Lucybird

I'll have to get hold of it but I'm happy to go with Everything is Illuminated

Synopsis (from Amazon) 'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.' He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.' 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN. Review Ok here goes. I know lots of people love this book, I'm read so many fantastic reviews, and maybe I'm missing something but I was less than impressed. I wasn't expecting One Day to be so chick-litty, I have nothing against chick-lit as such but I rarely read it and when I do it's because I want an easy, lazy read, and that means I have to know it's chick-lit first. I found it somewhat predictable, to the point that I was getting frustrated at the length of time it took for the inevitable to happen I suppose it was romantic in a way, the idea of fate, but it's nothing new. I didn't like the characters either. I thought that Dexter was a bit of an idiot honestly, and so self-centred. He took advantage of Emma and I didn't think he was good enough for her. Emma I found kind of smug, not exactly self-assured but at the same time rather self-satisfied, despite her criticisms of herself. Emma did at least grow on me though I did find the end quite good, and realistic. The ending really saved this story, and actually I would have liked more of it. 2.5/5

Finished One Day Started West End Girls- Jenny Colgan

Sleepy Reader. I think most of us have had run away mojos at some point or another (there's even a support group!). I seem to be quite lucky in that I've always managed to bring back my mojo by just reading an 'easy' book.

I hope you like Handle with Care, Laura. It's currently my favourite Picoult

Mercy is not the best. You should try Handle with Care, The Pact, 19 Minutes, or Change of Heart (which is a fairly similar idea to My Sister's Keeper). More recently I have found her a bit hit and miss.

Jimmy's Food Factory I like this show

I saw this challenge on a blog and thought that it sounded like good fun. My choices are in italics The 2011 Challenges 1: Staff Member’s Choice: Go to a bookstore or library that has a “Staff Picks” section. Read one of the picks from that section. 2: Loved One’s Choice: Ask a loved one to pick a book for you to read. (If you can convince them to buy it for you, that is even better!) 3: Blogger’s Choice: Find a “Best Books Read” post from a favorite blogger. Read a book from their list. The Siege- Helen Dunmore 4: Critic’s Choice: Find a “Best of the Year” list from a magazine, newspaper or professional critic. Read a book from their Top 10 list. The Hare with Amber Eyes- Edmund de Waal is mentioned by more than one writer in The Guardian. (So incidentally is Freedom- Jonathan Franzen but that seems like too obvious a choice) 5: Blurb Book: Find a book that has a blurb on it from another author. Read a book by the author that wrote the blurb. Nick Hornby- About a Boy (from blurb of One Day- David Nicholls) 6: Book Seer Pick: Go to The Book Seer and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you. The Terrible Privacy Of Maxwell Sim- Jonathan Coe 7: What Should I Read Next Pick : Go to What Should I Read Next? and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay- Michael Chabon (also a Rory read!) 8: Which Book Pick: Go to Which Book? and use the software to generate a list of books. Read a book from that list. The Earth Hums in B-Flat- Mari Strachan 9: LibraryThing Pick: Go to LibraryThing’s Zeitgeist page. Look at the lists for 25 Most Reviewed Books or Top Books and pick a book you’ve never read. Read the book. (Yes … you can click on MORE if you have to.) The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman 10: Pick A Method: Pick a method for finding a book from the choices listed below. Random Book Selection. Go to the library. Position yourself in a section such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery, Children (whatever section you want). Then write down random directions for yourself (for example, third row, second shelf, fifth book from right). Follow your directions and see what book you find. Check that book out of the library, read it and then write about it. (If you prefer, you can do the same at a bookstore and buy the book!) Public Spying. Find someone who is reading a book in public. Find out what book they are reading and then read the same book. Write about it. Random Bestseller. Go to Random.org and, using the True Random Number Generator, enter the number 1950 for the min. and 2010 for the max. and then hit generate. Then go to this site and find the year that Random.org generated for you and click on it. Then find the bestseller list for the week that would contain your birthday for that year. Choose one of the bestsellers from the list that comes up, read it and write about it.

lol. I'm doing the Take a Chance Challenge this year. It's not too long so with that and Rory I should still be able to read books just for the fun of it! Actually I might post a thread on it here I've read most of One Day now. Must admit I don't think it's that great.

