Bryanoz Reading in 2012 ; 2nd Edition.

New thread time, thanks to those who read, commented, and supported my first thread, happy reading to all !

My favourite reads so far this year :
1Q84, by Haruki Murakami
Autumn Laing, by Alex Miller
Sea Hearts, by Margo Lanagan
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
Who Fears Death, by Nnedi Okorafor
Blow on a Dead Man's Embers, by Mari Strachan
The Sot-Weed Factor, by John Barth
The Dead I Know, by Scot Gardner
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
Ancient Light, by John Banville
Railsea, by China Mieville
At Home, by Bill Bryson
The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt
The Street Sweeper, by Elliot Perlman
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

101. The Story of the Stone, by Cao Xueqin.

As part of my quest to finish The Novel 100, this Chinese classic from 1760 is ranked at 49.
Also known as the Dream of the Red Chamber and published in 5 volumes, this is the story of a sentient stone that wants to experience the world. When the main character Bao-yu is born, he is found to have a piece of jade in his mouth and so the stone's adventures begin.
Bao-yu is born into a very wealthy family and this story sets out their daily life, including the politics, meals, clothes, expectations, maids, religion, and more.
I was interested by the way of life in China over 200 years ago, but I suspect I have missed many of the finer points that make this series of novels such classics.

Off on a 7 day holiday with Chris to quiet Coffin Bay in western SA, no internet, packed plenty of books and wine, have a great week everyone !

I had a look at that list of 100. It seems a bit restricted - a couple of authors appear several times.

You are probably right Ian, Dickens gets 4 entries himself !?, but it has been a positive experience so far, I have read some great novels I might not have otherwise.
As for his choices - who could consider Finnegan's Wake a better novel than To Kill a Mockingbird or Catch 22 ??
Not me anyway !

Back from a nice holiday at Coffin Bay in South Australia, lots of walking, sleeping in, eating, and some reading !

102. Dodger, by Terry Pratchett.

A recent release and no mention of the discworld anywhere, Dodger is set in Victorian London and seems to be a tribute to Charles Dickens, certainly the character Dodger could be a close relation of the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist.
As well as Dickens we meet Henry Mayhew, Sweeney Todd, Benjamin Disraeli, and others in this humorous, sympathetic, and engaging story.

103. A Guide to the Beasts of Africa, by Nicholas Drayson.

Follow up to his A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and just as charming. Mr Maliki, Harry Khan, and Rose Mbikwa return as a famous murder is reexamined, the annual club safari is approaching, and the very existence of the Asadi Club is threatened. Humorous and delightful, just a nice light read !

104. Ysabel, by Guy Gavriel Kay.

This is a stand alone, Celtic, urban fantasy novel that won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
Ned and Kate are teenagers that get caught up in an ancient ritual of love and sacrifice, with danger, magic, and mystery following.
This is a well written and engaging story that had me keenly reading to see how it would be resolved.
Interestingly two characters from Kay's Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, Dave and Kim, have prominent roles in this story.

105. The Neddiad, by Daniel Pinkwater.

"This is the story of how Neddie, three good friends, a ghost, and a little maneuver known as the French substitution determine the fate of the world" - straight off the back cover and a great description of the story in this very creative, funny, and entertaining novel for children and oldies alike.

106. Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, by Haruki Murakami.

Another fine novel from this great writer. Murakami specializes in modern fantasies where average people find something in their world has changed, perhaps only subtly, with profound and unsettling consequences.

107. The Yggyssey, by Daniel Pinkwater.

Sequel to The Neddiad and just as fun and absurd !
I think the series goes :
The Neddiad
The Yggyssey
Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl
These novels are fun, inventive, crazy reads for kids and adults alike.

I'm liking the titles of these novels by Daniel Pinkwater. (Plus, "Pinkwater" is a great name!)

#11. Great titles, great author name, great stories !

