Liz's 2007 Book List [Archive]

Liz

1st January 2007, 00:22

Read In 2007

01) THE LIFE OF GRAHAM CHAPMAN - Bob McCabe
02) PETER COOK: SO FAREWELL THEN - Wendy Cook
03) PETER COOK'S UNIVERSE & ALL THAT SURROUNDS IT- P. Hamilton
04) HEMINGWAY ADVENTURE - Michael Palin
05) LAST BUS TO WOODSTOCK - Colin Dexter
06) REBECCA - Daphne du Maurier
07) THE DIARY OF A NOBODY - G. & W. Grossmith
08) DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON - George Orwell
09) LORDS AND LADIES - Terry Pratchett
10) LAST SEEN WEARING - Colin Dexter (re-read)
11) THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER - Jed Rubenfeld
12) THE SILENT WORLD OF NICHOLAS QUINN - Colin Dexter
13) FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD - Thomas Hardy
14) CARRIE - Stephen King
15) THE GREAT GATSBY - F. Scott Fitzgerald
16) PRIDE & PREJUDICE - Jane Austen (re-read)
17) SERVICE OF ALL THE DEAD - Colin Dexter
18) A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN - Marina Lewycka
19) THE LIAR - Stephen Fry
20) SEMI-DETACHED - Griff Rhys Jones
21) THE DEAD OF JERICHO - Colin Dexter (re-read)
22) THE RIDDLE OF THE THIRD MILE - Colin Dexter
23) THE LOST WORLD - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
24) WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY? - Brian Clark (a play script)
25) PETER PAN - J.M. Barrie
26) MEDIEVAL LIVES - Terry Jones & Alan Ereira (re-read)
27) ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND - Lewis Carroll
28) THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - Lewis Carroll
29) A FAREWELL TO ARMS - Ernest Hemingway
30) TREASURE ISLAND - Robert Louis Stevenson
31) THE PYTHONS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY - The Pythons
32) ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT - E.M. Remarque
33) ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST - Ken Kesey
34) DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY - Douglas Adams
35) THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL - Douglas Adams
36) THE SALMON OF DOUBT - Douglas Adams
37) MOAB IS MY WASHPOT - Stephen Fry
38) THE SECRET OF ANNEXE 3 - Colin Dexter
39) BRIDESHEAD REVISITED - Evelyn Waugh
40) FIRST AMONG SEQUELS - Jasper Fforde
41) TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Harper Lee
42) MEN AT ARMS - Terry Pratchett
43) THE LITTLE PRINCE - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
44) THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY - Oscar Wilde (re-read)
45) ON THE ROAD - Jack Kerouac
46) FRANKENSTEIN - Mary Shelley
47) THE UNCOMMON READER - Alan Bennett
48) THE WENCH IS DEAD - Colin Dexter
49) MEN WITHOUT WOMEN - Ernest Hemingway (short stories)
50) THE PRINCESS BRIDE - William Goldman
51) THE HIPPOPOTAMUS - Stephen Fry
52) MRS DALLOWAY - Virginia Woolf
53) THE SECRET HISTORY - Donna Tartt
54) SOUL MUSIC - Terry Pratchett
55) THE GHOST - Robert Harris
56) FIVE STORIES FEATURING JEEVES - P.G. Wodehouse (short stories)
57) TIDELAND - Mitch Cullin
58) THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS - John Wyndham
59) LIFE OF PI - Yann Martel
60) TO SERVE THEM ALL MY DAYS - R.F. Delderfield

Liz

1st January 2007, 00:23

(Some) On The Shelf

Michael Palin - Diaries 1969 - 1979
Alan Bennett - Writing Home
Alan Bennett - Four Stories
Michael Palin - Sahara
Charles Dickens - The Pickwick Papers
Colin Dexter - The Jewel That Was Ours
Michele Slatalla - Masters Of Deception: The Gang That Ruled Cyberspace
Mervyn Peak - The Gormenghast Trilogy
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
Ursula Le Guin - The Earthsea Quartet
George Orwell - Keep The Aspidistra Flying
Jules Verne - Around The World In Eighty Days
Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights
H.G. Wells - The Time Machine
John Steinbeck - The Grapes Of Wrath
David Attenborough - Life On Air
Jean-Paul Sartre - Nausea
Stephen King - Firestarter
Joseph Heller - Catch-22
Truman Capote - In Cold Blood
James Robertson - The Testament Of Gideon Mack
Graham Chapman - A Liar's Autobiography
Eric Idle - The Road To Mars
David Nicholls - Starter For Ten
Terry Jones - Starship Titanic
Dan Brown - Angels & Demons
Mark Billingham - Sleepyhead
Aldous Huxley - Brave New World
Julian Barnes - Arthur & George
Barry Pain - The Eliza Stories
Bernard Cornwell - Stonehenge
Stephen Lawhead - In The Hall Of The Dragon King
Susanna Clarke - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Sheila Fitzpatrick - The Russian Revolution 1917 - 1932
Elizabeth Kostova - The Historian
Scarlett Thomas- The End Of Mr. Y
H. Rider Haggard - She
Anthony Hope - The Prisoner Of Zenda

Purple Poppy

1st January 2007, 00:58

Gosh Liz. is this what you intend to read. You are going to be very busy. I'd be interested in learning what you think about the Alan Bennet ones. He is such a good observer of human behaviour.
Good luck with the list. I'm sure you will add and subtract as the year progresses.

PP

Liz

1st January 2007, 01:04

I very much doubt I will read all of these. I'm not even going to try. They're just the ones I have waiting on the bookshelf. As much as I would like to read lots of books this year and cut down the TBR pile, I'm not going to put that infront of enjoying the books that I read. It's not worth racing through a book if you're not going to take time to read it and take the whole story in - and hopefully enjoy it.

Liz

1st January 2007, 02:08

Going to kick off 2007 with a biography.........

THE LIFE OF GRAHAM CHAPMAN
Bob McCabe

Graham Chapman was the quiet, pipe-smoking, tweed-jacketed Python who qualified as a doctor - but his calm demeanour belied his true anarchic nature as, more than any other Python, he lived the complete lunacy of the show.

