Readwine's 2009 List

[Readwine]

What a great idea! Writing down my reading goals will really help me get my mojo back. At the beginning of 2009, I challenged myself to read 52 books during the year. I wanted to do one per week. I am falling a little behind.

 

So far, these are the ones read:

 

1. The Private Patient by PD James

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer

3. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

4. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

5. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson

6. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

8. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

9. Blood River by Tim Butcher

10. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

11. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

12. Cesar’s Way by Cesar Millan

13. The Ghost of Munich by Georges Bernamou

14. A Quiet Belief in Angels by R.J. Ellory

15. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

16. Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale

17. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

18. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

19. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

20. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

21. The White Tiger by Avarind Adiga

22. Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry

23. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie

24. Reading Lotita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

25. Dexter Dreaming Darkly by Jeff Lindsay

26. The Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver

27. The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson

28. The Sleeping Doll by Jeffrey Deaver

29. The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

30. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

31. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

32. Don't Know Much About American History by Kenneth C. Davis

33. The Devil's Stone by Marie Reindorp

34. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

35. How Dogs Learn by Mary R. Burch & Jon S. Bailey

36. Wild Steps of Heaven by Victor Villasenor

37. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

38. Fatal Last Words by Quintin Jardine

39. What is the What by Dave Eggers

40. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

41. Firmin by Sam Savage

42. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

43. The Coroner by M. R. Hall

44. The Disappeared by M. R. Hall

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.

Edited December 30, 2009 by Readwine

[Lucybird]

What did you think of The Gurnsey Literary and Potato peel pie society? It's on my wishlist

[Readwine]

I absolutely loved it; very much in the vein of 84 Charing Cross Road. So far this year, it has been my most favorite book. Funny, gentle, sad, lovely. It takes place during a time in history of which I was not familiar, so very informative as well.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Readwine

[Kylie]

Good luck with your reading goal! I have the same goal as you each year - 52 books. I'm about on target I think, except my books are, on average, much shorter than yours.

[frankie]

I almost went berserk thinking how come two people that don't know each other happen to have the same, incredibly random number target for books they want to read per year. What a coincidence! And why 52?? Why not 50? That's a more round number.

... after which I realised there are 52 weeks per year and felt like such an idiot.

 

Good luck with your goal! There are some great books there that you are about to embark on, The Book Thief for example. How did you find The White Tiger and Reading Lolita in Teheran? Those are on my TBR.

 

I hope you have a great reading year!

 

Edit: Forgot to say that I'm glad you enjoyen The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and I completely agree with your thought on it! It's been one of my favorite reads this year too and I'll definitely reread it again

[Lucybird]

Oh I'm definitely glad it's on my list then! I just have to buy it now!

[Kylie]

I almost went berserk thinking how come two people that don't know each other happen to have the same, incredibly random number target for books they want to read per year. What a coincidence! And why 52?? Why not 50? That's a more round number.

... after which I realised there are 52 weeks per year and felt like such an idiot.

 

That made me laugh so much, Frankie! I needed that, thanks

[Readwine]

Frankie, that was soo funny. I'm still struggling with The 19th Wife. It is getting better, but so slow. I've been very busy with work and have not really had a chance to have a long read. Perhaps that is it. The Book Thief may be next on my list so thanks for your view on it. Yeahhhh!

 

I guess The White Tiger was a little disappointing as I had just finished A Fine Balance which I enjoyed very much though it was emotionally exhausting. Had I read them in opposite order perhaps I would not had such high expectations and thus been a little disappointed. Nonetheless, it is a decent story.

 

Again, Reading Lotita in Tehran did not reach my expectations. I felt the author was more into showing how she interprets literature (like taking a mini novel class at university) rather than developing her characters. A bit cardboardy (if there is such a word)

 

Kylie, your reading list is amazing. Good, good luck.

[Kylie]

Kylie, your reading list is amazing. Good, good luck.

 

Well, I would go with 'depressing' (as in 'depressingly big') but thanks. I really wish I could read more quickly.

[bethany725]

 

I guess The White Tiger was a little disappointing as I had just finished A Fine Balance which I enjoyed very much though it was emotionally exhausting. Had I read them in opposite order perhaps I would not had such high expectations and thus been a little disappointed. Nonetheless, it is a decent story.

 

Readwine,

 

I found "The White Tiger" disappointing, too.. I was so excited to read it, but only read the first 100 pages or so before deciding it wasn't the right book for me or right time for me to be reading it, or SOMETHING just wasn't compelling me to keep going.

So it's not just you.

