Judylou reads 100 in 2011

2011 is going to be a great year!

I like your attitude! Good luck for 2011, I'm looking forward to reading about your reading!

Starring your thread so I can find out what you think of The Windup Girl when you finish it!

1. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett *Audio book*

Discworld is a favourite for our long summer trips in the car. I try to get to them in order but the older ones are hard to find in the library, so I have missed a few in the series. However, a fun story, easy to listen to and just what we wanted.

2. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith *Audio book*

Another easy one to listen to on our seemingly neverending drive home from up north. I have been enjoying these stories about Precious Ramotswe and akk her trials and tribulations. Again, a fun and easy story.

3. The Body in the Clouds by Ashley Hay

A rather lovely story featuring the Sydney harbour Bridge. Three men see a man falling from the bridge and miraculously he survives. But each man sees this event from different times - the beginning of colonization, the building of the bridge, and in 2010 - and in vastly different ways. This is a story about stories and how those stories play such an important part in your own identity and sense of home.

I'm going to have to track down The Body in the Clouds - silly library website is down so I can't check if they have it!

And I agree, Pratchett and McCall Smith are both excellent easy reads. I love Discworld's Death, have you had him as a character yet? I think Mort is the first where he's really featured.

Wookie, Mort was the first one we listened to. It got us hooked on the series!

4. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

This was a fascinating story. I loved the oh so very believable future world that Bacigalupi imagined. Set in Thailand in a future world where the sea has risen, genehackers and manmade plagues abound, people are hanging by their fingernails to their very existence. But what impressed me was that this was not an idealist's world. People in this future are competitive, destructive and selfish. They do not seem to have learned from how they have almost destroyed the earth. They fight amongst themselves, scheme and plot to make money at the expense of the general population and the earth itself. From that point of view, this wasn't an uplifting story, but I enjoyed it nevertheless!

I've been eyeing off The Windup Girl at the bookshops. I think I may have to take the plunge and buy it now...

I heard mixed reviews of The Windup Girl so its nice to see a good review because I am tempted. I think I might try his short stories 1st Pump Six and Other Stories but I have tons of short story books, all clammering for attention.

I think that even if you don't like The Windup Girl (I didn't, really), it's worth reading to some extent. The worldbuilding is absolutely gorgeous. Where it fell apart for me was plot and characters I cared about.

I recommend Bacigalupi's YA novel, Ship Breaker. It has the same wonderfully creative world building, but I found both plot and characters more engaging.

I have heard the criticism about lack of characterisation in The Windup Girl elsewhere, but it didn't bother me. I think I read SF differently to other fiction. I am not always interested in the characters; more in the setting and the "science" of the book. I am hoping to read Ship Breaker soon.

I think that's true for a lot of people and science fiction - and to be fair to it, The Windup Girl had a lot of brilliant thoughts in it.

Sometimes I get annoyed with sci-fi for failing to give me good characters. At other times, I'm perfectly happy for cardboard cutouts, so long as the ideas are good enough.

It remains on my wishlist. :)

5. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

I was really unsure about this one while I was reading it. I started out really liking it, then I didn't like it at all, then I did again! I think the story just lost me somewhere along the way and it wasn't until all the loose ends started to be tied that my interest increased again.

An aside: this book could as easily be called "the reporter" or "the doctor's wife" - they played equally important roles as far as I was concerned.

I'm not going to count this one because I only read a bit of it. Jimmy Corrigan was recommended as the best graphic novel ever written. But I've read better ones!

6. The Small Hand by Susan Hill

This was a lovely little ghost story. Very atmospheric and although set in modern times, it reads like a story from the 19th century.

7. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

A stunning story. In an unnamed country in South America a Japanese businessman is being thrown a birthday party. All the high profile businessmen and politicians are invited and their entertainer is a famous opara star. Terrorists break in and take all the partygoers hostage. What happens next is not edge of the seat excitement, but a gentle kind of story that develops slowly, almost without you noticing what is happening.

8. The Truth about these Strange Times by Adam Foulds *audio book*

I liked this one too. Howard is a bumbling lump of a man who is lonely (he has talked to his mother's wardrobe since she died) and a bit of a loser (can't keep a job; says and does the wrong thing at every opportunity). He is with an elderly ldy when she collapses and starts to visit her daily in the hospital. When she dies he meets her son, his wife and child. From here the story gets interesting. You just know that Howard is going to do something he shouldn't do eventually. I laughed so much during the first part of this story, but by the end I was crying. Excellent!

9. Ape House by Sara Gruen

This was a real pageturner. A story that had me from the start to the finish. A language lab is studying bonobo apes - they have been taught sign language and are able to communicate with their handlers. One night the lab is blown up and the main handler is severely injured. The apes are sold and the story goes from there. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this (except for the nasty parts about animal experimentation) but it wasn't really a standout.

10. Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones

Just how far will a mother go to find a baby who has been taken from her? This one crossed an entire continent to try to find the baby stolen from her by his father. What she does, what she goes through to find him is documented by all the people she meets along the way. The ones who help her and the ones who use her.

This will be one of my top reads this year. I loved it.

Wow, some great reads! I'm looking forward to Hand Me Down World, I've heard nothing but good comments about it.

Judy - I have a feeling that my book club is going to insist on reading Ape House next year and after your comments, I'm not going to protest too much. I hated Water for Elephants and I really, really dislike apes of any kind, but that actually sounds a little interesting. Thanks for your comments.

11. The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass

I thought I would never get to the end of this one. It was just too long. A man has been left to raise two young girls when his wife dies. As adults they are very different. One is a highly sought after cancer specialist, the other is a bit of a loser. The doctor has a son studying to become a doctor himself, but he gets involved in a radical ecoterrorist group. Stuff happens. Then there is a happy ever after ending.

What I didn't like about this was the number of characters and their life stories. Some of them seemed to be just add-ons. Sure they played a part in the main story, but we didn't need to know so much about them. I felt like they were added in for no reason but for their differences - a gay couple; an illegal immigrant - they just weren't necessary.

12. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith

*audio*

Another episode in Mma Ramotswe's life. She solves more puzzles, loses her little white van and helps her assistant to remove her fiance from the clutches of a verrrrry glamorrrrous woman.

13. Me Cheeta by James Lever

No, sorry, just didn't get it. Gave up in bewilderment.

Oh dear, Me Cheeta did sound funny to me! It's on Mt TBR somewhere, and I'll still give it a go. I'm too much of a fan of old Hollywood not to!

wookie, I think that was my problem with the story. I am not such a big fan of Hollywood and all the talk about the old actors meant very little to me.

I love the woman who reads the Mma Ramotswe books! Her accent is killer - it is the only series I'd rather listen to than read.

I agree so much! I tried reading them some time ago and gave up in disgust, but then when I stumbled upon the audios, I was hooked! Although I did listen to one of them read by an English woman which was a bit disappointing.

14. Winds of Heaven by Monica Dickens

An interesting story. Its age shows somewhat, but it is still very readable. A middle-aged woman has been left destitute at the death of her husband. She is forced to sell the family home to pay off his debts and must now live between the homes of her three reluctant daughters. Each daughter is very different, perhaps a bit too different, but the relationships they have with their mother are very interesting.

15. Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear

A fun Sci Fi romp. The teacher is "born" into Ship where he must outrun the cold, escape the killers and the cleaners, recall his memories and find Mother. He collects a band of misfits along the way who all work together to discover just what has happened to Ship.

16. Reading Madame Bovary by Amanda Lohrey

Can't get a touchstone for this one.

A series of short stories by an author I have enjoyed in the past. Most of these stories were very good and very readable. A couple of them, however, I skimmed through. But that is typical of many volumes of short stories I guess. Worth a look.

17. Come Inside by G L Osborne

This was a very intriguing little book. Told through newspaper clippings, interviews, police reports, letters, etc, the story is pieced together little by little. In the 1800s a ship sinks off the coast of Southern Australia. All on board are lost except for one young girl. The only thing she remembers is her name.

18. A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French

I was a tiny bit disappointed by this one. I love Dawn French's work as an actor / comedian, but the book just wasn't that marvellous!

Picture a middle class English family; Mum is a child psychologist, a woman of a certain age, losing control of her family, her body and her life. Teenage daughter hates everyone and lets them know it, teenage son seems to be channelling Oscar Wilde, down to his speech and dress. Dad, well Dad gets a mention here and there, but doesn't have much of a presence in this family. And all this is told in journal form.

I read through to the end, although I did skim the Oscar Wilde sections (they just got a bit annoying), because I wanted to know the resolution, but I wasn't thrilled with it.

19. Eleven by Mark Watson

Xavier Ireland, an Australian DJ living in England, sees a young boy being bullied. He makes a halfhearted attempt to protect the young boy, but in the end, just goes on his way. That incident causes the ripple effect that affects the lives of eleven people. I really liked the way each of the characters were developed, and I liked Xavier as well, for all his faults. The only problem I had with the book was the cause of Xavier's exile from his life, family and friends in Australia. It just didn't seem feasible somehow; just didn't ring true for me. But apart from that, I can recommend this one.

20. Mice by Gordon Reece

This YA book about a mother and daughter who consider themselves mice (weak, unassuming, victims) was a bit of a dud for me. The daughter is bullied severely at school and so leaves school and, with her mother, moves to an isolated country cottage where she is provided with tutors. The way they get their confidence back, turn from the victims to the aggressors was quite ridiculous (I thought). I read it to the end because it was intriguing and it was well written, but surely there could have been a somewhat different outcome which would have made more sense?????

sorry about the touchstones

That is disappointing about the Dawn French novel - I would have expected her book to be screamingly funny (like she is).

That is why I was disappointed. She is such a funny person!

21. My Sister Chaos by Lara Fergus

Not much to say about this one. A story of twin sisters who are refugees from an unspecified war torn country, who settle in an unspecified country. One is a cartographer; she attempts to map her own space. The other is an artist; she returns to live with her sister - creating chaos in the very careful life of her sister.

I didn't like it.

22. Florence and Giles by John Harding

I very much liked this ghost story set in a creepy old mansion in the 1890's. The story itself didn't really break any new ground, but the language had me hooked from the first page. Excellent!

23. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith *audio*

Another episode in Precious Ramotswe's life. More of the same I guess, but it is fun to listen to.

24. Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa

What a letdown after reading The housekeeper and the Professor. Loved that, hated this!

25. The Finkler Question by Howard jacobson

I tried, I really did. I started, stopped, started again. Picked it up at different times of the day, read it quickly, read it slowly. But nothing worked and I didn't get beyond about 30 pages.

I've read John Harding's One Big Damn Puzzler and enjoyed it very much, some years ago now. I should try Florence and Giles!

And I've also read The Finkler Question is a difficult read. I'll find out when I get to it, I guess...

wookie, I'm afraid The Finkler Question held absolutely nothing for me.

26. We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

She is one of my favourite authors, but this is one of my least favourite books. The Mulvaneys are a happy, loving, secure family living in the country on a farm. An incident occurs which changes the entire family forever. This was basically a great story, but there was just way too much information. In my opinion, it just went on for way too long and hadway too much surplus stuff in it. Quite unusual when I compare the other books i have read by JCO.

We Were the Mulvaneys is my first and only attempt at JCO so far, and I hated it. Your opinion is that this is an outlier and she's worth a second shot?

Definitely! Every other story I have read of hers has come straight to the point. Unlike this one!

27. Scissors, Paper, Stone by Elizabeth Day

When Charles is in an accident and lies in a coma, his wife and daughter are forced to confront incidents in the past. After a dodgy start, this one grew on me and I ended up quite liking it.

I am unable to get the touchstones on this one

28. The Book of Souls by Glenn Cooper *audio*

Not bad. A library has been discovered which contains books full of every persons birth and death dates for many centuries. The US Government controls the books and naturally, there is drama and intrigue. Murders and robberies, deaths and romance.