Chapman was John Cleese's writing partner from the early days at Cambridge Footlights, on to The Frost Report and right through the Monty Python years. Chapman thrived in chaos and his eccentricity made him one of the most influential and creative members of The Pythons.

Angel

1st January 2007, 19:41

Liz, you've some lovely books on that list. I love the Morse books and Rebecca is beautiful. I also have The Great Gatsby, Mansfield Park, and The Grapes of Wrath on the shelf waiting to be read! ;)

nuttymum303

1st January 2007, 19:47

Have only got Dan Brown's book on my list.

Liz

1st January 2007, 22:00

Well, to be completely honest, the Dan Brown books are on my sister's shelf, but as she's already read them she said I can borrow them whenever I like.

Liz

4th January 2007, 20:11

Finished the Graham Chapman biography this evening. Being a Python fan, I really enjoyed this book. Have read a few books on Python members and this one was one of the better ones. But obviously I think you would have to be a Chapman/Python fan to enjoy this book.

Liz

4th January 2007, 21:16

Going to move on to another biography. This time it's one about Peter Cook and is written by his first wife, Wendy Cook.

So Farewell Then: The Untold Life of Peter Cook
Wendy Cook

Peter Cook's explosive wit made its impact in 1960, wreaking havoc and shedding light in equal measures. Cook and the satire boom he led first made headlines with the Oxbridge revue Beyond the Fringe, co-starring Jonathan Miller, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. The show swiftly took by storm first Edinburgh, then the West End and then Broadway, as Peter went on to set up the famous Establishment Club in Soho.

Liz

6th January 2007, 00:41

Just when I thought I had enough on my TBR pile, my sister finds Stephen King's Misery going for £2.97 at a music shop in Lemington Spa. And being the lovely sister that she is, she bought me a copy of it.

Purple Poppy

6th January 2007, 03:40

You lucky girl :D

PP

6th January 2007, 05:25

Ooooo, I've heard that's a good one!

Liz

6th January 2007, 20:35

You lucky girl :D

I know. Isn't she just a star! :D :D

Liz

6th January 2007, 20:37

Ooooo, I've heard that's a good one!

I've seen the film, which wasn't too bad, but I'm hoping the book is going to be better.
But it's not a very big book. I thought it was going to be a lot bigger than about 350 pages.

nuttymum303

6th January 2007, 20:48

Hubby has that as well as a few other Stephen King books.

Louiseog

7th January 2007, 13:00

Misery is one of the best Stephen King's i've read.

Liz

7th January 2007, 23:17

Jolly good. I'm looking forward to getting round to reading this now. :)

Liz

8th January 2007, 23:18

Finished the Peter Cook biography this evening. Wasn't too bad. I think I prefer the Cook biography by Harry Thompson, though. That talked about Peter Cook's ups and downs, not just his down times, which you sometimes felt this biography did - especially nearer the end. I should imagine it's because it's by his ex-wife, and so it will be a little biased in certain areas, especially with their divorce.

Now it's got me in a Peter Cook mood so I'm going to read the other Peter Cook book I had for Christmas.

How Very Interesting: Peter Cook's Universe & All That Surrounds It
Edited by Paul Hamilton

How Very Interesting cotains interviews with those who worked with Cook during his long and varied career and who saw him as an inspiration: his colleagues, collaborators, co-writers, producers, directors, fans and friends.

Liz

15th January 2007, 00:40

Finished reading How Very Interesting late this evening. Really enjoyed this one. Was better than the previous Peter Cook book. There were some very good interviews in it. Some were a bit dull, but the majority of them were good. They went through more or less everying he did using interviews and essays about his work.

Liz

15th January 2007, 00:42

Going to move away from Peter Cook, I think. Am going to start.......

Hemingway Adventure
Michael Palin

One hundred years after the birth of Ernest Hemingway, Michael Palin set out to discover the man behind the legend. Travelling through the forests and lakes of North Michigan to the First World War battlefields in Italy, from Paris to te sites of the Spanish Civil War, Michael Palin encounters unique events such as the running of the bulls in Pamplona and the and the infectious madness of the Fallas festival in Valencia. And in Cuba, bar-hopping, marlin fishing and daiquiris help unravel some of the myths surrounding Hemingway's life

Liz

18th January 2007, 19:44

Have finished the fourth of Michael Palin's travel books. This one was slightly different to his previous ones as it was more about Hemingway's life and the places he lived in and travelled to. I did enjoy this one, though. It has encouraged me to try one of the two Hemingway books that I own sooner rather than later. His books will definitely be moving nearer to the top of the TBR pile.

Liz

18th January 2007, 20:35

After being given the complete Morse set of books for Christmas, I'm going to start with the first book and try and work my way through the series in order (not all in one go, though), rather than reading them from here and there like I have done so far.

LAST BUS TO WOODSTOCK
Colin Dexter

The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon's edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man - facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault and rape. But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key.

Renniemist

18th January 2007, 20:38

Years ago I read a book called ‘Hemingway’s Chair’ by Michael Palin. It was a novel and not a travel book and I’m afraid I can’t remember much about it.

I’m sure the travel book would be very interesting. I think I might need to put that one on my wish list. :D

Louiseog

18th January 2007, 20:47

Angel

18th January 2007, 20:49

Liz

18th January 2007, 20:51

i did that about three years ago and it was worth it! Not all at once though

No, I don't want to read them all at once either. I'd end up getting fed up with them and it would spoil them a bit.

Liz

22nd January 2007, 22:11

:irked: For the past few days, I've found myself getting caught up with people and things, so I haven't been able to do much (if any) reading at all. But I'm really enjoying the first Morse book - It's only a short book at just over 300 pages.

I just about get settled down and open the book, when something comes along and I have to leave it at that.

Does no one realise that I'm trying to find out who killed Sylvia?

Liz

24th January 2007, 01:20

Managed to finish off the last few chapters of the first Morse book.
Enjoyed this one very much.
I'm now looking forward to reading all of the 13 books in the Inspector Morse series.

