjoyed Shakespeare: The World as a Stage, a fascinating insight into the writer. The White Queen was also good, the first in Philippa Gregory's new series. Salt and Saffron I got from a virtual bookbox, what great writing style! I resisted reading Ivanhoe for years, but in the end it flew by.

Category 4: Books in a Series


1. Wicked
2. Son of a Witch part of Wicked series
3. A Lion among Men part of Wicked series
4. The Necropolis Railway
5. The Blackpool Highflyer - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
6. The Sun over Breda - No. 3 in the Captain Alatriste series
7. The Lost Luggage Porter - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
8. Murder at Deviation Junction - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
9. Life, the Universe and Everything - part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
10. So long, and thanks for the fish- part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
11. Mostly Harmless- part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series

This was an enjoyable category, but none of the books will be on my best of challenge list. I have read 3 Arturo Perez Reverte books for this challenge, and I think that this installment of the Capitan Alatriste series is as strong as the previous books. I am glad that I finally read the Wicked trilogy, though they were rather odd and not what I expected. I bumped the Jim Stringer books up my TBR list after receiving The Somme Station from Librarything's Early Reviewers. The murder mysteries are great light reading. I have put the later books in the series in my Mystery category. I finally heeded my big brother's advice and read the Hitch-hiker's series.

Category 5: Asia

I was born in Asia and so have always had a fascination with this diverse continent. I also have a large amount of Asia related books on my TBR pile.

1. The Good Earth
2. The Inheritance of Loss ** 1001 Book
3. Eating Chinese Food Naked
4. The North China Lover
5. Love and longing in Bombay
6. The House of the Mosque
7. The Royal Ghosts
8. The Interpreter of Maladies
9. Brixton Beach
10. Difficult Daughters
11. Queen of Dreams

A very successful category, no duffers! I particularly enjoyed The Good Earth, which had been on my wishlist for years. Revisiting The Lover in The North China Lover was also fantastic- the subtle variation, the benefit of hindsight. 3 were short story collections (5, 7 and 8) and one 1001 book, and also they weren't all from India and China (something I was keen to avoid).

Category 6: Mystery

Mysteries, Crime, Detective Fiction.
1. The Big Sleep ** 1001 Book
2. Raffles
3. The Poe Shadow
4. In the Forest ** 1001 Book
5. An Arsonist´s Guide to Writers´ Homes in New England
6. Bombay Ice
7. Death on a Branch Line - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
8. A Case of Exploding Mangoes
9. The Last Train to Scarborough - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
10. The Somme Stations - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
11. Crime and Punishment ** 1001 Book

I am pleased with this group, I do like to read crime books, but had never thought of having it as its own category. My favourites were A Case of Exploding Mangoes, a fictional narrative based on the death of a Pakistani leader, and In the Forest, also fiction that came from fact. 3 of the books were from the 1001 list, The Big Sleep is a great example of noir, Crime and Punishment was good but my head hurt with trying to remember the names (surnames, patronyms, nicknames) and the very creepy In the Forest. I didn't have any real duffers, but I was disappointed by The Poe Shadow, having read more of the author's work, and I felt Bombay Ice petered out.

Category 7: German Speaking World


In the 999 Challenge, I looked at the Portuguese Speaking World, in the 1010 Challenge I concentrated on the Spanish, so this time the German is up.

1. Dragon Rider
2. Candide *1001 Book, main character from Westfalen.
3. Kleiner Werwolf (in Spanish)
4. Golem: An Old Prague Tale in German
5. The Pigeon ** 1001 Book
6. Effi Briest **1001 Book
7. West of the Wall
8. Corazon de Tinta in Spanish
9. The Rings of Saturn ** 1001 Book
10. All Quiet on the Western Front ** 1001 Book
11. Sangre de Tinta in Spanish

A bit of a random selection, rather surprisingly, three of my German books were in Spanish! Four entries from the German writer Cornelia Funke, I had read Inkheart in English a few years ago, but was waiting to get hold of the the third of the trilogy. When I found them in my local library in Spanish, I thought it was a sign! I love her books, I'm only sorry that it has taken me so long to read them, where was she when I was growing up?! I am off to get Inkdeath from the library to complete the trilogy. Five 1001 books, one a reread, but all strong books. Very different, from the funny Candide, to the impending downfall of Effi Briest, from the day in the life story in The Pigeon to a travelogue, The Rings of Saturn. And last, but not least, a reread of a great book, All Quiet on the Western Front, which affected me just as much as it did the first time I read it.

West of the Wall was a clunker, a great idea of a book ruined by a plot twist. This is on the list of books I'd love to rewrite.

Category 8: Film & Adaptations

I love the cinema and I watch a lot of adaptations, even though when they vary wildly from the book I do get rather annoyed!

1. The French Lieutentant's Woman ** 1001 Book
2. Bleak House ** 1001 Book
3. Crash ** 1001 Book
4. The Notebook
5. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ** 1001 Book
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's **1001 Book
7. The Time Machine **1001 Book
8. The Graduate ** 1001 Book
9. Stardust in Spanish
10. The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
11. The Arabian Nights ** 1001 Book

I was blown away by The French Lieutenant's Woman, a book I had had on my shelf for ages. A good story and an intrusive narrator makes for a great read. Another book from my TBR pile was The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly, such a positive book despite the inevitable death of the narrator.
I didn't enjoy Bleak House, too dense, too many characters, it was a chore to read. If I hadn't been travelling, I imagine that I would have ditched this.
8 1001 Books read :)

Category 9: Links


Any book that is linked with another I read, for example, mentioned in a book I am reading, from the same series, written by the same author.

1. An Unequal Marriage - Jane Austen Link
2. Sunday at Tiffany's - linked with Breakfast at Tiffany's
3. Jigs and Reels - also read Five quarters of the orange by the same author, Joanne Harris.
4. The Jane Austen Guide to Dating - Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
5. The Mysteries of Udolpho - mentioned in I was Jane Austen's Best Friend **1001 Book
6. Through the Looking Glass **1001 Book, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
7. Austenland Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
8. Persuading Annie - Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
9. Jane Austen: A Life- Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
10. A Christmas Carol - also by Charles Dickens ** 1001 book
11. Vanity Fair ** 1001 book, mentioned in The Story of Lucy Gault

I have enjoyed this category, a new one for me (an idea I stole from other people's challenges!). I often go on a reading binge on one author or topic, so this has worked well, most have been Jane Austen related. I did give up on Lesley Castle, as her work translated into Spanish loses its appeal for me. This category has also inspired me to read a couple of tomes that I have been avoiding, The Mysteries of Udolpho and Vanity Fair. As for favourite books, I think that Jane Austen A Life was the best book, it was informative without being dry. Persuading Annie and Austenland were great fun for an Austen fan like me, both worth a read. The bottom 2 were definitely An Unequal Marriage, a miserable continuation of Pride and Prejudice and Sundays at Tiffanys, a nice idea poorly executed.
4 1001 books from this category.

Category 10: Travel

My favourite hobby ;) Fiction, non-fiction
Some of my choices might seem tenuous, but if there is some sort of trip, journey, then I'll count it here.

1. Three moons in Vietnam
2. Driveby Saviours
3. Ghosts of Spain
4. The Monkey and the Monk **1001 Book
5. Felicia's Journey **1001 Book
6. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy **1001 Book
7. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe
8. The Great Railway Bazaar
9. Seven Years in Tibet
10. Closely Observed Trains **1001 Book
11. Duende

Another strong category. I found The Monkey and the Monk to be really enjoyable, a book that has been on my radar for years. Closely Observed Trains was also a cracking read, very short, but it was good to see that the film version was faithful. Since starting the challenge, I have moved to Spain, so it made reading Ghosts of Spain much more relevant and also helpful for a newcomer.

Category 11: British Authors
I am including all authors from the British Isles here, as on my 1001 list, pre-Independence Irish writers are shown as British.

1. It Could Happen to You
2. Cold Comfort Farm **1001 Book
3. I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
4. Mrs Fry's Diary
5. The Day of the Triffids **1001 Book
6. The Story of Lucy Gault **1001 Book
7. Five Quarters of the Orange
8. The Understudy
9. Pandora
10. El Emperador
11. Lost Innocence

A mixed bag of a category, I thoroughly enjoued the 3 1001 Books. Cold Comfort Farm was very amusing, The Day of the Triffids was a real page turner, but I must say that Lucy Gault blew me away. Two short story collections, both showing the range of the authors' writing, but I think Joanne Harris's was more up my street.
Bottom books were Lost Innocence, just not my cup of tea, but I was more disappointed by The Understudy, having enjoyed the writer's other books.

I have decided to do a 2nd 11 in 11 Challenge - this time the Step version, so have moved this category over there.

Ditto

Well, I imagine my categories will change. I am currently travelling and considering being outside the E.U. in 2011, so a lot of my books will be a case of whatever I can get.

OOh I love the idea of a Olympic category!- I work for a company that are sponsoring the 2012 games so we hear about it a lot, reading some books might actually get me interested in it (not a big sports fan!)

I'd recommend Berlin Games:How the Nazis stole the Olympic dream

Thanks for the tip, I have read some of his books already, and will have to add that one to the wishlist.

I have been doing the challenge since the Beijing's closing ceremony, it is quite difficult to find books from each country, but I have been exposed to some great writers I would never have found.

Yey! Time to start!

1. French Lieutenant's woman
really enjoyed, especially the author's interjections.
2. Three Moons in Vietnam
Went to Vietnam a few years ago, so this was an interesting read.

Have fun!

Thanks! I am enjoying it already!

3. The Help
Set in the South, an aspiring journalist asks the maids to spill the beans on being the help. Written from multiple points of view, a good read.

4. The Idiot

Interesting read, but took a while as the book is rather dense.

5. The Good Earth
Excellent read, picked up while travelling and read within 24 hours. The progression of a Chinese farmer through his eyes and thoughts.

6. Bamboo Palace
All about Laos and the search for what happened to the royal family. A good insight into a country of which so little is known outside it.

7. Bleak House
Found this tough going, Dicken's throws in too many details and characters, which made me wonder where the book was going. Got better as it went on.

8. Wicked
Did enjoy this a lot, the other side of Oz. I am half way through the sequel, Son of a Witch.

9. Son of a Witch
Another good read, though stranger by the page. I have the next book, A Lion among Men, ready to be started.

10. Of Mice and Men
I went to see this done as a play at school and was really moved by the story. It is a simply told tale, but very realistically narrated, good read.

11. A Lion Among Men
third in the Wicked series, and still I feel there will be more. This time, the P.O.V. is Brrr's, better known to us as the Cowardly Lion. Once again, a rather strange book, but also very compelling.
I have just started Crash, about a chapter in, going to be rather disturbing.

12. Crash
As disturbing as I expected. The book follows the narrator's meeting with Vaughn, a man who is obsessed with car crashes, a sexual obsession. It really put me in mind of American Psycho, the tone. I'm not sure what I thought of it, despite it being less than 200 pages, it took me 2 days to read, as it did make me think.

Another change of category, I have decided to make Category 11 British Authors, I do feel this won't be the last time I change a category!

13. It Could Happen to You
A lighter read after Crash, Rowan moves away from home to London as the first stop of her world tour, but unforseen circumstances make her return home.