29. Great House by Nicole Krauss

At first I didn't like this one, but the further into it I read, the more it grew on me. I almost gave up in the beginning, but I am glad I didn't. It is a very powerful and many layered story about a diverse group of people who are all connected ultimately through a writing desk. Sounds a bit strange, but it isn't really. Worth the effort!

30. Blue eyed boy by Joanne Harris *audio*

What a confusing book. I think it needs a re-read to do it any justice. I was so confused at one point about who was who that I almost gave up, but then came a flash of insight and I finally got it. However, I think reading it in print would probably be a better idea.

31. There once lived a woman who tried to kill her neighbour's baby: scary fairy tales by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

Loved this book full of fairy tales, allegories, requiems and "songs of the eastern slavs". Every one of them different, some only a few pages, others longer, but all of them just a little bit creepy and very original. Well worth finding!

32. A Kind Man by Susan Hill

A really lovely little novella about, well, a kind man. Tommy is Eve's husband, he is a kind and loving man. They have a baby girl who dies at a very young age, then Tommy becomes ill. His generosity and kindness is realised in full when he sacrifices all for his loved wife. This is one of my favourites so far this year. Highly recommended.

33. The Ghost Writer by John Harwood

I had forgotten that I read this one about 3 -4 years ago. It took me a few chapters before I remembered it too. (That in itself is a bit of a worry I think!!) Anyway, I enjoyed it again. It was creepy and clever and worth the reread.

34. Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

Some excellent short stories from this Haitian writer. I thoroughly enjoyed them even though they were (mostly) quite depressing. The stories provided me with a glimpse of how life in Haiti must have been for many citizens, and how Haitians who escaped to the US have coped.

35. The Daughters of Moab by Kim Westwood

Did not like this story about a group of women surviving in remote Western Australia after a worldwide disaster changed life as they knew it. I didn't like it enough that I didn't finish it.

36. The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah

On the other hand, this was a brilliant book set in Mauritius during WW2. Raj is the last brother left when his older and younger brothers die in an accident. He is left to cope with a grieving mother and an abusive father. They leave their village and move to a house near the prison where the father gets a job. The prison houses a group of Jews who have been denied entry to Palestine and are fated to spend the war years on the island. Raj befriends David - a young inmate. This is a very intense story, but well worth reading!!

37. Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Uh Oh! Another unfinished one. Hope this isn't the start of a pattern :)

38. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew (retired) is widowed, has a son who neglects him, lives in the lovely Rose Cottage, and has "feelings" for Mrs Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper. The village folk are very put out by this and their good manners are sorely tested by the relationship. But it is not all smooth sailing for Mrs Ali and the Major. Her family and his do their best to upset things, and we are left wondering until the very end if love will conquer all.

39. Blue SKies by Helen Hodgman

Originally written in the 1970s, this book has recently been republished. It is set in 1970s Tasmania during an endless summer of hot days, blue skies and no rain. The main character (unnamed) is a young wife and mother who finds her days empty and long. Whenever she looks at the clock, it is 3pm. Her only escape from her life is her Tuesday and Thursday outings, when she leaves baby Angelica with the mother in law and goes to visit her two lovers. This is a very interesting book. The language was a bit dated (did I really talk like that in the 70s???) but it was still worth reading.

I haven't heard anything too great about Skippy Dies, apart from its Booker Prize nomination. (But then again, even Booker Prize winners aren't always great reads. To put it mildly.)

wookie, I've been very disappointed with the ones I've read (or tried to read) this year.

40. Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

A ghost story set on a suitably isolated island in the North Sea just before WW2. Young Jack is left alone at the camp after a series of unfortunate accidents and he experiences some very weird stuff.

I was not overly impressed with this one. It was written as a series of journal entries and the language was very simplistic. Not sure if that was what the author was going for or not? I believe she writes more for young adults and I thought this novel would have been suited to that category as well.

#54> Disappointed with the Booker nominations this year? (Well, 2010, we haven't had even a longlist yet for 2011, have we?)

I wouldn't rave about The Long Song, but I did mostly enjoy it. Room I thought was patchy, but the first half was excellent. And I'm currently (slowly) reading Parrot and Olivier in America, which I'm enjoying.

Yet to read The Finkler Question. I'm not expecting to enjoy it...

hahahaha this year . . . last year . . . its all the same to me . . .

41. Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin

Judy Lohden is a typical teenager, going through a crisis, but still a typical 16yo starting a new school, looking for friends, wanting to be cool, falling for the most gorgeous boy at school. There is just one thing about her that is different to all the other 16yo's in her class - she is 3 ft 9 in tall.

42. Gravel by Peter Goldsworthy

Short stories. Very good.

43. Five Bells by Gail Jones

I'm not having much luck with touchstones lately, but I was very lucky to have read this book!

Four people are in the same place at the same time. They come from different places, for different reasons, but they all happen to be passing through Circular Quay, Sydney. Their reasons for being there are slowly revealed. The language is soothing, but not dull in any sense.

Gail Jones is an exceptional writer. One of the best in my opinion.

Oh, excellent! I've been eyeing off Five Bells in the shops lately, I liked her Sorry.

I'm sure the touchstones will start working better once there are a few more copies of the book in the system. (I say, hopefully...)

wookie, I predict you will love it!

44. Night Road by Kristin Hannah

This one was OK. A bit melodramatic for my tastes though. Lexi's drug addicted mother has died, she has been through a series of foster homes and finally moves in to a trailer with her old aunty. She makes friends with Mia, who is from a very well-off family and twin to Zach - a handsome hunk. A disaster occurs, stuff happens and I won't let on if there is a happy ending or not.

45. Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck

I thought I was getting a ghost story - that's what the blurb indicated - but instead it was a pretty awful story about a house by a lake and all the people who lived there. Blech!!!

46. We Had it so Good by Linda Grant

I don't know why the touchstones can't find this one.

I absolutely loved it. This will be up there as one of my best for 2011!

