Kell

W... W... W... Wednesdays What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next? What are you currently reading? Muriel Marbery – The Elegance of the Hedgehog After I mentioned it in my Friday Finds, a forum friend said he’d just finished this book and asked if I would like his copy as he was just going to donate it to a charity shop. I’m about halfway through this one and I’m unsure what I think of it actually. The writing is incredibly elegant, but the prose is a little more heavy-going than I’ve read more recently (I’ve mostly stuck to rather light fare as I don’t have much reading time and can only snatch short moments here and there, which isn’t conducive to more thoughtful material much of the time). It is very good, but I find it’s taking longer to digest than my “fluffy pudding” novels from the young adult section of the library. Sometimes you just need a fine meal instead of a dessert… Sarah Singleton – The Poison Garden I’ve not had much reading time yet due to all the festive pressures, so I’m only about a third of the way into this young adult novel. However, I am enjoying it immensely! I’ve previously read only one novel by this author (Century) and was impressed – this one promises to be just as compelling! What did you recently finish reading? Nothing! I didn’t finish anything at al lthis week, due to the aforementioned festive pressures… What do you think you’ll read next? All borrowed from the young adult section of the local library… Maureen Johnson – The Name of the Star I spotted this on various blogs and featured in my Friday Finds as I’m a bit of a Ripper nut and couldn’t resist. Lauren Kate – Torment (Fallen 2) I recently read the first one in the series, so I thought I’d see how it continues as it wasn’t a bad start. Laura Powell – The Game of Triumphs I just love the cover and the blurb on the back was so cryptic I decided to take it home with me. Sarah Singleton – Heretic I recently enjoyed Century by this author and thought I’d try this one featuring a girl accused of being the daughter of a Witch. Intriguing stuff - I love historical fiction!

JULY TO DECEMBER READING Aim: 52 books in 2012 Finished so far: 62 / 52 Abandoned: 4 RATINGS: 1/5 Dire - don't waste your time 2/5 OK, but nothing to write home about 3/5 Very good - well worth a read 4/5 Excellent 5/5 Superb - read it immediately! KEY: R - Reviewed for author or publisher C - reading Circle green - currently reading red - abandoned unfinished ~***~ FINISHED IN JULY: 2 35. Jude Morgan - The Secret Life of William Shakespeare (R ) - 3/5 36. Gabriella Pierce - 666 Park Avenue(R ) - 4/5 FINISHED IN AUGUST: 6 37. Charles Ogden - Edgar and Ellen: Rare Beasts - 4/5 38. Charles Ogden - Edgar and Ellen: Tourist Trap - 4/5 39. Charles Ogden - Edgar and Ellen: Under Town - 4/5 40. Charles Ogden - Edgar and Ellen:Pet's Revenge - 4/5 41. Charles Ogden - Edgar and Ellen:High Wire - 4/5 42. L R Fredericks - Fate (R ) - 4/5 FINISHED IN SEPTEMBER: 3 Everett Peacock - Death By Facebook (E) - ABANDONED 43. Marina Fiorato - The Venetian Contract (R ) - 4/5 44. Charles Ogden - Edgar and Ellen: Nod's Limbs - 4/5 45. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White (C ) - 4/5 FINISHED IN OCTOBER: 5 46. Suzanne Johnson – Royal Street(R ) - 3/5 47.Stephen Jones - Zombie Apocalypse! Fight Back (R ) - 4/5 48. Charles Jennings - A Brief Guide to Jane Austen: The Life and Times of the World's Favourite Author (R ) - 5/5 49. Regina O'Melveny - The Book of Madness and Cures (R ) - 3/5 50. Richard Castle – Heat Rises (Nikki Heat 3) - 3/5 FINISHED IN NOVEMBER: 5 51. Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games - 4/5 52. Malinda Lo - Huntress - 3/5 53. David Couldrey - The Fall of Charlie Dixon (R ) - 4/5 54. Philippa Gregory - The Changeling - 3/5 55. George RR Martin - Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire 1) - 4/5 FINISHED IN DECEMBER: 7 56. Lexi Revellion – The Ice Diaries (R ) - 3/5 57. Lexi Revellion – Replica (R ) - 4/5 58. Carole Matthews – Winter Warmers (K) - 3/5 59. Philippa Gregory – Changeling (Order of Darkness #1) - 3/5 60. Amy Cross – Ghosts: Book 1 (K) - 2/5 61. C W Gortner – The Queen’s Vow (R / B) - 4/5 62. Catherine M Valente – The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making - 3/5

