Soffitta1's 2014 Category Challenge - Thread 1

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Soffitta1's 2014 Category Challenge - Thread 1

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1soffitta1
Editado: Ene 19, 2014, 3:33 pm

General aims.

To read more off my shelves than last year.
To read at least 35 1001 books.
To take part in the various Cat challenges.

2soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 11:36 am

1. 1001 Books



I aim to hit 501 books read in 2014, so this category is back.

AlphaCat
Jun: 3. Absalom, Absalom! A
Jul: 4. Of Human Bondage W
Sept: 10. Nausea J
Oct: 13. All Souls's Day N

GeoCat
Aug: 9. If on a Winter's Night a traveller Western Europe

MysteryCat
Sept: 12. The Book of Illusions Book-related mystery

RandomCat
Oct: 14. The Return of the Soldier Book Bullet

1. Thursbitch
2. The Good Soldier
5. Bel ami
6. Under the Volcano
7. Home
8. La Bête humaine
11. The Lonely Londoners

Top reads:
I was so happy to pick up another Italo Calvino book for this challenge, and If on a Winter's Night a Traveller was no disappointment. The Lonely Londoners was another short, but poignant 1001 book. It made even more of a resonance with me as I am now working in London with students whose parents / grandparents came over from the West Indies for a new life. As for a third, I am unsure whether to choose The Book of Illusions, which I devoured, I really liked the premise of the story, or The Return of the Soldier, being read 100 years after the start of the First World War. The former kept me on my toes, a sign of a good mystery, whereas the latter threw up questions and emotions.
As for the end, I can't say there was a bad egg.

3soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 1:20 pm

2. Asian Books


Huge pile of Asia-related books on my TBR pile.

GeoCat
Jan: 1. Aloft USA Immigration
May: 3 Home South Asia (Focus on India)
Sept: 8. After Dark Asia
Sept:10. Dreams of Joy Asia
Sept: 11. Waiting Asia
Sept: 12. River of time Asia

AlphaCat
Mar: 2. Shame in the blood M
Jun: 6. Emigre journeys A
Sept:10. Dreams of Joy J
Sept: 11. Waiting J
Sept: 12. River of time J

RandomCat
Jun: 4. Indian Summer Roses

GastroCat
Jun: 5. The Republic of Wine Red meat

No Cat
9. Across the Nightingale Floor
7. The Brilliance of the Moon
13. The Crazed
14. Riding the Iron Rooster

Another of my favourite categories!
Top reads:
From the dark side, it would have to be The Republic of Wine, a tale of eating the strangest of foods washed down with rice wine. River of Time was an interesting read, taking the reader to the heart of the conflicts in Asia that affected the whole world.
From the bottom - that would be Emigre Journeys, meandering and not all it promised to be.

4soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 11:50 am

3. Film


Love films. love to compare books and their adaptations.

AlphaCat
2. Jan - V - Myra Breckinridge *1001
4. Feb - H - Far from the Madding Crowd *1001
5. Mar - L & M The Monk *1001
6. Jun - A Saturday Night and Sunday Morning *1001
7. Jun - A El cartero de Neruda
9. Sept - O - Oliver Twist *1001
10. Sept - O - The Wizard of Oz
11. Sept - J - Journey to the centre of the Earth *1001
12. Sept - J - The History of Tom Jones * 1001

RandomCat
8. Aug. Wonder Boys Back to school

GastroCat
13. Sept The Cider House Rules *1001 Cider

No Category:
1. Eugene Onegin *1001 book
3. A Single Man
14. Doctor Zhivago **1001

10 1001 books! It was fun to reread El Cartero de Neruda, this time in Spanish, such a lovely book, though tinged with sadness. I had never read The Wizard of Oz and was inspired to pick this up at a charity shop after seeing a children's theatre group put on excerpts of it. It is funny to read the original of something you know so well, finding that the shoes were silver and not ruby as well as other plot differences, this was a similar experience with Journey to the Centre of the Earth. As for other recommendations, I really enjoyed The Cider House Rules, such a lot going on and great writing; the chaos of The Wonder Boys also appealed to me. At the other end of the scale was The Monk, more because Gothic is not really my cup of tea, rather than bad writing.

5soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 11:58 am

4. World Book Night



A great project and a good way to get me to vary my reading.

2014
1. The humans
5. Perfect Murder
7. Four Warned
9. Weird Sisters
10. 59 seconds

And from the German list:
11. The Name of the Rose (but in English) *1001

AlphaCat
Jun: 4. Tales Of The City A
Oct: 8. Black Hills N
Nov: 14. Gorky Park S

MysteryCat
Nov: 14. Gorky Park Historical mystery

USA
12. The Hunger Games
13. When I was Puerto Rican

AlphaCat
Jun: 2. My Ántonia A
Jun: 3. A Prayer For Owen Meany A, *1001
Aug: 6. The house on Mango Street T

2 1001 books, and a true mix. I picked up a few when I went to the States this summer, so this time the category had a distinctly American feel. Top books include The Humans for the humour and offbeat story, Weird Sisters for the crazy, yet familiar family dynamics and The House on Mango Street, a book I will look out for in the original Spanish so I can use it with students.

6soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 2:20 pm

5. Crime, mystery and thriller



AlphaCat
Jan: 2. A deadly paradise D
Jun: 9. An officer and a spy A
Jun: 10. Night Train A

MysteryCat
Feb - Series: 3. The Murder on the Eiffel Tower
4. The Pere-Lachaise Mystery
Mar - Children's
5. Half moon investigations
Apr - Nordic Mysteries
7. Firewall
Jun - Police Procedurals
8. Dick Donovan: The Glasgow Detective
10. Night Train A
Jul - Noir
11. Double Indemnity
Aug - British
12. Pantheon
Global Mysteries
13. Grotesque Japan

RandomCat:
Apr - Poetry
6. What's under your hat? and other mysteries

MysteryCat
14. The Montmartre Investigation Series

No category
1. Dominion D

Top reads have to include An officer and a spy, I had just read another book referencing the Dreyfus affair, so really got into this. Dominion was a cracker, especially in the light of this year's referendum in Scotland. I found Night Train to be rather pedestrian, there could have been more to it and The Murder on the Eiffel Tower series was not fleshed out enough, despite the great backdrop.

7soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 1:38 pm

6. History


Like 2013, this will be a mix of fiction and non-fiction.

Fiction
1. Mirror Mirror
11. The General in his Labyrinth
14. On the Cold Coasts

GeoCat Aug - Europe
13. The Fall of the Stone City

Biography & Autobiography
GastroCat
2. Feb: Let me eat cake
3. Apr: Cod

AlphaCat
May: 4. Storm of Steel E *1001
Jun 6. Lucky A
Jul: 9. China Cuckoo C

RandomCat
5. May: Miss Mckirdy's daughters will now dance the Highland Fling Mother
6. Jun: Lucky Rose

Non-fiction
10. News of a kidnapping
12. The Darien Disaster

AlphaCat
7. Jun Tales of the South China Seas A

Travel
8. Between Extremes

Top reads:
Ismail Kadare was an author I came across in the 1001 list, this is not on the list, but was a great read, strange and compelling. Cod was fascinating, especially as I have lived in two countries whose cuisines owe much to the salted cod. Storm of Steel was an impulse buy, a great war book. China Cuckoo was an interesting read as I recognised parts of the book from my own experiences in China. A very solid category!

8soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 1:42 pm

7. Flora and Fauna



With flora or fauna in the title, I have a lot of books that could fit in here.

No category
8. Rabbit at rest
14. The Jaguar Smile

MysteryCat
Jan - Private detective
1. Birds of a Feather

RandomCat
Feb - Children's Literature
2. Akimbo and the Elephants
3. Akimbo and the Lions
4. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man
Mar - Birds
9. Requiem for a Wren

AlphaCat
Feb - H & R
5. Rabbit, Run R *1001
6. Rabbit Redux *1001
7. Rabbit is Rich *1001
Apr - I & P
10. Grass for his pillow P
11. The tail of the bird P

GastroCat
Jul - Fruit
12. Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India

GeoCat
Jul: 13. Penguins stopped play Antartic

Top reads:
Climbing the Mango Trees was such an interesting read about a figure whose books have dominated our kitchen (and her shows our TV!). A tail of the bird was rather fantastical, I do enjoy magical realism. Penguins stopped play was great fun, I am a cricket fan, and the random matches did appeal.

9soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 1:53 pm

8. Women Writers


Another favourite.

12. Sense & Sensibility
13. Full House

GeoCat
1. Jan: The Bean Trees (immigration)
3. Jan: Ceremony (Contemporary American Fiction) (immigration)
5. The colour of forgetting Caribbean
6. We are all made of glue Eastern Europe

AlphaCat
2. Jan: The heat of the day **1001 D
4. Feb: Everything You Know H
7. Jun: Quicksand and Passing Q **1001
8. Jun: The thing around your neck A
11. Aug: The Forms of Water T

GastroCat
1. Jan : The Bean Trees
11. Aug: The forms of Water Water

RandomCat
14. May: Bluebeard's egg 1st story
10. Jul: Fly by Night Books

RandomCat
9. The Library of Unrequited Love

Top reads:
The 1001 list has introduced me to many a good book, and the two I read by Nella Larsen were no exception. The Library of Unrequited Love was rather fun, especially for bibliophiles. A good category, though I felt that Everything you know was a bit weak.

10soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 1:56 pm

9. Group Reads


A great way to read those scary books that have been lurking for a while.

1. Feb: P.G. Wodehouse - Thank you, Jeeves *1001
2. Mar: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame *1001, 1001 Group
3. Apr There but for the *1001, 1001 group

Atwood in April
4. Bodily Harm

Umberto Eco in May
5. The Prague Cemetery

6. Mary Barton *1001

9. Sept: Paradise of the Blind *1001, 1001 Group

11. Walden *1001, 1001 Group

12. Nov: Shirley *1001

13. Notes from the Underground *1001, 1001 Group

14. Nov: Testament of youth *1001, 1001 Group

Reading Globally
July - Sept: Central America and Mexico
7. Como agua para chocolate
Oct - Dec: Post-War Germany
8. Alone in Berlin
10. Berlin Tales

Top reads:
The Prague Cemetery, rather a tome, but fascinating. I did enjoy There but for the for its quirky style and Alone in Berlin for the great plot.

11soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 2:01 pm

10. Name



A name in the title, another way of cutting down Mount TBR.

AlphaCat
1. Jan - V - Vernon God Little *1001
3. Feb - R - Rameau's Nephew and D'Alembert's Dream *1001
4. Feb - H - Alice Hartley's Happiness
5. Feb - R - The testament of Gideon Mack
6. Mar - M - Beatrice and Virgil
7. Mar - M - Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field
8. Mar - M - Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams
9. Apr - P - The Bronte Project
10. May - E - Silas Marner *1001
11. May - E - Mapp and Lucia
12. Mar: 3. The World According to Bertie M
13. Jun - A - A Weekend with Mr Darcy
14. Sept - F - Eve Green

RandomCat
2. Danziger's Adventures: From Miami to Kabul Jan, Journey
8. Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams Mar, Birds on cover

Top reads:
Long-term TBR Vernon God Little was worth the wait, as well as The Testament of Gideon Mack. For all things magical, I would recommend Dream Angus, a tale I was not familiar with, but will search out. At the other end, the classic tributes were not as strong as I'd have hoped, but it is always good to have some down time in reading as well.

12soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 2:09 pm

11. Hispanic Studies and German



This is what I studied at university and as I am doing a PGCE in MFL I thought I'd make this a category. Not a football fan, but this was the only image I could find that reflected the three languages that I studied on the course.

Spanish
1. Mexican High set in a Mexican high school.
13. Vargas Llosa for President

GeoCat:
Mar 3. Salvador
Mar 4. The Pot that Juan Built

AlphaCat
Jan 2. Don Quixote D
Mar 5. Labyrinths L
Apr 7. The tailor of Panama P
8. Peru and the Andean Countries P
May 11. Santa Evita E, *1001

German
AlphaCat
Apr 6. Asterix plaudert aus der Schule P
Apr 9. Asterix bei den Pikten P
Apr 10. Mr Norris Changes trains I, *1001
Jun 12. Asterix bei den Schweizern A

Portuguese
GeoCat
Aug: 14. Death with interruptions Western Europe

Top reads:
Death with interruptions will stay with me for a long time, such a strange book stemming for a simple musing. Labyrinths will need more readings, but Borges' world always leaves you guessing. Santa Evita was a fascinating, but often peculiar, look at the life and afterlife of Eva Peron. Great fun to read Asterix, I have more for next year!

