tunn300

As I have never attempted a challenge before I thought this year I would give one a go. I have decided to join Poppy and a few others in reading the books selected for the 2012 World Book Night. Hopefully this will also help me achieve another goal I have this year which is to read at least one classic. Have not read any of these since high school and think it is high time to give one a go. Read so far - 19/100 1 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 2 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 3 The Book Thief - Markus Zusak 4 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 5 The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger 6 The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien 7 The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 8 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 9 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier 10 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 11 American Gods - Neil Gaiman 12 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini 13 Harry Potter Adult Hardback Boxed Set - J. K. Rowling 14 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon 15 The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien 16 One Day -David Nicholls 17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks 18 The Help - Kathryn Stockett 19 Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell 20 Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman 21 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks 22 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson 23 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood 24 The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald 25 Little Women - Louisa M. Alcott 26 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden 27 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold 28 Atonement - Ian McEwan 29 Room - Emma Donoghue 30 Catch-22 - Joseph Heller 31 We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver 32 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman 33 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres 34 The Island - Victoria Hislop 35 Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman 36 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver 37 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger 38 Chocolat - Joanne Harris 39 Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro 40 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom 41 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez 42 Animal Farm - George Orwell 43 The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett 44 The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde 45 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy 46 Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl 47 I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith 48 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks 49 Life of Pi - Yann Martel 50 The Road - Cormac McCarthy 51 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 52 Dracula - Bram Stoker 53 The Secret History - Donna Tartt 54 Small Island - Andrea Levy 55 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett 56 Lord of the Flies - William Golding 57 Persuasion - Jane Austen 58 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving 59 Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson 60 Watership Down - Richard Adams 61. Night Watch - Terry Pratchett 62 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley 63 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon 64 Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke 65 The Color Purple - Alice Walker 66 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult 67 The Stand - Stephen King 68 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell 69 The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov 70 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy 71 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons 72 Frankenstein - Mary Shelley 73 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer 74 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 75 Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell 76 The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 77 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins 78 The princess Bride - William Goldman 79 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth 80 Perfume - Patrick Suskind 81 The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas 82 The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy 83 Middlemarch - George Eliot 84 Dune - Frank Herbert 85 Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel 86 Stardust - Neil Gaiman 87 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov 88 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie 89 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J. K. Rowling 90 Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts 91 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro 92 Possession - A.S. Byatt 93. Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin 94 Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami 95 The Magus - John Fowles 96 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne 97 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry 98. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood 99 Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami 100 The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

Books read in 2010 - 30 (on BCF can be found here) Books read in 2011 - 39 (on BCF can be found here) Books read in 2012 - 11 [Kindle eBooks - 6 Paperbacks - 1 Library Books - 4] January Darkside - Belinda Bauer 8/10 The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 9/10 February Shatter - Michael Robotham 9/10 March The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt 9/10 Star Island - Carl Hiaasen 8/10 April The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins 9/10 May Capital - John Lanchester 8/10 June Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins 9/10 July August The Prisoner of Heaven - Carlos Ruiz Zafon 8/10 September October Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins 8/10 Finders Keepers - Belinda Bauer 9/10

This post will detail the inevitable books I acquire in 2012 and when I purchased them. 2012 ebooks purchased The Calling of the Grave - Simon Beckett (February) The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue (March) The Hunger Games - Suzanne Colins (March) Catching Fire - Suzanne Colins (May) Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (May) 2012 books purchased Carte Blanche - Jeffery Deaver (June) 2012 library loans The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt (February) Star Island - Carl Hiaasen (March) The Report - Jessica Francis Kane (March) Capital - John Lanchester (April)