I'm so glad to see all the Pinkwater love! I haven't gotten around to reading some of the newer ones yet, but I read the Neddiad when he was publishing a chapter per week online before the actual release of the book. I do know that he said it was the best thing he's written (though that was back when it was new).

You can get a bunch of the audiobooks (read by him) for free on his website: http://www.pinkwater.com/podcast/audioarchive.php
(none of which you can actually buy anywhere, he just does this to be awesome)

I think his style really helps kids, teenagers, and adults want to keep their imaginations active, and that's a great service.

Thanks for the Pinkwater information mabith, I agree with your comment on his imaginative style, must have a very positive effect !

108. The Sacred Band, by David Anthony Durham.

Book 3 of the Acacia trilogy and a fitting end to this epic fantasy saga.
There are plenty of surprises and twists amidst the expected war and subterfuge, and enough loose ends for further stories in the future.
I have enjoyed this series and happily recommend it !

New Terry Pratchett book A Blink of the Screen !
It is a collection of his shorter fiction throughout his career, including some of Josh Kirby's art work and Terry's own illustrations, it is going to be excellent !

109. Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier.

Sorcha has six older brothers, but it is her who is destined to defend her family and their lands.
This is a Celtic fantasy, a little slower paced than the epic fantasy tomes I have been reading, but refreshing and enjoyable nonetheless.
Suitable for adults and older teens, this was Marillier's first published novel, and first in the Sevenwaters trilogy. Also the first of hers I have read, another fantasy author added to the recommended list !

Ah, Juliet Marillier is my favorite fantasy writer. I kind of like her more because they are at a slower, more human, pace and because they're set in a real place and time with a real group of people. The Sevenwaters trilogy and her Viking diptych are my favorites by her.

Cheers mabith, I enjoyed the realistic pace and characters, and look forward to reading the next novel in the series.

Oh, have a Marillier novel somewhere, must find it and dust it off...

110. A Blink of the Screen, by Terry Pratchett.

Just published, and a long overdue collection of Terry's shorter fiction stories, beginning with 'The Hades Business', his first published work written when he was in high school !
There is a wide range of stories here, both Discworld and other, to delight any fan, plus there are some brilliant Josh Kirby illustrations !

111. Seven Types of Ambiguity, by Elliot Perlman.

After enjoying The Street Sweeper so much I had to read this, an earlier work.
This is a different but quite engaging novel in which seven people give their views on a particular controversial event.
Themes, people, lives, events are intertwined here to make a substantial and satisfying story.

112. The Shiny Guys, by Doug MacLeod.

Doug MacLeod writes for children and young adults and this is his most recent work. His The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher was exceptional and this novel is somewhat darker.
Colin is fifteen and is interred in ward 44, a psychiatric ward. He is struggling with reality and the shiny guys are human sized cockroaches that only he can see.
An ok read.

Not the best book review, I believe hanging around a pizza oven drinking copious amounts of wine may have something to do with it !!

113. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Published in 1883 and one of the best loved adventure stories ever written. Stevenson originally penned it for boys but there is enough characterisation and subtlety in this novel for us older, sophisticated (?) readers.
Amongst pirates, treasure, and skulduggery, there is also the coming-of-age for the boy narrator Jim Hawkins who has much to learn about right-and-wrong, and good-and-evil.
Ranked as no. 125 in Burt's The Novel 100, and a good read !

Just bought The Twelve !, sequel to the brilliant The Passage, by Justin Cronin !!!

114. Vernon God Little, by DBC Pierre.

Vernon's best friend has just massacred a number of students at their high school. Vernon wasn't there but he is being blamed for the tragedy and just about everything else !
Pierre's language and main character are quite rough, and at the start I thought I might not enjoy the book, but it gradually grew on me.
Pierre's first novel and won the Booker in 2003. !

115. The Twelve, by Justin Cronin.

Sequel to the brilliant The Passage, The Twelve does not disappoint. We are taken back to the viral outbreak to meet new characters and gain insights into the experiments, but most of the story occurs 97 AV, where a risky but too good to miss opportunity arises for the resistance.
The menace of the virals, the courage of survivors, the timely twists in the story, the just great writing that captured us in the first book continue in The Twelve, a great read, now to wait for the third book !