Liz

24th January 2007, 01:21

I am going to now move on to one of the classics......

Rebecca
Daphne du Maurier

Working as a lady's companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Her future looks bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Max de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man.

Janet

24th January 2007, 08:16

Rebecca is one of my all-time favourite books. I hope you enjoy it.

I no longer watch EastEnders, but I used to, and I went to see a production of this at the Theatre Royal in Bath, where June Brown (Dot Cotton) was Mrs Danvers - she was perfectly cast!

Liz

25th January 2007, 21:37

I've now started my schoolwork and coursework again, so Rebecca is going to have to be put aside for a little while. I might have a read of it in the evenings, but it will probably be quite a while before I finish it.

Liz

27th January 2007, 21:13

Went to a second-hand bookshop this afternoon. They had a half price sale on all their books, so it would have been a waste not to take them up on this offer (that's my excuse, anyway ;) ).

Ended up coming away with a lovely old hardback of Sherlock Holmes - a great read and it looks lovely on the shelf. Also got a Hemingway, a few by Patricia Highsmith, a George Orwell and a few others. A rather good shopping trip, methinks. :mrgreen:

But it also means that the TBR mountain has just grown. :blush:

Lilywhite

27th January 2007, 22:21

Sounds like a great bargain Liz :)

Gyre

28th January 2007, 17:17

Great list Liz, I hope you enjoy all the books...:readingtwo:

Terry Pratchett - Good Omens
I read this years ago and I really enjoyed it

Harper Lee - To Kill A Mockingbird

Aw what a wonderful book, have not read it for awhile, so I think it will be coming down from the shelf..

Stephen King - Firestarter
Stephen King - Misery
Stephen King - Different Seasons

All great reads from Stephen King, especially 'Different Seasons

Ken Kesey - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Brilliant book:mrgreen:

Liz

28th January 2007, 18:58

Looks like I've got some good reads to have a go at, then.

Thanks, Gyre. :mrgreen:

Lilywhite

28th January 2007, 19:26

How are you finding Rebecca? I absolutely love this book, one of my all time favourites. You might also like Rebecca's Tale by Sally Beauman too when you're finished.

Angel

28th January 2007, 20:52

I hope that you are enjoying Rebecca - it's such a lovely book

Liz

29th January 2007, 18:54

I am just starting chapter 15 and I am really enjoying Rebecca so far. I love some of the descriptions in it. It's one of those books that I keep finding hard to put down - I keep wanting to read the next chapter! :mrgreen:

I have seen Rebecca's Tale. I haven't heard much about it, though. I take it you've read it, Lilywhite? Is it any good?

JudyB

30th January 2007, 19:40

I enjoyed Rebecca - it's quite a compelling read. At the time I also read Jamaica Inn, Frenchman's Creek and My Cousin Rachel plus The Birds - all were brilliant. I often forget what a great writer she is.

Liz

30th January 2007, 19:50

I think I will definitely be having a go at another one of her books.

Polka Dot Rock

1st February 2007, 12:44

Hello Liz!

Stephen Fry - Moab Is My Washpot
Aw, I love Stephen Fry and this is fantastic. You can really hear this voice as you're reading. I read it during exams and it's perfect for when you're feeling stressed or have a lot going on. You can just leave it for ages, then pick it up and know where you left off.

H.G. Wells - The Time Machine
This is a really short book that's perfect for days when you feel like you haven't been reading as much as you'd like :lol: It's also really interesting and very cleverly done.

Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
Ken Kesey - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Four of my favourite books. Particularly the first three. If you get around to them, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! I often revisit them.

Harper Lee - To Kill A Mockingbird
To my shame, I've never read this *hangs head in disgrace*

Purple Poppy

1st February 2007, 13:27

Amy said

Harper Lee - To Kill A Mockingbird
To my shame, I've never read this *hangs head in disgrace*

But its on your TBR list??;)

Liz

1st February 2007, 19:14

Well it's definitely on my list. :)

I am really looking forward to reading Moab Is My Washpot, PDR. Sounds like it could be good.

Liz

2nd February 2007, 18:49

Finished Rebecca last night. Absolutely loved the book! A great story with some excellent descriptions made it a fantastic book for me. I loved the style of the writing as well. It has to be a 10/10 book. :mrgreen:

I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Daphne du Maurier's work.

Liz

2nd February 2007, 18:55

Will now be starting.......

THE DIARY OF A NOBODY
George & Weedon Grossmith

The Diary of a Nobody is so unassuming a work that even its author, George Grossmith, seemed unaware that he had produced a masterpiece. For more than a century this wonderfully comic portrayal of suburban life and values has remained in print, a source of delight to generations or readers, and a major literary influence, much imitated but never equalled.

Janet

2nd February 2007, 21:41

Angel

2nd February 2007, 22:45

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed Rebecca, it's a great book. I think that you would also enjoy Frenchman's Creek and Jamaica Inn - both very good as well.

Liz

2nd February 2007, 23:43

:) Thanks, Angel. I wasn't sure which ones to have a go at.
I'll keep an eye out for those two.

Liz

4th February 2007, 20:12

Finished The Diary of a Nobody last night. Really enjoyed this one. Found it to be quite funny.

Am now going to have a go at.........

DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON
George Orwell

Liz

10th February 2007, 16:37

Have now finished the George Orwell one.
It was a nice, quick little read. One that is very simple to follow.

Moving on to .......

LORDS AND LADIES
Terry Pratchett

The fairies are back - but this time they don't just want your teeth....
Granny Weatherwax and her tiny coven are up against real elves.
It's Midsummer Night.
No time for dreaming......

Kell

10th February 2007, 17:59

Ooh, I LOVE Lords & Ladies! Magrat really comes into her own in that one. :)

Purple Poppy

10th February 2007, 18:06

I read that one ages ago. Like all the other Pratchetts I need to start again and work through them all. I remember liking it though.