You can find my new thread here

Synopsis (from Amazon) Set in Birmingham, The News Where You Are tells the funny, touching story of Frank, a local TV news presenter. Beneath his awkwardly corny screen persona, Frank is haunted by disappearances: the mysterious hit and run that killed his predecessor Phil Smethway; the demolition of his father’s post-war brutalist architecture; and the unmarked passing of those who die alone in the city. Frank struggles to make sense of these absences while having to report endless local news stories of holes opening up in people’s gardens and trying to cope with his resolutely miserable mother. The result is that rare thing: a page-turning novel which asks the big questions in an accessible way, and is laugh-out-loud funny, genuinely moving and ultimately uplifting. Review I really liked Catherine O'Flynn's What was Lost so I was excited when I saw that she had a new book out. I must admit that well I found this book had a certain something to it it didn't hook me the way that What was Lost did, I can't imagine remembering much about The News Where you are in a couple of years. I think actually what I liked the most about it was that it was set in Birmingham and I could recognise places from it. I did think the characters were really well written, I liked Mo especially because she had that seriousness that is kind of funny and cute in kids. I like Frank's Mum too, she was kinda sarcastic and funny too. It wasn't really what I expected. The blurb on the back of the book didn't really describe it very well. I had the impression that Phil's mysterious death was the main plot line but actually it wasn't even a plot at all till half way through, and then it was only a niggling thought. It didn't become a major plot until the end and then it wasn't because Frank was investigating it. 4/5

Finished The News Where you are. Not sure what I'm going to read next.

Hia everybody. I remembered this thread from 2010 so thought I would started a 2011 version. What books are you looking forward to in 2011. There's a new Thursday Next (by Jasper Fforde) out in February 'One of our Thursdays in Missing' which I'm hoping to finish the other Thursday Next books in time to read. There's also a new Sookie Stackhouse out Dead Reckoning. Plus there's a new No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party Oh and a new Jodi Picoult, Sing you Home

Thanks bookworm I love cali's new one

My Review of the Year is up on my blog now... Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

We watched The Road last night, kinda depressing

I hope I get some good reads too. I want to keep going with Thursday Next, there's a new one coming out next year so I want to catch up in time for that if I can. I'm looking forward to reading some on my TBR pile too

Take a Chance Challenge 2011 I saw the Take a Chance Challenge on a blog and thought that it sounded like good fun. The thread for this challenge is here My choices are in italics striked options are those I have read The 2011 Challenges 1: Staff Member’s Choice: Go to a bookstore or library that has a “Staff Picks” section. Read one of the picks from that section. 2: Loved One’s Choice: Ask a loved one to pick a book for you to read. (If you can convince them to buy it for you, that is even better!) I am Number Four- Pittacus Lore 3: Blogger’s Choice: Find a “Best Books Read” post from a favorite blogger. Read a book from their list. The Siege- Helen Dunmore 4: Critic’s Choice: Find a “Best of the Year” list from a magazine, newspaper or professional critic. Read a book from their Top 10 list. The Hare with Amber Eyes- Edmund de Waal is mentioned by more than one writer in The Guardian. (So incidentally is Freedom- Jonathan Franzen but that seems like too obvious a choice) 5: Blurb Book: Find a book that has a blurb on it from another author. Read a book by the author that wrote the blurb. Nick Hornby- About a Boy (from blurb of One Day- David Nicholls) 6: Book Seer Pick: Go to The Book Seer and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you. The Terrible Privacy Of Maxwell Sim- Jonathan Coe 7: What Should I Read Next Pick : Go to What Should I Read Next? and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay- ]Michael Chabon (also a Rory read!) 8: Which Book Pick: Go to Which Book? and use the software to generate a list of books. Read a book from that list. The Earth Hums in B-Flat- Mari Strachan 9: LibraryThing Pick: Go to LibraryThing’s Zeitgeist page. Look at the lists for 25 Most Reviewed Books or Top Books and pick a book you’ve never read. Read the book. (Yes … you can click on MORE if you have to.) The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman 10: Pick A Method: Pick a method for finding a book from the choices listed below. Random Book Selection. Go to the library. Position yourself in a section such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery, Children (whatever section you want). Then write down random directions for yourself (for example, third row, second shelf, fifth book from right). Follow your directions and see what book you find. Check that book out of the library, read it and then write about it. (If you prefer, you can do the same at a bookstore and buy the book!) Public Spying. Find someone who is reading a book in public. Find out what book they are reading and then read the same book. Write about it. Random Bestseller. Go to Random.org and, using the True Random Number Generator, enter the number 1950 for the min. and 2010 for the max. and then hit generate. Then go to this site and find the year that Random.org generated for you and click on it. Then find the bestseller list for the week that would contain your birthday for that year. Choose one of the bestsellers from the list that comes up, read it and write about it.

