Scarlette

I usually don't because I hardly ever seem to find anything scary/creepy and if I do, it usually doesn't really hold my interest for long. But this year, I think I'll try John Advije Lindqvist's Little Star. Just the book cover already creeps me out, so I'm hoping to be scared out of my wits and forced to sleep with the lights on. Andrea, The Historian is an awesome novel, definitely one of my all time favourites - hope you're enjoying it!

I've had a few fantastic ones this year: Earlier this year The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins simply blew my mind - really well done social commentary. And more recently: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (best plot ever). The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling. Wool by Hugh Howey (very good book, really gets one thinking).

I've read quite a few books in which characters steal books from libraries/stores/other characters. This is an interesting thread. In high school I neglected to return a prescribed book at the end of the year. I think I still have it somewhere. Not sure if it counts as stealing, but I've been feeling guilty about it for years.

I generally avoid chick-lit and romance - too mushy, sentimental and predicable. Horror, sci-fi and fantasy used to be on the list, too, but I've found that there are quite a few books I've enjoyed that fit squarely into those genres.

I'm very much looking forward to Anne Rice's new novel, The Wolf Gift, which is due out on Valentine's Day if memory serves, and John Irving's In One Person.

I'm reading Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy - can't imagine why I never showed any interest until now, they're fantastic - as well as The Gathering by Anne Enright.

I started The Absolutist by John Boyne - been looking forward to reading it for ages since I read so many good reviews of it. It started out excellently, really had me hooked, then... It turned into an overly sentimental mess - not my thing at all! Think I'll rather read a bit of John Irving, instead.

I finished Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson, today - loved it! I haven't read a good thriller in a while, so this was brilliant. This year I want to read more, but buy less (does that make sense? ) and vanquish Mt. TBR. Just have to convince myself that nothing bad will happen if I don't have ten books on the bedside table waiting to be read. Nothing bad at all... Right...?

I read a review for this just now. It reminded me a tiny little bit of The Lovely Bones as far as focussing on the family more so than the crime. I think I'll try to get a hold of this book; it sounds very interesting.

I was a little hesitant about this book at first, but I'm reading it, now, and I really love it so far. The idea is very original and well executed and I like how easily (and quickly) it reads. I love the tension and wondering about what will she/won't she remember.

Red Leaves sounds like something I should be looking into... Finished House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz on Monday - such a fun novel and it was great to read an "unpublished" Sherlock Holmes adventure! Now I'm reading Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson. Have to admit, I had my doubts about this book, I paged through it in the bookstore a while back and it didn't really catch my interest, but I'm about 100 pages in now and can't get enough.

Finished Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves about a week ago. Brilliant read and genuinely scary at times - it's one of those books that linger in the back of your mind and crawl out to bite when you turn the lights off at night. It reminded me of what books are meant to be - a discovery, exploration. I still keep it close by just to page through and ponder about. At the moment I'm very much enjoying the new Sherlock Holmes adventure, House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz as well as Carrie by, of course, Stephen King (who would have thought I'm really a closet King fan?!).

Almost done with Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves. Started Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, today - this is my second try with this book, the first time I found it a little boring and gave up, but then I read a few good reviews of it recently and decided to give it another try.

After a fourth attempt at reading it, I'm a little more than midway through Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves - and loving it. Read a few more chapters today, currently scared out of my wits.

I've added Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin to my "reading five books at once because I can't get into any one" pile... Ugh, mojo, where have you gone...?