Divinenanny's 100+ in 2011 - part 2

My previous thread was getting quite heavy with all the images, so I will continue here with book number 76.

The intro from my previous thread:
I surpassed the 100 books last year (132 was my final total) but I want to stay here. This year my plan is to focus even less on the total count (read some big works). My other plans are to read as much of my shelves as possible (the money is a lot tighter this year) and to read more science fiction. Other than that I would like to read some of my medieval history works to get back into reading more non-fiction. I will also keep my eye on some short-lists and prize winners, mainly the Hugo's, Nebula's, Man Booker prize and Samuel Johnson prize.

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145. De hoeksteen van de Foundation - Isaac Asimov

2011 reading list
1. The Fall - Guillermo del Toro
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
3. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
4. Matter - Iain M. Banks
5. MW; Eerste boek - Geheimen - Osamu Tezuka
6. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood
7. MW; Tweede boek - Onthullingen - Osamu Tezuka
8. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
9. De Grote Zaal - Jacoba van Velde
10. Ode aan Kirihito: Deel 1 - Hondenlevens - Osamu Tezuka
11. Ode aan Kirihito: Deel 2 - Mensenlevens - Osamu Tezuka
12. Kamer - Emma Donoghue
13. The Gathering - Anne Enright
14. De erfenis van het verlies - Kiran Desai
15. Ghostwritten - David Mitchell
16. Het lange lied - Andrea Levy
17. Zo kwamen we aan het eind - Joshua Ferris
18. Kinderen van Moeder Aarde - Thea Beckman
19. A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
20. The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
21. Het meisje met de glazen voeten - Ali Shaw
22. De strijd der koningen - George R.R. Martin
23. De cartograaf - Heather Terrell
24. Meneer Beerta (Het Bureau 1) - J.J. Voskuil
25. De nevelprins - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
26. Een storm van zwaarden (a) - George R.R. Martin
27. Dagboek van een geisha - Arthur Golden
28. Vuile handen (Het Bureau 2) - J.J. Voskuil
29. Een storm van zwaarden (b) - George R.R. Martin
30. Eten, Bidden, Beminnen - Elizabeth Gilbert
31. Haar naam was Sarah - Tatiana de Rosnay
32. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
33. Plankton (Het Bureau 3) - J.J. Voskuil
34. De Kraai - Kader Abdolah
35. Een feestmaal voor kraaien - George R.R. Martin
36. A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro
37. Flowers for Algernon - David Keyes
38. De wonderlijke avonturen van Kavalier en Clay - Michael Chabon
39. Eekhrn zkt eekhrn - David Sedaris
40. Het A.P. Beerta-instituut (Het Bureau 4) - J.J. Voskuil
41. Oeroeg - Hella S. Haasse
42. Station Perdido - China Miéville
43. The Swarm - Frank Schätzing
44. First Among Sequels - Jasper Fforde
45. Een korte geschiedenis van de tractor in de Oekraïne - Marina Lewycka
46. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
47. De naam van de wind - Patrick Rothfuss
48. De Finklerkwestie - Howard Jacobson
49. De goede man Jezus en de schurk Christus - Philip Pullman
50. Buddha 1: Kapilavastu - Osamu Tezuka
51. Possession - A.S. Byatt
52. The Sea - John Banville
53. 1Q84 Deel 1 - Haruki Murakami
54. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
55. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
56. En ook weemoedigheid - J.J. Voskuil
57. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
58. Blanche en Marie - Per Olov Enquist
59. Strindbergs ster - Jan Wallentin
60. Black Swan Green - David Mitchell
61. Waar je valt - M.J. Hyland
62. The Algebraist - Iain M. Banks
63. Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry
64. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman
65. 1q84; Boek twee; juli-september - Haruki Murakami
66. 1q84; Boek drie; oktober - december - Haruki Murakami
67. De appel - Michel Faber
68. De vertelling - Ursula Le Guin
69. Robopocalypse - David H. Wilson
70. Afgang - J.J. Voskuil
71. De dood van Maarten Koning - J.J. Voskuil
72. Het uur van de Engelen - Danielle Trussoni
73. Het meten van de wereld - Daniel Kehlmann
74. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursala Le Guin
75. De kaart van de tijd - Felix J. Palma
76. The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry
77. Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde
78. Versluiering - Monaldi & Sorti
79. The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell
80. De val van een fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid
81. Gilead - Marilynne Robinson
82. Nieuwe maan (De boeken van Oran - eerste boek) - Midori Snyder
83. Corona - Thomas Thiemeyer
84. Sadars Vesting (De boeken van Oran - tweede boek) - Midori Snyder
85. Na de aarbeving - Haruki Murakami
86. Het vuur van Beldan (De boeken van Oran - derde boek) - Midori Snyder
87. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
88. Parrot en Olivier in Amerika - Peter Carey
89. De Innamorati - Midori Snyder
90. De grote onttakeling - Alfred Bester
91. Het geheime dagboek van Adriaan Mole 13 3/4 jaar - Sue Townsend
92. Allerzielen - Deborah Harkness
93. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
94. Het woord voor wereld is woud - Ursula Le Guin
95. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
96. The Art of Camping - Matthew de Abaitua
97. Gebroken licht - Kim Edwards
98. Mythago Wood - Robert Holdstock
99. Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
100. Ballingsplaneet - Ursula Le Guin
101. Kleine bij - Chris Cleave
102. De stalen holen - Isaac Asimov
103. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
104. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
105. Mijn naam is Legioen - Roger Zelazny
106. Dromen androïden van elektrische schapen? - Philip Dick
107. Wicked - Gregory Maguire
108. Nemesis - Isaac Asimov
109. The New Penguin History of the World - J. M. Roberts
110. Marley & Me - John Grogan
111. The Forest of Hands & Teeth - Carrie Ryan
112. Logicomix - Apostolos Doxiadis
113. De Duivelsbijbel - Richard Dübell
114. De verborgen monsters - Stephen Cole
115. De Shing-begoocheling - Ursula Le Guin
116. The Departure - Neil Asher
117. Un Lun Dun - China Miéville
118. The Deviant Strain - Justin Richards
119. 84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
120. Kraken - China Mieville
121. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
122. The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
123. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
124. The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht
125. De blik van Heisenberg - Frank Herbert
126. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt
127. A Dance with Dragons - George R.R. Martin
128. The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole - Sue Townsend
129. De linkerhand van het duister - Ursula Le Guin
130. Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman
131. Emma - Jane Austen
132. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes - David Grann
133. The Elephant Vanishes - Haruki Murakami
134. Anno Dracula - Kim Newman
135. De laatste eenhoorn - Peter S. Beagle
136. The Magician King - Lev Grossman
137. The Throne of Fire - Rick Riordan
138. Oorlog met de salamanders - Karel Capek
139. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke
140. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende
141. The Gunslinger - Stephen King
142. Surface Detail - Iain M. Banks
143. Only Human by Gareth Roberts
144. Het oog van de reiger - Ursula Le Guin

Book #76: The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry (11-06-2011 / 13-06-2011)
This is the second part of Stephen Fry's autobiography, the sequel to Moab is my Washpot. In Moab, Stephen describes his life up to going to University chronologically. In the Chronicles he hops about a bit more, talking about his time at Oxbridge and his (and some of the other stars of British comedy) start in show business. He follows projects and relationships, which means that it can be quite hard to understand what all is happening at one time.
This book felt more like Stephen telling one long story, sometimes rambling, sometimes stating facts, sometimes talking about his feelings, his hopes, his fears. This book felt much more personal. I enjoyed it a lot, feeling honored by the openness. The only regret I have is that I, being from the Netherlands and born in only 1983, do not know over half of the undoubtedly famous and brilliant stars that Stephen has worked with and admires. Four out of five stars.

Oh, yay for Stephen Fry! He is a legend.

And that time travel book you mentioned in your last thread sounded very interesting, The Map of Time. I shall have to see if the library has it...

Yeah, I love the man. Brilliant, funny, English. :-). We are going to a reading/performance/interview on the 29th and I am so excited!

And The Map of Time was refreshing, I hope you can find it, it is worth it :-)

Sara- I have you starred! I always enjoy your book choices!

Oh I second the fantastic Stephen Fry, he is amazing. I've had his books on my wishlist for a while now. I also liked the look of The Map of Time so that one has been added too.

Glad people like my choices... does feel like a great responsibility though :D



Book #77: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (13-06-2011 / 15-06-2011)
I know Jasper Fforde from the absurdist Thursday Next series and its spin-off. So when I heard he had a new series, a dystopian one no less, I really wanted to read it. Shades of Grey takes place on earth, sometime in the future, after something happened. The people on earth have no idea what happened, only that it happened roughly 500 years ago, and the Previous lived and looked different then they do. The current society is based on color. Basically there is a kaste system in place based on which colors you can see. Purple is higher than yellow, yellow than red, and at the bottom are the grey's. The society is highly rules based, even to the point of absurdity (no new spoons are allowed to be made), the rules have been written in the past by the great Munsell.
Eddie Russett is a Red who has been sent to the outer regions with his father, a swatchman. Eddie tries to do the right thing, live by the rules, but he sees possibilities for improvement and against injustice. He meets Jane, a feisty Grey, and slowly starts to discover what his world is all about.
I loved the originality of the idea, even though it took some getting used to and some figuring out what was going on and why. I didn't like that this was very clearly part one, just the set up of the story, but despite that, it was a good story in and of itself. If you like Fforde's other books, you'll like this, the world is just a bit more unfamiliar than the world of Thursday Next. Four out of five stars.

Now there is an author that I've only heard about since LT came into my life and I'm still to read any. Would it be best to start with the Thursday series?

Same for me, never heard of Jasper Fforde before coming here. Starting with either is fine, but there is a lot more Thursday Next to enjoy if you like it. Thursday is about a connection between our world and the literary world (and some other weirdness) and this one is a dystopia... I liked both, and both have absurdness that makes Fforde great.

The Nursery Crime series is also entertaining (although not as good as Thursday, IMO), if you like police procedurals and absurdity and nursery rhymes.

I think the Nursery Crime series got better (well, the second book is better than the first :), it took a while to set up. I wonder if there's going to be more?

I'd recommend starting with Thursday Next as well, it's great fun - the first is The Eyre Affair. And, yes, there are more of them out there and you won't be twiddling your thumbs waiting for the sequel to Shades of Grey.

I'm yet to read his young adult, The Last Dragonslayer. Not sure why I haven't bought it yet, usually I get a new Jasper Fforde the instant it hits the bookshops!

usually I get a new Jasper Fforde the instant it hits the bookshops!

Me too. No self control, there.

OK, have ordered The Eyre Affair from the library despite my resolution to read less library books for the rest of the year.

Well, I looked in the bookshop today for The Last Dragonslayer, but no joy! The kids and I were in the depths of the kids' section, but nothing under Jasper Fforde. And then I forgot to ask when I was buying the kids their books. (Probably a Good Thing, but...)

KiwiNyx, at least library books are free. :) We also took a spin around the library this morning. It's been a busy book sort of day!

Book #78: Versluiering by Monaldi & Sorti (16-06-2011 / 18-06-2011)
This is short little book, given as a gift in The Netherlands in the Month of the Books of Suspense. Usually the books of Monaldi and Sorti, about Atto Melani the castrate spy in the seventeenth century are big long books. In this book, a short episode in young Atto's life, you can tell they struggled with the length. The start of the book is slow, detailing how Atto and his companion travel to Paris on orders of Cardinal Mazarin to have Atto perform in an opera, one that is highly expensive, yet unfinished a month before the show.
Then the story moves quickly, having Atto and his companions discover a conspiracy of 200 years ago which later turns out to be relevant even in the seventeenth century.
For those who like the books of Monaldi and Sorti, and Atto Melani, this is a nice short story. For other I think the story is too detailed and short. Three out of five stars for me.

Book #79: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (18-06-2011 / 20-06-2011)
Another one of the books that was recommended to me many times by the people on LT. This is the story of when the SETI project finds an audio signal from Alpha Centauri. The signal turns out to be a song. While everybody is debating what to do, the Jesuits send a mission. Not to convert, but to learn. Forty years later there is just one survivor, a Jesuit priest.
The book tells both the story of how the mission began, and in alternating chapters, the story of Emilio Sandoz, the sole survivor. Although certain 'facts' about what happened are told early on, the full story is told slowly. Russell takes a while to establish the characters, but the experience on the planets itself is told rather quickly. Too bad, but I get that the planet itself didn't matter that much to story. I really liked the book and give it four out five stars.

