Nickelini in 2013, Part Five

This is where I want to spend my autumn and winter.




December

90. The Light Between the Oceans, ML Stedman
89. Pride & Promiscuity: the Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen, Arielle Eckstut
88. Pride & Prejudice: the Annotated Edition, Patricia Meyers Spacks
87. the Glass Key, Dashiell Hammett
86 Why Jane Austen?, Rachel Brownstein
85. Death Comes to Pemberley, PD James
84. Anglo Files, Sarah Lyall
83. The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, David M Shapard ed.

November

82. One Good Turn, Kate Atkinson
81. The Stranger's Child, Alan Hollinghurst
80. Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows, Richard Gula
79. Ru, Kim Thuy
78. What Alice Knew, Paula Marantz Cohen
77. Night & Day, Virginia Woolf
76. Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking free of Warren Jeffs, Elissa Wall
75. Strange Things, Margaret Atwood

October

74. Breathe, Cliff McNish
73. The Dinner, Herman Koch
72. Lives of Girls and Women, Alice Munro
71. Bossypants, Tina Fey
70. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle
69. The Way We Are, Margaret Visser
68. Fear and Trembling, Amelie Nothomb
67. After Hamlin, Bill Richardson
66. The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins

September

65. Little Bee, Chris Cleave
64. The Children's Book, AS Byatt
63. Cider With Rosie, Laurie Lee
62. The Book of London Place Names, Caroline Taggart
61. Interview with a Vampire, Ann Rice
60. Nikolski, Nicolas Dickner
59. Conceit, Mary Novik

August

58. Size 12 is Not Fat, Meg Cabot
57. Shame, Jasvnder Sanghera
56. Offshore, Penelope Fitzgerald
55. An Experiment in Love, Hilary Mantel
54. The Amulet of Samarkand, Jonathan Stroud
53. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
52. Tube Trivia, Andrew Emmerson
51. Hawksmoor, Peter Ackroyd

July

50. What a Carve Up!, Jonathan Coe
49. The Small Hand, Susan Hill
48. A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby
47. Rick Steves' London 2013, Rick Steves
46. The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai
45. Literary London: a Street by Street Exploration of the Capital's Literary Heritage, Ed Glinert,
44. We are the Weather Makers, Tim Flannery

June

43. 50 Popular Beliefs that People Think are True, Guy P Harrison
42. Sky People, Patricia Grace
41. Moon Tiger, Penelope Lively
40. Sointula, Bill Gaston
39. Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, Maria Semple
38. This Common Secret, Susan Wicklund
37. the Last Kingdom, Bernard Cornwell
36. Souvenir of Canada, Douglas Coupland
35. The Witch of Exmoor, Margaret Drabble

May

34. Macbeth, William Shakespeare
33. Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald
32. The Ethical Assassin, David Liss
31. the House I Loved, Tatiana de Rosnay
30. First Fruits, Penelope Evans
29. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
28. Forest for the Trees, Betsy Lerner
27. The Student of Weather, Elizabeth Hay
26. Overdressed, Elizabeth L. Cline

April

25. The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Margot Livesey
24. A Good House, Bonnie Burnard
23. The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Burbery
22. Five Bells, Gail Jones
21. Wuthering Heights, Norton Critical Edition, Emily Bronte
20. The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton

March

19. Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennet?, John Sutherland
18. Is Heathcliff a Murderer?, John Sutherland
17. The Beautiful Room is Empty, Edmund White
16. the Shooting Party, Isabel Colgate
15. Can Jane Eyre Be Happy?, John Sutherland
14. The Book of Small, Emily Carr
13. The Forest Lover, Susan Vreeland

February

12. The Beginning of Spring, Penelope Fitzgerald
11. How Literature Works: 50 Key Concepts, John Sutherland
10. The Best Laid Plans, Terry Fallis
9. The Bronte Myth, Lucasta Miller
8. The Wood, John Stewart Collis
7. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
6. Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe, Charlotte Gill

January 2013

5. In the Forest, Edna O'Brien
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
3. Deep Hollow Creek, Sheila Watson
2. The Colour, Rose Tremain
1. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, Jung Chang

77. Night and Day, Virginia Woolf, 1919


Cover comments: this Vintage Classics cover is nice. Not exciting, but nice.

Comments: Night and Day has been called Virginia Woolf's "most neglected novel," and I know why. It's too long, and too boring. This was a disappointment to me because Night and Day has also been called Woolf's novel that is most like Jane Austen (which just says that Woolf is not very much like Jane Austen. Neither is Stephen King, btw). My second disappointment is that the novel is about the Edwardian era--my favourite.

The novel covers the lives of a group of young adults living in London around 1908. They are each figuring out their place in the world, and each has his or her own ideas, but none of the six want to emulate their parent's Victorian world. There are two love triangles--the beautiful Katherine, her fiance William, and her cousin Cassandra; and, Katherine, a lawyer named Ralph, and a suffragette named Mary.

As boring as this book was, there were some truly lovely passages and a few interesting parts. I'd say if you edit this down from the 489 pages of my edition and make it an 80 page novella, it would be a strong book.

Woolf is recorded to have said that with this novel, her second, she aimed at "putting it all in," and that she did. Including two pages about a guy looking at his watch. Too, too much!

I started Night and Day on June 12, and have read 37 other books while chipping away at this one. It was taking me so long that I wrote a mini-review at the half-way point. This is what I said:

Katherine is the dutiful adult daughter who comes from a family of literary aristocracy. She is expected to make a good marriage, but what she really wants is to study mathematics. In the first chapter, she meets Ralph, a young lawyer from a lower class, and doesn’t like him. Hence we know that they will become love interests. Katherine soon gets engaged to William, a boring poet who reminds me of Cecil from A Room with a View. Obviously not the right love interest. And there is also Mary, who works in a suffragette office in Russell Square. Two-hundred-and-sixty-six pages in, that’s all that’s happened so far. Another two-hundred-and-twenty-three pages to go.

Recommended for: Readers who liked overstuffed Victorian-style novels and Virginia Woolf completists only.

Why I Read This Now: I'm a Virginia Woolf completist.

Rating 2.5 stars

Thanks for reading Night and Day for us Joyce.

I would never have made it to the end.

I would be very happy in that room at the top of your thread. Very cozy.

>2 Nickelini:: I'm a Virginia Woolf completist.
Sounds like a personal introduction in a 12-step program. But thanks for taking one for the team, Joyce!

