Talisman

Last year I managed to get through 63 books, an enormous amount for me given that the year before (2011) I read less than half that. It would be nice of this year I managed to read a few more than that, but I don't have any specific goals for 2013 other than to enjoy those books that I do choose to read. Last year I managed to also get through 28 countries in the Around the World Reading Challenge, and it would be nice also to at least equal that, but the main thing is just to enjoy whatever books I decide to get. http://www.bookclubf...book-challenge/ http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/9795-junes-books-2012/ January How the Trouble Started: Robert Williams Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather: Pierre Szalowski The Granta Book of the African Short Story: Helon Habila (Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Sudan, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda) Thursdays in the Park: Hilary Boyd The Unlikely Pilgraimage of Harold Fry: Rachel Joyce Brick Lane: Monica Ali (Bangladesh) February Do They Hear You When You Cry: Layli Miller Bashir/Fauziya Kassinga (Togo) Capital: John Lanchester Origins of Love: Kishwar Desai (India) Pig: Andrew Cowan Black Skies: Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) Evening is the Whole Day: Preeta Samarasan (Malaysia) Travels in Blood and Honey: Elizabeth Gowing (Kosovo) Drown: Junot Diaz (Dominican Republic) Monique and the Mango Rains: Kris Holloway (Mali) March The Good Father: Noah Hawley (United States) Ways of Going Home: Alejandro Zambra (Chile) Human Remains: Elizabeth Haynes Viking 1: Odinn's Child: Tim Severin Viking 2: Sworn Brother: Tim Severin Viking 3: Kings Man: Tim Severin Requiem: Lauren Oliver (United States) Berlin - A Novel: Pierre Frei (Germany) April Narcopolis: Jeet Thayil (India) Pago Pago Tango: John Enright (American Samoa) Nowhere Man: Aleksandar Hemon (Bosnia) Hope - A Tragedy: Shalom Auslander (United States) Chavs - The Demonisation of the Working Class: Owen Jones The Buddha of Suburbia: Hanif Kureishi Pangea - An Anthology of Stories from Around the World May Escape from Camp 14: Elaine Harden (North Korea) Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: Helen Simonson I Remember You: Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Iceland) Dubai Dreams - Inside the Kingdom of Bling: Raymond Barrett (United Arab Emirates) A Good and Useful Hurt - Aric Davis (United States) Annie John - A Novel: Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua) The Beach: Alex Garland (Thailand) The Sea of Innocence: Kishwar Desai (India) The Long Walk - The True Story of a Trek to Freedom: Slavomir Rawicz (Poland) June The Magpies - Mark Edwards The Universe versus Alex Woods - Gavin Extence Pynter Bender - Jacob Ross (Grenada) Where the Earth Ends: John Harrison (Chile) The End of Your Life Book Club: Will Schwalbe (United States) July The Messenger of Athens - Anne Zaroudi (Greece) Harmattan - Gavin Weston (Niger) The Gift of Rain - Tan Twan Eng (Malaysia) Banana Heart Summer - Merlinda Bobis (Philippines) Mr G: A Novel About Creation - Alan Lightman Zift: A Noir Novel: Vladislaw Todorov (Bulgaria) The Rapture: Liz Jensen Someone to Watch Over Me: Yrsa Sigurdadottir (Iceland) Tree Girl: Ben Mikaelssen (Guatemala) Children of the Jacaranda Tree: Sahar Delajani (Iran) Redemption in Indigo: Karen Lord (Senegal) Sons for the Return Home: Albert Wendt (Samoa) The Uninvited: Liz Jensen August The Old Man and His Sons: Hedin Bru (Faroe Islands) The Ten Incarnations of Adam Avatar: Kevin Baldeosingh (Trinidad and Tobago) The Maids of Havana: Pedro Perez Sarduy (Cuba) And Still I Rise - Doreen Lawrence The Xenophobes Guide to Iceland - Richard Sale The Presidents Hat - Antoine Laurain (France) All Dogs Are Blue - Rodrigo Souza Leao (Brazil) September The Rook: Daniel O'Malley The 9th Fortress: JP Jackson The Silence and the Roar: Nihad Sirees (Syria) Mister Pip: Lloyd Jones (Papua New Guinea) The Age of Miracles: Karen Thompson Walker (United States) The Sacrificial Man: Ruth Dugdall The Light Between Oceans: ML Stedman (Australia) October Vital Conversations: Alec Grimsley The Cry: Helen Fitzgerald (Australia) Burial Rites: Hannah Kent (Iceland) A Place Where the Sea Remembers: Sandra Benitez (El Salvador) Under a Silent Moon: Elizabeth Haynes We the Animals: Justin Torres (Puerto Rico) Brotherhood: Dharma, Destiny and the American Dream: Deepak and Sanjiv Chopra (India/United States) November Iceland Defrosted: Edward Hancox (Iceland) The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: Jan-Philipp Sandker (Burma) An Armenian Sketchbook: Vasily Grossman (Armenia) Heaven and Hell: Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland) Transit - A Novel: Abdourahma A Waberi (Djibouti) And The Mountains Echoed: Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) December Three Years in Tristan - Kathleen Mary Barrow (Tristan de Cunha) A Gay and Melancholy Sound - Merle Miller (United States) The Sorrow of Angels - Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland) The Book of Night Women - Marlon James (Jamaica) A Palace in the Old Village - Tahar Ben Jelloun (Morocco) A Distant Shore - Caryl Phillips (St Kitts)

