Kell's 2006 Reading Log - July to December

[Kell]

In alphabetical order by authors' surnames:

On My Shelf:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Purple Hibiscus (OC - Nigeria)
Isobel Allende - Daughter of Fortune (OC - Chile)
Monica Ali - Brick Lane (OC - Bangladesh)
Adam Ant - Stand and Deliver: The Autobiography
Margaret Atwood - The Robber Bride
Louis de Bernieres - Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Trudi Canavan - The Magician's Guild (OC - Australia)
Elizabeth Chadwick – Shadows and Strongholds
Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist (OC - Brazil)
J M Coetze - Disgrace (OC - South Africa)
Kate Constable - The Waterless Sea (CBUK)
Michael Cordy – The Messiah Code
Bernard Cornwell – Excalibur (Warlord Chronicles Book 3)
Bernard Cornwell – Stonehenge
Bernard Cornwell – The Winter King (A Novel of Arthur Book 1)
Donna Cross - Pope Joan
Lindsey Davis - One Virgin Too Many
Bret Easton Ellis - American Psycho
Ben Elton - Chart Throb
Barbara Ewing – The Trespass
Michel Faber - The Crimson Petal & the White (OC - Netherlands)
Robert Finn – Adept
Richard E Grant - By Design (OC - Swaziland)
Philippa Gregory - The Boleyn Inheritance (OC - Kenya)
Philippa Gregory - A Respectable Trade (OC - Kenya)
Philippa Gregory - Wideacre (OC - Kenya)
Paul Hoeg - The Woman & the Ape (OC - Denmark)
Phil Hogan – Hitting the Groove
Conn Iggulden - Emperor: The Gates of Rome
Eddie Izzard - Dress to Kill (with David Quantick & Steve Double)
Christian Jacq – Beneath the Pyramid (OC - France)
Brian Jacques - The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns (CBUK)
Jeanne Kalagoris – The Borgia Bride
Nikos Kazantzakis - Zorba the Greek (OC - Greece)
Anthony Kedis - Scar Tissue (autobiography)
Alexander Kent – With All Despatch
Raymond Khoury - The Last Templar (OC - Lebanon)
Dean Koontz - Forever Odd
Nicola Kraus & Emma McLaughlin - The Nanny Diaries
Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (OC - Germany)
Tim Lott – Rumours of a Hurricane
Arnost Lustig - Lovely Green Eyes (OC - Czech Republic)
Gregory Maguire - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Valerio Massimo Manfredi - The Last Legion (OC - Italy)
Henning Mankell - The Faceless Killers (Kurt Wallender Mystery S.) (OC – Sweden)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Of Love and Other Demons (OC - Colombia)
Richard Montanari – The Rosary Girls
V. S. Naipaul - The Mystic Masseur (OC - Trinidad & Tobago)
Jenny Nimmo - Emlyn's Moon (2nd in Snow Spider Trilogy)
Jenny Nimmo - The Chestnut Soldier (3rd in Snow Spider trilogy)
Michael Ondaatje - The English Patient (OC - Sri Lanka)
Jodi Piccoult – Salem Falls
Jean Plaidy – The King’s Secret Matter
Jean Plaidy – The Lady in the Tower
Christopher Priest - The Prestige
Simon Scarrow - Youngbloods (Revolution # 1)
Åsne Seierstad - The Book Seller of Kabul (OC - Norway)
Ahdaf Soueif - The Map of Love (OC - Egypt)
J M Warwick - An Open Vein

OC = Olympic Challenge
PC = Posh Club
CBUK = Children's Books UK
RC= Book Club Forum Reading Circle

I'll update the list as I work my way through it & add more books as I get them.

[Kell]

RC = Reading Circle
PC = Posh Club
OC = Olympic Challenge
CBUK = Reviewed for Children's Books UK
A = reviewed at request of author
P = reviewed at request of publisher
Red = Unfinished
Green = 10/10

So far this year I've read (with marks out of 10):

Ongoing:
The Case of El Chupacabra by K Armstrong (online novella - being posted on her official site in instalments throughout the year) - 7

December (8) (ave. 7.75)
124. The Eagle's Prophecy ~ S Scarrow - 9
123. Buried Fire ~ J Stroud - 7
122. Hearts of Stone ~ K Ernst - 7 (P)
121. Never Let Me Go ~ K Ishiguro (OC) - 8
120. Gentlemen and Players ~ J Harris - 8
119. The Nanny Diaries ~ N Kraus & McLaughlin - 7
118. The Mistress of Spices ~ C B Divakaruni (OC) - 7
117. About the Author ~ J Colapinto - 9

November (10) (ave. 7.3)
116. Single White Vampire ~ L Sands - 7
115. The Snow Spider ~ J Nimmo - 8
114. Autobiography of a Geisha ~ S Masuda (OC) - 7
113. Notes on a Scandal ~ Z Heller (PC) - 5
112. Oracle ~ I Watson - 8
111. Bitten and Smitten ~ M Rowan - 7
110. Bimbos of the Death Sun ~ S McCrumb - 7
109. Undead & Unemployed ~ M Davidson - 7
108. The Secret Purposes ~ David Baddiel (RC) - 8
107. Dying Light ~ S Macbride - 9

October (10) (ave. 7.6)
106. The Angel Stone ~ L Michael (CBUK) - 7
105. The Abortionist's Daughter ~ E Hyde (PC) - 7
104. The Black Tattoo ~ S Enthoven (CBUK) - 7
103. Frankenstein ~ M Shelley - 7
102. Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony ~ E Colfer (CBUK) - 8
101. Clash of the Sky Galleons ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8
100. Vampire Beach: Initiation ~ A Duval - 8
99. The Kite Runner ~ K Hosseini - 9
98. The School for Husbands ~ W Holden - 7
97. A Tale Etched in Blood & Hard Black Pencil ~ C Brookmyre - 8

September (14) (ave. 7.6)
96. Wintersmith ~ T Pratchett - 7
95. Girl With a One-Track Mind ~ A Lee - 8
In the Frame ~ various (CBUK)
Redwall ~ B Jacques (CBUK)
94. The Medici Seal ~ T Breslin (CBUK) - 8
93. Freeglader ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7
92. Vox ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7
91. The Last of the Sky Pirates ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8
90. Midnight Over Sanctaphrax ~P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7
89. Stormchaser ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8
88. Beyond the Deepwoods ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7
87. The Winter Knights ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8
86. The Curse of the Gloamglozer ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 9
85. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief ~ R Riorden (CBUK) - 8
Eragon ~ C Paolini (RC)
The Queen of Tambourine ~ J Gardam (RC)
84. The Tale of the Miller's Daughter ~ J Vauderhooft (A) - 8
83. Ithaka ~ A Geras (CBUK) - 7

August (13) (ave. 7.5)
82. Captives ~ T Pow (CBUK) - 6
81. Vampire Mountain ~ D Shan - 8
80. The Big Over Easy ~ J Fforde - 8
79. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning ~ L Snicket - 6
78. Cold Granite ~ S McBride (PC) – 9
77. Hitler’s Canary ~ S Toksvig (CBUK/OC) – 8
76. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters ~ R Riorden (CBUK) – 7
75. The Mob ~ C Martini (CBUK) – 7
74. The Cleopatra Curse ~ K Roberts (CBUK) – 7
73. Vampire Beach: Bloodlust ~ A Duval (CBUK) – 7
72. Empress Orchid ~ A Min (RC/OC) – 8
71. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists ~ G Defore – 9
70. Vernon God Little ~ DBC Pierre (OC) – 7

July (6) (ave. 6)
69. The Case of the General’s Thumb ~ A Kurkov (OC) – 4
68. Bad Kitty ~ M Jaffe (CBUK) – 8
67. We Need to Talk About Kevin ~ L Shriver (PC) – 3
66. The Rainbow Bridge ~ A Flegg (CBUK/OC) – 7
65. Emma ~ J Austen (RC/OC) – 6
64. Lolita ~ V Nabokov (OC) – 8

June (11) (ave. 7.7)
63. Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation ~ L Truss – 7
62. How to Kill Your Husband (and Other Handy Household Hints) ~ K Lette – 8
61. The Wicker Man ~ R Hardy & A Shaffer – 7
60. Undead and Unwed ~ M Davison – 7
59. Broken ~ K Armstrong (OC) – 8
If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things ~ J McGregor
58. The Five People You Meet in Heaven ~ M Albom (PC/OC) – 7
57. The Historian ~ E Kostova (RC) – 7
56. Orphan of the Sun ~ G Harvey (CBUK) – 8
55. Geisha of Gion ~ M Iwasaki (OC) – 9
54. Set in Stone ~ L Newbury (CBUK) – 9
53. I, Lucifer ~ G Duncan – 8

May (17) (ave. 7.2)
52. Sickened ~ J Gregory – 6
51. Tunnels of Blood ~ D Shan– 8
50. The Vampire’s Assistant ~ D Shan– 8
49. Cirque du Freak ~ D Shan – 8
48. The Constant Princess ~ P Gregory (OC) – 8
47. Confessions of a Bad Mother ~ S Coleman – 7
46. A Long Way Down ~ N Hornby – 7
45. Her Rightful Inheritance ~ B Brown – 7
44. A Man Named Dave ~ D Pelzer – 7
43. The Lost Boy ~ D Pelzer – 7
42. 44 Scotland Street ~ A McCall Smith (OC) – 6
41. The Doomspell ~ CMcNish – 6
40. Red Wulf’s Curse ~ C Priestley (CBUK) – 8
39. The White Rider ~ C Priestley (CBUK) – 8
38. Death and the Arrow ~ C Priestley (CBUK) – 9
37. Endymion Spring ~ M Skelton (CBUK) – 7
36. The Wise Woman ~ P Gregory – 6

April (9) (ave. 7)
35. Things We Knew Were True ~ N Gerard – 4
34. The Undomestic Goddess ~ S Kinsella – 8
33. Q&A ~ V Swarup (PC/OC) – 8
32. Life of Pi ~ Y Martel (OC) – 8
31. Wolf Girl ~ T Tomlinson (CBUK) – 9
30. Who Was Boudicca?: Warrior Queen ~ S Busby (CBUK) – 6
29. The Virgin’s Lover ~ P Gregory – 7
28. Plague Sorcerer ~ C Russell (CBUK) – 7
Jerome's Quest ~ D Hill (A)
27. A Ghost Among Us ~ D Hill (A) – 6

March (7) (ave. 7.4)
26. Chocolat ~ J Harris – 9
25. Not Quite a Mermaid: Mermaid Friends ~ L Chapman (CBUK) – 7
24. Blindsighted ~ K Slaughter (RC) – 6
23. The Queen’s Fool ~ P Gregory – 7
22. 24 Hours ~ G Iles – 9
21. The Land of the Wand ~ D Hill & S Brandenberg (A) – 7
20. Dying Voices ~ L Wilson – 7