JANUARY TO JUNE READING Aim: 52 books in 2012 Finished so far: 34 / 52 Abandoned: 3 RATINGS: 1/5 Dire - don't waste your time 2/5 OK, but nothing to write home about 3/5 Very good - well worth a read 4/5 Excellent 5/5 Superb - read it immediately! KEY: E - E-Book R - Reviewing for publisher or author BG - Reading for book group blue - currently reading red - abandoned unfinished ~***~ FINISHED IN JANUARY: 16 1. Joss Stirling - Stealing Phoenix (E) - 3/5 2. Anna Katharine Green – X Y Z A Detective Story (E) - 2/5 3. Cody Young - The Lady and the Locksmith (E) - 3/5 4. Cody Young - Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne (E) - 3/5 5. John H Carroll - The Emo Bunny That Should (E) - 3/5 6. Anne Bronte - Agnes Grey (E) - 4/5 7. Patrick deWitt - The Sisters Brothers - 4/5 8. Philippa Gregory - The Women of the Cousins’ War: The Duchess, the Queen and the King’s Mother - 5/5 9. Marissa Meyer - Cinder - 4/5 10. Caroline Hanson - Bewitching the Werewolf (E) - 2/5 11. Frances Hodgson Burnett - Little Lord Fauntleroy (E) - 4/5 12. Susan Hill - Howards End is on the Landing - 3/5 13. Jonathan Pinnock - Mrs Darcy Versus the Aliens - 3/5 14. Anne Frasier - Hush (E) - 4/5 15. Jackson Pearce - Sisters Red - 4/5 16. Tony Levy - A Turnkey Or Not? ® - 4/5 FINISHED IN FEBRUARY: 6 17. Amor Towles - Rules of Civility (R ) - 3/5 18. SJ Parris - Heresy (E) - 4/5 19. Jenn Ashworth - Cold Light (R ) - 3/5 M. D. Keating - Sunburnt (R ) - ADANDONED 20. Catherine Cooper - The Golden Acorn (E) - 3/5 21. Charlaine Harris - Dead Reckoning (Southern Vampires 11) - 3/5 22. Stuart MacBride - Birthdays for the Dead - 3/5 FINISHED IN MARCH: 5 23. Charles Dickens - Great Expectations (E) - 2/5 24. Terry Pratchett - Snuff (S) - 3/5 Lew Wallace - Ben-Hur (E/BG/C) - ABANDONED 25. Georgette Heyer - Regency Buck - 3/5 26. Thomas Hoover - Caribee (E) - 4/5 27. Steven Scaffardi - The Drought (R ) - 4/5 FINISHED IN APRIL: 4 28. Mark Stevens - Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Assylum (E) - 4/5 29. David Nordmark - Lose Weight Without Dieting The Animal Kingdom Way (E) - 3/5 30. Richard Herley - The Penal Colony (E) - 4/5 31. Richard Castle and Brian Bendis - Deadly Storm (graphic novel) - 4/5 FINISHED IN MAY: 2 32. Simon Haynes - Hal Spacejock (E) - 2/5 33. Jules Verne - Around the World In 80 Days (E) - 4/5 Jules Verne - The Mysterious Island (E/C) - ABANDONED FINISHED IN JUNE: 34. Robyn Young - Insurrection (Insurrection Trilogy 1) (R ) - 2/5

2006 reading (124 books + 21 short stories) 2007 reading (127 books) 2008 reading (58 books) 2009 reading (52 books) 2010 reading (58 books) 2011 Reading (90 Books) Once again my aim is to read a book for each week of the year (52), which, as I proved in 2011, is doable, even with my limited reading time. I'll also be taking part in several challenges. JANUARY TO JUNE READING JULY TO DECEMBER READING Reading Challenges: 2012 Genre Challenge Bookie Friends Favourites Challenge Bucket List Challenge Off the Shelf Challenge A-Z Challenge Classics Challenge E-Books Challenge Weekly Book Memes: Musing Mondays (Hosted by Should Be Reading) Cover Crazy (Hosted by The Book Worms) It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? (Hosted by Sheila) Teaser Tuesday (Hosted by Should Be Reading) Top Ten Tuesday (Hosted by Broke and Bookish) WWW Wednesday (Hosted by Should Be Reading) Booking Through Thursday (Hosted by BTT) Friday Finds (Hosted by Should Be Reading)