I probably shouldn't have read your review since I'd just put Night and Day on my "reading shelf." Oh well.

Steven - If you read the reviews on the book's page, most people liked it a lot more than I did.

Laura, Nana, & Barry - thanks for stopping by my new thread!

Woolf is not very much like Jane Austen. Neither is Stephen King, btw
LOL!

Two pages of a guy looking at his watch?! That must have been some watch. :)

I saw munchies advertised on the previous thread, so here I am.
>:-)
Lovely looking library, less lovely sounding book. I've not read any woolf, maybe I won't start with that one.

Helen - definitely don't start with Night and Day. It's not representative of her work anyway.

Off to get the munchies . . .

Think I'll also skip that one! Not the munchies tho. Be right there.

Lovely room. I'm an aspiring VW completist -- but you haven't inspired me I'm afraid.

Canada House on Trafalgar Square in London has been celebrating the country's newest Nobel Literature Prize laureate with this display.

78. What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James & Jack the Ripper, Paula Marantz Cohen, 2010


Cover comments: yawn. A woman's back (a woman who is supposed to be bedridden, I think), and a shadowy figure disappearing into the distance. Not one but two cover cliches for your money.

Comments: The Alice of the title is Alice James, sister of novelist Henry James and William James (the later is one of the fathers of modern psychology). I guess her name is in the title as a play on the Henry James novel What Maisie Knew, because William is actually the main character in this book. Alice is confined to her bed, as she suffered from that Victorian female disease known as "hysteria."

In this alternate history, William James is invited to London by the police to help solve the Jack the Ripper murders in an early form of psychological profiling (a term the author does not use). While in London, William meets up with not only his famous brother, but also Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain, and painters John Singer Sargent and James Whistler. I'm sure that the author had a ball writing this--she cleverly weaves in quotations and facts about all these people and invents a new story about the Ripper murders.

The story starts out very strongly with the line "Henry James was drunk," and a scene at a formal dinner party. By half way through though, I grew tired of the whole thing and didn't find it very satisfying. They do solve the murders, and the solution is logical, but by that point I didn't really care.

Rating 3 stars

Recommended for: I think it helps to know something about Alice, Henry, and William James in order to see what the author is doing, though I suppose someone who knows nothing about them might appreciate this just for the straight story. I don't really recommend this, but if you think it sounds interesting, give it a try.

Why I Read This Now it just shuffled itself out of my tbr pile into my hands.

I don't really recommend this, but if you think it sounds interesting, give it a try.

A glowing endorsement, indeed.

Yeah, well . . . . Just 'cause I didn't love it, doesn't mean someone else might not. I guess. ;-)

79. Ru, Kim Thuy, 2009, tranlated from French, Sheila Fischman, 2012


Cover comments: I think this cover is gorgeous on its own as a piece of art, but also because it captures that "Asian woman in Montreal" feeling. I love the Asian motif softly printed over the picture, like a snowflake on a Christmas card. Also, the paper is heavy and textured, almost like watercolour stock. When I flipped open the cover and saw that the book was designed by CS Richardson--the rock star of book design--I thought, "of course it was!".

Why I Read This Now: my bookclub selection for November

Rating: This is a 4 - 5 star book, which is reflected in its having won the Governor Generals award when it was published originally in French, and then later, nominated for the English language Giller Prize. However, my bookclub partner gave me the book 36 hours before our meeting, which technically is not a problem as it is only 141 pages long and has a lot of white space. The problem was that during those 36 hours I was deeply interested in a completely different book that I have going, and didn't want to break to read this. I was quite resentful actually, although I must say the inventiveness and good writing won me over. So for me it wasn't quite a 4 or 5, but that's what it deserves.

Comments: (when is she going to get to the comments, you say). Ru is a deep and complex novel about a growing up during the Vietnam War, becoming a boat person, and immigrating to Quebec. It had a intensely personal tone to it that makes me think it's more autobiographical than the author admits to (sort of like Michael Ondaatje's Cat's Table, my bookclub thought). The story is told in vignettes and jumps around in time. The writing is beautiful and evocative, but not so esoteric that the reader has to sweat over every sentence just to figure out what she's talking about. I have to admit that I just let the art wash over me at times, and I'd get more out of it on a second reading. Which, it being so short, would be an easy and pleasurable task (and note to all English uni profs out there--consider teaching this novel).

Everyone liked it, no one loved it. The main complaint was that the jumps in time combined with the vignettes made it too vague. Most people wanted more story with each piece. I agree, although because I was eager to return to my other novel, I didn't really care. Sorry, Kim Thuy.

We also had an interesting discussion on how subtly pro-Canadian this was (something I wouldn't have picked up on my own), and had the author written the same book after moving to the US instead, bookclubs down there would be saying "USA! USA!" That was a good laugh. We also compared it to our last book, Little Bee, which was about another young woman from a war torn country trying to immigrate to the UK, and how different their experiences were. But two completely different books, and two different stories. Both books are good reads, but it was interesting to see the links between two books that we read back-to-back at random.

Recommended for: Despite its accolades, I probably wouldn't have picked up this novel on my own, just because it doesn't fall within my areas of interest. However, it is a fine book, and if it sounds at all interesting to you, you should definitely track down a copy. After all, it's only 141 short pages.

I read this book because I'd read so much about it, and like you I had others more interesting set aside and calling to me. I obviously didn't do Kim Thuy justice because I can't remember much about Ru. I may give it another go in the near future. As you point out, it's only 141 short pages.

Never heard about this book before, and it sounds intriguing.

Rebecca - I can see this being a book that you would like.

As I'm in the middle of some long books now, I especially like that it's 141 pages with lots of white space!

I especially like that it's 141 pages with lots of white space!

Sometimes you just really need that!

Excellent review Joyce and at 141 pages perfect for a book club.

Yes, Barry, Ru was a good book club selection. No one had problems getting the book read.

My book club read Ru right before last year's Giller Prize, which it was nominated for, but which was won by 419. Interested in what you had to say about the subtle pro Canadian slant. Last year I added this addendum to my review, having lost faith in the Canadian immigration system's policy to refugees.

In 1979-1980, fifty thousand Vietnamese refugees came to Canada, many sponsored by individuals, churches or local organizations. Kim Thuy's family arrived in Quebec that year and Ru reflects that experience, just as her family reflects what happened to many of the children and grandchildren of those refugees. Kim became a lawyer, one brother a dentist, and the other an actuary. All told, over one hundred and thirty-five thousand refugees came to Canada from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Unfortunately, given recent changes in Canadian immigration laws, it would be very difficult for such a family to gain entry today.