Stephen and Andrea are married with children. Middle aged and living a comfortable, if ordinary life. But they weren't always like that. Stephen made LSD at Uni, Andrea rode a bike through Oxford in her long purple velvet, and they argued life's big questions with friends in their anarchist collective.

This is the story of a couple who appear to be fairly ordinary people. But they aren't really.

I'll keep an eye out for Grant's book, I rather enjoyed her The Clothes on Their Backs. And don't you hate misleading blurbs? (Almost as bad as those that tell you the whole story.) I'll avoid Visitation, thanks for the warning.

47. This too shall Pass by S.J. Finn

Another winner!!

Jen is facing a professional and personal coming of age. She has left her husband and young son to be with her girlfriend Renny. SHe has to leave the small country town and move to the city (Melbourne). Her need to continue her relationship with her son means that she is forced to leave Renny alone most weekends and this is causing great difficulties in their relationship. Meanwhile, Jen's job as a social worker working with children is also creating problems. She is torn between providing good care and following the corporate line.

I liked this one because it was simply a story about Jen and a few years of her life.
Nothing pretentious. Very real. And beautifully written.

48. Desert Fish by Cherise Saywell

Where are all these brilliant Aussie books coming from? This is another that I loved.

Set in the 70s in a very big drought in a very small country town, Gilly is a 15 year old girl aimlessly living her life. She has left school, has no job and no ambition beyond swimming in the dam. Then Pete comes to rent their spare room. He is older and good looking and a bit mysterious, and his easy going ways contrast with her parents' fraught behaviour. Pete leaves, Gilly discovers her pregnancy and she heads off to be with him . . whatever that takes.

ETA: I cannot believe that I am the only one with this book in my collection. It is too good to be ignored :)

49. Infected by Scott Sigler
50. Contagious by Scott Sigler

These two are in a series so they are being lumped in here together.

WHat can I say about these books? A mysterious blue triangle disease has infected some US citizens (I always wonder why the aliens arrive in the USA first:) including Scary Perry Dawsey, a gigantic football player with a tendency to lose his temper and hurt people. The blue triangles are parasites and when they start talking to their hosts, all hell breaks loose!!

Fun to read, a bit of a change of pace after the last few I've been reading too.

51. The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith

Nearly forgot about this one.

I have to say I am enjoying these stories. I can listen to them while doing anything. It doesn't matter if I zone out for a while here and there!

I enjoyed Infected but I still can't think of chicken scissors without shuddering... I might be too timid to try contagious was it just as bad?

A mysterious blue triangle disease has infected some US citizens (I always wonder why the aliens arrive in the USA first:)

Ha ha! I've noticed that too. Curious phenomena.

You've read some great stuff--I'd like to track some of these down.

#68 - Contagious was the perfect sequel - I read them back to back and it felt like reading one book. But you don't have to read about any chicken scissors in the second one!!

#69 - oh well, at least we can always rely on them to deal with the aliens and keep us safe ;)

Infected made my skin crawl. I don't think I could manage another Sigler!

52. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

Three sisters come together when their mother is diagnosed with cancer. They return with their own problems, and their own reasons for being there. Their father is an academic sho speaks to them in Shakespearean sonnets and their mother, who pre-diagnosis was somewhat vague, is now, during treatment, extremely vague.

All in all, an enjoyable story.

I'll have to look for the Linda Grant book. I saw her interviewed at a book festival a couple of years ago. I have liked all her books that I have read.

Cyrel I've enjoyed her others too, but this one was just wonderful!

53. Black Glass by Meg Mundell

Another one without touchstones. This was an interesting book. Set in Australia in the not too distant future where climate change has caused major social change, two young sisters are left homeless when their father blows up their house and himself while drugmaking. They are separated and make their way to the city where they each try to exist on the streets while attempting to find one another.

54. The Fall by Guillermo del Toro

I read The Strain and found it OK. But i just couldn't get into this one - the second in the trilogy I believe.

55. Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna

Beuatiful series of stories told by several generations of women from Sierra Leone. The first stories tell about a time when the Chief was still the leader, the Gods were of the landscape, and the country and its people were thriving. The subsequent stories tell of the coming of a new God and the changes in their society brought on by the influx of foreigners. The final stories are set during the tiem when their country is suffering civil war.

A very readable book. Highly recommended.

56. Kraken by China Mieville

I tried, I really did. But I just couldn't do it. Only read about 100 pages. It was just too silly.

57. A Pure Clear Light by Madeleine St John

He has an affair. She doesn't find out, but her friends do. Meh.

haha that's about as far as I got reading Kraken before I came to pretty much the same conclusions... Miéville seemed to like the sound of his own voice (with all that cool British slang) more than he did in getting the story told. Great premise though...

I've read a couple of other Mieville's which I quite liked. I was disappointed with this one.

58. The Fates will Find their Way by Hannah Pittard

I really liked this one. A 16 year old girl disappears one night from a small tight-knit community. She leaves behind a group of boys who are all friends and who spend the next 30 years or so imagining Nora's life after her disappearance. Very well written and very interesting.

I've read a lot of Mieville, and have generally enjoyed them. So I'll still be giving Kraken a chance! But not with a lot of hope, now. :)

Bother, I've also got A Pure Clear Light on Mt TBR. Have you read her Women in Black? I thought that was quite delightful.

I absolutely loved The Women in Black. I thought it was outstanding. I also liked another of hers that I read (the name escapes me for the minute) but this one was just not in the same league!

59. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

Jacob de Zoet is a clerk for the Dutch East Indies Company stationed on an island formed off Nagasaki by the Japanese to keep the foreigners separate. Set in late 18th and early 19th centuries, this was a fascinating story about the early years of Japan's contact with the rest of the world. Well worth reading.

60. Bereft by Chris Womersley

Just after WW2 and during the Spanish flu epidemic, Quinn Walker returns, battle scarred and shell shocked, to the small country town where he grew up. He left the town as a young teenager, accused of the death of his younger sister, and had not been back since. A story of revenge, but so much more as well.