TEASER TUESDAY 1. Grab your current read 2. Open to a random page 3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! My teaser: Synopsis: Thomas has inherited a magical box from his dead grandmother, which provides entry into a mysterious garden where her ghost warns him she was poisoned. For once she belonged to an arcane guild, whose members each cultivated a garden and mastered the arts of poison, perfume and medicine. The remaining guild members jostle for power as, one by one, they are murdered. Can Thomas solve the mystery before he in turn is threatened? What I think of it so far: I’ve not had much reading time yet due to all the festive pressures, so I’m only about a third of the way into this young adult novel. However, I am enjoying it immensely! I’ve previously read only one novel by this author (Century) and was impressed – this one promises to be just as compelling! ~***~ TOP TEN TUESDAY TO PTEN BOOKS I WANT TO GIVE AS GIFTS My top ten books I want to give as gifts are… … oh, come on! You didn’t really expect me to tell you which books I’ve got for people’s Xmas gifts, did you? What if they read it? That would just ruin the surprise! I always get books for everyone at Xmas as part of their gift from me. So, how about I show you a list of books I’d like everyone who reads this to ask Santa to bring them for Xmas – think of it as my gift to readers everywhere. 1. The Plucker / The Devil’s Rose / The Child Thief by Brom (aka Gerald Brom) All three of these books are nothing short of brilliant. Brom’s artwork is astounding – dark and beautiful to the extreme – and his writing skills live up to their promise. These are the books I recommend to people most often and I’ve not heard of anyone being disappointed yet. The first two are illustrated novels, the third is a full length novel (with some ink drawings) and a reworking of the Peter Pan legend that, in my opinion, outstrips the original! 2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis Seriously, if you’ve never read these books, rectify that situation as soon as possible! They may be considered children’s books, but I heartily recommend them for readers of all ages – nobody is immune to their magic. I reread this series quite regularly (although I’ll admit to skipping A Horse and His Boy as I just don’t think it fits so well as the others). 3. Room by Emma Donoghue I was actually given this book for Xmas last year and it is a stunning novel of incredible depth. Having the story told from the point of view of a small boy who has no experience of the outside world is a very clever device that plunges the reader into his situation, completely immersing one in his experiences. 4. The Romans series by Simon Scarrow If you like historical fiction and find ancient Rome interesting, then this series is the one for you! Following the lives of Macro and Cato as they move up the ranks in the Roman legion and are sent all over the ancient world to restore order and complete missions that would defeat any others, this series is chock full of excitement and are meticulously researched for authenticity. 5. The Logan McRae series by Stuart MacBride If crime drama is your thing, then this Scot-noir series will get your pulse racing! The author is actually quite local to me and I’ve met him on several occasions, so I can testify to him being so incredibly nice that it’s hard to imagine how such dark stuff comes from his head! He’s another meticulous researcher, so you know that everything you read has been checked out and is true to life – perhaps scarily so! These are especially good if you know Aberdeen at all, because you’ll recognise all the locations, as well as some of the locals! 6. Nation by Terry Pratchett I was going to offer up the entire Discworld series here (and if you’ve not read them, do so immediately!), but thought I’d flag up this little gem instead. It’s completely different from his other novels, yet still bears his trademark wit and unparalleled storytelling skills. It’s sure to stick in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. 7. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman If you decide on this one, please do consider getting hold of the version illustrated by Chris Riddell – it’s worth it! This may be a children’s/young adult novel, but it’s a great read for ANY age, and you may find you enjoy reading it to your kids for double the pleasure (I’ve already read parts of it to Xander, who is only three years old, when he’s brought it over to me, and he loves it!). 8. The Princess Bride by William Golding Have you seen the film? It’s brilliant, isn’t it? The book is even better (although the film is an excellent adaptation) and has all the things you love about the film plus extra! If you loved the fact that Grandpa kept skipping bits, you’ll love that the book actually mentions doing the same and goes into some detail as to why. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hamper the flow – it adds to the experience. Everyone should own a copy of this book, so put it on your Xmas wish list immediately! 9. Ferney by James Long Let me make this clear – I do NOT read romance novels. I don’t like them. I don’t like mushiness. So when I recommend a novel featuring a romance that spans centuries, you know there’s something unusual about it. Seriously, there’s an awesomeness about the relationship that reignites between Ferney and Gally time and time again and one gets caught up in the conundrum of their past and the futility of their future. 10. The Nikki Heat series by Richard Castle Do you watch the show? Then you’ll be familiar with the combination of crime fighting / novel writing / and humour that characterises the partnership between Richard Castle and his muse, Detective Kate Beckett (the inspiration for Nikki Heat). You’ll also be aware that Richard Castle is, himself, a fictional character. That doesn’t stop these books from being great reads! If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll get a kick out of the in-jokes. If you’re not, you will still appreciate tight plotting and exciting writing. It’s a win-win situation, really! So, there you have it, my top ten list of books you should all have on your Xmas wish lists. Go on, grab a pen and start writing to Santa. You never know, you might find one or two of them slipped into your stocking on Xmas morning!