February (9) (ave. 7.6)
19. Tambourlaine Must Die ~ L Welsh – 6
18. The Other Boleyn Girl ~ P Gregory – 8
17. Troll Fell ~ K Langrish - 7
16. How I Live Now ~ M Rosoff – 6
15. My Sister’s Keeper ~ J Piccoult (RC/PC) – 9
14. The Eagle’s Prey (Book 5) ~ S Scarrow – 10
13. Cross Stitch ~ D Gabaldon (PC) – 9
12. Otherworld Tales 2005 (e-collection) ~ K Armstrong – 6
11. American Gods ~ N Gaiman – 7

January (10) (ave. 7.3)
Letters From America ~ A Cooke (PC)
10. Beginnings (e-novella) ~ K Armstrong – 8
9. Ascension (e-novella) ~ K Armstrong – 8
8. Savage (e-novella) ~ K Armstrong – 7
7. The Devil in Gray ~ G Masterton (RC) – 6
6. The Jane Austen Book Club ~ K J Fowler – 7
5. Morality Play ~ B Unsworth – 8
4. The Eagle and the Wolves (Book 4) ~ S Scarrow – 9
Trace ~ P Cornwell (RC)
3. The Dark Behind the Curtain ~ G Cross – 5
2. The Bad Mother’s Handbook ~ K Long – 7
1. Labyrinth ~ K Moss – 8

[Kell]

Short Stories (21)
The Canterville Ghost ~ O Wilde - 9/10
Dracula's Guest ~ B Stoker - 9/10
The Country of the Blind ~ H G Wells - 7/10
The Door in the Wall ~ H G Wells - 7/10
The Magic Shop ~ H G Wells - 8/10
The Jilting of Jane ~ H G Wells - 5/10
The Mask of the Red Death ~ E A Poe - 7/10
An Essay on Vampires ~ D Shan - 6/10
Annie's Diary ~D Shan - 7/10
Tiny Terrors ~ D Shan - 6/10
Transylvania Trek ~ D Shan - 6/10
Lonely Lefty ~ D Shan - 7/10
Bride of Sam Grest ~ D Shan - 6/10
(all the D Shan short stories connect to The Saga of Darren Shan series)
The Case of the Four & Twenty Blackbirds ~ N Gaiman - 9/10
I Cthulu ~ N Gaiman - 6/10
Bampot Central ~ C Brookmyre - 7/0
Mellow Doubt ~ C Brookmyre - 7/10
Playground Football ~ C Brookmyre - 7/10
Out of the Flesh ~ C Brookmyre - 7/10
Truth andConsequences ~ K Armstrong - 6/10
The Halloween House ~ K Armstrong - 6/10


I ran out of space on the previous post, so I had to continue it here!

I've followed Michelle's example & started a new thread for my reading log for the 2nd half of the year, as the old one was all over the place - LOL! My reading list is now shown in the 1st post & the books I've finished in the 2nd one - all nice & tidy. :)

[Michelle]

That's alot of book, Kell! :D

[Kell]

I know - I couldn't believe it once I'd got them all listed! A fair few of them are either shorter or aimed at a younger market & so didn't take as long to read, but I still couldn't believe it! If I can match it in the 2nd half, I'll be well happy!

[Kell]

Thoughts on Emma by Jane Austen
I'm only 3 chapters in, but I'm wondering if I'm being coerced into seeing Emma as she is seen by Mr Knightley, as he appears to feel she is a thoroughly spoiled creature who is completely enamoured of her own cleverness - exactly as I do so far. One could almost believe that the story is actually being narrated by Mr Knightley & that he is including himself as a character in the third person.

Although I'm having difficulty in getting to grips with the very formal language and style of writing, it's getting a little easier & I think it'll be easier still once I have a few longer reading sessions with fewer distractions!

[Kell]

I have another five books currently winging their way to me:

1. The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Tilo, an immigrant from India, runs a spice shop in Oakland, California. While she supplies the ingredients for curries and kormas, she also helps her customers to gain a more precious commodity: whatever they most desire. For Tilo is a Mistress of Spices, a priestess of the secret magical powers of spices.

Through those who visit and revisit her shop, she catches glimpses of the life of the local Indian expatriate community. To each, Tilo dispenses wisdom and the appropriate spice, for the restoration of sight, the cleansing of evil, the pain of rejection. But when a lonely American ventures into the store, a troubled Tilo cannot find the correct spice, for he arouses in her a forbidden desire - which if she follows will destroy her magical powers...

2. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (Reading with The Posh Club)
Two years ago, Eva Khatchadourian's son, Kevin, murdered seven of his fellow high-school students, a cafeteria worker, and a popular algebra teacher. Because he was only fifteen at the time of the killings, he received a lenient sentence and is now in a prison for young offenders in upstate New York. Telling the story of Kevin's upbringing, Eva addresses herself to her estranged husband through a series of letters. Fearing that her own shortcomings may have shaped what her son has become, she confesses to a deep, long-standing ambivalence about both motherhood in general and Kevin in particular. How much is her fault? Lionel Shriver tells a compelling, absorbing, and resonant story while framing these horrifying tableaux of teenage carnage as metaphors for the larger tragedy - the tragedy of a country where everything works, nobody starves, and anything can be bought but a sense of purpose.

3. Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris
The place is St Oswald's, an old and long-established boys' grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald's, is finally - reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt. Who is Mole, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence - and perhaps, murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?

4. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewucha (Olympic Challenge - Germany)
For years, Nadezhda and Vera, two Ukrainian sisters, raised in England by their refugee parents, have had as little as possible to do with each other - and they have their reasons. But now they find they'd better learn how to get along, because since their mother's death their aging father has been sliding into his second childhood, and an alarming new woman has just entered his life. Valentina, a bosomy young synthetic blonde from the Ukraine, seems to think their father is much richer than he is, and she is keen that he leave this world with as little money to his name as possible. If Nadazhda and Vera don't stop her, no one will. But separating their addled and annoyingly lecherous dad from his new love will prove to be no easy feat - Valentina is a ruthless pro and the two sisters swiftly realize that they are mere amateurs when it comes to ruthlessness. As Hurricane Valentina turns the family house upside down, old secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of them all, from the War, the one that explains much about why Nadazhda and Vera are so different. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage, a grand history of the tractor.

5. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
This is the follow-up novel to "Odd Thomas", from worldwide bestselling author, Dean Koontz. Odd Thomas, that unlikely hero, once more stands between us and our worst fears. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead - they sought him out. As the unofficial goodwill ambassador between our world and theirs, he has a duty to do the right thing. That's the way Odd sees it, and that's why he has already won over hearts on both sides of the great divide. For, though Odd lives in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, he stands between two worlds, and for him the heroic and the harrowing are everyday occurrences. A childhood friend of Odd's has disappeared and the worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body. New allies and new enemies gather around Odd, some living and some not. But the enemy he encounters is unspeakably cunning, and every sacrifice is needed to tip the balance between despair and hope as a life-changing revelation rushes towards us. In the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders...


So, it looks like I'll have some very interesting reading to add to my list!

[Kell]

In an attempt to further my forays into uncharted reading territory (well, uncharted by me, at least - LOL!), I've just requested three books (via RISI) that I think couldn't possibly prove to be more different: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis & Pope Joan by Donna Cross. Let's see if the swaps get accepted...

[Kell]

Got sent another couple of books from CBUK & picked up another by a foreign author yesterday to further my Olympic Challenge list:

1. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe (CBUK)
Jas thinks that everyone has a super power. Everyone, that is, except herself - unless you count her extraordinary ability to get herself in trouble. But the last thing Jas expected to do on her family holiday in glitzy Las Vegas was to survive a cat attack and solve a celebrity murder mystery. As she finds herself tracking an unknown killer through a bevy of Vegas parties, Jas develops a huge crush on the possibly evil - but gorgeous - Jack, and manages to collect some valuable life lessons for her "Summer Meaningful Reflection Journal" along the way. Little Life Lesson Number 5: when you go to prison, try not to be wearing a bikini. But despite a few 'mishaps', Jas finally solves the case. And to top it all off, Jack isn't evil, and has a bit of a crush on Jas too. Perhaps she does have some super powers after all...

2. The Rainbow Bridge by Aubrey Flegg (CBUK) (Olympic Challenge - Ireland)
Over a century has elapsed since Louise sat for her portrait. The painting has passed from person to person, unsigned and unvalued. Then, in 1792, as Revolution sweeps through France, Gaston Morteau, a lieutenant in the Hussars, rescues the canvas from a canal in Holland. Louise becomes a very real presence in Gaston's life, sharing his experiences - the trauma of war, his meeting with Napoleon. When events force Gaston to give up the painting to the sinister Count du Bois, Louise becomes embroiled in a tale of political intrigue and Gothic horror. In the ashes of the Delft explosion, Louise made a choice for life. Now she has to face the realities of love, loss and pain that this life brings.

3. Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig (Olympic Challenge - Czech Republic)
Fifteen-year-old Hanka Kaudersova has ginger hair and clear, green eyes. When her family is deported to Auschwitz, her mother, father and younger brother are sent to the gas chamber. By a twist of fate, Hanka is faced with a simple alternative: follow her family, or work in an SS brothel behind the eastern front. She chooses to live, her Aryan looks allowing her to disguise the fact that she is Jewish. As the German army retreats from the Russian front, Hanka battles cold, hunger, fear and shame, sustained by her hatred for the men she entertains, her friendship with the mysterious Estelle, and her fierce, burning desire for life.

[Kell]

Thoughts on Emma by Jane Austen:
I've just finished Part 2 of Emma and as much as I can appreciate it, I can't say I'm actively enjoying it. I find too many of the characters thoroughly annoying in a million little ways and just can't see the attraction towards any of them as people. I know for a fact that if I were stuck with Highbury Society as shown here, I'd shun the lot of them. Except, perhaps, Mr Knightley, as I still find I agree with him and feel he's not in it nearly enough for my liking.

I will however, persevere to the end now, as I've passed the halfway mark and am determined to finish it. I'm getting to grips a little more with the excessively formal style, but find it feels stilted when I'm reading it and, as a result, it feels like it's taking forever to plough through this.