Another one that I have already on the list but will not get to it for a while I fear. Still, good review and with so many LT'ers reading it, its sure to stay on my radar.

Book #80: De val van een fundamentalist/The reluctant fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (20-06-2011)
This is the story of Changez, a man from Lahore, Pakistan who studies at Princeton and lands a high paying job in New York City. But then september 11th happens, and he realizes that he needs to figure out who he is and what he wants. He tells all this to a man, an American who he meets in Lahore.
At first he is happy and content in America, doing his best and working hard. But then the 9/11 attacks change how he thinks about everything. America is changing, or maybe showing his true face, and there is a real change that there will be a war between India and Pakistan. More and more he feels a stranger in the USA, a USA that is changing with patriotism and is trying to influence the whole world. This makes him change and return to his homeland.
The book is two fold, the story of Change and the story of the US. The shock how easy someone educated in the US can turn against them, and how easy it is to see someone as a terrorist. I could identify with Changez up to a point. I lived in the USA for a year (Houston) on a foreign exchange program when I was 17/18. While 9/11 happened. I too experienced the growing patriotism. It is very difficult to deal with when you are a stranger in that land. For me it was easier because The Netherlands is not really an enemy of the USA. I can imagine how difficult it must be when you are automatically seen as the enemy and your country is under thread of war, maybe by the USA.
A powerful novel, impressive. Four out of five stars.

Book #81: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (21-06-2011 / 22-06-2011)
This is a book, maybe more of a diary or long letter, written by Reverend John Ames to his seven year old son. Ames is 77, its 1957, and he knows he is going to die soon of a heart condition. Throughout the book, which is a long continuous story, without chapters, he both tries to convey wisdom to his son, and describe what is happening in his life, in his town, at that moment and in the past.
A large part of the book is about faith, which didn’t really appeal to me. However, the other part, which was more about Ames’ life, I really liked. He talks about his grandfather and the American Civil War, his father, his atheist brother, his first and second wife, and the joy of his son. His father and grandfather were both also reverends in Gilead. I really enjoyed the book, the writing was great, John Ames is a great character, a great man, and the other people in the town were also good characters. Four out of five stars.

Book #82: Nieuwe Maan/New Moon by Midori Snyder (22-06-2011 / 23-06-2011)
I was attracted to this book by the beautiful cover. It is a fantasy story about the country Oran. Two hundred years ago, in a war, the Fire Queen beat her sisters the Water, Earth and Wind Queens. She has been ruling over Oran ever since, with help from the Sileans, a military people from a neighboring country. The people of Oran are being repressed, and to keep her power, the Fire Queen kills all Oran children who show signs of having magic.The story is set in Beldan, the capital of Oran. There is a conspiracy going on, called the New Moon, who want to rid the country of Silean rule. Meanwhile, in the streets kids with magic are disappearing.
This book is the first in a trilogy, so the story doesn't really end and feels like the set up for the rest of the story. That is not a bad thing, because there is enough action here to keep you going. A nice fantasy world with an action packed adventure. Four out of five stars.

Book #83: Corona by Thomas Thiemeyer (23-06-2011 / 27-06-2011)
Thomas Thiemeyer is one of my favorite writers. He is from Germany and writes books in the style of Preston and Child, but they also remind me of H. Rider Haggard and Arthur Conan Doyle.
In Corona a group of gorilla researchers in Uganda disappear without a trace. The second group of researchers that are on a mission to find them find unknown tribes, ruins of a once great civilization and a portal to another world with mysterious monsters.
This, as Thomas Thiemeyer's other books was a nice, fun and adventurous read. Four out of five stars.

Book #84: Sadar's Vesting/Sadars Keep by Midori Snyder (27-06-2011 / 28-06-2011)
This is the second book in the Oran trilogy by Midori Snyder. Different characters are being followed. The group fleeing from Beldan, an Oran farm girl and her Silean boyfriend, queen Zorah, and of course the New Moon. The situation in Beldan is terrible, there is not enough food or water, the taxes are high and all is going to Silea and the Silean war effort against the Oran. Meanwhile the children with magic, Jobber and others, start realizing how important they are to bringing change to Oran.
Snyder did some short recaps in the beginning of the book which were nice for those for whom reading part one has been a while, but were unnecessary for the whole of the story. The story itself is pretty fast paced and exciting. The Dutch edition did have some editing errors which were annoying, but the story was good. Four out of five stars.

Book #85: Na de aardbeving/after the quake by Haruki Murakami (28-06-2011)
A collection of six stories by the great Haruki Murakami. All these stories take place in februari 1995, a month after the big earthquake in Kobe, and a month before the sarin gas attack in the Tokyo underground. But none of the stories take place in Kobe, and none of the people were in Kobe during the quake. All stories have characters that have their life affected by the event. Some of the stories have magical realistic elements that we know from Murakami, some don’t. All have something to do with who the characters are inside, what is inside, and which way their life is going.
Great writing, but I do like his novels better so you as a reader can invest more in the characters and the weirdness. But still, I liked it, so four out of five stars.

Interesting review of the Reluctant Fundamentalist. Its one of those books I keep thinking I should read but can't really work up the enthusiasm for.

I would imagine that you, with your background (I took a peek at your profile) would also have something to say about it. I found it an interesting view of the US after 9/11, from a foreign perspective...

Book #86: Het vuur van Beldan/Beldan's Fire by Midori Snyder (23-06-2011 / 28-06-2011)
The last part of the trilogy of Oran, not only do the three girls have to find the fourth girl with water magic, then they have to beat Zorah and the Sileans. Meanwhile Zorah is losing her grip and the Chaos is threatening to takeover Oran and the destroy the island forever.
A lot of story lines from the previous two books are tied up in this book. The big finally was not as cliche as I had expected, and I like the original ideas. Some main story lines did not have a real ending, I think the book could have benefitted from another chapter or two. But still, a very nice ending to an original trilogy. Four out of five stars.

Book #87: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (30-06-2011 / 04-07-2011)
A classic I had never heard of before, but which has been popular the past few week on LT. This is the story of the second wife of Max de Winter, from Manderley, a beautiful country estate in England. His first wife, Rebecca, died a few months earlier while sailing, and Max is heartbroken. But all is not as it seems.
I found the book alright, a bit depressing as so many people seemed to be so unkind to the main character. The pace was slow, and while I know that to be the case with older books, for some reason it made me a slow reader too. But, a pretty nice read, with an, despite everything, slightly unexpected ending. Three out of five stars.

Book #88: Parrot en Olivier in Amerika/Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey (04-07-2011 / 06-07-2011)
This Booker prize nominated book is about the France nobleman Olivier, who is caught up in the various revolutions going on in France in the early nineteenth century, and the man Parrot, a servant and artist from England who has had his own strange life. Together they travel to America. The book describes their early lives, one as a noble in a sort of exile from the revolution in Paris, the other a boy from the moors in England, caught up in the war between France and England. They meet when Olivier is sent to America to investigate their prison system, and Parrot is sent with him as a servant.
The book covers (without flashbacks) a relatively short period of time in which both Olivier and Parrot have to change a lot. Olivier has to realize that nobility is losing its automatic power, and Parrot has to determine what he wants in life, and do everything to reach that goal. I loved the writing, the switches from Olivier to Parrot and back. Both characters have something exasperating about them, but are also pretty likable. A very nice tale, four out of five stars.

Book #89: De Innamorati/The Innamorati by Midori Snyder (06-07-2011 / 08-07-2011)
This book takes place in Italy, in late medieval/renaissance times. We meet several characters who are all unhappy in their lives because of a (believed) curse they carry. An actor stutters, an artist can't create, a soldier looses his weapons, a sirene loses her voice. All have heard of Labyrinto, the town containing a labyrinth. It's magic and if you can get in, survive the journey and find your way out, your curse will be lifted.
In the first part of the book we meet all the cursed characters and their support. Someway or another they all enter the labyrinth where they really have to think about what it is they want, and what it might take to get. The second part of the book takes part in the labyrinth. Inside the labyrinth is a world of Greek mythology that can help or hinder the characters in attaining their goals.
I really liked the original (to me) ideas in the book, the journeys of the characters and the temptations they faced. The resolution at the end, while a bit corny did fit the story, and was good. Four out of five stars.

Book #90: De grote onttakeling/The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester (08-07-2011 / 09-07-2011)
This book won the first Hugo award back in 1953. It takes place in a future New York where mind readers are abound. Because of them it has been seventy years since the last premeditated murder. So you have to be very clever or stupid to plan and executed a murder. That is what happens in this book. The first part covers the planning and execution of the murder, but the larger second part is dealing with how the (mind reading) police will solve this murder to the satisfaction of the computer that deals out the final verdict. And then it turns out to have a whole different background.
While you can see the age of the book, and how much science fiction writing has evolved since then, the book is still pretty good. I would have liked a bit more explanation about of the issues, but I still really enjoyed the book. Four out of five stars.

Book #91: Het geheime dagboek van Adrian Mole 13 3/4 jaar/The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend (09-07-2011 / 10-07-2011)
I have been hearing about this book, the diary of a nearly fourteen year old boy in England in the early eighties, for a long time now. I finally found it at my library, so I picked it up. The book is made up of short daily diary entries in which the reader gets to know Adrian Mole. He lives with his parents, who have a rocky marriage, and his dog in England. They're quite poor, and this is one source of tension in the house. At school he does okay, and he has a girlfriend Pandora, a best friend Nigel, and an old friend Bert, a pensioner who he looks in on every week. Adrian himself is a pretty neurotic boy, always expecting the worse to happen, always calling the doctor to the house for his health problems.
It is a pretty quick and funny read. I know there are many more of Adrian's diaries published, and I can't wait to see how he grows up. Four out of five stars.

Book #92: Allerzielen/A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (11-07-2011 / 12-07-2011)
“A Discovery of Witches” (Allerzielen in Dutch) is about Diana, a witch, and Matthew, a vampire. Diana is in denial about her powers as a witch, ever since her parents (both witches) were killed in Afrika when she was seven. Now she is an expert in the history of science, especially alchemy, and working at Oxford for a year. Then she accidentally comes across a manuscript that changes her life, and that of other witches. But not only they are involved, also the other creators in the world, vampires and daemons. She meets Matthew the vampire, and has to face up to who she is and will be.
The book is part one of a trilogy, and while it stands alone, it is by no means finished when you reach the final page. The battle may be won but the war goes on, as they say. I really liked the story, although sometimes the idealistic description of Matthew and how he treats Diana feels like wishful thinking by the author. However, the rest of the story is thought up pretty well, overall the book was a great read. Four out of five stars.

Book #93: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (12-07-2011 / 13-07-2011)
This is one of the classics of twentieth century literature, and anything I write in my review probably has been said many times before. I think I have read this book before, ten years ago for English class, and I might have even seen the movie, but because I could hardly remember it I decided to read it again when I got a copy for myself.
This is the famous story as told by Scout, a young girl growing up in the South of the USA in the nineteen thirties. Her father is a lawyer, her mother passed away. She and brother Jem, who is four years older than she is, spend their summers playing and exploring, and the rest of the year in school. The novel is about how they grow up, and discover the world is not as perfect as it appeared, and people are not as nice to each other as you would innocently expect. The main event in the book is the court case her father is involved in, where he is defending an African-American man who has been (falsely) accused of raping a white girl from an extremely poor family. Another main story line deals with Scout and Jem’s fascination for Boo Radley, their neighbor who never leaves the house and hardly anyone has seen in decades.
The writing is great. While the story is told from the perspective of a young child, you hardly miss anything that is going on, even though Scout might not yet understand it. This also makes the impact of the story greater, you really feel for Scout and Jem, they are so innocent and believe in the good, and you don’t want their illusion shattered. I remember liking the book before, and I really liked it again a second time around. Four out of five stars.

PS. It was also great to read my dad’s old copy that he bought from/never returned to his old high school back in the seventies. A great connection.

Stole this book-related questionnaire from Morphy's thread.

Favorite childhood book?This is a hard one, I read way more now than I did then. I do remember my dad reading Bambi to us when we were on holiday. I liked R.L. Stine's scary books, Roald Dahl, Joke van Leeuwen and some other Dutch classics (De Brief voor de Koning, De Kloof)

What are you reading right now?The Word for World is Forest by Ursula Le Guin

Bad book habit? Buying way more books than I can probably ever read if I keep on buying them in this tempo.

Do you have an e-reader? Yes, I use my iPad for e-reading.

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?One at a time.

Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog thread? Like Morphy, I didn't use to record my books or do reviews, and I have gotten great reading tips on my threads, the What are you reading this week thread, and other people's reading threads.