Well it's nearly 2012 and I thought it best to set up my 3rd ever reading blog. Since joining this forum my reading has diversified so much and that is what I love about it. Just browsing other people's blogs sets me off on such different tangents to what I used to read. My reading tastes have definitely changed as in 2011 my top 3 books of the year included no crime books!! Anyway here are the pre-2012 (and some pre-2011) books and ebooks I shall try to read this year. Pre-2012 Books The Prophecy - Chris Kuzneski Sword of God - Chris Kuzneski Six Suspects - Vikas Swarup The Devil's Punchbowl - Greg Iles Belfast Confidential - Colin Bateman Orpheus Rising - Colin Bateman The Horse With my Name - Colin Bateman In the Woods - Tanya French Double Whammy - Carl Hiaasen Tourist Season - Carl Hiaasen The Rapture - Liz Jensen Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese Brixton Beach - Roma Tearne Count to Ten - Karen Rose Darkhouse - Alex Barclay Life Expectancy - Dean Koontz The Caller - Alex Barclay In the Dark - Mark Billingham Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith The Pirate's Daughter - Margaret Cezair-Thompson Twilight - Stephenie Meyer The Book Thief - Markus Zusak A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini Wish You Were Here - Mike Gayle Bloodline - Mark Billingham The Twilight Time - Karen Campbell Down River - John Hart Club Dead - Charlaine Harris Dead to the World - Charlaine Harris Dead As A Doornail - Charlaine Harris All Together Dead - Charlaine Harris Definitely Dead -Charlaine Harris From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris Labyrinth - Kate Mosse Death Trip - Lee Weeks Too Close To Home - Linwood Barclay Shatter - Michael Robotham The Drowning Man - Michael Robotham The Crucifix Killer - Chris Carter Heartsick - Chelsea Cain Sweetheart - Chelsea Cain The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night - Christoper Brookmyer Blood at the Bookies - Simon Brett The Angels Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon Fingersmith - Sarah Waters Two Caravans - Marina Lewycka The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry Skippy Dies - Paul Murray Pre-2012 ebooks My **** Life so Far - Frankie Boyle The Trophy Taker - Lee Weeks Splinter - Sebastian Fitzek The Hanging Shed - Gordon Ferris Moab is my Washpot - Stephen Fry The Leopard - Jo Nesbo The Blasphemer - Nigel Farndale Playing the Game - Simon Gould Ordinary Thunderstorms - William Boyd Let The Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist Nemesis - Jo Nesbo Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton May I Have Your Attention Please - James Cordon Look at Me - Jennifer Egan Back of Beyond - C.J. Box The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga The Dogs of Rome - Conor Ftzgerald The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman Darkside - Belinda Bauer Although nowhere near as long as many other TBR piles on here, still a reasonable amount to get through, especially at my current 30-40 books a year reading pace. I won't try to make the bold claim like last year that I will not buy many books this year as I just know I can't stick to it thanks to recommendations on here.

Hope that you enjoy it Claire!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson Synopsis Amazon Major Ernest Pettigrew is perfectly content to lead a quiet life in the sleepy village of Edgecombe St Mary, away from the meddling of the locals and his overbearing son. But when his brother dies, the Major finds himself seeking companionship with the village shopkeeper, Mrs Ali. Drawn together by a love of books and the loss of their partners, they are soon forced to contend with irate relatives and gossiping villagers. The perfect gentleman, but the most unlikely hero, the Major must ask himself what matters most: family obligation, tradition or love? Funny, comforting and heart-warming, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand proves that sometimes, against all odds, life does give you a second chance. Review I bought this book around this time last year with some Amazon vouchers I had received with my Kindle. It was a book I really liked the sound of and am not sure why it has taken me so long to getting around to actually read it. The story is told by Major Ernest Pettigrew, a man who very much believes in the morals and values of his generation that appear to slowly be disappearing in modern Britain. He is a very likeable character and I really enjoyed reading about the inner conflicts within him during the book. These often involve deciding between doing something that is correct in polite society or something that is correct for his heart. The book revolves mainly around the Major's blossoming relationship with the local shopkeeper in the village. Both have lost their partners and are bought together by a shared passion for books, particularly Kipling. The fact however that the shopkeeper, Mrs Ali, is of an Asian origin causes much social awkwardness amongst the villagers. Running alongside their relationship are several other small village stories including the Major trying to reunite his fathers famous guns, Mrs Ali being forced to give up her shop to her nephew, as is family tradition, and the Major trying to come to terms with what his son (now a worker in the city) has become. There are also a few other little stories but these are central to other plot points so I will not spoil them for you. I found each little point of the plot fascinating and well crafted and by the end I felt they had all been drawn together nicely. The only slight disappointment for me was the ending of the book, in that it was very dramatic and so out of keeping with the rest of the book however it did not spoil my enjoyment. I definitely recommend this book as an enjoyable trip into village life and I am sure there are still villages out there similar to Edgecome St. Mary. The journey the Major embarks on and how he changes throughout the book is done beautifully and I had to keep reading to find out more. 9/10