I think that the main part of the problem is that I'm finding the lives of those in Regency Society very trivial. I'm more used to something a bit meatier in my historical choices, such as the Elizabethan or Tudor courts, or Roman legions in Britain, whereas all these polite exchanges and constant gossiping is starting to wear on my nerves a little.*

I think I may be tempted to start another book in the meantime, but then again, if I do that, I'll be with this one for even longer. Oh, what a dilemma! Unfortunately, Emma is not tempting me to read any more of Austen's novels, which is a shame, because I had intended to, but I don't think I could stand to wade through them now. :(

* I'm aware that this doesn't actually qualify as historical fiction, as it was written as a contemporary novel, but it feels like historical fiction to me, if rather more bland than my usual tastes.

[Kell]

I'm almost finished Emma, so I didn't take it to work today as I didn't want to have to cart two books in my handbag in case I finished it early. In any case, I took The Rainbow Bridge by Aubrey Flegg with me instead & so far I'm finding it rather interesting - a strange mix of Napoleonic wars & possible ghost story - I'm not sure yet how it's going to turn out. I'll be reviewing this one for CBUK & it's my Olympic Challenge choice for Ireland...

I'll finish Emma in the bath tonight.

[Kell]

Two new arrivals via good old RISI:

1. Pope Joan by Donna Cross
Based on the life of one of the most fascinating, extraordinary women in Western history - Pope Joan, a controversial figure of historical record who, disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against the medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn to read and write. When her older brother is killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak and identity, goes to the monastery of Fulda, and is initiated into the brotherhood in his place. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great Christian scholar. Eventually she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest throne in Christendom.

Pope Joan is a sweeping historical drama set against the turbulent events of the 9th century -- the Saracen sack of St. Peter's, the famous fire in the Borgo that destroyed over three-quarters of the Vatican, the Battle of Fontenoy, arguably the bloodiest and most terrible of medieval conflicts. The novel is a fascinating vivid record of what life was really like during the so-called Dark Ages, as masterwork of suspense and passion that has as its center an unforgettable woman, reminiscent of Jean Auel's Ayla, Jane Austen's Emma, and other heroines who struggle against restrictions their souls will not accept. (Currently being made into a movie)

2. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
"Abandon hope all ye who enter". So begins a hellish descent into the world of Patrick Bateman, the novel's protagonist. Bateman is a handsome 26-year-old Wall Street yuppie, who spends his days listening to Whitney Houston and working out which exclusive restaurant to eat in and what clothes to wear in a dizzying parody of 1980s consumerism run mad. However, Bateman also has a darker side; he is a psychopathic serial killer, with a penchant for torturing and sexually abusing young women before killing them in the most gruesome and explicit fashion. (Made into a movie in 2000)


I look forward to both of these, although I've just noticed that Pope Joan is likened to Jane Austen's Emma, which has me a tad worried, as I've not really enjoyed Emma all that much...

[Kell]

Finished reading The Rainbow Bridge by Aubrey Flegg & it was rather enjoyable - 7/10 I'd say.

Am now starting on We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, as it's the Posh Club July book & I need to read it by 25 July or I won't know what anyone's talking about!

[Kell]

A few more books have arrived from RISI:

1. Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masudo
Sayo Masuda's story is an extraordinary portrait of rural life in Japan and an illuminating contrast to the fictionalised lives of glamorous geishas. At the age of six masuda's poverty-stricken family sent her to work as a nursemaid. At the age of twelve, she was indentured to a geisha house. In "Autobiography of the Geisha", Masuda chronicles a harsh world in which young women faced the realities of sex for sale and were deprived of their freedom and identity. She also tells of her life after leaving the geisha house, painting a vivid panorama of the grinding poverty of rural life in wartime Japan. Many years later Masuda decided to tell her story. Although she could barely read or write she was determined to tell the truth about life as a geisha and explode the myths surrounding their secret world. Remarkable frank and incredibly moving, this is the record of one woman's survival on the margins of Japanese society.

2. Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (Olympic Challenge – Mexico)
WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2003
WINNER OF THE 2003 WHITBREAD FIRST NOVEL PRIZE
Named as one of the 100 Best Things in the World by GQ magazine in 2003, the riotous adventures of Vernon Gregory Little in small town Texas and beachfront Mexico mark one of the most spectacular, irreverent and bizarre debuts of the 21st century so far. Its depiction of innocence and simple humanity (all seasoned with a dash of dysfunctional profanity) in an evil world is never less than astonishing. The only novel to be set in the barbecue sauce capital of Central Texas, Vernon God Little suggests that desperate times throw up the most unlikely of heroes.

3. Brick Lane by Monica Ali (Olympic Challenge - Bangladesh)
Still in her teenage years, Nazneen finds herself in an arranged marriage with a disappointed man who is twenty years older. Away from the mud and heat of her Bangladeshi village, home is now a cramped flat in a high-rise block in London's East End. Nazneen knows not a word of English, and is forced to depend on her husband. But unlike him she is practical and wise, and befriends a fellow Asian girl Razia, who helps her understand the strange ways of her adopted new British home. Nazneen keeps in touch with her sister Hasina back in the village.;But the rebellious Hasina has kicked against cultural tradition and run off in a 'love marriage' with the man of her dreams. When he suddenly turns violent, she is forced into the degrading job of garment girl in a cloth factory. Confined in her flat by tradition and family duty, Nazneen also sews furiously for a living, shut away with her buttons and linings - until the radical Karim steps unexpectedly into her life. On a background of racial conflict and tension, they embark on a love affair that forces Nazneen finally to take control of her fate.; Strikingly imagined, gracious and funny, this novel is at once epic and intimate. Exploring the role of Fate in our lives - those who accept it; those who defy it - it traces the extraordinary transformation of an Asian girl, from cautious and shy to bold and dignified woman.

4. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury (Olympic Challenge – Lebanon)
1291 AD, Acre. As the city burns under the onslaught of the Sultan's men, the Falcon Temple sets sail, carrying a small band of knights and a mysterious chest entrusted to them by the Order's Grand Master. But, the ship vanishes without a trace...Present day New York. At the Metropolitan Museum, four horsemen dressed as Knights Templar storm the gala opening of an exhibition of Vatican treasures and, in a brutal and bloody attack, steal an arcane medieval decoder. For FBI agent Sean Reilly and archaeologist Tess Chaykin, this is just the start of a deadly game of cat and mouse as they race across three continents in search of
the ruthless killers - and a centuries-old mystery...

Lots more to look forward to then!

[Kell]

Thoughts on We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver:
I’ve really been looking forward to reading this as everyone seems to have such a good opinion of it, but I’m sorry to say that, at around 60 pages in, I’m not terribly impressed so far. The narrative takes the form of letters from Eva to her estranged husband, Franklin, regarding the upbringing of their son who has slaughtered quite a few of his classmates and several teachers, Columbine-style, and is currently languishing in a juvenile detention facility.

First off, the narrative is giving me problems – if you’re going to write a novel that’s supposed to be a series of letters, at least make the chapters actually feel like letters. These don’t – they read far too contrived and feel like a novel. Also, Eva is describing events to her husband, complete with swathes of dialogue, at which he was actually present, therefore he already knows everything he’s being told, ergo it all feels rather pointless.

Secondly, I don’t feel sympathetic towards any of the characters so far – Eva seems rather whiny to me. Yes, she’s had a hard time – she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a mother in the first place and when she finally becomes one, she gives birth to a monster, but I'm not making any kind of emotional connection with her and her plight, which, I'd think, would be pretty much essential if I'm to enjoy this novel. Franklin seems to be rather a wuss and Kevin, well, he so far seems to be a typical teen – sullen, antagonistic and parent-hating, so there’s little to like there.

Thirdly, I’m more than 60 pages in and I haven’t yet read exactly what it is that Kevin has done. I assume he shot those people and I now he did it from an upper corner of the gym, but the information is trickling through in tiny dribs and drabs and, to be perfectly honest, I’m getting bored – I want the details here!

I’ve decided that, Posh Club reading circle choice or no, I’ll give it to page 150 (or the nearest chapter end) and if it hasn’t grabbed me by then, it’s getting dumped, as I refuse to sit through another Emma.

[Janet]

Sorrry you aren't enjoying it. I felt like that at the start, but felt that once it got going, it really got going!! Hope you get into it too. :D

[Kell]

Five more books have arrived, courtesy of that wonderful site, RISI:

1. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell (Olympic Challenge – Sweden)
One frozen January Morning at 5 am, Inspector Wallander responds to what he expects is a routine call out. When he reaches the isolated farmhouse he discovers a bloodbath. An old man has been tortured and beaten to death, his wife lies barely alive beside his shattered body, victims of violence beyond reason. The woman supplies Wallander with his only clue: the perpetrators may have been foreign. When this is leaked to the press, racial hatred is unleashed. Kurt Wallander is a senior police officer at Ystad, a small town in the wind-lashed Swedish province of Skane. His life is a shambles. His wife has left him, his daughter refuses to speak to him, even his ageing father barely tolerates him. He works tirelessly, eats badly and drinks the nights away in a lonely, neglected flat. But now winter closes its grip on Ystad, and Wallander, his tenacious efforts closely monitored by the tough minded (and disarmingly attractive) district attorney Anette Brolin, must forget his trouble, and throw himself into a battle against time and xenophobia.

2. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Olympic Challenge – Nigeria)
Longlisted for the 2004 Man Booker Prize Shortlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize A haunting tale of an Africa and an adolescence undergoing tremendous changes by a talented young Nigerian writer. The limits of fifteen-year-old Kambili's world are defined by the high walls of her family estate and the dictates of her repressive and fanatically religious father. Her life is regulated by schedules: prayer, sleep, study, and more prayer. When Nigeria begins to fall apart during a military coup, Kambili's father, involved mysteriously in the political crisis, sends Kambili and her brother away to live with their aunt. In this house, full of energy and laughter, she discovers life and love - and a terrible, bruising secret deep within her family. Centring on the promise of freedom and the pain and exhilaration of adolescence, Purple Hibiscus is the extraordinary debut of a remarkable new talent.

3. The Case of the General’s Thumb by Andrey Kurkov (Olympic Challenge – Ukraine)
A Russian General is murdered. But why? And, more importantly, what has happened to his thumb? Viktor Slutsky, a young police lieutenant, is sent to investigate it. So, independently, is Nik Tsensky, a former military interpreter. We read, in parallel, their two stories as they travel across Europe, pawns in a much more complex game than they could possibly suspect. On the way, they meet Sergey, a larger-than-life hit-man and hearse-driving sociopath, who has somehow acquired a deaf-and-dumb blonde girlfriend and a tortoise to whom he becomes devoted (a worthy anthropomorphic successor to Misha the Penguin, eponymous hero of his previous novel). As the two investigators gradually close in on the secret, they become involved in a battle between the Russian and the Ukranian secret services over the fabled KGB "Red Gold". This is another brilliantly inventive black satire, which will both enlighten and entertain.

4. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (Olympic Challenge – Chile)
The international No.1 bestselling novelist returns to her best form with this magnificent sweeping tale. Isabel Allende's best novel since The House of the Spirits. Set in Anglophile Chile and goldrush California during the middle years of the nineteenth century, this magnificent romance tells the story of English foundling Eliza Sommers who grows up in the bustling entrepot of Valparaiso. Eliza is a spirited, sparky and ambitious romantic who becomes embroiled in a forbidden love affair with the charismatic but capricious Joaquin Andieta. When he disappears suddenly for California, and the promise of riches that rumours of gold strikes have brought him, she can but follow after him...

5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Olympic Challenge - Brazil)
An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago ventures from his homeland in Spain to North Africa in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a beautiful, young gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is or if Santiago can surmount the obstacles along the way through the desert. But what starts out as a boyish adventure to discover exotic places and worldly wealth turns into a quest for the treasures only found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, Santiago's story is an eternal testament to following our dreams and listening to our hearts.

I can see I’ve got lots to look forward to with this Olympic Challenge – I just have to finish a couple of other books first before I can get to them!

[Kell]

More thoughts on We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver:
Well, in the end I finished it, but it took me till the end of lunchtime yesterday to plough my way through and I can’t honestly say I liked it all that much.

If you’re planning on reading this book at all, please don’t read the spoiler sections, as it really will spoil it for you – I’ll be talking about major plot revelations.

Are you sure you want to continue? OK, carry on:

The thing that disappointed me most is that the “major revelations” seemed very obvious to me:

1. The very fact that there were no replies shown to any of the letters led me to believe that Franklin either really hated Eva or was dead. I very quickly decided that he was deceased due to the romantic picture she kept painting of him being the All-American guy – she was almost reverential about it, so from this, I already had the idea he was a goner and that he’d most likely been killed by Kevin.

2. The details of the actual massacre weren’t given – no numbers, no mention of the weapon – the reader is just left to assume that it’s a gun. However, as soon as Kevin took up archery, I thought it was very obvious that this was his weapon of choice. I also thought the non-mention of specifics made it too obvious that his father was also a victim and therefore was dead (see note 1).

3. The fact that the daughter was never mentioned in day-to-day moments other than to say that she was “with Franklin” led me to believe that she was also dead and was murdered by her brother.

Character-wise, I found the Eva to be whingy, Franklin to be a wuss, Celia was clingy and annoying, and Kevin was an arrogant, cold, creepy child who needed a good slap.

Horrid as this is going to sound, I wanted to cheer when Eva threw her six-y-o son across the room and broke his arm. Like Kevin, I was just pleased to see some kind of reaction at long last and, frankly, I hated the kid so much I wouldn’t have blanched if she’d broken more than his arm! I’m not advocating child abuse in any way, it’s just that I felt so little sympathy for anyone involved, and the kid was so obnoxious, I wanted him given a good-and-proper spanking!

Action-wise, absolutely nothing happens for almost the first half of the book, making it very slow-going and an incredible chore to read. If I hadn’t been reading it for the Posh Club I wouldn’t have bothered as I was so bored with it that I was opting to do displacement activities such as doing the washing up, rather than read it for lengthy stretches.

The big turn-around with the “loving his mother after all” at the very end felt like the biggest cop-out ever. It felt incredibly contrived and made me want to throw the book across the room as I felt I had wasted my time (and such a lot of it!) with this book.

My major beef, however, was with the style of writing itself. If you’re going to write a book that’s supposed to be a series of letters, at least make them plausible as letters! I have never heard of anyone writing huge swathes of dialogue and going into such intricate detail of events at which the addressee was present. If you were relating to a mutual event or conversation, at most you’d say “Do you remember the time we went to ___ and you said ___?” That would be it. I know the detail has to be included for the plot to unfold, but this felt false. If it had just been written as a novel without the whole “letters to Franklin” theme, it wouldn’t have been so bad. In the end, I had to ignore it completely in order to carry on.

As you can gather, I found very little, if anything, to recommend We Need to Talk About Kevin. In fact, the very title is a misnomer – it should maybe have been called We Needed to Talk About Kevin, as they rarely did in any significant way and it’s the one thing that might have made a difference to everyone concerned.

I’ll be generous and give it 3/10, but that’s as high as I can go.

[Kell]

Have started reading Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe and I've been giggling from the get-go. What a refreshing change after two books that have left me cold (those would by Emma and Kevin). It's a lighthearted, witty story and the characters have so far been a lot of fun. The story is engaging and it's the first in what looks to be a good series. I'll look forward to reading the rest of it!

[Kell]

More books heading my way via RISI:

1. The Book Seller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad (Olympic Challenege - Norway)
Two weeks after September 11th, award-winning journalist Asne Seierstad went to Afghanistan to report on the conflict. In the following spring she returned to live with a bookseller and his family for several months. The Bookseller of Kabul is the fascinating account of her time spent living with the family of thirteen in their four-roomed home. Bookseller Sultan Khan defied the authorities for twenty years to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned by the communists and watched illiterate Taliban soldiers burn piles of his books in the street. He even resorted to hiding most of his stock in attics all over Kabul. But while Khan is passionate in his love of books and hatred of censorship, he is also a committed Muslim with strict views on family life. As an outsider, Seierstad is able to move between the private world of the women - including Khan's two wives - and the more public lives of the men. The result is an intimate and fascinating portrait of a family which also offers a unique perspective on a troubled country.

2. The Woman & the Ape by Peter Hoeg (Olympic Challenge - Denmark)
Madelene is married to Burden, an ambitious zoologist, comfortably off and a chronic alcoholic. The ape is Erasmus, who comes ashore in London from sailing boat called "The Ark". Burden aims to use the ape as the means to fulfil his ambition to direct the London Zoo. Erasmus and Madelene elope.

3. Ice (Wintering Trilogy) by Stephen Bowkett
When the Ice Age gripped the world a lucky few thousand men and women retreated into the Enclaves, massive settlements built into mountains and subterranean caverns. As the blizzards raged and the ice caps advanced the rest of mankind perished. Thousands of years passed with the flame of civilisation kept alive by Little Sister, a massive Artificial Intelligence designed to nurture the survivors and pass on the cultural heritage of man. But now the great thaw is on the way and it is time to repopulate the world. For the descendants of the original lucky ones it is time to inherit the earth, and their freedom. Or so they think, for Little Sister has other plans. Plans that Kell and Shamra will discover, plans they must overturn.

4. About The Author by John Colapinto
A thriller of plagarism and murder as well as a wickedly funny satire on New York literary world. Cal Cunningham dreams of writing an autobiographical novel that will help him escape from his life as a penniless bookstore stockboy in upper Manhattan. Yet, after two years of living together, it is Stewart, Cal's studious flatmate who has finished writing a page-turning novel -- based on Cal's life. When a timely, fatal bicycle accident removes Stewart from the scene, Cal appropriates the manuscript as his own and places it in the hands of the legendarily ferocious literary agent Blackie Yeager. Soon Cal realises his most outlandish fantasies of literary success. That is, until he discovers that someone knows his secret. For Cal, this means plotting not just his second novel, but also his first murder.

My "to read" list is growing ever longer...

[Kell]

To save me copying & pasting all the reviews, here are the links to the five I've just written - long overdue, I might add - & posted over at On the Shelf. I'll add the rest as I do them:

Happy Birthday, Jamela! by Niki Daly (for CBUK) (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/happy-birthday-jamela.html)
There Once Was a Boy Called Tashi by Anna & Barbara Fienberg (for CBUK) (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/there-once-was-boy-called-tashi.html)
The Rainbow Bridge by Aubrey Flegg (for CBUK) (Olympic Challenge - Ireland) (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/rainbow-bridge.html)
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe (for CBUK) (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/bad-kitty.html)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/lolita.html)

[Sugar]

Just read your opinions on Kevin, and now I have a huge sense of dread as I too have to read it for a book club choice this month. I was really looking forward to it, but not so convinced now. (I managed to avoid the spoilers though!).

[Kell]

I'm glad you avoided the spoilers as that really would have ruined it for you. At the Posh Club, everyone was completely divided over what they thought of this book - there wwere a handful of us who really hated it, but the majority seemed to really enjoy it, so it may be that you have completely different feelings about it - I hope you do!

[Renniemist]

I really believe you are right with your analysis of We Need To Talk About Kevin. I felt just the same irritation with it when I read it on holiday last month.

Having said that I think it is a book that I will always remember or at least will not easily forget, so I can see why many people really liked it.

I would probably have given it much the same score as you did, but I do think people should read it and see what they think.

[Kell]

The Posh Club August read just arrived - hurrah! I won't be reading it until perhaps the last week before we meet at the end of August (so it's fresh in my mind for discussion), but I'm looking forward to it:

Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride:
The debut thriller from a bright new Scottish talent set to rival Ian Rankin. It's DS Logan McRae's first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn't get much worse. Four-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. There's a killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood. If that wasn't enough, Logan also has to contend with a new boss, DI Insch, who doesn't suffer fools gladly and thinks everyone's a fool, and his own ex-girlfriend, the beautiful but chilly Isobel MacAlister, who also happens to be the chief pathologist. The only good news is WPC 'Ball Breaker' Watson, Logan's new guardian angel. The dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. If Logan isn't careful, he's going to end up joining them.;Set in Aberdeen, where the rainy season lasts all year, criminal gangs vie for supremacy on the streets and the oil industry brings an influx of wealth and vice, this is a gritty, powerful and page-turning debut thriller by a writer with a wonderfully observant eye and a characteristically Scottish sense of gallows humour.

[Kell]

Another handful of reviews:

Undead & Unwed (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/undead-and-unwed-by-maryjanice.html) by Maryjanice Davidson
Broken (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/broken-by-kelley-armstrong.html) by Kelley Armstrong
Emma (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/emma-by-jane-austen.html) by Jane Austen
We Need to Talk About Kevin (http://undermindbooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-by-lionel.html) by Lionel Shriver

[Sugar]

The Posh Club August read just arrived - hurrah! I won't be reading it until perhaps the last week before we meet at the end of August (so it's fresh in my mind for discussion), but I'm looking forward to it:

Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride:

Oooh - I really enjoyed this one. I went straight out to get his second novel when I had finished it. The second one is slightly better, imo, as MacBride seems to be more confident.

I do hope you enjoy it, Kell!

[Kell]

Well, I finished The Case fo the General's Thumb by Andrey Kurkov (my OC entry for Ukraine) & I'm just not sure what I think of it. It seemed to me that there was too much going on all over the place with different people & very little of it tied in with anything else in any kind of coherant way. It felt rather rushed & kind of lost & I'm afraid it failed to impress me much.