Least favorite book you read this year (so far)? I couldn't finish Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier.

Favorite book you’ve read this year? Thirteen books have gotten a five out of five star review. I think I would choose.... 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.

How often do you read out of your comfort zone? Probably not often enough. I would say 5%. These would be books of 'literature', Dutch classics, 'normal' fiction.

What is your reading comfort zone? Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Historical Adventures, Fantasy.

Can you read on the bus? Nope, motion sickness.

Favorite place to read? In bed, late at night or early in the morning.

What is your policy on book lending? I do it, register it. I feel very bad if the lender breaks the back on my paperbacks (I don't) and try to keep them from doing it.

Do you ever dog-ear books? Never. Books are sacred to me.

Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Never.

What is your favorite language to read in? English. But I am warming up to Dutch. But if English is the original language I greatly prefer it.

What makes you love a book? Likable characters, comprehensive story, imagination.

What will inspire you to recommend a book? Knowing what they have read and liked before, and wether I could put a book down or not.

Favorite genre? At the moment science fiction.

Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? Non-fiction popular science. I want to find more books I think I would like.

Favorite biography? Moab is my washpot and The Fry Chronicles by the great Stephen Fry. Very honest.

Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes, but found it hard to keep up.

Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? A very difficult question. I think I'll choose The Name of the Wind because it made me realise that I would like to read fantasy again.

Favorite reading snack? No eating near a book. Or at least a book I own. Chips/Crisps.

How often do you agree with critics about a book? Not very often. I like to read them afterwards to see what they got from the book, but don't let reviews determine what I read.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? No problem at all. Let my review serve as a warning to others.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? Japanese, they must have some interesting books.

Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? I stay away from intimidating books... Maybe Pride and Prejudice because I hadn't read eighteenth century English literature before. Turned out great though.

Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Moby Dick, Ulysses.

Favorite poet? None, I don't read poetry.

Favorite fictional character? I have no idea.

Favorite fictional villain? Tyrion in A Game of Thrones

Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? Something I know I'll like, maybe in a series I like, or by an author I like. But on my iPad it doesn't matter that much anymore, no dead weight.

The longest I’ve gone without reading. While in school, months and months. Now maybe a week or so when I am off work.

Name a book that you could/would not finish. Several, The Hobbit, Under the Dome, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and more. Some were bad choices, for some I am convinced the time wasn't right and I would like later.

What distracts you easily when you’re reading? People talking nonsense around me on the train, discussions on TV talk shows.

Favorite film adaptation of a novel? I have no idea... Don't like movie/tv adaptions. Game of Thrones was good, The Lord of the Rings was fun, so was Harry Potter.

Most disappointing film adaptation? No idea... Most I guess.

The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? About € 200, on buying trips to London (where books are much cheaper than here in The Netherlands).

How often do you skim a book before reading it? Very often. I have to know if the character I love lives and everything will be okay.

Do you like to keep your books organized? I am neurotic about it.

Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? I cannot get rid of a book. The closest I get is putting them in a box in the attic at my mom's house.

Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? See above, at intimidating books.

Name a book that made you angry. The Da Vinci Code. Real facts? Puh!

A book you didn’t expect to like but did? Pride and Prejudice.

A book that you expected to like but didn’t? Under the Dome

Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? The Da Vinci Code inspired historical adventures.

Good answers, interesting that your angry book is also your guilt-free pleasure reading.

You're right! Night Train to Lisbon is terrible! I hated it. It never got better.

I think I might steal this questionnaire, if you don't mind.

>35 KiwiNyx: I know. I like the genre, just don't claim that you are revealing a real conspiracy. But I like the speculation aspect of it all, what if...

>36 jfetting: I was struggling with that book, and about 100 pages in I had to see in the reviews on LT if it would get better. Everybody said it wouldn't. Bye bye book. And steal it by all means, that's how I got it :-)

Book #94: Het Woord voor Wereld is Woud/The Word for World is Forest by Ursula le Guin (13-07-2011)
I was attracted to this book by its title, which in English originally is "The Word for World is Forest". Very powerful. The book, containing one long story (the title story) and two short ones (Nine Lives and The End). The long story is about the colony-planet New Tahiti, a planet of islands covered with rainforests. Humans from Earth, a planet that has destroyed all its wild- and plant-life, are colonizing the planet by preparing the islands for farming. They are cutting down the trees, and shipping it to earth where wood is more valuable than anything. But on New Tahiti there are also humans, humans that have evolved slightly different, but they still see themselves as humans. They are small, hairy, and they know how to dream. The story describes the depressing consequences of (earthly) humankind trying to change a planet to suit them, without regard or respect for the local flora and fauna. The other two stories deal with a ten-person clone (all from the same human) and his/her life, and with the end of the world and how to escape it.
While the main story is pretty depressing, it is a good one. So are the other two. I really liked the writing and imagination here. Four out of five stars.

Book #95: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (14-07-2011 / 15-07-2011)
This book has won so many prizes (both a Hugo and Nebula) and was recommended to me so many times I just had to get it and read. While I was apprehensive about if I would like it (I'm usually not for big space wars and invasions) I could not put it down.
It's the story of Ender, a boy who has been picked out and is being trained to serve or command a human fleet to fight against the buggers, aliens who have attacked Earth twice before. While Ender seems to have talent, the training is incredibly hard.
The writing swept me away. Most of the story is told from the point of view of Ender, but some parts are told from the army command or Ender's sister Valentine's point of view. Throughout the story it is easy to forget that Ender is a very young boy (he is six when he is chosen), but when you realize is, an read the second to last chapter, it makes the whole story that much more impressive. Five out of five stars.

Book #96: The Art of Camping by Matthew De Abaitua (17-07-2011 / 19-07-2011)
I won this book from Penguin on Twitter, and because this year will be the first year I will go camping by myself (with my boyfriend, without parents) after years of car/hotel-vacations I was very interested in this book. This book tells two stories; anecdotes about the camping life of the author and his family, and the history of camping in England.
That made the book a bit mixed. The chapters are divided into chapters dealing with all the aspects of camping (packing, pitching, campfire, campsite, the tent, and striking camp), yet the story concerning the history is told chronologically. This made the set up a bit artificial. However, the history of camping (in England, mainly) was very interesting. From men conquering the wild, to boy-camps to build character, to politically charged camping groups and the unfortunate relation to the Hitler Jugend, to car-camping with Henry Ford and the domed tent.
I feel that I would have liked the book much more if the anecdotes and the history would have been two separate books. The anecdotes were nice, if repetitive, and get three stars, the history was very interesting and told well, and would have gotten four stars. As it is now, the book for me is a three star book.

Ender's Game is a firm favourite of mine, pleased to see you enjoyed it.

Yeah, I really did. And I found the second Ender book, Speaker for the Dead in my father's inheritance, so I can keep reading about him :D



Book #97: Gebroken licht/The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (19-07-2011)
Kim Edwards got the idea for this story from a pastor, who told her about a man who found out later in life that he had a twin brother with Down Syndrome that had been sent to live at an institution without him (the brother) knowing. When he found out the brother in the institution had died. In this story Kim Edwards explores what having this kind of secret does to a family.
It’s 1964, a cold winter night, and an orthopedic surgeon, David Henry, and a nurse, Caroline Gill, are the only two people in a local hospital present to deliver the baby of the surgeon’s wife, Norah. The baby boy is early, but healthy. Then another baby comes, his twin, a baby girl. But she turns out to have Down Syndrome. Because David has grown up with a sickly sister, he wants to spare his wife and baby boy the pain, and gives the baby girl to Caroline to put in an institution. Arriving at the institution Caroline can’t bear to leave the child, and to give David a chance to do the right thing, she takes the girl. But David tells everybody the girl died, and Caroline raises her as her own.
The book describes different periods in both children’s lives, from 1964 to 1988, and explores how the secret of the girl’s, Phoebe’s, existence affects everybody in the Henry family and Caroline Gill herself. While tragic, it is a great story to read. I couldn’t put it down and read the whole thing in one long stretch. I loved the descriptions, and those in the family trying to do the best they could. The way Edwards tells the story from different viewpoints I felt sympathy for all characters, even David. Even though it was wrong, he tried to do the best he could. Four out of five stars.

re: Ender's Game; that book makes nearly every science fiction top ten list... and yet people just absolutely despise Orson Scott Card. Just goes to show I guess... My son read the story several years ago and begged me to find the sequels for him. I told him that, unfortunately, the sequels IMO aren't nearly as good as the first book.

43, kcs_hiker. After reading up on him and his personal opinions I can imagine so. But his writing in Ender's Game (in my memory) doesn't show it. Maybe his other stories do...

Book #98: Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (21-07-2011 / 23-07-2011)
I found this book in one of the boxes of ABC’s books per kilo sale, not knowing the book or the writer at all. The fact that this was a twenty-fifth anniversary edition promised something good.
And it was. This is the story of a small but ancient forest in England. Strange things happen and over time the research into the forest consumes Steven and Christian’s father. When Steven returns from France after WWII, his brother is also drawn to the forest, to one day enter and never to return. And the strange things happen to Steven though, culminating in an epic journey.
The book has some very interesting theories about myths,the reasons they are with us and how they survive, all while creating and living it’s own myth.
The story took some time to get started, but at the end I felt the last page came too soon. I believe that there are more books that follow on this one, I hope to find them. Four out of five stars.

Count me in as a fan of Ender's Game. :) I also rather like Speaker for the Dead, although it's completely different in tone. But I haven't read on (haven't heard anything too great about the rest) and I've never read any of his other books. My partner has, and I think (but don't quote me) that the latest Ender book was pretty good, in his opinion. And he's a fan of the Alvin Starmaker (?) series too.

I wasn't a fan of The Memory Keeper's Daughter, I think it failed to live up to its hype and I was mostly just frustrated with it. But I agree with you, I even had sympathy for David: he does some stupid things, but he did it with the best of intentions. (The road to hell...)

I missed the hype around The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which probably let me read it with not quite so high expectations. And I am glad you liked Speaker for the Dead, then I probably will too. :D

Book #99: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (23-07-2011 / 25-07-2011)
I first heard about this story when the movie came out a couple of years ago. When I found this book at a second-hand bookshop last week I couldn't help but pick it up, to see what it was all about. This is the story of Meggie, a 12 year old girl, and Mo, her father. He is a book collector and book binder, and one day a mysterious character, Dustfinger shows up at their house. Then the adventure starts, and soon Meggie discovers that her father can make characters and objects from books appear in the real world when he reads out loud. This is a problem when Capricorn, a very evil character from the book Inkheart, appears and makes their lives one big adventure.
I liked the story, which was original, and yet familiar, with its crossover between our world and the book world (I am thinking about Thursday Next and her ability to read herself into the book world). However, the story felt a bit too long at its 545 pages. It seemed drawn out, and could have been condensed without losing quality I feel. But, it was a nice story and for children/young adults, I can see why they would love it. It is suspenseful without being scary. Three out of five stars.

Book #100: Ballingsplaneet/Planet of Exile by Ursula Le Guin (26-07-2011 / 27-07-2011)
My hundredth book of the year! This is another one of the books by Ursula Le Guin taking place in the Hainish Cycle. Humans are living in exile on a planet where the seasons last three-thousand years and the native humans are living a nomadic life. However, the humans were left on the planet when an interplanetary war broke out, and it is now six-hundred earth years later. Winter is coming and with it the barbarian Gaäls who are ready to attack all humans, natives and earthlings alike. So now they have to forget their cultural differences and fight the Gaäl together.
The story is short, and covers several topics. Two cultures working together, preparing for a different season, history, the sustainability of alien races on different planets, ethics, love. And all that in in a little over 150 pages. I really liked the story, especially knowing it fits in a bigger universe of stories. Four out of five stars.

Oooh, and that was #100!!!!!

congrats on reaching 100!

woohoo! You've got 100 books read... now everything else is just bonus!

Wahoo!! 100 books!

I also enjoyed Speaker for the Dead and then the sequels lessen in quality. The first four deal with Ender's story and then the next four deal with the Bugger War from Bean's point of view which is actually quite fascinating. This story continues on into various other wars that Bean fights in plus of course his life growing up a famous figure. Overall I enjoyed all eight, and I think there are more as well. I will be very interested to hear what you think of this series.

Wow! Congrats on making it to 100 so early in the year.

I'm glad you enjoyed Ender's Game (my personal favorite book and introduction to the sci-fi genre).
Just like KiwiNyx, I too am interested in your opinion on Card's Enderverse.