83 I really enjoyed The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet too. I think it ended up being one of my favourite David Mitchell.

61. Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson

What a wonderful book! One of my favourites for this year. Grace Williams born in the 1940s with cerebral palsy lives in London with her parents, her brother and sister. AT age 12 she is placed in The Briars which will be her new home for many years. It is here that she meets Daniel - a boy with no arms who also suffers from epilepsy - and who tells the most wonderful stories. This is a love story, but not like any other I have read before. Just wonderful!!

Oh, I'm going to be starting The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet very soon! (Unless I get derailed...) And I just picked up Grace Williams Says it Loud from the library, so that'll be read fairly soon too. Book synchronicity!

wookie, I'm reading That Deadman Dance now . . . and I know you have read this one too . . . .

62. Lovesong by Alex Miller

This is a truly lovely story. Set mainly in Paris, but not the part of Paris we read about most often. This is set in the part of Paris where immigrants live and work. An Australian man meets a Tunisian woman in her aunt's cafe. When the aunt dies, they take over the running of the cafe. As deeply in love as they are, they are both deeply disappointed. He misses his home, she longs for the baby she seems fated to never have. Their story is told to an almost retired popular author who then must decide what he is going to do with it.

Oh That Deadman Dance is on my wishlist (maybe I should go and see if it's available at the library...). I'm glad you liked Lovesong, I agree with your comments! A nice review.

63. Love and the Platypus by Nicholas Drayson

I enjoyed this story about William Caldwell (based on a true person), a scientist, who arrived in Australia from England to determine once and for all whether the platypus was an egg laying mammal. He travels to outback Queensland where he meets an interesting cast of characters - good and bad - who help him in his quest. He also meets Ettie and her sister Mary. Ettie is blind and her sister, to William's initial confusion is an aborigine. Naturally, he falls in love with Ettie, but it does not all go smoothly. The only negative for me were the long scientific passages. I skimmed quite a few of them. I didn't think I would ever need to know how to dissect a platypus :)

64. Sula by Toni Morrison

This one has been on the shelf for an awfully long time. The story spans the lifetime of Sula and her friend who were very close as children, but estranged as adults. Morrison is a superb writer, but this book was a bit so-so for me.

65. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

A fun read about a young boy with incredible powers of deduction, a butler called Mr Butler who can seemingly do anything, and a whole lot of money.

66. Divinity Road by Martin Pevsner

67. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

A story of a young doctor who believes only what she can see and her attempt to understand her grandfather who believed in the tales he told her as a girl.

68. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome

A very funny telling of a trip down the Thames by three Englishmen and their dog.

69. The Gates by John Connolly

Oh well, it filled in the time I guess.

70. The Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett

Another enjoyable adventure with Death and his friends on Discworld.

71. Doctor Who: The Art of Destruction by Stephen Cole

*see #69 above ( :)

Hope you enjoyed Three Men in a Boat and Reaper Man--both are favorites of mine. If you haven't yet, you should now read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

Thanks Ronincats, I did enjoy Three Men in a Boat - a lot! We listened to it on a recent long car trip and we both found ourselves laughing out loud. It was a successful choice for us, as we both have very different tastes in reading!!! I have the Willis book on all of my lists. I will definitely try a bit harder to get to it now!

72. The L-Shaped Room by Lynn Reid Banks

I just finished listening to this one. It is a fascinating look at the lives and attitudes of the English in the 50s. Some of the abject racism and sexism actually made me cringe while I was listening to it. But, having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jane is a young woman who finds herself "in trouble" and is thrown out of their home by her father. She is forced to find herself a room in a quite unsavoury house, loses her job because she is pregnant, and attempts to control her life which is flying out of control. I recommend this one.

73. Annabel by Kathleen Winter

Loved it! A fascinating, intriguing, mesmerising book. I loved it from the beginning to the end. Wayne is born an hermaphrodite. The doctors decide that he will be raised as a boy as his penis (when stretched) is just long enough. His condition is kept a secret but Wayne knows that there is someone else inside him trying to be heard. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, and I especially loved the landscape of Labrador. What a magnificent place that must be! Anyway, if you haven't guessed yet, I loved it!!!

74. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna

Everyone else seems to have loved this book, but it was pretty average for me.

I am glad that you loved Annabel. It is one of my favourites this year.

Thanks Cyrel

75. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A good story, told badly. I didn't finish this one.

Oh dear, two dud reads in a row! I'm still interested in The Memory of Love to try and find a copy. (Glad you liked Annabel! Must track down a copy of that one.)

wookie, don't let me put you off Memory of Love. I'm definitely in the minority here!!!

76. As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong

Set in the early 20th century in New Zealand, Katherine is in a loveless marriage with a dishonest newspaperman. When he dies she is left destitute to care for her two young children. Her local shop is run by two Chinese brothers. One of them takes pity on her and this leads to a love affair. This book raises many issues, chief among them is that of racism. It handles it well with no stridency, just letting the story supply the facts. However, it was a pretty ordinary read for me.

77. On Beauty by Zadie Smith

I have owned this book for years and was very keen to read it, but after hearing lots of negative things about it, I became a bit wary of it and even with all my good intentions of reading it for a number of Orange Januarys and Julys, I have only just got around to it now. As is often the way, I should have read a long time ago. I really enjoyed it. I was a huge fan of Zadie Smith's White Teeth and this one is similar in style. A simple story of flawed families and the flawed individuals within those families.

I've been looking forward to reading On Beauty. I've had it for years too.

#103> Yes, I recently finished this one. I was looking forward to it, but it never really jumped off the page for me, so to speak. Perfectly nice, nothing extraordinary.

I liked On Beauty, glad you did too!

78. Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

Christine wakes up every morning with no memory. Luckily she wakes up next to a loving husband who patiently explains to her who she is and why she looks thirty years older than she thinks she should. But it is not all it seems and as Christine writes in her journal every day, she starts to remember more. This was pretty ordinary. I worked out the twist in about chapter 2.