13soffitta1
Editado: Dic 29, 2014, 3:47 am

12. Gender



Books with gender related nouns in the title - man, boy, girl, aunt.

10. Refugee Boy
11. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman
14. Islanders and The Fisher of Men

AlphaCat
Feb: 1. Rickshaw Girl R
Mar 2. Last man to die L & M
Apr: 3. Temporary Kings P *1001
4. The Wise Woman P
May: 5. The country girls E *1001
6. Girl with green eyes E *1001
7. Girls in their married bliss E
Jun: 9. Mr Darcy's Daughters A

MysteryCat:
May: Golden Age
8. A Man Lay Dead

GeoCat
Sept: 12. Shanghai Girls

RandomCat
Sept: Toronto Film Festival
13. The Other Queen

Top reads:I would have to say The Tin-Pot General and the Old Iron Woman -
great illustrations and a book I had been wanting to find for ages. I also enjoyed the The Country Girls trilogy and Rickshaw Girl. At the bottom would have to be The Other Queen, this did not grab me at all.

14soffitta1
Editado: Dic 29, 2014, 3:55 am

13. Geography



Books with place names in the title.

7. The girl who saved the King of Sweden
9. Strange weather in Tokyo
10. Crimson China
12. Cinnamon City
3. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

RandomCat
Jan: 1. Love over Scotland

For the GeoCat:
Feb: 2. Prisoner in Baghdad Middle East
Apr: 4. Austerlitz Eastern Europe
May: 5. India with Sanjeev Bhaskar South Asia - focus on India
Sept: 13. Geisha of Gion

AlphaCat
May: 6. Excursion to Tindari
Jul: 8. Last train from Liguria
Sept: 11. Longbourn J

Oct
GeoCat
14. Tierra del Fuego

Top reads: So many here! I loved the style of The Girl who saved the King of Sweden and the poignancy of Strange Weather in Tokyo. Crimson China grabbed me because I remember the news stories of the tragedy that inspired it. Austerlitz was another winner, as well as Longbourn to see the downstairs side to Pride and Prejudice. Last but not least, I really enjoyed Tierra del Fuego.

15soffitta1
Editado: Dic 26, 2014, 6:06 pm

14. Series



Didn't read many of my proposed books for this, so will try again!

RandomCat
Jan 1. 44 Scotland Street door
2. Espresso Tales door
Sept. 14: Chocolate Box Girls Bittersweet

GastroCat
Mar 3. Horseradish green vegetable
Mar 4. Green eggs and ham
May 8. The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy Dairy

AlphaCat
Apr 5. Hearing Secret Harmonies P, 1001 Book
May 6. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones U
May 7. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil U
Jun 9. The Importance of being Seven A
Jun 10. Affair of the thirty nine cufflinks A
Jun 11. Affair of the Mutilated Mink Coat A
Jul 12. The Harsh Cry of the Heron C
Aug 13. These Three Remain T

A successful category, I am now up to date with 4 series! I do enjoy the Alexander McCall Smith series, I plan on reading another of his next year. The Burford books were an easy read, perfect to chill out with.

16soffitta1
Editado: Dic 30, 2014, 3:57 pm

No Category:
1. A Taste of Chardonnay
2. The Distant Hours
3. Zeitoun
4. A Modest Proposal
5. Once were Warriors
6. Stormbringers
7. The Godfather
8. Goodbye to Berlin
9. More than you can say
10. Cronica de una muerte anunciada
11. A woman's life
12. A song of Stone
13. Three Sisters
14. Jessica
15. Threepenny Novel
16. The particular sadness of lemon cake
17. the believers
18. In Diamond Square
19. Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate
20. Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came
21. Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell
22. Miss Chopsticks
23. The Facts behind Helsinki Roccamatios
24. Therese Raquin
25. The Vagrants
26. Master of Ballantrae
27. Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel
28. Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
29. The Tiger's Wife
30. Agatha Raisin and the Deadly dance
31. Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon
32. Agatha Raisin and Love, Lies and Liquor
33. Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye

For the Cats - MysteryCat, etc.

MysteryCat

Jan: Private detective
1. Birds of a Feather
Feb: Series
2. The Murder on the Eiffel Tower
3. The Pere Lachaise Mystery
4. The Montmartre Investigation
Mar: Children and YA
5. Half Moon Investigations
Apr: Scandinavian Crime
6. Firewall
May: Golden Age
7. A man Lay Dead
Jun: Police Procedurals
8. Dick Donovan: The Glasgow Detective
9. Night Train
Jul: Noir
10. Double Indemnity
Aug: British
11. Pantheon
Sept: Books
12. The Book of Illusions
Oct: Foreign
13. Grotesque
14. The Name of the Rose
Nov: Historical
15. Gorky Park
16. The Distant Hours
Dec: Cosy mysteries
17. Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate
18. Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
19. Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came
20. Agatha Raisin and the Love From Hell
21. Agatha Raisin and the Deadly dance
22. Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon
23. Agatha Raisin and Love, Lies and Liquor
24. Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye

GeoCat
Jan: America and Canada
1. The Bean Trees *immigration
2. Aloft *immigration
3. Ceremony (Contemporary American Fiction)
Feb: North Africa and the Middle East
4. Cinnamon City
5. Prisoner in Baghdad
Mar: Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
6. Salvador
7. The Colour of Forgetting Caribbean
8. The Pot that Juan Built Mexico
Apr: Eastern Europe
9. We are all made of glue
10. Austerlitz
May: South Asia
11. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
12. Home *India
13. The Great Hedge of India *India
Jun: Bodies of Water and Islands
14. Tales of the South China Seas
Jul: Arctic and Antarctic Regions
15. Penguins Stopped Play Antarctic
Aug: Western Europe
16. Mary Barton UK
17. Pantheon UK
18. The fall of the stone city
19. if on a winter's night a traveller Italy
Sept: East Asia
20. River of Time Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
21. Shanghai Girls China
22. Dreams of Joy China
23. After Dark Japan
24. Geisha of Gion Japan
25. Waiting Japan
Oct: South America
26. Tierra del Fuego
Nov: Oceania
27. The Distant Hours Australia
28. Once Were Warriors Australia
Dec: Sub-Saharan Africa
29. Jessica South Africa

RandomCat
Jan: Janus
1. 44 Scotland Street door on cover
2. Danziger's Adventures: From Miami to Kabul a journey
3. Espresso Tales door on cover
4. Love over Scotland door on cover
Feb: Children's Books
5. Akimbo and the Elephants
6. Akimbo and the lions
7. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man
Mar: Birds
8. Dream Angus - bird on cover
9. Requiem for a Wren
Apr: Poetry
10. What's under your hat?
May: Mother
11. Bluebeard's egg 1st story
12. Miss McKirdy's Daughters will now dance the Highland Fling
Jun: Roses
13. Indian Summer
14. Lucky
Jul: Books
15. Fly by Night
16. The Library of Unrequited Love
Aug: Back to School
17. The Wonderboys
Sept: The Toronto Film Festival
18. The Other Queen
Oct: Book Bullet
19. Return of the Soldier
Nov: May day!
20. Zeitoun
Dec: When I wish upon a star
21. Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel

17soffitta1
Editado: Dic 28, 2014, 5:43 am

AlphaCat
Jan: 1. Vernon God Little V
Jan: 2. Myra Breckinridge V
Jan: 3. A Deadly Paradise D
Jan: 4. Don Quixote D
Jan: 5. The Heat of the Day D
Jan: 6. Danziger's Adventures D
Feb: 7. Rameau's Nephew and D'Alembert's Dream R
Feb: 8. Far from the Madding Crowd H
Feb: 9. Everything you know H
Feb: 10. Rabbit, Run R
Feb: 11. Rickshaw Girl R
Feb: 12. Alice Hartley's Happiness H
Feb: 13. The Testament of Gideon Mack R
Feb: 14. Rabbit is Rich R
Feb: 15. Rabbit Redux R
Mar: 16. Horseradish L
Mar: 17. Pride, Prejudice & Jasmine Field M
Mar: 18 Dream Angus M
Mar. 19. The Colour of Forgetting M
Mar: 20. Shame in the Blood M
Mar: 21. Last Man to die L & M
Mar: 22. Labyrinths
Mar: 23. The World According to Bertie M
Mar: 24. Beatrice and Virgil M
Mar: 25. The Monk L & M
Apr: 26. The Bronte Project P
Apr: 27. Peru and the Andean Countries P
Apr: 28. Temporary Kings P
Apr: 29. Asterix bei den Pikten P
Apr: 30. The wise woman P
Apr: 31. Mr Norris changes trains I
Apr: 32. Hearing Secret Harmonies P
Apr: 33. Grass for his pillow P
Apr: 34. Tail of the blue bird P
Apr: 35. Asterix plaudert aus der Schule P
Apr: 36. The Tailor of Panama P
May: 37. The Prague Cemetery E & U
May: 38. Bluebeard's Egg E
May: 39. The Country Girls E
May: 40. The Girl with Green Eyes E
May: 41. Girls in their Married Bliss E
May: 42. A Storm of Steel E
May: 43. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil U
May: 44. Silas Marner E
May: 45. Santa Evita E
May: 46. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones U
May: 47. Mapp and Lucia E
May: 48. Excursion to Tindari E
Jun: 49. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning A
Jun: 50. Émigré Journeys A
Jun: 51. Lucky A
Jun: 52. The thing around your neck A
Jun: 53. Tales from the South China Seas A
Jun: 54. My Antonia A
Jun: 55. El Cartero de Pablo Neruda A
Jun: 56. An Officer and a spy A
Jun: 57. The Importance of being seven A
Jun: 58. The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks A
Jun: 59. A Prayer for Owen Meany A
Jun: 60. Night Train A
Jun: 61. The Affair of the Mutilated Mink A
Jun: 62. Tales of the City A
Jun: 63. Mr Darcy's Daughters A
Jun: 64. A Weekend with Mr. Darcy A
Jun: 65. Absalom, Absalom! A
Jun: 66. Quicksand and Passing Q
Jun: 67. Asterix bei den Schweizern A
Jul: 68. Climbing the Mango Trees C
Jul: 69. Of Human Bondage W
Jul: 70. Last Train from Liguria C
Jul: 71. The Harsh Cry of the Heron C
Jul: 72. China Cuckoo C
Aug: 73. The House on Mango Street T
Aug: 74. These Three Remain T
Aug: 75. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller T
Aug: 76. The Fall of the Stone City F
Aug: 77. The Forms of Water F
Aug. 78. Eve Green F
Sept: 79. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz O
Sept: 80. The Jaguar Smile J
Sept: 81. The History of Tom Jones J
Sept: 82. River of Time J
Sept: 83. Longbourn J
Sept: 84. Nausea J
Sept: 85. Waiting J
Oct: 86. The Name of the Rose N
Oct: 87. All Souls' Day N
Oct: 88. Black Hills N
Oct. 89. Grotesque N & K
Nov: 90. Gorky Park G & S
Nov: 91. A Modest Proposal S
Nov: 92. The Godfather G
Nov: 93. Stormbringers G
Nov: 94. Cronica de una muerta anunciada G
Nov: 95. A Song of Stone S
Nov: 96. A Woman's Life G
Nov: 97. More than you can say S
Nov: 98. Goodbye to Berlin G
Nov: 99. In Diamond Square S
Dec: 100. The Believers Z
Dec: 101. Miss Chopsticks X
Dec. 102. The Facts Behind Helsinki Roccamatios Y
Dec: 103. Vagrants Y
Dec: 104. Three Sisters B
Dec: 105. Threepenny Novel B
Dec: 106. Therese Raquin Z
Dec: 107. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake B
Dec: 108. Master of Ballantrae B
Dec: 109. Jessica B

GastroCat
Jan: Food and drink
1. The Bean Trees
2. Espresso Tales
Feb:Sweet
3. Let me eat cake
Mar: Green food
4. Horseradish
5. Green Eggs and Ham
Apr: Seafood
6. Cod
May: Dairy
7. Bluebeard's Egg
8. The affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy
Jun: Meat
9. The Republic of Wine
Jul: Fruit
10. Climbing the Mango Trees
Aug: Water
11. The Forms of Water
Sept: Lunch box
12. Bittersweet (World Book Day Edition 2013)
Oct: Cider
13. The Cider House Rules
Nov: White Wine
14. A Taste of Chardonnay
Dec: Hot drinks
15. The Tiger's Wife Tea (the author's name)

18soffitta1
Editado: Ene 11, 2014, 8:27 am

December 2013 round-up

1. Mexican High
First up, life at an international school in the DF.

2. Dominion
An alternate history, without Churchill in charge, Britain reaches an accord with Germany after Dunkirk. A thriller set against a Europe under Fascists, with a specific focus on Nationalism. A focus the author believes to be important in the current political climate. I found it gripping and scary to see how things could have been so different.