It was very good.

leaves

I am feeling a bit better and seem to be over the worst of it, but Coran has got it now as well, poor thing. Even though today is my last day in my current job, I thought it better not to go in, as I would only spread the germs to all the residents and to be honest, I can't really face it. I feel so much better in myself for having had a few days off, that I don't feel I do want to to back there now, at least not to work. If I am feeling up to it though, I ought to try and go in for half an hour later on though to say proper goodbyes and clear out my locker. It is sad in some ways that I wasn't able to work my last few days there, but if the job hadn't been so tiring and stressful then I wouldn't have got this bug in the first place, as your immune system has to be pretty low to get 2 colds in such quick succession, so all it really does is confirm that I have done the right thing. I guess then from now on they will have to learn to manage without me.

eating Cadbury's creme eggs instead, under the stairs

paragraph

Oranges and Sunshine - about a British social worker who uncovered the scandal of children deported to Australia without their parents konwledge or consent.

Wherever I Lay my Hat (That's my Home) - Marvin Gaye

Having just got rid of the cold I had all over Christmas and New Year, I have another one, which is even worse than the first one. Against my better judgment and knowing that I only have three days left to work there, I went to work today, but only managed an hour before I had to come home again. One moment I am hot, the next cold, and I have a horrible cough that once I start just can't stop. My right eye won't stop watering either. I doubt if I will be in tomorrow, as its meant to be my kitchen day (not a good idea to be coughing and spluttering around food), but I hope I will make it in on Wednesday, my last day so I can say a proper goodbye to everyone. Right now though, the only thing I want to do is curl up on the settee with a hot water bottle.

I haven't set myself any goals if I am honest, other than to simply enjoy the books that I read. Having completed 28 countries last year, I suppose it would be nice to at least equal that this year - judging by what I have read so far I shouldn't have too many problems !

Finished my third book of 2013 last night - The Granta Book of the African Short Story - an anthology of African short stories and novel extracts. This was an opportunity to complete another 13 countries - Kenya, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Senegal, Morocco, Gambia, Uganda, Sudan, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Angola and Guinea - in the one book, so for me was brilliant. The stories were pretty good too, with only one exception.

I am not sure what you mean by 'normal' Kindle, but I ticked that one anyway, as it is probably closest to what I have - a keyboard wifi.

pieces of cheese

Glad you're keeping safe Kylie. The hottest I have ever experienced was in Egypt when it reached 116 degrees. That was hot ! How I didn't get sunstroke I have never known ... I have though just completed my final 7 day stretch at work, and now have just 3 more days to go. I then have 4 days off before I start my new job on 21st. I will be glad in many ways to finish there, as it has become a toxic environment, but will miss most of the residents. Several of them are poorly at the moment, so may not be around for much longer anyway, hard as that sounds. Anyway, I am sure there are lots of lovely residents too in the new place.

sweet

egg, chips and beans

I can't really say that I do this - when I finish a book I either buy another one or read one that is already on my Kindle. The only exception to this is when I go on holiday where I download enough to last me for however long I will be away.

straight from an old lady's commode

Asparagus and leek risotto

an origami toilet roll

Hope you feel better soon Sofia. I had the flu bug over New Year, so you have my deepest sympathies. I have seven more days to work unitl I finally leave my job. I also just sold my first item on Ebay - my old camera, which went for £72. I am really pleased with that, as it will make up for not bring able to work on New Years Day because of the aforementioned flu.

Of course I wouldn't seriously say anything - the fact I am leaving already says it anyway, so I don't have to.

Thank you - they have so far - I am counting down the days. I am still not sure how I am going to tell the residents though - that is the only hard bit. If I had the opportunity though, I know exactly what I would like to say to the Director ...

I can't say that I read faster with my Kindle, but I do read a lot more.

In that case, I will go and download a copy now. Thanks.