14. Cold Comfort Farm
A 1001 book, very funny. Flora is orphaned and decides to fall on the charity of her relatives in Sussex, as she says, there is no social taboo about sponging off your relatives. Unfortunately, her country cousins live up to her worst ideas, so Flora decides to help them out.

I just read Cold Comfort Farm this year and loved it! SO funny, with so many great quotes! "There'll be no butter in HELL!"

Would like to read the wicked books, some more books to add to list lol. I loved of mice and men also, we had to read that book for our gcse's xx

re 34 - I loved her observations on the family, just cracked me up.
re 35 - I am looking forward to the 4th book, though there is still no publishing date yet.

15. The Notebook
Another light read, I saw the film a few years back.

16. Schooling
A 1001 book, I am rather ashamed to say that this has been on my TBR pile for nearly 2 1/2 years!
A good read, but written in a confused or breathy way to match the teenage protagonist's thoughts. Once you get into the reading style, it really goes quickly.

17. Dragon Rider
I fancied something completely different, and saw this on my shelf. Humans are encroaching on the dragons' territory, so Firedrake sets off to find the Rim of Heaven, a mythical place of safety. Choc-full of fantastical creatures, including a very grumpy brownie. Very fun.

18. The Inheritance of Loss
There is a lot going on with this book, the plot is based round an Indian judge's family living in the Indian part of the Himalayas. With him is his granddaughter, Sai, and his cook. In their stories, you can see India's history.
A very worthwhile read, it is not a preachy book, but one seeking to show people living.

19. The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
The first in Louis de Bernières's Latin America trilogy. Set in a fictional Latin American country, the book is full of well-drawn characters - among them the incompetent and often brutal army officers, the guerrillas, the local prostitutes and land owners. A good example of Magical Realism, with current and historical issues as well as the interference of magical creatures, such as the jaguars.

20. I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
Based on the friendship between Jane Austen and Jane Cooper, known here as Jenny. A fun YA book, written in a mixture of diary and narrative form with Jenny's drawings. Jenny, after saving Jane's life, goes to live with the Austen family and so we get an insider's look into Jane Austen's world. Full of insider references to Austen's future books, which, as an Austen fan, I really liked.

21. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord
Second book in the Latin American trilogy. The action continues with characters from the first book, but with a new protagonist, Dionisio Vivo. Vivo writes angry letters to the papers about the drug situation in the country and soon finds himself a target of the eponimous coca lord.
For me, the series is going from strength to strength.

22. A Christmas Carol and other Christmas Stories
Like most people, I have seen many versions of this, including my brother's favourite - the Muppet Christmas Carol. It is strange reading a book you know so well before having read it. I did enjoy reading the Christmas Carol, but wasn't that bothered by the other stories in the collection.

The muppet Christmas carol is surprisingly accurate thought, right? I was surprised when I first read a Christmas Carol

I didn't realise that the Louis be Bernieres books were part of a trilogy, I have both of those you have read but still haven't gotten around to either. I also have Dragon Rider, I may dig that out in the next few months when I'm tackling War and Peace and need something easy.

re 44 - it is - in terms of the storyline and the dialogue.

re 45 - I also have 2 of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series to read, I have a few 1001 tomes on my pile, so will be needing something lighter.

BTW I received The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman in the Latin American bookbox, I'd be happy to pass it on if you don't have it.

23. Candide
Funny book about a man who travels the world, but is never happy with his lot.

re 46. Turns out I have books 2 and 3 of the trilogy but not number 1. Thanks for the offer though.
Inkheart is great, as if the film. Still never got around to the second book.

24. Breakfast at Tiffany's
Holly Golightly on paper is like the Holly on screen, a mixed up, strange girl. Told through the eyes of her neighbour, a struggling writer.
The book also contains a Christmas story as the last short story.

25. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
I remember being read this as a child, and I have seen a few adaptations.
Just a great story, fabulously written (and drawn) characters. A true classic.

I love your Latin American section. I've got a category for books in Spanish too, but I'll be doing side-by-sides. I still need to check a translation once in awhile to know I've got it right.

I have a stack of books in Spanish to read, including a lot of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's just laziness that I haven't read them already. Isabel Allende is really accessible in Spanish, her grammar is straightforward, sometimes I don't know a descriptive word, but can usually guess it from context, or use an online dictionary.

I've liked Allende's books in translation. Perhaps she's the best author to go to as soon as I take off my "training wheels."

26. The Time Machine
Actually a much shorter read than I expected, as most of the book was the introduction and notes on the text. A traveller moves forward in time, and instead of a highly sophisticated society, he comes across the Eloi, a simple people. All is not well in the future, there is evil lurking below in the form of the Morlocks, creatures which freaked me out when I saw the old film as a child. Quick, fun read, but with more themes than initially apparent.

27. Malinche
The story of Malinche who translated for Cortez. A little disappointing, as I loved Like Water for Chocolate, and felt that the love story here was not as compelling.

I've been curious about Malinche. She's an interesting historical figure, but I've heard "malinche" has become a term to refer to a Mexican that prefers other cultures to his own. An insult. Sad that the book wasn't better.

I've heard that, too. She is a very controversial figure, I remember discussing her in Indigenismo, a module I did at uni, and no one could sit on the fence with her. The traitor of her people, a slave looking for the ultimate revenge, an opportunist or a woman in love with Cortes?
I just think the book could have gone further, it was too light for such an important historical character, also I think Laura Esquivel was trying too hard to show all sides, that the book came off as a bit superficial.

That makes sense.

28. Eating Chinese Food Naked
Another book I had had for ages. A Chinese-American girl moves back in with her parents, finding it hard to understand her quiet and seemingly passive mother and overbearing father. As with The Good Earth, one of the first books I read for this challenge, there is a huge difference between what is said and what is thought, causing misunderstandings, resentment and heartache. A good read, warts and all.

29. Ivanhoe
My Dad has been recommending me Sir Walter Scott for years, so I decided to give Ivanhoe a go. I got involved in the story very early on, and only the arrival of my sister and her family got me to put it down!

I haven't read Sir Walter Scott. You have me curious now.

Dad also has Rob Roy, so will bump that up my list.

30. Mrs. Fry's Diary
Christmas is nothing if not a time for overindulging, and this was a bit of a guilty pleasure. I love Stephen Fry, so couldn't resist snaffling this in the Christmas Sales. This is the diary of the fictitious wife of Stephen Fry, giving insights into her husband's life, as well as that of their children, and includes salacious details of their sex life and some rather inventive SPAM recipes. Mrs. Fry's biggest worry is where her husband keeps disappearing to, why does she think she can see him on bill boards? Apparently the book began its life as tweets and a blog. (@MrsStephenFry)
Very silly, great to curl up with on these cold evenings.

Here's a quote to give you an idea of the style:
"Rang Stephen Junior's school this afternoon. I'm not happy about him having to dissect a frog today. I'm sure there must be other ways to teach fractions."

31. Pereira Maintains
From the Early Reviewers programme. I read the previous translation a few years ago, but since then I have lived in Portugal and so the book has a different relevance to me. This makes it hard to compare the books, as I am not the same reader.

Tabucchi really captures 1930s Lisbon and life under Salazar, this is a well-deserved entry on the 1001 list.

62> LOL. It might work for teaching fractions... but certainly she wouldn't be happy if they taught it buy cutting cakes! Sharp knives and all that sugar! It would be bad for Stephen Junior.

:) I know! My youngest students were always hyper after breaktime, their parents would pack them a snack of sugary rubbish and then leave me to deal with the outfall :S

32. The North China Lover
I read The Lover and The Sea Wall a few years ago, and like them, this book goes over the childhood of a French girl living in French Indochina. As in The Lover, the book covers the affair of the young boarding school girl who meets an older Chinese man. Written more in the style of a film script, the book seems to be darker, with a heavy sense of fatality hanging over the lovers. As ever, Marguerite Duras draws you in, and leaves the reader to judge the rather ambiguous, flawed, and ultimately human, characters. A good read to start 2011.
Next up, The Day of the Triffids.

Ah, for your books & movies? I remember reading that book about 20 years ago all in one day, & it was a yellowed copy too. I thought it was a page turner.

Yes, read for my film category. I also read it overnight, excellent book. I remember this being big in the late '80s, I think there were a couple of sci-fi adaptations on TV and loads of people were rereading this.

33. Day of the Triffids
Bill is a scientist and was working with Triffids, a dangerous GM plant, whose poison lands him in hospital. He wakes up one morning in the hospital by chance the only man able to see. After witnessing a flash of light, people have become blind and chaos has broken out. Bill, and the others who can see, are faced with a dilemma - do they stay to help the blind, when they can see there are limited food supplies, do they leave to try and start again, or do they try to work out what is happening?

34. Driveby Saviours
From the Early Reviewers Programme. I put my name forward for it because of the parallel stories - frustrated social worker Mark in Toronto and OCD sufferer Buni in Indonesia. Their meeting half way through the book changes their lives.
A good first novel.

soffitta1, I'm planning on reading Day of the Triffids this month. I read Wyndham's Chrysalids in November and really enjoyed that.

Re 69 - I'm sure you'll enjoy it! I gave it 4 and 1/2, such a good read. I read The Midwich Cuckoos last year and that made me push this one up my TBR pile. I'll be looking out for more of his work.

35. Shakespeare: The World as a Stage
More than I expected as this is not just about Shakespeare, but about the times he lived in as the author tries to pin down this most elusive author. Informative, well-written and another enjoyable book from Bill Bryson.

36. Love and Longing in Bombay
A collection of short stories all based in the Indian city. Vikram Chandra has such an elegant writing style.

37. The Big Sleep
I read The Maltese Falcon last year, which was enjoyable anstrand in the same vein. Both have tough talking private detectives (Humphrey Bogart was very much in my mind's eye as I read this), strange cases and women playing less than fair. I found Marlowe's fast talking style very fun and entertaining, and will look out more in the series.

Started Bound feet and Western Dress on my way home, I have had it on my shelves for tooooo long.

I've read The Long Goodbye and really enjoyed his characterization of Marlowe too... although at times the plot made me scratch my head!

If you liked Triffids there is a sequel by a different author: Night of the Triffids. It takes place 25 yrs after and the first. I thought it was quite good.

Thanks, I've wishlisted it.

re 74
That's similar with The Big Sleep - lots of twists and turns, but page turning.

re 75
I will look that one out. I got given a copy of Web today, and will be looking out more of Wyndham's books. I also saw that the BBC '80s adaptation of Day of the Triffids is only £4 on Amazon, so will be buying that.

38. Bound Feet and Western Dress
Written by her great-niece, this is the story of Yu-i, a woman caught between East and West, between being a traditional Chinese wife and an educated Western woman. Very interesting.

39. The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay
I really liked this one, 2 very different cousins come together and create The Escapist, a comic book hero who fights the Nazis.

Next up is The Necropolis Railway, as I haven't started reading the series, but won book 7, The Somme Stations, from last month's Early Reviewers.

I just read Kavalier and Clay recently, and loved it. I had started it a few years ago and for some reason couldn't get into it and set it aside. When I returned to it, I found I couldn't put it down.

I guess you have to be in the mood. I had read the first chapter a couple of times. I used to read Batman so enjoyed the comicbook part. I also have Wonder boys on my shelf to read, will be bumping that one up the list.

