Paul C's 2016 Reading and Life - 24

The Road to Edinburgh - November 20176

Opening Lines



The Final Solution is a book I recently picked up as I was struggling to devour his Pulitzer winning doorstopper.
Have a few chapters left and I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

A boy with a parrot on his shoulder was walking along the railway tracks.

READ FIRST QUARTER

JANUARY
1. Ru by Kim Thuy (2009) 153 pp
2. A Story I am in : Selected Poems by James Berry (2011) 208 pp
3. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983) 200 pp
4. Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis (2015) 159 pp
5. Clem Attlee by Francis Beckett (2015) 476 pp
6. The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Theriault (2005) 117 pp
7. 40 Sonnets by Don Paterson (2015) 44 pp
8. The Quality of Mercy by Barry Unsworth (2011) 294 pp
9. The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry (2010) 92 pp
10. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler (1993) 269 pp
11. Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen (1998) 104 pp
12. Coast to Coast by Jan Morris (1956) 238 pp
13. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (1982) 314 pp
14. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (2014) 688 pp
15. The Perfect Stranger by P.J. Kavanagh (1966) 182 pp
16. The Manticore by Robertson Davies (1972) 255 pp

FEBRUARY
17. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (1934) 347 pp
18. The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara Tuchman (1958) 200 pp
19. Coventry by Helen Humphreys (2008) 169 pp
20. Selected Poems by Cecil Day Lewis (1951) 158 pp
21. Return of a King : The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple (2013) 487 pp

MARCH
22. Assalamualaikum : Observations on the Islamisation of Malaysia by Zaid Ibrahim (2015) 200 pp
23. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (2009) 339 pp
24. How to be Both by Ali Smith (2014) 372 pp
25. Towards Asmara by Thomas Keneally (1989) 320 pp
26. New Selected Poems by Robert Minhinnick (2012) 185 pp
27. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (1986) 664 pp
28. Around the World ichael Palin (1989) 241 pp
29. Poems of the Past and the Present by Thomas Hardy (1901) 96 pp
30. The Boat Who Wouldn't Float by Farley Mowat (1969) 243 pp

BOOKS READ IN 2016

Second Quarter

APRIL
31. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (1991) 371 pp
32. What Work Is by Philip Levine (1991) 77 pp
33. Eventide by Kent Haruf (2004) 300 pp
34. A New Selected Poems by Galway Kinnell (2001) 179 pp
35. The Black Album by Hanif Kureishi (1995) 276 pp
36. Demelza by Winston Graham (1946) 521 pp
37. Geography III by Elizabethe Bishop (1976) 50 pp
38. The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855) 142 pp
39. Why I am not a Christian by Bertrand Russell (1957) 259 pp

MAY
40. Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson (1989) 108 pp
41. Ruby by Cynthia Bond (2015) 330 pp
42. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (1994) 289 pp
43. The Sea Runners by Ivan Doig (1982) 275 pp
44. Make Me by Lee Child (2015) 544 pp
45. Old Filth by Jane Gardam (2004) 290 pp
46. The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin (1964) 46 pp
47. Fault Line by Robert Goddard (2012) 509 pp
48. AWOPBOPALOOBOPALOPBAMBOOM by Nik Cohn (1972) 247 pp
49. Risk by C.K. Stead (2012) 267 pp

JUNE
50. Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey (2006) 46 pp
51. The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad (1917) 145 pp
52. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) 333 pp
53. Crow by Ted Hughes (1970) 89 pp
54. A Zoo in My Luggage by Gerald Durrell (1960) 173 pp
55. The Green Road by Anne Enright (2005) 310 pp
56. Famous Last Words by Timothy Findley (1981) 396 pp
57. Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx (2011) 234 pp
58. Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser (1969) 691 pp

BOOKS READ IN 2016

THIRD QUARTER

July

59. The Pearl by John Steinbeck (1948) 89 pp
60. The Sergeants' Tale by Bernice Rubens (2013) 217 pp
61. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895) 106 pp
62. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (2013) 487 pp
63. The Battle for Scotland by Andrew Marr (1992) 240 pp
64. The Fifth Son by Elie Wiesel (1985) 220 pp
65. Holiday by Stanley Middleton (1974) 222 pp
66. Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich by Barry Turner (2015) 275 pp
67. Jeremy Poldark by Winston Graham (1950) 344 pp
68. The European Union : A Citizen's Guide by Chris Bickerton (2016) 230 pp
69. An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell (2013) 169 pp
70. Bad History : How We Got the Past Wrong by Emma Marriott (2011) 173 pp