Two books I ordered as a treat for myself when I realised I had some Amazon online vouchers have arrived this morning (thie third one is a pre-order of a book that isn't published till January): - The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt - The Complete Book of Cross Stitch by various

MUSING MONDAYS What kind of books do you like to read? Why? Provide specific examples. I’m quite an eclectic reader, but I guess one of my big favourites would be historical fiction, especially those set during the Tudor dynasty or ancient Rome. I just adore fictional retellings of actual historic events, but these two periods fascinate me. In both cases its the way of life and political intrigue that grabs me every time. Examples of novels I’ve loved are (TUDOR) Philippa Gregory – The Other Boleyn Girl /The Boleyn Inheritance / The Queen’s Fool / The Virgin’s Lover / The Constant Princess / The Other Queen (TUDOR) Alison Weir – The Lady Elizabeth / Innocent Traitor (TUDOR) Jean Plaidy – The Lady in the Tower (ROMAN) Simon Scarrow – the Romans series (ROMAN) Michelle Moran – Cleopatra’s Daughter (ROMAN) Robert Graves – I, Claudius Another genre that has always grabbed me by the throat is vampires! There’s just something about vampires that gets my blood pumping and I can’t get enough of them. Some of them have been dreadful (Stephenie Meyers is number one on my hit list of authors who have ruined vampires – they SHOULD NOT SPARKLE!!!), but others have been marvellous and I keep returning to these books – they’re just so addictive! Just a tiny handful of the vampire novels I’ve loved: Bram Stoker – Dracula J Sheridan LeFanu – Carmilla Charlaine Harris – the Southern Vampires series Darren Shan – The Saga of Darren Shan series Dacre Stoker – Dracula The Un-Dead Elizabeth Kostova – The Historian Finally, I have to mention a newer genre that has me gagging for more – mash-ups! Whether it’s a dark re-imagining of a classic novel, or a re-written history of a public figure, they’re hilarious and wonderful reads. I’ve yet to be disappointed! I’ve read and loved the following (and there will be more!): A E Moorat – Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter Lynn Shepherd – Murder at Mansfield Park Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Amanda Grange – Mr Darcy, Vampyre Adam Roberts – I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas Sherri Browning Erwin & Charlotte Bronte – Jane Slayre Seth Grahame-Smith – Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter ~***~ COVER CRAZY What I love: Are you kidding? The red, black and white colour scheme; the central panel showcasing the Boy Who Never Grew Up; the ghostly, almost flickering images sweeping past behind him; the clear font with the title larger than the author’s name; what’s not to love? I adore Brom’s artwork and writing (if you haven’t already, go back and read his illustrated novels – The Plucker and The Devil’s Rose – they are awesome to the extreme and definitely NOT for children!), and this dark re-imagining of the Peter Pan myth is nothing short of stunning. The Child Thief is Brom’s first full-length novel and there are fewer illustrations than in the illustrated novels, but the pen and ink drawings are as dark and beautiful as fans of his artwork would expect, and his writing is, well, let’s just say it more than lives up to his visual artistry! I heartily recommend reading Brom’s works of fiction – they are brilliant! For my review of The Child Thief, click on the link HERE. Synopsis: In the vein of Gregory Maguire’s bestselling works, the award-winning artist Brom takes us on a haunting look at the true world of Peter Pan, in his first full-length novel. From modern-day New York to the dying land of Faerie, “The Child Thief” reveals the world of Peter Pan through the eyes of an insecure runaway who is seduced by Peter’s charm. But any dreams of a fairy wonderland are quickly replaced by the reality of life and death survival as Peter’s recruits are forced into a lethal battle in which the line between good and evil is blurred. ~***~ IT'S MONDAY, WHAT ARE YOU READING? Muriel Marbery – The Elegance of the Hedgehog After I mentioned it in my Friday Finds, a forum friend said he’d just finished this book and asked if I would like his copy as he was just going to donate it to a charity shop. I took him up on his very kind offer and will be reading it next… I’m enjoying it, but it’s not an easy read, so I only pick it up when I have some undisturbed reading time and I can concentrate on it. Sarah Singleton – The Poison Garden I saw this one in the young adult section of the library and fell in love with the cover – I can’t resist the combination of black, white and red with a touch of silver. I’m about half way through and it’s a great read. I just haven’t had a chance to finish it as I’ve been so busy with festive stuff!