Thanks for all the congrats. I made it two months earlier than last year. But having back problems for the last two months preventing me from working or even sitting for a long time sure helped.
I only have Speaker of the Dead of the Ender books to read, but I am curious. I also have a story collection, Keeper of Dreams, but as far as I can see there are no Ender stories in there.

Congratulations on reaching 100 already! Although the back problems sound horrid, I hope it's no longer an issue (or is less of an issue).

Congrats on reaching 100 books!

Nope, still having back problems... they suck.
But, I did read another book....



Book #101: Kleine Bij/Little Bee by Chris Cleave (27-07-2011 / 28-07-2011)
The gimmick of this book is that the publisher won't tell you what this book is about. They say it is a story of two women, a story that is funny, touching and shocking. I'll try not to give too much away of the story, except that it is about a Nigerian refugee who comes to the United Kingdom, and a British woman who has met her before.
The story of Little Bee, the Nigerian girl is anything but funny. The whole story was in fact incredibly tragic, but powerful. I don't know what else to say about this book. Read it. But now I do need something less serious to cheer me up. Four out of five stars

Book #102: De stalen holen/The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (28-07-2011 / 30-07-2011
Ever since first reading some of Asimov's works last year I try to find more of his books, as I have liked all of them so far. This one comes from the collection of my father, who had a lot of seventies/eighties science fiction. De stalen holen/Caves of steel takes place in the Robot universe. It's far in the future, and due to over-population humankind lives in huge cities that are closed of units. They don't breath outside air, or see the sun. Food, living space, everything is rationed. But it wasn't always like this, in the past humans went out and colonized thirty planets. Now they (called the Spacers) are back, and are trying to help Earth out of their steel caves, because this way of life will mean the end of humanity on earth. In this world, a murder of a spacer takes place. This could mean a retaliation from Space against the Earthlings, so it is very important that it is solved.
The book is from 1967, and it does show it age in some ways. The over population in the book? Eight billion people. We are at seven billion right now. Some of the technologies pictures being in use three thousand years from now are already ancient to us. But we can't blame Asimov for that. If we look past that, it is a very good book with an interesting murder mystery. The exploration of the impact of robots, and humanoid robots is very interesting to read. Four out of five stars.

Book #103: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (30-07-2011 / 02-08-2011)
After watching (and loving) the last Sherlock Holmes movie, and the BBC TV show Sherlock, I just knew I had to read the novels and stories. I have had these books for years, so I finally started. This volume contains the novels A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, and the story collections Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes. There is not much new I can say about these stories that hasn't already been said before.
I really liked these stories, and the writing. I love Sherlock for his anti-social behavior, his character, his way of doing things. The cases described here (except for the novels) are pretty short and sweet, making them nice quick reads. Because the stories are so short it matters a lot less that there is a lot of repetition in the stories. A lot of hidden identities, murky histories in far away lands, and generally a lot of story-lines that are very familiar to me, a reader a 100 years after the stories have been published. But if you read them keeping in mind when they have been written, what people read then, they are great stories, and still very enjoyable. Four out of five stars.

That is exactly the same edition that is sitting on my bookshelves! Mine is pretty beat up from the many rereadings.

How cool is that. I have had them for a long time.... shame on me. But I loved them.



Book #104: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (04-08-2011 / 08-08-2011)
The second volume of the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories, containing The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, the first two being novels, the last two collections of short stories. There is not much new I can say about this book that I haven’t already said about the previous volume. I liked the novels a lot better than the short stories, because you read more about all sides of the story and the story gets more time to build up to the final reveal. The stories are pretty nice, but like in the previous book, sometimes a bit predictable because it is (now) a familiar theme, or stories are alike to each other. Still, this classic must read gets four out of five stars.

Book #105: Mijn naam is Legioen/My Name is Legion by Roger Zelazny (09-08-2011 / 11-08-2011)
This is another book from my father's classic scifi collection, My Name is Legion by Roger Zelazny. It contains three stories (the last one, Home is the Hangman, won a Hugo and Nebula ). All stories are told by the same (unnamed) character. He was involved in the creation of a global super databank in which all data about people is contained, their personal information, their travels, their finances, their psychological tests. Because he had his doubts he erased himself from the system and created a backdoor, enabling him to create and erase identities for himself as he wishes. Because he has no legal way to make money, he hires himself out as an investigator of suspicious happenings.
The book takes place in the future, but not very far out, and the world described is not much different from our own. Only in the last story, about an AI robot/machine, a lot of Science Fiction (about space travel) is alluded to. The rest read more like investigative mysteries. The book was an alright read, but not that special. Three out of five stars.

Book #106: Dromen Androïden van Elektrische Shapen?/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (11-08-2011 / 15-08-2011)
How can you tell if the science fiction book is old?
In this case, if the story takes place in 1992, the far away future. This copy of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was my dads, and was published in 1977. The story is about Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter hunting for androids, and John Isidore, a man affected by the fallout and considered special. The world is earth, after a great world war. The fallout is very damaging, both to humans and animals, and humans are encouraged (by receiving a free android) to emigrate to other planets. Hardly any animals have survived and it is a task and a status symbol to care for a living animal, the bigger (and rarer) the better. Deckard has an electric sheep, unable to afford a real sheep, and unable to admit this. The book covers one day, in which Deckard must hunt down six androids of a new, more human, type. The book covers his difficult choices and experiences, both covering androids and animals. John Isidore, a special, shares some of the experiences, but looks at them from a different point of view.
Even though the book is very short for todays standards (202 pages in my edition), it covers a lot of topics concerning ethics, religion, love and empathy. I would love to have had more of the story, then again, now that it is so short it helps you think about it. Four out of five stars.

Book #107: Wicked by Gregory Maguire (15-08-2011 / 18-08-2011)
A long time ago I have seen the famous movie The Wizard of Oz. I remember of course Dorothy, Toto, the lion, the tin man and the scarecrow, the yellow brick road and Emerald City. Other than that, not much, and I have never read the book by L. Frank Baum that was the inspiration for the movie. But, I didn't really need to remember a lot to understand and enjoy this book, Wicked, the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, how she came to be that way.
The book covers the life of Elphaba, her birth in Munchkinland, her difficult youth on account of her being green, her years of study in Shiz and her later years. The Wizard of Oz is an evil man, a dictator who removed the Ozma regent to rule Oz, and Elphaba is part of the resistance against him. But she pays a high price for her resistance. The novel is an exploration of evil, how do people become evil, and who is evil. Is the Wicked Witch of the West evil? Is the Wizard good? And if so, why? Faith plays a big part in the novel, as well as how different races should live together.
I found the book ok. The story was very interesting, but for me, it didn't need its relationship with the original Oz stories. Sometimes it felt forced, especially the ending when Dorothy appeared on the scene. The story ended pretty quickly, abruptly after that, and to me it didn't feel right, keeping in mind the 450 pages before that. It was an interesting read, but not brilliant. Three out of five stars.

Book #108: Nemesis by Isaac Asimov (21-08-2011 / 24-08-2011)
This is one of the few (later) Asimov books that has nothing to do with his major universes of Robots and Foundation, but stands on its own. The book takes place in the twenty-fourth century. Humankind has Settlements in space. These are large spaceships where humans live permanently as Settlers. They are still pretty close to earth though. One of the Settlements, Rotor, has discovered a way to travel close to the speed of light. Using that discovery they have found Nemesis, a companion star (a red dwarf) to our sun, and they travel there, in secret.
The book follows two strands of the story, one strand following Rotor, the other Earth. At its heart are the mysteries of why Rotor left, how and where they went. For Rotor it is the discovery of life near Nemesis and what kind of relationship they have with Earth. I really liked this book, because it had everything. It had difficult human relationships, leaders who try to do the best but maybe aren't right, modern humans, strange planets, new discoveries. A great Asimov, four out of five stars.

Book #109: The New Penguin History of World by J. M. Roberts (25-07-2011 / 24-08-2011)
Now that I am home so much (with a bad back) I decided to start reading some non-fiction again as a second book. And why not pick up a history of the whole world and all time (that humans were on earth)? This book, the fifth edition from 2007 tries to cover everything in 1188 pages. The first edition was published in 1976, and for this edition the last part was written by Odd Arne Westad because the main author J.M. Roberts died in 2003.
The book is divided into eight parts, each covering a major period of history. The parts cover the time before history, the first civilizations, classical mediterranean, diverging traditions, the making of the European age, the great acceleration, the end of the European’s world and the latest age. The narrative is about major events in history, covering peoples very generally. While this enables the coverage of thousands of years in a little over a thousand pages, this is sometimes very frustrating. In some parts Roberts seems to go out of his way to not mention any names, presumably to not confuse his readers. Yet when I read about the German Emperor drowned in the course of the Third Crusade, how difficult or distracting is it to just say that it is Frederick Barbarossa so I can related this part in the book to other books I have read about the period. And when discussing religions it is weird that Shinto is called a sect, and all other religions are that, religions. Like the author admits in his preface, the book is very Euro-centric, covering mostly Europe and the parts of the world that now have European culture (the Americas, Australia). The Middle East and Asia become more important later on. But it is too bad that not much is mentioned about the Americas, Africa and Asia before the Europeans arrived. His reason for this is that none of the civilizations there were major, and none survived. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting. The weirdest example of this is the picture on the cover of the book, of the Easter Island statues, yet Easter Island is never mentioned in the book.
This review does sound a bit negative now, and I don’t feel that way about the book. Covering such a large span of time and such a big area is difficult, and Roberts and Westad did a great job. Four out of five stars.

Wow, that's a mammoth effort - trying to cram in all (European) history into 1188 pages!

And I'm sorry your back's still bad, but at least you're making the best of it.

Book #110: Marley and Me by John Grogan (24-08-2011 / 25-08-2011)
I know this isn't a great work of literature, but as a dog lover I just had to read it. This is the story of John and Jenny, a newly married couple that add a lovely Labrador puppy to their family. But the Labrador, Marley, turns out to be a mentally not very normal, huge, slobbering dog. He's hard to control, he is destructive, he is not very intelligent. But he is extremely loving and loyal. The book covers Marley's life with the Grogans, including the birth of their three children and their move across the country. In short episodes happenings with Marley are described.
The emphasis is very much on how bad a dog Marley is, and maybe I like dogs too much, but I hardly agree. Yeah he doesn't listen, but he is not evil. Yeah he is destructive, but mostly out of fear and loneliness, and because he doesn't know his own strength. I can understand that he tried the Grogans' patience, but I think he sounds like a very loving dog. Luckily Grogan admits this at the end of the book. The end of the book, and the end of Marley's life was so sad, I couldn't help but shed a tear. The book itself is no masterpiece, but a fun and emotional read nonetheless, and a good reflection of what it like to love a dog. Four out of five stars.

Book #111: The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan (25-08-2011)
I found this book by accident (in a big, out of the box sale) and the title grabbed my attention. From the description on the back at first I thought the story might be something like The Village (the M. Night Shyamalan movie), where a village is isolated by the ones in charge for no outside reason. But reading the book the story is quickly revealed (warning, possible spoilers ahead if you don't know about this book). Mary, the main character, lives in a village that is ruled by The Sisterhood, a nunnery, and guarded by The Guardians. The village is surrounded by high fences to guard the residents from The Forest of Hands and Teeth, where the Unconsecrated live. Since the Return they are there, always waiting to take more people, infecting them. They are zombies.
Mary is at a turning point in her life. Will she be chosen to marry, or will she spend her life as a Sister in the Sisterhood. Events quickly spiral out of her control, and she discovers the world she has always known has many secrets. Together with her brother and friends she has to take a chance and look Outside, following the stories her mother always told her about the life before The Return.
The story is pretty fast paced (I read it one sitting), which I liked, but it didn't leave a lot of room for explanations. I really wanted to know what happened, who They are, what happened at The Return, why the village is there, who The Sisterhood are. Maybe more will be revealed in the two books that follow this one. This book reminded me a lot of The Passage by Justin Cronin, only now with zombies, and for young adults. Four out of five stars.

Book #112: Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis (26-08-2011)
In this graphic novel, the story of told of the search of Bertrand Russell for the foundations of mathematics, based on logic. The story is told in two ways, by Bertrand who is giving a lecture about how logic can be used in the world, and by the writers and artists of the book themselves, in their discussions about what the main theme is. It is a very interesting story, but I am not sure I got everything. I understand Russels wish to make sure that mathematics have a solid base, and I understand the writer's aim of showing the link between passionate logicians and madness (I was reminded of the movie Beautiful Mind). The drawings were beautiful and true to life. The explanations in the back, of the people involved, the concepts and the liberties the writers had taken was extremely welcome. A very good and interesting book. Three out of five stars.