Oh, I must read The Passage... Have to say, Treasure Island was a favourite of my youth. Great fun! And I liked Vernon God Little too. Some good reading happening here.

Cheers wookie, get to The Passage soon, it is a unforgettable read ! Have you got to Autumn Laing yet ?

116. Persuasion, by Jane Austin.

This is my third Austin, after Emma and Pride and Prejudice, and I'm not sure what all the acclaim is about.
Published in 1818, this was Austen's last novel and is a nice enough romance. Anne Elliot is sorting out which of the elible bachelors she will accept, and instead of latching on the richest, she looks for character and understanding.
Ranked as the 51st best novel in Burt's The Novel 100, which I am crawling my way though.

117. Siggy and Amber, by Doug MacLeod.

Another teenage humorous novel by the Australian writer Doug MacLeod. Quite funny and touching I enjoyed this story of teenage love, ghosts, office supplies, and rubbish dumps.

You may never talk to me again, but I'm afraid Autumn Laing was one of the books I stalled on last month. I just couldn't focus on it. :(

But you're dissing my favourite Jane Austen up above, so maybe it all evens out. :)

(It's about lost love, and second chances, and horrible families, and standing up for oneself, and bitterness, and love lasting beyond all hope, and that wonderful letter at the end makes me so, so happy. I wouldn't have said it was about Anne "sorting out which of the elible bachelors she will accept". :)

wookie let's call it even, I've noticed Autumn Laing polarises readers, either we love it or don't finish it !
Sorry to discount your favourite Austin novel, I suppose the main thing is that you and many, many others enjoy her work, I may be missing the gene/IQ/subtlety required !?

My mum and sister are big Austen fans, so I've been on the edge of it all my life. It rubs off, even though I much prefer modern literature. (Victorian literature in particular I find quite heavy going.) I doubt it's a gene/IQ thing, but maybe it's a subtlety thing, I rather like that idea. They're definitely about small things on one level.

I really like this short essay by Yann Martel about Austen: http://www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca/2007/09/03/book-number-11-the-watsons-b... - I think it put a lot of it into perspective for me and gave me a greater enjoyment.

I did like what I read of Autumn Laing, I just couldn't give it the attention I felt it deserved. My loss, indeed, the other novels I've read by Alex Miller have been great.

118. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan.

Begins as a job in an eccentric charming book shop, quickly escalates into a quest involving secret societies, Google searches, and immortality !
Enjoyable, escapist read, happy to recommend it.

119. The Great Disruption, by Paul Gilding.

This is an important book about the future. Gilding clearly outlines how a global crisis is looming because we are living beyond the planet's resources, and just as the reader is getting desperate, explains that we will be able to change our wasteful ways, and that a bright future is likely.
Anyone interested in the future for themselves but particularly their children, will want to read this informative and important book

I can't manage to understand the appeal of Jane Austen either, much to the dismay of my father. I absolutely love Elizabeth Gaskell though, who was born 35 years after Austen. She's much more overtly funny and deals with more relevant social issues (in some of her books at least). She's also extremely good at understanding human behavior and making her characters feel very real.

Thanks mabith, is there a particular Elizabeth Gaskell book you would recommend ?

120. Starbook, by Ben Okri.

Really enjoyed this magical story/fable, written with the beautiful language that the great writers like Ben Okri can muster.
Was surprised by librarything reviews that likened the story to a new age sermon, there are some 'new age' ideas here but I found it to be a powerful, sensitive, illuminating read !
His The Famished Road is another excellent novel.

Cranford and My Lady Ludlow are both very funny, the first mocks the older, lower-middle class women who think they're above everyone and the second is mocking the upper class "lone judgemental old woman who runs the county" sort. North and South is an industrial/social novel. I really enjoyed it, and it's interesting to read in that it went against prevailing opinions of the time. It's a romance, in essence, but it's focused around the cotton industry and labor disputes.