I've been wondering when it would be out, as the first mini series was out in November last year. I'm guessing this was delayed because of Martin Freeman's involvement in The Hobbit... I know there was originally word that he couldn't do the Hobbit because of contractual obligations to Sherlock, but they must have swaped things around a bit so he could do both.

I just ordered the Sisters Brothers from Amazon today.

I realised today that I had £18 of Amazon vouchers, so I decided to treat myself and ordered the following: * Stuart MacBride - Birthdays For the Dead (pre-order - published 5th January 2012) * Patrick deWitt - The Sisters Brothers (for the Western section of my 2012 Genre Challenge) * Jane Alford - The Complete Book of Cross Stitch The latter two should be dispatched Saturday, so I'll have tem before Xmas (fingers crossed!).

This one isn't actually set in India, but America However, it is very good. It focuses more on the idea of being transplanted to a different country and culture...

Exactly what ER said. As long as each month you read one book from one of the genres on the list - a different one each month if doing the Maxi challenge (follow the gruides for the Midi and Mini challenges). You can read 12 different genres in a month if you really like, or you could dedicate each month to solely reading books from a single genre each month, but the idea is to open everyone up to trying something a bit different, even if they just read one each month (which is how I plan to do it). You can change your genres at any point so long as you keep to the rules. EG you might start out saying you're going to do historical fiction in January, but if you find you're more in the mood for a Western, nobody's going to scream "You can't do that!" Just switch your historical reading to a different month instead.

Went to the library with Xander yesterday and picked out some books for us both. I got 5 for me: Maureen Johnson – The Name of the Star Lauren Kate – Torment (Fallen 2) Laura Powell – The Game of Triumphs Sarah Singleton – Heretic Sarah Singlton – The Poison Garden Among the ones Xan took out was The Black Book of Colours by Menena Cottin and illustrated by Rosana Faria. It's so good I had to review it. You can find the review on the BCF Reviews blog HERE.

To my mind, A Horse and His Boy has no place in the Chronicles as it's the only one that doesn't feature human children getting to Narnia - it's outside of their adventures. And it's just nowhere near as good - full stop.