I'm hoping I'll enjoy my next choice a little more.

Moving on to Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (OC - Mexico)

[Kell]

Another new book arrived this morning for my Olympic Challenge list:

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (OC - Sri Lanka)
The final curtain is closing on the Second World War, and Hana, a nurse, stays behind in an abandoned Italian villa to tend to her only remaining patient. Rescued by Bedouins from a burning plane, he is English, anonymous, damaged beyond recognition and haunted by his memories of passion and betrayal. The only clue Hana has to his past is the one thing he clung on to through the fire? a copy of The Histories by Herodotus, covered with hand-written notes describing a painful and ultimately tragic love affair.

[Maureen]

You'll do all the countries in no time at all at this rate Kell!

[Kell]

You'll do all the countries in no time at all at this rate Kell!
That's the plan - LOL! ;) After Vernon God Little I'll be starting on my Chinese entry as it's the August reading circle choice, Empress Orchid - I'm looking forward to that one, but I didn't want to start it till it was August.

[Kell]

I finished Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre last night and have to say I think this is the book that We Have to Talk About Kevin could have been. It’s all from the point of view of the protagonist, 15-year-old Vernon Little, who stands accused of a crime he maintains he did not commit, namely the massacre of his classmates. It’s very stylised and is filled with the little idiosyncrasies of the teenage boy trying to tell his story to a media-fuelled world that simply does not want to listen. There’s wit and humour as well as a few poignant moments as Vernon discovers that the truth may not be uncovered and he may well face execution if he is found guilty – which the public has already decided he is.

Well worth a read – I give it 7/10.

This was my Olympic Challenge choice for Mexico

[Kell]

I know I said I was going to read Empress Orchid next, but I couldn’t resist picking up The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe. It’s only a little book and should take me no time at all to read, but looks to be high jinks and hilarity on the high seas – it was begging to be read. I promise I’ll get onto Empress Orchid after this one though. ;)

[Michelle]

For once, I've finished the RC book before you've even picked it up! LOL

[Kell]

Actually, people have been giving me funny looks again while I had my coffee break (I was reading Pirates!). I was sniggering like Muttley - that possibly had something to do with it. This is quite the silliest, funniest book I've read in ages. And tehre are little history lessons & environamentally sound messages in there too, woven into the tale like an incredibly well-woven thing! It was all I could do not to fall off my chair laughing, but had to steady myself as I'd end up with coffee all down my front & that just simply would not do! I'm already half-way through & I know that I am SO getting hold of the other Pirates! books as soon as possible! Gideon Defoe is a genius! Apparently, he wrote this book to try & persuade a woman to go out with him & it failed dismally. I would have said yes!

[Michelle]

It's gotten some great reviews on Amazon too.. one to look out for. :)

[Kell]

Well, it'll be going on my sale or swap list when I'm done, so it'll be up for grabs soon. :)

[Michelle]

Sshhh.. I have no money, so stop tempting me!!

[Sugar]

I was reading Pirates!).

How come you never see the word Pirates in a book title without the exclamation mark?!

[Maureen]

Perhaps because if one were to see pirates, one would exclaim, and curse and not be calm. :lol: :lol:

[Kell]

Actually, I think I might just hold onto this one & get the others in the series - I love it that much!

[Kell]

Thoughts on Empress Orchid by Anchee Min:
I’m only a couple of chapters in, but so far I’m really enjoying it. The story seems to glide along very slowly, almost effortlessly, but although there’s not an awful lot “physically” going on, there’s the impression of a lot of background business happening at all times. The descriptions of the Forbidden City (told to Orchid by Fann) are particularly beautiful. The slow, deliberate style seems evocative of Zen teachings, actually (well, what little I know of them, anyway) and there’s a sense of peace and harmony in everything.

I think I may well enjoy this a great deal – I’ve never read anything specifically to do with China or Chinese culture (although I’ve been reading a fair bit about Japanese lately, as you can see from my reading list), but I’m fascinated by the Orient and this is already significantly fuelling my interest in all things Eastern.

[Icecream]

Maybe I can elaborate on the zen teachings after I have read the book, if I can get hold of it..

[Kell]

Another lovely batch of books arrived this morning - my poor postie must have been groaning under the weight of them all:

The Mystic Masseur by V. S. Naipaul (OC – Trinidad and Tobago)
V S. Naipaul's first novel - funny, endlessly inventive and brilliantly imagined The Mystic Masseur traces the story of Ganesh who, at the beginning of the novel is a struggling masseur when, as the narrator puts it, 'masseurs were ten a penny in Trinidad'. From failed primary school teacher and masseur to author, revered mystic and MBE, his is a journey memorable for its hilarious and bewildering success. Naipaul's clarity of style, humorous touch and powerful characterisation are all in evidence in this first book. This is an ideal beginning to readers new to Naipaul's writing. The Mystic Masseur is one of four backlist titles to be published by Picador to coincide with publication of Naipaul's new novel Half a Life.

The Cleopatra Curse by Katherine Roberts (CBUK)
The magnificent "Seven Wonders" series concludes with Romanic chariot race! Historical fiction meets action-packed adventure in this thrilling series for boys. Zeuxis is a 'lighthouse boy', whose duties include collecting fuel for the famous Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria and keeping its fire burning. But Zeuxis' dream is to become a charioteer, and he gets his chance when Julius Caesar plans his invasion of Egypt in 48BC to overthrow Queen Cleopatra. Caesar sends his envoys to Alexandria with instructions to create a riot on race day, so that he can invade the palace. To accomplish this, they need an inexperienced charioteer they can bend to their will!

Vampire Beach: Bloodlust by Alex Duval (CBUK)
Jason has just moved to Malibu – home to rich kids and fabulous parties. He’s flattered to be included – and very flattered by the interest of the stunning Sienna. But Sienna and her friends hide a dark secret – and soon Jason discovers that their parties involve a little more tan the usual alcohol and music…

When the sinister truth about his new friends is revealed, Jason has to decide whether he can accept the situation. Everyone else seems to be able to… If he can, it might just mean he could get closer to Sienna…

An edgy new take on the vampire myth – with money, fashion and beautiful people!

The Mob by Clem Martini (CBUK)
It's springtime - hundreds of Crows set out on their yearly migration and converge at the Gathering Tree. This sacred Gathering is an opportunity for the six crow Clans of the Family Kinaar to assemble, to make decisions and to celebrate being together. But when young blood is lost, sacred laws are tested as an illegal Mob seeks revenge, and a schism threatens the unity of the flock. The Family's situation is made yet more precarious when a severe blizzard hits and the Crows are faced with the dilemma of where to find shelter. Breaking age-old decrees and working together may offer their only chance of survival. Here, is a startling view of the world from a bird's-eye perspective, complete with its own set of beliefs, mythologies and politics. But it's a world familiar to us too - where the needs of the individual often clash with those of the group, and where the desire to be free must be tempered with the need to be safe, to survive.

"Mob - The Crow Chronicles" is an anthropomorphic drama.

Hitler’s Canary by Sandi Toksvig (CBUK)
It's April 1940 and German troops are pouring onto the streets of Denmark. 12-year-old Bamse is ordered by his father to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. But Bamse and his daring friend Anton can't resist playing the occasional practical joke on the invading soldiers. When it becomes clear that the trouble isn't just going to pass them by, the people of Denmark decide to take action and Bamse and his eccentric family are about to take part in one of history's most dramatic rescues - smuggling Denmark's Jewish population, across the water to Sweden, and safety. Many of the characters are based on Sandi's own family, including her father, Bamse, and the book was inspired by the stories he told to her.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (CBUK)
Percy Jackson - the son of Poseidon - has had an unnervingly quiet school year. But then he discovers that the magical borders protecting Half Blood Hill, a summer camp dedicated to training young demi-gods, are failing. Unless something is done, the camp will be attacked by demons and monsters. The only way to restore power to the camp's borders is to find the mythical Golden Fleece. And the only person who can undertake this dangerous quest is Percy.

[Kell]

With all these extra books arriving, i realised I really am running out of space, so I've had a clear-out of my "to read" shelf as I also reallised that there were quite a few on there which I no longer had as much iterest in reading - my tastes have moved on a bit & the idea of them just isn't grabbing me- in fact, I've actively passed over some of them several times ni order to get onto something else more appealing to me.

Anyway, the result of this is more than 30 books are about to get added to my sale or swap list. My to read ist is still HUGE, but it looks a little less scary now than it did a few minutes ago.

I'll update my sale or swap list later on today...

[Michelle]

You get loads from CBUK Kell :)

[Kell]

I do indeed - & so far I've not been disappointed - I always seem to get very decent, if not excellent, books from there. :)

[Kell]

I finished Empress Orchid and very much enjoyed it, but thought it stopped rather abruptly, which is a bit of a shame as it took some of the shine off it for me...

Still, that's another country checked off my Olympic Challenge list...

Next up is Vampire Beach: Bloodlust by Alex Duval, which I'll be reviewing for CBUK...

[Kell]

Finished Vampire Beach - very enjoyable & I think I may well get hold of the sequel too...

Next up is another one for CBUK - The Cleopatra Curse by Katherine Roberts.

[Kell]

Finished The Cleopatra Curse at lunch time today - not bad at all. I'll give it 7/10 I think. Started The Mob by Clem Martini (for CBUK). Seems quite interesting - all told from the point of view of a crow. I'm only a few chapters in but so far so good.

[Kell]

The Mob turned out to be rather good too - got a really good batch this time from CBUK!

Now moving onto Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters which proises to be equally interesting, as it features Greek Gods living in modern-day America & stars the half-blood offspring of these gods & humans!

[Sugar]

The MobNow moving onto Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters which proises to be equally interesting

I've got Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, I really want to read it, but haven't gotten around to it just yet. I've heard nothing but great reviews about both of them so far.

[Kell]

I've never read Lightning Thief, but I'm rather enjoying Sea of Monsters. :)

[Kell]

Finished Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riorden & now I have nothing left to read during my afternoon coffee break - waahh! Will have to fnid some e-fic to print out & read while I have my cuppa.

Will start on Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig next (again, for CBUK, but also my Danish entry for the Olympic Challenge)...

[Kell]

Finished Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig at lunchtime. WHat a wonderfully moving story! I've never really been a fan of the comedienne, but this book was great. It's the story of a family in Denmark during the German occupation in WWII & their efforts to help the underground resistance movement in gettnig Jewish families to safety. ALthough the characters are fictional, the story & many of the characters are based on fact - specifically on Sandi Toksvig's family according to the author's notes in the back. Told from the point of view of a young lad, Bamse, (starting when he's 10 & finishing when he's 13), this is highly recommended for kids of around that age, as well as adults who enjoy an unusual slant on things.