One of the more interesting things about this book is that it was received far better in its French version than in English, judging by awards.

I loved Ru -- I thought it provided a deep insight into an immigrant Vietnamese family. And I especially treasured it as my daughter-in-law is a Vietnamese immigrant.

and I have to agree - that cover is amazingly beautiful.

#26 - Oh, it's wonderful to have some sort of personal connection with a book! It always makes it a little bit better, even if it was already very good.

#25 - Interested in what you had to say about the subtle pro Canadian slant. Last year I added this addendum to my review, having lost faith in the Canadian immigration system's policy to refugees.

"In 1979-1980, fifty thousand Vietnamese refugees came to Canada, many sponsored by individuals, churches or local organizations. Kim Thuy's family arrived in Quebec that year and Ru reflects that experience, just as her family reflects what happened to many of the children and grandchildren of those refugees. Kim became a lawyer, one brother a dentist, and the other an actuary. All told, over one hundred and thirty-five thousand refugees came to Canada from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Unfortunately, given recent changes in Canadian immigration laws, it would be very difficult for such a family to gain entry today."

SassyLassy - Interesting thoughts! As a group, we didn't know very much about Canada's immigration system. That became clear when we met on Little Bee last month. Perhaps the two books wouldn't seem that different if Ru was written about today's Canada. Anyway, thanks for sharing that.

One of the more interesting things about this book is that it was received far better in its French version than in English, judging by awards

My first thought is that it's because of the size of the audience--the nature of numbers tells me that there isn't as much competition on the French side. As for the English side, things get thrown by the influence of UK and aggressive US cultural hegemony.

#27 -and I have to agree - that cover is amazingly beautiful.

Merrikay - I tried to search "CS Richarson designed covers" this past summer and didn't get very far, but I wish I could. All the books he does are gorgeous. It's interesting, because the really well written Canadian books often have his covers. Which comes first? Hmmmmm.

If y'all don't mind I prefer to continue to romanticize Canada so no more talking. I need Canada to hold out hope for those of us south of that border.

30 - well, in a Rorschach, the pic comes first, right?

#31 - You're welcome up here, Merrikay. We love the good USians. All the gun lovin', creationist, libertarian, climate change deniers can stay home.

>29 Nickelini: Sorry, I meant French French, not just domestic French. It won awards in Italy, Germany and a couple in France. You're probably right about francophone awards in Canada though.

mk, keep romanticizing. It's fun. I suspect Nickelini and I will continue adding the odd jolt though!

33, 34 Thanks! Whenever I have entered Canada the Canadian border guards (are those Mounties sorry for my ignorance) have thoroughly searched my vehicle - I mean taken EVERYTHING apart. I'm like really? I look dangerous? Cool! I have been told the first time it was because my four children were small and there was a lot of kidnapping/custody stuff going on at the time. Second time I was like really? I'm an overweight gray haired old woman! How much damage do you think I can do? They told us it was because old Americans often try to come in with guns. I don't doubt that. I have read that when men especially age and can no longer physically fulfill their socialized role of protecting their family they start buying guns. One of my human development textbooks said that. I promise I'll be good tho.
Then in a store I was stopped by some Canadians and asked "What's wrong with your president (Bush) that he won't sign the Kyoto agreement?!" I'm like (to be consistent) Really? I didn't vote for him! Oh wait - no one did!"

Merrikay - Nope, not Mounties--they're Canada Customs and Immigration officers. They now have to carry guns though (my neighbour is one and was soooo stressed when they brought that in). Mounties are RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and are the police force everywhere in Canada that doesn't have its own force.

Sorry your vehicle got torn apart, but I am glad to hear that all the harrassing going on at the border isn't just the US border security giving us a hard time ;-) I've been asked some of the stupidest and most ridiculous questions going into the US and for years I thought that they must only hire morons. Then my neighbour (mentioned above) told me that any lie is only two questions deep, so I'm now giving them the benefit of the doubt that they were just seeing if they could trip me up. But back to ripping cars apart, I have come home through the border and seen US cars pulled over with a row of guns on the roof or along the ground. I am vehemently anti-gun, so I am happy when they can stop them from coming into the country.

The question about the Kyoto agreement is embarrassing in hindsight, as we've totally dropped the ball on that one. But I blame it on Stephen Harper, who is a George Bush wanna-be. I won't hold what your politicians do against you if you do the same for me! (And Rob Ford does not represent Toronto).

Sassy - I didn't know about the European awards, so thanks for clarifying.

Ah.....Mounties is so much more romantic! They did not harm my car or my stuff by the way, just a bit of hyperbole but they were very very thorough. I didn't blame them though when i realized their reasoning. I just couldn't figure it out.

OK deal - we won't hold it against each other!

Rob Ford has been on here 24/7 it seems. Sheesh. Keeps making me wonder what they should be covering that they are not, right?

Rob Ford has been on here 24/7 it seems. Sheesh. Keeps making me wonder what they should be covering that they are not, right?

Our own politicians, of course. We have had enough of them.

Keeps making me wonder what they should be covering that they are not, right?

It does make one wonder . . .

I already thought Rob Ford should have resigned a couple of years ago when he was cutting libraries and Margaret Atwood opposed him, and he said he didn't know who she even was: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/07/26/doug_ford_blasts_margaret_atwood_over...

I then deemed him a "buffoon" and haven't changed my mind yet.

oh dear Lord

#36 - "I blame it on Stephen Harper, who is a George Bush wanna-be.

Love it!

I blame everything on Stephen Harper. He must have been delighted to see Rob Ford in the headlines for a few days. It provided a breather for Harper.

Enjoying catching up on the political conversation here. I've been crossing into Canada and back since I was a little girl, and the only time I had any trouble was about 30 years ago when I was coming back from a conference in Toronto via bus, and the US customs agents must have thought I was an illegal immigrant into the US -- though I had a Florida driver's license, but hadn't brought a birth certificate (it never occurred to me to do so). They finally let me in when I told them where I went to college.

A college-educated person would never be an illegal immigrant. Right?

80. Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language, Robert J Gula, 2007 (originally published 1979--not enough changes to make mine a true second edtion)


No cover comments

Comments: A clearly written 222 page guide to the highlights of critical thinking, aimed at helping the reader form effective and valid arguments.