79. Transition by Iain M Banks

Tried to listen to this on audio, but it was just too confusing. The story sounds great so I'll find a hard copy and read that one day.

80. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

I thoroughly enjoyed this. All the werewolves have been hunted into extinction bar one. Jake has had enough and is ready to die at the next full moon. But between then and now lots happens that makes him change his mind. A good fun read.

81. The Hunter by Julia Leigh

I love Leigh's writing. Her books are so full of atmosphere! This one is set in Tasmania where "the hunter" is hunting the Tasmanian Tiger. He is a loner but spending time between forays into the bush with a young mother and her two children may change that.

82. The 10PM Question by Kate de Goldi

Frankie is an anxious young boy. He worries about everything but he is able to control his anxiety by making lists of things and by talking to his mother every evening at about 10PM. The characters in this YA novel are wonderful; from his best friend Gigs to his teacher Mr A to the aunties, a gorgeous gaggle of women who are always there to pick up the pieces; and of course his own family. A lovely story.

83. The Summer after the Funeral by Jane Gardam

I do like Jane Gardam. After their father dies, the family is forced to move away from the rectory and find some means of support. So each of the children are sent off to relatives and friends and mother tries to find a position. Very good!

84. Me and Mr Booker by Cory Taylor

This is a YA book which reads like an adult one. Martha is near the end of high school, in a small town, with little ambition. She is part of a very dysfunctional family. She begins an affair with a family friend who is twice her age. An exceptional book, but throughout I kept on wanting to make someone, anyone, protect Martha from herself!

I'm glad you liked The 10PM Question, I thought it was a good read too! And I must get The Last Werewolf, I've heard great things.

I saw that The Hunter was being made into a movie.

85. The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher by Doug MacLeod

I didn't like this one. Didn't like the style or the language. But it won an award in the recent CBCA awards, so it must have something going for it.

The Sweetness of Tears by Nafisa Haji

I really really didn't like this one. I didn't read more than one chapter, so I'm listing it, but not counting it.

86. The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge

This one was ok. An English girl goes to America to be met by a man she doesn't know to find a man she remembers from her childhood. A road trip follows.

Oh dear, I hope your next read is more fulfilling!

btw, I picked up The Last Werewolf on Saturday. The local bookshop got into the swing of things with National Bookshop Day, and the staff were dressed up (Pippi Longstocking, Alice in Wonderland, Gandalf) and they'd created a nice little park out the front of the shop with astroturf and benches to sit and read. I spent a while choosing my book (yay for child-free time at the bookshop!) and then read the first chapter on a bench, taking advantage of the beautiful weather.

I'm going to have to restart it though, I had a filthy headcold and barely any of it sunk in! I'll get around to it soon, I'm still reading light stuff to make up for the wooly brain.

Judy - I always find your reading choices and the comments you make so interesting! Yours is always a good thread to open.

Thanks Joyce! I have been neglecting it lately though!

Wookie, hope you are/have enjoying/ed The Last Werewolf!

and now back to my books . . . .

87. Shooting the Fox by Marion Halligan

A book of 19 short stories. Each one of them well worth reading. There are no recurrent characters, but foxes and peacocks are mentioned throughout, as is the beautiful Monaro district of NSW. I have always enjoyed reading Halligan. She rates as one of my favourite authors.

88. The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy (audio)

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Sandy is a bit of a feral - new agey and hippyish. Rich left Sandy and baby daughter Sophie and has had little contact since. When Sophie turns 15, Rich decides he wants her in his life and organizes a walking trip in Tasmania's Cradle Mountains. All three of them are sorely tested during this trip. I liked the characters and I loved her descriptions of one of the most beautiful areas in Australia.

Oh, I have a Halligan novel somewhere, must dig it up! I read The World Beneath for bookgroup, and while I didn't like it as much as you did (I wanted to *SLAP* Rich on a number of occasions), it has definitely stuck in my mind, in a good way.

And it's more that I will be enjoying The Last Werewolf, when I get around to it. ;)

89. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

Set in the future when Facebook and Twitter rule and personal privacy is a thing of the past.

90. Let me Tell you Something about that Night by Cyrel Wong

I wanted to like these short stories, but they were too weird. Even for me!

91. Sustenance by Simone Lazaroo

Set in the beautiful landscape of Bali shortly after the terrorist attacks, this is a very lush book. Food and cooking are an integral part of the book, and is as important to the story as are the characters.

92. When we have Wings by Claire Corbett

Couldn't finish this one either. A society where only the rich can have wings grafted onto their backs? Silly stuff!

93. The London Train by Tessa Hadley

Now this is more like it! I did enjoy this story, or two stories really. The first half about a man struggling within his relationship with his wife and children; the second about a woman trying to end her relationship with her husband. Of course the two stories are connected!

94. The Courier's New Bicycle by Kim Westwood

Wow! Looks like I'm the only one with this book on LT! But don't rush out to buy it unless you really like dystopian tales set in Melbourne with loads of gay characters who ride bicycles and work for underground hormone companies. It was ok, just not great!

95. The Things they Carried by Tim O'Brien (audio)

A fabulous story of war. I haven't said that very often before :) All I can say is Thank God I have never had to be involved in war!

Oh yes, The Things They Carried was a very, very powerful book. I thought it was magnificent.

96. Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga

Adiga won the Booker a couple of years ago with The White Tiger. I liked this one better. Set in present day Mumbai in a housing society (apartment block) which is in the sights of a property developer. He wants to demolish it and build a luxury tower. All the residents finally agree to the sale, except for Masterji. His friends and neighbours attempt to make him sign on the dotted line. They all have reasons for leaving the society, but Masterji has his reasons for staying. Quite an impressive book.

97. There Should be more Dancing by Rosalie Ham

This one grew on me as I read it. This book has a cast of wonderful characters. There is Margery, mother, grandmother, widow, who has a very small life in her innner city street. She lives alone, with home help from the council and visits to arthritic Mrs Parsons next door every morning to tie up her laces, and every evening to untie them. Her son Walter, the ex boxer with brain damage visits her every Sunday for lunch, her daughter Judith visits whenever it suits her and always with an ulterior motive and her son Morris is living in Thailand, unable to return to Australia legally for some reason that Margery can never quite grasp.