Thanks mabith, I'll look into them.
Bogged down reading Clarissa and having to work 5 days this week, definitely slowing things down.

121. The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness.

Wasn't sure about this book at the beginning but I was gradually drawn in as the story unfolded.
Good fantasy for teens and older.
Another series that I have to read !?

I loved the Patrick Ness trilogy. I remember the opening of The Knife of Never Letting Go for the best first sentence ever! I'm halfway through The Twelve and it is everything I hoped it would be. Loved your comments above.

Vernon God Little seems to be one of those books that is either loved or hated, nothing in between. I am one of those who loved it.

My parents bought us kids a beautiful set of red leather bound classics including Treasure Island. I read them all when I was young but haven't read them since. Perhaps I should get them off the highest shelf (yes, I quietly packed them when I left home, the brothers and sisters didn't notice) and reread them.

Count me towards the fan numbers of The Knife of Never Letting Go! A great read, the whole trilogy. I have Cranford (or one of them) somewhere, and Mum's also a fan of North and South, may have to borrow that if Cranford turns out well. (I think there was a BBC adaptation of North and South recently-ish?)

The BBC North and South is really excellent. I actually watched it before I read any Gaskell, and that's what made me seek her out.

Local library has copy of Cranford so I'll read that one, thanks.

122. The Time Keeper, by Mitch Albom.

An ok fable about how time has imprisoned us, and how precious every moment is.

123. The End of the Road, by John Barth.

Barth's second novel and a similar style to the first (The Floating Opera).
Both involve a love triangle and a psychological approach.
Ok, but his following sizeable novel The Sot-Weed Factor was a vastly better read !

124. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky.

Charlie is a troubled 15 year old boy who writes letters to an anonymous person.
Perks takes quite a thoughtful look at young adult lives ; Charlie learns about assertiveness and being himself.
A nice read.

Half way through Clarissa, only 750 pages to go !?

125. The Ask and the Answer, by Patrick Ness.

This is the second volume in the Chaos Walking trilogy and continues the intriguing story of Todd and Viola as they struggle to look after each other and set things right in a mystifying and dangerous world.
Written for teens but very readable for us oldies, Ness gradually reveals the history and life stories of his fantasy world, which together with the action and twists, means this story grabs hold and doesn't let go !
Onto the third volume Monsters of Men.

126. Who Could That Be At This Hour ?, by Lemony Snicket.

Snicket is well-known for his 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' and has followed it with a new series 'All the Wrong Questions'.
This first volume concerns a young Lemony Snicket who is apprenticed to the worst chaperone, their mission to find a stolen object and return it to the rightful owner.
I enjoyed this quirky, humorous, clever story and look forward to more. I have only read the first 2 of his 'Unfortunate Events' series and will read the rest of them.

I have enjoyed the 6 or 7 of Unfortunate Events that I have read and am always wanting to finish the series . . oh well one day I'm sure it will happen. I'll have to look out for his new series now as well.

Glad you're enjoying Chaos Walking! I've only read the first Unfortunate Events, but it was good. I think I have the second somewhere, must dig it up.

#54. judylou you will enjoy this new book, it is quite quirky and interesting !

#55. wookie I think the 2nd and 3rd Chaos books are even better, a great series.
I read the 2nd Unfortunate Events because it was titled 'The Reptile Room' and I am into reptiles !
Will read the whole series, I am interested to see where it goes.

127. Monsters of Men, by Patrick Ness.

Final book in the 'Chaos Walking' trilogy and a fitting conclusion.
In the first two books we experienced the story through Todd and Viola's eyes, but in 'Monsters' a third voice is added, an indigenous survivor known as 1017.
Plenty of action, twists, corruption, and surprises !
Wiki tells me there is a film adaptation in the works, and a "short prequel to the trilogy available free on Kindle. The story tells of Viola and her parents on the convoy, leading up to the crash landing of their spaceship on New World."