W... W... W... Wednesdays * What are you currently reading? * What did you recently finish reading? * What do you think you’ll read next? What are you currently reading? Muriel Marbery – The Elegance of the Hedgehog After I mentioned it in my Friday Finds, a forum friend said he’d just finished this book and asked if I would like his copy as he was just going to donate it to a charity shop. I’m about halfway through this one and I’m unsure what I think of it actually. The writing is incredibly elegant, but the prose is a little more heavy-going than I’ve read more recently (I’ve mostly stuck to rather light fare as I don’t have much reading time and can only snatch short moments here and there, which isn’t conducive to more thoughtful material much of the time). It is very good, but I find it’s taking longer to digest than my “fluffy pudding” novels from the young adult section of the library. Sometimes you just need a fine meal instead of a dessert… What did you recently finish reading? Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely 1) - 2/5 First in the Wicked Lovely series. It’s alright, but nothing to write home about. I’ve read rave reviews of this series all over the place, so I might give it a chance and read the second one, but there wasn’t anything particularly original about it other than it’s fairies instead of sparkly teenaged emo vampires (I’m sure you get my drift). The female lead is a good deal stronger than the “heroine” of the aforementioned sparkly vamps series, so that’s something in its favour at least. Actually, if I awarded half stars, I might add that extra half here, but I don’t so it has two stars only. Still, the series might get better… What do you think you’ll read next? Fresh from the young adult section of the local library yesterday morning… Maureen Johnson – The Name of the Star I spotted this on various blogs and featured in my Friday Finds as I’m a bit of a Ripper nut and couldn’t resist. Lauren Kate – Torment (Fallen 2) I recently read the first one in the series, so I thought I’d see how it continues as it wasn’t a bad start. Laura Powell – The Game of Triumphs I just love the cover and the blurb on the back was so cryptic I decided to take it home with me. Sarah Singleton – Heretic I recently enjoyed Century by this author and thought I’d try this one featuring a girl accused of being the daughter of a Witch. Intriguing stuff - I love historical fiction! Sarah Singleton – The Poison Garden And this one was right next to Heretic. I fell in love with the cover – I can’t resist the combination of black, white and red with a touch of silver.

TEASER TUESDAYS 1. Grab your current read 2. Open to a random page 3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! My teaser: Synopsis: We are in the center of Paris, in an elegant apartment building inhabited by bourgeois families. Renée, the concierge, is witness to the lavish but vacuous lives of her numerous employers. Outwardly she conforms to every stereotype of the concierge: fat, cantankerous, addicted to television. Yet, unbeknownst to her employers, Renée is a cultured autodidact who adores art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With humor and intelligence she scrutinizes the lives of the building’s tenants, who for their part are barely aware of her existence. Then there’s Paloma, a twelve-year-old genius. She is the daughter of a tedious parliamentarian, a talented and startlingly lucid child who has decided to end her life on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday. Until then she will continue behaving as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not an outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. Paloma and Renée hide both their true talents and their finest qualities from a world they suspect cannot or will not appreciate them. They discover their kindred souls when a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building. Only he is able to gain Paloma’s trust and to see through Renée’s timeworn disguise to the secret that haunts her. This is a moving, funny, triumphant novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us. What I think of it so far: I’m unsure what I think of it actually. The writing is incredibly elegant, but the prose is a little more heavy-going than I’ve read more recently (I’ve mostly stuck to rather light fare as I don’t have much reading time and can only snatch short moments here and there, which isn’t conducive to more thoughtful material much of the time). It is very good, but I find it’s taking longer to digest than my “fluffy pudding” novels from the young adult section of the library. Sometimes you just need a fine meal instead of a dessert… ~***~ Top Ten Tuesday 1. Ronia the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren I desperately wanted to be Ronia, living wild and free in a forest filled with wild harpies, grey dwarves, and other fairy folk! 2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis With the exception of the third book (A Horse and his Boy) I adore this series. Whenever I re-read them I just skip over the third one… 3. The Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton I begged my parents to send me to boarding school, with visions of midnight feasts, outdoor swimming pools and jolly hockey sticks. I fear the reality would have been far different, so I’m glad they said no! 4. The Snow Spider Trilogy by Jenny Nimmo This is a completely magical trilogy and I’ve re-read it many times over the years. It’s always just as beautiful. 5. The Nursery Alice by Lewis Carroll Long before I ever read the full-length version, I had this abridged one, beautifully illustrated and lovingly told. I’ve already read it to Xander several times. 6. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh I loved Harriet’s imagination. I too would have loved to have been a spy. Or a writer. So this appealed to me on both levels! 7. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White Such a sad story, but so beautiful that I loved it despite being terrified of spiders! 8. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder I devoured this entire series and was completely enthralled by the whole idea of living ni a little house and having a certain job for each day of the week, growing your own food, and having that whole prairie as a playground! 9. Starring Sally J Freedman As Herself by Judy Blume This is the Judy Blume book that I read over and over again. I was already on the stage, so Sally’s daydreams casting herself as a movie star really appealed to me. 10. Wonderful Fairy Stories retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge I still have this book with the most gorgeous illustrations you’ve ever seen. It’s now on Xander’s bookcase and I know I’m going to spend many happy hours reading these stories to him!

