What are you reading in 2011?

Happy New Year to everyone. I'm continuing Cushla's attempt to breathe life into our NZ group.
I've just started reading A thread of grace which is set in Italy during World War 2 and I'm also dipping into Steve Braunias' Smoking in Antarctica, which is an entertaining diversion. Just finished The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens which I really enjoyed, a glimpse into insanity and a traditional Jewish family in London.

I have read a couple of New Zealand books so far in 2011: NZ science fiction and fantasy anthology A Foreign Country: New Zealand Speculative Fiction, edited by Anna Caro and Juliet Buchanan, and poetry collection With of the Staircase by Saradha Koirala.

I enjoyed both of them (though - disclaimer - I have a story in the SF anthology, so can't give an entirely unbiased view): there's a lot of good stories in the SF anthology, but my favourite one is the final one, by Australian-based NZ fantasy author Juliet Marillier, whose work I haven't read previously.

Wit of the Staircase is a very enjoyable first poetry collection, too, with some lovely use of language.

Have to admit to fair bit of my reading time being taken up by watching the Ashes ( yes cricket !!!).

That said have just finished The Finkler Question not the easies book to read but well worth preservering with - can see from some reviews many seem to give up - the rewards are worth it. am now enjoying a light read before going back to work Never let me go

apologies in advance for any spelling errors - me & my new laptop are still getting to know each other

I've started 2011 with 2 books that have nothing to do with New Zealand but are both good. As Always, Julia is a collection of the letters between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto, which is really interesting for a glimpse of the US, France and Germany in the early 1950s. It's also full of recipes with enormous quantities of butter. My other book is Der Geliebte der Mutter by Urs Widmer, a well-known Swiss author. Both were Christmas presents.

But I am reading plenty of NZ picture books so that the kids don't forget home - Perky by the Roadside, about a pukeko, Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy and Did you shake your tail feathers which is an early reader and has tons of native birds in it.

#3roundballnz, I enjoyed The Finkler Question too, once I got used to what a doofus the main character was.

My first book of 2011 was The Secret Lives Of Buildings which was a birthday gift, my second is Major Pettrigrew's Last Stand.

After I finish Major Pettigrew I'm completely spoilt for choice. I managed to acquire/receive 12 new books over the last 10 or so days of 2010, and now I have no idea in which direction I want to go :-)

I finished Matilda a few days ago (a break after slogging through the last week of december with finishing the rewrite on my own novel). Now I'm reading Foiling the Dragon. It might take a while, I don't seem to have the free time I used to for reading. Maybe by the time I'm done I'll get my claws on a copy of Towers of Midnight.

After reading Tea with the Taliban (Ian D. Robinson) which I brought back to the UK after my recent trip to NZ, - a good travelogue to add to my collection of books on Afghanistan - I then carried on the Islamic theme with two books which have been around for a while - Nine Parts of Desire (Geraldine Brooks -an interesting exploration of women`s lives within Islam) and Reading Lolitta in Tehran (Azar Nafisi - a similar theme -a fictionalized version of the authors life as an English lecturer in Tehran). I can recomend all these books. Now I`ll start on the Lloyd Jones books I found whilst in NZ -the secondhand bookshop in Tirau was a great find!

I must be the last person in the world to read "The girl with the dragon tattoo".... also re-reading Eric Newby's "Short walk in the Hindu Kush".

I've just started Brandon Sanderson's The Way Of Kings. It's a behemoth at just over 1000 pages ... should keep me entertained for awhile!

Kitty3,

Judging by the way they are still flying off the shelves I think you need not despair

8, Kitty3: I have read all three "Girl..." books and see all 3 of the Swedish movies, but I'm still not sure whether I will be willing to watch the American remakes...

I've just finished NZ SF novel "Returning", by Pat Whitaker. It's the first of Pat's books I've read, and I always find it a bit nerve-wracking reading a book by a friend, in case I don't enjoy it - so I'm relieved to say I enjoyed "Returning"! I'm going to review it soon.

Just saw this on the LT blog, as part of the request for photos of book piles in other languages:

http://www.librarything.com/blogs/librarything/2011/01/non-english-book-piles-co...

" While you’re at it … This contest also offers us the perfect chance to remind people that translations for the various non-English sites are ongoing, and new contributors are always welcome! Anybody out there know Maori? Tim made the Maori translation in a fit of optimism during a talk in New Zealand. But it has yet to receive a single edit!"

My Maori is pathetic - can anyone help?

I am part way through Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski. He was a journalist and this book melds his own stories with reflections on, and quotes from, Herodotus's Histories. It is very well written and utterly fascinating even for one who has little interest in ancient history. Not quite a summer beach read but nor is it hard work in the least.