40. The Necropolis Railway
The first in the Jim Stringer railway mystery series. I put my hat in for number 7 from the Early Reviewers Programme and won it, so better get the others read before it arrives!
Jim is the son of a butcher, but he dreams of being a train driver. He finds a job on his local line, but gets his big opportunity when a Mr. Smith arranges a job for him in London a big railway company. A light mystery, good for a commuter.

41. Golem: An Old Prague Tale
A short book I picked up in Prague in German. I had forgotten all about it until I read Kavalier and Clay, which mentions the Golem, so dug it out and read it last night. Great illustrations and a story well told.

42. An Unequal Marriage
The second of Emma Tennant's Pride and Prejudice continuations. It is fun to see what happens next between Elizabeth and Darcy, though I had a different ending in mind and was disappointed that Elizabeth was not the feisty heroine of the original.

I'm getting on to half way through The Story of Lucy Gault, great so far.

43. The Story of Lucy Gault
I think this is the best read so far of the challenge. This is a beautifully written book, Lucy's story unfolds slowly, but in a very moving way.

Next up is The Graduate.

44. The Graduate
45. Five Quarters of the Orange

Both good, read The Graduate just before I left home, again it is strange reading the book when you know the film so well. There is a lot of dialogue in the book, so you can see how it was easily adapted.

Next up, Five Quarters, I am trying to read France related books as I am in Val D'Isere for the week. I have read quite a few of her books and do love the mix of a good story and scrummy recipes.

46. The Understudy
I had been keeping my eye out for this, as I enjoyed Starter for 10. This is a beach read, entertaining, but ultimately let down by the whiny protagonist.
47. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Blinked by a man after a stroke, this is actually a rather uplifting book written by a man unable to do more than move his head.
48. Sundays at Tiffany's
Incredibly trashy book about a girl and her invisible friend.
49. Jigs and Reels
A mixed bag, having read a lot of her books, I recognised some of the settings.
50. The White Queen
The first in Philippa Gregory's new series. I have read some other books about this period, but I liked the mix of history and the fantastical.
51. Pandora I haven't read a Jilly Cooper since school, but was leant this on holiday. Perfect ski-holiday, cake-eating reading ;)

Wow! You're almost half way there! I haven't read Joanne Harris. Should I? Are her novels generally better than the short stories?

I was on holiday for a week, so managed to get a lot of reading done. Moving to Spain next week, so will have less time to read and less access to books.
I loved Chocolat, and most of her other books. I think that I prefer her books, not because her stories are bad, but because I want to read on. Her short stories would be a good place to start to see if you like her style.

Good luck with the move! Look forward to seeing you back on LT and posting once you have settled in.

Good luck! Enjoy Spain.

Which part of Spain? I'm planning a trip next May in Andalucia.

Re 90 and 91
Thanks! I am going to be in Avila, about an hour or so from Madrid. This means I am currently finding all my Spain-related books so I can take them with me to read.

Re 92
I have visited the south before - I especially liked Granada, there is nothing like the Alhambra at dusk, and Cordoba. May is a good time to go (that's about when I went a few years back), before it gets too hot. Any where in particular you want to visit?

@93, well, we're planning on spending 3-4 days around Madrid (plus Toledo and Segovia). Then we'll move to Sevilla for a week with day trips to Cordoba. A couple of days in Grenada and finally, almost a week on the Costa de la Luz. I'm a birder so Costa Donana, here I come!

Oooh lovely. Toledo and Segovia are great day trips, especially for a history geek like me. That's a great itinerary, a bit of everything. If you are going to any museums, check and see what there free days are (often Sunday).

@94 -- Sevilla is beautiful! I hope you enjoy your trip!

@95-96: I'm really looking forward to it!

52. The Jane Austen Guide to Dating
I bought this online for the title, not realising it was an actual dating guide, I thought it was going to be something along the lines of The Jane Austen Book Club. This is a lot of fun for Jane Austen fans, as Lauren Henderson uses the different characters and their relationships to give tips on the do's and don't's of dating.

LOL! Too funny. Was any of the advice good? Like don't be insulting while you're proposing marriage?

Haha! That was mentioned!
It was actually pretty sound advice, show you are interested like Catherine (Northanger Abbey), don't be persuaded by friends like Anne (Persuasion), go with your gut like Fanny (Mansfield Park), don't be fooled by beauty and end up regretting it like Mr. Bennett (Pride and Prejudice).

Hmm, don't appear to be doing well with my Olympic Category, and I have also not really turned up suitable books on my shelves. This year I wanted to read as many of the books I already had as possible, I didn't really want to go out and buy more. I am still wondering what to rejig it to, so will leave it as it for a while. I was thinking of splitting my Links category into Links and Books in a Series.

You've already got a lot of the links read already. That makes sense. The Olympic Category sounded fun though. One book per country though??? That's a lot of countries.

I was doing really well with the Olympic Challenge (I started 2 years ago), but I have read books from the "easier" countries, like the USA, Spain, Cuba, and now I need to find the unusual. :(

53. The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman
This is the last book in Louis de Bernieres's Latin American Trilogy, and is as good as the other books. As with the others, the magical realism is a good vehicle to describe the history of Latin America, this book is disturbing, but the style makes you want to read on.

103> Ah, that makes sense! I tried to watch a movie from every Latin American country, but haven't been able to finish Costa Rica, Paraguay and a few others. Some countries don't have the population/economy to get books published globally.

54. Guernica
Very good read about a Basque family living in the town, following their history leading up to and beyond the bombing.

55. The Blackpool Highflyer
The second installment in Andrew Martin's Jim Stringer series. I find the style rather fun, written as it is in the tone of a penny dreadful.

Also reading Ghosts of Spain, but this is not a quick read, and I am reading it in chapters. Very informative so far, all about the Spanish Civil War and how it has never really been aired here in Spain.

106> I still haven't read or seen anything that has made me feel that I have more than a shallow understanding of the Spanish Civil War. I'll look forward to your review on Ghosts of Spain.

56. The House of the Mosque
From the Early Reviewers Programme. Following the story of an extended family living in a mosque in Iran. Starting in the 1950s, the family's fortunes are intertwined with the changing religious and political scene in Iran, to such an extent that the family itself is driven apart. As an introduction to Iran, this is a good read, but will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens to the family.

57. The Mysteries of Udolpho
Second time lucky, actually read this in a few days after having given up on it last time.

I first heard of this book when I read Northanger Abbey, in which the young heroine, Catherine Moreland, is fascinated by it. The plot is rather drawn out, indeed if I were Emily, I too would have sought sanctuary or indeed spent half my day in a swoon, though I would not have had the strength to comment on the landscape in verse. It did get faster paced as it moved on, however and I ended up enjoying it.

Good review on the book page! I, too, would probably be in the Tilney camp, but at the time, I'm sure it was quit the escapist fiction for a young lady.

I was inspired! Now, if only I had written it in verse.... ;)

58. Ghosts of Spain
The subtitle of the book, Travels through a country's past is very apt. Tremlett, a British journalist living in Spain, takes us on a journey around Modern Spain, looking at the effect of the country's past on its present. Very good, very readable. Something for everyone here - history, culture, people.

59. Raffles
The titular character is a cricket playing, public school educated English gentleman, but leads a secret life as a thief. Bunny, who also went to the same public school, when down on his luck, reconnects with Raffles and becomes his assistant.

If you are looking for some witty writing, a pair of entertaining anti-heroes, close scrapes and a nod to Sherlock Holmes, look no further than Raffles.

It is a lovely sunny day and I have just joined the library here in Avila, and it was so easy, too. I had a nosey around the shelves, something which you can't really do in the bookshops here (everything is behind the counter). I picked up The Sun over Breda, the third book in the Captain Alatriste series, which I have been looking out for for ages. I also found The Poe Shadow, which is on my bookshelf at home, so this will help me reduce the books I already own! The last was a Cornelia Funke book in Spanish, Kleiner Werwolf, which will help me with my German category.
I am still wondering about having another tinker with my categories, maybe a mysteries one. Although, it really might not be necessary.
I have also been thinking about my bonus categories, I think I'll make one 1001 books, like last year, but the other might be Asian books as I still have lots of them to read and I'm not even halfway with my challenge!
Choices choices choices! :)

Cool! Is it a beautiful library? Cornelia Funke is always fun.

It is a beautiful historical setting, opposite the cathedral and inside the city walls. The building itself is modern.
Reading Cornelia Funke reminds me of when I first started reading books, I loved adventure stories, myths and legends. I still do ;)

60. La Ciudad de las Bestias
First in Isabel Allende's Jaguar and Eagle series, YA fiction. I have had this on my shelf for a while, but wanted to pick up the rest in the series before starting it. Brilliant book, her style works perfectly for a book about a young boy sent to be with his grandmother on an expedition to the heart of Amazonia to find a legendary beast.

I'll have to read La Ciudad de las Bestias evenutally, whether in English or Spanish. How difficult is her Spanish? I'm just starting to be able to read without having to check an English translation.

Really it is quite easy to read, I read it for the first time when I was on Erasmus, my Spanish wasn't as good then. Very readable, the chapters aren't too long if you want to read it in chunks. Once I had hit page 50, it became much easier to read, as the a lot of the new vocab repeated itself.

61. The Poe Shadow
Found this at the library, and read it yesterday on a very rainy wintry day. A lawyer starts to look into the strange details of Poe's death, a mystery which takes him as far as Paris and into mortal danger.

>61 cammykitty: I hope you enjoy the book more than I did.

It wasn't bad, but I still think I enjoyed The Dante Club best. Matthew Pearl obviously does a lot of research, but at times I felt there was too much historical detail, although it was a page turning read in such bad weather.

62. Kleiner Werwolf (the little werewolf in Spanish)
I got this out of the library, and enjoyed a quick read. Cornelia Funke is such fun! A wee boy gets bitten by a wolf and starts changing, can his best friend, Lina, help him? Good illustrations, too.

Just realised that I didn't cross-post this (I have a blog which I update when I am in the mood)

Here are my top reads for the first quarter:
French Lieutenant's Woman, I just couldn't put this one down.
I also really liked The Help, a look at life in America's South as the Civil Rights Movement hots up.
The Good Earth, a book that had been on my wishlist, didn't disappoint.
Cold Comfort Farm was hilarious, I can't believe that I had never come across it before.
Pereira Maintains , interestingly I have read another translation of this book, but it was before I lived in Portugal, so this one struck me more. Through meeting a young dissident, Pereira decides to challenge Salazar's regime.

Duffers -
Bleak House, I found this hard to get into and to get through. I was also disappointed by Malinche, which was not up to the standard of Laura Esquivel's 1001 Book, Like Water for Chocolate .

edited to add link to the original blog post - http://soffitta1-bookcrossing.blogspot.com/2010/12/11-in-11-category-challenge-f...

Top books for the second quarter:
Well, The North China Lover, was a great read. Dumas' The Lover blew me away when I read it a few years ago, so I had to see how this differed. It certainly measured up to the first book, but very different.
I also enjoyed Day of the Triffids, I am no sci-fi fan normally, but in a world of GM products and experimentation, it was a scarily realistic possible vision of the future.
Another good Bill Bryson in Shakespeare: The World as a Stage, more a biography of what we don't know that what we know!
The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay was unputdownable, I just caught up in the very different cousins and their lives.
I would say, however, the book that affected me most was The Story of Lucy Gault, I was very moved by Lucy's tragic story, so sympathetically written.
Also tragic, but actually uplifting book was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, this is a book that will stay with me.
Ghosts of Spain was also excellent, for a guide to modern Spain, this is a good start. It talks about the ghosts and events that have shaped Spain, but what makes it good is that it is written by a foreigner who obviously loves Spain.