128. John Dies At The End, by David Wong.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, sort of a comedic horror novel, very funny with more absurd horror than anything really scary. Very engaging, I imagine any reluctant teenage (or older) boys would be ensnared by the lunacy and unpredictability of this story.
Film coming out soon.
Will be reading the newly released sequel This Book is Full of Spiders where apparently David's (and hopefully his hilarious offsider) incompetent attempts to avert an apocalypse continue.
The trailer for the Spider book is interesting if you have a few minutes !
Looking over my recent books, I have had some great reads
lately !

I do love the title of John Dies at the End, I hope it lives up to it!

Sure does wookie, funny and engaging read !

Now onto some book about a 100 year old man climbing through windows !?

Two more wishlisted books. They sound like fun. And the 100 year old man book? Can't wait to hear about that one.

How funny, I just persuaded Mum to buy The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared for Dad for Xmas. Hoping it comes my way sometime in the New Year, too. ;)

Damn, now I have to add John Dies at the End to my wishlist. Damn.

129. The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, by Jonas Jonasson.

This is a very enjoyable, quietly amusing, feel good novel.
Centurion Allen Karlsson is in his nursing home room reluctantly waiting for his birthday party. Instead he climbs out the window and a remarkable adventure begins.
Complementing his escapades we experience his earlier life, in which we find out Allen has had a far reaching influence on the 20th century.
Happy to recommend this enjoyable novel with a wise message enclosed.

@58 nice review, I can't wait for the film version :) I thought the sequel was a much better novel even if slightly less funny

130. Grimm Tales, by Philip Pullman.

Philip Pullman has selected 50 of his favourite Brothers Grimm tales, and reworked them to make them 'clear as water'.
Popular tales such as Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, and Little Red Riding Hood are here, as well as many lesser known stories.
Pullman adds helpful comments about the origins and meanings of stories.
Enjoyed the stories, many are a little nasty so check them before reading to the very young !

131. The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers.

This is a beautifully written and compelling account of a young American soldier in war-torn Iraq, and his life afterwards. The subject is tough but the writing is exquisite. Chris Cleave's review -
"Reaffirms the power of fiction to tell the truth about the unspeakable...I urge everyone to read it.", sums it up nicely.
Powerful.

132. Clarissa: or the History of a Young Lady, by Samuel Richardson.

Some notes on Clarissa -
Published 1747-48.
1499 pages of small print in the Penguin edition.
Ranked 50th best novel by Daniel Burt in The Novel 100.
Consists of 517 letters written between characters.
Not much happens.

Clarissa is a young woman of integrity who is at odds with her family over her choice of husband. She becomes entangled with the 'bad' choice Lovelace, and her and others' morals, empathies, and loyalties are tested.

Burt ranks this novel because it was one of the first novels to not rely on action but take a closer look at each character's psychology and morals. A contemporary friend is quoted "if you we're to read Richardson for the story, your impatience would be so much fretted, that you would hang yourself".
Excruciatingly slow and at least three times longer than it needs to be, not a recommended read.

133. Dream Class, by Michael Linsin.

Written by an American teacher, this is a clearly presented and motivating book about turning any class into your Dream Class. Many great ideas here !

I just heard about Grimm Tales today, in another place, and I really really want to read it.

And congrats for making it through Clarissa; I'm afraid to even try.

Hope you enjoy Grimm Tales jfetting, thanks for your support with Clarissa, there are plenty of much better classic reads, like Don Quixote or Middlemarch, or just about anything else !

134. This Book is Full of Spiders : Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It, David Wong.

Having enjoyed his first book John Dies The End so much I was very keen to read the sequel, and it is every bit as good.
David and John are hopelessly inept and yet again find themselves having to save the world from a nasty spider parasite. Hilarious with a slight touch of horror, and I may have detected a slight hint of maturity in Wong's writing as his characters ponder some deeper issues.
Very funny, book trailer is worth watching, and I'm sure the movie is already being planned.