3. Thursbitch
A short 1001 read. Interlinking stories set in the wild north.

19soffitta1
Ene 2, 2014, 4:36 pm

4. The Good Soldier
Just finished, a lot going on in this short book.

20paruline
Ene 2, 2014, 4:38 pm

Added my star as soon as I saw you had a thread :)

21soffitta1
Ene 2, 2014, 5:30 pm

Nice to see you!
I keep shuffling things round on my planning thread and wanted to add some spaces here for the various challenges.

22mamzel
Ene 2, 2014, 6:05 pm

I like how you have a category for the books offered for World Book Night. This will be the third year I have participated. That's a nice way of reminding us of those authors who offer their books without compensation.

23rabbitprincess
Ene 2, 2014, 6:30 pm

Hey, I have The Good Soldier on my list of books to read this year as well! And I shall be interested to hear about the Glasgow Detective. Great selection of categories as usual!

24soffitta1
Ene 2, 2014, 7:23 pm

Re 22 I was involved the first year, but haven't been around for the last two. It is a great idea, I do buy the books from charity shops when I see them to keep them moving.

Re 23 I'd recommend the book, lots of twists and turns.

25lkernagh
Ene 3, 2014, 1:06 am

Glad to see you here and that image for you Group Reads category cracks me up every time I see it!

26soffitta1
Ene 3, 2014, 3:09 am

That's why I have kept the image! It also reminds me of school / uni. It used to make me feel like that lady when people who hadn't read the book, yet insisted on commenting on it.

27craso
Ene 3, 2014, 10:02 am

Your picture for your series category is beautiful. So colorful. Good choice! Happy reading!

28soffitta1
Ene 4, 2014, 2:40 pm

Thanks! I'd like to say that my books were organised like this, but they aren't. I have started to pull books off my main shelves and on to a "currently reading" shelf.

5. Birds of a Feather
Actually the second in the series, but I got this through a bookbox. Maisie Dobbs is hired to find a missing girl, but the case is not isolated, it appears to be linked to a murder. Good detective, a strong woman with a fleshed-out back story as well as a good plot.

29bookwormjules
Ene 4, 2014, 5:00 pm

You have some great looking categories. I need to get myself reading more 1001 books, those ones always get pushed back on the tbr list for me.

30soffitta1
Ene 4, 2014, 8:06 pm

I have read quite a few because of the readalongs in the Category Challenges and over in the 1001 group. There are times when I just don't feel like reading one, but others when I read 2 or 3 in a row. There are some that I have had for ages, that I don't seem to ever get round to picking up though.

6. Eugene Onegin
I saw the film adaptation a couple of years ago, so had a rough idea of the plot as I read this. I was most impressed by how the translator had managed to keep the book in verse form. An interesting book, a lot happening despite it being quite a quick read.

31DeltaQueen50
Ene 6, 2014, 3:49 pm

You have lots of really interesting reading planned so I will find a quiet corner to settle in here. Looking forward to another great reading year.

32soffitta1
Ene 10, 2014, 2:48 pm

With a nice cup of hot chocolate on this cold night would be good!

7. The Bean Trees
I have enjoyed her later work, so was curious to see how this earlier book matched up. Taylor knows that she has to get out of her small Kentucky town, to buck the trend and finish high school without becoming pregnant. She takes her heap of a car and drives off for a new life, but is nearly brought back to stage one by a stranger giving her a child. A thought-provoking book with a lot in it, from illegal immigration, people living under the breadline and a number of strong women trying to live their lives as best as they can. Recommended.

8. Vernon God Little
Had this on the shelf for ages, thought it was really good. I fairly raced through it, caught up in the story of a teenager wanted for a school shooting. It is a very dark comedy, but with well-aimed barbs at a media-driven world. Recommended.

9. 44 Scotland Street
I have read this before, but I am starting the series again, so wanted to refresh my memory. Like having a cuppa and a gossip with an old friend. 44 Scotland Street is made up of flats with rather colourful residents, from the vain Bruce who has got a new flatmate in gapper Pat, Bertie and his pushy mother and suffering father to Domenica, an anthropologist with a wealth of stories to tell. The book follows Pat moving in and getting her feet, as well as the daily lives of the other residents and the people whose lives they touch. Great for a winter commute.

33lkernagh
Ene 10, 2014, 9:53 pm

I have had my eye on 44 Scotland Street so really happy to see your re-read was an enjoyable one.

34soffitta1
Ene 11, 2014, 8:24 am

It was, I am just itching to pick up the next book - Espresso Tales - but I want to make sure I don't neglect my 1001 reading. I have just picked up Myra Breckinridge, what a change of pace!

35bookwormjules
Ene 11, 2014, 9:21 am

I'm eyeing up 44 Scotland Street as well. In hindsight, I think I probably should have started with this one as an intro to the author.

36soffitta1
Editado: Ene 13, 2014, 3:09 pm

What else have you read? I have read the first few of The No. 1 Ladies' Detectives Agency and at least one of his children's books. 44 Scotland Street is a fun place to start, but I think his characterisation is really good - he gets you to believe in the characters and more importantly you want to read more.

10. I finished Myra Breckinridge by Gore Vidal - like reading with the fast forward button on!

37-Eva-
Ene 13, 2014, 11:42 pm

Great set-up - I see BBs in my future. :)

38soffitta1
Ene 15, 2014, 3:04 pm

:)

11. Don Quixote
Been reading this since September. When I was in the mood, I read a lot, but when I was tired, I found it a little bit annoying. All in my mood, it has very funny moments, but sometimes they boil over into farce. I am glad to have finally read the book - I read the first volume almost 10 years ago, so it is satisfying to be done with it. Don Quijote and Sancho are great characters and their adventures rather fantastical.

39christina_reads
Ene 15, 2014, 5:01 pm

Congrats on finishing such a huge book!

40soffitta1
Ene 16, 2014, 2:29 pm

Thanks!

12. Danziger's Adventures
The world-wide tour contrasts greatly with Danziger's assignments in Afghanistan, Iran, amongst other places. Reading this book nearly 20 years after it was written was certainly interesting, though sad that life has not really improved.

41cammykitty
Ene 16, 2014, 10:37 pm

Interested in seeing your review of Vernon God Little. Is it one of those books you either love or hate? I know some people rant about how awful it is, but I trust your judgement and you make it sound good. I'm all for dark humor.

42soffitta1
Ene 17, 2014, 4:21 pm

Yes - I think it is definitely one of those books, I'd even say it is very mood dependent. I am almost half way through my teacher training, so I guess the book resonated as I could equate it to students that you do see at school, where I am doing my placement is in a tough area. Many of the students have low self-esteem, one questioned my expectations of the class, "this ain't no posh school, miss", and, unfortunately too many have witnessed violent acts (knife rather than gun crime).

Unlike Aloft (see below), I did like the character, certainly I felt empathy. One of those outsiders, Vernon is off-centre. I found his rapid narration rather entertaining, especially his view of the other characters, at times the only voice of reason in an ever crazier set of circumstances. DBC Pierre did get the tone right, which made it easier, in some ways, to sneak the bigger issues - what drives a teenager to open fire on their peers? The media and our consumption of it are also under scrutiny.

13. Aloft
Jerry Battle is an Italian American, he has a complicated love life - unresolved issues with his ex-girlfriend - as well as a complicated family life. He is at a stage in his life where a person starts to reflect, especially when you are not where you expected to be. Jerry dwells on the past - his late wife and her illness, the family business. So many things that get in the way of his present.

I've had this for a while, not wanting to read it as I was worried it wouldn't live up to A gesture life, which I had previously read. I was disappointed at first, and in trying to pin point why I think it was the very different back drop. A gesture life is set against the WW2 and its aftermath whereas Aloft is set in the present day. I didn't warm to the main character, but I did think the story was well told and overall I am please I read it.

43soffitta1
Ene 19, 2014, 3:41 pm

14. Espresso Tales
The second in Alexander McCall Smith's Scotland Street series. Perfect for dipping into after a long day of teaching / lesson planning, etc. In this volume, you get to see more of Bertie and his tentative steps towards emancipation from his mother, Bruce's new wine venture as well getting more details on other characters. I'm not sure who my favourite is yet, but Domenica would be have to be a strong contender - such an interesting life, though she is starting to feel frustrated in this volume. Luckily I have the next 4 on my shelves!

44soffitta1
Ene 21, 2014, 1:33 pm

15. A deadly paradise
Crime story set in Umbria, a murder with links back to WW2. An alright read, but not going to set the world on fire. I'd stick too Montalbano, if I were you.

45soffitta1
Ene 23, 2014, 5:53 am

16. Love over Scotland
Book 3 in the 44 Scotland Street series, very enjoyable.

46lkernagh
Ene 25, 2014, 12:53 pm

Congrats on finishing Don Quixote! I had to read that one in small doses as well.... the over-to-top silliness of some of their adventures need to be spaced out or I would have started to get frustrated reading it.

Nice to see the Scotland Street series is holding up.... and even better that you already have the next 3 books ready for reading!

47soffitta1
Feb 3, 2014, 3:43 am

Thanks! Been in Germans for yhe last 10 days on placement in a primary, not much reading done, but have gor myself 3 Asterix books in German and a new Cornelia Funke.

17. The heat of the day
18. Ceremony
19. A single man
20. Mirror mirror
21. Cinnamon city

Thoughts to come, but must run to a lecture now.

48soffitta1
Editado: Feb 8, 2014, 11:31 am

22. Rameau's Nephew and D'Alembert's Dream
Oops forgot about this one!

23. Akimbo and the Elephants
I bought three Akimbo books about 6 years ago when I was in Cape Town, the RandomCat has given me the nudge to read them. In this book, Akimbo and his father come across an elephant that has been killed by poachers, leaving a baby elephant behind. Akimbo decides that he must do something about this. Lovely illustrations and a good story.

49soffitta1
Editado: Feb 8, 2014, 11:31 am

24. Murder on the Eiffel Tower
First in a series featuring Victor Legris, set at the time on the Paris Exhibition and the opening of the iconic monument, is there a deadly bee buzzing around?
Lots of promise, great background detail, but the main character was rather annoying and seemed to find the answer despite himself! I have the next book, so am willing to give it a go to see if the plot can match up with the backdrop.

50soffitta1
Feb 5, 2014, 1:16 pm

January Cat Challenge

MysteryCat
Jan: Private detective
1. Birds of a Feather

GeoCat
Jan: America and Canada
1. The Bean Trees *immigration
2. Aloft *immigration
3. Ceremony (Contemporary American Fiction)

RandomCat
Jan: Janus
1. 44 Scotland Street door on cover
2. Danziger's Adventures: From Miami to Kabul a journey
3. Espresso Tales door on cover
4. Love over Scotland door on cover

AlphaCat
Jan: 1. Vernon God Little V
Jan: 2. Myra Breckinridge V
Jan: 3. A Deadly Paradise D
Jan: 4. Don Quixote D
Jan: 5. The Heat of the Day D

GastroCat
Jan: 1. The Bean Trees

What a great way of encouraging people to read books they have had for a while.

51rabbitprincess
Feb 5, 2014, 5:55 pm

>49 soffitta1:: I felt kind of the same way about Murder on the Eiffel Tower. Loved the setting and premise of the series (especially that bookshop!), didn't think much of the sleuth. Hope he improves in the next book!

52electrice
Feb 6, 2014, 2:39 pm

>49 soffitta1:, 51 Me too. I'm willing to try the next one and see ...

53soffitta1
Editado: Feb 8, 2014, 11:31 am

Will let you know!

25. Far from the Madding Crowd

54soffitta1
Feb 9, 2014, 3:12 am

26. Akimbo and the Lions
Akimbo and his ranger father hear of a lion near a village and go to investigate.

55soffitta1
Feb 10, 2014, 8:38 am

27. The Pere-Lachaise Mystery
An improvement on the first book, this time a mystery linked with the French Panamal Canal debacle. Legris is a more active detective, though the backdrop shines through as more interesting.

56rabbitprincess
Feb 10, 2014, 4:59 pm

Glad to hear the second Legris book is better! The backdrop does sound interesting.

57soffitta1
Feb 11, 2014, 4:38 am

I wonder whether sister writing team have written their idea of a hero, one that doesn't quite match up to mine, or if his voice is too "feminine" (although I wouldn't mind a bookseller boyfriend if he didn't me reading books before he sold them!). I did like him more in this book though.

28. Thank you, Jeeves
My first Wodehouse, it was rather fun, except for the episode which involved him blacking up as a minstral, which was incredibly uncomfortable,.