Liz

17th February 2007, 20:15

Am still reading LORDS AND LADIES. Really enjoying this one. This is one of my favourites of the witches books so far.
I haven't been able to read as often as I would like this week as I've had quite a bit of coursework to finish. Will be able to spend more time on it tomorrow.

Liz

18th February 2007, 16:15

Have spent most of the morning reading and have now finished LORDS AND LADIES.
I loved this Discworld tale. Nanny Ogg is my favourite of the witches and I enjoyed her in this book. The witches are not really my favourite of the Discworld groups, but I found this one to be one of their best so far.

Liz

18th February 2007, 17:34

Going to have a go at the second book in the Inspector Morse series. I know I only read this last year, but I want to read the series in order, so I'm going to read it again.

LAST SEEN WEARING (re-read)
Colin Dexter

The statements before Inspector Morse appeared to confirm the bald, simple truth. After leaving home to return to school, Valerie Taylor had completely vanished, and the trail had gone cold. Until two years, three months and two days after Valerie's disappearance, somebody decides to supply some surprising new evidence for the case...

Louiseog

18th February 2007, 18:07

And Lewis is on tonight too!

Liz

18th February 2007, 18:10

Yep, I'm going to watch that. I saw the pilot episode last year - it wasn't too bad, but not as good as Morse. You've just got to watch it for what it is and try not to compare it to Morse.

Liz

20th February 2007, 23:38

Quickly re-read the Morse book. Still enjoyed it.

I'm now going to move on to one of the books which is in the March Reading Circle vote. I don't know if it's likely to win or not, but I thought I might as well give a go as I'm not really sure what to read next.

Hope no-one will mind, but I'll use the Reading Circle's description of the book.

THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER
Jed Rubenfeld

THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER is an inventive tour de force inspired by Sigmund Freud's 1909 visit to America, accompanied by protégé and rival Carl Jung. When a wealthy young debutante is discovered bound, whipped and strangled in a luxurious apartment overlooking the city, and another society beauty narrowly escapes the same fate, the mayor of New York calls upon Freud to use his revolutionary new ideas to help the surviving victim recover her memory of the attack, and solve the crime. But nothing about the attacks - or about the surviving victim, Nora - is quite as it seems. And there are those in very high places determined to stop the truth coming out, and Freud's startling theories taking root on American soil.

Liz

23rd February 2007, 22:09

Liz

27th February 2007, 01:08

The Interpretation of Murder wasn't too bad. Has some quite good bits along the way. Quite enjoyed this one.
I'll probably talk about it a bit more when the Reading Circle begins.

Am now going to read the third book of the Morse series.

THE SILENT WORLD OF NICHOLAS QUINN
Colin Dexter

The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead.....
And his murder, in his North Oxford home , proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford colleges...

Liz

28th February 2007, 01:59

Managed to zip through the third Morse book. Was quite short but I did enjoy it.

I am now going to have a go at an older classic book.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD
Thomas Hardy

JudyB

28th February 2007, 19:30

I think it's a wonderful novel - one of my all time favourites.

Angel

28th February 2007, 20:18

It's also one of my all time favourites as well. Classic Hardy!

Liz

28th February 2007, 23:32

My mother is a Hardy fan and has read most of his.
This is my first Hardy book - mother said it might be the better one to begin with.

Polka Dot Rock

1st March 2007, 11:19

My mother is a Hardy fan and has read most of his.
This is my first Hardy book - mother said it might be the better one to begin with.

Ooh, please let us know how you get on it with it :) I quite fancy reading Far from the Madding Crowd, BUT I've been badly scalded by Jude the Obscure and Tess of the d'Ubervilles in the past :( If only I'd heard your mum's advice first!

Liz

3rd March 2007, 23:13

Far From The Madding Crowd was my first go at reading Hardy and I'm definitely going to be reading more of his work. Very much enjoyed Hardy's style of writing - loved the way he describes the surroundings and the characters. A good little book.

Next.........

CARRIE
Stephen King

Carrie White is no ordinary girl.
Carrie White has a gift - the gift of telekinesis.
To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues. But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her.

scottishbookworm

4th March 2007, 00:19

I've just seen that Interpretation of Murder has won the March Reading Circle.
I'm on page 210 out of 522 and so far I'm quite enjoying it.
I'm looking forward to March and hearing what everyone else thinks about it.I'm enjoying the book I'm on page 60 Starting at chapter 4.

a very entertaining book indeed, this view coming from someone that would normally read Ian rankin.:lol: (me)

I'm at page 60 starting chapter 4

Liz

4th March 2007, 00:24

I'm enjoying the book I'm on page 60 Starting at chapter 4.

a very entertaining book indeed, this view coming from someone that would normally read Ian rankin.:lol: (me)

I'm at page 60 starting chapter 4

I really enjoyed the book - I think I got hooked on it after the first few chapters.

It's great that lots of us are reading it for the Reading Circle.

Liz

10th March 2007, 19:14

Finished off CARRIE this afternoon. It's only a small book but it took me a week to read it. I think it was because I found it to be quite....well....dull. The first few pages made a good start and it looked like it would turn out to be a good read, but after the first 60 pages or so it just seemed to drag a little. Hopefully the next one of his which I read will be a little better.

Liz

12th March 2007, 00:19

THE GREAT GATSBY
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Read it this afternoon and really enjoyed this one. It's a fairly short book but it had a great story. I thought it had some good characters in it and the descriptive pieces were well written.

A great little read. :)

Liz

12th March 2007, 23:27

Now reading.........

PRIDE & PREJUDICE (re-read): I'm currently having to write an essay about the theme of marriage in P&P, so I'm having to quickly re-read it and make notes along the way.

SERVICE OF ALL THE DEAD - Colin Dexter : The third book in the Insp. Morse series.

Liz

15th March 2007, 01:08

Finished the re-read of PRIDE & PREJUDICE.
Still love the book, even if you have to find the author's meaning in each sentence because of an essay.

Liz

17th March 2007, 21:49

Enjoyed the Inspector Morse book. Really enjoying working my way through the series.