Rating: 4 stars. This is a handy reference that I will keep close to my computer, although I'm still on the hunt for a clear and comprehensive list of logical fallacies (this book has many, but not enough, and also, they are discussed in various chapters which isn't the organization I was looking for). Still looking for the book I need . . . I had hoped this book would replace the two others I'm using, but instead it's added a third.

Recommended for: Any writer or speaker who wants to improve their logical arguments, especially university students and journalists. Actually, I think this level of logic should be a mandatory subject in high school. Our world would be a better place.

Why I Read This Now: I studied both critical thinking and formal logic at university, and I am embarrassed to say they were very difficult courses that I didn't do all that well at! But despite my struggles, I find it both interesting and important, and want to improve my skills. Also, I read a lot of ridiculous statements every day on the internet, and I just want to smugly be able to name the fallacy.

If you studied critical thinking and formal logic, then The demon-haunted world: science as a candle in the dark might be too layman for you. However, I always thought that the chapter The fine art of Baloney Detection was a great resource for spotting and countering logical fallacies.

Thanks for the recommendation, Paruline--I'll track it down based on just the name of that chapter alone!

ETA - Carl Sagan? I can confidently say that it won't be too layman for me. Sounds like a great book. I'm going to track it down asap.

#80, well I think I might need to read that book.

Barry -- ha ha - are you feeling illogical?

I think that it is people who already are careful about not abusing logic who will want to read that book. (Or maybe I only think that because I want to read it and I like to think I'm pretty logical already.)

There is a book that I found very gratifying: Historians' Fallacies.

But I would point out that fallacies are mostly a rhetorical game. In logic there isn't much in the way of fallacy; there are valid arguments and not valid arguments. You can commit a fallacy like affirming the consequent or denying the antecedent, and everyone would understand if you called it a fallacy, but it is an argument that is not valid.

Robert

#50 - Yes, of course you're exactly right. We covered that in both the courses I took, which I guess is why I'm looking for something else. Nonsense did cover both, but I'd like more on the various fallacies. The only course at uni that I touched on them was in academic writing, which I guess makes sense.

81. The Stranger's Child, Alan Hollinghurst, 2011, audiobook (read by James Daniel Wilson)


I like this cover well enough. The colours are lovely, but I find the subject a bit ho hum.

This cover, however, speaks to me:


Yes, it's the cliched "figures running away," but it make me want to read the book and find out what these fabulously dressed people at this fabulous setting are doing.

I also rather like this cover, as it symbolizes the maze-like nature of the story:


Rating: First off, I want to say that I loved this book, so I'm giving it 4.5 stars. It may not have been the best choice for an audio book, as there were many times I had to stop and relisten because I missed a nuance, or sometimes just a lovely phrase. I probably ended up listening to it 1.5 times. Anyway, I will look out for a used or bargain copy of this one in paper so I can reread it some day and really luxuriate in the story and the writing. I think if I had read this, it may have been a 5 star read.

Comments: The Stranger's Child has an interesting structure of five parts, starting in 1913 and jumping forward in time to 2008. The opening scene is set over one weekend when George comes home from university with his covert lover Cecil, an aristocratic minor poet. Cecil also flirts with George's teenage sister, Daphne, and leaves behind a poem, Two Acres, in her autograph book. Over the years this poem enters the British canon, is taught at schools, and comes to represent the pre-war English pastoral and imperialism. There is also the intrigueing question of whether the poem was written about Daphne or George. This section is probably my favourite, since it is set at a large English home during the Edwardian period.

The book then jumps to 1926 where we find that Cecil was killed at the Somme, Daphne has married his brother, and, well, I feel like I'm giving to much of the story away. The next jump is to 1967, where we meet Paul, who works at a bank under Daphne's son-in-law. He meets Peter, who introduces him to Cecil's poetry, and they have a short affair. Paul also begins to know Daphne and Cecil's family. The next jump is to 1980, and Paul has become a writer who is trying to write a biography of Cecil, and not having very much luck getting the family's cooperation. The final section is set in 2008, and opens at Peter's memorial service, where we see a much older Paul and meet a young book seller named Rob, who will wrap up the story.

In an interview, Hollinghurst said that he used these jumps in time to show the "unknowability of the future." With each time change, the story begins in medias res, and it's up to the reader to figure out what has happened in the years between. It was never what I expected, and this clever technique made The Stranger's Child fun and interesting. I also loved all the elegant details throughout the book. I look forward to rereading this book someday. I have two other Hollinghurst novels in my TBR--The Swimming Pool Library and A Line of Beauty, and I hope to get to them sooner rather than later.

Why I Read This Now: available audiobook that was on my wish list

Recommended for: readers who like English literary novels.

The Stranger's Child just went on my wishlist. You did it again. :)

I thought about reading this when it was nominated for the Booker Prize, and somehow it fell off my radar. Great review.

Nice review of The Stranger's Child, Joyce. I enjoyed it as well, and I was mystified when it wasn't chosen for the 2011 Booker Prize shortlist (and Snowdrops was). I bought the Kindle versions of The Line of Beauty and The Folding Star when they were on sale, and I hope to get to one or both books next year.

A lovely review, that had me noting the title and wondering if anyone would notice if another package showed up from amazon.de.

wondering if anyone would notice if another package showed up from amazon.de.

"mumble, mumble . . . Christmas presents, mumble . . . " as you whisk it away.

I was mystified when it wasn't chosen for the 2011 Booker Prize shortlist

Indeed! I've certainly read worse short list and winners.

Well, that discussion went on long enough to get The Stranger's Child onto my wish list.

Robert

82. One Good Turn, Kate Atkinson, 2006, audiobook read by Robin Atkins Downes


Cover comments: sort of pleasing, doesn't really tell too much about the book.

Comments: This past summer I met the literary private eye Jackson Brodie when I read Kate Atkinson's Case Histories, and I had a great time. So when I saw the next book in the series, One Good Turn in the library audiobook queue, I looked no further.

This time Jackson travels with his actress girlfriend to the Edinburgh Festival, where he witnesses a violent road rage incident, and then meets a quirky author, a Russian dominatrix, a potential new girlfriend, and the disgruntled wife of a corupt local businessman. I found this highly entertaining and compelling as these disparate characters circle in toward each other. As with Case Histories, One Good Turn is clever and funny. Somehow I don't think solving the mystery is really the point.