This is based on my reading from 1st January to date (6th December) Your favourite read of the year? - Room by Emma Donoghue Your favourite author of the year? - Philippa Gregory Your most read author of the year? - Julia Golding Your favourite book cover of the year? - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The book you abandoned (if there was more than one, the one you read least of)? Michael Cordy – The Colour of Death (I read less than one page!) The book that most disappointed you? - Audrey Niffenegger – Her Fearful Symmetry (after eloving The Time Traveler's Wife, this was a HUGE let-down!) The funniest book of the year? - Chris Riddell – Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (Ottoline 1) Your favourite literary character this year? - Cato and Macro from Simon Scarrow's Romans series Your favourite children's book this year? - Frances Hodgson Burnett – A Little Princess Your favourite classic of the year? - Frances Hodgson Burnett – A Little Princess Your favourite non-fiction book this year? - N/A Your favourite biography this year? - N/A Your favourite collection of short stories this year? - N/A Your favourite poetry collection this year? - N/A Your favourite illustrated book of the year? - Chris Riddell – Ottoline Goes to School (Ottoline 2) Your favourite publisher of the year? - No idea! Your favourite audiobook of the year? - N/A Honourable mentions to the following books rated 5/5: Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Secret Garden Cornelia Funke – Inkheart James Long – Ferney And the following, rated 4/5: John Boyne – Crippen Kevin Brookes – iBoy Sarwat Chadda – Devil’s Kiss (Devil’s Kiss 1) Elizabeth Chadwick – Shadows and Strongholds Cornelia Funke – Inkspell (Inkheart 2) Julia Golding – Cat Among the Pigeons (Cat Royal 2) Julia Golding – Cat O’ Nine Tails (Cat Royal 4) Seth Grahame-Smith – Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Philippa Gregory – The Red Queen (Cousins War 2) Douglas Jackson – Caligula (Transworld Book Group) Tove Jansson – Finn Family Moomintroll Jeanne Kalogridis – The Borgia Bride Daniel Keyes – Flowers For Algernon Malinda Lo – Ash Stuart MacBride – Shatter the Bones (Logan McRae 7) Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons – Watchmen (Graphic Novel) Erin Morgenstern – The Night Circus Terry Pratchett – I Shall Wear Midnight Steven A. Roman – Blood Feud (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Book 1) Simon Scarrow – The Legion (Romans 10) Nicholas Sparks - The Notebook Cody Young – American Smile

I think my numbers will go up again next year because I know I'm getting a Kindle and I shoul dhave my new iPod t oload u pwith audio books too.