Disappointments:
The Understudy What a pity, I loved Starter for 10! Not a dreadful book, but not up to his usual standard.
Sundays at Tiffany's. Oh Mr. Patterson, please stick to your mysteries!

Link to full blog post: http://soffitta1-bookcrossing.blogspot.com/2011/02/11-in-11-challenge-2nd-quarte...

Spending the morning getting caught up on everyone's threads. I do enjoy the Captain Alatriste series and remember reading The Sun over Breda last year. Need to find time to pick up where I left off with this series.

As for Sundays at Tiffany's, I have that one on my bookshelf. I was hoping when I bought it that it would be a nice change from his usual offerings. Good thing I picked up my copy at a charity shop for just a couple of bucks so I can let it languish for a while on the TBR pile.

The Sun over Breda is the one I have from the library. I do like this series, they are well-written, fun, but most of all, Captain Alatriste is a fab character. I was so happy to find this book, I read the first 2 last year.

I haven't read any of Patterson's crime books, but here I felt he missed an opportunity, a sweet idea not well-executed.

63. The Royal Ghosts
A collection of short stories set in Nepal, dealing with family dilemmas and the unstable political situation. Despite the setting being well evoked, the themes are universal, fathers disapproving of their modern daughters' choices, love, divorce and regret. A good read.

64. The Sun over Breda
The third in the Captain Alatriste series. I did enjoy the history of this, the Spanish presence in the Low Countries is not something I know anything about. Another nice touch is the poetry quoted in the book, I studied a couple of Lope de la Vega at uni, so this brought back good memories. Looking out for the next 2 books.

I finally did it, I have been moving books around, out goes Foreign Books, in come Mysteries. This is because I am going to read more than 11 foreign books, as I am in Spain now and also because I have a stack of mysteries on my TBR pile.

A book bonanza over the last few days. I have had books winging in via the Bookcrossing 1001-Library. The first to arrive were The Monkey and the Monk and Felicia's Journey, the latter I had been keen to read since I read The Story of Lucy Gault. Next up was Arabian Nights, and then a box of books from the States - Effi Briest (a book my brother has been talking about ever since he studied it at uni), Platero and I and The Pigeon. I couldn't resist and started The Monkey and the Monk straight away, I am about half way through, but this is a book to read in chunks, to give you time to let it sink in. This afternoon, with the sunlight streaming through my window, I read The Pigeon, a short, but thought-provoking book. This should help with my 1001 book slump, I just didn't fancy starting Invisible Man, so had been reading anything else I came into contact with.

I also returned my 3 books to the library, and picked up three new ones in Spanish. The first is El Capitan Alatriste, the graphic novel version of the first book in the series, I am curious to see how the illustrators have the characters, how they differ from my own thoughts. Second El Reino del Dragon de Oro, the second installment in Isabel Allende's series about Alexander Cold and his adventures with his rather unusual granny, Kate. Last up is Stardust, I loved the film, have the audiobook in English, but really look forward to reading it for myself.

65. The Pigeon
The Pigeon is a day in the life of a 50-something-year-old man. His monotonous existance, one of his own choosing and making, is thrown out of kilter by the appearance of a pigeon outside his room. The pigeon disrupts his routine, causing him to consider leaving his sanctuary forever. Thought-provoking.

Lucky you!!! They all look good.

>127 soffitta1: Looking forward to your thoughts on The Monkey and the Monk. I heard Dr. Yu a few years ago give a talk about the feminine characters in The Monkey King (there aren't many).

re 128 - a good haul! And I have nice weather to enjoy them in, I will be decamping to a cafe later or to the park.

re 129 - I am enjoying the book so far, a mixture of myth and religion. You are right, I can think of about 3 female characters so far! The lecture sounds interesting though.

66. Felicia's Journey
A very dark book, the sad story of a pregnant Irish girl searching for the father of her child, with not much to go on except he was working at a lawnmower factory near Birmingham. One day she is offered help by the catering manager of a different factory. Good read, sinister and sad though.

67. Interpreter of Maladies
A collection of short stories, all concerning India, Indians or Exile. This is the first book of Jhumpa Lahiri's that I have read, and I will definitely be bumping The Namesake up my TBR list. Snapshots of very different situations, connected by the theme of exile, I found myself quickly enveloped in the different stories. She has a lovely style, and as a Brit who seems to have spent almost as much time in the UK as outside, I could identify with the conflicting feelings of country, nationality, and heritage.

68. Effi Briest
A girl marries her mother's former suitor and is taken off to live far away. A chain of events are set in motion, almost inevitably, and as upstanding Prussians, they can't avoid the rules that society makes them play by.
Very well written, very sad.

69. The Monkey and the Monk
This is the journey of the monk Xuánzàng who is sent to the West for Buddhist scrolls to bring back to Chang'an (modern day Xian). The journey is full of obstacles, traps and dangers that the travelling band must come through to reach the West.

This is a book which is easy to recommend, first to those interested in religion in China, secondly to sinophiles, but, perhaps most importantly, for those wanting to read a good story full of colour, drama and great characters.

70. Through the Looking Glass
As with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it is the combination of words and images that make the book so memorable, so charming. This is a book to amuse children and adults alike, great fun and deservedly a classic.

I am a wee bit behind on my reviews, I am trying to actually write one for each book I read for the 11 in 11. Last year, I started well, then they dropped off. If I don't do them with a week or so, I start to forget what I really felt about the book and end up with something worthless like "I enjoyed the book", "I will look out for the next one in the series". The posts here help as I like the discussion, so I make more of an effort.

I'm with you there. I have to write the reviews within 24 hours or they don't happen! Yes, Alice is all about wordplay. :)

The wordplay - it makes me wonder what I got out of the stories as a child. I mean, I loved the silliness and the sound of the words, but now I am older, I get more out of the jokes, subtle or not. It is great when books work for children and adults.

I read it as an adult, not as a child. I wondered that too, because some of the word play is very sophisticate and some of the humor is quite political. But obviously, it works on many levels.

71. Platero and I
A man and his donkey, musings on life in southern Spain. This is a collection of anecodotes and shows the close relationship the narrator has with his faithful Platero, a donkey with a lot of feelings.

I've been hoping to come across a bilingual version of Platero. Was it funny, or more thoughtful?

I would say it as more thoughtful, more introspective, but still worth a read. I'm going to see if the library here has it in Spanish, I don't think it would be too hard a read.

72. Invisible Man
A young black man and the struggle for equality.

73. Brixton Beach
Opening in the chaotic aftermath of the 7/7 bombing in London, off-duty doctor, Simon, is looking for a woman he thinks to be caught up in the carnage. The action then moves in time and space to Ceylon on the brink of civil war. The plot unfolds to see how these two worlds connect. Very good.

Thanks. I've seen it in English. It's short, so you're right, it might not be too hard in Spanish.

Finally written up all my reviews, I mustn't let them slip again! Well, I'll try not to. Got a busy couple of weeks ahead, it's report time, so not sure I'll be doing much reading.

74. Capitan Alatriste - graphic novel in Spanish
Very good, I read the novel a few years ago and enjoyed reading this. Great illustrations and well adapted.

75. Stardust
The Spanish version. I have seen the film and listened to the audiobook, so I knew what was coming, but still enjoyed it very much.

76. The Lost Luggage Porter
oops, missed this one.
Number 3 in the Jim Stringer series. Stringer is starting work as a detective, due to having to stop driving trains. Even before he officially starts, he comes across some crimes at York station, crimes that will take him as far a field as Paris. Entertaining, Ilook forward to the next book(s), which I have here with me.

77. Austenland
Entertaining read. A woman obsessed with Darcy is given a holiday to Austenland, where she can dress up and, hopefully, have a Regency romance.

78. The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Really good, I bumped it up my list after seeing it on the WBN list. I read it in an afternoon! I thought it was well-written, all in the first person and broached difficult issues in our Post 9/11 world.

79. El Reino del Dragon de Oro
The second installment of Isabel Allende's Jaguar and Eagle Trilogy. This time the action has moved to a kingdom in the Himalayas (similar to Bhutan). Kate Cold is sent there to write an article for International Geographic, taking her grandson and his best friend with. An entertaining read, both for the targeted YA readers and older ones. The Magical Realism style works well, here we have Yetis, astro-projection, and a golden dragon coveted by a Collector. Have just got El Bosque de los Pigmeos, the third book, out of the library. A great way to practise my Spanish.

80. A Fine Balance
I've had this for ages, it arrived in a bookbox many moons ago. A very good book, showing life in the '70s and '80s in India through the eyes of 4 people who are thrown together by fate. Mistry mixes up the narratives, telling each person's personal story, before bringing it all together. Highly recommended.

81. Relato de un Naufrago
I have this at home in English, but when I saw it in the library, I though I'd give it a go in Spanish. Page turning account of a sailor becoming shipwrecked and making it to land. The book is a result of Gabriel Garcia Marquez working with the sailor in question, making the style much more journalistic than his more famous books which emply magical realism. I'd recommend this to students of Spanish as a good introduction to his work.

Thanks! Relato sounds interesting.

82. In the Forest
I got this from the 1001-Library in a swap with a Portuguese member. Inspired by real events, a woman, recently arrived in the area, and her son are targeted by the newly released O'Kane. God, this was too well-written. I kept putting it down for a few minutes, hoping against hope that there would be some light at the end of the dark tunnel, but having to pick it up again as it was so compelling. This is my second Edna O'Brien book, and I'll be looking for more.

Yey all uptodate with my reviews, well, nice while it lasts!
Not sure what book I'll pick up next though.

83. El Bosque de los Pigmeos
The final book in Isabel Allende's Jaguar and Eagle trilogy. This time the action takes place in Africa, Kate Cold is sent to cover a story on elephants and ends up in the titular forest, when a Spanish missionary asks for help in finding his missing colleagues. Another good book, but a shame as it was tied up neatly at the end, so the chance of more books is slim.

84. West of the Wall
Trudy lives in East Berlin in the 1960s with her husband, young son and mother-in-law. When her husband is warned that he will soon be picked up, he decides to escape to the West, leaving Trudy with the dilemma of whether to stay or go. Once in the West, she tries to find a way of getting her son across.
Not bad, though one very implausible plot twist.

Ugh! I hate it when one plot twist makes you remember the whole thing is fiction.

It was unnecessary, too. I'm not sure why she did it, made it seem like a soap opera.

Currently reading The Arabian Nights, brilliant!

You are really doing a great job with your challenge! I also have The Arabian Nights waiting to be read. Glad to hear that you like it so far.
--BJ

85. Difficult Daughters

A very interesting read, a portrait of one and then two countries through the lives of women. The struggle for independence and education in two countries finding their feet in the difficult post-Independence era.