Recommended for: highly recommended for most readers, unless you have no sense of humour. The story does hang on an amazing number of coincidents, so if that bothers you, you won't like this--however, Atkinson isn't pretending to be realistic here, she's trying to entertain.

Why I Read This Now: I had to strip wallpaper and clean up my garden, so a good audiobook was in order!

Rating: 4 stars for the book with an extra .5 for the fun equals 4.5 stars.

Note: I don't generally "do" series, but I expect that I will eventually read all the Jackson Brodie books (so far there are 4)

oh god wallpaper stripping. I have a headache now.

You should have just lined the wall with bookshelves and filled it in. :)

#62 - That's funny you should say that--this wall is to be completely covered with bookshelves, so we originally thought that we wouldn't have to strip the paper. However, we are putting new drywall on the two walls joining it, so it really had to go. I actually don't mind wallpaper stripping (in fact, it's the second time I've done it this fall). You just score the paper and soak it with TSP and then use a putty knife. If I have a good audiobook, I don't mind at all!

Wallpaper stripping is at least a task with a concrete result, no matter how slow and onerous progress may be.

And I'm very glad you're enjoying the Jackson Brodie series. Atkinson is so good at getting the plot into a hopeless tangle and then transforming it into perfect order by the last page. It would be so interesting to watch her plan it all out.

Still, I'd rather move than strip wallpaper, but I am probably especially lazy. But if you gotta do it, an audio book is the only way!

Ridge - well said about Atkinson.

Having recently done both, moving requires more effort.

83. The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813; annotated and edited by David M. Shapard, 2004


Cover comments: even the cover is annotated! This is a painting by Jane Austen's sister Cassandra, of their niece Fanny Austen Knight. Most fitting.

Comments on Pride and Prejudice in general: This is the second time I've read Pride and Prejudice. If it's not my favourite book, I don't know what is. There are two main reasons for this. The first is Austen's writing--her splendid use of language, her wit and biting social commentary, and the structure she gives the novel. I noticed on this reading (with the aid of the annotations) that there is not one sentence in the novel that doesn't contribute to either a character or to the development of the story as a whole. It is an amazing achievement and it is clear to me why Pride and Prejudice appears on pretty much every list of best novels.

In reading Jane Austen's novels, I saved her masterpiece for last, so when I finally got to it in 2010, I was well-versed in Austen's wit and social commentary. I had also seen numerous filmed versions of P&P, from the ultimately perfect 1995 BBC producition with Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle, to the embarrassing hot-mess that was the 2005 Kiera Knightly version, to the Bollywood Bride & Prejudice, and my much-loved Bridget Jones's Diary. This brings me to my second reason for adoring this book. I didn't think the book would hold any surprises, but silly me. I did not expect the love story to be so HOT. I still can't figure out how a story with not even a kiss and where half the characters are wearing those hideously unflattering regency dresses is probably the sexiest book I've ever read (and I spent my teens reading Harold Robbins and Jackie Collins). I'm not much on romance stories and usually roll my eyes when people talk about the romance in books like Jane Eyre or the Age of Innocence, but the love story in P&P has utterly grabbed me. I won't apologize.

But really, it's the writing and social commentary.


swoon

Comments on The Annotated Pride and Prejudice: This almost 800 page book includes not only the text and annotations, but also a chronology of the novel, useful maps, and an extensive bibliography of further reading. It is organized with the text of the novel on the left page and the annotations on the right. These annotations include some drawings, word definitions, plot points, and literary interpretations. The word definitons can get tedious--they are intended to point out where a word has changed since the novel was written, but I found many of them to be pretty obvious. Fortunately, I was able to gloss over these without too much interruption. I did enjoy the other annotations very much--it was like reading along with someone who had great insights. They also helped me to study Austen's unique style of writing, which is something that has fascinated me since I read Mansfield Park for university.

Recommened for: lovers of Jane Austen and this novel, students, writers studying technique. I do not recommend any novel this heavily annotated for a first time reader. It would be far too distracting and destroy the cadence of the book.

Rating: Like many readers before me, I liked Pride and Prejudice even better on my second reading. When I read it last I rated it A+++++++++++++++++. If it's even better this time, I guess I have to rate it 6 stars out of 5.

Why I Read This Now: I recently rewatched the 1995 BBC film, and just couldn't not read it. I have hundreds of books waiting in my TBR, but none of them look any good, and now I'm ruined for any other book. I'm closing my thread down now, as I'm only going to read P&P until further notice ;-)

It's a pity you can't give six stars out of five. A good tip to save the annotated version for a second reading, but it sure is good sometimes to get deep into one of the classics.

I'm enjoying The Annotated Emma right now. I agree with your assessment of the annotations - fun for a second (or fourth!!) reading of a book, but not necessary for the first read. And, yes, the word definitions are annoying and many are unnecessary.

67> really? I might have to try that. P&P is January's book club pick and I just can't get on with it. Read it several times and I have an Oh FFS moment just about every time 2 people are in the same room together. Yup, well aware that marks me out as a pariah, but I'm admitting it anyway.

Helenliz - I had that reaction with the first Austen I read, Emma. I had to learn to read Austen--the first thing was I needed to slow down and think about what she was saying, and if it could be taken as funny, it was. I had thought everything was so serious. But you probably already know that. Maybe this article will help ("Why So Many People Misunderstand Jane Austen"): http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_completist/2013/04/jane_austen_books_rank... From the article:

"That same ability is evident in Pride and Prejudice, a novel that, oddly if not surprisingly, is now beloved for its Cinderella-like love story, one of the least interesting aspects of the book. It’s a remarkably unsentimental novel, and it is consistently intelligent. It is also, like all of Austen’s books, wonderfully brisk. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” it famously begins. That observation is followed almost immediately with Mrs. Bennet, eager to marry off her daughters, upset that her husband will not visit Mr. Bingley, the single man in question. “You have no compassion on my poor nerves,” she tells him. “You mistake me, my dear,” he replies. “I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.” Austen then gives us a fantastically sharp primer on those two people, describing Mr. Bennet as “a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice,” and his wife as a woman of “mean understanding, little information and uncertain temper” whose “solace was visiting and news.” This quick pace—epigrammatic observation followed by witty banter followed by pithy explication—continues nearly uninterrupted throughout the book, which is entirely devoid of filler or flat exposition."

also:

"Admirers make much of Austen’s deadpan tone, her wit, and her irony, and rightly so. But hers isn’t irony for irony’s sake: Austen’s portraits of people and their milieus are animated not by satirical malice or mere eagerness to entertain but by a sense of moral urgency. With a philosophical eye, she sees through fuss and finery and self-justification. She gives us a cast of characters and then zeroes in, showing us who and what is admirable, who is flawed but forgivable, who is risible and who is truly vile. Delivered economically, her judgments are not only clever but perspicacious, humane, and, for the most part, convincing. Her real subject is not the love lives of barely post-adolescent girls, but human nature and society. Austen wrote stories that show us how we think."