I have managed to polish off 'Major Pettigrew's Last Stand' by Helen Simonson over the past few days. Really enjoyed it and will post my review of it over the next couple of days. I want to try and finish one more book before the end of the year and will choose what to start later tonight. Unbelievably I received no books for Christmas this year, the first time ever I think. I did get an Amazon voucher though and have already started spending it today picking up Jennifer Egan's novel 'Look at Me' in today's 12 days of kindle sale for just 99p. Hoping for a more bargains to appear on there over the next few days.

I began the day with An Idiot Abroad On my way to work I saw The Perfect Murder and walked by Room to avoid Darkly Dreaming Dexter but I made sure to stop at Eleven In the office, my boss said, What You See is What You Get and sent me to research The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest At lunch with Sister I noticed Snowdrops under The Killing Floor then went back to my desk at 1222 Later, on the journey home, I bought Flowers for Algernon because I have A Visit From the Goon Squad then settling down for the evening, I picked up Water for Elephants and studied The Murder of Roger Ackroyd before saying goodnight to Dexter in the Dark

Well with 7 reading days left until the new year I am hopeful of finishing the book I am currently reading (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand) and hopefully one more. That would give me a total of 39 books read this year, so a little short of my 40 target but 9 more than last year. As the year is drawing to a close I have found myself reflecting back upon this years reading and forming my own top 3 books I have read this year. In at 3 - Room by Emma Donoghue This was the first truly great book I read this year and even though I read it way back in January I can still remember the characters and the emotions the book stirred up in me. Donoghue managed to capture perfectly the voice of a 5 year old who thought what he was experiencing was perfectly normal and this in turn made the book even more compelling. I think this is a book that will stick with me for a long time. In at 2 - Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize this year and I personally preferred it to the eventual winner. I read the book over the summer during the precise period the London riots were happening and its narrative of life on a sprawling London council estate matched what was being played out in real life. The quote 'a war is coming to England' from very early on in the book looked very prophetic as I was reading it. The book is again told from the perspective of a child, 11 year old Harri, who has just arrived in England from Ghana. Again the innocence of a child telling an incredibly depressing story is one that elevates the book beyond the ordinary. I think Kelman captures Harri's innocence perfectly and constructed an ending that had effected me more than any other book in quite some time. This years number 1 - The Help by Kathryn Stockett I loved this book and simply could not put it down. I thought the characters were expertly constructed and the three women had such different but authentic voices that I have to salute Stockett's writing ability. The book taught me a great deal more about the fall out from slavery in America and also showed the real strength of character some people have to stand up for what they believe in. It genuinely is a book that had me laughing out loud, sitting on the edge of my chair and very upset. This roller coaster of emotions is perfectly formed and makes for a fantastic book. Whilst these are my top three I have read some other superb books this year that I have given 10/10 and they deserve at least a mention. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - A great end to a superb trilogy of books. Sister by Rosamund Lupton - A book that surprised me in its brilliance and so close to being in my top 3. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson - A thriller with a difference and some very exciting plot twists. I think this is probably the first year that I don't have any crime books, in the true sense of the word, in my top 3. Maybe my tastes are changing and that is certainly a factor the recommendations I receive reading posts on here. Hopefully I will have a couple more reviews to post before this years book list comes to a close but I hope everybody has a great Christmas and New Year holiday and I look forward to a good year of reading in 2012.