There is so much going on in this book. It is fun to read, but at the same time considers some quite serious issues - the elderly, suicide, family, etc.

98. Dizzy Worms by Michael Holman (audio)

Mildly interesting, but often confusing (for me) story set in Africa.

99. Please Look After Mother by kyung-Sook Shin

A very moving story of a Korean family whose mother disappears one day from Seoul train station while on her way to visit her son. An excellent look at the relationships within families - husband/wife; mother/daughter; brother/sister. A good one to read for all of those who have sometimes despaired of their own mothers!

100. Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett

A perfect #100! One of my favourites for this year and possibly for a few years! Set on a harsh Tasmanian coast where three brothers are trying to survive their father's anger and violence. Each of the brothers has a very real voice and their relationship to their environment is written beautifully. Strongly recommended.

Congrats on reaching 100!

Judy - sounds like you had a very different reaction to Please Look After Mom than I had. I'm pretty sure that will go down as my most hated book of the year.

Congratulations on hitting 100! Past the Shallows sounds great.

Congratulations on reaching 100 already! I've heard raves about Past the Shallows, I'll have to find a copy now...

congratulations on reaching 100 books read!

101. Liar by Justine Larbalestier (audio)

A high school. A boy is killed. Teenagers emote over the death. One girl is a suspect because of her compulsive lying. Turns out she lies because she is a werewolf. Really? Come on?

102. The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

Adultery is not easy. Lots of people get hurt. A very believable story of love, lust and pain.

103. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (audio)

Another Sookie Stackhouse adventure. Entertaining and great to listen to, but I wish she didn't have so many sexual adventures. Not sure that it is really necessary.

104. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

I thought this one was brilliant. I just loved it. This was a story about the picture brides of the early 20th century. beautifully done.

105. Bed by David Whitehouse

Quite a story. Malcolm decides on his 25th birthday to go to bed and not get up again. SO he does. His actions (or non-actions) affect his parents and brother and they are caught up in the maelstrom of Malcolm's life. A very interesting book.

106. Animal People by Charlotte Wood

Stephen is a bit of a loser. In his thirties and without a "real" job, his house is a dump and he appears to have no ambition at all. But he has Fiona, and her two little girls. Fiona is divorced from a wealthy barrister and lives in a big house in a posh suburb. But Stephen is heading for disaster. This is a book that is so ordinary and yet so quirky at the same time.

Recommended!

107. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman

Harrison, his sister and his mother have recently migrated from Ghana, leaving his father and baby sister behind. He is excited by his new life in London, but it is so different from his old life. He is managing to navigate the dangerous world of gangs, drugs and violence, but when a neighbourhood boy is killed he decides to track down the killer, and finds himself in more trouble than he can deal with.

so ordinary and yet so quirky

You've sold me! :)

I'll be reading Pigeon English at some stage, I generally read the Booker shortlist (or most of it) each year. Although it can take several years to get through each shortlist...

I know what you mean wookie. I have a couple of others from this year's list which I hoped to read before the big announcement. but I don't think I'll have the time now :)

108. Embassytown by China Mieville

I was unable to concentrate on this one, so abandoned it at about 100 pages. Another time perhaps.

109. A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvette Edwards

A compelling story about Jinx, who as a young girl watched her mother die at the hands of her "boyfriend". She has a son she cannot relate to and a very unhealthy series of relationships. Honest, gritty, sad, but very readable.

110. The Kindness of your Nature by Linda Olsson

Set on the lush New Zealand coast, this is another beautiful story by Linda Olsson. She has captured the landscape perfectly, and has drawn two very vivid characters in Marion Flint - a Swedish doctor escaping from her past; and Ika, a small boy living a difficult life.

Excellent!

111. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I enjoyed this story of 1960s southern USA. I will look forward to seeing the movie.

112. Without Warning by John Birmingham

Just the thing for a long car trip. Suddenly most of the United States has disappeared. What happens next? Who takes control? Where do the survivors go? Quite an adventure!

113. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

2011 Booker Prize winner. A story about memory and how we are capable of rewriting our own histories when looking back on our own lives.

114. Faces in the Clouds by Matt Nable

When twin boys are born to Seargent Kennedy and his wife, one is oxygen deprived resulting in developmental delays. The boys grow up happily in the barracks until their parents die in an accident. Lacking any other family, they are sent to live with their childless godparents. I thought that every character in this book was drawn perfectly. The turmoil that at times overwhelms Stephen because of his responsibility to his brother, is contrasted beautifully with his uncompromising love for Lawrence.

This is one of those books that I think of as being perfect.

Highly recommended.

115. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

After reading his previous books, I thought I would really enjoy this one too. But. It was a bit of a strange story. A young boy, bullied at school, mother dying of cancer, distant grandma, father living os with a new family, is visited by a monstrous yew tree who frightens the life out of him and tells him stories. Not sure if I could recommend this to any young person. I swung from being horrified at the way the death of his mother was treated, to thinking it dealt with it well. So I would have to consider the reader very very carefully before recommending it.

116. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Not one of my favourite Hill's. Very gothic story of a "haunted" house on the moors. I just didn't care too much about the characters in this one.

117. Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville

This is a sequel to Grenville's The Secret River. It did not impress me as much as the first one, but it was still a very good story and brilliantly written - as usual for Grenville. Sarah is a young girl growing up on the Hawkesbury River with her loving family. There is a secret that has affected her family though and this secret will soon change her life forever.

118. Snowdrops by A.D. Miller

An English lawyer in Moscow. He meets two beautiful young girls. You just know that it is all going to end in tears. It is just a case of reading enough to find out what the tears are for.

Not one of my favourite Hill's. Very gothic story of a "haunted" house on the moors. I just didn't care too much about the characters in this one.