Hi Cyra. to BCF!

Hia! to the forum.

Rory Gilmore Booklist Challenge (started 2010) Have decided to take part in this challenge. I'm not actually expecting to read all the books in my want to read list but am going to see how many I can read without actually giving up on reading other books! Will be adding to my TBR pile as I get hold of books. For books I read as part of this challenge in 2010 have a look at my old thread or my blog. What I want to read: Atonement by Ian McEwan The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Beloved by Toni Morrison Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Charlotte's Web by E. B. White Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Emma by Jane Austen Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 of The Lord of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien Frankenstein by Mary Shelley George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy The Gospel According to Judy Bloom The Graduate by Charles Webb The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Hamlet by William Shakespeare Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare Henry V by William Shakespeare High Fidelity by Nick Hornby The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (Have started this one as a reading circle book on here but couldn't get past the first 100 pages, still I may go back to it) Macbeth by William Shakespeare Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier The Return of the King: The Lord of the Rings Book 3 by J. R. R. Tolkien Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers The Sonnets by William Shakespeare Sophie's Choice by William Styron Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon And have read: Pre-challenge To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront� Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger Brick Lane by Monica Ali Babe by Dick King-Smith Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt 1984 by George Orwell Books read '10 Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides The Complete Polysyllabic Spree- Nick Hornby Wicked- Gregory Maguire The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky High Fidelity- Nick Hornby Books read '11 Everything is Illuminated- Johnathan Safran Foer A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius- Dave Eggers Snow White and Rose Red- The Brother's Grimm Rupunzel- The Brother's Grimm