[frankie]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Reading Lolita in Teheran and The White Tiger that much I'm going to give them a try anyway but I think I'm more prepared for them now, I won't have such high hopes as I did so maybe they'll turn out to be decent reads

 

Edit: I noticed you'd written down Half of a Yellow Sun twice (37. and 44.) so now you'll have room for one more new book to be read this year

Edited May 13, 2009 by frankie

[Readwine]

Frankie, good eye - thank you so much. In fact, it is excellent as just yesterday I was at a bookstore (can't help it) and bought The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

 

I hope I will not spoil the two books for you. It's funny - many times someone's opinion is no compatible with your own. Reading, I believe, depends heavily on one's mood and expectations. So you may find th above books really good. Well, I am sure your know exactly what I mean. Thanks, again

[Readwine]

I finally was able to finish The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. Briefly, the storyline is set in two different time periods: 2005 (or thereabouts), and 1870-1908 (or thereabouts). The modern day storyline involves a young man who grew up in a compound of a renegade sect of the Mormon Church, which defiantly still practices polygamy (or the art of plural wives). As he reaches his teens, he is promptly excommunicated for being gay and expelled from the compound. Several years later, his mother, one of at least 20 wives, is accused of murdering her husband (the young man’s father) and placed in jail to await trial. Her son returns to Utah to help his mother prove her innocence (?).

The second storyline presents the biography of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young (the leader of the Mormon Church during its establishment in Utah). According to the research presented in the book, Ann Eliza could actually have been the 52nd wife. Regardless, Ann Eliza seeks to divorce her husband (unheard of at that time) and launches into a fervent nationwide crusade to abolish polygamy.

Prior to reading this book, I must confess my knowledge of the Mormon religion was naught, so I can only assume that the biographical data in the book is true. It is very interesting, though its presentation in the book is quite dry and repetitive. I am glad, however, to have read the book.

I found the modern storyline a little more gripping, but not very satisfying as a murder mystery. It shown a bright light, however, on the destructiveness of polygamy. All in all, though I struggled to get through the book at times (pretty hefty tome), I am glad I read it; it presents a very interesting topic. On a scale of 1-10, I give it a 7.

[Mac]

Hmmm...this sounds fairly interesting. I'll have a look for it in Waterstone's and see if it grabs me. Nice review, Readwine.

 

I hope you like The Book Thief.

[lexiepiper]

I'm glad you thought it was okay, I have this on my TBR, I know nothing of the Mormon church either and thought the polygamy aspect could be interesting, I can't wait to read it

[Readwine]

I finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and absolutely loved it.

 

A quick plot summary from Amazon:

 

Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The little girl arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it to lull her to sleep after her nightly nightmares. As the story develops, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayor’s reclusive wife, and especially her foster parents.

 

I really enjoyed this book; quite a page turner in its own right. I found myself continuously wanting to find out how the little adventures of the little girl would turn out. But within the denouement, the character of Liesel and her best friend, Rudy, is charming, real, funny and very sad. I am not sure why the book is targeted to young readers. The subject is very powerful and a little overwhelming; alas, it is history. Markus also presents Death as a charming, take-me-like-I-am character which gives this book an original touch. The remainder of the characters are strongly developed and stay with you, which makes the storyline even more powerful and personal.

 

When I first started it, I was taken aback by the writing style. “What is he talking about?” was my first impression – it turns out to be unique. Please don’t let this put you off.

 

In a few words: gripping, sweet, funny, devastating, surprising, sad.

 

I give it a 10 out of 10

Edited May 24, 2009 by Readwine

[Readwine]

It has been ages since I've read two books in a week.

 

What a treat! I finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (translated from French by Alison Anderson).

 

A quick plot summary from Amazon:

 

Ren

[Janet]

I'm glad you enjoyed The Book Thief. It's a brilliant read and will go down as one of my favourites. I liked the quirky nature of it.

 

I see you're reading People of the Books at the moment. I shall look forward to your thoughts on that one as I quite fancy reading it.

[Readwine]

Janet, here is a brief review of People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I think you will enjoy it.

 

 

Brief summary from Amazon:

 

One of the earliest Jewish religious volumes to be illuminated with images, the Sarajevo Haggadah, survived centuries of purges and wars thanks to people of all faiths who risked their lives to safeguard it. Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March, has turned the intriguing but sparely detailed history of this precious volume into an emotionally rich, thrilling fictionalization that retraces its turbulent journey. In the hands of Hanna Heath, an impassioned rare-book expert restoring the manuscript in 1996 Sarajevo, it yields clues to its guardians and whereabouts: an insect wing, a wine stain, salt crystals, and a white hair. While readers experience crucial moments in the book's history through a series of fascinating, fleshed-out short stories, Hanna pursues its secrets scientifically, and finds that some interests will still risk everything in the name of protecting this treasure.