86. Persuading Annie
Couldn't resist picking this up, I had it on my wishlist for ages and it popped up through Bookmooch. A modern retelling of Persuasion. For readers who already know Persuasion, Persuading Annie has the added appeal of seeing how the author updated the story. I think it works well. If you don't know Austen's original, it is still an entertaining read.

87. The Arabian Nights
Whilst very familiar, the skilled interweaving of the stories in this collection is what makes the book great. We all know Aladdin, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, but here they are all brought together, with other less well-known tales, in a less Disney-sanitised way, making them more enjoyable.

More thoughts to come.

88. Queen of Dreams
Another book from my TBR pile, I really enjoyed The Mistress of Spices, so was happy to see this come up on Bookmooch. Divakaruni brings all the threads together with her usual fantastic style. I enjoyed reading about the dreams, the art of reading them, and the stories of Rakhi's parents' lives in India before their emigration. Divakaruni draws you, weaving the stories together, making you want to read on

89. El Clan del Oso Cavernario
A reread as I want to refresh my memory of the first books before reading the new one. I got it out of the library and read it in Spanish, very useful for learning flora and fauna vocab!

Wow you are doing so well with this challenge, you can't be too far away from completion!

I know, this year I have gone much faster. Partly because I spent a while at home after travelling, I ended up with nearly 2 months not working. I have also done better at filling my categories, last year I struggled finding the last few books. My job gives me a lot of free time, too. I am making the most of not studying, but come September, I hope to have found a part-time course.
There are, of course, those heavier books that I keep putting down, soon I'll be forced to give them a go :S This challenge is good for motivating me!

90. Salt and Saffron
I enjoyed this a lot, reading most of it this morning before class. Aliya's family history is rich, providing her with many tales that span India, Pakistan, from before the British Raj, through independence and partition to the modern day. Some of the stories tell of the 'not-quite' twins, the relations that are linked closely, although not directly by blood.

So what are you studying?

I usually have a language course on the go - I studied languages at uni and I am trying not to lose them. I took a Portuguese course in Coimbra, where I worked before here, for 2 years - language, literature, history, linguistics. It was great having something unrelated to work, but still using my brain. I moved here, to Spain, in February, and missed the signup dates for courses, and also most adult courses are in the evening, when I work. I might have to look further afield, maybe online courses or ones where there are weekend workshops.

I hear ya! It takes so much time to learn a language, and no time at all to lose them. They're so much fun too. I hope you find a good class soon!

I am giving up on my first book - Lesley Castle. I got it out of the library, in Spanish, and I just can't get into it. Not for the content, but more because it felt like I was watching a badly dubbed film :(

91. Under the Net

An intricate, incestuous web, on which the narrator fumbles his way, cadging lodging and money off friends. A frustrated writer and translator of French novels, Jake Donaghue hopes he will one day make it big, though his only literary attempt sank without a trace and cost him a friendship.

My first Iris Murdoch, and it certainly won't be my last.

3/4 read :))

Well, I think the challenge has been going really well, and, as I have been mainly reading books from my TBR pile, not from book exchanges, I have been satisfied with most things I have read.

Top Books:
I am powering on with my 1001 Book Challenge of reading one a week. These books make up the best the third quarter. I loved Platero and I, I recently moved to Spain and found it utterly picturesque. I took part in World Book Night, and while I didn't give out The Reluctant Fundamentalist, I already had it on my shelf and bumped it my TBR pile. I read it voraciously over a day, it is well-written, thought-provoking and one I will reread in the future. I was horrified to see that I had had A Fine Balance on my shelf for 3 years. Oops! Worth the wait though, interconnected stories skillfully brought together against the backdrop of '70s India.

I also read some lighter fiction, and these were the best 3:

Salt and Saffron was a great example of storytelling, I just couldn't put down the account of an Indian/Pakistani family. Persuading Annie was great fun, reading a modern update of a book I really like, Persuasion. Brixton Beach, a gift from my Mum, gripped me from page 1, though it did taper out a wee bit at the end.

And least favourite:
West of the Wall- winning a prize for the stupidest plot twist of the challenge. Ugh.

I am getting near to filling up the categories with TBR books, but I know that I'll get distracted by shiny new books. I have a week's holiday now, so will get stuck into my final quarter. Of course, I am already thinking of next year's challenge ;)

92. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I was happy to see this pop up on the 1001 Group for this month's group read. Unfortunately, I am missing book 3 :(
Good fun, not sure why I hadn't read it before, although it was the sci-fi aspect that put me off.

92> I read that decades ago, and still think the "Somebody Else's Problem Field" describes a true phenomenon.

My dad gave me a copy of Platero y Yo when I was in junior high. I reread it last year and just loved it. I gave the book to my Spanish major daughter. She is working with immigrants daily using her Spanish. I am so glad that she can continue to use it. I also agree that it can be easy to lose a language that is not used. I can hardly speak any Spanish anymore.
--BJ

re 171 - Adams is often on the money, I think that is why I found the book so funny.

re 172 - I am happy to see others enjoying Platero y Yo, I must get hold of a copy in Spanish for my permanent collection.

Just arrived home after almost a week away, lots of reading time.

93. The Restaurant at the End of the World
The 2nd in the Hitch hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, still funny, the mismatched group are still on the run, steal a rock group's ship and come a cross a ship full of consultants and hairdressers.

94. An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England
I swapped for this at a hostel in Valencia, just for the title! A mystery, a 28-year-old New Englander gets out of prison after serving 10 years for burning down Emily Dickinson's house, but the arrival of man looking for revenge makes him realise that he will never quite escape his dark past.

95. The Great Railway Bazaar
Theroux's journey from London to Japan and back by train, biting at times, amusing, I read it on the train.

96. El Emperador
A collection of short stories, most with a twist. I recognised a couple, which makes me think I have read before in English or German.

97. Jane Austen - A Life
A well researched look at the author's life, from her family roots, through her books to her legacy. Very good.

I am now over halfway through Vanity Fair, I got stuck into it last night, really enjoying it. I just needed time away from thinner books to get stuck into it. I have also started Lost Innocence, which I picked up at a hostel in Zaragoza, trashy, but interesting enough to hold my attention.

98. Lost Innocence
Well, to be honest, this is not a book I would have bought, too much realistic drama for me. The author does try to present all sides of an extremely difficult situation. For fans of Jodi Picault's family dilemmas and dramas.

An Arsonist's Guide sounds interesting. I've seen Emily's house, but only from the outside, and in the arsonists defense, it looked just like so many other houses from that time. It was a two story white block if I remember right. Maybe it had balconies once, but at the time I saw it, there weren't any. It was easy to imagine her staring out the window.

99. Vanity Fair
The story of two very different women from their departure from school through married life. I did enjoy the book, but there were certainly parts which were more interesting than others, some bits were rather densely written, like the genealogies of minor characters. The cynical look at the age is well-done, and informative, but at times made the story rather leaden. I can see now why the film was criticised by many viewers who had read the book, because, although I admit it is a while since I saw it, the film changed the characters to make them more likeable, especially Becky.

I still haven't gotten around to reading Vanity Fair. It's on this year's small portion of Mount TBR. From what I've heard from people though, they loved some of the characters being dislikable, & Becky is always mentioned. I'm sure a likable Becky is too much for some people! But haven't read it or seen it yet. Thanks for the review!

The characters have to be dislikable, if Becky were nice and good, then this would be another rags to riches tale. This would make it just a novel, losing the social commentary which, I think, is why people keep reading the book.
I'd still recommend it, it is worth reading.

Category 5: Asia COMPLETED

1. The Good Earth
2. The Inheritance of Loss ** 1001 Book
3. Eating Chinese Food Naked
4. The North China Lover
5. Love and longing in Bombay
6. The House of the Mosque
7. The Royal Ghosts
8. The Interpreter of Maladies
9. Brixton Beach
10. Difficult Daughters
11. Queen of Dreams

I can't say that I am surprised that this was my first category to be filled, I love reading Asian books, I think they make up most of the books I own.

A very successful category, no duffers! I particularly enjoyed The Good Earth, which had been on my wishlist for years. Revisiting The Lover in The North China Lover was also fantastic- the subtle variation, the benefit of hindsight. 3 were short story collections (5, 7 and 8) and one 1001 book, and also they weren't all from India and China (something I was keen to avoid).

Category 8: Film & Adaptations COMPLETED

1. The French Lieutentant's Woman ** 1001 Book
2. Bleak House ** 1001 Book
3. Crash ** 1001 Book
4. The Notebook
5. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ** 1001 Book
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's **1001 Book
7. The Time Machine **1001 Book
8. The Graduate ** 1001 Book
9. Stardust in Spanish
10. The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
11. The Arabian Nights ** 1001 Book

I love film, so I expected this category to fill up quickly, too.
I was blown away by The French Lieutenant's Woman, a book I had had on my shelf for ages. A good story and an intrusive narrator makes for a great read. Another book from my TBR pile was The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly, such a positive book despite the inevitable death of the narrator.
I didn't enjoy Bleak House, too dense, too many characters, it was a chore to read. If I hadn't been travelling, I imagine that I would have ditched this.
8 1001 Books read :)

Category 9: Links COMPLETED

1. An Unequal Marriage - Jane Austen Link
2. Sunday at Tiffany's - linked with Breakfast at Tiffany's
3. Jigs and Reels - also read Five quarters of the orange by the same author, Joanne Harris.
4. The Jane Austen Guide to Dating - Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
5. The Mysteries of Udolpho - mentioned in I was Jane Austen's Best Friend **1001 Book
6. Through the Looking Glass **1001 Book, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
7. Austenland Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
8. Persuading Annie - Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
9. Jane Austen: A Life- Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
10. A Christmas Carol - also by Charles Dickens ** 1001 book
11. Vanity Fair ** 1001 book, mentioned in The Story of Lucy Gault

I have enjoyed this category, a new one for me (an idea I stole from other people's challenges!). I often go on a reading binge on one author or topic, so this has worked well, most have been Jane Austen related. I did give up on Lesley Castle, as her work translated into Spanish loses its appeal for me. This category has also inspired me to read a couple of tomes that I have been avoiding, The Mysteries of Udolpho and Vanity Fair. As for favourite books, I think that Jane Austen A Life was the best book, it was informative without being dry. Persuading Annie and Austenland were great fun for an Austen fan like me, both worth a read. The bottom 2 were definitely An Unequal Marriage, a miserable continuation of Pride and Prejudice and Sundays at Tiffanys, a nice idea poorly executed.
4 1001 books from this category.

As I am in the final quarter, I am finally sorting out my categories. I reckon I have most of the books where I want them, just have to finish reading now ;)
I am thinking about my bonus categories, probably 1001 and Library reads, but I'll decided later. Of course, this has made me think about 2012, what categories I have enjoyed most, least, and others that I have seen in other people's threads.

I have just started Bombay Ice, a mystery set in India, good so far.

Wow!!! That's impressive. You're more than halfway there!

I have had a lot of reading time this year, and access to books. Last year I was storming ahead, and then hit a wall as I was travelling and had to look for those last books to finish the challenge.

Congrats on finishing 3 categories!

100. Bombay Ice
A Scots-Indian travels to India after receiving a disturbing letter from her estranged half-sister, pushing her into Bombay's underbelly, a world of Hijra, corruption, gangsters, and complicated families. Not a bad mystery, but tapered off a bit for me.