Book #113: De Duivelsbijbel by Richard Dubell (27-08-2011 / 31-08-2011)
This historical novel is about the Codex Gigas, the Devil's Bible, the largest medieval manuscript in the world. It is said this book was written by fallen monk, who was walled up as a penalty. He promised to write a book to glorify the monastery in one night, and to complete this task he asked the devil to help him. In this story this caused the book to have enormous power. Seven monks are charged to protect it, hidden away in a monastery, but many people want to find it, to unleash its power.
The book follows several characters in late sixteenth century who are all connect to the Devil's Bible, some want to use it, some want to get rid of it, some don't know it but their lives revolve around it. All are trying desperately to find it, and the monks are trying to prevent this from happening. The story is pretty fast paced, filled with love, intrigue, mysteries and mad kings. I couldn't put it down, I found it original and very good. The writer, Richard Dübell, shows the backstory with some short chapters, and then just lets the story play out, leading the reader around. Not all of it is very predictable, making it a fun read that fits into the real history pretty well. Four out of five stars.

I just love the title of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Sounds so creepy!

I know... and for a YA supernatural book it was actually pretty good :D

Book #114: De Verborgen Monsters/The Monsters Inside by Stephen Cole (31-08-2011 / 01-09-2011)
A couple of months ago I finally watched the new Doctor Who series from it's first season (2005, ninth Doctor) up to the last episode of season six before the break, and I was hooked. I love all three Doctors and don't really have a favorite (although bow-ties are cool). There is also a series of books that takes place in the same timeline with the same people as the show. Our library has the first and second book of the new series, so I decided to try one.
This book is about Rose and the ninth Doctor. It's Rose's first trip to an alien planet, and it all goes wrong in the first few pages. The Doctor and Rose get caught and separated. While they are trying to reunite, they find out that something bad is going on in this universe of justice planets.
At first I found it weird to read the thoughts and emotions of these characters I feel I know so well from the TV show. I thought that Rose was a lot more emotional in the beginning of the book than in the TV show, but then again, I may be remembering just the later, powerful Rose who has seen it all. Soon the book turned into a real Doctor Who adventure, and it was fun to see some of the monsters I knew from the TV show again. I hope to read more of these stories in the future. Four out of five stars for the fun and memories.

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff! Oh, I never miss an episode. (Second half of sixth season starts this weekend, hurrah!) I think I've read one spin-off book, about Bernice Summerfield (an archaeologist and a companion in the books, not the TV series). It wasn't dreadful, but I haven't rushed back to any of the other Who books. I think it's just the TV series I love.



You do never forget your first Doctor. :) In my case, Tom Baker, enormous scarf, wild hair, and all.

Christopher Eccleston was my first, and I loved him. But I really like David Tennant and Matt Smith too :D

Book #115: De Shing-begoocheling/City of Illusions by Ursula Le Guin (01-09-2011 / 03-09-2011)
Another book in the Hainish cycle of loosely connected science fiction books by Urusla Le Guin, this one, called City of Illusions in English, is about a man who comes from a forest, remembering nothing, not even his own name. The House of Zove take him in, despite his strange cat-like eyes, and teach him about the world, Earth in the far future. Earth is controlled by the Shing, a group that is known for always lying. So how can Falk, the man, know what is true, and who is telling the truth. A group of people that say that they always lie, are they lying when they say that? Are the people from the House just rebellious and slanderous when they say that the Shing lie? Slowly Falk unravels the mystery of who he is, why he has lost his memories, and needs his whole mind to figure out what to do about his situation.
Even though this is a pretty short book (my version is only 186 pages), a lot is going on. Falk's education, Falk's travel, and his arrival in the city of the Shing and his mental mystery. I really liked the problems that Falk runs into, how he mentally solves them, and how the whole story comes together in the end, including the small hints that both I as the reader and Falk didn't understand at the time. Four out of five stars.

Now that is one Ursula le Guin that appeals quite a bit, it might be a good one to start my introduction of her with.

I went on holiday these last three weeks, to England. Bought a million book (103) and read some. Here are my reviews:



Book #116: The Departure by Neal Asher (03-09-2011 / 08-09-2011)
Note: I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book through the You Review program of The American Book Centre.
The Departure by Neal Asher is the first installment of his new space opera series, Owner. It is the origin story of Alan Saul, Owner of Worlds and how he became what I assume he will be in the later parts of the series.
It is the twenty-second century, and earth is ruled by a Director and a Committee. The population has risen by billions to unsustainable levels, and to ensure their own survival, people have given up pretty much all their freedoms. The Committee is a ruthless, all knowing, all governing, all consuming structure, that determines who lives and who dies. In this world, Alan Saul wakes up, in a box on a conveyor belt, heading for an incinerator. He doesn't remember anything about the time before that, but he slowly figures out his potential when he is contacted by a com life living inside the successor to the Internet, GovNet. He can tap into the network using nothing but his mind, and uses this to regain his freedom.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I can see how Asher sets the scene for further parts in this series, and how this is just the beginning. The world Asher creates, with regard to technology and scientific development sounds realistic. On the other hand, the balance of this book was strange sometimes. A lot of time is spent explaining how the world is and how it came to be that way, either by sections at the start of each chapter, or by the characters reminding themselves. Especially that last way of describing it felt forced. Also, any deaths or attacks in the book were described pretty graphically, which wasn't always necessary for the story itself. Lastly, the characters were a bit lifeless. Saul, Var and Hannah felt more like a type than a real person, and that made me care less about the story.
This first part in the Owner series made me curious for the coming installments, but I do think it might need those other books to really come into its own. For me, this book is now three out of five stars.



Book #117: Un Lun Dun by China Miéville (08-09-2011 / 13-09-2011)
China Mieville said in an interview I once read that he wants to write books in every genre. Previous books I read by him could be classified as steampunk, science fiction or detective books, and this one is a childrens/teen adventure fantasy.
This is the story of Zanna and Deeba who discover the strange world of UnLondon, a world parallel to their London, where everything is slightly different. Giraffes are murderous predators and roam the streets. Umbrellas (unbrellas) are broken but live. Trash can be a pet. Everything is slightly weird. The people there believe Zanna is the chosen one, and they need her to save their city from Smog, sentient pollution that wants to rule UnLondon.
The book is filled with action, mysteries, funny un-things, beautiful drawings by Miéville himself and heroics. The story does seem a bit similar in premise to that of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, but goes its own way and does its own thing. It is a light fun and fast-paced read, good for old and young alike. Four out of five stars.



Book #118: The Deviant Strain by Justin Richards (13-09-2011)
Another Doctor Who book, about the Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack Harkness. While traveling in the TARDIS, they pick up a distress signal from an abandoned Russian Naval base. They head down to investigate and find that the villagers are dying unusual deaths, they say by a vampire like creature from folklore. The story quickly becomes a mystery the trio needs to solve to save the villagers and themselves.
The book is a fast read that feels like an episode of the TV show. The Doctor has a some very funny and cheeky lines, Captain Jack doesn't like authoritative figured and Rose does the best she can. A light, fun read. Four out of five stars.



Book #119: 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (14-09-2011)
After reading 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society', a book about the letters between a book club and a writer, a long while back, '84 Charing Cross Road' was recommended to me many times. It took me a while to find it (I like finding my books in a real store instead of ordering online) and two days ago I did, at the wonderful Scarthin Books in Cromford.
My copy contains both 84 Charing Cross road and the Dutchess of Bloomsbury. The first book is the correspondence between the writer, Helene Hanff in New York and mainly Frank Doel, a book seller at Marks & Co in London. The correspondence spans twenty years, from just after the war. The second book is about what happened after the first book was published, namely that Helene finally travels to London and meets some of the people she wrote, and fans of the book.
The quirky, dry humor in Helene's letters make it a fun and endearing read, and the reactions are sweet and fun too. The trip to London, described in diary style is great, Helene Hanff really was special. It is a great book for booklovers and those who love epistolary novels. For me, this was a five out of five stars read.



Book #120: Kraken by China Miéville (15-09-2011 / 20-09-2011)
Billy works at the Natural History Museum in London as a conservator of mollusks. One evening, when he is giving a tour of the museum's Darwin Centre next door, he discovers that the main specimen on the tour, the giant squid, has vanished, tank and all. Without a trace and without any suspicious noises or traces.
Pretty soon Billy learns that there is a lot more to the world, and especially London, than he thinks. He gets involved into the investigation of why the squid was stolen, by whom, and how to stop the apparent impending apocalypse. A lot of magic, gods and beliefs are involved.
The writing in Kraken can sometimes be a bit confusing, because such a lot is going on at any one time, all of it being very weird. However, I loved the world and history Miéville created in this book, which reminded me of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Miéville's gods and magic is a lot stranger though. At the heart of it all was a good action packed mystery to prevent the end of the world. Four out of five stars.

Great reviews, it sounds like you had a great trip to England. I love the Helene Hanff books as well, there is such a sense of personality in them.

Some great reads! I just went away for a long weekend and maybe read about 20 pages all up. Hm, I seem to be doing holidays all wrong here...

And Scarthin Books looks *FAB*!

Thanks! The trip was great for sure. Only the evenings were a bit chilly, so great for reading tucked in a sleeping bag. And Scarthin Books was a goldmine... I wish my house looked like that.



Book #121: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (20-09-2011 / 03-10-2011)
When I was buying books in England, this book was very hot. I even saw a display in an independent bookshop saying that the owner would sell this book for £3.00 less than the list price, just because she loved the book so much and wanted it to do well. On LibraryThing it is the same, it seems a lot of people are either reading or gushing over it. And it's worth it.

This is the story of Marco and Celia, two young people living not quite so extraordinary lives in the late nineteenth century. They live in a world where magic is real, though hidden. It is also the story of the Night Circus, a circus out of the ordinary that appears suddenly, is only open between dusk and dawn, and where visitors can wander around and pick and choose which tents to visit and experience. And it is the story of Bailey, a boy enchanted by the circus.

I am really struggling to write a review without spoiling the magic of the book, and the winding of the story. The book is wonderful, it is not only a good story of love, magic, battle and winning over fate, but it has a whole magic mood around it, making you lose yourself in the book. Great for a rainy sunday afternoon. I really recommend this book to anyone enjoying a bit of magic in their stories. This is one of those books you wish you could read again for the first time. Five out of five stars.

OK, you sold me!

Me too - and I hadn't planned on reading it at all.

Great! I really hope you both like it. I know it is a hyped book, but I honestly really liked it.



Book #122: De eeuwige oorlog/The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (03-10-2011 / 04-10-2011)
In my quest to collect and read all Hugo award winners (novels), I read the Dutch translation of The Forever War by Joe Haldeman this week. This is the first version of the book, without the extended middle section about life on earth in 2007.
It is the story of William Mandella, born in the 1970's, intellectual, and forced into the army. In the 1990's humankind has discovered how to 'jump' through space to cover many light years in the blink of an eye. On one of the expeditions the spacecraft from earth is attacked by the Taurans, an alien species. That is how the war starts, and Mandella is one of the first 100 soldiers in training to fight this unknown enemy. In the book the fighting expeditions that Mandella is sent on are described, coupled with the given fact that time passes much faster for those on earth than for those on the expeditions. The first time he returns this means that he has been away for a couple of months, but for his family it has been decades. Centuries are quickly added to this time, adding up to more than a thousand years that have passed. This also means that those fighting never know how far behind their techniques will be, and what they will find when they return to the base to report.
The book, while a bit dated in the science/technical side of the story, deals with this time difference very well. Everything changes on earth, not only scientific advances, but also language and culture. One time heterosexuality is taboo, then it's not. Sometimes there is war, peace, rebellion, hunger, bliss etc. The book is said to be a reflection on the author's time in the army during the Vietnam War, the alienation the soldiers felt when returning home and the futility of war. I can see that in this book, especially the alienation but also the author's feelings about war, why it starts and the conscription of soldiers. For me, this is one of those books that keeps me thinking long after finishing it. Four out of five stars.

Book #123: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (04-10-2011 / 05-10-2011)
From the description on the back of this book, it’s not quite clear what it is about. About interacting lives, ebbing and flowing fortunes, wild youth, growing up. And yet that is exactly the description that fits this book.
Because this is not one flowing story, with a main character, a start, a climax, an ending. Instead the thirteen chapters are thirteen little stories by themselves, each covering or told by a different person. Yet together they form a bigger picture, because characters keep meeting each other, running into each other, influencing each other.
This does make it a bit difficult to keep the bigger picture in your head. Chapters don’t follow each other chronologically (the total time span is a good 50 years I would say), and it takes a bit to figure out the main character of each chapter and who those other people were again. But in the end this is a very enjoyable book about all those themes described above, and for once I did enjoy that the writer tells me how a character will end up in the future, because that is the whole point of this story. And extra kudos for the presentation slide chapter, very original and fitting for that character. Four out of five stars.