I'm now going to have a go at a book which I borrowed from the library earlier in the week.....

A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN
Marina Lewycka

Liz

20th March 2007, 19:25

I liked A Short History...... It was a light, easy read but it was also an enjoyable story. Had some good characters and a few funny pieces here and there.

Next...........

THE LIAR
Stephen Fry

Liz

2nd April 2007, 11:16

It took me longer to read than I had hoped (due to having coursework and revision to do), but I've finished THE LIAR. I enjoyed Stephen Fry's debut novel, very funny in certain parts, and I will be trying some more of his later.

Next.....

SEMI-DETACHED
Griff Rhys Jones

Semi-Detached is Griff Rhys Jones' own account of his ordinary suburban childhood; of adolescent scraps and scrapes; of coming of age in the 1960s and 1970s; of family and university life; and of times lost or at least fuzzy around the edges.

Liz

6th April 2007, 22:43

Griff Rhys Jones' autobiography was a lovely book to read and very funny in places. A perfect book to relax out in the sun with. One of the better biographies which I have read.

Next..... I'll be re-reading the fifth book in the Inspector Morse series.

THE DEAD OF JERICHO (re-read)
Colin Dexter

Anne Scott's address was scribbled on a crumpled note in the pocket of Morse's smartest suit. He turned the corner of Canal Street, Jericho, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 3rd October. He hadn't planned a second visit. But he was back later the same day - as the officer in charge of a suicide investigation....

Liz

7th April 2007, 20:52

Quickly re-read The Dead Of Jericho and still found it an enjoyable read.

As the sixth book in the series is fairly short, I'm going to have a go at another Morse.

Next........

THE RIDDLE OF THE THIRD MILE
Colin Dexter

By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale was concerned, but not yet worried. Dr. Browne-Smith had passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8:15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody had heard from him since. Plenty of time to disappear, thought Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder...

Liz

10th April 2007, 00:11

Zipped through the sixth Morse book.
Wasn't the best one I've read but it was still quite good.

I'm now going to have a go at a book which I have been wanting to read for a few years....

THE LOST WORLD
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Liz

15th April 2007, 19:45

Seeing as I had been looking forward to reading The Lost World for a few years, I was very glad when I finished it and had very much enjoyed it. It's a fairly short story, and even though it was published in about 1912, I didn't think that the writing style felt dated that much.
A fantastic adventure story.

Next.......

PETER PAN
J.M. Barrie

Liz

22nd April 2007, 21:01

Today I managed to read through the play WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY? by Brian Clark. It is a play set in a hospital about a man, named Ken, who, after having a car accident, has ended up being left totally paralysed. Only his brain functions normally. Due to his state, Ken wants to discharge himself, which would end in him dying within a week. Ken wants to die, but due to him being completely helpless in the hospital, he would need the authorities' consent.

The play follows Ken's stay in hospital and his fight for the right to die.

I'm studying this for GCSE English Lit. It's not too bad a play and it leaves you with quite a few things to think about. It is definitely a play which I would like to see performed.

Liz

23rd April 2007, 20:02

Have now finished PETER PAN. I have to say that I was a little disappointed with it. It started out rather well and the last two chapters were good, but the story in between just seemed very dull. I didn't really care about or even enjoy any of the characters. This book was just not my cup of tea, I'm afraid.

I'm in a bit of a history mood at the moment, so I decided to re-read....

MEDIEVAL LIVES
Terry Jones

Liz

29th April 2007, 19:46

Read the final chapter of MEDIEVAL LIVES this afternoon after Biology revision. I've read this book before and it's a really interesting little read. It's an easy book to understand, which makes a change to some books about history which can be a little confusing in places with language which you have to keep fetching a dictionary for.

Liz

30th April 2007, 22:11

I thought I would have a go at another children's classic.

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
Lewis Carroll

Alice follows the White Rabbit down the rabbit-hole and into a series of extraordinary adventures in Wonderland, a country of crazy logic where the absurd and surreal are the norm. Riddles have no answers, songs turn into nonsense and everything is punctuated with dreadful puns. The animals who live there can not only speak but are positively argumentative; however, the self-possessed Alice is well able to cope with everything she meets.

Liz

2nd May 2007, 20:43

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland wasn't too bad. It had its good parts and its slow parts all the way through the book. The illustrations were wonderful, though.

Going to continue with Alice....

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Lewis Carroll

Alice goes through the looking glass into another world whose eccentric inhabitants seem to be either chess-pieces or characters from nursery rhymes - that is, when they are not talking flowers or insects. Obeying their own impossible rules of logic, they are all full of criticism or good advice as Alice, a lowly Pawn, sets out on her quest to become a Queen of the Chess Board.

Liz

5th May 2007, 23:27

Finished the second Alice book this afternoon. I prefered this one to the first Alice adventure - I felt the story had a better pace than the previous book. Really enjoyed the poetry in this one, as well.

Next......

A FAREWELL TO ARMS
Ernest Hemingway

Liz

19th May 2007, 23:35

I am really enjoying A Farewell To Arms. I am quite annoyed that I am unable to read it more often, but now that the GCSE exams have begun I haven't really felt like reading much. I'm afraid I feel that I should probably put revision before reading.

But I am finding A.F.T.A. to be very good. :)

Liz

24th May 2007, 19:51

Finished A Farewell To Arms this afternoon.
It took me a few chapters before I started to get into Ernest Hemingway's style of writing, but once I managed that I found this book to be quite enjoyable. This has encouraged me to read more of his work.

Next........

TREASURE ISLAND
Robert Louis Stevenson

Liz

9th June 2007, 23:33

Finished off the last few pages of Treasure Island.
A really good adventure story. I liked the characters and the detailed descriptions of them. A jolly good read, I'd say.

I'm not going to bother starting a new book just yet. I'll wait until the majority of the exams are over with and then I'll probably move on to one of the many Python books I've got waiting on the shelf.

Liz

14th June 2007, 21:20

Now that the exam revision has eased up a little, I am going to have a read of The Pythons' Autobiography ~ The Pythons.