I have made a start on 'Major Pettigrew's Last Stand' by Helen Simonson this morning. It feels like a very gentle tale of country life and fits perfectly with the location I am currently staying in for my wedding anniversary.

I couldn't believe they told me either! I certainly won't be sharing what I am reading with them again. Hope you have a great Christmas and New Year too and also thanks to you for some great reviews this year.

Snowdrops - A.D. Miller Synopsis Amazon Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2011, Snowdrops is THE debut of 2011: A stunning novel of moral ambiguity, uncertainty and corruption. Snowdrops. That's what the Russians call them - the bodies that float up into the light in the thaw. Drunks, most of them, and homeless people who just give up and lie down into the whiteness, and murder victims hidden in the drifts by their killers. Nick has a confession. When he worked as a high-flying British lawyer in Moscow, he was seduced by Masha, an enigmatic woman who led him through her city: the electric nightclubs and intimate dachas, the human kindnesses and state-wide corruption. Yet as Nick fell for Masha, he found that he fell away from himself; he knew that she was dangerous, but life in Russia was addictive, and it was too easy to bury secrets - and corpses - in the winter snows... Review This book came to my attention as it had been shortlisted for the Man Booker prize. This is the third shortlisted book I have read this year and so far my least favourite. The book is set in Moscow and centers around Nick a British lawyer making a killing in post communist Russia. He becomes involved in a relationship with Masha and to a certain extent her sister Katya. The plot revolves around how far Nick will betray his own moral values for these women. The book is meant as a letter to Nick's current fiance explaining all he has done wrong in the past and we get referrals to her throughout the book. I did find parts of the book interesting and especially learning about post communist Russia. My real problem with the book is that from the outset it is obvious something is wrong with Masha and Katya and it becomes clear very early on what they are using Nick to do. I was hoping this was then building to an epic finish but sadly it just plods along doing everything I had expected from it. In fact I find the ending almost implausible in the little action that Nick then takes. It is certainly not a book that will live long in the memory or one that challenges my thinking greatly. 7/10

I polished off the last 150 pages of 'The Payback' by Simon Kernick this morning and then got stuck straight into 'Snowdrops' by A.D. Miller. Am now about 60 pages into that and plan to read some more before bed. Hasn't exactly got me gripped so far but still intrigued enough to read on. A good days reading really and despite spending a lot of time on here catching up with what has been going on, no books purchased ....yet.

The Payback - Simon Kernick Synopsis Amazon TWO COPS, ONE CITY, NO MERCY Dennis Milne is a man with a past, and a past that involves murder. A former cop, he's earned his living killing the bad guys - drug-dealers, corrupt business men - people who, in his opinion, deserve to die. For the past two days, he's been in Manila, waiting for his next target: a young woman who's made herself some poor life-choices, and some even worse enemies. DI Tina Boyd is a woman on a mission. Tough, spiky and determined, she's looking for the man she holds responsible for the death of her lover. She knows this man's ruthless. She knows he's dangerous. But he's in Manila, and she's determined to find him - before he finds her. Two cops with pasts that haunt them - and a present that could see them both dead. They are about to meet. And when they do, it's payback time ... Review Simon Kernick is one of my favourite crime authors and I have read all his previous work. I purchased this book after its recent kindle price drop due to the release of the paperback. I read it in three main sittings. The book brings together two characters Kernick has been using in his books for a while, Tina Boyd and Dennis Milne. Although they both worked for the same police force it was at different times and their paths have never really crossed before. In this book they team up to take on another of Kernick's long running characters Paul Wise with the majority of the action set in Manilla. The book, like all of Kernicks, is made up of short chapters and is incredibly fast paced. The narrator in the book jumps between various characters and is always told from their point of view. I have to say that whilst I did enjoy this book and raced through it, I felt it was not as good as his previous work. I found all the plot twists very predictable and nothing that happened really surprised me. This could be because I have just read an Agatha Christie book that was full of genuinely shocking twists but I also feel Kernick has almost run out of ideas for these particular characters and this storyline. Many of the plot points in this book seemed very unrealistic and the romance between the two lead characters was both inevitable but also disappointing in that it just didn't fit for me. I will definitely read Kernick's work again in the future and hope that the new characters he mentions that he has in mind bring something new and more exciting to his writing. I really hope people don't start their reading of Kernick with this book as it is a poor representation of the stories he is capable of telling. 7/10