58psutto
Feb 11, 2014, 1:56 pm

I am tempted to read Wodehouse but never seem to quite commit to it....

59soffitta1
Feb 11, 2014, 3:04 pm

It is a quick read, I decided to get the book when I saw it on the 1001 list, like you I had just never quite got round to picking them up.

60soffitta1
Editado: Feb 12, 2014, 5:53 pm

29. Prisoner in Baghdad
The true story of a British nurse accused of spying in Iraq not long before the 1st Gulf War.
Very personal, especially as Parish faces the reality of life in an Iraqi prison under Saddam Hussein.

30. Everything you know
A bit of a let down after Notes on a Scandal, this is an earlier work. Difficult to write a comment, as with Aloft, I didn't really like the main character. Family relations, guilt and an unfolding back story.

61soffitta1
Feb 14, 2014, 3:18 pm

31. The Montmartre Investigation
Third in the series, improving with each book. This time the backdrop is the Chat Noir, with Latrec and cancan dancers.

62electrice
Feb 16, 2014, 5:27 am

>55 soffitta1: & 61 Ok now I'm definitely giving a try to the sequel, thanks for doing the pre-work :)

63soffitta1
Feb 16, 2014, 1:47 pm

My pleasure! (Although I should really stop procrastinating, I have 2 essays to finish up).

32. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man
I have enjoyed reading these, an author I really enjoy and the illustrations are great. I will be keeping these to read with my nephew.

64soffitta1
Feb 17, 2014, 4:08 pm

33. Rabbit, Run
Unhappy at home and not where he thought he might have been after being a promising basketball player, Rabbit walks out on his drunk pregnant wife. The book follows the next few months in his life.
A slow start, then I found the tale rather gripping, though a bit like watching a train crash happening in front of your eyes.

65soffitta1
Feb 18, 2014, 4:38 am

34. Rickshaw Girl
Something completely different from the last book. Set in Bangladesh, Naima wants to help out her family by earning money. She thinks about becoming a rickshaw driver, like her father, but her age and gender are against her. Thought-provoking look at a woman's lot in Bangladesh, with positive messages about International Mother Language Day and woman to woman loans.

66soffitta1
Feb 19, 2014, 4:47 pm

35. Rabbit Redux
Second book of 4, ten years after last one. Rabbit's life is no better, he seems to be ill at ease with the swinging sixties, but he can't escape it.
Once again tough going at times, but I am definitely up for reading the next book.

67soffitta1
Feb 20, 2014, 3:17 am

36. Alice Hartley's Happiness
A complete departure from my last read, perfect after a long few days finishing essays.
Alice's husband wants rid of her, he has fallen for the charms of one of his students. So when Michael comes to pick up a couch, Alice grabs the opportunity with both hands, taking everything that will fit in the van. Michael's aunt is on her deathbed, living in a large country house. Alice decides this will be the perfect site for a growyh centre.
An amusing, quick read, Alice's mystic and yet no nonsense approach really seems to change the lives of those around her.

68soffitta1
Feb 21, 2014, 9:16 am

37. The Testament of Gideon Mack
My second read by the writer, and I am glad to have got round to it. The book had two threads of interest for me, Mack's life story intertwined with life in Scotland in the second half of the last century, and the second was the story of his own beliefs.

Thoroughly enjoyed this, lots to think about.

69soffitta1
Feb 24, 2014, 2:40 am

38. Rabbit is Rich
Volume 3, 1979 and Rabbit is doing well. His son arrives back from college with Melanie, not Pru, the girlfriend they had heard about. Sex is a big part if this book, as with the others. Rabbit's own attitudes come jnto conflict with his son's, and the tangled web of present and past lovers grows more complicated. I enjoyed the sections with other character's points of view, giving a more rounded picture of Rabbit's world. Number 4 is waiting...

70soffitta1
Feb 26, 2014, 12:53 pm

39. Let me eat cake
An autobiography through links with sweet products. Enjoyed this, even has recipes at the back.

71soffitta1
Mar 5, 2014, 11:21 am

It's been rather busy, the last week or so.

40. Rabbit at Rest
The fourth Rabbit book, now it is 1989.

I am over half way through The Monk now, more out of interest than for love of the genre. Helped make a long commute pass more quickly today.

72soffitta1
Mar 7, 2014, 2:33 pm

41. The Monk
Rather too gothic for me, but interesting to read such a highly referenced work.

73lkernagh
Mar 7, 2014, 8:51 pm

I saw mention of 'gothic'. Adding The Monk to my future reading list.

Scratch that.... I have now downloaded a copy from Project Gutenberg. ;-)

74soffitta1
Mar 9, 2014, 4:20 am

Enjoy! I also think I wasn't in the mood for high drama.

42. Salvador
Early '80s San Salvador, the country was in chaos with disappearances and body dumps a daily occurrence. Didion was there and shares here some of her experiences.

43. Horseradish
Anecdotes and sarky comments from the writer of A series of unfortunate events, picked up for the GastroCat challenge. Fun, if you are into dark and melancholic humour.

75soffitta1
Editado: Mar 9, 2014, 2:57 pm

44. Beatrice and Virgil
Picked up on a whim and was gripped. Strange book, a tale within a tale.

76soffitta1
Mar 13, 2014, 3:07 am

45. Half-Moon Investigations
Playground detective, entertaining, but I missed yhe fantastical elements of Artemis Fowl.

77soffitta1
Mar 15, 2014, 3:43 pm

46. Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field
A charity performance of Jane Austen's work, fact and fiction start blurring. A light read for a heavy week - nothing out of the ordinary, but fun while it lasted.

78soffitta1
Mar 16, 2014, 6:23 am

47. Dream Angus
A double Cat - Random (birds on cover) and M for AlphaCat.

Weaving mythology and small glimpses into people's lives. Loved this, a great world to escape to after a busy week. The writing style, the mix of myth and more conventional narrative, a great read.

79craso
Mar 16, 2014, 12:40 pm

#78 I didn't know anything about this series of books on myths. Thank you for enlightening me! Will have to investigate further. :-)

80soffitta1
Mar 16, 2014, 3:25 pm

It's a great series, I think I have read 3 - Binu and the Great Wall, Penelopiad - which is the story of Odysseus' wife, and The Fire Gospel. I think Canongate is one of my favourite presses - they published Life of Pi.

48. Requiem for a Wren
I was sent this in a bookbox and decided to pick it up for this month's RandomCat. A brother returns home to Australia, still haunted by WW2 and his brother's death in it. Sad, showing what happened to those who survived - a mixture of guilt and nostalgia for a period in which so close to death, they were so alive. Worth the read.

81-Eva-
Mar 16, 2014, 7:18 pm

I have Dream Angus on Mt. TBR - good to hear it's a great one.

82soffitta1
Editado: Mar 23, 2014, 2:02 pm

A weekend of avoiding planning - paying for it now of course!

49. Green Eggs and Ham
50. The Hunch Back of Notre Dame
51. The Colour of Forgetting
52. Shame in the Blood

83soffitta1
Mar 25, 2014, 3:04 pm

53. The Pot That Juan Built
Picked this up in a charity shop near school, I can't wait to use it in class. This is about a Mexican man who makes pots using methods that are hundreds of years old, he has turned his local village into a community of artists.

84soffitta1
Mar 28, 2014, 4:47 pm

54. Last Man to Die
WW2 - a mass breakout of German POWs provokes a nationwide manhunt. The war is almost over, with the Russians are nearing Berlin, but Churchill wants to get there first, especially as Russian domination over Eastern Europe grows.

I needed something far removed from work, and this was fast-paced enough to distract me! It is, at times, rather superficial, but Dobbs does remind us about the multi-faceted world of war.

85soffitta1
Mar 29, 2014, 6:47 am

55. Labyrinths
I've been reading this book all month, you have to be concentrating! A mix of fiction, essays and parables.

One I will definitely return to and read again, so many layers.

86soffitta1
Mar 31, 2014, 12:50 pm

56. The World According to Bertie
A pleasant way to finish off the month, more tales from Scotland Street. I do enjoy reading these books, a slice of life, the interactions between very different characters and some happy endings on the horizon.

87soffitta1
Editado: Abr 4, 2014, 1:16 pm

57. There but for the
Really enjoyed this one.

88soffitta1
Abr 7, 2014, 4:58 am

58. Asterix plaudert aus der Schule
Never read this one, hoping to use it with a class after Easter.

89soffitta1
Abr 8, 2014, 5:06 pm

59. The Tailor of Panama
A slow burner, but got faster by the end.

60. What's under your hat
A children's poetry book for this month's RandomCat. Contains some traditional poems, some familiar as well as some new ones. I look forward to reading this with my nephew.

90soffitta1
Abr 9, 2014, 10:45 am

61. The Bronte Project
I needed something light and was curious to see what this was like. To be honest, I am more of an Austen fan than a Bronte sisters fan, but I wanted to give it a go. It passed the time, but I am not sure I'd recommend it.

62. Peru and the Andean Countries
I am a huge Tintin fan, and saw this in the charity shop. I am trying to get a box of books together for my classroom next year and this will fit right in.

91soffitta1
Abr 11, 2014, 4:52 am

63. Temporary Kings
The eleventh book in A Dance to the Music of Time, old friends are back, with a focus on Widmerpool and his wife Pamela. Part of the action takes place in Italy,a literary conference. Once again, the ever more entangled web of characters is drawn closer, though as the characters age, so what once brought them together is no longer enough to keep these bonds tight. Nostalgia is a big theme, indeed one character (Moreland) jokes about dying from it. I have been pottering with these books for a year now, and I look forward to getting stuck into book 12.

92soffitta1
Abr 13, 2014, 5:15 am

64. Bodily Harm
An Atwood book for April, one of her older books. Rennie is struggling to adjust back to her normal life after surviving breast cancer. She vacillates between two men, her boyfriend, with whom she has a rather toxic relationship, and her doctor, her knight in shining armour. This thread unfolds alongside Rennie's assignment for a magazine, a lifestyle piece on an under-visited Caribbean island in the midst of elections. There is an air of menace to the book, from Rennie's cancer to an island functioning under a thin veneer of democracy.
Worth a read, not one of her best, but like her other earlier work, very realistically-drawn women.

93soffitta1
Abr 14, 2014, 11:59 am

65. Asterix bei den Pikten
I read this in Scots last year, this time in German. A bit of fun, I hope to use it with my German class.

94rabbitprincess
Abr 14, 2014, 5:41 pm

>93 soffitta1: That would be interesting to compare the two versions!

95soffitta1
Abr 15, 2014, 4:14 am

Indeed, especially with a lot similar words in both languages.

66. The wise woman
Had this for ages, set in the time of Henry XIII, the book srarts with Alys running from a burning nunnery, leaving the others to die. An age in which wise women were still relied on, but also feared as witches. Alys must decide what she wants, and the lengths she'll go to achieve it.
Page-turning enough, though too fantastical at times for me.

96bookwormjules
Abr 16, 2014, 6:18 am

Bodily Harm is one of the Atwood novels I haven't read yet, perhaps I should fix that.

97soffitta1
Abr 16, 2014, 3:15 pm

A fairly quick read I'd say.

67. Cod
Another book that was nudged to the top of the reading pile because of a challenge, this time the GastroCat.
This is a history of Cod and cod fishing. Sounds dry, but actually I really enjoyed it. I learnt a lot, from the influence of one animal on communities over the world and also made sense of my own brushes with the fish over the years. I have lived in both Spain and Portugal, tasted many a dish made with cod (there is even a Portuguese cookbook called 365 ways of preparing cod!), but as a Brit, I can remember the fierce fishing rhetoric, especially in the '90s. This is a book about community, commerce, politics and how we need to face up to the reality of overfishing. For foodies, there are recipes, modern and ancient.

Well worth a read.

98soffitta1
Abr 21, 2014, 1:54 pm

Busy long Easter weekend, thoughts to come...

68. Firewall

69. Mr. Norris Changes Trains

70. Hearing Secret Harmonies

71. Across the Nightingale Floor

99soffitta1
Abr 23, 2014, 6:13 pm

100soffitta1
Abr 24, 2014, 6:00 pm

73. Tail of the blue bird
Brilliant book, set in Ghana. Murder, mystery, myth and , agical realism.

101soffitta1
Abr 26, 2014, 11:56 am

74. We are all made of glue
I went to the Cape Town Book Fair and the author mentioned this book, she was writing it at the time. Fans of her previous work will enjoy it.

102soffitta1
Abr 29, 2014, 2:04 am

75. Austerlitz
It is strange when the last book you read links to the one you are reading. Both deal with Jewish people who made it to the UK in WW2, this book is about a man who finds out he was part of the Kindertranspirt, in the last book,

I really got caught up by this book.