84. The Anglo Files: a Field Guide to the British, by Sarah Lyall, 2008, audiobook


Cover comments: cute, lacking imagination (like the book itself, so fitting I guess)

Why I Read This Now: I was desparate for an audio book and didn't have time to dig through the library's website looking for a good one.

Comments: After listening to the first chapter of this book, I thought the author was a total moron and that I would listen to the whole thing and have fun writing a scathing, wicked review. But in the end, the whole thing just sort of fell flat and I don't even feel like zinging this one. (And no, I don't exactly think the author is a moron. She's just someone I'm glad I don't know.)

Lyall is a journalist for the New York Times who transfered from NYC to London in the 1990s, married an Englishman, and had two children. I'm not sure exactly what she's trying to do with this book. First, the title is completely misleading, as it's seeming play on Anglophile--one who loves all things English--doesn't fit her litany of complaints about her adopted home, as she shows no affection for the country or the people. (Also, it's not about the British, it's about some English people.) The whole thing is overwhelmingly negative, but in a rather pointless way. She opens the book with a riduculous chapter on repressed English sexuality and how most of the men are closeted homosexuals because they like to dress in women's clothes. Yes, you read that right. She goes on to complain about Parliament, the House of Lords, excessive alchohol consumption, cricket, and bad dentistry (so the dental treatment provided by the National Health Service sucks? How does it compare to the dental services paid for by the US gov't? Oh, right--they don't provide any.) She also complains about bad service--except she acknowledges it has vastly improved, and she complains about the food--except she acknowledges that it has vastly improved. And finally, she complains about the weather, which I find rich considering she comes from a place with insufferably humid summers and inhospitable winters. Other than the chapter about hedgehog aficionados, I didn't learn anything.

With this sort of book, one expects some astute observations and some witty remarks, but there is none of that here. It's also clear that she doesn't understand British humour--to such a degree that she finds it offensive. On the other hand, if you're not going to make a book like this clever, then at least write a meaningful critique. Instead she decided to pick out most of the obvious English stereotypes and say a bunch of negative things about them, which in turn makes her the stereotypical ugly American. I feel sorry for her family--it actually seems that she would like her children better if they weren't English.

Recommended for: not recommended for anyone. Or, maybe recommended for New Yorkers who want to hate-on the English.

Rating: 1 star

Smack! I love a good bad review.

#73 - Thanks! I was planning to really have a field day on this one, but in the end it just didn't feel worth it. There are some great 1 star reviews on this book at the US Amazon site though.

Well done! That's a review that should be brought to Lyall's attention. I love a good blistering review when it is justified.

At least you didn't have to read it. The cover you posted looks awful too.

good point, Barry. Listening to this while sanding drywall and making dinner was tolerable, but I wouldn't have taken the time to sit down with this and read it.

72> well done on finishing - I threw it across the room in disgust after ~ 50 pages of complete drivel. I certainly never got as far as a chapter about hedgehog aficionados. If anyone ought to be sent home, it's her.

Helen, yes, I saw your review and completely understood. Indeed she needs to be sent home!

Well, not ALL New Yorkers are like Sarah Lyall!

I think FEW New Yorkers are like Sarah Lyall!

Great review Joyce. And interesting that she didnt seem to like the English culture or people -- I read a short piece she wrote about returning to the US after several years abroad, which I could relate to. And based on the tone of that piece I would have expected more actual anglophilia.

Thanks for taking one for the team, Joyce. I was only mildly interested in reading this book after I first heard about it, but I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole now.

No, Darryl, you would be most annoyed by this one!

Laura - I bet in her own mind she thinks she loves England.

Hello Joyce! I've made it to your thread at last - better late than never! I enjoyed your review of the risible sounding The Anglo Files. Going back to February, your reviews of Eating Dirt and The Wood stand out for me being a tree professional. They look like very rewarding reads that I'll be keeping an eye out for.

#85 - Paul - I highly recommend Eating Dirt to anyone who is vaguely interested in it, moreso to you since it relates to your work. I was out for dinner with some foresters last week and I always think that would have been an interesting job.

Happy Friday

Brilliant! Thank you.

84 so you may not think it's up to your snarkey standards, but I thoroughly enjoyed your review and my accompanying giggling.

85. The Glass Key, Dashiell Hammett, 1931, audio book

Cover: no cover with this audio book for me to comment on.

Comments: Set in an unnamed US city around 1930, The Glass Key is a story of crooked politicians, gangsters, and a murder, complete with the expected attitudes toward race and gender that you might expect from that whole milieu. I can't think of anything that sounds more boring than this (unless you add football or baseball to the above). Neither the characters nor the storyline interested me.

Why I Read This Now:: I was desperate for something to listen to while I painted. It's on the 1001 books list.

Recommended for: I guess if you like those 1930s crime stories you might like this. Also, for students of writing or literature, the narrative approach is unique, in that it is told almost as straight reportage with little commentary from the narrator, leaving the reader to have to figure out what is going on. One really annoying aspect of this is that the narrator always called the main character by his full name, "Ned Beaumont." You know, just in case the reader confused him with some other non-existent Ned. (insert eye roll here). If I played a drinking game where I took a shot every time I heard "Ned Beaumont," I would have been passed out on the floor before I got half way through.

Rating: 1 star.

That is one of my favorite Beaton comics!

Finally catching up on your thread - thanks for reading The Anglo Files so that I don't have to.

Pride & Proliferation (with a nod to the essay by Emily Auerbach)

Back in post #67 at the end of my review of the Annotated Pride and Prejudice (ed: Shapard), I said: “I have hundreds of books waiting in my TBR, but none of them look any good, and now I'm ruined for any other book. I'm closing my thread down now, as I'm only going to read P&P until further notice ;-),” and that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing this month. You’ll understand then why I’ve skipped my usual “Why I Read This Now” category for these. Also, I have to add that I generally eschew anything published in the past 20 years that has anything to do with Jane Austen, as it all seems to fall into one of two categories: desperate cash grab, or desperate fan adoration. Only Austen is Austen.

