Alexi

Hi Athena. I also have 1Q84 on my TBR (well, books 1 and 2 in the same volume anyway, I will have to get 3 out of the library when I am ready to read the volume I own! ) so I really look forward to seeing what you think of that one

Fingers firmly crossed for Friday Laura.

I'm another that likes to vary my reading, but it seems once I start with a long series, I must see it out to the end - Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are becoming a very annoying example of this! It's why I'm resisting starting the Ben Aaronovitch books or the Hunger Games (have both on my TBR though!). I am also yet to read #3 in the Millennium series, but that's mainly because it's on my ipad which I don't like carting around for the commute, so I will probably read it on holiday in the New Year. Glad you enjoyed Emma J, I am determined I will read Austen in 2014 - not sure which one to start with though.

I recently finished In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, which takes me up to 9 read this year (I, for reasons that seemed logical when starting but I am not so sure now ) am working from the combined list. I set myself a target of 10 this year, so I have two months to find another one to read (I have a good number on my TBR!).

I've been following this thread with interest, but as I haven't read many classics (although am attempting to put this right slowly) I haven't been able to add much to the discussion - although I did love Swallows and Amazons! I can see myself picking this up as a challenge, and pitching into the discussion where I can

I'm 100 pages in to In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Really enjoying it so far, even if it is quite shocking....

It appears my library still stocks quite a few of the titles, so it may still be possible !

Hi Julie, I don't think that's unusual - my Mum feels exactly the same. She says the reason is she imagines one of her own children in the situation and then she can't possibly continue. Bizarrely, she did like We Need To Talk About Kevin (which she read for book club) though! (I hated it). I have been slack with reviews lately, three to catch up on I shall do the most recent first though, because I want to #42 The Classifier by Wessel Ebersohn Synopsis: What happens to Chris and Ruthie comes naturally to teenagers: they fall in love, obsessively. But it isn’t natural that their love can only survive in secrecy, being against the wishes, even beyond the imagination, of their parents. And above all being illegal. At home Chris half loves, half fears his taciturn father, who never speaks of his important work for the Government. As Chris’s world opens up he learns about his father’s job as head of the province’s Race Classification Office, whose every decision can make or break somebody’s life in the 1970s South Africa. In this moving rites-of-passage story set in extraordinary circumstances, a coloured girl and white boy head for devastating consequences as their vulnerable lives hurtle down a collision course with the pitiless laws of society and the implacable resolve of his father.(From Amazon) This book counts for South Africa in my World Challenge. Chris is now an adult, telling the story of his childhood in 1970s South Africa. He begins as an innocent child, trying to save money so he can buy a motorbike (even though he's only 13), and gradually learns more about his father's work at the Race Classification office. Chris is working there when the revolution in Mozambique sees huge numbers fleeing to South Africa. With one tick (if their white) or cross (if not), Chris' Dad determines whether they can stay in the country. For South Africans, it determines where they can live, what jobs they do, how much money they make and who they can fall in love with. Chris (like most children) really looks up to his father and it takes him until his teens to begin to question that his fathers beliefs that he is just doing this to protect the Afrikaners might not be the right thing after all. Even though I'm familiar with apartheid, watching through Chris' eyes at the RCO was still horrifying, as was the justification people threw around for their actions. The racism is difficult to stomach, even at this distance and knowing it happened. These were actual beliefs people held, and living in England in 2013 it's really difficult to see how. My criticism of this book was it centred around two teenagers exploring sex for the first time, and even in 1970s South Africa I found it difficult to believe that they would know so little by 15. (ie. they are unsure whether it hurts for the man or the woman for the first time etc etc, many other examples). It didn't ring true. That said, it was an enjoyable (?!) look at a dreadful aspect of South African history and worth a look, whether you're doing this challenge or not. 4/5

Now finished The Classifier by Wessel Ebersohn (South Africa). Another good read this one, and given it dealt with the issues surrounding and the collapse of apartheid it definitely fulfilled my desire to learn more about each country's culture. The racism is very difficult to swallow though, even though you know it's accurate of the 1970s. In fact, that probably makes it more difficult to swallow! 30/224 completed.

I bought the first of the babysitters club books on kindle a while ago and want to read them all in order to relive my childhood but I suspect that will get expensive!! They were gloriously good though...