187> Too bad the end didn't keep up the tension! It sounds like interesting characters and setting.

I'd still recommend it, as it was very different - its unusual setting and main character.

101. Burmese Days
I've had a friend staying and she wanted to read this after me, so read it on the trains / buses. I am a big George Orwell fan, and this is another of his good books. This is a biting look at life in Burma, the machinations of the British, Burmese and other nationalities. Very good.

I love Orwell too, so alas, you're making my WL grow. I had no idea that he had written sooooo much nonfiction. He led an interesting, but dangerous, life.

Category 11: British Authors
I am including all authors from the British Isles here, as on my 1001 list, pre-Independence Irish writers are shown as British.

1. It Could Happen to You
2. Cold Comfort Farm **1001 Book
3. I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
4. Mrs Fry's Diary
5. The Day of the Triffids **1001 Book
6. The Story of Lucy Gault **1001 Book
7. Five Quarters of the Orange
8. The Understudy
9. Pandora
10. El Emperador
11. Lost Innocence

A mixed bag of a category, I thoroughly enjoued the 3 1001 Books. Cold Comfort Farm was very amusing, The Day of the Triffids was a real page turner, but I must say that Lucy Gault blew me away. Two short story collections, both showing the range of the authors' writing, but I think Joanne Harris's was more up my street.
Bottom books were Lost Innocence, just not my cup of tea, but I was more disappointed by The Understudy, having enjoyed the writer's other books.

Category 2: 1001 Books

I have the all singing and dancing spreadsheet and would like to boost my stats. I had this category over the last 2 challenges as well, spurring me on with my 1001 reading. I have enjoyed reading 1001 books as it has definitely broadened my reading, getting round to reading those classics and also putting me in touch with many new authors.

1. The Idiot
2. Of Mice and Men
3. Schooling
4. Pereira Maintains
5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay
6. Platero and I
7. Invisible Man
8. The Reluctant Fundamentalist
9. A Fine Balance
10. Under the Net
11. Burmese Days

I really enjoyed reading Pereira Mantains as I had already Declares Pereira, a different translation of the original Italian. I think I found it better because I lived in Portugal before reading the former, so the situation described was much more familiar. As I am now living in Spain, I did so enjoy Platero and I, such a well-written book. I devoured The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and am sorry to see that it has been left off the 2010 list.
It is probably easier to say which books didn't grab me as much, and they would be The Idiot, just because it was rather dense, and The Invisible Man, but these are 1001 books, so I had higher expectations of them.

102. Seven Years in Tibet
I saw the film years ago, beautiful but terribly dull, Pitt was woefully miscast. The book is Harrer's own words, his experience in Tibet, a country which, even today, is one of the last really mysterious places on Earth. Harrer arrived in Tibet after escaping from a POW camp in India, a great adventure in itself. He writes about all aspects of Tibetan life, from life in the provinces to life in the capital, Lhasa, where he became a tutor of sorts to the Dalai Lama. Recommended.

102 does sound good. There goes my wishlist again!

It is good, apparently he wrote a second book, which I am going to try and find. What makes the book is his timing - to be witness to such a time of change in Tibet, an outsider with almost complete access.

Bonus (1001) 1. Agnes Grey
Group read. This flew by, with her family's fortunes worsening, Agnes decides to become a governess. Coming from a loving family, she imagines she will be helping to form young minds in a similar environment, unfortunately, neither of her positions could be classed as happy. Her charges range from selfish and bratty to downright demonic, and Agnes struggles to keep herself going. It's not all doom and gloom, though, as Agnes meets a nice young cleric. I did sympathise with Agnes, although she is rather self-righteous, and as a teacher I have had some trying students over the years! A good read, but I can see why it was knocked off the original 1001 list.

103. Murder at Deviation Junction
The fourth installment in the Jim Stringer Railway Detective series. Jim is on a winter's trip with his family when the train makes an unscheduled stop and a body is uncovered.

The series is still entertaining for me, the trains and the penny dreadful style. It is a gentle mystery, one for a quiet afternoon on the sofa. Number 5 beckons.

104. Closely Observed Trains
I thought I'd stick with the train theme, a short 1001 book. I saw the film back when I lived in Prague, and it was pretty faithful to the book as far as I remember. A young man Milos, working for the Czech Railways under German occupation, has just come back to work after a suicide attempt stemming from unconsumated relationship with Masha. It is comic, but also full of tragedy.

Will be up reading for a while, there is a street party going on nearby organised by one of the local churches, so no chance of sleep for another couple of hours (like last night) :(

Uh oh! A rowdy church party! Are they celebrating anything in particular? Cinco de Mayo is big here, but I wouldn't expect them to celebrate that in Spain. Hope you got some good reading done!

No idea, last weekend was the party for the town's Patron Saint, but not sure about this weekend. The fireworks are still going off :( I have got stuck into Rebel Heiress, a book which a visiting friend left me. I can't resist shiny new books! Good so far.

Bonus (1001) 2. Diary of a Nobody

Very amusing! I have had this for a while, but it was only at Christmas that I realised it was on the 1001 list, so I bumped it up to the top of my reading pile. Mr. Charles Pooter is a nobody, well, he is no Pepys or Johnson, but he won't let that hold him back. His diary covers just over a year, a married man living in a suburb of London, the trials and tribulations of a clerk working in the City. What makes this funny is that Pooter takes himself rather seriously, opening himself up to being laughed at by others. I especially liked Pooter's insistance on making awful puns, and his repitition of them, to varying effect.

I just looked up the 1001 list yesterday. Quite a wide variety, and many of them I haven't heard of. Glad awful puns have a place on it.

The list is rather varied, especially the 2nd and 3rd editions, which addressed the English/French bias. I have enjoyed reading from it, it has introduced me to many new authors and books, though I do wonder how they can justify over 5 books from a single author.

That's true. You'd think they'd want the list to be as broad as possible, and even listing 2 by the same author narrows the list. There were a few books on it too that I know I hate, and a few you couldn't pay me to read. I'd actually worry if I liked everything I saw listed though. That would mean the compiler didn't take risks.

Bonus (1001) 3 - Suite Francaise
The group readalong.

Suite française are the two books that Irène Némirovsky wrote in WW2, before her death in Auschwitz. The two books themselves are rather different, but as can be seen from the first appendix, the author planned to tie the threads together.

This is not a book about heroes, rather this is the reality of people living in terrible times. At first, in the first book, I found it hard to sympathise with the characters, until I tried to place myself in their shoes, surely our own survival is the most basic of instincts.

I would definitely recommend this.

wow you're doing fantastically, I have finally borrowed some books to start working on my categories, but I still have categories I haven't even started!

:) This year is going more quickly as I chose my books to fit my categories, unlike last year. I still haven't decided what my second bonus category will be, although it should be from my TBR pile. Lots of 1001 books, the VBB has really made me concentrate on them.

105. Rebel Heiress
I was given this by a friend and was pleasantly surprised to see it was written by Fiona Mountain, whose Natasha Blake books I have enjoyed.

The story follows Eleanor's life, from the curious child chasing butterflies, to coming into her inheritance, and her marriage and children. Eleanor falls in love with Mr. Merrick's choice, Edmund, a solid, dependable man, but is blown away by his best friend, Richard, a Cavalier. She is torn between her wifely duty and her desire for Richard. Mountain keeps up the tension well, a case of be careful what you wish for, though.

The book is well researched, the author really brings Eleanor to life, she was definitely a woman ahead of her time.

Category 3: History
Fiction and Non-Fiction


Another returning category as this is an area I enjoy reading about. I hope to have more non-fiction here this year.

1. The Help
2. The Bamboo Palace
3. Ivanhoe
4. Shakespeare: The World as a Stage
5. Bound Feet and Western Dress
6. The White Queen
7. Guernica
8. The Clan of the Cave Bear in Spanish
9. Salt and Saffron
10. El Capitan Alatriste
11. Rebel Heiress

I do love reading historical fiction, only two non-fiction, which is a pity. I really enjoyed Shakespeare: The World as a Stage, a fascinating insight into the writer. The White Queen was also good, the first in Philippa Gregory's new series. Salt and Saffron I got from a virtual bookbox, what great writing style! I resisted reading Ivanhoe for years, but in the end it flew by.

106. Death on a Branch Line

A chance meeting at York Station with a condemned man causes Jim Stringer to put off his trip to Scarborough with his wife to go to the small village of Adenwold instead. I enjoyed the book, especially the short time frame, which made the story move at a cracking pace. I am also giving this an extra half a star for Lydia finally getting the page time she deserves. In this, the fifth instalment of the Railway Detective series, Jim's wife is along for the ride, and gets stuck right into the mystery.

The next book is ready and waiting!

I read the first book in the Railway Detective series a few years ago and liked it, but haven't gone back to read any more. I think I have the second book somewhere in my TBR stash. I'll have to see if I can work it in to my challenge.

They are light, Jim Stringer often stumbles across the answer, rather than works it out. I find the setting, penny-dreadful speech, and of course the trains very fun. I finally got them off my TBR pile when I won number 7, The Somme Stations from Early Reviewers.

107. Corazon de Tinta
I've been reading this for a wee bit, at almost 600 pages and in Spanish I needed time! I had read this before in English, but I enjoyed the reread. My local library as the next 2 books, so will get to them soon.
Books about books, could there be anything better! Mo, Silvertongue, has a gift, he can read characters out of books, but for every character read out of a book, a replacement is taken from our world. This is what happened with his wife 9 years earlier, and now one of the characters, Dustfinger, is back, wanting Mo's help. Brilliant!

Ah! You mean Inkheart! That is a fun book.

Yes, I forgot to put the English next to it. It was great fun, they have 2 and 3 in the library.
I found the list here - http://www.listsofbests.com/list/28877-the-books-in-inkheart-by-cornelia-funke

1. Watership Down
2. Peter Pan
3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
4. The Children of Green Knowe
5. Fahrenheit 451
6. The Witches
7. BFG
8. Great Expectations
9. Oliver Twist
10. The Neverending Story
11. Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver
12. The Wind in the Willows
13. The Night Daddy
14. Secret of Platform 13
15. The Jungle Books
16. The Borribles Go For Broke
17. Prince Caspian
18. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
19. The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
20. The Silver Chair
21. The Brothers Lionheart
22. Bill Bergson and the white rose rescue
23. Mio, My Son
24. Bill Bergson, Master Detective
25. Sejtes skatt
26. The Satanic Mill
27. Clockwork
28. Where the Wild Things Are
29. Shakespeare Stories
30. Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus: And Other Stories
31. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
32. Kidnapped
33. Treasure Island
34. The Hobbit or There and Back Again
35. The Fellowship of the Ring
36. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
37. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
38. The Sword in the Stone
39. The Selfish Giant

Of this list, I have read many, but there are a few I'll have to search out. I love Watership Down, it blew me away the first time I read it. Roald Dahl and Robert Louis Stevenson are two of my favourite authors, it is their books that I reread and can't part with.

Category 10: Travel

My favourite hobby ;) Fiction, non-fiction
Some of my choices might seem tenuous, but if there is some sort of trip, journey, then I'll count it here.