August

71. March by Geraldine Brooks (2005) 273 pp
72. The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2016) 289 pp
73. Rape : A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates (2003) 154 pp
74. Black Dogs by Ian McEwan (1992) 174 pp
75. Eileen : A Novel by Otessa Moshfegh (2016) 260 pp
76. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986) 429 pp
77. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (2016) 191 pp
78. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (1984) 190 pp
79. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien (2016) 466 pp

September
80. The North Water by Ian McGuire (2016) 255 pp
81. Selected Poems by Laurie Lee (1960) 80 pp
82. Blade of Light by Andrea Camilleri (2012) 271 pp
83. The World According to Garp by John Irving (1978) 596 pp
84. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (2015) 409 pp
85. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing (1988) 133 pp
86. The Many by Wyl Menmuir (2016) 141 pp
87. Grief is the Thing with Feathers (2016) 114 pp
88. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet (2016) 280 pp

BOOKS READ in 2016

FOURTH QUARTER

October
89. Who Runs Britain? by Robert Peston (2008) 348 pp
90. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (2016) 218 pp
91. Rites of Passage by William Golding (1980) 278 pp
92. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (2008) 480 pp
93. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861) 432 pp
94. The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry ed. by Rita Dove (2011) 570 pp

November
95. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1939) 143 pp
96. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (1918) 148 pp
97. Confabulations by John Berger (2016) 143 pp
98. Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney (1966) 44 pp
99. The Ipcress File by Len Deighton (1962) 342 pp
100. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (1979) 295 pp
101. Crime Story by Maurice Gee (1994) 272 pp
102. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon (2005) 127 pp
103. Cobra by Deon Meyer (2014) 367 pp

Reading Plans and a little about me

Me?
I am 50 this coming September and have enough unread reading material on my shelves to take me safely into my seventies! I have lived in Malaysia since 1994 and have a long suffering (but never quietly) wife, Hani (sometimes referred to as SWMBO), three children Yasmyne (18), Kyran (16) and Belle (12 - well almost), as well as a supporting cast which includes my book smuggling assistants Azim (also my driver and a part time bouncer who, despite his muscles, lives in almost as much fear of my wife as I do) and Erni (my housemaid, almost-little sister and the worlds greatest coffee maker). On this thread you'll probably read as much about the vagaries of life, book buying and group related statistics as you do about the actual books themselves.


clockwise from top left: Kyran, Paul, Hani, Yasmyne & Belle

2016 Reading

American Author Challenge - Mark (msf59) is on the third year of this great challenge where the task is to read a work by a featured US author each month.

Canadian Author Challenge - This is its inaugural year and I will try to read (and find books for!) as many of the 24 authors featured as I can.

ANZAC Challenge - Set up by Kerry this year. I will try to follow this one alternating between Oz/Nz

Pulitzer Challenge - Bill has created a challenge to read a Pulitzer winner each month in 2016

Chunkster Challenge - Also set up by Bill to take care of that small matter of books over 600 pages!

Non-Fiction Challenge - Suz (Chatterbox) has put this up and I will follow this one too

TIOLI Challenge - Surely needs no introduction!

1001 Books First Edition - I am working my way through these. So far at 262.

Booker Prize Winners - Another one I am wending my way through

Nobel Laureates - I am trying to read something by all the Laureates - so far have read 57 of the 112 winners.

Poetry - I will be trying to read a different collection/anthology each week and at the same time promote poetry in the group (tough one that) which will include my own occasion clumsy scribblings.

Series I have so many I follow Montalbano, Reacher, Hole, Banks, Davenport, Sejer, Allon, Lennox .....and I will be trying to read many of those as I can.

History Another favourite of mine

Political Biography - I am of the left in political terms so I prefer to read more from my heroes than my villains but sometimes it pays to check out what the opposition are up to!

I will try to combine challenges as much as I can to do something in each challenge each month.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE 2016

November Thread : https://www.librarything.com/topic/238461

January : Susan Hill & Barry Unsworth
February : Agatha Christie & William Dalrymple
March : Ali Smith & Thomas Hardy
April : George Eliot & Hanif Kureishi
May : Jane Gardam & Robert Goddard
June : Lady Antonia Fraser & Joseph Conrad
July : Bernice Rubens & H.G. Wells
August : Diana Wynne-Jones & Ian McEwan
September : Doris Lessing & Laurie Lee
October : Kate Atkinson & William Golding
November : Rebecca West & Len Deighton
December : WEST YORKSHIRE writers
Wildcard : Rumer Godden and George Orwell

Round up of Stats

1001 Books First Edition - Read 270 of 1001

Nobel Winners - Read something by 59 of the 112 Laureates

Pulitzer Fiction/Novel Winners - Read 14 of 88 outright winners

Booker Winners - Read 24 of the 51 winners

Bowie 100 Books - 22 read a further 21 owned

1000 Guardian Books - 313 / 998

I have been keeping records of my reading since coming to Malaysia in 1994. My best reading year in that time was 1995 when I read 179 books. Since joining LT and the 75ers in 2011 these are my reading stats.