Book #124: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (06-10-2011 / 09-10-2011)
When I first noticed this book I seem to remember thinking it would be a book in the magical realism style of Haruki Murakami. Later on one of my LT friends read it, and wasn't too impressed, and made me think I wouldn't like it that much either. Luckily I found a cheap second hand copy on our holiday in England, so I decided to try it anyway.
In this book there are three stories contained, and two myths (I would call them that). The stories are of Natalia, a doctor, her youth with her Grandfather, and the youth of her grandfather. The myths are those of the Tiger's Wife and the Deathless Man. This all takes place in (former) Yugoslavia, just before the second World War II, and during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s.
I call them myths because they are more like local folk tales (especially the Tiger's Wife) than the stories of magical realism I am used to from Murakami. But that didn't make the book any less enjoyable for me. Even though it was a bit confusing in the beginning, because the main characters and time periods changed with each chapter, it came together in the end for me. Not all details were clear in the end, or even made sense when really thinking about it, but for me, that is what folk tales are about. Stories told by different people, none of which have actually seen what happened. Anyway, I really enjoyed this story, of the life of the Grandfather, and the granddaughter trying to understand him by knowing his two most important stories. Four out of five stars.

Nice review of A Visit From the Goon Squad! And I'm glad you liked The Tiger's Wife more than I did; most people have enjoyed it very much, I'm obviously the odd one out with it. :)

Hey, at least you made me buy it second hand, that is never a bad thing :D

Book #127: De blik van Heisenberg/The Eyes of Heisenberg by Frank Herbert (09-10-2011 / 11-10-2011)
Lately I have been buying a lot of cheap second hand science fiction novels, most from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. I try to stick to writers I know of, and sometimes those books who sound interesting. What I have noticed is that most books from the early eighties and before are pretty thin, about 150 to 200 pages, whereas most book I read now are at least 350 and often more.
This is an oldy by Frank Herbert (of Dune fame) from 1966. We are many (tens of thousands) years in the future. Mankind is kept sterile and kept that way by the Optimen, prime humans who are immortal. The humans are basically slaves and pets for the Optimen. Some humans are allowed to breed, but the embryos are grown vats after being submitted to a cut, where unwanted elements are cut out of their DNA. This also cuts the bond with the parents, essentially making it that nobody has a past or a future. But then Durants appear, with an exceptionally good embryo. It seems to mutate on its own, and then it turns out that the embryo is also strangely fertile. Somehow cyborgs are also involved, working a plot against the optimen.
All in all, the basics of the story sound like it could be a very good scifi story. But all in all the book is too short. You are dumped right in the middle of it, and hardly anything is explained. You very slowly figure out where and when you are, what the world is like at that moment, and who and what is acting why and how. It could have done with a lot more world building. Now it was a bit of a jumble with a lot of interesting ideas but not a good story. Three out of five stars.



Book #126: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (11-10-2011 / 12-10-2011)
Out of all the short-listed novels nominated for the Booker Prize this year, I think that The Sisters Brothers has the most beautiful cover. Very simple, and yet so much more when you keep looking at it.
This is the story of Eli and Charlie Sisters, brothers living in the 1850s in the United States. They work for the Commodore as assassins, killing those who supposedly wronged him. The story, told by Eli, is the story of their latest job, to kill Hermann Kermit Warm. To do this, they travel from Oregon to California, getting into trouble along the way, and experiencing a bit of the gold rush.
The story is many things at once. It is mainly the story of how Eli experiences his life as a killer. He doesn't want to be one, but he looks up to his brother Charlie, and he does have a temper-problem. The experiences themselves are pretty funny and also very touching most of the time, I could see how they would work in a movie. The transition from drunk Charlie stumbling to ruthless killers without regard for human life was pretty sudden (and graphic), but it worked for me. And most of all, I loved Eli, his voice seemed very real, the way he describes his internal struggles and his outlook on life. I am not a reader of western novels (nor do I watch westerns) so I had no preconceived notions of what this book should have been to fit into the genre, for me this was just a nice story that happened to take place in the US in the 1850s. Four out of five stars.

Book #127: A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin (12-10-2011 / 20-10-2011)
After a long wait (a couple years for most, only 6 months for me) this is the fifth part in the fantastic A Song of Ice and Fire series. There is not much new to say about this book, if you have read the other four parts, you know how this one is. These are the characters you know and loathe.
This part takes place at pretty much the same time as part four, A Feast for Crows, but contains the characters that were missed there. As always with George R. R. Martin, you can't be sure that the dead people are dead, and the living people are actually alive. It took me a bit to get into this book, both due to the size and the depressing story (a lot of bad stuff happens, and not a whole lot of good). Another reason I couldn't get started was because I knew that after nearly a 1000 pages, there still wouldn't be a conclusion to any of the story lines, and there would be a long wait ahead for new material
But then the story and the characters gripped me again. I think the brilliant TV show helped me, those characters were cast so well, especially Tyrion. In this book I would say that Tyrion, Daenarys and Jon are the main characters, but we also hear about Arya, Cersei, Jayme, the Freys, Dorne and almost all of the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities. It was so great to 'see' them all again. There are some big twists and turns, nothing is certain, and I can't wait for part six. Four out five stars.

Book #128: The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend (20-10-2011 / 21-10-2011)
After reading the first Adrian Mole book a while ago, I couldn't resist when I saw this one, the second one, for a few cents in a second hand shop. In the case of this series, I think if you like the first, you'll like the rest, and if you don't you won't.
This book comes right after the first one ended. His parents are trying it together again, he is with his girlfriend Pandora, he is hitting puberty. For a seemingly smart boy he can be pretty far from the real world sometimes. He always tries his best, but the assumptions he makes are not quite real. This leads to some humorous and cringe-worthy situations. I really likes the first book, and liked this one too. Four out of five stars.

Book #129: De Linkerhand van het Duister/The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin (22-10-2011 / 23-10-2011)
It took me a long while to find this book second hand, because I found it new to be a bit too dear for me. But it was worth the wait, I loved it, like I have loved all Le Guin books I have read so far.
This is the story of Genly Ai, a convoi from the Ekumen, a eighty-plus collective of worlds of mankind, all descendants from the Hain. He is on the planet Winter, where it is indeed very cold. He is by himself, and is trying to convince the people of Gethen (as they call their own planet) to join the Ekumen to facilitate cultural and scientific exchange. The book covers a lot about Gethen, about the two main countries (Karhide and Orgoreyn), the attitude towards politics, patriotism, sexuality, communication, love and friendship. The Gethen-people have no set gender. They enter their fertile period every 26 days, and depending on the proximity of those set in the opposite gender in their own fertile period they are either male of female. Everyone can become both father and mother in their life times. Another strange thing is that the world doesn’t know the concept of war. Genly Ai wonders if this is because of the gender-neutrality on Gethen. Genly has a tough time on Gethen, in Karhide a paranoid king rules a very traditional society, and in Orgoreyn it is a very totalitarian regime. Slowly, because of all that happens to him and around him he starts to understand the world and advances his cause, but by then he is changed himself.
This is one of those books that stays with you. Even while reading it I knew that there is a lot behind the main story. The way Gethen world works with regards to national feelings, politics, communication, sexuality, war, advancements… There is a lot to learn here, and I find myself still thinking about it. Four out five stars.

I'm glad you liked The Sisters Brothers too! And The Left Hand of Darkness, I've always loved Le Guin's science fiction.

I just can't summon up the energy to work out where I was up to in the George RR Martin series. Sigh. You're quite right, without any sense of knowing that there will be at least some resolution to the stories, it's hard to get motivated to read another 1000 pages.

Well, A Song of Ice and Fire is a good one to leave (for ones children or grandchildren) when he is finally finished (in about 50 years, at the pace he is going) and then read them all at once. That's what I did with the first four books earlier this year, and then it keeps the pace going. Because it is good, just long....

Book #130: Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
Ever since discovering Neil Gaiman last year, I have bought and read every book he wrote. During our last trip to England I picked up the last one I still missed in my collection, Smoke and Mirrors. This is a collection of short stories and poems with various subjects. One is about Snow White, told by the evil Step-Mother. Except, in this story she is not so evil, and Snow White is not what she seems. Another is about a murder mystery in the land of the angels. Several stories have Lovecraft and the world he created as a base. And several deal with sex and the power and disease that comes from it.
As with all story collections, I liked some, but not all of what I read. Some of the stories had a bit more sex in them than I liked. The poetry style stories went over my head, I feel I would have 'gotten' those stories better if they were prose. Then again, most stories were wonderfully fantastic. I love how the ideas are both based on myth, legend and fairy tales and still very original because of the different views that Gaiman has on the subject. Not as good as his novels, but still worth three out of five stars.

Oh, "Snow, Glass, Apples" (the retelling of "Snow White", apologies if I got the title wrong) is a favourite of mine.

Not sure why I haven't commented on this thread since I do read it and you have some great reviews. So as I long time lurker thanks :)

I think "Snow, Glass, Apples" and the Angel murder mystery were two of my favourites. I have spied a comic version of the latter in the shops and always been a bit tempted to try it.

I love those two stories, they stay with you. And thank you very much for your nice comment, it always great to hear from lurkers, makes me feel that someone is listening ;)

Book #131: Emma by Jane Austen (25-10-2011 / 28-10-2011)
After reading all that modern and science fiction recently I felt it was time again for a classic. I chose Emma by Jane Austen because I loved her humor in Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Emma is an English girl, rich and smart, pretty independent for her time (early nineteenth century) and a matchmaker. After her governess marries she finds a new friend, Harriet, and because nobody knows Harriet's lineage, Emma makes it her task to have her marry well. What follows is a long story of mistaken love and looks. We are introduced to numerous men, some very eligible bachelors, some wiser older men.
Jane Austen herself calls Emma "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like", and at first I had to agree. She sticks her nose in everyone's love life, always thinks she knows best, and is pretty cocky. But slowly she sees the error in her ways and what it does to others, and then the role of the unlikable character shifts to a new lady in town. I didn't like this book as much as the other two I read, but it was still pretty good. Three out of five stars.

I've always loved Emma, both the book and the character. It is always so interesting to see other people's reactions to her. It isn't like P&P, which is universally adored.

Emma was one of my assigned reads at high school. I do find it rather hard to love after all that analysis... Still, it was over 20 years ago now, I shall have to try it again!

I find with all those assigned reads from way back then, I didn't like them then. Maybe because I was forced to read them, or maybe I was too young. Now I find I do like them, but it seems that for those particular books, it is much harder for me to decide to read them, to go out of my comfort zone. High school reading really messes a person up :D



Book #132: The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann (28-10-2011 / 30-10-2011)
I know David Grann from his wonderful book The Lost City of Z, where he tells us about the adventurer Col. Percy Fawcett who tries to find the city in the Amazon rain forest. I really loved that book, so when I discovered this book I couldn't help but pick it up. This book is very different in both subject matter and set up. This is an essay collection, most published before in the New Yorker or Atlantic, about various topics. The common thread in most stories is crime, either discussing the criminal or the crime itself.
Examples of stories are the suspicious murder of a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, after he tried to block the auction of papers previously owned and written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the strange situation of a war criminal living in New York in between the people he helped displace, an old criminal who just can't help himself and many others. In all stories there is something not quite ordinary, and David Grann wants to know what it is. He carefully tries to show all sides of the story, interviewing the criminal, prosecutor and victims, sometimes following them for long periods.
The stories were all very interesting, and I like Grann's writing. He really takes you along on his journey. I did like The Lost City of Z better, maybe because it was only about one thing, and there he described the story from his time and his point of view, and from the point of view of Fawcett. Here it is all his point of view. Still, it is an entertaining and interesting read, all about subjects I knew nothing about. Three out of five stars.

Book #133: The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami (31-10-2011)
I love reading the works of the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. His stories always are slightly unreal. They take place in our world, but magic and weird happenings are very much a part of it. I love how his characters accept this and go with it.
This is a collection of short stories, all weird, all taking place in Japan. The first story is the base for the later novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (which I loved), and some of the characters reappear multiple times, making the stories somewhat connected. Other than that, many themes reappear, such as insomnia, a love or fear of Sundays, men alone, western foods or music and death in a specific form. I have a feeling you could analyse this book and come away with many new insights, but even as just an entertaining read, it is very good. For those who love Murakami and his style, I highly recommend this book. Four out of five stars.