To be completed.

103soffitta1
mayo 4, 2014, 4:59 pm

76. Santa Evita
An excellent read - starting around the cult that surrounds Evita and the strange story of her embalmed body.

104soffitta1
mayo 4, 2014, 5:10 pm

77. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones
Book 5 in the Scotland Street series. Things have moved on, with some characters maturing and Bertie trying to break free from his mother to join the Cubs. I enjoyed reacquainting myself with the characters.

105soffitta1
mayo 8, 2014, 3:33 pm

78. The Prague Cemetery
Another cracker!

106mamzel
mayo 9, 2014, 10:33 am

I'm just starting it. Definitely requires more attention than most of my usual fare!

107soffitta1
mayo 10, 2014, 5:09 pm

It does, it goes backwards and forwards. My copy had a useful timeline at the end, but has spoilers. Only saw it as I finished it.

109soffitta1
mayo 12, 2014, 1:42 pm

82. Home

2 weeks of placement to go and maybe then I will have time to write some reviews! Off to Cambridge tomorrow with my Spanish students and their exchange partners.

110electrice
mayo 14, 2014, 10:43 pm

111soffitta1
mayo 15, 2014, 4:36 pm

I would really recommend it - for fans of Mia Couto, Ben Okri, as well as Latin American writers like Jorge Amado. I bought it in the £2 bookshop in Bristol because of the cover, I was not disappointed.

83. The Country Girls
First in the trilogy, a young girl growing up in Ireland, a time of innocence, yet sexual and romantic desire are very much there.

112soffitta1
mayo 17, 2014, 11:07 am

84. Girl with Green Eyes
85. Girls in their Married bliss

The second and third in The Country Girls trilogy. I've enjoyed reading these, maybe that's the wrong word as they are so tinged with disappointment and regret. While the further from home they are, the more in control they are of their own lives, but they never seem to get away from dominant male figures. Like many Irish people at the time, they move to England for a new start, but the long shadow of their upbringing looms over them.
I suppose what I really would like to read is Kate and Baba's life ten, twenty, thirty years later.

113soffitta1
Editado: mayo 21, 2014, 5:27 am

86. A Man Lay Dead

87. Storm of Steel
Excellent WW1 account.

88. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil
Book for in the Professor Igelfield. The professor thinks about taking a wife.

114soffitta1
mayo 22, 2014, 5:25 pm

89. Silas Marner
A quick read in the end, from tragedy there can be a happy ending.

Last day before half term - only 2 days of school afterwards, report signed, just need to finish paperwork. FREEDOM!

115soffitta1
mayo 25, 2014, 8:23 am

90. Miss McKirdy's Daughters will now dance the Highland Fling
A very interesting memoir about a South African actress and dancer growing up under the shadow of her very driven Scottish mother. It takes you from Post-War South Africa to the start of the '90s, and while her life may have been different because of her job, Kinghorn's almost diary-like entries share what was reality for many. The writing style allows the readers to make connections, rather than always spelling out the historical context.

116soffitta1
mayo 25, 2014, 3:20 pm

91. The Affair of the Blood-stained Egg Cosy
This was a lot of fun, a romp of an old school detective novel, with enough twists and turns to keep me entertained.

117soffitta1
mayo 30, 2014, 7:01 am

92. India with Sanjeev Bhaskar
A personal look at India from the actor. I liked his tone, and his own connections with India made the book more interesting as he tried to reconcile his own views of India based on family visits and stories with the country's own history and diverse present.

93. Excursion to Tindari
A later book in the series, but I don't think I have missed much by skipping ahead. Montalbano is working to find out the connection between the murder of a young man and a missing couple living in the same building.

94. Mapp and Lucia
Very entertaining tale of one-up-woman-ship as both ladies vie to be queen bee of the village.

118soffitta1
Jun 2, 2014, 2:41 pm

95. A Weekend with Mr. Darcy
Just what the doctor ordered after a weekend spent working on (read procrastinating about) my essay. There are 3 leads in the book, a Jane Austen lecturer, a Jane Austen fan and a modern romance writer who all come together for a Jane Austen weekend. Great fun, a quick read.

119soffitta1
Jun 3, 2014, 3:25 pm

96. Absalom, Absalom!
Great book, you need to concentrate, but the style draws you in as you read about the turgid history of Mr. Sutpen.

120soffitta1
Jun 4, 2014, 2:44 pm

97. Indian Summer
A teacher tires of subbing in London and takes up an offer of a trip to India, little knowing it will change everything. I have read two of his books already, another good read.

98. Quicksand and Passing
Two fantastic books, difficult subject matter, very thought-provoking.

121soffitta1
Jun 5, 2014, 2:00 pm

99. Asterix bei den Schweizern
Bought this with a view to using it with German classes in the future, never read it before - lots of fondue and a search for Edelweiss.

100. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Another 1001 cracker, social realism. Arthur is a young man with (married) women falling at his feet, living it large after a hard week at work. Will he get caught out by cuckolded husband or will a woman finally tame him?

122soffitta1
Jun 16, 2014, 3:21 pm

101. Dick Donovan
The Glasgow detective who predated Sherlock Holmes. A good selection of mysteries, some of which were in The Stand.

102. The Republic of Wine
Very dark, a man is called to investigate the accusation of babies being eaten. The book has different styles working together - the story, a series of letters between a budding writer and the author and his short stories.

103. Émigré Journeys
The difficulties of an immigrant family told through the different voices of the family, OK, but nothing spectacular.

104. Lucky
Wow, a tough one, uncomfortable read about the rape and later trial of the rapist of the author of The Lovely Bones. A story of resilience. I am so happy to have read this, hard as it was at times.

105. The thing around your neck
A selection of short stories, great.

106. Tales from the South China Seas
Interesting look at life in that region for British officials and workers. From a series of interviews looking at how the British position changed, from the rubber boom and bust, through the invasion of the Japanese to independence. A different world.

123soffitta1
Jun 19, 2014, 4:27 am

107. My Antonia
The story of an immigrant girl from Bohemia in Nebraska, a wild, unforgiving, pioneer life.

108. El Cartero de Pablo Neruda
I read this in Portuguese a few years ago and really enjoyed revisiting it, especially as something to do on my way back into uni to pick up my memory stick that I left in a computer in the library at uni. Luckily it was still there 8 hours later - all my work on it!

Very different to the film, this is the story of the poet's life on la Isla Negra and his effect on a young postman, Mario. Beautifully written, with poetry, humour and the uncertainty of the time period. I love the bit where Mario's love's mother has a go at the poet saying that Mario is seducing her daughter with metaphors!

124soffitta1
Jun 19, 2014, 3:21 pm

109. An officer and a spy
Funny how you read one book, and then pick up another to discover it is on the same topic. I read The Prague Cemetery earlier on this year which also talked about the Dreyfus case as part of a longer tradition of anti-semiticism. This is the thriller version of the case. It follows the man who realises that Dreyfus was set up, and how he tries to correct the injustice. What is most surprising is the lengths that the army would go to so as not to show that they had the wrong man, even to the point of ruining a man's life and another's career.

125soffitta1
Jun 21, 2014, 3:44 am

110. The Importance of being Seven
More tales from Scotland Street, which include a trip to Italy. Great to dip into, like being with old friends.

126soffitta1
Jun 21, 2014, 2:47 pm

111. Between Extremes
Started this last month, finished it today on a long car journey.
This is a journey that was planned by two hostages in Iran - John McCarthy and Brian Keenan. They discussed it in captivity, and the open, dramatic landscape of the Andes and Patagonia could not be more different their Iranian ordeal.
Travel, banter, and also insight into their time as hostages.

127soffitta1
Jun 22, 2014, 8:12 am

112. The affair of the 39 cufflinks
Accidentally picked up book 3 instead of book 2, but as they are independent reads, it didn't affect the story.

Once again Alderley house is the scene of a murder. This time, the Earl hosts a funeral and will reading. One of the beneficiaries is then bumped off, enter Chief Inspector Wilkins to make sense of it all, with the help of the ever game Lady Geraldine.

128christina_reads
Jun 22, 2014, 9:41 pm

>127 soffitta1: I want to read these books so much! I'll have to track down some copies.

129cammykitty
Jun 22, 2014, 10:12 pm

Wow, you've read a lot of great books lately! An Officer and a Spy and The affair of the 39 Cufflinks are hitting the WL. I could use a nice cozy murder right about now. ;)

130soffitta1
Jun 23, 2014, 2:38 am

I am definitely on a roll! I finish my teaching course this week, then have a few days off before starting at my new school, so a little time for reading. Feeling a little nervous about starting in a new place, but also super excited.
Just started A prayer for Owen Meany, I do enjoy reading Irving's work!

131lkernagh
Jun 23, 2014, 9:10 am

Congratulations on finishing your course!

132soffitta1
Jun 26, 2014, 3:55 pm

Thank you!

113. A Prayer for Owen Meany
Fantastic book, I had left it on the shelf for too long because of its size. Strange, engaging, hard to know what to make of it at times, but I did find it page-turning.

133soffitta1
Jun 27, 2014, 4:08 pm

114. Night Train
A cop drama set in the States. A rather butch female cop called Mike is called in to investigate the suicide of her boss' daughter. Being close to the girl makes it hard to be objective, the case also forces Mike to look at her own life.

134cammykitty
Jun 28, 2014, 12:10 am

I loved Owen Meany too. Congrats! You'll do great at the new place.

135DeltaQueen50
Jun 28, 2014, 2:41 pm

Congratulations on completing your teacher's course, and for starting in at a new school.

136soffitta1
Jun 29, 2014, 3:06 pm

Thanks! It's nice to know that I have 3 weeks to get everything together before starting properly in September.

115. The Affair of the Mutilated Mink Coat
Actually book 2, but had picked up the wrong book last week. Entertaining for a relaxed summer's day.

116. Tales of the City
First in the series. It felt a bit like the cross between a soap and eavesdropping on your neighbours. Quick read, a glimpse into life in '70s San Francisco.

137soffitta1
Jun 30, 2014, 1:12 pm

117. Mr Darcy's Daughters
A spin off of Pride and Prejudice, this one is about the next generation. Elizabeth and Darcy have 5 daughters and 2 sons, and the daughters are of marriageable age. With their parents away, the five girls go to London, but is London ready for them? Entertaining enough for a day of travelling.

138cammykitty
Jul 1, 2014, 12:01 am

LOL, I can imagine what 5 of their daughters could do.

139soffitta1
Jul 1, 2014, 4:56 pm

At times, it was rather similar to the fate of the Bennet sisters, though more graphic!

118. Fly by night
A long commute means a long book off my TBR pile. This is the first in a teen series, Mosca lives in a time of uncertainty, with a struggle for power linked to religion and the printing of books. Not bad, a little slow in the middle, but will add it to the box for my students to read.

140soffitta1
Jul 3, 2014, 1:30 pm

141cammykitty
Jul 4, 2014, 9:07 pm

I remember loving Of Human Bondage when I was in high school. Is it worth a re-read?

142soffitta1
Jul 5, 2014, 10:18 am

Yes! I think it is mood-affected, if you can't symphathise with Philip when you start, leave the book for another day. I felt I was with him, feeling his rejections and successes.

120. The girl who saved the King of Sweden

Bought on the recommendation of the shop assistant in Dubray's in Dublin. LOVED it - funny, intelligent, well -written.

143soffitta1
Jul 6, 2014, 1:18 pm

121. The Perfect Murder
I was in Camden today and saw a World Book Night copy of this one. It is one of the Quick Read books, and it certainly was. I am making the most of not teaching full-time and the sunshine!
A couple who have fallen out of love look at ways of getting rid of each other. Alright, rather predictable, but good for passing the time.

122. Bel-Ami
A slow-burner. At the start, I wasn't sure what to make of this, but this is a well-crafted story of Georges Duroy and his path upwards in society. Georges is certainly not a hero, but he is certainly smart. I read on with the hope that he would finally get his comeuppance, either at work or in his tangled love life. I have another of his books on my shelf and will definitely bump it up the list.

144soffitta1
Jul 7, 2014, 2:02 pm

145cammykitty
Jul 7, 2014, 11:26 pm

I think I'll put OHB on the revisit list then!

146soffitta1
Jul 10, 2014, 12:53 pm

:)

124. Under the Volcano
Wow - dense. 24 hours in one book, the downfall of a British former consul in Mexico. Good read, but enjoyable is not the right word.

125. Home
The prodigal son returns home, where his aging father and frustrated younger sister still live. So many old wounds, a past that keeps rearing its ugly head.

126. Brilliance of the Moon
Book 3 in the Tales of the Otori, Takeo and Kaede still stive to be together, but the Tribe and former ally Arai have other plans. Got book 4 ready to go.