 

If you enjoyed Labyrinth by Kate Moss, you will certainly enjoy this book; perhaps even more. The Sarajevo Haggadah is an actual illuminated manuscript (possibly crafted in 1480). Its history is unknown save a few snippets. In this book, Brooks imagines the Haggadah

[Readwine]

I finished The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

 

Brief Summary from Amazon:

 

A true life account of a murder of a 3-year-old boy in a manor house in the country. The outside doors, windows, and gates are all locked. Suspicion perforce falls upon the family and servants. The local constabulary in this west England area is inadequate to the task in what very quickly becomes a sensationalist case, and so a detective from Scotland Yard is called to investigate.



I think this was the beginning of the British "cosy" mystery.





At the time the murder takes place (1860), a detective is a newly formed profession and detectives stories are a brand new form of literature. As a consequence, the author goes into minute detail into contemporary detection methods, court proceedings, press coverage and social commentary and gives a primer on detective fiction. The Book is beautifully written in the language of the 19th century (I wish I could speak as eloquently), but with the amount of detail the book can be heavy to wade through at times. If you are interested in the history of the detective novel, you can get a tremendous amount of information from this book.

I give it a 7 out of 10

[chesilbeach]

If you enjoyed Labyrinth by Kate Moss, you will certainly enjoy this book; perhaps even more.

 

Thanks for the review of People of the Book. I did enjoy Labyrinth a lot - it was a perfect holiday read for me - entertaining, page-turning but not too taxing on the brain! I think I'll get this one for my holiday later in the year.

[Readwine]

Finished The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Hefty tome, but well worth the exercise to your wrists.

 

Brief summary from Amazon:

 

In 1913, a little girl arrives in Brisbane, Australia, and is taken in by a dock master and his wife. She doesn

[Readwine]

Just finished my first Jeffrey Deaver novel, The Cold Moon. Even though the book is the seventh in the Lincoln Rhyme series, I started with this one as it is the one which introduces the character of Kathryn Dance, a member of the California Bureau of Investigation and one of the nation's leading experts in interrogation and kinesics—body language, nonverbal gestures, postures and facial expressions by which a person manifests various physical, mental or emotional states, and communicates nonverbally with others. Body language fascinates me. Deaver has written two other books about Kathryn Dance, so I am heading that way.

 

 

From Amazon:

 

 

In The Cold Moon, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs square off against a criminal who calls himself "The Watchmaker," a master assassin who gives new meaning to the phrase "a riddle wrapped up in an enigma"—you will spend a lot of time trying to figure out what his game is, but to no avail. That's because this book is quintessential Deaver--just when you're patting yourself on the back for having figured everything out, the author throws you one of his trademark curveballs, keeping his heroes and his readers in a constant state of confusion and agitation right up until the very last pages of this swift paced and surprising thriller. Additionally, Rhymes colleague and lover, Amelia Sachs, is also running her own murder investigation, her first as lead detective. Although twists and turns are what Deaver has become famous for, he seems to be having more fun than usual with the canny and devious Watchmaker., an observation borne out by the unusual ending the author provides.

 

 

Though a hefty tome, 656 pages, I read the novel really fast. And the Amazon blurb is right: you think you have figured it out, but then Wham! (there is half a book left) you did not, but then maybe you were partly right – it’s a lie ! At any rate, lots of fun

 

Obviously, the ending was written to motivate the reader to continue reading the next in the Dance series as The Watchmaker is not actually caught, but is possibly moving to California for Kathryn Dance to catch

 

 

I give it an 8/10.

Edited June 28, 2009 by Readwine

[Charm]

Loved your review Readwine, this sounds really interesting. I have The Sleeping Doll on my shelf but I think I'll work my way through the Lincoln Rhyme books first so as to be introduced to Ms Dance properly.

[Readwine]

Just finished The Sleeping Doll by Deaver. This book the second in the series of three which showcase Kathryn Dance, a member of the California Bureau of Investigation and one of the nation's leading experts in interrogation and kinesics—body language, nonverbal gestures, postures and facial expressions by which a person manifests various physical, mental or emotional states, and communicates nonverbally with others.

 

From Amazon:

 

In this book, Dance leads the case that involves the escape of psychopathic killer Daniel Pell, dubbed "Son of Manson" (as he forms a "family" by luring young runaways). When we meet Pell, he is already a convicted murderer, but he is charismatic and diabolically intelligent. Through the book, he continually eludes capture, but Dance is never more than a few suspenseful minutes behind. Dance is nicely detailed, and procedural scenes, where she uses somatic cues to ferret out liars, are fascinating. The book is a hefty tome, but it is a bottomless bag of unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers wide-eyed with surprise, and leaving them looking forward to more of the perspicacious Dance.

 

I must admit, Deaver again caught me thinking I knew where the plot was going. I like being caught out – gives you the impetus to keep on reading. In addition, his characterization are good and realistic. Overall, a good balanced thriller. One thing I wish Deaver would do, however, is present more of Dance’s interrogation techniques; this is what I like about the series.

 

I give it a 8/10.