I've had it for a while and have been dipping in and out of it every now and then, so I've already read about a third of it. That doesn't matter, though, as I find it really interesting so it would be good to re-read bits.

It looks to be a good summer read.

JudyB

15th June 2007, 20:45

Now that the exam revision has eased up a little, .

How are the exams going Liz - are you near the end yet? Best of luck

Liz

16th June 2007, 21:20

How are the exams going Liz - are you near the end yet? Best of luck

Not too bad. I've got a second R.S. exam on Friday 22nd June, and then that's it. The past month of exams has gone by very quickly. It feels as though I should be having another few weeks of them. I've really enjoyed them, though. I love exams, so these weeks have been great fun. :)

maclsj

17th June 2007, 09:43

Best of luck with the rest of the exams!

JudyB

17th June 2007, 19:49

Not too bad. I've got a second R.S. exam on Friday 22nd June, and then that's it. The past month of exams has gone by very quickly. It feels as though I should be having another few weeks of them. I've really enjoyed them, though. I love exams, so these weeks have been great fun. :)

Yes can't believe it's nearly over for my daughter as well - her last one is Thursday plus she's got a revision day on Wednesday.

Liz

27th June 2007, 23:39

Finished The Pythons' Autobiography and loved every page of it. Obviously not all of the information in it was new, as they have spoken about certain events in the many interviews over the years, but there was much more detail to the stories in this book. The humour was there, which was great, as some books about comedy groups/programmes can seem dull and unfunny sometimes. This will be a book which I will definitely be keeping, as it's also a good little book to dip in and out of when you want.

Next......

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Erich Maria Remarque

After studying WWI and WWII for the past three years at school, I've come to enjoy Modern History. I've wanted to read this book for a while, and so thought now would be a good time to give it a go. I've heard some great reviews of it from people (some being from the BCF).

Liz

9th July 2007, 15:57

Finished ...Western Front last week and I enjoyed it very much. The relationships between the characters and the characters themselves were well written and helped to show another side to the war other than the blood and guts of it.

Next...........

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
Ken Kesey

Liz

16th July 2007, 11:29

Absolutely loved One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I thought that the ways in which the characters change throughout the book were really well told. Also, the ending completely surprised me. An excellent book. :)

Next.........

DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY
Douglas Adams

FishAndChips

16th July 2007, 11:33

I'd like to read OFOTCN.

Read Dirk Gently years ago and absolutely loved it. A real page turner if I remember right. I'll probably read it again some day.

Liz

20th July 2007, 12:48

Really enjoyed the first Dirk Gently book, possibly more than some of The Guide books.
I'm now going to have a go at the next Dirk Gently novel.........

THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL
Douglas Adams

Liz

23rd July 2007, 11:54

I think I actually prefer Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books to some of the books from The Guide. Don't get me wrong, I love The Guide, but some of the later books felt as though they dragged in places and they were not quite as good as the earlier ones. However, saying that, I found both sets of books to be very, very funny. Dirk himself is just a great character to read about. :D

Next...................

THE SALMON OF DOUBT
Douglas Adams

NiceguyEddie

23rd July 2007, 12:55

I too read Dirk Gently many moons ago. The first one anyway, and really enjoyed it.

Liz

26th July 2007, 10:48

The Salmon Of Doubt is a great book for anyone who likes Douglas Adams.

The first half of it is different essays from Adams about all sorts of things - his life, his computers, his thoughts on tea, etc. Then there is a short Zaphod story and an unfinished Dirk Gently story as well in the second half of the book. All in all, a great collection of Adams' writing, and a book that kept me chuckling away to myself all the way through.

Next...........

MOAB IS MY WASHPOT
Stephen Fry

Liz

30th July 2007, 16:42

Stephen Fry's biography was an excellent little read. However, it did only cover the first 20 years of his life and takes him up to being accepted at Cambridge University, so if you were wanting to read about his career I suppose we'll have to wait and see whether he writes another book. I for one would certainly read it.

Liz

30th July 2007, 17:31

Next............

THE SECRET OF ANNEXE 3
Colin Dexter

Chief Inspector Morse seldom allowed himself to be caught up in New Year celebrations. So the murder inquiry in the festive hotel had a certain appeal. It was a crime worthy of the season. The corpse was still in fancy dress. And hardly a single guest at the Haworth had registered under a genuine name...

Liz

1st August 2007, 23:12

Finished another good Morse mystery.:D
I'm around half-way through the series and I'm glad to say that I have not yet found one which I did not enjoy.

Next.......

BRIDESHEAD REVISITED
Evelyn Waugh

Freewheeling Andy

2nd August 2007, 08:01

I love the Evelyn Waugh books I've read (particularly Scoop). But I never got round to reading Brideshead. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Liz

7th August 2007, 00:03

Brideshead Revisited - Really enjoyed reading this one. Waugh writes in such a beautiful way. The main reason why I loved the book was way the reader was allowed to see how, over a number of years, the friendships within the group of main characters change (especially Ryder's relationship with Sebastian's family) and also how each individual changes. There were some wonderful characters in the book and a couple of very comical scenes, i.e., how Ryder's father treats his guests. This was brilliant book. :D

Next......

FIRST AMONG SEQUELS
Jasper Fforde

Liz

10th August 2007, 23:36

The fifth book in the Thursday Next series continued in the unique and fun storytelling style which I've found the previous books to be in. I've really enjoyed all of these books, but I think this one has been one of the better stories.

Next......

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Harper Lee

Liz

16th August 2007, 00:03

I thought To Kill A Mockingbird was an amazing book!

However, it did take me a while to get into it. The first 80 pages or so just didn't get me hooked onto it, and I did start to wonder whether this was a book which I would not enjoy and was simply not the book for me. After that little block, though, I suddenly realised that I was beginning to really enjoy this book. By the end of it, I absolutely loved it. This is definitely one of the best books I have read.

I thought the book was brilliant in showing the prejudice black people faced and how unfairly they have been treated. One of my favourite scenes from the book was when Scout's teacher is telling the class about how Germany is a dictatorship, wheras they, America, are a democracy, and how it is because of this that the Jews were being persecuted in Germany. This lesson comes after...... the case when the verdict has been decided, and she then goes on to tell the children, 'Over here, we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudice.'