147soffitta1
Jul 12, 2014, 2:44 pm

127. Vargas Llosa for President
A Granta collection with a Latin American bent. There is Mario Vargas Llosa's account of his failed bid for presidency as well as essays from his son and spin doctor, then other essays / short stories and extracts from other writers. A great charity shop spot.

128. The Harsh Cry of the Heron
Book 4 in the Tales of the Otori, the final one (though there is a prequel. This book takes place a while after the first three, and it shows, with the author spending too much of the first half explaining what has gone on in between. The pace picks up in part 2.

129. Strange weather in Tokyo
A slow burner, but so beautifully crafted. A woman realises that a man in the bar is her former teacher. A relationship forms, one which builds slowly, surprising them both.

148soffitta1
Jul 13, 2014, 2:01 pm

130. Refugee Boy
I am looking for good books for my Y8 tutor group next year, and this one looked interesting. This is about Alem, a refugee brought to London by his father. Alem is half-Eritrean, half-Ethiopian, welcome in neither country at the turn of the century. This will go in the box for my students, the issue of asylum is dealt with face on, but with the human angle, one which will really make them think.

149soffitta1
Jul 14, 2014, 1:04 pm

131. La Bête humaine
Gripping, yet utterly dreadful in the sense of the storyline. The novel is tied up with the railway line, with many characters working for it in some way, and it is the this relentless metal beast that seems to drive the plot on towards the impending doom. Lust, in its many guises - sexual, blood, greed - both pulls the characters together and drives them apart. Didn't want to put the book down, even though it was horrifying at times.

150soffitta1
Editado: Jul 23, 2014, 3:23 pm

132. China Cuckoo
An expat's life in China. After the set back of his business being appropriated, Kitto focuses on a new project outside Shanghai. I remember reading the magazine he started in Shanghai, and also some of his experiences rang familiar (from living in China, not the business side). Good read.

133. News of a Kidnapping
Based on the kidnappings of a number of hostages by Escobar in Colombia. The author takes you with him, from the moment the hostages are taken until the end. Great writing, making you think about how you would fare in such precarious conditions, not knowing what will happen or if the outside world is still looking for you.

134. Riding the Iron Rooster
I do enjoy reading Theroux, grumpy git he can be, but entertaining, especially when picking up on the small details.

151soffitta1
Jul 23, 2014, 3:31 pm

135. Sense & Sensibility
Trollope's updated version. Just what I needed on the way back from Latitude. I think it worked well, yes, the details were there, but it didn't feel forced.

136. Climbing the Mango Trees
Madhur Jaffrey's autobiography of her childhood in India with family recipes at the back. An intimate portrait of a large extended family through WW2, Independence and Partition. I hope she writes about the next part of her life.

152katrinasreads
Jul 28, 2014, 5:38 pm

Congratulations on finishing your teaching course, I hope your enjoying the summer holidays - they are already flying by! I noticed you were still looking for a copy of a little history of the world, I grabbed a copy from the library a few months back, if you're still looking for a copy I'll read it over the summer and post it on to you.

153soffitta1
Ago 3, 2014, 3:57 pm

Thanks Katrina, that would be great! I am still in shock I think! It is great to be finished, I am enjoying my holidays, and looking forward to getting stuck in next year!

155soffitta1
Ago 9, 2014, 10:13 am

143. Mary Barton
Just haven't had much reading time, but this was worth the wait. Good story and social commentary.

156soffitta1
Ago 10, 2014, 11:07 am

144. Pantheon
A thriller set in 1940 bringing together Oxford academics, the Spanish Civil War and eugenics blended together with wartime intrigue.
Fast-paced.

157soffitta1
Ago 11, 2014, 2:39 pm

145. The Fall of the Stone City
Starting with the Germans arriving in an Albanian city during WW2 and continuing into the Soviet era. Short book with background detail showing how a small state tried to adapt and survive under constant threat from outside.

158soffitta1
Editado: Ago 17, 2014, 7:52 pm

146. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller
Don't you just love it when you read two pages of a book and you know it is going to be a winner! A reader gets the new copy of Calvino's new book only to discover that there has been a problem with the printing. Calvino has books within books, theories of reading and readers, a great read.

159soffitta1
Ago 17, 2014, 8:01 pm

147. Crimson China
Inspired by the tragic events in Morecome ten years ago. A Chinese illegal immigrant worker is saved by an Englsih woman. He takes his chance to hide from the Snakeheads he still owes money to. In a second story arc, which takes place a few months later, his twin Lily arrives from China to make peace with his spirit.
I read this over 2 days, a lot going on in the book, taking specific look at the Chinese community, legal and illegal, in the U.K. as well as relationships. Glad to have read this.

160LittleTaiko
Ago 17, 2014, 9:44 pm

>158 soffitta1: - loved that book! Had the same experience as you.

161soffitta1
Ago 18, 2014, 9:29 am

Glad to hear it! The cover almost put me off as it seemed to be like a East/West romance, but something told me to read the blurb.

162soffitta1
Ago 20, 2014, 4:34 pm

148. The forms of water
Brendan is dying and wants to see his home town one last time, but it was flooded to make a reservoir years before. Disfunctinal family drama.

163cammykitty
Ago 20, 2014, 9:35 pm

I read If on a winter's night a traveler in college, and a girl actually did receive a copy of it that had been messed up at the bindery. The prof wanted that copy so badly! I need to re-read it. I remember it as being an adventurous, strange and fun read. I don't remember any literary criticism in it!

164soffitta1
Ago 25, 2014, 9:10 am

That's brilliant! Theory was maybe too strong a word, but there was discussions about how people read, who reads, how they read and who writers are writing for.

149. The Wonder Boys
Another long-term tbr. I saw the film a few years ago, long enough to not really be able to compare it to the book. Most of the action takes place over a few days, a rough few days for a lit prof wirking on his fourth novel. His wife writes a note saying she is leaving him, his mistress is pregnant and his editor is coming into town to read his latest work. Throw in a couple of students, a drag queen, Marilyn Monroe's jacket, pills and booze and you have the recipe for disaster. Enjoyed reading this.

150. These three remain
I found this in a used bookshop in DC, tye third in a trilogy of books retelling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. Well-written, better than most Austen fanfic.

151. The house on Mango Street
A sequence of snapshots based around Esmeralda growing up. Short chapters, but lots of information to be gleaned.

165christina_reads
Ago 25, 2014, 11:20 am

>164 soffitta1: I like that Austen trilogy as well...although maybe I'm biased because it was the first Austen fanfic I ever read.

166soffitta1
Ago 27, 2014, 7:35 pm

I have read a fair amount, and believe the trilogy holds up well. I wonder if this is because it chooses another angle rather than continuing the story, which is riskier as we all have our own ideas about what happens next.

152. Como agua para chocolate
A reread as I am doing this book with my A-Level Spanish students. A great book, I hope they enjoy it as much as I have.

167cammykitty
Ago 27, 2014, 11:02 pm

I loved Like Water for Chocolate. Is it fairly simply written in Spanish? I'm wondering if it's worth a re-read in Spanish. My Spanish is at that awkward stage where I can read a lot of it, but I like having a side-by-side translation to check and if the sentence structure is fairly complicated I'm fairly lost.

168soffitta1
Ago 28, 2014, 5:28 am

The structures are not difficult, the hardest thing is the recipes as I don't know a lot of the ingredients. In fact I am thinking about photocopying the English version of the list s at the start of each chapter for my students.

169cammykitty
Ago 29, 2014, 7:46 pm

Yes, I can see that specific foods would be difficult. Di (alias Bruce Kraft) uses Turkish cookbooks to help her learn Turkish so I look at a few from Latin America and was quickly intimidated. I might just revisit Like Water for Chocolate in Spanish.

170soffitta1
Ago 31, 2014, 9:00 am

I found a good one on Dad's shelf - A Mexican a-z cookbook, lovely pictures.

171soffitta1
Ago 31, 2014, 9:10 am

153. Death with interruptions
One night people stop dying in an unnamed country, Saramago shows us the possible problems, practical and moral of eternal life. All are affected, from the Queen Mother at death's door suspended between life and death through villagers near the border to guneral directors and gravediggers left without employment.
I really enjoyed it, as with Blindness the reader is confronted by many sides of the coin, making them think about their own actions.

172lkernagh
Sep 1, 2014, 6:10 pm

Death with interruptions, along with Blindness continue to be my two favorite Saramago reads. So glad you enjoyed it!

173-Eva-
Sep 1, 2014, 8:46 pm

More good words for Death with Interruptions is nice - it's on Mt. TBR.

174soffitta1
Sep 2, 2014, 12:55 pm

thanks!

154. After Dark
I have enjoyed returning to Murakami's world after more than a year, or should that be worlds? A meeting between two acquaintances in an all-night diner takes both parties places they hadn't thought of. A city at night is a completely different beast, with love hotels, Chinese gangsters, bands practising and a girl trying to avoid going home.

155. Eve Green
Long-term tbr, why hadn't I picked it up before? Eve looks back to her past, facing demons as she gets ready to bring a new life into the world. Life in an idyllic Welsh village skates over a darker world. Eve is brought to live with her grandparents aged 8, but her story had begun there before she was born. The author captures the locals as they turn their anger on those who have, or are suspected of having, committed a crime.

175soffitta1
Sep 3, 2014, 12:39 pm

156. the Jaguar's Smile
Picked up in a charity shop, this is Rushdie's trip to Nicaragua. There he meets political leaders and writers as well as normal people living in the very uncertain '80s.
Interesting read, with the author getting access to some of the real power players. It makes me want to go and see for myself, as Rushdie found, nothing there is black and white.

176soffitta1
Editado: Dic 28, 2014, 6:29 am

157. Nausea
A rather depressing book looking at the human condition. Compelling reading, actually the better word is heady, as you follow the narrator deconstructing his life,

158. Shanghai Girls
Privileged sisters Pearl and May are brought up in Shanghai, their young lives a whirlwind of parties, mixing with foreigners in the various concessions. Their world is turned upside down, first by their father, then by the Japanese invasion. A long journey is ahead, both in terms of distance and personal growth.
Got book two ready to go.

177cammykitty
Sep 9, 2014, 11:16 pm

Shanghai Girls sounds kind of fun. I've never read Lisa See. A good A-Z Mexican cookbook? You've made me think of a novel concept. I should look at the library for Spanish language cookbooks. The US has the second largest population of Spanish speakers in the world. I should be able to find something!

178soffitta1
Editado: Dic 28, 2014, 6:30 am

I like her books, good stories well told. I was actually thinking of doing the same thing, to have some Spanish language cookbooks.

159. The Lonely Londoners
Post-war West Indian immigrants to the UK do not find the dream life they had hoped for. Trying to make ends meet, while dealing with prejudice and homesickness. Good read.

160. The General in his Labyrinth
The last days of Bolivar, a sick, old man leaving one of the countries he helped liberate. Sad, a mix of reminiscences and disappointment as he limps towards the border.

161. Dreams of Joy
The sequel to The Shanghai Girls, not to spoil things for people who haven't read the first book, but the action moves to China. Family relationships are remade, reformulated in this new environment. I hope there is a third book.

162. Waiting
Set in Mao's China, a man tries to divorce his country wife, who he only married to please his parents, but every year she backs out. Instead he waits a long time, as does the woman he wants to marry, with frustration building. I do really enjoy Ha Jin's work, as he is so able to explain the human condition in its complexity.

163. Longbourn
The downstairs view of Pride and Prejudice, but this is not a retelling of the original story, rather Baker draws back the curtain allowing us to see the invisible people who made the Bennetts lives possible. It gives you a fuller picture of life at the time as well as a good story to get your teeth into.

179soffitta1
Sep 16, 2014, 12:37 pm

164. Oliver Twist
Finally read it, it has been staring at me for a long time. Lots more plot than I remember from the musical, but still too wordy for my tastes. That's my Dickens for the year!!

180electrice
Sep 18, 2014, 12:43 pm

>178 soffitta1: Longbourn is going on the BB list. There's some discussion about reading All Jane Austen next year as a Group Read. It'll be interesting to read this one, after Pride and Prejudice, to see how the other-half live (more like the majority but you get the meaning) .

181soffitta1
Sep 26, 2014, 2:19 pm

I'll definitely have a look at the Austen thread, I have read her longer works, but there are a couple of the shorter ones that I haven't.

165. The Book of Illusions
Loved it! A great book, one that sucked me in from page 1. A grieving husband and father finds meaning through a book based on a dead actor, but is surprised by a letter claiming that the man is still alive.