[Kell]

Next up is Cold Granite by Stuart McBride. This is the August choice for the Posh Club & is based right here in Aberdeen, so I'll be recognising a lot of the places in it. The author is also local, so I'm guesing he'll have a pretty good grasp on the city. Cold Granite is his first novel...

[Inver]

Next up is Cold Granite by Stuart McBride. This is the August choice for the Posh Club & is based right here in Aberdeen, so I'll be recognising a lot of the places in it. The author is also local, so I'm guesing he'll have a pretty good grasp on the city. Cold Granite is his first novel...

Is a bit gory in places mind.....but you will laugh too (!) at the heed man.??

[Kell]

I've been tarting up my list a bit too - much easier to understand now that I've half-inched Sugar's method. ;)

[Kell]

Is a bit gory in places mind.....but you will laugh too (!) at the heed man.??
The guy on reception just finished reading it about a wek ago & he said much the same thing. ;)

[Janet]

Can I ask how you manage to read so quickly? I struggle to read one book in a fortnight!

I'm not being sarcastic by the way - I'm just curious, and a little jealous too!

[Kell]

I don't watch much TV at all, Bagpuss, apart from while we're eating dinner, so my evenings are often spent curled up on the sofa with a book. I also have a habit of locking myself away in the bathroom for a good long soak in the tubwith a good book. Then there are my two 15-minutes breaks & a lunch hour which are all spent reading. I must average around 3-4 hours reading on any given day. If I'm really enjoying a book, it whizzes by really quickly anyway, but I've always been a bit of a speed-reader. :)

It's also worth mentioning that I'm actually getting through more books now that i'm reviewing for CBUK as kids' books are often a bit shorter & easier to read, so I'm sure that plays a part in it too...

[Janet]

I don't watch loads of TV either, but Mr Bagpuss does, and I like total silence when I read!

I read more when the children are at school as there is always time to read whilst waiting for the children to come out of school!

I am impressed with the number of books you read!

[Kell]

Another surprise package from CBUK today - both books look really terrific:

Captives by Tom Pow
Even in his wildest nightmares, Martin could never have predicted what would happen when his family sign up for two day's trekking in the National Park during their holiday on the beautiful island of Santa Clara. They've barely set off when their car is waylaid and Martin, his parents and another family are stopped at gunpoint and bundled into a lorry that heads for the dense forest. The captives are pushed to their physical and emotional limits as they are forced further into the wild terrain, away from any possible rescue. But during their ordeal, the hostages come to understand something of the harsh political backdrop to life on Santa Clara, and the events that have shaped the lives of their captors and fuelled their actions. Martin discovers deep feelings for Louise, the other teenager caught up in the nightmare, only to have to watch her growing love for Eduardo, the youngest hostage-taker. "Captives" is a wonderfully-written, deeply-engaging story about ten people thrown together under extraordinary circumstances and with devastating consequences - a story that will resonate with the reader long afterwards.

Ithaka by Adele Geras
"Ithaka" tells the story of the women left behind after the end of the Trojan War. While Odysseus is slowly making his way home, overcoming terrible obstacles sent by the gods, his wife Penelope does not know whether he's alive or dead. How long will she be able to withstand the pressure of the numerous suitors who seek her hand (and Ithaka) - and will she remain as faithful as mythology states, or might she fall in love with one of them? The vivid colours of life on the abundant island of Ithaka are evoked with magic and warmth, as Penelope and those around her tell their own incredible stories. Interspersed with wonderful verse retellings of Odysseus' adventures, this is a thrilling novel with a contemporary feel.

[Icecream]

Me too..

Glad someone else on here is more like me Bagpuss.. Not meant to be sarcastic either!

[Kell]

Have started Cold Granite by Stuart McBride & although I'm not all that far into it yet, I can already see what Inver meant about it being gory in places! It's really strange reading about places that i know intimately,like Torry - I used to live there just down a bit from Craiginches prison (which is also mentioned). And Kingswells I know quite well too. THen there's the harbour (I used to live right there too) & the river Don already been mentioned - it gives me a little shiver every time something crops up!

[Kell]

Have just discovered that the main character lives in a flat on Marischal Street - where I lived till 16 months ago! Am now imagining this copper living in my old basement appartment! Have to say, it's making it all the more personal for me - I keep shouting "No way!" every time a new location crops up. They just all had a drink in Archibald Simpsons where my sister used to work & I was nodding my head over the desciption of the cheap booze & the type of drinkers in there. The only thing that's dating it is the mention of smoky air - smoking in enclosed public spaces has since been banned up here - but it's still all good so far... :)

[Michelle]

I think she's enjoying this one..... lol

[Esiotrot]

Fancy reading that Kell - I live 60 miles from Aberdeen ~ my Aunt lives there so I know the place quite well.

[Kell]

I am indeed enjoying it, Michelle - it always tickles me when I recognise a place in a book, but when I know it intimately, right down to what the interior decor is like, it has me grinning like a maniac - LOL!

And Essiotrot - next time you're in Aberdeen, gimme a shout - we could go for a coffee or something. :)

Of course, that offer is open to all BFC-ers who find themselves in the Granite City - i'd love to show you around!

[Kell]

It's getting better & better - I recognised the Asda at Portlethen, right down to the little shop inside it that sells those horrid figurines - LOL! I think it's making it even more chilling because I know the places being described, so I can picture them all very vividly - & to think of such gruesome crimes occuring right here is weird (even though I know thre is crime going on all the time here, as anywhere else - heck, my Dad works at the prison - LOL!). It's a bit disturbing, actually, but very, very good! It'll be finished within the next couple of days, I think. And I may well have to get hold of everything else this author writes!

[Kell]

I read the 1st book in the A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket this evening, but was a bit disappointed. i had looked forward to wsorking my way through the entire series, but I don't think I'll bother after all. Bit of a shame really.

Ah well, I also started The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde today & sofar I'm rather enjoying it.:)

[Kell]

I’ve just downloaded a bunch of classic short stories to keep me busy in-between books. There are a few by some very familiar names, but others by writers I’ve never noticed previously, so there’ll be some material that’s completely new to me. I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into this lot!

1. The Vampyre by John Polidori
2. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
3. The Mad Lady by Harriet Prescott Spofford
4. Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker
5. The Lost Ghost by Mary E Wilkins Freeman
6. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
7. The Inn of the Two Witches – A Find by Joseph Conrad
8. The Red-Headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle
9. A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle
10. A Case of Identity by Arthur Conan Doyle
11. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans by Arthur Conan Doyle
12. The Adventure of the Empty House by Arthur Conan Doyle
13. The Parasite by Arthur Conan Doyle
14. The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle
15. The Magic Shop by H G Wells
16. The Jilting of Jane by H G Wells
17. The Door in the Wall by H G Wells
18. The Country of the Blind by H G Wells
19. The Bloodhounds of Broadway by Damon Runyon
20. The Offshore Pirate by F Scott Fitzgerald
21. The King of the Elves by Philip K Dick
22. The Giaconda Smile by Aldous Huxley
23. The Ghost Patrol by Sinclair Lewis
24. The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet
25. The Assistant Murderer by Dashiell Hammet
26. Nightmare Town by Dashiell Hammet
27. Death on Pine Street by Dashiell Hammet
28. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

And if anyone knows which is the best order in which to read the Sherlock Holmes ones, please let me know!

[Sugar]

Fantastic Fiction gives the order they wre published in - that might be a good place to start!

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/d/sir-arthur-conan-doyle/

[Kell]

Ooh, thanks for that, Sugar!

[Kell]

I’ve been busying myself with those short stories and have now finished the following:

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
The Magic Shop by H G Wells
The Jilting of Jane by H G Wells
The Door in the Wall by H G Wells

Have also just finished Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan (the 4th book in The Saga of Darren Shan), which proved every bit as good as the first three – I’m very impressed – it ended on such a cliff-hanger that I’m dying to get hold of the 5th one now!

Next on the list, however, is Captives by Tom Pow, which I’ll be reviewing for CBUK. It looks like it could be good…

[Kell]

Finished The Big OVer Easy - really enjoyed it a lot. I'll definitely be getting hold of more Jasper Fforde novels!

Then I read Vampire Muontain, the 4th in the Saga of Darren Shan series - every bit as good as the first three. I shall have to continue getting hold of the rest of these books as & when I can!

Also finished Captives by Tom Pow (for CBUK), which was good, but not as good as I thought it might be.

Now reading Ithaka by Adele Geras (for CBUK) which so far looks very interesting. It's related to The Odyssey, but it's the story of the women left at home. I'm guessing it's a bit like The Penelopeiad (which I've not read) but aimed at kids in their early to mid teens. I'll let you know how I get on with it...

[Louiseog]

Finished The Big OVer Easy - really enjoyed it a lot. I'll definitely be getting hold of more Jasper Fforde novels!

The Thursday next ones are better I think (not much but better!) The Eyre Affair is the first.

[Kell]

I'll be geting hold of it for sure, in the meantime, i'll be popping your book in the post back to you this weekend. Thanks for the lend - I loved it!

[Kell]

Have just had a bumper morning for books arriving - one small package containing a book to review directly for the author, & another very large box containing 15 books from CBUK to be reviewed over the next wee while.

I can see I'm going to be kept busy with these for quite some time!

[Kell]

Ithaka was wonderful & I followed it up with The Tale of the Miller's Daughter by JoSelle Vanderhooft, which was an absolute joy to read.

I now have a stack of reviews to write up - 8 in total - so I'm going to be rather busy this next wee while I think!

[Kell]

I gave up on The Queen of Tambourine, as I just wanted to slap the main character & I couldn't get to grips with why she felt she had to write those letters in the first place. I just didn't give enough of a damn to bother reading on to find out as I was so heartily bored with it at less than a quarter of the way through.

So, I decided to try Eragon, which is the other reading circle choice for this month, but I'm now having difficulties getting into that one too! I've never really been into sword-&-sorcery type fantasy & have always found the strange names that these characters always seem to have faintly ridiculous. If it doesn't grab me very soon, I'll be getting shot of this one quick-smart & moving onto something else instead.

[Michelle]

Oh dear.. a bad RC month for you!

[Kell]

That's alright though - I have a massive pile of TBRs, so it's not like I'm stuck for choice. ;)

[Kell]

Yup, I'm afraid Eragon is getting ditched. I've been reading it all morning & I'm just not getting into it at all.

Am now moving onto Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief by Rick Riorden.

[Kell]

This is more like it - I'm loving Percy Jackson so far! i've actually read the PJ books in the wrong order as I read the sequel about a month ago & really enjoyed it. It's really nice going back to the first one & seeing how it all started out.