I did like the book trailer (and the book!). Most amusing, think it was one of the best horror books all year.. certainly the most amusing

135. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green.

Enjoyed this book about 16 year old Hazel who has a terminal cancer diagnosis and her coping with family, a boyfriend, and her favourite ever unfinished novel.
Humorous, tragic, and insightful.

I've been eyeing off Grimm Tales at the local bookshop. Must... remain... strong...!

Have been finding it easier to resist The Fault in Our Stars - I'm sure it's great, I'm also sure I don't think I'd be very good after reading a book about children with cancer.

And I've dipped into Middlemarch a bit of late. Will 2013 be the year I finally get over my fear of long winded Victorian novelists?? Only time will tell...

wookie hope you get into Middlemarch, anything Eliot wrote is a great read, have you considered The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James ? I enjoyed the story very much and it is not quite as heavy going as Eliot.

136. Wild Stories, by Colin Thompson.

Collection of Colin's short stories concerning the various animals living in an overgrown English garden.
Humorous stories for children.

137. Buddhism is Not What You Think, by Steve Hagen.

Reread for me and an excellent primer for sorting the dogma from the important stuff.

138. The Cat's Table, by Michael Ondaatje.

Nice read about an 11 year old boy's voyage on a passenger boat going from Colombo and heading for London to be reunited with his mother.
He makes friends and with the run of the ship they encounter some interesting characters.
He reminisces about the voyage and the effect it has had on his later life.
The cat's table is that table furthest from the Captain's table, where it seems the most interesting people gather.
Ondaatje underwent a similar journey in his youth so perhaps it is at least partly autobiographical.
Nice read.

I did read Portrait of a Lady many years ago, and liked it. And Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books, plus I'm rather fond of Anthony Trollope. Not all Victorian literature scares me.

I tried Middlemarch many years ago, and couldn't get into it. And Silas Marner was a world of pain a couple of years ago. But I have tried the first few pages of Middlemarch recently, and did like it, although she used far too many words. Maybe I should sneak up to it via Cranford or something...

Just jump in to Middlemarch !
Eliot is wordy, I understand that is partly why she used a male pseudonym, so she could write about weighty concepts (instead of girly things !?) and be wordy.
Her Daniel Deronda, written after Middlemarch and her last novel, was also very good imo.
Also her The Mill on the Floss was perhaps less of a 'lump' of a book and quite good, again imo.
Good luck wookie !

I shall just clear a few more library books from the decks, and then I shall jump into Middlemarch. If I don't finish it, well, at least I can cross her off my future reading list with a clear conscience. :)

I went to the movies last night with a mate and while watching the trailers, realised I wanted to re-read Anna Karenina before seeing the movie; and that I'd never read Les Miserables, and that's high on my "must try" list. Luckily there were no trailers for movies based on Don Quixote or War and Peace. I think one thumping huge book is enough for this summer. ;)

Hope Middlemarch is a positive read for you wookie.
Les Miserables is on my reading list for late 2013 (Burt ranks it 97th in his Novel 100) so if some support might help .......

139. The Round House, by Louise Erdrich.

This powerful fictional story is set in a Native American reservation, where teenage Joe's mother is brutally raped.
Joe is determined to help his father, a judge with seemingly little jurisdiction in this case, to bring justice, and to help his mother to recover.
A story of injustice, determination, and hope, tightly written and powerful.

140. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.

Retread for me, and ranked 55 in The Novel 100.
Achebe writes about a tribe in Nigeria, and the impact of Western missionaries and leaders.
Enjoyed this.

141. The Last Dragonslayer, by Jasper Fforde.

Didn't think much of Fforde's The Eyre Affair but heard good things about this fantasy for teens and older.
In a world where magic is gradually waning and dragons have become rare, fifteen year old Jennifer Strange finds she is the last Dragonslayer, and of course things are about to get complicated.
I enjoyed this humorous and interesting story, will need to check The Eyre Affair out again, might be better now that I have read Jane Eyre.