166. The Wizard of Oz
Seen the film, but had never read the book. We saw a children's drama group performance of this in the summer and I couldn't wait to finally read it. So familiar, but yet those changes were quite striking.

167. The Other Queen
Covering the period when Mary, Queen of Scots was held by her cousin in England, the book shifts in perspective as it is narrated by Mary, her custodian and his wife. For me, this lacked the pace of Gregory's other books.

168. River of Time
A journalist's memoir of his life in Indochina, starting with the Vietnam War. Very well-written and informative.

169. Bittersweet
A World Book Day book that I picked up for my tutor group reading box.

170. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Great fun, isn't it funny how the TV / film adaptations have all added in the same extra elements.

182soffitta1
Editado: Sep 30, 2014, 12:16 pm

171. on the Cold Coasts
Free e-book through phone contract, I chose it from the list because of the setting, it was OK, but can't say I will look out for more by the author.

172. The History of Tom Jones
Quite a tome, my engagement ebbed and flowed though that could be more to do with work than anything else.

173. Geisha of Gion
Actually rather a quick read, the inspiration behind Memoirs of a Geisha. An interesting insight look behind the curtain, but the author was quite arrogant, though much of that was as due to her upbringing.

183-Eva-
Oct 1, 2014, 12:18 am

I rewatched the Tom Jones movie not that long ago - the book is still on Mt. TBR, though. :)

184soffitta1
Oct 6, 2014, 3:21 pm

I have never seen it, it got good reviews as I remember.

174. Grotesque
175. Islanders and and the Fisher of Men
176. All Souls' Day

185soffitta1
Oct 14, 2014, 2:32 pm

177. The Cider House Rules

178. Doctor Zhivago

179. The Return of the Soldier

180. Four Warned

181. Tierra del Fuego

182. Black Hills

A diverse lot of books, still getting reading done on the bus to school, but practically none in the evenings.

186soffitta1
Oct 15, 2014, 6:37 pm

183. Alone in Berlin
Just a fantastic book, didn't want to put it down. The death of their son at the front makes a middle-aged German couple question their loyalties in WW2 Berlin.

187soffitta1
Oct 20, 2014, 5:38 pm

184. The Crazed
A professor has a stroke and is cared for by his student and prospective son-in-law. With the backdrop of Tienanmen Square makes the story even more complicated. One of my favourite Chinese authors.

185. Weird Sisters
A great read - one of the American World Book Night books that I picked up in the States, and so happy I did! Their mother's illness brings three sisters back together under one roof. It's a case of old perceived slights between siblings mixed with a feeling that they haven't quite met their parents' expectations. It's hard to describe, but writing style is captivating.

188soffitta1
Oct 25, 2014, 2:55 am

186. Paradise of the blind

187. 59 Seconds

188. The Name of the Rose

Had managed to get my numbers confused, but have now found the "extra" book and shuffled my categories around to fit it in!

189soffitta1
Oct 25, 2014, 3:05 am

Or not... :( I have just found one in two places. Though my tag 14 in 14 - Read indicates I have read one more than what is here. Aargh!

190-Eva-
Editado: Oct 25, 2014, 7:06 pm

>189 soffitta1:
That's happened to me so many times - glad I'm not the only one! :)

191soffitta1
Oct 27, 2014, 4:28 am

:) sure we aren't the only ones!

189. The Hunger Games
Given to me by a workmate, a fairly quick read. Not seen the films, so had no idea what eould happen. Interesting concept, I can see why half my form group are reading the series.

192soffitta1
Oct 28, 2014, 1:22 pm

190. When I was Puerto Rican
Great book.

193katrinasreads
Oct 28, 2014, 3:16 pm

The kids love this and Divergent which is also an okay read, but the best YA is The Knife of Never Letting Go

194soffitta1
Editado: Nov 7, 2014, 7:28 pm

I read The Knife of Never Letting Go last year, can see its appeal! Will give Divergent a go.

191. Walden

192. Berlin Tales

193. Shirley

194. Gorky Park

195. Notes from the Underground

One more book to go!!!

195soffitta1
Nov 8, 2014, 11:36 am

I am now in a position to start looking critically at finished categories, lots of good books to choose from!

196soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 11:38 am

1. 1001 Books COMPLETED



I aim to hit 501 books read in 2014, so this category is back.

AlphaCat
Jun: 3. Absalom, Absalom! A
Jul: 4. Of Human Bondage W
Sept: 10. Nausea J
Oct: 13. All Souls's Day N

GeoCat
Aug: 9. If on a Winter's Night a traveller Western Europe

MysteryCat
Sept: 12. The Book of Illusions Book-related mystery

RandomCat
Oct: 14. The Return of the Soldier Book Bullet

1. Thursbitch
2. The Good Soldier
5. Bel ami
6. Under the Volcano
7. Home
8. La Bête humaine
11. The Lonely Londoners

Top reads:
I was so happy to pick up another Italo Calvino book for this challenge, and If on a Winter's Night a Traveller was no disappointment. The Lonely Londoners was another short, but poignant 1001 book. It made even more of a resonance with me as I am now working in London with students whose parents / grandparents came over from the West Indies for a new life. As for a third, I am unsure whether to choose The Book of Illusions, which I devoured, I really liked the premise of the story, or The Return of the Soldier, being read 100 years after the start of the First World War. The former kept me on my toes, a sign of a good mystery, whereas the latter threw up questions and emotions.
As for the end, I can't say there was a bad egg.

197soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 11:53 am

Category 3: Films COMPLETED



Love films. love to compare books and their adaptations.

AlphaCat
2. Jan - V - Myra Breckinridge *1001
4. Feb - H - Far from the Madding Crowd *1001
5. Mar - L & M The Monk *1001
6. Jun - A Saturday Night and Sunday Morning *1001
7. Jun - A El cartero de Neruda
9. Sept - O - Oliver Twist *1001
10. Sept - O - The Wizard of Oz
11. Sept - J - Journey to the centre of the Earth *1001
12. Sept - J - The History of Tom Jones * 1001

RandomCat
8. Aug. Wonder Boys Back to school

GastroCat
13. Sept The Cider House Rules *1001 Cider

No Category:
1. Eugene Onegin *1001 book
3. A Single Man
14. Doctor Zhivago **1001

10 1001 books! It was fun to reread El Cartero de Neruda, this time in Spanish, such a lovely book, though tinged with sadness. I had never read The Wizard of Oz and was inspired to pick this up at a charity shop after seeing a children's theatre group put on excerpts of it. It is funny to read the original of something you know so well, finding that the shoes were silver and not ruby as well as other plot differences, this was a similar experience with Journey to the Centre of the Earth. As for other recommendations, I really enjoyed The Cider House Rules, such a lot going on and great writing; the chaos of The Wonder Boys also appealed to me. At the other end of the scale was The Monk, more because Gothic is not really my cup of tea, rather than bad writing.

198soffitta1
Editado: Nov 8, 2014, 12:00 pm

4. World Book Night COMPLETED



A great project and a good way to get me to vary my reading.

2014
1. The humans
5. Perfect Murder
7. Four Warned
9. Weird Sisters
10. 59 seconds

And from the German list:
11. The Name of the Rose (but in English) *1001

AlphaCat
Jun: 4. Tales Of The City A
Oct: 8. Black Hills N
Nov: 14. Gorky Park S

MysteryCat
Nov: 14. Gorky Park Historical mystery

USA
12. The Hunger Games
13. When I was Puerto Rican

AlphaCat
Jun: 2. My Ántonia A
Jun: 3. A Prayer For Owen Meany A, *1001
Aug: 6. The house on Mango Street T

2 1001 books, and a true mix. I picked up a few when I went to the States this summer, so this time the category had a distinctly American feel. Top books include The Humans for the humour and offbeat story, Weird Sisters for the crazy, yet familiar family dynamics and The House on Mango Street, a book I will look out for in the original Spanish so I can use it with students.

199soffitta1
Nov 8, 2014, 2:21 pm

5. Crime, mystery and thriller COMPLETED



AlphaCat
Jan: 2. A deadly paradise D
Jun: 9. An officer and a spy A
Jun: 10. Night Train A

MysteryCat
Feb - Series: 3. The Murder on the Eiffel Tower
4. The Pere-Lachaise Mystery
Mar - Children's
5. Half moon investigations
Apr - Nordic Mysteries
7. Firewall
Jun - Police Procedurals
8. Dick Donovan: The Glasgow Detective
10. Night Train A
Jul - Noir
11. Double Indemnity
Aug - British
12. Pantheon
Global Mysteries
13. Grotesque Japan

RandomCat:
Apr - Poetry
6. What's under your hat? and other mysteries

MysteryCat
14. The Montmartre Investigation Series

No category
1. Dominion D

Top reads have to include An officer and a spy, I had just read another book referencing the Dreyfus affair, so really got into this. Dominion was a cracker, especially in the light of this year's referendum in Scotland. I found Night Train to be rather pedestrian, there could have been more to it and The Murder on the Eiffel Tower series was not fleshed out enough, despite the great backdrop.

200katrinasreads
Nov 13, 2014, 6:20 pm

Well done for completing the challenge, I can't believe how many books you managed to read alongside teaching - I'm going to have to try harder next year!

201soffitta1
Nov 15, 2014, 3:21 pm

Thanks! Final book read! I read when I commute, but also I set aside at least half an hour at night.
196. Testament of Youth

202-Eva-
Nov 16, 2014, 1:17 am

Congrats on finishing!!

203MissWatson
Nov 16, 2014, 12:40 pm

That is an amazing number of books, congratulations!

204soffitta1
Nov 16, 2014, 2:23 pm

Thanks! A few shorties in there to get me through, I have to admit.

I have decided to continue with the challenge, I will read books from the various Cats.

GastroCat
197. A Taste of Chardonnay

GeoCat
198. The Distant Hours

RandomCat
199. Zeitoun

AlphaCat
200. A Modest Proposal

GeoCat
201. Once were Warriors

205AHS-Wolfy
Nov 17, 2014, 12:11 pm

Congrats on completing your challenge!

206DeltaQueen50
Nov 17, 2014, 12:46 pm

Congratulations of your 2014 Challenge being done and dusted!

207lkernagh
Nov 17, 2014, 8:59 pm

Congratulations on finishing your challenge! Whoot! whoot!

208soffitta1
Nov 18, 2014, 1:03 pm

Thank you everyone! I have had a lot of fun, especially with the Cats, great way to read books which I have had hanging around a lon time. Not enough posting on others' threads though, but I have tried to keep up.

209cammykitty
Nov 18, 2014, 8:49 pm

Congrats! You had some great reads this year. I'm still waiting to get a chance to sit down with When I was a Puerto Rican.

210paruline
Nov 20, 2014, 8:16 pm

Well done!

211soffitta1
Editado: Dic 14, 2014, 1:20 pm

Thank you all! I am still reading for this year's challenge, trying to resist too many new books when I could still be reading off Mount TBR.!

School is busy, but I am trying to read in my down time.

202. Stormbringers AlphaCat. Not a bad book, but a little weak at times. The role of the maid is becoming more interesting than her mistress.

203. The Godfather AlphaCat. Saw this in a charity shop, I have seen all the films, but this was rather different at times. Very page-turning.

204. Goodbye to Berlin AlphaCat. A series of short stories from which Cabaret was taken. Very enjoyable.

205. More than you can say AlphaCat. A good commuter read, quite a few twists and turns.

206. Cronica de una muerte anunciada AlphaCat. A long-term TBR, a really solid read. A book where you find out the punishment before the whole crime is given to the reader. Great book.

207. A woman's life AlphaCat. A rather sad look at the life of a wife and mother.

208. A song of Stone AlphaCat. Another long-term TBR. Set in the midst of a war, a rather strange piece. Lots of good details, but at times the book lost its way for me.

212soffitta1
Dic 20, 2014, 11:01 am

209. In diamond square
Bought in Fopp. An interesting read, I was a bit thrown by the translation of the names into English. It is a strange read, the cover makes it it look like a historical romance, but really there is more - or is it less- going on here. The narrator takes us through the time coming up to the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, it is a tale of survival, of loss, showing the side of the War that is often left out - how those on the home front lived. At times the story flits and flies away, just as her husband's pigeons do, but it is worthy of a read.

210. Jessica
A novel set in Australia about the life of a strong Outback woman.

211. The Believers
The main character finds out about her husband's betrayal when he is ill which makes her reconsider their shared life together. I preferred this to the previous book I read of Heller's, lots of layers and better drawn characters.

212. Three Sisters
A novel from China showing how three sisters' lives are very different as they adapt themselves to the world around them. Good read.

213. Threepenny Novel
Brecht's novel based on the opera set in the underbelly of London life. At times darkly comic, but ultimately tragic.