[Kell]

Percy Jackson was an excellent read - even better than its sequel. I hope there'll be more books in the series as I'll certainly be picking them up!

Now, what shall I read next... I think I'll move onto The Curse of the Gloamglozer by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell. It's the 1st in the Quint Trilogy of The Edge Chronicles.

[Kell]

Wideacre by Philippa Gregory arrived this morning, so it's been added to my ever-growing TBR list.

Finished The Curse of the Gloamglozer & it was excellent. Now moving onto the sequel: The Winter Knights. I hope this one's as good!

[Kell]

Have barely read at all the last two days as I've been so busy. Was out last night & am supposed to be out again this evening, but at the moment, it's looking like I might cancel, as I have had a stonking headache all afternoon. It's easing up a little just now, so I shall see how I feel after dinner.

Tomorrow I plan to read almost all day long!

[Kell]

The 3rd book in the Quint sequence isn't out yet, so I'm moving on to the 1st book in the Twig sequence which is Beyond the Deepwoods. If it's anywhere near as good as the Quint ones, I'll enjoy it a lot!

[Kell]

Finished Beyond the Deepwoods already, so im moving onto the 2nd in the Twig Trilogy, Stormchaser. If anyone hasn't read The Edge Chronicles, I can heartily recommend them from what I've read so far!

[Kell]

A record for me, I managed to read 2 books in one day - finished Stormchaser a few minutes ago & it was every bit as good as the others have been!

Moving onto Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (3rd in the Twig Trilogy) tomorrow...

[Kell]

Spent my £10 book voucher from leaving my old job today - as luck would have it, the new hardback by Stuart MacBride - Dying Light - was exactly £10, so I snapped it up, as I loved Cold Granite. This one's also set in Aberdeen, so I'm expecting that same shiver of delight every time I recognise a place!

[Kell]

These Edge Chronicles are a breeze to read - I'm storming through them all! Finished Midnight Over Sanctaphrax in the bath & it was an excellent conclusion to the Twig Trilogy.

Now starting the Rook Trilogy with The Last of the Sky Pirates...

[Inver]

Spent my £10 book voucher from leaving my old job today - as luck would have it, the new hardback by Stuart MacBride - Dying Light - was exactly £10, so I snapped it up, as I loved Cold Granite. This one's also set in Aberdeen, so I'm expecting that same shiver of delight every time I recognise a place!

Wonder how many references to bags of sweets will be in this one :D

[Kell]

Moving onto the 2nd in the Rook Trilogy - Vox

[Kell]

Have done practically no reading at all today as I've either been out & about with Dale (it was a nice day so we went for a wander) or watching movies (The Phantom of the Opera & Superman II). Read a while in the bath, but I'm a bit headachy tonight, so I think I'll leave off it till tomorrow...

[Kell]

Finished Vox & moving onto the last of The Edge Chronicles; Freeglader tomorrow.

Have to say, if anyone hasn't read The Edge Chronicles, do! They're somewhere in between Pratchett & Rowling & are utterly wonderful!

[Sugar]

Spent my £10 book voucher from leaving my old job today - as luck would have it, the new hardback by Stuart MacBride - Dying Light - was exactly £10, so I snapped it up, as I loved Cold Granite. This one's also set in Aberdeen, so I'm expecting that same shiver of delight every time I recognise a place!

Wonder how many references to bags of sweets will be in this one :D

I must say, I thought Dying Light was much better than Cold Granite. MacBride (and indeed LoganMcRae) seemed so much more confident!

[Kell]

That's me finished with The Edge Chronicles, so expect a slew of reviews shortly. There are another couple of books outwith the trilogies which I'm going to have to try & get hold of & the 3rd in the Quint Trilogy is due out soon too, so I'm not completely done with them yet, I suppose - I've loved every moment of them!

Moving onto The Medici Code by Theresa Breslin now...

[Kell]

The Medici Code was excellent - finished it last night.

Made a start on Redwall by Brian Jacques today, but I'm not impressed at all. I have nothing against "humanising" animals in a story; giving them voices, or even clothes - but I'm a great believer in consistency. It's my thought that if you have a mouse who's struggling with an armful of hazlenuts, you can't then have a rat on horseback - both direct examples from this book - it just throws the whole perspective out of whack for me. Also, so far, the story is really, really dull. I can't see me finishing this one or the other 3 I was sent - there's just no way I can find a positive slant for a review on them.

[Kell]

And now there's a beaver in it when it's a very English book & Beavers are native to Canada, North America & some northern parts of Mexico - not Britain! Argh! No, it's no good, I can't continue with this book - it's driving me dotty with the inconsistencies!

Am now moving onto a book of short stories called In the Frame - it's by various authors & is aimed at teens & young adults...

[Kell]

I've not been doing too well lately with books I've given up on - I guess I'm just not into short stories very much at the moment, so In the Frame has been put down.

Instead, I am picking up Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett - I've really been looking forward to this one & I got given it last night as a birthday present from my buddies, John & Katy. I just can't wait to start it!

[Kell]

Got another three birthday books today:

A Tale Etched in Blood & Hard Black Pencil by Christopher Brookmyre
Girl With a One-Track Mind by Abby Lee
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Looking forward to all three of them immensely!

[Kell]

Have finished Girl With a One-Track Mind by Abby Lee & Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett (both were birthday books) & enjoyed both of them a lot. :)

Moving onto two at once, as one's an autobiography:

Stand & Deliver by Adam Ant
A Tale Etched in Blood & Hard Black Pencil by Christopher Brookmyre.

I've really been looking forward to the new Brookmyre as I'm a HUGE fan of his. I'll be starting that one tomorrow...

[Kell]

I've yet to be disappointed by Brookmyre - his latest novel, A Tale Etched in Blood & Hard Black Pencil, is no exception - thoughrally enjoyed it. :)

Am now moving onto my 2nd Jasper Fforde - The Eyre Affair.

[Kell]

Have just been told to expect a package any day now from CBUK which will include, among others, the last book in The Edge Chronicles (the 3rd in the Quint Trilogy). Ooh, I love getting packages at the best of times, but packages of books are even better! Am all excited now!

[Kell]

My Dad came round last night with an old book of mine he'd found called Wizwam and Kelley Under the Sea. It's one of those books that parents order with their kids' names in them, adding the names of friends and family at various points in the story and it was one of my absolute favourites when I was small, as it gave me a real thrill knowing it was all about me. I had another flick through it last night and the trip down memory lane was awsome!

[Kell]

I changed my mind ibn the end & went with The School for Husbands by Wendy Holden. It was a light bit of fluff, but quite funny & enjoyable.

Am nowmoving onto one of the books I was lent by a lady at work - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

[muggle not]

Got another three birthday books today:

A Tale Etched in Blood & Hard Black Pencil by Christopher Brookmyre
Girl With a One-Track Mind by Abby Lee
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Looking forward to all three of them immensely!
I am curious. Have you read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde yet. If so, what did you think of the book.

[Kell]

I've not read it quite yet, but it's high on my priority list. Don't worry - I'll be certain to let everyone know. ;)

[Kell]

Have just finished The Kite Runner & all I can say is Oh! My! Gods! It's absolutely beautiful, poignant, heart-rending - it kept causing that tell-tale prickling behind my nose that meant my body was actively trying not to cry. I loved every second of it. I wish I'd read this sooner!

Am now moving onto the October RC choice of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley...

[Michelle]

That might just bump it up my TBR pile a little. :)

[Kell]

Have just had a lovely package of books arrive from CBUK:

Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl & the Lost Colony
Alex Duval - Vampire Beach: Initiation
David Eddings - The Belgariad: Pawn of Prophecy
David Eddings - The Belgariad: Queen of Sorcery
David Eddings - The Belgariad: Magician's Gambit
Sam Enthoven - The Black Tattoo
Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell - Clash of the Sky Galleons (Quint Trilogy #3)

Also had a swap arrive from RISI:
Richard E Grant - By Design (OC - Swaziland)

[Kell]

Am starting to get more into Frankenstein now. I remember reading this when I was about 7 or 8, however, it's becoming more & more clear that i read an abridged verson (I may have been an advanced reader, but I think this would have been very challenging in its full format when I was that age, & I certainly don't think I grasped the full implications of Frankenstein's actions back then!). I'm rather enjoying this - I'd always meant to revisit it, but never got round to it before the reading circle gave me the perfect excuse (isn't it great when you get pushed on like that by a group? I love that I'm looking more deeply at what I'm reading so that I can discuss it more fully with everyone else!). It's amazing to think that Mary Shelley was barely 19 when she wrote this story - that someone so young should have such a profound grasp of the true horror of such a subject is mind-boggling!

[Icecream]

I don't think the gory bits would be in a 7yr old version either Kell. The reason I am not joining the group this time is that I cannot get hold of blindness (which sounds fascinating) and I know that I would have nightmares after Frankenstein. It scared me at school, and the films did too. Not something I wish to relive.

[Kell]

It's not actually been gory at all so far, Icecream - the method of reanimation isn't described AT ALL (as Frankenstein keeps that back to prevent anyone else committing the same atrocity) & so far there's only really been a death by strangulation, which we hear about 2nd hand anyway. Give it a go, icecream - i think you may well be surprised! :smile2:

[Angel]

I quite agree Kell! This book is not gory by any means and is nothing like the films in any way. I really quite enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised by the plot

[Lilywhite]

I agree, I had preconceptions of a monster gore fest when I first picked up this book, however, I think the point of the book is to be more afraid of humans and human nature, more philosophical than horror.

[Icecream]

Well I shall see. If I remember correctly there is someting else later on, but I will see if I can finish this long book I'm on at the moment. It is very interesting.

[Kell]

I snuck a quick vampire book in - I just couldn't resist! Vampire Beach: Initiation (the sequel to Vampire Beach: Bloodlust, which I read not long ago) by Alex Duval was calling to me, so I picked it up & read it all today. Very good. Definitely 8/10.

[Kell]

Finished Clash of the Sky Galleons ( the last book in The Edge Chronicles) by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell this afternoon & it was wonderful!

Am about 2/3rds of the way through Frankenstein & enjoying it too.

Have put Adam Ant on hold at the moment, as I have so many others to choose from...

Will be moving onto Artemis Fowl & the Lost colony by Eoin Colfer next...

[Louiseog]

I liked this .. look forward to your comments

[Kell]

Well, Louise, I loved it! Just finished it tonight & I really loved it! I shall write a proper review in a short while, but let's just say it definitely gets an 8/10 from me! I have no idea where Eoin Colfer will take the Artemis Fowl storyline next - I just hope he continues with it!

Moving onto the first book in The Belgariad series; starting with Pawn of Prophesy by David Eddings next. I have books 1-3 sitting here to be reviewed for CBUK, so I'ld best get started on it tomorrow!