Duncan, A quick piece of advice if you want to keep the cost down. Take the one month free trial and download your first book for free. Then when your trial is nearing the end click on cancel membership and they will always offer you a deal to try the service for longer at a reduced price. This is normally another 3 months at £3.99 a month. Try it for these four months and it will cost £12 to get 4 audiobooks and then you can decide if it is worth continuing at £7.99 a month.

Great thoughts about the Kindle Milo and I thoroughly enjoy using mine. One thing I think people now need to think about though is the cost of ebooks. Whilst it is true that there are no production costs as such in producing an e-book compared to a print version there are also many other benefits. Your e-book for instance will not degrade or become damaged over time. You cannot lose it like a real book, should you delete it from your kindle it is stored in the cloud by Amazon and can be re-downloaded as often as you like to any device you own that supports kindle (most phones, computers, tablets and of course kindles). The book can be changed to suit your needs, as you grow older and possibly need a larger font you can change this in a click of a button. I think people are very much still in the habit of wanting something physical for their money and the perception is if you don't get that then it should be massively cheaper. I fully agree Kindle books should be at most the same price as paperbacks but remember one thing that is hampering that cost too is the fact that digital books have VAT paid on them and printed books do not. I really hope you enjoy your kindle and continue to keep reading on it.

1- Who was your favourite character? I did really like Caroline in this book but for me it has to be Poirot. His mannerisms and actions really bought the book to life for me. 2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest I really enjoyed the meeting of all the suspects at the end in Poirot's house. The declaration that the murderer is sat in the room is a real bombshell for many of the characters and I can imagine it would have created a lot of suspicion as they made their way back to Fernley Park that eveninig. 3- Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author/has it encouraged you to read more? Crime is probably my favourite genre but I have read very few Whodunit type books before and nothing by Christie. I thoroughly enjoyed it and intend to read more of her work next year. 4- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? As many others have mentioned I think Shepard taking his life at the end to protect his sister is a very futile gesture as surely everyone would be able to put two and two together. 5- What were your thoughts about Poirot? I thought Poirot was a very interesting character and although it did initially frustrate me that he shared none of his ideas, the way they were all revealed at the end was excellent. 6- Did you work out whodunnit, who was on your suspect list? Unfortunately I mentioned I was reading this book to somebody and they asked if I had worked out it was the Doctor yet. This rather spoilt this part of the book for me but I am sure I would not have guessed the killer. 7- In hindsight, were there clues early on as to the guilt of Dr Sheppard? As I read most of it knowing he was guilty I was looking out for clues that would point to him and have to say there were very few. The only one that stands out is the fact something was removed from the room and his bag would have worked perfectly and the time discrepancy of his leaving the house and bumping into the passing stranger. 8- Do you feel justice was done? No. I also don't think Caroline would have been spared the shame either. 9- Overall was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Definitely, I still really enjoyed it even though I knew the killers identity. 10- Would you recommend the book and if so to whom? Most certainly. I would recommend it most to people like myself who read a lot of modern day crime that is full of supposed twists. This book really shows up that a lot of modern crime requires the reader to accept huge anomalies in the plot to make it work. This book however has an enormous twist but one that is definitely plausible and actually well explained.