It was just a brilliant book. :D

Kylie

16th August 2007, 00:21

Liz

16th August 2007, 00:31

I'm so glad you enjoyed To Kill A Mockingbird Liz. This is one of my absolute favourite books. If you haven't already seen the 1962 movie with Gregory Peck, I would highly recommend it. It's about as faithful an adaptation of a book as you'll see anywhere.

Hi, Kylie. :)
I've seen some parts of the film, but not all of it. I really would like to watch it now, though. :smile2:

Inver

16th August 2007, 11:40

I read Mocking bird not that long ago too. Thought it was the well deserved classic it deserves to be. Recently bought the DVD in a sale too....must get around to watching it.

Liz

21st August 2007, 23:13

Really enjoyed Men At Arms. The City Watch are some of my favourite characters from Discworld.

I think I shall now read a book which my elder sister has lent me....

THE LITTLE PRINCE
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

'The Little Prince' is a classic tale of equal appeal to children and adults. On one level it is the story of an airman's discovery in the desert of a small boy from another planet - the Little Prince of the title - and his stories of intergalactic travel, while on the other hand it is a thought-provoking allegory of the human condition.

Liz

23rd August 2007, 23:27

The Little Prince was a lovely little story. I thought that some parts of the story really gave you something to think about (especially the drunkard).

Next......

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (re-read)
Oscar Wilde

I thought I'd re-read one of my favourite books. I loved this book from the moment I read the first chapter, so this will be a beautiful little read for the end of summer. :D

Kell

24th August 2007, 05:34

FishAndChips

24th August 2007, 11:20

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (re-read)
Oscar Wilde

I really enjoyed that this year.

Really enjoyed Men At Arms. The City Watch are some of my favourite characters from Discworld.
My bf likes the city watch books best too. I read the first 6 or 7 discworld books in my late teens/early twenties (over a decade ago) and have been tempted to read some more now. I will focus on the city watch ones, starting with Guards Guards.

The little Prince sounds fab too. I might have to add it to the TBR pile.

Liz

24th August 2007, 21:12

Strangely, I'd never heard of it before Purple Poppy brought it to my attention!

I had heard of it before I read it, but the only reason why I decided to pick it up and give it a go was because my sister had bought it for a pound in a cheap bookshop and wanted to know what it was like, and so gave it to me to read.

The little Prince sounds fab too. I might have to add it to the TBR pile.

It is a good little book, and it's not very long at all, so it's a nice quick read.

Liz

28th August 2007, 13:26

Really enjoyed my re-read of Dorian Gray. It still stands as one of my most favourite books I have read so far. :D

Next.....

ON THE ROAD
Jack Kerouac

29th August 2007, 09:55

The Little Prince was a lovely little story. I thought that some parts of the story really gave you something to think about (especially the drunkard).

I recently read this one (borrowed off Purple Poppy) and enjoyed its simplicity and depth. I was also pleasantly surprised while reading Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde, when The Little Prince was mentioned several times - I knew exactly what Fforde was saying and was glad I'd read it. Strangely, I'd never heard of it before Purple Poppy brought it to my attention!

I love Le Petit Prince, it is the one book every French kid knows by heart. I've hear it as long as I can remember. And I still have my first copy of the book. I had to get a new one few years back, as the old one could handle he constant re-reads. It's like Winnie-the-Pooh in that it has all the answers, only much better! (naturally I've been ruined by the national propaganda and subjectivity)

Liz

24th September 2007, 16:50

Ooh, I haven't updated this for a little while.

FRANKENSTEIN - Really enjoyed this early horror book. I liked the writing style; even though it's an older book the language didn't really strike me as feeling that old. It had some interesting points to think about, i.e., just because something is possible, does that mean it should be done?

THE UNCOMMON READER - Very short but very good. It's a nice little book with some funny moments thrown in. I thought the idea of the story was very fun. A good book to fill an hour or so.

THE WENCH IS DEAD - A slightly different Morse mystery this time. The mystery this time being a past crime which Morse reads about, thinks that the verdict was wrong, and so sets out to find the truth. Not one of my favourite Morse books, but it was still good.

Liz

24th September 2007, 18:45

Next............

MEN WITHOUT WOMEN
Ernest Hemingway

This is a book of short stories:

- The Undefeated
- In Another Country
- Hills Like White Elephants
- The Killers
- Che Ti Dice La Patria?
- Fifty Grand
- A Simple Enquiry
- Ten Indians
- A Canary for One
- An Alpine Idyll
- A Pursuit Race
- To-day Is Friday
- Banal Story
- Now I Lay Me

Liz

28th September 2007, 20:40

My feelings towards Men Without Women are slightly mixed after reading it. Some of the stories were great - it's true what they say about him, Hemingway has the ability to capture little moments in time and emotions in only a few pages.
Some of the stories, though, were not really my cup of tea and I didn't enjoy them as much as others within the book.

Next.......

THE PRINCESS BRIDE
William Goldman

Liz

10th October 2007, 18:22

Aww, I loved The Princess Bride. :D
It is such a lovely fairy tale. The characters were brilliant, especially Fezzik. I also enjoyed the sections on the characters' histories. This has been one of my favourite books of the year so far. I am definitely keeping this one to read again someday.

Next......

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS
Stephen Fry

Kell

10th October 2007, 20:01

I ADORED The Princess Bride- glad to hear you enjoyed it too.

Liz

11th October 2007, 16:49

Kell, I absolutely loved it! It is such a lovely book. :D

angerball

14th October 2007, 08:58

The Princess Bride is such a great book. Very good movie adaptation, too. :D

Liz

15th October 2007, 18:22

This was a slightly, shall we say, unusual story. Very unpredictable with some funny and wonderfully witty pieces throughout. A very strange and surreal book, but very much a 'page turner'.

Next........