I thought it was about time for a new thread. My 2009-2010 thread can be found here. You can also find all my reviews over at my book blog. My wishlist is already out of control, but I'm always looking for suggestions, so feel free to suggest away. Books read 2011 (60) January (5) One Day- David Nicholls West End Girls- Jenny Colgan The Help- Kathryn Stockett The Siege- Helen Dunmore Beauty- Robin McKinley February (5) Everything is Illuminated- Johnathon Safron Foe Shades of Grey- Jasper Fforde When God was a Rabbit- Sarah Winman About a Boy- Nick Hornby Something Rotton- Jasper Fforde March (4) Our Tragic Universe- Scarlett Thomas Magyk- Angie Sage First Among Sequels- Jasper Fforde One of Our Thursdays is Missing- Jasper Fforde April (5) A Wild Sheep Chase- Haruki Marukami I am Number Four- Pittacus Lore Sarah's Key- Tatiana de Rosnay Flyte- Angie Sage Living Dolls (The Return of Sexism)- Natasha Walter May (4) Pigeon English- Stephen Kelman The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty- Sebastian Barry The House at Riverton- Kate Morton June (7) Physik- Angie Sage Queste- Angie Sage Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- J.K. Rowling Dragon's Pupils: The Sword Guest- Martin Chu Shui The Earth Hums in B Flat- Mari Strachan Darkly Dreaming Dexter- Jeff Lindsey The Piano Tuner- Daniel Mason July (6) Syren- Angie Sage Flesh and Grass- Libby Cone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K. Rowling The Economics of Ego Surplus- Paul MacDonnold The Weight of Silence- Heather Gudenkauf A Week in December- Sebastian Fawkes August (7) Half Blood Blues- Esi Edugyan The In-Between Woman- Rabindranath Tagore Sputnik Sweetheart- Haruki Murakami The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim- Johnathan Coe In the Kitchen- Monica Ali Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling That Day in September- Artie Van Why September (4) A Heartbreaking Word of Staggering Genius- Dave Eggers Million Dollar Mates- Cathy Hopkins Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling The Distant Hours- Kate Morton October (5) An American Wife- Curtis Seinfield The Piano Teacher- Janice Y.K. Lee Darke- Angie Sage Alison Wonderland- Helen Smith Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling November (3) The President's Last Love- Andrey Kurkov Crazy- Benjamin Lebert The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts- Louis de Bernieres December (5) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- J.K. Rowling 10 Reasons to Leave a Lover The Hare with the Amber Eyes- Edmund de Waal Grimm's Fairytales The Girl Who Played With Fire- Stieg Larson To be read pile 14 (books in italics are Book Challenge books) Bram Stoker- Dracula Atonement by Ian McEwan Charlotte's Web by E. B. White Emma by Jane Austen Lord of the Rings- JRR Tolkien The Brother's Grimm Fairytales Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Persuasion- Jane Austen Her Fearful Symmetry- Audrey Niffenegger A Game of Thrones- George R.R. Martin Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell- Susanna Clarke

I'm half watching It's a Wonderful Life now.

I finished House Rules- Jodi Picoult

Synopsis (from Amazon) Jacob Hunt is a teenager: brilliant at maths, wicked sense of humour, extraordinarily organised, hopeless at reading social cues. And Jacob has Asperger's. He is locked in his own world – aware of the world outside, and wanting to make a connection. Jacob tries to be like everyone else, but doesn't know how. When his tutor is found dead, all the hallmark behaviours of Jacob's syndrome – not looking someone in the eye, odd movements, inappropriate actions – start looking a lot like guilt to the police. And Jacob's mother must ask herself the hardest question in the world: is her child capable of murder? Review I am quite happy to say that Jodi Picoult is a favourite author of mine, however recently I've found her writing to be a little hit and miss. For example I loved Handle with Care- it was my favourite read last year, and quite probably my favourite Picoult book, but I really was not impressed with Second Glance, which I wouldn't even give a second glace (haa haa aren't I hilarious?). For these reasons I was excited about reading House Rules but also a little...anxious is I suppose the most fitting word. I was really interested in the subject and hopeful that it would be done well. As someone who works with children- some of whom have learning disabilities, and has a degreee in psychology. Kids like Jacob are the type that I eventually want to work with, I hope to take a masters in Educational psychology in the not too distant future. I wanted this book to be informative and still have the interest that Picoult usually gives me, a sort of mystery and a crime story, and of course the emotional side which really gives Picoult's writing heart. As far as an account of life with- and for a child with Asperger's syndrome I thought it was pretty honest and informative- it told me things I did not know (although I can't claim to know a great deal about Asperger's, having only studied autism on a wider scale) and gave the human side- what it felt like for the family, and even for the 'sufferer'. As for the crime side, it was done well, and did have me wondering to some extent right up to the end- although I did work out a key part of the plot long before it was explicitly said As a first Picoult read I would probably put a few books as a first choice before House Rules. For a first time reader I would probably recommend either My Sister's Keeper or Handle with Care, but if you have read and enjoyed Picoult's writing in the past I don't think you will be disappointed by this one. 4/5