1. Three moons in Vietnam
2. Driveby Saviours
3. Ghosts of Spain
4. The Monkey and the Monk **1001 Book
5. Felicia's Journey **1001 Book
6. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy **1001 Book
7. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe
8. The Great Railway Bazaar
9. Seven Years in Tibet
10. Closely Observed Trains **1001 Book
11. Duende

Another strong category. I found The Monkey and the Monk to be really enjoyable, a book that has been on my radar for years. Closely Observed Trains was also a cracking read, very short, but it was good to see that the film version was faithful. Since starting the challenge, I have moved to Spain, so it made reading Ghosts of Spain much more relevant and also helpful for a newcomer.

108. Duende
Having recently moved to Spain, I'd bumped this up my TBR pile. Duende is the author's move to Spain in search of 'Duende', a hard to define concept at the heart of Flamenco.

I did enjoy the book, the not as much as Andalus, though probably because the latter had a more interesting topic to me. Flamenco is the glue that binds the narrative together, brings people closer, and Webster does manage to show us this world, a world which is often only glimpsed at by 'guiris' at tourist shows.

LOL - yes, of course, Hitch Hiker's Guide is a travel book.

heehee I know, I like my slightly more tenuous links! Books 3 and 5 arrived yesterday from Amazon, so I can now finish the series (though not sure where they'd go in my challenge).

ETA I have done some juggling, and managed to slot them into the Series category by moving 3 Jim Stringer books to Mysteries.

I have started The Rings of Saturn, one of those books that I have picked up and put down a couple of times. I do like the author, but I know I'll need to concentrate. I will probably crack and start Life, the Universe and Everything before the day is out.

Just taken El General en su Labirinto back to the library, I'll try reading it again when I have more time to concentrate on it. I picked up Inkspell (in Spanish) as I just HAVE to know what happens next to Meggie and Mo. I'm enjoying The Rings of Saturn, somehow it reminds you how the world is connected, but at the same time how strange and/or unique people and places are.
I did crack and read about 70 pages of Life, the Universe and Everything, it picks up where the last finished, same funny style.

The Inkheart film is good, I loved the book but for some reason never read the next one.

I read the first volume, but picked up the second when I heard the third was due to be published. I never got round to buying number three, so that's why I am starting again.

ditto katrina. I think it's because Inkheart had a pretty satisfying ending. I didn't feel a real need to keep reading, but of course, if Inkspell were to land in my hands, I'd read it.

109. Rings of Saturn
I picked this up a long time ago because of its East Anglia connection, where my parents live. The author spent many years in England, and here he is tramping around Norfolk and Suffolk, with some physical and mental diversions. He comments on nature, small villages, inhabitants and muses on their links to the wider world (and vice versa).

Recommended for keen travellers, whether they be real or armchair, and those who like a long story with lots of asides.

110. Life, the Universe and Everything
fun continuation of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

As a cricket fan, I found the idea of a book based round Krikket, a planet with particularly bloodthirsty inhabitants, to amusing for words. That humans would be seen as being in bad taste while playing cricket for its similarity to the Krikket way of killing, genius. Still amusing, though I am getting the feeling that the books are becoming less universal and more for hardcore fans.

111. So long, and thanks for the fish

Number 4 in the Hitchhiker's series. Fun, but a bit more rambling.

I am not sure what's next, off to pick a book to take with me to enjoy this sunny Sunday afternoon.

I remember being disappointed with So long too. I thought it was because I'd figured out his sense of humor by then, so it wasn't so surprising.

You know, I think that's it. I am no longer surprised, my chuckles aren't so hearty. They are still enjoyable, but not up to the same standard. If I hadn't already had 1,2 and 4, I might have only read the first 2. Although the spreadsheet geek in me loves to finish series, so I can tick them off!
I will look out his other series, the detective one, the first book is also on the 1001 list.

112. A Case of Exploding Mangoes
I bought this for the title, who could resist such a provocative one, especially with a great cover.

I must admit, I know very little about Pakistan, and the case that the book is about, the suspicious death of General Zia, was completely unknown of by me. The book opens with an assertion of the ending, the death of Zia, and then moves back to explain how Shigri comes to be the only survivor.

This is an enjoyable read, it took me a couple of chapters to get into, but I did find the switching of narrators made the action move at quite a pace. We don't know what really happened, but this is an entertaining, if not verging on the farcical, book.

113. Captain Pantoja and the Special Service
Captain Pantoja is ordered to Iquitos to deal with a military problem, he has to stop the frustrated servicemen jumping on the local women. His orders are to organise the "special service", where "specialists" provide "services". Pantoja applies his military ethos to the task in hand, making "Pantiland", as his enterprise becomes known, a great success. As to be expected, "Pantiland" is not universally popular, especially among the good burghers of Iquitos and the clergy. Very funny.

Soffitta, I think there are a series of movies based on Captain Pantoja. I'm surprised it started as a book first, because it's a perfect movie premise that allows for a bunch of sexy shots, but oh we're being moral here, wink wink. This sounds more charming than the movies though.

I have seen a film, though I think more than one adaptation was made. The one I saw didn't mention the religious fanatics sub-plot.
I just loved the euphemisms for prostitution, it made it even funnier.

I'll bet! I'm sure they had tons of ways to refer to it. & I'm sure taking out the religious fanatic sub-plot really took away from the movie. I guess I'll skip the movies and go straight for the book.

It didn't take away from it, if I remember correctly, they just stressed the clashes between the locals and the military.

114. All Quiet on the Western Front
A reread for me, I was chosen by World Book Night to hand out the book in March, and so I read it on its way to a friend. I wanted to give out the book because, despite being written about a war which started nearly a century ago, I think it's still relevant today. All politicians should be made to read this before being sworn into office.

As the Great War breaks out in 1914, Paul and his friends are finishing school. They are young, on the cusp of adulthood, physically men, but still to take their first steps in the adult world. As with many classes, they sign up en masse. Not out of patriotic duty, but rather from the pressure put on them by their teacher. What follows is Paul's description of the realities of war in the trenches: the hours of waiting, the orders to advance under rocket and gunfire, the deaths of those around them. Their black humour may seem distasteful to others, but it is a vital coping mechanism, there is am inevitable sense of fatality.

115. Mostly Harmless

The 5th in the Hitchhiker's series. Thought it was right to read it over Towel Day.

Not as funny as the others, but with some good moments, like the squirrels the computer trains to be flight attendants, forcing peanuts and wet wipes on all who go past them. It's always satisfying to finish a series, but I can't see myself getting Eoin Colfer's 6th instalment as I can't imagine a different voice narrating. Mostly Harmless is really for big Hitch-hiker's fans, but I will be looking out for the Dirk Gently books.

116. The Queen of the South
The fictional account of the life and times of Teresa Mendoza, la Mexicana, from drug trafficker's moll to becoming the Queen of the South. This is a rags to riches story, but with a difference. Teresa goes from a barefoot Mexican girl from a tough neighbourhood to running a successful drugs transportation network in Spain, hobnobbing with the elite. Entertaining read, both for the detail of Spain's drugs underbelly and for the colourful life of Teresa.

Category 4: Books in a Series


1. Wicked
2. Son of a Witch part of Wicked series
3. A Lion among Men part of Wicked series
4. The Necropolis Railway
5. The Blackpool Highflyer - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
6. The Sun over Breda - No. 3 in the Captain Alatriste series
7. The Lost Luggage Porter - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
8. Murder at Deviation Junction - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
9. Life, the Universe and Everything - part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
10. So long, and thanks for the fish- part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
11. Mostly Harmless- part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series

This was an enjoyable category, but none of the books will be on my best of challenge list. I have read 3 Arturo Perez Reverte books for this challenge, and I think that this installment of the Capitan Alatriste series is as strong as the previous books. I am glad that I finally read the Wicked trilogy, though they were rather odd and not what I expected. I bumped the Jim Stringer books up my TBR list after receiving The Somme Station from Librarything's Early Reviewers. The murder mysteries are great light reading. I have put the later books in the series in my Mystery category. I finally heeded my big brother's advice and read the Hitch-hiker's series.

117. The Last Train to Scarborough
Number 6 in the Jim Stringer series. Jim's wife is pushing him to leave the Railway Police Force and to move into becoming a solicitor, but the Chief has one last job for him. A railway man has disappeared from a lodging house in Scarborough, and is presumed dead. Jim is sent to Scarborough posing as an engine man along with Tommy Nugent, a fellow member of the Chief's shooting club.

Martin uses a different technique to drive the plot forward, the narrative is split between Stringer trying to uncover the truth and him coming to on a boat under guard. I enjoyed this, and look forward to the next installment, The Somme Station, which I received through the Early Reviewers Programme.

118. A Death in the Sanchez Family
I kept putting this off because I knew it would be depressing.

This is actually a follow up to a previous book, The Children of Sanchez, but can be read on its own. The text itself is a mere 100 pages, written in three parts covering the death of Aunt Guadalupe, the wake and her burial, together with an introduction about Guadalupe's life and circumstances and an appendix. The book is the product of the author's extensive research and interviews made with the Sanchez family. While it was written in the late '60s, sadly the book is still relevant, commenting as it does on social issues, such as poverty, alcohol abuse and the family. I will be looking out the other books Lewis wrote.

Category 1: Latin America

In the 999 Challenge I had a Portuguese speaking world category and in the 1010 Challenge, a Spanish speaking one. This time I thought I would concentrate on Latin America related books as I am curretntly travelling there. As Latin America can be taken in many ways, here it will be all countries (or regions - like Quebec) in the Americas speaking a Latin language.

1. The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
2. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord ** 1001 Book
3. Malinche
4. The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman
5. La Ciudad de las Bestias (in Spanish)
6. El Reino del Dragon de Oro (in Spanish)
7. Relato de un Naufrago (in Spanish)
8. El Bosque de los Pigmeos (in Spanish)
9. Captain Pantoja and the Special Service
10. The Queen of the South
11. A death in the Sanchez Family

A very strong group, I cleared 9 books of Mount TBR. The list is made of two Latin American trilogies. The first by Louis de Bernieres, was very good, I enjoyed the style (magical realism) and the characters, as well as the absurdity and contradictions of life described. The second was by Chilean author, Isabel Allende, once again magical realism. Though written for YA, the stories about Kate Cold and her son, Alex, and their travels will also appeal to adults. While most of the books were indeed written in the style of magical realism, a genre which I clearly enjoy, it was interesting to read one of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books from before he had fully developed his writing in that way. I also thoroughly enjoyed Captain Pantoja, a biting satire.

As for the negatives, well, only one really, Malinche. I don't think it stood up to Laura Esquivel's other work. I also took El General en su Labirinto back to the library, I'll try reading it again when I have more time to concentrate on it. I am happy that 4 of the books were read in their original Spanish.

I read Malinche last year and didn't like it, either. The legend is more interesting than Esquivel's novel.

Definitely, and what a legend! So much potential for a great book, but this wasn't it.

119. The Somme Stations
I received this from the Librarything Early Reviewers Programme, and it galvanised me into getting stuck into the series. In this, the 7th Jim Stringer book, WW1 is in full flow and a North Eastern Railway Battalion is being formed. Stringer signs up, and joins other railway men being trained in Spurn. One of the youngsters, William, is found dead in the water, and suspicion falls on all of the men, none of which has an alibi. This cloud of suspicion hangs over them as they make their way to the front, being sent right up to the frontline.