After finishing 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' last weekend I immediately dived into the new Simon Kernick book 'The Payback'. I read 43% of it in one sitting on Sunday morning as it is so fast paced and easy to read. Have not touched it again till this morning but hope to have it finished by the end of the weekend. Having read all of his books have not found this one as good as the others so far but hoping it will pick up as I draw to the end. Now that I have finished work till the 2nd January I am hoping to get through a fair few books before this year draws to a close. As well as reading I have recently started getting into audio books and currently have 2 on the go. 'I Partridge' by Alan Partridge and 'Steve Jobs' by Walter Isaacson. I don't think its possible to have two more contrasting autobiographies/biographies on the go at the same time but am thoroughly enjoying both.

Am glad you enjoyed Pigeon English Poppy. I felt exactly the same about the book and really look forward to reading more from Kelman in the future. I still think it is such a shame this did not pick up the Man Booker prize but at least being shortlisted managed to gain it the attention it deserves.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie Synopsis Amazon Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Now, tragically, came the news that she had taken her own life with a drug overdose. But the evening post brought Roger one last fatal scrap of information. Unfortunately, before he could finish the letter, he was stabbed to death… Review I started reading this book at the beginning of November and it has taken me a month and a half to finish. This is in no way a reflection of the quality of the book but was caused by a very hectic work schedule and also the killer being told to me when I was only just into the book. Needless to say I will not be telling the person who told me this the name of any other book I am reading ever again. I decided to read the book as it was chosen by the reading circle as the November book and whilst crime is probably one of my favourite genres I had never read anything by Christie. The book revolves around the killing of Roger Ackroyd shortly after his lover had taken her own life. The story is told from the perspective of Dr. Sheppard who is one of the last few people to see Ackroyd alive and also the doctor that attends his house to pronounce the death. One of Dr. Sheppards neighbours just happens to be the world famous Inspector Poirot who has chosen the village as a retirement location. Poirot is soon drawn into the case and uses all of his legendary skills to draw conclusions from little evidence. I have to say I greatly enjoyed Christie's writing and think had it not been ruined for me would have been guessing up until the end the identity of the killer. I like how Christie uses the ending to make clear links on how Poirot has drawn all the conclusions he ash from the evidence provided and it certainly does not make huge jumps with the reader being asked to suspend their belief like so many modern novels. Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely ensure I read more of her work in the future. I intend to post more detailed thoughts in the relevant section of the reading circle over the next few days. 9/10

As predicted a busy few months at work and a reading slowdown. Managed to finally finish 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' yesterday morning. Although it has taken me a month to read I still thoroughly enjoyed it and will post a review soon. Think I am now going to struggle to hit my target of 40 books this year as I am only at 35 but it is still a big improvement on last year.

Yeah the humour is fantastic. The cake and then how Minny thinks to use it to stop Hilly was a great part of the book I thought.

Am enjoying it so far! The aforementioned Mr. Ackroyd has just been found murdered so am excited to read on. It already seems that it could be so many people. I see your reading 'A Visit from the Goon Squad'. I really enjoyed that book this summer, how are you finding it?

Thanks Vodkafan. I started reading the introduction to James Cordon's autobiography last night but after having a good old peruse around the forums this morning and reading about the November book circle book I decided on a whim to purchase that for my Kindle and start reading it instead. So my next book is 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' by Agatha Christie. This will be my first Christie novel and I am certainly looking forward to reading it. Hopefully will get through it in time to join in the November discussion but I am back at work on Monday!!

Was just having a browse around the forums when I noticed the November reading circle nomination thread you are hosting. Needless to say after reading the posts and some reviews on Amazon I have parted with a few of my pennies to Mr Amazon's digital division and now have 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' sitting on my kindle. Will start reading immeidately and hope to join the discussion in November. Why do I do this to myself?