MUSING MONDAYS How many books do you read in a week? Month? Year? Before I had Xander, I read, on average, anything between 125 and 150 books each year, so that worked out at around 2.5-3 books each week or 10.5-12.5 books each month. Since becoming a Mummy, my reading has dropped dramatically and initially I was reading only about a third of that, but so far this year I’ve finished 80 books (with still a few weeks to go), so that works out at around 7 each month or 1.5 each week. It’s a big drop from my pre-Mummy days, but it’s an improvement on the last couple of years when I hit 58 (2010), 52 (2009) and 58 (2008). I’m sure next year I’ll read even more again (unless I have another baby!). ~***~ COVER CRAZY What I love: The elegance of the title font; the way the author name fades into the script on the page; the ornate gold scrolling on the mask, the petals falling from the long-stemmed roses; the look of a page ripped directly from a personal diary. This cover screams opulence, elegance and simplicity, all of which is reflected in the novel (which is pretty good, by the way!). I picked this up earlier in the year for a quid in the local pound shop and bought it purely on the strength of the cover being so beautiful. It didn’t let me down. Synopsis: It was a time of discovery and decadence, when life became a gamble and the gold that poured endlessly into the port of Sevilla devalued money, marriage, and love itself. In the midst of these treacherous times, Juan Tenorio is born and then abandoned in the barn of a convent. Raised secretly by the nuns, he learns to love and worship all women and wants nothing more than to be a priest, until he falls in love with one of the sisters. When their affair is discovered, Juan leaves the Church forever. He is soon recruited to be a spy by the powerful Marquis de la Mota, who teaches him to become the world’s greatest libertine and seducer of women. But when he crosses swords with the most powerful man in the Empire, Don Juan must escape the murderous fury of the Inquisitor who battles all forms of debauchery, deviance, and heresy. It is after knowing countless women that he is convinced by the Marquis to keep a diary, and it is here within its pages that Don Juan reveals his greatest adventures and the Arts of Passion he mastered. But what finally compels him to confess everything and risk losing his life, livelihood, and honor is the most perilous adventure of all — the irresistible fall into the madness of love with the only woman who could ever make him forget all others.

Twilight Breaking Dawn Pt 1 - 1/5 Awful. See the thread for that film to see exactly what I thought of it! The Ides of March - 4/5 A real contender for Oscar nominations in the Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale - 5/5 Absolutely brilliant! Predominantly Finnish language with subtitles, but some English language too. If you only see one Xmas film this year, make it this one!

Noll, if you want to double check, I've added a little in the first spoiler here: If you want to know exactly how it happens it's in this second spoiler here (just in case you feel you need to know the ins and outs before deciding on watching it): And a separate note about the maid:

That's another thing, actually - the soundtrack to this one is pretty nothing-y as well. And the music is pretty much constant. It reminded me of whe nI tried to watch Twin Peaks, but couldn't because the constantly-present music was so loud I could hardly make out what the characters were saying. In this instance, I COULD hear what was being said, but the music playing ALL THE TIME was still very annoying. Sometimes there's a lot to be said for background SILENCE or just natural sound instead of music. I honestly cannot recall a single moment in that filmwhere there wasn't music playing - it drove me absolutely nuts! It possibly doesn't help that the other film I watched last night (The Ides of March) was nothing short of brilliant and, in my opinion, a definite contender for several Oscar nominations, so BDP1 suffered evenmore in comparison. At least my whole evening wasn't a complete bust! I would have happily paid twice for The Ides of March - it's THAT good!

Have now watched breaking Dawn Pt 1 and can honestly say it is the biggest heap of sh*te ever! If I had paid money to see it, I would be going postal on everyone who conspired to take my money from me. It was absolutely awful! I only watched this because a) I'm a completist when it comes to all things vampire and I've read all the books (below mediocre) and watched the previous films, and b) I figured it couldn't get any worse than the last one. I was wrong. The series started poorly and went downhill fast. There are SO many things wrong with it that it would be impossible to list them all, but a couple are that the CGI wolves are even worse than the ones they had in The Day After Tomorrow (and they were bloody awful!), and there were several instances where vamps had sunlight shining directly on them and there were absolutely no sparkles (but then, I think VAMPIRES SHOULDN'T SPARKLE anyway). I could wax lyrical on the poor performances and go into detail about just how badly the scene where the wolves were all talking telepathically sucked, but I'd just bore everyone, so I'll quit now.

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS! By following links to blogs taking part in various memes, I’ve heard about so many great books it would be impossible to list them all. I’m also a regular visitor to our local library and am always eagerly awaiting newly published books by my favourite authors. However, here are the ones that really stood out for me this week and for which I’ll be looking out on future book acquisition expeditions: - Brenna Yovanoff – The Space Between - Kendare Blake – Girl of Nightmares (Anna 2) - Amanda Hocking – Switched (Trylle Trilogy 1) - Tracy Barrett – Dark of the Moon - Elizabeth Scott – As I Wake - Sam Leith – The Coincidence Engine - Michael Scott and Colette Freedman – The Thirteen Hallows - SJ Parris – Giordano Bruno series (Heresy; Prophecy; Sacrilege) They’ve all gone onto my wish list!