****

86. Death Comes to Pemberley, PD James, 2012, audiobook


Cover comments: Nice cover that suits the book.

Comments: This novel was published to high expectations last year. Famous crime writer meets Pride and Prejudice—maybe this one would rise above the usual Austen-inspired dreck. The basic story is that it’s six years after the end of P&P and Elizabeth and Darcy have turned into a boring couple with none of their previous sparkle. Oh yeah, and there is a murder on their property.

Many, many negative reviews here at LT prove that Death Comes to Pemberley was a disappointment, and I completely understand what those reviewers mean. However, as an audiobook to listen to while painting, it was okay (and much better than my next one, The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett). I’m not sure I could have stayed motivated to actually read this one though.

Rating: 3 marginal stars

Recommended for: a scholar who is studying this Austen phenomena.

****-

87. Why Jane Austen?, Rachel Brownstein, 2011


Cover comments: Suits the book and finds a way to say “Austen” without resorting to the same two surviving pictures of her that are used everywhere.

Comments: Brownstein is an scholar looking at Austen’s influence on popular culture. There are some very interesting observations in this work, and also too many tangents that went off on topics I had no interest in (Lord Byron, for example). I liked this quotation:

“Contrary to the main current of popular opinion today, Jane Austen’s novels are not first of all and most importantly about pretty girls in long dresses waiting for love and marriage; and they are not most importantly about English and Heritage, small and decorous and mannerly and pleasant. Read with any degree of attention, they do not work well as escape reading: there are too many hardheaded observations and hard, recalcitrant details in them. Only the powerful force of courtship plot makes it at all possible to see the morose, depressed, self-involved , and boring Edward Ferrars as an acceptable husband no more need be said about Edmund Bertram. Real evils are represented in all the novels—not only the unpleasantness of boredom, homelessness, and the governess trade and what S&S causally calls “the strange unsuitableness which often existed between husband and wife,” but also ruined lives, dangerous illnesses, urban riots, the slave trade, and foreign wars.” P247

Rating: This book was very uneven and I’m glad I borrowed it from the library. 3 stars.

Recommended for: those studying Austen in current culture.

****

Austenland, Shannon Hale, 2008


Cover comments: yep, suits the book.

Comments: I had heard that this was one of the better Austen chick lit fanfic type books out there and since it was available at the library, I thought I’d give it a try.

It had a cute premise: 30-something singleton thinks she’s unmarried because she is obsessed with the 1995 BBC mini-series Pride and Prejudice, and the novel itself. Somehow she ends up at a secret Jane Austen resort –slash—adult theme park somewhere in England where she can play act P&P. Although I thought this was an interesting idea, the book bored me and I Pearl-ruled it at page 48 (technically, I’m not allowed to Pearl rule until p 50, but I was confident that nothing was going to turn around in the next two pages).

Recommended for: I’m sure someone would like this but I can’t recommend it.

****

88. Pride and Promiscuity: the Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen, Arielle Eckstut, 2003


Cover comments: Nicely done, and again, suits the book.

Comments: Thanks to Lois (Avaland) for introducing me to this one. It’s a fun parody and quick, entertaining read. The premise here is that a failed Austen scholar happens across a box of sex scenes that were expunged from Jane Austen’s novels before publication. The saucy minx! I would say these are all along the lines of naughty and suggestive, rather than erotic or explicit. It’s been a couple of days and I’m still laughing about Charlotte Lucas dressing up as a dominatrix Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Recommended for: Austen fans with a sense of humour.

Rating: 4 stars.

****

89. Pride and Prejudice: the Annotated Edition, Patricia Meyer Spacks, 2010


Cover comments: this is gorgeous. I feel like I’m in the drawing room at Netherfield.

Comments: Back on December 2nd I did say that I just wanted to read P&P and nothing else, didn’t I. So like the good university student I was, I went back and read it again. My real motivation was discovering this annotated edition by Spacks. It’s an oversized coffee table book with loads of full-colour illustrations, and a full column of annotations on every page.

As I learned when I reread books back-to-back at university, many treasures are lying in wait for the careful reader. I read with a pencil, and underlined and marked up this book heavily. My reading last month raised questions in my mind, and this time through I discovered more questions that I will ponder for a while.

Comparing the Spacks and Shapard annotated editions: Which to buy, The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, edited by David Shapard, or Pride and Prejudice: an Annotated Edition, by Patricia Meyer Spacks? Well, obviously the serious Austen reader needs both. But if you really can buy only one, consider this:

Shapard: very nicely done trade paperback. Excellent maps and timelines (inc chronological order of the events of the novel). The annotations are excellent, although I did find the word definitions to be tiresome. But readers with less exposure to 19th c literature will find them useful.

Spacks: gorgeous coffee table book—even has moiré end-papers. This is the edition to give to the Austen lover on your gift list (and Amazon.ca is currently selling it for only $23.16—a great deal!) . The annotations are excellent here too. Not as many annoying word definitions, but more tangents on Austen’s influences and what was happening in the world around the novel (not really my areas of interest, but others will like that). The downside is this book is cumbersome and not one you’ll throw in your bag to read on the train. I had to read it sitting at a desk.

Rating dah. 5 stars.

****

In conclusion of my project: Well, as I knew from the onset, only Austen writes like Austen, and only Pride and Prejudice sparkles like Pride and Prejudice. Doesn’t sound like I learned anything then, but I did have fun. And as Lydia Bennett can tell you, fun is the most important thing, ever.

hmm, I remain to be convinced, but thanks for the thorough research undertaken. We're reading P&P for next month's book group - I'm not looking forward to it. And Death comes to Pemberley is this year's big historical drama on the BBC over Christmas, so it'll be interesting to see if the married Mr Darcy can knock Colin "wet shirt" Firth off the hot spot.

#93 - No one can better Colin Firth's Darcy. He owns the role.

Helen - I get your feelings on P&P, really I do. If you have to read it, is it possible for you to have fun with hating it? I can sometimes do that--I usually hate at least one book a year that my book club reads. Sometimes I can find an interesting article or review that shares my POV and I bring it along. Book club discussions are usually more fun when people have different opinions of the book anyway, I find.