Similar in tone to the previous books, as Stringer tries to uncover the murderer under difficult circumstances. Martin does capture the time well, both the training and the reality of the front. It was interesting to read about the engines at the front, not something I had ever really heard of. Lydia gives us an insight into the situation back in Blighty, with women taking over the men's jobs, something I would like to have read more about. A good continuation of the series.

Bonus (Ladies' Choice) 1. Where have all the boys gone
A fluffy piece of chicklit, just what I needed for a post boozy Sunday picnic. Katie, a PR girl in London, is sent to Scotland for a job. She needs a change, London is lacking in decent men, whereas Fairlish has the opposite problem. Katie is there to help Harry save the local woodland from being turned into a golf course, but is getting distracted by green-eyed journalist, Iain. Add best friend and maneater Louise into the mix, and Fairlish doesn't know what has hit it.

I picked this off the shelf at work, wanting something light. It was funny to read about home: Michelle MacManus, Richard & Judy, Ewan McGregor. Not going to win prizes, but not bad as the genre goes.

Bonus (Ladies' Choice) 2. Dinner for Two

A Bookcrossing book picked up in a hostel over Easter. Couldn't sleep last night, and needed something lighter than Crime and Punishment.

Bloke-lit in the vain of Tony Parsons or Nick Hornby. I did enjoy seeing life from the other side of the gender divide. Dave is a music journalist, he has been with his wife for 6 years and is ecstatic when she announces she is pregnant. When Izzy miscarries and declares she doesn't want to try for another, he pretends to agree. Then the magazine he is working on, and he ends up as the new agony uncle on a teen magazine. Amongst the petitions for help, a letter arrives from a 13-year-old girl, Nicola, claiming to be his daughter.

Gayle manages to pull off a realistic family / relationship drama with flashes of humour, especially as a 30-something-year-old man struggles with working for a teen magazine. The musical references do date the book a bit, but as they are bands I remember, I liked them.

120. Crime and Punishment
Another scary one knocked off the 1001 list.

Crime and Punishment is one of those classics that many teenagers are subjected to read in school. While I wasn't one of them, I did associate the author with heavy text. Daunting it is, in terms of size and the names of characters (all of whom have at least 3 different ones - patronyms, nicknames and the like). I must admit I had to keep flicking backwards to remind myself who was who!
Raskolnikov lives in St. Petersburg, he has neither work nor money. Sick of the pawnshop lady who lends him money at crippling rates, he decides to kill her. Instead of seeing her death as a sin, he envokes the deaths caused by powerful men, leaders such as Napoleon. No one remembers them as murderers, nor the names of the countless that die both on and off the battlefield as a result of their military decisions.
The punishment of the title is not the one expected. Rather than one handed down by the legal system, it is one that follows the main character, his conscience.
Despite the confusion caused by the names, it is a classic and deserves its place on the 1001 list. It is a book that makes you think, revealing the our inner moral code that we live by.

Category 6: Mystery

Mysteries, Crime, Detective Fiction.
1. The Big Sleep ** 1001 Book
2. Raffles
3. The Poe Shadow
4. In the Forest ** 1001 Book
5. An Arsonist´s Guide to Writers´ Homes in New England
6. Bombay Ice
7. Death on a Branch Line - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
8. A Case of Exploding Mangoes
9. The Last Train to Scarborough - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
10. The Somme Stations - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway
11. Crime and Punishment ** 1001 Book

I am pleased with this group, I do like to read crime books, but had never thought of having it as its own category. My favourites were A Case of Exploding Mangoes, a fictional narrative based on the death of a Pakistani leader, and In the Forest, also fiction that came from fact. 3 of the books were from the 1001 list, The Big Sleep is a great example of noir, Crime and Punishment was good but my head hurt with trying to remember the names (surnames, patronyms, nicknames) and the very creepy In the Forest. I didn't have any real duffers, but I was disappointed by The Poe Shadow, having read more of the author's work, and I felt Bombay Ice petered out.

One of these decades I should read Crime and Punishment, but I hear what you say about the names. It seems like all Russian novels do that. Every character has three totally different names, and it feels like you're half-blind in a room and can't tell if you're looking at one person or seeing double.

Especially as the main character and his closest friend have multi-syllable surnames beginning with R! As with the other 2 I read last year, it is a book worth reading, though I did have to remove all distractions!

Yikes!

121. Sangre de Tinta
I'm almost sad to have finished this, but luckily the library has book 3, Inkdeath. Took a while to get into, not because of the writing, but after a couple of busy weeks at work, I''ve not really felt like reading a tome in Spanish. I must say though, that the last 200 pages have flown by.

A darker book than the first installment. Dustfinger manages to go home to Inkworld, sent there by a new reader, Orpheus. Unfortunately, the baddies are on their way, and they steal the book. Farid, left behind by Dustfinger, goes to Meggie and Mo for help. Meggie manages to read the two of them into the book, so she finally gets her wish to see Inkworld for herself, every reader's dream!
I don't want to go into too much detail, but the action has moved on from the end of the original book, Cosime el Guapo is dead, and Fenoglio, the writer, has made other changes through his songs.

The book also deals with relationship problems. The return of Meggie's mother, Resa, is not the happy ending they all wanted. Mo and Resa are trying to work out their 10 years apart, Resa is happy to be back, but also has unresolved feelings about the world that was her home for 10 years. Meggie is unsure of how to connect to this woman, her mother. There is also the growing adholescent love between Farid and Meggie, difficult but sweet.

With such an ending, I am glad I have book 3 from the library!

I'm also reading Dreaming in Cuban, so I can give it to a friend when I see her and Lord Jim to put in a bookbox. Both are good, very different.

Category 7: German Speaking World


In the 999 Challenge, I looked at the Portuguese Speaking World, in the 1010 Challenge I concentrated on the Spanish, so this time the German is up.

1. Dragon Rider
2. Candide *1001 Book, main character from Westfalen.
3. Kleiner Werwolf (in Spanish)
4. Golem: An Old Prague Tale in German
5. The Pigeon ** 1001 Book
6. Effi Briest **1001 Book
7. West of the Wall
8. Corazon de Tinta in Spanish
9. The Rings of Saturn ** 1001 Book
10. All Quiet on the Western Front ** 1001 Book
11. Sangre de Tinta in Spanish

A bit of a random selection, rather surprisingly, three of my German books were in Spanish! Four entries from the German writer Cornelia Funke, I had read Inkheart in English a few years ago, but was waiting to get hold of the the third of the trilogy. When I found them in my local library in Spanish, I thought it was a sign! I love her books, I'm only sorry that it has taken me so long to read them, where was she when I was growing up?! I am off to get Inkdeath from the library to complete the trilogy. Five 1001 books, one a reread, but all strong books. Very different, from the funny Candide, to the impending downfall of Effi Briest, from the day in the life story in The Pigeon to a travelogue, The Rings of Saturn. And last, but not least, a reread of a great book, All Quiet on the Western Front, which affected me just as much as it did the first time I read it.

West of the Wall was a clunker, a great idea of a book ruined by a plot twist. This is on the list of books I'd love to rewrite.

Wow! What a wide variety of books from Germany.

Absolutely! I thought I'd have more difficulty fulfilling this category, but it was only last because 2 of the books were onver 600 pages! I have enjoyed getting back to German culture, it has been on the back burner in the last few years, overshadowed by Portuguese and Spanish.

Bonus (Ladies' Choice) 3. Dreaming in Cuban
I got this through a bookcrossing VBB, it had been on my wishlist since I read another book by the same author. Looking back over 3 generations of a Cuban family, some of which have emigrated, their lives and loves. Good.

I've noticed a lot of the German authors like writing chunksters! Look at The Tin Drum. It's a good 4 inches across the spine, which is why I haven't read it yet.

wow you're whizzing through!

Re 254 I'd recommend The Tin Drum. I read it a couple of years ago, I found it went quite quickly. I knew what to expect as I had seen the film, very strange! I have Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain on my pile in the UK, but I keep putting it back.

Re 255 It's been fun, I think I have the last books already picked, but like a magpie, I will get distracted by something shiny!

I have decided that I could do a 2nd Challenge, so am going to try a step challenge.
Here is the thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/119358

STATS



I am pleased that 2/3 of my books were from my TBR pile, but unfortunately, that hasn't made much of a dent :S



38/121 is almost a third, which has helped boost my 1001 books read to over 300 now.

Musings on the final quarter:

I read some very good 1001 books, the best being All Quiet on the Western Front (a reread), Closely Observed Trains and Burmese Days. I thoroughly enjoyed A Case of Exploding Mangoes, I will be looking out for more by the author. Captain Pantoja and the Special Service amused me terribly, Jane Austen: A Life was informative without being dry. Finally, I read 2 of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart Trilogy, Corazon de Tinta and Sangre de Tinta, and I can't wait to get my hands on the third book.

As for weaker books, I think there were 2: Bombay Ice and Lost Innocence . While neither book was really bad, I felt that Bombay Ice didn't live up to the start and Lost Innocence just wasn't my cup of tea.

Top and bottom books of the challenge:

I gave out quite a few 4 1/2 stars, none of the books I felt merited the elusive 5, but I thought they were very good. Understandably most were 1001 books, but there were some lighter, more fantastical reads in there.

Here are my top 1001 reads:
Day of the Triffids
The Story of Lucy Gault
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Cold Comfort Farm
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Effi Briest
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

If I had to chose the crème de la crème, I would go for The Story of Lucy Gault, which affected me so much, I couldn't put it down and it went around my head for days afterwards. The same goes for The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which was removed from the latest version of the 1001 list, wrongly as far as I can see. Lastly I would pick The French Lieutenant's Woman, I think the combination of characters and a meddling narrator gives it that extra inch.

As for the rest, I would single out these 5:

Stardust
Inkheart
The Good Earth
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The North China Lover

I enjoyed being transported to others worlds with Stardust and Inkheart. The Good Earth was so interesting, so well characterised. The Diving Bell is another of those slim volumes which catches you unawares, making you think and evaluate your own life and relationships. As for The North China Lover, an excellent revisiting of The Lover, from a different point in the author's life.

At the other end, there were few books I didn't really like, but here they are:
Bleak House
Sundays at Tiffanys'
Malinche
Lost Innocence
An Unequal Marriage
West of the Wall

Bleak House just bored me to tears and Lost Innocence was not my kind of book. West of the Wall annoyed me for the plot twist, though it had very good ideas in it. Malinche was a disappointment as I have enjoyed other books by the author. An Unequal Marriage was a horrible revisiting of Pride and Prejudice and I think James Patterson should stick to crime, as shown in Sunday at Tiffany's!

I have really enjoyed this challenge, such good books, new authors. BUT, if I don't stop my rambling, I won't ever finish my second challenge!

Congratulations, Soffitta! I enjoyed your summary!

Congratulations on completing your challenge! I look forward to following your new thread.

Congrats on completing this challenge! I will be following you over on the second challenge you have set up for yourself ;-)

Congratulations on finishing your challenge! You've read some great books. I'll look for you on your new thread.

Thank you! It has been great fun, good books and good company!

Yes, great summary. Isn't it fun looking back over a long period of reading.

Finally added my last review for my last book of the challenge - Inkspell. I had started it, but lost it, and as I review in the language the book is written in, I kept putting it off!

All done! Now I must get back to writing reviews for my Step Challenge.