214. The Particular Sadness of a Lemon Cake
A rather strange read, I thought it would be similar to Como agua para chocolate, but in actual fact, it was a lot stranger. The main character starts to sense emotions through food prepared by others, which changes her life and her relatioshops with her loved ones.

215. Master of Ballantrae
A tale of fraternal conflict and betrayal.

216. Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel
I bought this in Germany, I am a big fan of Cornelia Funke's. There is an evil plot for the true Father Christmases to be replaced by a more commercial regime. Great illustrations (although they didn't always match Funke's descriptions).

213soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 1:24 pm

2. Asian Books


Huge pile of Asia-related books on my TBR pile.

GeoCat
Jan: 1. Aloft USA Immigration
May: 3 Home South Asia (Focus on India)
Sept: 8. After Dark Asia
Sept:10. Dreams of Joy Asia
Sept: 11. Waiting Asia
Sept: 12. River of time Asia

AlphaCat
Mar: 2. Shame in the blood M
Jun: 6. Emigre journeys A
Sept:10. Dreams of Joy J
Sept: 11. Waiting J
Sept: 12. River of time J

RandomCat
Jun: 4. Indian Summer Roses

GastroCat
Jun: 5. The Republic of Wine Red meat

No Cat
9. Across the Nightingale Floor
7. The Brilliance of the Moon
13. The Crazed
14. Riding the Iron Rooster

Another of my favourite categories!
Top reads:
From the dark side, it would have to be The Republic of Wine, a tale of eating the strangest of foods washed down with rice wine. River of Time was an interesting read, taking the reader to the heart of the conflicts in Asia that affected the whole world.
From the bottom - that would be Emigre Journeys, meandering and not all it promised to be.

214soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 1:38 pm

6. History


Like 2013, this will be a mix of fiction and non-fiction.

Fiction
1. Mirror Mirror
11. The General in his Labyrinth
14. On the Cold Coasts

GeoCat Aug - Europe
13. The Fall of the Stone City

Biography & Autobiography
GastroCat
2. Feb: Let me eat cake
3. Apr: Cod

AlphaCat
May: 4. Storm of Steel E *1001
Jun 6. Lucky A
Jul: 9. China Cuckoo C

RandomCat
5. May: Miss Mckirdy's daughters will now dance the Highland Fling Mother
6. Jun: Lucky Rose

Non-fiction
10. News of a kidnapping
12. The Darien Disaster

AlphaCat
7. Jun Tales of the South China Seas A

Travel
8. Between Extremes

Top reads:
Ismail Kadare was an author I came across in the 1001 list, this is not on the list, but was a great read, strange and compelling. Cod was fascinating, especially as I have lived in two countries whose cuisines owe much to the salted cod. Storm of Steel was an impulse buy, a great war book. China Cuckoo was an interesting read as I recognised parts of the book from my own experiences in China. A very solid category!

215soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 1:43 pm

7. Flora and Fauna



With flora or fauna in the title, I have a lot of books that could fit in here.

No category
8. Rabbit at rest
14. The Jaguar Smile

MysteryCat
Jan - Private detective
1. Birds of a Feather

RandomCat
Feb - Children's Literature
2. Akimbo and the Elephants
3. Akimbo and the Lions
4. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man
Mar - Birds
9. Requiem for a Wren

AlphaCat
Feb - H & R
5. Rabbit, Run R *1001
6. Rabbit Redux *1001
7. Rabbit is Rich *1001
Apr - I & P
10. Grass for his pillow P
11. The tail of the blue bird P

GastroCat
Jul - Fruit
12. Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India

GeoCat
Jul: 13. Penguins stopped play Antartic

Top reads:
Climbing the Mango Trees was such an interesting read about a figure whose books have dominated our kitchen (and her shows our TV!). The tail of the blue bird was rather fantastical, I do enjoy magical realism. Penguins stopped play was great fun, I am a cricket fan, and the random matches did appeal.

216soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 1:54 pm

8. Women Writers


Another favourite.

12. Sense & Sensibility
13. Full House

GeoCat
1. Jan: The Bean Trees (immigration)
3. Jan: Ceremony (Contemporary American Fiction) (immigration)
5. The colour of forgetting Caribbean
6. We are all made of glue Eastern Europe

AlphaCat
2. Jan: The heat of the day **1001 D
4. Feb: Everything You Know H
7. Jun: Quicksand and Passing Q **1001
8. Jun: The thing around your neck A
11. Aug: The Forms of Water T

GastroCat
1. Jan : The Bean Trees
11. Aug: The forms of Water Water

RandomCat
14. May: Bluebeard's egg 1st story
10. Jul: Fly by Night Books

RandomCat
9. The Library of Unrequited Love

Top reads:
The 1001 list has introduced me to many a good book, and the two I read by Nella Larsen were no exception. The Library of Unrequited Love was rather fun, especially for bibliophiles. A good category, though I felt that Everything you know was a bit weak.

217soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 1:58 pm

9. Group Reads


A great way to read those scary books that have been lurking for a while.

1. Feb: P.G. Wodehouse - Thank you, Jeeves *1001
2. Mar: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame *1001, 1001 Group
3. Apr There but for the *1001, 1001 group

Atwood in April
4. Bodily Harm

Umberto Eco in May
5. The Prague Cemetery

6. Mary Barton *1001

9. Sept: Paradise of the Blind *1001, 1001 Group

11. Walden *1001, 1001 Group

12. Nov: Shirley *1001

13. Notes from the Underground *1001, 1001 Group

14. Nov: Testament of youth *1001, 1001 Group

Reading Globally
July - Sept: Central America and Mexico
7. Como agua para chocolate
Oct - Dec: Post-War Germany
8. Alone in Berlin
10. Berlin Tales

Top reads:
The Prague Cemetery, rather a tome, but fascinating. I did enjoy There but for the for its quirky style and Alone in Berlin for the great plot.

218soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 2:03 pm

10. Name



A name in the title, another way of cutting down Mount TBR.

AlphaCat
1. Jan - V - Vernon God Little *1001
3. Feb - R - Rameau's Nephew and D'Alembert's Dream *1001
4. Feb - H - Alice Hartley's Happiness
5. Feb - R - The testament of Gideon Mack
6. Mar - M - Beatrice and Virgil
7. Mar - M - Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field
8. Mar - M - Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams
9. Apr - P - The Bronte Project
10. May - E - Silas Marner *1001
11. May - E - Mapp and Lucia
12. Mar: 3. The World According to Bertie M
13. Jun - A - A Weekend with Mr Darcy
14. Sept - F - Eve Green

RandomCat
2. Danziger's Adventures: From Miami to Kabul Jan, Journey
8. Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams Mar, Birds on cover

Top reads:
Long-term TBR Vernon God Little was worth the wait, as well as The Testament of Gideon Mack. For all things magical, I would recommend Dream Angus, a tale I was not familiar with, but will search out. At the other end, the classic tributes were not as strong as I'd have hoped, but it is always good to have some down time in reading as well.

219soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 2:09 pm

11. Hispanic Studies and German



This is what I studied at university and as I am doing a PGCE in MFL I thought I'd make this a category. Not a football fan, but this was the only image I could find that reflected the three languages that I studied on the course.

Spanish
1. Mexican High set in a Mexican high school.
13. Vargas Llosa for President

GeoCat:
Mar 3. Salvador
Mar 4. The Pot that Juan Built

AlphaCat
Jan 2. Don Quixote D
Mar 5. Labyrinths L
Apr 7. The tailor of Panama P
8. Peru and the Andean Countries P
May 11. Santa Evita E, *1001

German
AlphaCat
Apr 6. Asterix plaudert aus der Schule P
Apr 9. Asterix bei den Pikten P
Apr 10. Mr Norris Changes trains I, *1001
Jun 12. Asterix bei den Schweizern A

Portuguese
GeoCat
Aug: 14. Death with interruptions Western Europe

Top reads:
Death with interruptions will stay with me for a long time, such a strange book stemming for a simple musing. Labyrinths will need more readings, but Borges' world always leaves you guessing. Santa Evita was a fascinating, but often peculiar, look at the life and afterlife of Eva Peron. Great fun to read Asterix, I have more for next year!

220soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 6:01 pm

217. Miss Chopsticks
A great observer, Xinran takes inspiration from life for this novel of modern China.

218. The Facts behind Helsinki Roccamatios
A set of short stories, some more complete than others.

219. Therese Raquin
The downward spiral of Therese, rather dark, but compelling.

220. The Vagrants
Sad, interlocking stories.

Restarted reading the Agatha Raisin series, this is for the MysteryCat - Cozy mystery.
221. Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell
222. Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came
223. Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate

221soffitta1
Dic 26, 2014, 6:06 pm

14. Series



Didn't read many of my proposed books for this, so will try again!

RandomCat
Jan 1. 44 Scotland Street door
2. Espresso Tales door
Sept. 14: Chocolate Box Girls Bittersweet

GastroCat
Mar 3. Horseradish green vegetable
Mar 4. Green eggs and ham
May 8. The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy Dairy

AlphaCat
Apr 5. Hearing Secret Harmonies P, 1001 Book
May 6. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones U
May 7. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil U
Jun 9. The Importance of being Seven A
Jun 10. Affair of the thirty nine cufflinks A
Jun 11. Affair of the Mutilated Mink Coat A
Jul 12. The Harsh Cry of the Heron C
Aug 13. These Three Remain T

A successful category, I am now up to date with 4 series! I do enjoy the Alexander McCall Smith series, I plan on reading another of his next year. The Burford books were an easy read, perfect to chill out with.

222lkernagh
Dic 29, 2014, 1:22 am

Great wrap-up!

223soffitta1
Dic 29, 2014, 3:48 am

Thank you! I am nearly there, it's been another great year of reading.

224soffitta1
Dic 29, 2014, 3:48 am

12. Gender



Books with gender related nouns in the title - man, boy, girl, aunt.

10. Refugee Boy
11. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman
14. Islanders and The Fisher of Men

AlphaCat
Feb: 1. Rickshaw Girl R
Mar 2. Last man to die L & M
Apr: 3. Temporary Kings P *1001
4. The Wise Woman P
May: 5. The country girls E *1001
6. Girl with green eyes E *1001
7. Girls in their married bliss E
Jun: 9. Mr Darcy's Daughters A

MysteryCat:
May: Golden Age
8. A Man Lay Dead

GeoCat
Sept: 12. Shanghai Girls

RandomCat
Sept: Toronto Film Festival
13. The Other Queen

Top reads:I would have to say The Tin-Pot General and the Old Iron Woman -
great illustrations and a book I had been wanting to find for ages. I also enjoyed the The Country Girls trilogy and Rickshaw Girl. At the bottom would have to be The Other Queen, this did not grab me at all.

225soffitta1
Dic 29, 2014, 3:56 am

13. Geography



Books with place names in the title.

7. The girl who saved the King of Sweden
9. Strange weather in Tokyo
10. Crimson China
12. Cinnamon City
3. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

RandomCat
Jan: 1. Love over Scotland

For the GeoCat:
Feb: 2. Prisoner in Baghdad Middle East
Apr: 4. Austerlitz Eastern Europe
May: 5. India with Sanjeev Bhaskar South Asia - focus on India
Sept: 13. Geisha of Gion

AlphaCat
May: 6. Excursion to Tindari
Jul: 8. Last train from Liguria
Sept: 11. Longbourn J

Oct
GeoCat
14. Tierra del Fuego

Top reads: So many here! I loved the style of The Girl who saved the King of Sweden and the poignancy of Strange Weather in Tokyo. Crimson China grabbed me because I remember the news stories of the tragedy that inspired it. Austerlitz was another winner, as well as Longbourn to see the downstairs side to Pride and Prejudice. Last but not least, I really enjoyed Tierra del Fuego.

226mathgirl40
Dic 29, 2014, 8:33 am

Great summary! I'm impressed that you got through so many 1001 books this year.

227-Eva-
Dic 29, 2014, 9:13 pm

That's quite some progress you made!! Very nice lists!

228soffitta1
Dic 30, 2014, 4:08 pm

I reckon I won't finish another book this year (I might get started on a tome for next year!). So here is a roundup of the rest. I thoroughly enjoyed The Godfather and Goodbye to Berlin, knowing the films, it was interesting to see the books that inspired them. I had had Cronica de una muerte anunciada for years, it was really good - it is a backwards whodunnit, where you know who is going to be killed, but not why. A Woman's life was thought-provoking, making me grateful to be a woman living today! The last two good ones would have to be The Tiger's Wife, so unusual, and Therese Raquin, which was compelling in its depicting of her downfall.

229paruline
Dic 31, 2014, 11:45 am

Great wrap-up! See you in 2015 :)