I liked The Woman in Black a lot, but what I liked was the atmosphere. I agree with you that the characters don't do all that much, although I did have a bit of a soft spot for the narrator as I've seen the upcoming movie trailer starring Daniel Radcliffe, and I think he suits the part well.

Nice to hear that Susan Hill's books get better though--I have three more on Mnt TBR. This was my first of hers. So that's all good.

I preferred the other ones I have read of hers. I think the difference is in their subtlety perhaps. This one was a very obvious ghost story, the others made you guess a little more.

I've enjoyed all of Susan Hill's novels that I've read so far. Was eyeing off her Mrs De Winter on the shelves, but haven't gotten around to actually picking it up as yet.

I think that you're quite right, The Woman in Black is lacking in subtlety. Still, it scared the bejesus out of me. :)

Still, it scared the bejesus out of me. :)

I know what you mean. She is so good at creepy atmospheres!

119. Altogether Dead by Charlaine Harris (Audio)

Another episode of the Sookie Stackhouse adventure. I always find them fun to listen to.

120. Like Being a Wife by Catherine Harris

A rather good set of short stories. They are all based on relationships - sometimes husband/wife, but not always. Enjoyable.

Hey, judylou, hadn't lurked on your thread for a couple of weeks either. Thanks for visiting my thread.

Hi ronincats, I'm always hanging around. Lurking in the background :)

121. House of Sticks by Peggy Frew

I really liked this story about a young couple living in Melbourne. She was a musician, used to life on the road, now a mother of preschooler twins and a new baby, finding life difficult to manage. A friend of her husband's comes back into their lives and she finds herself mistrustful, annoyed and angered by his intrusion into their home. What I liked about it so much is the honesty of all the characters. There aren't many - husband, wife, kids, mother, friend. But every one of them is portrayed very realistically. Recommended.

122. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

At first I thought, "ok I'll give it it's 50 pages, I'll be fair" but within the 50 pages I was thinking "how long can I lie in bed this morning to read this wonderful story without getting into trouble".

A funny, clever, entertaining story about two brothers - Eli and Charlie Sisters, paid to kill the Commodore's (their boss) enemies. They must travel from Oregon to San Francisco and from there into the Goldfields to find their target. This is a book that should be made into a movie directed by the Coen brothers. It reminded me of their sense of humour.

Oh, I've heard of House of Sticks, the author is a muso herself, so that caught my eye. (Not that I have much musical talent, but I've hung out with enough people who do. :)

Glad you liked The Sisters Brothers too!

Despite winning a slew of awards here in Canada, I've had no interest in The Sisters Brothers. You may, however, have begun to change my mind!

I would be interested to hear what you think of it wookie. I thought it was a very real portrayal, but then again, I don't hang around with any musicians :o)

Joyce, give it a shot. You never know . . .

123. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Victoria is an angry child. With no parents, she has been fostered by one family after another, none of them successful. She goes to live with Elizabeth - her last chance. I was not too fussed about this one - it was ok.

124. 11.22.63 by Stephen King

Jake goes back in time to 1958. He plots and plans to prevent the assassination of JFK. But how does changing the past affect the present? Excellent!

125. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (audio)

Another chapter in the life of Sookie Stackhouse. Fun!

126. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (audio)

See Above :)

127. The Highest Frontier by Joan Slonczewski

A science based science fiction! Frontera is a space habitat circling the earth. Jenny ( a descendant of the Kennedys) is starting College there. This is a wonderfully imaginative world which (after the first few chapters - a little confusing) draws you in and keeps you highly interested and entertained.

The new Stephen King book sounds fantastic. Cannot wait! And Sookie is always so much fun.

Judy, I read House of Sticks over the weekend, and I did really enjoy it. She nailed those sleep-deprived years of early motherhood, plus the whole alternative inner-city lifestyle. The tension with Doug was brilliant, but I think she kind of let that fizzle out a bit. But I guess it was more about Bonnie learning how to deal with him and with her new life with kids. Thanks for the recommendation!

So pleased you enjoyed it wookie.

128. Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

Irma is a young Mennonite girl living in Mexico. She leaves her family to marry a Mexican boy and becomes mixed up with some actors and film makers shooting a film nearby. There are secrets in her family. her father is brutal, her mother unable to prevent his actions against his children. I liked this one, but not as much as Toews' earlier works.

129 Kinglake 350 by Adrian Hyland

I picked this up just before bed on Christmas night, thinking to read a chapter or two. Next thing I know, it is almost dawn and I am finished the whole thing. I could not put it down.

Kinglake is a small town on the outskirts of Melbourne which was one of the communities devastated in the 2009 bushfires. Kinglake 350 is the call-sign of the local police constable who spent that unbelievable day trying his hardest to save as many of his friends and neighbours as possible, while believing his wife and children may already be dead. Many, many people die on this day, and many more properties are razed by this fire which grew and spread at a rate never before seen. It grew so quickly that warnings were being sent to communities already burnt out while other communities 30 - 40 kms ahead of the main front were being consumed with no warning. Many people who lost everything had no idea they were in danger until they looked out of their windows to find their verandahs on fire.

The book has just the right balance of information about how fires work and the conditions which led to this conflagration, and real life and death stories of the people who survived against all odds. Recommended to anyone with any interest in how this happened.

130. Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch

I could not get interested in this one. A very promising beginning, but it just lost it for me after that.

131. The Testament of Jessie Lamb by Jane Rogers

No. Didn't like this one either. Skipped through the second half and didn't regret doing that. It was a really good premise, but I just found the voice too wishy washy.

Hope I can fit in another one before the end of the year. I don't want to finish 2011 on a dud!!

I'll have to keep my eyes open for Kinglake 350, it sounds fascinating. A truly terrible and terrifying time.

I was disappointed by Jamrach's Menagerie also. Some people loved it, but I found it a bit all over the place. I would have been happy had it stayed in the London slums, that was a great start.

Yes, Kinglake 350 does sound really interesting. I wonder if it's for sale outside of Australia? (Haven't checked yet).