Glad you liked Things Fall Apart, I thought it was great too. Have to say, I adore Thursday Next, but I can see they're not for everyone. Have you tried Shades of Grey? (No, not 50 Shades of Grey. :) I thought it was rather good, too, but then I've read everything *except* The Last Dragonslayer, so I'm obviously a fan of his work. :) Must get a copy of Dragonslayer!

Things Fall Apart is a very powerful story. It has stayed with me for years!

I loved Thursday Next and her adventures but didn't enjoy Shades of Grey at all. I'll have to trythe Dragonslayer books.

judylou have you tried Ben Okri's The Famished Road, an African novel surely inspired by Things Fall Apart ?
I'll reread The Eyre Affair which I believe was the first in the series, hope you enjoy the Dragonslayer !

142. Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell.

Recommended by someone on this Challenge recently, and I also enjoyed this pleasant romantic tale.
Sixteen year old Eleanor has just moved back with her mum, younger siblings, and hated stepdad. First morning catching the school bus she encounters Park, and over time an unlikely romance blossoms.
I found Eleanor quite unlikeable which didn't help, but still a positive read.

143. Malone Dies, The Unnamable, by Samuel Beckett.

I read the first of Beckett's 1950's trilogy Molloy earlier this year, and have finally gotten around to reading the 2nd and 3rd books.
In Malone Dies an ailing Malone is confined to bed either in prison or hospital, he is unsure. The novel consists of his thoughts, observations and few interactions with others.
The Unnamable consists entirely of a confused mental dialogue from an unknown person, and it was of little interest to me.
Ranked 37 in The Novel100 Beckett is better known for his plays, and I hope they are better than these novels.

Hope everyone has had a great Christmas, with some books as presents !

Definitely did!

Merry christmas! I got a couple of books and a cheque towards further book purchases. Yay! :)

Cheers judylou and wookie, I got My Ideal Bookshelf(from the lovely Chris), where a range of artists, writers, chefs, and others select their favourite 10 or 20 books, very interesting and I have been pondering my own ideal bookshelf, not easy to limit it to 20 ! If you haven't got this have a look next time you are in the local bookshop, would make a great present to one self !

Will do.

144. Beloved, by Toni Morrison.

Reread for me but as it is ranked 43rd in The Novel 100 I thought it was worth another look.
Published in 1987, this novel takes a searing look at black slavery in the US in the 1840-70s and doesn't hesitate to look at the devastating consequences on the people involved.
Important and confronting read.

Well that's the reading done for 2012, I've started a couple of books but they can go onto the 2013 list.
It has been a very good year of reading, some notes :

# 144 books read, at a 367 page average, certainly the most I have read.
# 65 of my own books.
# 17 books from The Novel 100 list. Some 54 to go, plan to be done by end 2014.

Many great reads but the best 10 Reads of 2012 were

1Q84, by Haruki Murakami
Autumn Laing, by Alex Miller
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
The Sot-Weed Factor, by John Barth
Ancient Light, by John Banville
The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt
The Street Sweeper, by Elliot Perlman **Best Read**
Starbook, by Ben Okri
The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers
Sea Hearts, by Margo Lanagan

but there are another dozen or so books that are unlucky to miss out !

Thanks to anyone who visited or commented in this thread, may we all have a excellent 2013 with lots of good books !

Great to see The Street Sweeper on your list. It is on my top ten list as well. I will be reading Sea Hearts sometime soon too.

Look forward to keeping up with your reading next year. Have a great night tonight!

Thanks judylou, you too ! Cheers !!

Oh yes, The Street Sweeper will probably make my top ten list too!

Happy New Year, Bryan! Looking forward to your 2013 reads too.

Happy new year wookie, lets read up a storm in 2013 !

Belated Happy New Year

Cheers clfisha, have a great 2013 !