I really enjoyed it! The only thing I would say is I found the ending a bit... Abrupt. Can I say that or is it too spoilery? Not sure. My copy has a good few pages of blurb at the back though, so I wasn't aware I was coming to the end, which always throws me a bit! I can send you my copy if you like, I need to clear some shelf space anyway

I'm glad you loved it J - 2014 WILL be the year I read my first Austen... I've now finished Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell and started The Classifier by Wessel Ebersohn. I'm only 8% in (no pages on this ebook!) but it's already fascinating. It's centred around apartheid in South Africa. I also went to investigate my new library after moving, and it has an excellent and varied selection

I would very much like this also! Definitely Starbucks - I don't normally sit about on pavements!

Hope your mojo isn't being naughty and going missing again J! It's coincidental you're reading Emma because I just popped in to say that I had a dream where the two of us (sat on a pavement which seemed very unlikely!) were discussing how if you read 10 books, the odds are you won't like at least one of them. The example we used (even though in the dream neither of us had read it) was Persuasion by Jane Austen! No more wine and cheese before bed methinks.

Thanks guys! J - I will definitely look for more of his books! One thing I meant to mention was how gut wrenching it was to read the attitudes of detectives towards homosexuals in the 1970s. Because he's gay he's suddenly suspicious? And they wonder why he hides it? Bajesus! Athena - yep, life would be very boring if we all liked the same things! This one wasn't for me in afraid.

I've also added Ashenden to my wishlist!

Now completed Vietnam and Iceland to take me to 29 books out of 224. 195 to go! I have reviewed both in my reading log, but suffice to say I would not recommend my Vietnam novel (Postcards from Nam by Nicole Duong) at all. I rated it 2.5 out of 5 which I think was generous on reflection. I would definitely recommend the book I read for Iceland (House of Evidence by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson) which I rated 4/5. So I guess you win some, you lose some...

#39 House of Evidence by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson Synopsis: On a cold January morning in 1973, inside a stately old house in Reykjavik, blood pools around Jacob Kieler Junior from a fatal gunshot wound to his chest. Detective Jóhann Pálsson, an expert in the emerging field of forensics, is called to the scene and soon discovers something more unsettling than the murder itself: the deceased’s father, Jacob Kieler Senior, a railroad engineer, was shot to death in the same living room nearly thirty years earlier. The case was officially closed as a botched robbery. Pálsson soon uncovers diaries that portray Kieler Senior as an ambitious man dedicated to bringing the railroad to Iceland no matter the cost. Sensing a deeper and darker mystery afoot, the detective and his colleagues piece together through the elder Kieler’s diaries a family history rich with deceit… (From Amazon) This book counts for Iceland in my World Challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I credit it with the full return of my mojo. I wanted to pick it up all the time as the mystery was a delightfully slow-burner and I was desperate to race to the end and find the solution. I liked the fact the reader found out the clues at the same time as the detectives, so it was pieced together gradually. That is in stark contrast to my recent experiences with the Sherlock Holmes short stories, where sometimes clues aren't revealed until the end when the solution is explained (although I do enjoy the Holmes stories!) The novel talks about four generations which is sometimes a tad confusing when they have the same name, but once you get past that its a great read, and I definitely didn't guess the ending. 4/5

Thanks so much guys! It was a pretty ugly two weeks! I think, whisper it, my mojo may have returned!! I'm now reading my 40th book of the year which leaves me well on track to achieve my target of 52. I think I am three short of the 10 World Challenge books I tasked myself with too. Two reviews then... #38 The Fault In Our Stars by John Green Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.(From Goodreads) Thoughts: Thanks to rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, my expectations were pretty high for this one. And I thought it was pretty, well, average. It tells the story of Hazel (cancer sufferer) and Augustus (cancer survivor) who meet when Hazel is 16 and Agustus 17. And therein lies the problem, because the dialogue does not read like teenagers, however precocious cancer may have made them. That really takes away from the emotion of the novel, because they don't feel like genuinely real characters. The only one who felt real to me was Isaac, who threw tantrums when he lost his sight, and mourned the break up with his girlfriend in the way I would expect. This shouldn't be left to a supporting character! If you want a book about teenagers dealing with cancer that will seriously tug on your heart strings, I recommend Before I Die by Jenny Downham. Just don't make the mistake I did and read the end on public transport. 3/5

#37 The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle No synopsis because they all spoil the previous short story collection! I picked this up when ill for the comfort of familiar characters and short stories, plus I would like to complete the Sherlock Holmes works. It thoroughly delivered, there are some cracking stories in this collection, notably The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez, The Adventure of the Six Napoleons and the rather surprising adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, where Holmes uses his skills for crime! The author does have considerable skill in weaving a mystery in such a short space although occasionally it means you aren't privy to important details until after the case is solved. Enjoyable. 4/5