MRS DALLOWAY
Virginia Woolf

I have read one or two of her short stories, but this is the first novel of her's which I have read.

haniirani

16th October 2007, 15:47

Virginia Woolf is another author I have yet to explore. I have heard that readers have problems with her streams of consciousness. Does that bother you Liz? How do you find Woolf?

Liz

16th October 2007, 18:38

Virginia Woolf is another author I have yet to explore. I have heard that readers have problems with her streams of consciousness. Does that bother you Liz? How do you find Woolf?

Well, I've only read a third of Mrs Dalloway so far. It hasn't been too bad, but there have been times where I became completely lost and couldn't for the life of me follow what she was saying and going on about. It seems to come in batches - it's good for so long and then you get stuck for a few pages. I am going to keep going with it, though. It's a good book when you can understand what's going on.

Adam

17th October 2007, 06:46

The Princess Bride is such a great book. Very good movie adaptation, too. :D

I am ashamed to say that I too enjoyed the film :blush:

Janet

17th October 2007, 13:29

I am ashamed to say that I too enjoyed the film :blush:
Don't be ashamed - it's a brilliant film! I *will* read the book one day when I have more time!

Liz

21st October 2007, 17:30

I found Mrs Dalloway slightly difficult to follow at times. The swapping back and forth between the present and the past was a great way to build up the characters and their history, but at certain points in the book I did get a little lost and had to re-read a page to follow where Woolf was going. I'm glad I stuck with it and read it, and it has not put me off reading another book by Woolf in the future.

Next.....

THE SECRET HISTORY
Donna Tartt

Gyre

21st October 2007, 17:34

Kell, I absolutely loved it! It is such a lovely book. :D

I thought so too Liz and I LOVE the movie..

'Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father prepare to die!'

Liz

21st October 2007, 17:36

It's strange - I wasn't that fussed about the film the first few times I saw it, but now watching it after reading the book, I really enjoy the film and think it's great.

Kylie

21st October 2007, 23:32

I've seen the movie once and wasn't overly impressed with it. Maybe I should do what you did, Liz, and read the book (which I already have on my wish list), then watch the movie a few more times. I'd like to see what everyone else sees in it. :smile2:

Liz

26th October 2007, 18:08

The Secret History has to be one of my favourite books which I have read over the past two years. I loved the characters - a group of students who all seemed to have shadowy pasts and acted mysteriously all the way through the book. I really enjoyed the the story being set in and around a college/university with students and teachers making up the list of characters. I found the story to be completely absorbing and I ended up wanting to constantly know what would happen on the next page. A brilliant book. :D :D

angerball

26th October 2007, 19:37

It is a great read, isn't it Liz? I was completely hooked on it, when I read it a few years ago. I just loved everything about it - the story, the writing style. A very compelling read. :)

Liz

26th October 2007, 20:53

Hmm...it has taken me a little while to decide which book to read next, but I think I'll have a go at a Discworld.

Next..........

SOUL MUSIC
Terry Pratchett

Yes. There's a Death in the family. It's hard to grow up normally when Grandfather rides a white horse and wields a scythe - especially when you have to take over the family business, and everyone mistakes you for the Tooth Fairy. And especially when you have to face the new and addictive music that has entered Discworld.

Liz

31st October 2007, 19:09

Soul Music was a fairly good Discworld tale. Not my favourite, but there were some very funny moments in the book. The wizards were in this one quite a bit, which I loved.

Next......

THE GHOST
Robert Harris

Liz

11th November 2007, 14:06

The Ghost is the first Robert Harris book I have read and I found it to be a fairly enjoyable book. It was quite fast paced and never really slowed down for that long. The story and characters were very obviously referring to the current political goings-on, so there were a few laughs here and there. I will definitely try another of Harris'.

Next..........

Extricating Young Gussie
P.G. Woderhouse

Liz

24th November 2007, 19:57

I ended up reading five short stories featuring Jeeves;

~ Extricating Young Gussie
~ Leave It To Jeeves
~ Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest
~ Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg
~ The Aunt and the Sluggard

They were all very good - I'm looking forward to reading the next batch of Jeeves stories.

Next........

TIDELAND
Mitch Cullin

Louiseog

24th November 2007, 20:44

I LOVE PG Wodehouse!!!!!

Liz

9th December 2007, 14:42

Tideland was an unusual book but brilliant. It's pace is fairly slow and easy-going, which really suits the story and the characters well. I'm looking forward to watching Terry Gilliam's film of it again, now that I have read it.

The Day of the Triffids - I found this to be a really enjoyable science fiction tale. I loved the descriptions of a deserted London which has slowly begun to collapse and has been left to turn to ruin. I also found Wyndham's characters and the behaviour of the sighted and blind to be an excellent example of human behaviour in a time of crisis.

Next....................

Life of Pi
Yann Martel

Kell

9th December 2007, 15:36

I read a few PG Wodehouse stories earlierin the year and loved them. And Day of the Triffids is my favourite Wyndham too - excellent stuff!

Gyre

9th December 2007, 21:41

Happy Reading Liz x

Liz

31st December 2007, 19:16

Life of Pi - I did not get on with this book at all and it was a very disappointing read. I found the majority of it to be quite dull, especially...... the frequent descriptions of how Pi caught fish to feed himself and the tiger. I found it very hard to even like the main character, so it made reading about him very dull. The ending only just saved it from being a complete load of rubbish, but generally speaking, I found it to be a rather tedious story. If it was any longer, I think I would have given up on it. It may be a book that I will appreciate and enjoy more on a second read of it, but I do not think I will be doing that anytime soon.

To Serve Them All My Days - Reading this was such a contrast to the previos book I had read as I absolutely adored this book. I enjoy stories that are set in and around schools, and this one did not disappoint at all. It is a fairly long book (approx. 600 pages), but I found it to be well paced and did not become tired of the story (which follows a teacher over a period of 25 years). This was an excellent book to end the year with.

=======================

Wow, it's the end of 2007 already. I am very pleased with the books that I have managed to read over the past 12 months. There has not really been that many disappointing books, only a couple here and there. I am now looking forward to the next 12 months of reading. :D :D