Book #134: Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (1-11-2011/ 2-11-2011)
What if, at the end of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the group led by Van Helsing doesn’t manage to kill Dracula? What if, instead, he stays in England, and charmes the most wanted widow of them all? What if he marries Queen Victoria and becomes the Lord Protector?
That what this book is about. We are in London in the late nineteenth century. Dracula is effectively ruling England, and vampires are very common. It has become fashionable to turn, and most of life takes place at night. Van Helsing is beheaded, and other members of his group are trying to stay out of sight as not to incur the wrath of Dracula himself. Meanwhile, a killer of low vampire whores in Whitechapel is drawing attention, not only of Scotland Yard, but also of the Diogenes Club and of course Dracula himself.
Not only the characters from Dracula appear in this book, also characters from other books, like Lestrade, Mycroft and the Diogenes Club from Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper and Inspector Abberline, Joseph Merrick, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and many others. So many others in fact, that a 15 page section is included as to where all the references come from. The story was a fun read, both exploring what would happen with a vampire like Dracula in charge, and what and who Jack the Ripper could be. It is a fun pulpy read, with nasty non-sparkly and some sophisticated vampires. Four out of five stars.

Book #135: De laatste eenhoorn/The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (2-11-2011 / 3-11-2011)
I have never seen the movie "The Last Unicorn", but I had heard of it, and I knew that the book was supposed to be better. I found the book a couple of months ago at a second-hand shop for only 50 cents, so I had to have it. When I mentioned I was reading it on one of the LibraryThing talk forums, people were jealous I got to read it for the first time.
Did it live up to the expectations? Yes, it sure did. It is a fantasy story about the last unicorn, who, when she hears that she is supposed to be the last, goes on a quest to find out what happened to the other unicorns. On the way, a wizard and a woman join her cause to go to a depressing land with a depressing king and a fierce monster. In essence it is a classic fantasy/heroic story. We have a unicorn, a prince, a beautiful girl, a curse, love, despair, and all those themes. But it is written with a lot of wit and humor, which makes this a very funny and great read. Short but very sweet, four out of five stars.

@105 I like Kim Newman Dracula series a lot. Although I only just got to read the 1st one Anno Dracula this year as it was out of print before. It's different from the others but I still think it would be worth tracking the next one: Bloody Red Baron (the original cover is gorgeously OTT)

and the Last Unicorn sounds like fun!

106, I hope that they will also reissue Bloody Red Baron, it (and the rest of the series) sounds like good fun!



Book #136: The Magician King by Lev Grossman (5-11-2011 / 8-11-2011)
Almost two years ago I read The Magicians by Lev Grossman, because I loved his previous book, The Codex. The Codex was a Dan Brown like historical adventure. The Magicians was something completely different. It is often described as Harry Potter for adults with a nice cross over to Narnia. And it is. Kids graduating from high school go to a secret magic college called Brakebills. But more interesting is, what happens after graduation? What do you do then? And then they figure out Filleroy (Narnia) is real, and they have an adventure. A real one, with pain, horrors and death, and with a bitter-sweet happy ending.
This is the sequel, with small references to the first book, as well as using the same characters. The four remaining characters from The Magicians are the four kings of Filleroy. But weird things are happening, and Quentin is craving an adventure, a quest. And he gets what he wishes for, when he is dumped back on earth.
The story is again dark, with pretty awful things happening to everybody. The mythology of the world (Earth, Neitherland and Filleroy) is worked out further, and more background is given to what Julia had to go through to learn and earn magic. Heartbreaking stuff. Meanwhile, Quentin learns what it means to be a hero.
I loved the first book, and loved this one too. For me it is a wonderful mix of fantasy and a real story (nothing young adult here). Four out of five stars.

I tried The Last Unicorn a few months ago and had trouble getting into it... like you I was persuaded by the glowing recommendations. I laid it aside, but will pick it up again, I think, due to your review.

Wonderful reviews!

I've heard such mixed things about The Magicians that I decided against reading it - but now I'm hearing such good things about The Magician King that I might just have to read The Magicians anyhow so I can read The Magician King.

Love the cover of Anno Dracula!

109, Please do. It takes a bit to get going, but the humor in it is very refreshing. It doesn't take itself too seriously and pokes fun at "high-fantasy". It probably depends on what your humor is, but for me it was great.

@110, Here on LT I get the feeling that you either really like The Magicians or think it is absolute crap. I loved the first one, so I loved this one, but I guess it is different for everyone. I am not easily bother by writing that others on LT find terrible, and as long as the story is good, I have great allowances for the characterization and writing. Not saying this is bad writing, but I have heard/read people complain about it.
And yeah, Anno Dracula really shows how good cover design can appeal to readers. I love it!

106, Ha, next year in April they are reissuing The Bloody Red Baron. Yay!

I've been trying to decide whether to give The Magician King a shot. I didn't hate The Magicians, but I didn't love it either. I had some problems with it. I might have to try it anyway just to fulfill my completionist streak though!

Book #137: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan (8-11-2011 / 9-11-2011)
Ever since reading the Percy Jackson series I am addicted to Rick Riordan's books. I know they are meant for young adults, but they are fun reads, with lovely integration of Greek and Egyptian mythology and kid heroes. This is the second book in the Kane Chronicles, focussing on Sadie and Carter Kane and the Egyptian gods.
It is three months after the events from The Red Pyramid. Sadie and Kane are training new recruits in their Brooklyn safe house, when Carter hears from Horus that they have only five days to save the world. They have to revive the sun-god Ra who hasn't been the ruler of the gods in millennia. Meanwhile the snake of Chaos Apophis is rising and wants to throw the whole world into chaos.
It is a simple fun, adventurous read. A lot of action happens really fast, and a lot of monsters and gods show up. I have no idea how kids like these books, but I like them. Sometimes I don't believe that Sadie is supposed to be 13, and Carter 14, not only because of the heroism they display, but also because of the way they handle relationships, grief and living on their own. I have no idea if kids are really this mature, or if Riordan just wrote miniature adults. Anyway, another fun Riordan book, four out of five stars.

Book #138: Oorlog met de Salamanders/War with the Newts by Karel Capek (9-11-2011 / 10-11-2011)
In my quest to read more classic science fiction I couldn't leave out Karel Capek's War with the Newts. I have no idea how I know about this book, because when I look at the lists of best sci-fi books and the awards it has won, it is not that famous. But it is good. This book was published in 1936, but it doesn't show its age. It could have been written recently and set in that time.
A captain who is travelling in the seas of Indonesia discovers a bay where according to the local people, devils live. His pearl-divers, also Asian, are terrified, but the captain is intrigued. He discovers that the 'devils' are in fact salamanders or newts that live in shallow salt water. They are pretty smart, and soon the captain teaches them to dive for pearls, language and defense (against the sharks, who eat them). A company is started that exploits the newts as pearl divers, and later as workers at the coast and under water. Harbors are expanded, coastlines are grown, and the newts multiply. They are pretty smart, so how long will this last in balance?
The book is told from many different view points, and also through minutes from meetings and articles from newspapers and magazines. In this way, this reminds me of books like World War Z and Robopocalypse. It feels surprisingly modern. The only qualm I have is that the ending feels... tacked on. The story goes, and in the next to last chapter life for the humans looks pretty bleak. But in the last chapter the writer has a discussion with his conscious in which he philosophizes about how humankind could survive. With my modern reading background this feels unnecessary. All in all a great book, and highly recommended. Four out of five stars.

oo I have War with Newts in my TBR, glad to see another good review of it.

It holds up very well, considering it is 80 years old. I am sure you will like it.

I have to have it.... just for the cover alone!

I know, it is gorgeous and fun :D

Ooh, local bookshop website says it's "forthcoming" (another edition, with a nice cover), will keep my eye open for that one... Let's hope they get it in stock!

Another scifi classic:



Book #139: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (11-11-2011 / 14-11-2011)
This book was written at the same time as the script for the Stanley Kubrick movie. I have never seen the movie, but if it is as good as the book I must see it. All I knew about it before reading this book was about HAL, the onboard computer who says "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid can't do that.".
The book is divided into three parts. The first part takes place three million years ago, before humans were humans. The second part takes place in the nineties, when mankind discovers a strange artifact on the moon. The last, and biggest part, takes place during a mission to Saturn. This last part is where HAL shows up, the cognitive on board computer with its own mission.
I really liked this book, another one of those classic science fiction works that holds up well over time (if you ignore the dates, we should have bases in space by now). The ideas are original, realistic and out there. Especially great was the section in the back, written by Clarke in 1982, about how the book held up over time (it is from 1968, before the first moon landing even) and the influence it has had on space exploration since then. A must read for science fiction fans, four out of five stars.

I read 2001: A Space Odyssey many, many years ago. I do like the movie - its special effects are absolutely astounding. But it does have a very long trippy bit towards the end that is a bit much to sit through. (The 1960s have a lot to answer for.)

I can't remember the differences between the two; I know you get more explanation about HAL's behaviour in the book than you do in the movie, so it's a nice companion piece, I always felt. (Although I seem to remember reading once that Clarke never wanted the book to work as an explanation of the movie. Sorry, but I think the horse has bolted on that one.)

Book #140: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (14-11-2011 / 15-11-2011)
When I was younger (elementary school) I must have borrowed Het Oneindige Verhaal (The Neverending Story) dozens of times. In my memory it was a beautiful hardcover edition, printed in red and blue ink (red for the world, blue for Fantastica). I have been looking for such an edition for years, but it is quite hard to find. Last weekend, when looking through the books at a second-hand shop, I found an English paperback copy. Even though it doesn't have the two colors (instead the distinction is made by cursive and non-cursive). I couldn't keep this book in the case too long, so I immediately (re-)read it.
And it is as good as I remember. I had forgotten some parts (the length of Bastian's part of the story), and misremembered some (I though the Childlike Empress was a lot less nice than she was). But I love this book. I love the characters, the story, the morale, the simple writing. I need to have this in Dutch to so I can read it to my future children. And I need to see the movie again. Five out of five stars.

Book #141: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (15-11-2011 / 17-11-2011)
When I bought (many) books on our last vacation to England I bought a lot of first books in series that everybody seems to love. I bought the first parts in the Discworld series, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant trilogy, Malazan Book of the Fallen series and The Dark Tower. This is the first part of The Dark Tower, a fantasy series written by Stephen King.
Because this book is so different from the horror that King normally writes, and because people are raving so much about this series, I found it hard to know what to expect. But I think this has been a good thing, because it is hard to describe this book. It follows Rolland, a gunslinger, who is following The Man in Black. It takes place in a world like our, but (to me) it was unclear if it is a parallel world, a dystopian future, a different planet. Some things come from our time (they sing Hey Jude, and one character knows New York), but all in all this world is very different. When reading it I found it hard to find orientation points on which I could anchor my experience with this book. This meant that it felt more like an experience, like an introduction to set the mood, than a full-fledged book one of seven. I am intrigued and want to read more, four out of five stars.

Book #142: Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks (17/11/2011 - 23/11/2011)
In Iain M. Banks Culture Universe, somewhere very far in the future, it is normal to make a back-up of yourself, your mind. If something definite would happen to your body, this means that you can be remade from the back-up, in any shape or form desired. There are also many virtual worlds where these back-ups can live without bodies. So essentially you are immortal, even though your body dies. For some species other than the culture, this concept is daunting, and to cope with this, they have fitted it into their existing belief structures. For people who "die" in those species, there is a virtual afterlife where they can live on. But how fair is it to give everyone a shot at a fantastic, everything-is-possible afterlife? What about the murderers, the villains, the crooks? Those species that felt that way have created virtual heavens and hells.
This book, like most Banks science fiction novels, follows several different story lines, that come together wonderfully at the end. We have Veppers, a rich business man who owns half a world and thinks himself to be quite something. We have Lededje, in essence his property and slave. We have the virtual war between the anti- and pro-Hell factions, a war to decide if the Hells should be destroyed. We have the Culture, who seems to have an opinion in this war but tries it's "Culturally" best to remain neutral. We have other level 7 and level 8 species who seem to be involved in the war. And we have a real risk that the war will move from the virtual to the Real.
In the beginning of the book it took me a little while to get into it, because I was tired and busy, and it took some focus to get into the right frame of mind to grasp all that was happening. The descriptions of the experiences of two of the characters actually in one of the Hells were pretty graphic and made me a bit queasy sometimes, although I guess that was the point. Like I said, in the end it all came together great, and while I would have liked to see more Culture, I really liked this book. Four out of five stars.