I have been AWOL for a while, firstly because I was dreadful ill and couldn't get out of bed for two weeks (for the first week I was too ill to read ) and my mojo also decided to go for a wander to sunnier climes. I have managed a few books since I last posted so reviews ahoy: Postcards from Nam by Uyen Nicole Duong Synopsis: Mimi (the protagonist of Mimi and Her Mirror) is a successful young Vietnamese immigrant practicing law in Washington, D.C. when the postcards begin to arrive. Postmarked from Thailand, each hand-drawn card is beautifully rendered and signed simply "Nam." Mimi doesn't recognize the name, but Nam obviously knows her well, spurring her to launch what will become a decade-long quest to find him. As her search progresses, long-repressed memories begin to bubble to the surface: her childhood in 1970s Vietnam in a small alley in pre-Communist Saigon. Back then, who was her best friend as well as her brother's playmate, and what did art have anything to do with the alleys of her childhood? What was the dream of these children then? What happened when these children were separated by the end of the Vietnam war, their lives diverged onto different paths: one to freedom and opportunity, the other to tragedy and pain? Now Mimi must uncover the mystery of the postcards, including what might have happened to the people who where less fortunate: those who escaped the ravaged homeland by boat after the fall of Saigon. When the mystery is solved, Mimi has to make a resolution: what can possibly reunite the children from the alley of her childhood even when the alley exists no more?(From Amazon) Thoughts: I picked this up to count for Vietnam in my world challenge. It started off well, combining a mystery and treasure hunt with an exploration of the suffering of the Vietnamese 'boat people' after the fall of Saigon. The two elements were woven together really well. But the ending really let it down. It's a short novel, and the ending felt rushed and unfinished. This is part of a trilogy, but it's supposed to stand on its own and more importantly, it's the last one in the series! I did enjoy getting to the ending though, hence the extra half mark. 2.5/5

I will happily pick up a spider and remove it here, but when I was living down under I would shriek whenever I saw one because I couldn't tell the harmless ones from the poisonous ones!

#35 The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence Synopsis: Alex Woods knows that he hasn't had the most conventional start in life. He knows that growing up with a clairvoyant single mother won't endear him to the local bullies. He also knows that even the most improbable events can happen - he's got the scars to prove it. What he doesn't know yet is that when he meets ill-tempered, reclusive widower Mr Peterson, he'll make an unlikely friend. Someone who tells him that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make the best possible choices. So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at Dover customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the passenger seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing. (From Amazon) Thoughts: I really enjoyed this. I picked this up on a whim on my kindle, and when I reread the synopsis during a mojo outage I gave it a go. It's definitely got me back on track. This is going to be a short review because I don't want to give any spoilers away - I think it is best read without any further plot reveals. Alex is a bullied teenager without many friends, but his friendship with elderly Mr Peterson influences his life to a huge extent, from Kurt Vonnegut to his views on morality. The two of them become very close, and it's a story of their friendship over a number of years. The story begins and ends with Alex's arrest in Dover, and while arguing with the police Alex tells us the story of his life.... I am now definitely inspired to read some Kurt Vonnegut! I would recommend this one. 4/5

Thanks Kylie! I have the DVD of Stand by Me but haven't got around to watching it yet - I didn't realise it was based on a King novel. The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favourite movies. I haven't been around much lately because my mojo went for a wander and I moved house, but I'm now reading again - hurrah! A couple of reviews then: #34 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Synopsis: Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn't know his own strength, and when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him... (From Amazon) Thoughts: I went into this having heard only good things about it, and my expectations were pretty high. On the whole, Steinbeck delivers with a short, touching story of two friends who have a simple dream - to own their own land rather than working on someone else's. In a book this short, the author really does have to make every word count, especially in a book that covers prejudice based on disability and race in 116 pages. Yet it doesn't feel rushed at all, I actually felt the plot moved along at a fairly slow pace - and I was therefore taken aback by the ending! I wish I had had the opportunity to read this for GCSE, rather than The Lord of the Flies. I imagine my 15-year-old self would have found much more to relate to and pull me in from Steinbeck. I have not given thjs a 5, but I suspect this is largely down to expectations. I was expecting to be blown away, and I felt it dragged in parts for such a short novel. 4.5/5

You're ripping along with the world challenge J My reading has slowed to a halt but once I get going again I intend to tick a few more off. The Guernsey books sounds really interesting if a bit more detail could have been provided! Given you only rated it 2.5 I will probably search out another