I've finished Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer and The Chrysalids which turned out to be a reread, but from so long ago that I didn't recognise the plot till I was about a 1/3 through it. Both very good. Now I've started NZer Helen Lowe's The Heir of Night which looks like being a thrilling fantasy adventure.
One book that is slowly making its way to the top of my tbr pile is Philip Temple's Beak of the Moon, has anyone read it?

#12> Cushla - can't help with the Maori either, surely there's some NZ librarians following this up through LIANZA.

Sometime in my last couple of years at school, we had to write a book review and I did mine on Beak of the Moon - I was quite positive about it, if I remember correctly.

No new postings, maybe we are all too busy to read?
I finished Sarah Quigley's The Conductor last week, I thought it was wonderful. It's about Shostakovich's music and the Siege of Leningrad.
Now I've picked up Craig Cliff's short story collection, A Man Melting, as it won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for best first book a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying the stories. I'm also reading George Martin's A Clash of Kings along with Bernice Rubens' Brothers.

Anyone care to comment on the NZ Post Awards shortlists?

Just made a trip to the library this evening and came home with Artists In Crime by Ngaio Marsh, I'm Not Esther by Fleur Beale and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Should be a good long weekend of reading :-) I've also just finished The Shipping News.
Can't comment on the NZ Post awards Kerry, I'm a bit embarrassed that I haven't even heard of any of the fiction finalists.

I've just read 'The Orphaned Worlds' by Michael Cobley. It is the second book of a fantastic Space Opera series.

I have just finished Remember Me by Derek Hansen. This book is set in Ponsonby, Auckland in the 1950's and is a brilliant story. It brings back memories of time and communities gone by. Definitely a recommended read.

Diane, great to see you back on LT. I have a few of his books put away to read sometime, I thought his Lunch with the Generals looks really interesting.

Had to come and brag that I'm onto my 3rd NZ book in a row! Just happens that way sometimes....
A Life on Gorge River- Robert Long (good)
Pioneers of Martins Bay- Alice Mackenzie (great)
Hand Me Down World- Lloyd Jones (work in progress!)

I hope you enjoy Hand Me Down World, I read it at the end of last year and loved it.

Yes, I did really enjoy it! The way the story was told by someone different in each chapter was very interesting. Might have to go see about Mister Pip now as well.

After a looooong gap I've just finished a New Zealand book - Man Alone by John Mulgan, downloaded from the NZ Electronic Text Centre. I loved it.

I just finished reading Blue Smoke: The Lost Dawn of New Zealand Popular Music 1918-1964, which is really good - definitely recommended if you are interested in New Zealand music, or music in general.

>25 timjones: is that the one that won the NZ Post Book Award?

I'm reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. It's a pretty sweet read. No - I'm not from, nor have I ever been to, NZ. I can't wait to go though. I'm just crazy about it.

Just wanted to say hi. I'm new.

:)

Well Summer has arrived what better way to spend lazy sundays but with a good book .......

Last year, for the first time I attended the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival on the Sunday. I bought some great books and had them signed. This year I am planning to make it for the weekend. Is anyone else going? It runs from the 9th to the 13th of May.

I'm not in Auckland, but I am working out which sessions I can go to here in Wellington. I'm finding it a little frustrating that most of the ones I really want to go to are during work hours.

The Auckland programme isn't out until end of March and yes I missed several that I would have like to have gone last year, but I really can't do weekdays.

I just checked out what writers are coming to Wellington. Wow! There are several that I would happily go and see. Fiona Farrell, Ron Rash, Kate Grenville, Kim Scott, Paula Morris, Linda Olsson and Alan Hollinghurst. I hope some of them are coming to Auckland...

I was going to say I didn't think the schedule was out for Auckland ......

I have received my programme today for Auckland's writers and Readers Festival. A completely different line-up from Wellington. My favourites would be Roddy Doyle, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sebastian Barry, Maurice Gee, Fiona Kidman, Witi Ihimaera, and Emily Perkins. Also would be interested in Jesmyn Ward, Charlotte Wood and A.D. Miller. Frustratingly, five of them are in sessions on Friday and only two or three on Saturday and Sunday. Contemplating taking Friday off work and whether to buy a 10 concession ticket.
I plan to read as many of their books as I can prior to the event...

>32 HelenBaker: and the opening talks by Germaine Greer and Thomas Friedman. I would have loved to hear them talk. And was the third an Australian science guy? Or am I imagining things again....

#34> I'll be a volunteer again so that limits what I can choose to see, but I love the potluck that comes with being a volunteer too. I should be free Friday late afternoon and usually stick around for a couple of sessions so maybe we could meet up?