[Kell]

Finished Frankenstein last night - I enjoyed it, but not wuite as much as I remembered liking it when I was 8!

Couldn't get into the Belgariad books, so I've put it down in favour of The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven, which is a debut novel & is so far shaping up quite nicely...

[Kell]

I hit something of a reading slump while I was ill & it took me forever to get through The Black Tattoo, despite the fact that i was enjoying it - I just couldn't get the motivation to read at all, but then again, I was compeltely shattered from lack of sleep, so that probably had a lot to do with it.

Received another package of books from CBUK:

Eldest by Christopher Paulini
The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns by Brian Jacques
The Waterless Sea by Kate Constable
The Angel Stone by Livi Michael.

Seeing as how I just couldn't get into Eragon at all, I'll not be reviewing the sequel, but the rest of them look rather interesting.

Am now reading The Abortionst's Daughter by Elizabreth Hyde, as it's the Posh Club book for October & we're meeting next Tuesday to discuss it. I'm only a couple of chapters in so far, but it seems easy-reading & quite interesting...

[Sarahrob]

Am now reading The Abortionst's Daughter by Elizabreth Hyde, as it's the Posh Club book for October & we're meeting next Tuesday to discuss it. I'm only a couple of chapters in so far, but it seems easy-reading & quite interesting...

I have that on my TBR pile but have never got round to reading it as I thought it would be very heavy going.
Nice to know it's not - I may actually read it!:lol:

[Louiseog]

Not heavy at all. A summer read. Quite enjoyable

[Kell]

Finished The Abortionist's Daughter last night & it was rather enjoyable - definitely recommended for a light read. Although it's easy to read, it still makes you think a bit about ethics & what you might do if you were in that situation. It's more of a character piece, though, focusing on the people & their relationships with one another, & only really looking a the events to see how they effect the various characters as they progress. Very nicely done.

Have now moved onto The Angel Stone by Livi Michael, which is proving rather interesting too.

[Kell]

Am now reading Dying Light by Stuart McBride, the sequel to Cold Granite which I read a short while ago. This one's just as gritty so far & I'm absolutely loving it - McBride is definitely an author to watch in the future!

[Kell]

Dying Light was excellent - just a tad better than Cold Granite even! Very impressed - I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for anything else written by Macbride!

Will be starting on The Secret Purposes by David Baddiel for the BCF Reading Circle today...

[Kell]

It took me longer than usual to finish The Secret Purposes, but it was definitely worth taking a little time over this one - what an excellent book! if you haven't read it, I heartily recommend it. Forget your expectations of Baddiel the funny-man & be very pleasantly surprised.

After such a great read, I hope my follow-up isn't a disappointment - I'm moving on to Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller for the posh Club November read.

Actually, on second thoughts, I think I'll read something quick & light in between & go for Undead & Unemployed by Maryjanice Davidson, then move onto Notes...

[Michelle]

Are you going to read The Shining Kell?

[Kell]

I haven't got a copy yet, but as I'm beign sent another couple of books to review direct from a publisher, as well as having the Posh Club book to read, I might join in with The Shining later on. i certainly intend to read it though! :readingtwo:

[Gyre]

I am very impressed with your reading so far Kell..
:readingtwo:

[Kell]

LOL - thanks, Gyre! I try to be varied, but sometimes I get stuck in my ways a bit with genres or authors, & I do tend to love a lot of the books that are aimed at teens & young adults these days (I think I maybe missed out a bit when I was a kid by jumping straight to adult fiction - & by that I don't mean the naughty stuff - LOL!). I've been trying a few foreign authors as part of the Olympic Challenge, but I haven't got round to all that many of them just yet, although I have quite a few just waiting to be read. At the moment, Im' in the mood for something a bit lighter & pulpy after having read a couple of darker, more serious books, just to wake my brain up again & get me a bit more excited.

[Gyre]

Variety is the spice of the life, I am very much down that road myself, I use to stick to a specific genre (horror) and that was it, but I have been various books over the last year which has really broadened my outlook - book wise...

:readingtwo:

[Kell]

Finished Undead & Unemployed - fun, light read that I finished in no time at all. I'm still in a lighter mood though, so I'm going to give Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb a go...

[Kell]

Despite having quite the tackiest-sounding title I've ever come across, Bimbos of the Death Sun turned out to be a lot of fun & far better than I expected. It's a murder set at a sci-fi/fantasy convention & one of the authors (& a main character) has written a hard sci-fi novel called BotDS, so that's where the title comes from. It's definitley worth picking up if you've ever been to, or know anyone who's ever been to, a convention - it'll certainly give you a giggle!

So, from one contemporary sci-fi themes to more sci-fi with Oracle by Ian Watson:
When Tom Ryan stops his car late at night on a dark road for a man dressed as a Roman Centurion, his first thought is that he's picked up one of those amateur re-enactors... but the man, Marcus Appius Silvanus, appears to speak only Latin. he insists the year is AD60 and that the British Queen is Boudicca - and that he and his men of the Fouteenth Gemina are in hot pursuit of her.

Tom and his sister mary shelter the Roman, but inadvertantly attract the attention of an unscrupulous journalist. He's not the only one interested in the Ryans: An IRA terrorist who was once Mary's lover in Northern Ireland tracks her down to tell her the plane crash which killed her parents 20 years ago was caused by the British security services.

Deep inm the English countryside, those same servants of the state are busy exploiting the theories of a young prodigy to build "Oracle", a probe that can view the past - and, they hope, the future, so that threats to national security can be stifled before they ever occur.

[Maureen]

Kell, you are numbering them I hope? I want to know the number at the end of the year!! :-)

[Kell]

Oh, yes, Mau - if you go right back to the start of this thread, right there in post No. 2, they all have a number next to them. I'm currently on the 111th title of the year!

[Kell]

I decided to read Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowan instead, so Oracle will be next. B&S wasn't bad at all - a nice light read, but nothing new.

[Maureen]

Remarkable Kell!

[Kell]

Tell you what - I'm really enjoying Oracle so far - such a cool premise & so far it's been handled really well (I'm about a dozen chapters in at the moment). Hope it keeps it up!

[Kell]

Have finally started Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller, but so far (after 4 chapters) I remain unimpressed. I tried reading this one earlier in the year, but I wasn't very well at the time & attributed my inability to get into it to my illness. It seems it's a case of I'm finding the story rather dull & I don't particularly like any of the characters. I'll persevere a while longer, as it's the Posh Club choice for November & our next meeting is a week tonight, but if it doesn't improve soon, I don't think I'll be finishing it. I've yet to see the reason it was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2003...

[Gyre]

Kell, you are one fast reader....

I am very impressed...:bookworm:

[Kell]

LOL - thanks, Gyre. I've actually been a lot slower this month - been working such long hours that I've scarecly had time to myself & my lunches have been cut short. Have taken to reading in bed & then being barely able to get up in the mornings! :lol:

[Michelle]

Have finally started Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller, but so far (after 4 chapters) I remain unimpressed. I tried reading this one earlier in the year, but I wasn't very well at the time & attributed my inability to get into it to my illness. It seems it's a case of I'm finding the story rather dull & I don't particularly like any of the characters. I'll persevere a while longer, as it's the Posh Club choice for November & our next meeting is a week tonight, but if it doesn't improve soon, I don't think I'll be finishing it. I've yet to see the reason it was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2003...

Well I really enjoyed it. I wouldnt say I liked any of the characters, but I found Barbara an intesting character. As I said in my review, I couldn't decide whether to dislike her, or feel sorry for her.

[Kell]

I'm about 1/2 way through now, and I think I'll finish it after all, but Im' still finding it a bit of a slog, as I'm still finding it largely dull. I have to say, I can't stand Barbara - I find her the most annoying, self-centred, immature character ever & as for Sheba, well, talk about niaive - I just want to shake her & tell her to wake up!

[Kell]

Well, i was a bit disappointed by Notes to be honest. I'm not even remotely tempted to try anything else by Zoe Heller & I cannot for the life of me understand why this was nominated for the Man booker Prize.

Ah well. Have now moved onto Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda which is so far shaping up to be rather interesting. Masuda was at the poorer end of the Geisha world, it seems (I read Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki earlier on in the year & she was part of the elite, so this story is very different, while still sharing some basic elements). I'm absolutely fascinated by the whole concept of Geisha, so it's nice to see all the angles of it in factual accounts & memoirs like this.

[Kell]

Finished Autobiography of a Geisha last nght - it was pleasantly honest & refreshing - certainly different than other Geisha memoirs I've read so far. Very enjoyable.

Moving onto The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo. After 20 years, I thought it was time to revisit it!

[Kell]

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo was every bit as magical as I remembered - wow! 9/10
Single White Vampire by Lynsay Sands was a fun vampire romace novel about a vampire romance novelist. 7/10
Now reading About the Author by John Colapinto, which seems to be a case of stolen identity by novelisation - very good so far...

Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to work out the averages for my ratings per month and this is what I ended up with:

January - 10 books - average of 7.3/10
February - 9 books - average of 7.6/10
March - 7 books - average of 7.4/10
April - 9 books - average of 7/10
May - 17 books - average of 7.2/10
June - 11 books - average of 7.7/10
July - 6 books - average of 6/10
August - 13 books - average of 7.5/10
September - 14 books - average of 7.6/10
October - 10 books - average of 7.6/10

So, so far it looks like June was the month for really good books & was follwed by a sucky July - LOL! Quite pleased with an overall average rating of above 7/10 though - I've certainly read some great books this year!

I'll work out November's rating very shortly - I'm not wuite done with the month yet...

[Kell]

Am very much enjoying About the Author. It's reminding me a lot of the film A Murder of Crows - quite a few similarities - but I'm really enjoying Colapinto's writing style. It feels very personal, like you've been having a natter with an old friend & he's decided to regale you with a story of something that happened to him since the last time you met. Very engaging. I'm kind of taking my time with it (partially due to enjoyment & partially due to my time being usurped by the need for seasonal shopping), but it's very interesting, both plot-wise & character-wise, & has my mind trying to work several steps ahead in the proceedings.

[Kell]

Have just finished About the Author by John Colapinto & all I can say is WOW! Am incredibly impressed - the writing is incredibly strong, the plot is inventive, thrilling & rather Hitchcockian in its approach. This is one of the best books I've read this year. In fact, I'm off to nominate him for Best Author I've Newly Discovered in the Book Awards!

I'm hard pushed to think what might measure up as my next book after reading this!

[Liz]

This About the Author one sounds to be quite good. I've heard a little about it and have read a few reviews on it, most of them being very positive towards it. May have a little look for it at the library, I think.