I'm looking forward to reading a fun negative review by you in January!

95 I love the idea of having fun hating it. I sometimes do it with tv or news but for some reason never thought of doing it with a book.

I read Death Comes to Pemberley when it first came out. I like P.D. James, so was disappointed that it wasn't wonderful. But to be honest, I think her age may be catching up to her. Her last few books have not had the same sparkle as her earlier books.

Thanks for taking on this research job Joyce! I really appreciate not having to plough through what initially looked promising.

I might just buy the Spacks edition as a Christmas present to myself!

ETA: I just bought the Spacks. Your review was posted just at the right time as I was looking for a better version of P&P than the one I have.

Vivienne - good choice in a Christmas present to yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

eta: sorry the link doesn't go to the correct ediiton-- people at the combiners group are being obtuse and showing poor LT spirit.

I didn't try the link, but went straight to Amazon. Even better: I had to add a second book to get free shipping!! Yay!

Yeah, I just hate having to find a second book to top of the free shipping. That's why my TBR pile is so high.

ha ha, I knew you'd like those "lost scenes." And I see you couldn't resist at least one photo of Firth.

90. The Light Between the Oceans, ML Stedman, 2012


Nice cover. Who doesn't like lighthouses? And the dark blue sky with stars is lovely.

Comments: Tom returns to southwestern Australia after WWI, takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island, and even finds a wife (Isabel). After distressing miscarriages and a still birth, a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a baby. Isabel believes it is a gift from God. But a few years later, they learn that the birth mother is alive and looking for her child . . . Many heartbreaking scenes and moral dilemmas follow.

Note: It was nominated for whatever they're calling the Orange Prize these days.

Rating: 3 stars. There are 190 reviews of this novel at LT, most of them glowing, raving, and praising. The writing was fine, and I think my biggest problem with it was that I just wasn't in the mood to read this sort of book. In another mood, I too might be extolling its virtues. To be honest though, and this is the key sentence in this short, bland review: the Light Between the Oceans made me feel manipulated.

My favourite thing about the book was the lighthouse setting, and the general setting of a remote corner of Australia.

Why I Read This Now: book club. I expect that we will have some interesting discussion, as I see in the comments different people like and dislike different things about the book.

Recommended for: most readers really love this book, so if it sounds interesting, you probably will too.

My book group is reading this in January. I'm not looking forward to it; I've seen two "meh" ratings from people I trust and it was suggested by a group member who I very much do not trust.

It is a pretty cover though.

I listened to it and thought it was lovely. BUT I can entirely see how you'd feel manipulated. It is emotive, and it does tug at the heartstrings - and I think that's quite deliberate. Your sympathy is engaged for one person, then another as the story is told and re-told with added detail.
There's a sense of being forced to choose who is right when no-one is all right nor all wrong. And the ending was a bit of a setup, imo.
I heard it narrated by an antipodean with a lovely voice, so it wasn't all bad.

Jennifer - I don't know what advice to give you. It's not a bad book, so I don't think it's a candidate for "I'm going to have fun picking this apart and hating it." I really think in a different mood I may have liked it a lot more. And I'm the one who suggested this for my bookclub (my only suggestion this year), so I can't slag the suggester too much.

Helen - that's an excellent summary of what I felt and thought-- the problem was that it wasn't subtle. I could see the strings that operated the puppet, I guess you could say. I can see that it would have made a pleasant audiobook. I can also see it as a movie.

I listen to my audiobooks in the car. A few times I've marked an audiobook down because I felt I wasn't able to loose myself in it - bel canto only got 4.5 stars, because I couldn't give myself up to it - I feel sure had I read it I've have been immersed in it and loved it. Maybe, in this case, the fact that I couldn't give the words 100% attention meant that I wasn't subjecting the text to the same degree that I would have done when reading it. So while I can appreciate that it could feel manipulative, it didn't feel like that to me while I was listening to it.

Regardless of if you like it or not, I think this would probably make for a good discussion subject. The story isn't told in chronological order, there's a lot of replaying the same scene from a different perspective, or with added information, such that the story evolves and what you thought happened isn't necessarily the entire story. I suspect different people will latch on to a particular viewpoint, or miss an implication about another's state of mind. And the decision at the core of the book is a complicated one, no matter how you look at it. There's a lot of mental state in this, and that's a grey area at the bet of times. It's not a bad tale, but maybe the way it is told will not be to everyone's liking.

Helen - yes! Thanks for that.
Jennifer - see? It might be fun after all . . .

Ok. Keeping an open mind...

Yay, Jennifer! . . . and also, I look forward to your witty, snarky, two-sentence review in a few weeks.

Some year end stats for 2013 . . .

I read 90 books.

- 67 new-to-me authors
- 85 different authors
- 14 audiobooks

Nationality of authors:

UK - 40
US - 22
Canada - 14 (inc 2 books originally written in French)
Australia - 3
France - 2
and one each for China, Ireland, New Zealand, India, Belgium/Japan, Netherlands, Vietnam, Unknown (prob US).

Happy New Year, Joyce. You've read a lot of wonderful books this year. Looking forward to more.

More stats . . .

I had 3 five star reads:

Wuthering Heights - a reread, this time with the Norton Critical Edition
Pride and Prejudice - another reread, this time with two heavily annotated editions--it was just like reading the book and chatting about it with an intelligent friend at the same time.
The Children's Book, AS Byatt

other outstanding books:

Eating Dirt: Deep Forest, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe, Charlotte Gill
The Beginning of Spring, Penelope Fitzgerald
The Literary Detective, John Sutherland
First Fruits, Penelope Evans
The Shooting Party, Isabel Colegate
the House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
Witch of Exmoor, Margaret Drabble
MacBeth, Shakespeare
What a Carve Up!, Jonathan Coe
Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
Lives of Girls and Women, Alice Munro
The Stranger's Child, Alan Hollinghurst
Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free from Warren Jeffs, Elissa Wall
The Dinner, Herman Koch
Fear and Trembling, Amelie Nothomb

Disappointments:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle

Discoveries
John Sutherland
Kate Atkinson
Jonathan Coe
and the Penelopes: Penelope Fitzgerald, Penelope Evans, Penelope Lively

non-fiction: 21 + 8 memoir= 29
fiction: 61

female author: 54
male author: 36

#112 - Thanks, Colleen! Happy New Year to you too, and to everyone at ClubRead!

For the love of light houses...



Happy New Year!