Book #143: Only Human by Gareth Roberts (23-11-2011 / 24-11-2011)
The Doctor Who books (new 2005 series) are all short but very sweet. They are pretty simple, but I love how they convey the same humor and feelings that a traditional Doctor Who tv episode does. The books I have read so far all had that same great humor by the Doctor that I love, which is why these books are almost like comfort food for me.
In this book the Doctor (9th) and Rose find a genuine Neanderthal in the UK, in Bromley, in the twenty-first century. When they find out how he got there, they discover a colony of future humans living in 26.000 BC. They are using a crude time-travel device, and the Doctor needs to figure out what they are doing there and stop them using the device again. Meanwhile, there is also the problem of the Neaderthal to think of.
Like I said, a great short book, truly Doctor Who. Four out of five stars.



Book #144: Het oog van de reiger/The Eye of the Heron by Ursula Le Guin (24-11-2011 / 27-11-2011)
This year one of the writers I have 'discovered' in my mission to read more old science fiction is Ursula Le Guin. Her books can be fantasy or science fiction, and usually a mixture of both.
This story takes us to Victoria, an Earth like planet. There are two groups of humans on the planets, the ruling group, once exiled from Earth for being too violent and warmongering, and the peaceful group, exiled because they were part of a passive resistance group marching from Russia to Vancouver. When the peaceful group want to move on to a new piece of land it soon comes out that while the peaceful group thinks they are on even ground with the 'Bosses', the 'Bosses' feel they rule over them. This leads to conflict where the peaceful resistance is put to the test.
In the middle of all this is Luz, the daughter of one of the 'Bosses'. She has the privileged life, but feels wrong about all that is happening. She has to choose how to live her life, and live with the consequences.
There was not much science fiction, almost all of it was ideology, passive resistance against forcible enforcement. The story was ok, but not what I expected or liked. I have read more enjoyable stories by Le Guin. This one gets three out of five stars.

Hi, Catching up as I've been absent for a while but can always count on your thread for excellent reviews.

Thanks!

Book #145: De hoeksteen van de Foundation/Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (28-11-2011 / 01-12-2011)
When I want to read something I am sure to enjoy, Isaac Asimov is one of the writers I can always turn to. Last year I read the first Foundation trilogy, and I found the second trilogy in my dad's old collection (from which the first also came). I saved it, and decided to start on it this week, with Foundation's Edge (De hoeksteen van de Foundation).
It is 498 years into Seldon's Plan, and about a 150 years after the events of 'Second Foundation' and The Mule. The First Foundation has convinced itself that the Second Foundation is destroyed or nothing more than a myth. But people are getting suspicious, both in the First and Second Foundation. The Plan is going a little too well. While they are expecting more deviations because of the time-distance between Seldon and now, there are in fact nearly none. Slowly the First Foundation turns its eye to the Second Foundation. And the Second Foundation turns its eye to... To whom?
Like the previous Foundation books, I really liked this one. I like the premise of this universe,of the Seldon Plan, of the mental power of the Second Foundation, and the added bonus in this book, a link between The Foundation and the Robot stories Asimov also wrote (with the Three Laws at its base). For me, this was four out of five stars.

Book #146: De Meesterdromer/The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula le Guin (01-12-2011)
Another one of the writers that I know I'll like most of the time is Ursula Le Guin. This book is not part of one of her series, but stand-alone.
The main character in this book, George Orr has noticed that some of his dreams come true. They are not predictive dreams, but they come true retroactively, changing the world to fit the dream. He gets desperate to stop the dreams and uses drugs illegally, using other people's medical cards. The world he lives in is a dystopian future (in the 1980's) of pollution, over-population, food- and space-shortages. He gets caught and forced into voluntary therapy. The therapist, Haber, has a machine that can force Orr to have the vivid dreams that change the world, and he uses them for his own goals. Orr wants to fight back, because the changes, while usually made in good faith, make the world a very different and not necessarily better place to live in.
I really liked this book, which was short but sweet. It explored the ethical question about knowingly changing the world, and how balance must always exist. A good, short read. Four out of five stars.

Book #147: De laatste dag/The Shores of Space by Richard Matheson (06-12-2011 / 07-12-2011)
As break from another book I am reading I read the short story collection De laatste dag (with stories from The Shores of Space and Shock!) by Richard Matheson. The stories are science fiction and horror stories. Most of them seem pretty normal, taking place in the nineteen-fifties on earth, and then take a turn for the weird, horrific or futuristic.
The stories range from weird aliens on earth, strange space-travel, a 2003-way of dealing with over-population, stories dealing with identity and straight-up horror stories. The book doesn’t really show it’s age (if you ignore the smoking going on in the future). Most stories seem familiar because they have been done many times, but those were original back then.
It is a great read, a classic collection. Four out of five stars.

Book #148: The Illustrated Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake (03-12-2011 / 16-12-2011)
Last summer I watched the BBC series "Faulks on Fiction", where, through four themes (hero, lover, snob, villain) Sebastian Faulks talked about British literature. One of the books mentioned there, and which I have seen come up on LibraryThing every now and then, was Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake. After spotting a nice hardcover illustrated edition last summer, I put it on my wish list, and dear Sinterklaas brought me the book a couple of weeks ago.
This edition includes 'Titus Groan', 'Gormenghast' and 'Titus Alone'. The first two books take place in Gormenghast, a huge castle and landed area where the Groan family has ruled for 76 generations. The life on Gormenghast is filled with ritual and tradition, and change is impossible. In this world, Titus Groan is born as the seventy-seventh Lord of Gormenghast. The first book, while it caries his name as the title, covers just the first couple of years of his life, and is more about other people, like his sister Fuchsia, his aunts, his father, the famous villain Steerpike and the life on Gormenghast. The second book covers the teenage years of Titus, and also takes place on Gormenghast. The last book covers Titus away from Gormenghast, and the 'outside' world.
The writing style of Mervyn Peake was something I really had to get used to. The story seemed to be more about the setting of the mood, and there (initially at least) isn't much action in the story. Many pages cover mere minutes, and the descriptions are very elaborate. After I finished I read online that this work can be described as surrealistic, and I can agree. But when I allowed the book to set the pace, instead of trying to rush ahead to find some action, I really enjoyed it. I have the feeling a lot of the story has an alternate meaning, which is confirmed by just reading the Wikipedia pages on these books), but just as a book, it is also very good. I give it four out of five stars.

Excellent review. I haven't read the books but I love the BBC mini-series of Gormenghast which I think follows the first two books. It's a bit dated now but still enjoyable.

I have seen some scenes from the mini-series. I hardly watch any TV or movies, so I doubt I'll watch it, but it is nice to know it is there :D



Book #149: Het gefluister in de duisternis by H. P. Lovecraft (16-12-2011 / 19-12-2011)
This is the first story collection of Lovecraft that I have read, I am ashamed to say. While I recognize and know of Cthulhu, I have never read a story by Lovecraft about this mythology (I did read one by Neil Gaiman). This collection contained two, The Call of Cthulhu and The Whisperer in Darkness. They, and the other stories were all very good.
The stories, from the early twentieth-century show their age a bit. This is mostly because other writers later on have used the same tricks so often that I think for a modern writer most surprises can be seen coming from a mile away. The shocking reveal in the last sentence isn't that horrific or shocking anymore. However, because the stories take place in the time in which they were written, there are no crazy predictions that turned out to be false (unless you count Pluto being a planet ;)).
A very good collection, and I cannot wait to read more Lovecraft stories. Four out of five stars.

Been a while since I popped by here! I'm glad you liked Lathe of Heaven, I thought that was a good read too. And Gormenghast! I'm beginning to think I may have to dig up my copy for a re-read sometime soonish...

I've read some Lovecraft, but he's not my cup of tea, really.

Book #150: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (19-12-2011 / 22-12-2011)
One of the classics that has been on my wish list for a couple of years now is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and a few weeks ago, Sinterklaas brought the book with him for me. This is the first book I have read by Dickens, but of course I know his stories (especially A Christmas Carol) from other adaptions.
In this book we hear the story of Pip, an orphan raised by his sister and her husband. They are poor, and his sister isn't very nice to Pip. But in his life several things happen that lead him to have great expectations. He meets a scary escaped convict on the marshes, he get called to a strange single lady called Miss Havisham (who I knew from the Thursday Next novels), he gets his apprenticeship as a blacksmith, he gets a great offer, he finds out who is who, and in the end, everything is connected.
Even though the story is flowing from one end to another, and the changes sometimes seem a bit random, I really liked this book. The descriptions were great, as was Pip. He has his flaws, but he knows this and admits this. I couldn't put this book down, and am glad I finally read it. Four out of five stars.

Book #151: The Stealers of Dreams by Steve Lyons (23-12-2011)
After seeing some Doctor Who reruns on TV this past week, I couldn't wait to pick up another Doctor Who book to dive back into that world and experience another Doctor Who adventure.
In this book, the Doctor (the ninth), Rose and Captain Jack are on a world that has been colonized by humans. But even though we are far into the future, progress hasn't been made. The strangest thing is that dreaming, lying and fiction are illegal on this planet. At first they suspect a sinister ruling force trying to keep the human population dumb, but soon the Doctor figures out that the truth is a lot more complicated than that.
What can I say? Like the other Doctor Who books, this was another fun read, in the same vein as the show and the other books. I loved being back with the Doctor and Rose, and am glad I have a few more waiting for me. Four out of five stars.

Merry Christmas, Sara!

What a lot of classic science fiction you've been reading! Great fun!

Thanks and you too.

I sorted out my Mount TBR (the pile that doesn't fit in my current bookcases anymore), and have two banana boxes (double layered) full of Sci-Fi for next year :D

Book #152: The Day of the Triffids/De Triffids Komen by John Wyndham (24-12-2011 / 25-12-2011)
I don't know how, or from where, but the title "The Day of the Triffids" (or De Triffids komen in the Dutch version) has always (in my memory) been familiar to me. I have never seen the film, and had never read the book, so when I saw this book in a second hand bookshop I picked it up.
It's the seventies, and in a hospital Bill wakes up to a strange day. He has bandages across his eyes, due to an accident the week before, but he can hear something is wrong. He hears no traffic, no people, only screams now and then. When he investigates he finds that everybody who has seen the spectacular green meteor shower the night before has woken up blind. The rest of the story is the story of how Bill and a few others try to come to grips with what has happened, and try to survive. And the Triffids? They are plants, or plant-like, that have appeared a few years before, that are more than just your average invasive species, even more so after the blindness has struck.
For such an old book (first published in 1951, pretty old for a sci-fi novel) it seemed pretty modern to me. For me it reminded me of The Road, Oryx and Crake, and of The Passage, both stories of people trying to survive in a very bleak dystopian future. The story was very good, and seemed very realistic too. Like all older novels it was pretty short (my version was 256 pages), for me it could have been as massive as The Passage, but it was still very good. What else can I say, for lovers of dystopian novels, this is a must read. Five out of five stars.

I love that cover :)

Some of the old SF books I have (from the sixties and seventies) have the most wonderful covers :-)

Last book of the year:


Book #153: An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (26-12-2011 / 31-12-2011)
My last book of 2011 is An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is the story about and told by a Japanese artist just after World War II, who is coming to terms with his role in the war and Japanese nationalism.
The main character, Ono, is an old widow living in Tokyo. He tells the readers about the struggle to find a good husband for his youngest daughter. While he tells this story, we as readers find out about Ono's life and career, and the different way the younger generations look towards what he has accomplished. He was a very respected artist, and now the view on his work, which was nationalistic, has changed, and also the view towards elders has changed. Slowly Ono comes to terms with this, and the changing world.
The "Floating World" refers to the world of pleasure before the rise of Japanese nationalism, and the world in which Ono was trained. He says that with his later works he wanted to fight against this superficial world, with a few rich people and many poor. It takes him some time to realize that what he has done, or worked for, wasn't all good.
Like the other Ishiguro books that I have read, I loved the language and the story telling. His works have a slow rhythm to them, part of it is also about the feeling it gives you it seems to me. I really enjoyed this work, and the story. Four out of five stars.

It has been really interesting following your thread this year, so thanks & Happy New Year.

Hi, Sara ~ Somehow I lost track of you during the year and missed out on what you have been doing. From what I can tell froma brief look through your thread, it's been quite a lot! *Resolution for 2012: Keep in touch with Sara*

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Thanks all :D

My 2012 thread can be found here.