2011 119
2012 100 (my lowest since I kept records)
2013 157
2014 146
2015 120
2016 102 (to date)

Since joining LT I have read 744 books over six years or 124 books on average with a month plus to go in 2016

TBR Update

Since joining LT I have struggled to read 150 books a year, which used to always be my early year target. I have accumulated books at a frenzied pace over the last four years in particular and have decided that sanity and the structural integrity of my apartment must prevail.

I spent the last weekend whittling my collection to:

780 fiction titles
156 non-fiction titles

My poetry titles remain intact as I tend to dip in and out of them anyway.

I will be concentrating over the next few years of polishing off that revised TBR and will start keeping records of it carefully from January. Book buying will be severely rationed henceforward but - hey - I am only human.

BOOKS ADDED SINCE 1 JANUARY 2016

1. Fifteen Dogs Andre Alexis (2015) 159 pp (Added 6 Jan) COMPLETED
2. Rain by Barney Campbell (2015) 362 pp (Added 6 Jan)
3. Coventry by Helen Humphreys (2008) 169 pp (Added 7 Jan -Secret Santa (Katie)) COMPLETED
4. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015) 362 pp (Added 14 Jan)
5. How Good We Can Be by Will Hutton (2015) 250 pp (Added 14 Jan)
6. Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (1988) 641 pp (Added 14 Jan)
7. The Chimes by Anna Smaill (2015) 289 pp (Added 14 Jan)
8. Wild Swans by Jung Chang (1991) 669 pp (Added 14 Jan)
9. The Black Moon by Winston Graham (1973) 546 PP (Added 14 Jan)
10. Let Me Be Frank With You by Richard Ford (2014) 238 pp (Added 22 Jan)
11. Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker (1992) 270 pp (Added 22 Jan)
12. Cat and Mouse by Gunter Grass (1961) 191 pp (Added 22 Jan)
13. The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino (1969) 129 pp (Added 22 Jan)
14. The Enigma of Arrival by VS Naipaul (1987) 387 pp (Added 22 Jan)
15. Mao II by Don DeLillo (1991) 241 pp (Added 22 Jan)
16. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham (1990) 343 pp (Added 22 Jan)
17. Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe (1958) 189 pp (Added 22 Jan)
18. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis de Bernieres (1991) 280 pp (Added 22 Jan)
19. Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare (2000) 182 pp (Added 22 Jan)
20. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (1972) 172 pp (Added 22 Jan)
21. Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts (2014) (Added 29 Jan)
22. March by Geraldine Brooks (Added 29 Jan) COMPLETED
23. The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen (1935) (added 29 Jan)
24. Mary Barton by Mary Gaskell (1848) (added 29 Jan)
25. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (1990) (added 29 Jan)

26. White Crocodile by KT Medina (2014) 374 pp (added 8 Feb)
27. A Brief Stop on the Road From Auschwitz by Goran Rosenberg (2012) 331 pp (added 13 Feb)
28. Martin Dressler by Steven Millhauser (1996) 274 pp (added 13 Feb)
29. The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien (1967) 199 pp (added 20 Feb)
30. The End : Germany 1944-45 by Ian Kershaw (2011) 400 pp (added 20 Feb)
31. In the Light of What We Know by Zia Haider Rahman (2014) 555 pp (added 20 Feb)
32. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (1929) 293 pp (added 20 Feb)
33. Peacemakers : Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan (2001) 500 pp (added 20 Feb)
34. My Life as a Foreign Country by Brian Turner (2014) 224 pp (added 20 Feb)
35. Astragal by Albertine Sarrazin (1965) 190 pp (added 20 Feb)
36. If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes (1945) 259 pp (added 20 Feb)
37. The Seven Madmen by Roberto Arlt (1929) 304 pp (added 20 Feb)
38. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2012) 331 pp (added 20 Feb)
39. Six Days : How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East by Jeremy Bowen (2003) 373 pp (added 22 Feb)
40. I, The Jury by Mickey Spillane (1947) 164 pp (added 22 Feb)
41. The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery (2015) 258 pp (added 22 Feb)
42. Ostland by David Thomas (2013) 430 pp (added 22 Feb)
43. Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz (2015) 310 pp (added 26 Feb)
44. The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon (2016) 321 pp (added 26 Feb)
45. Assalamualaikum, May Peace Be Upon You: Observations on the Islamisation of Malaysia by Zaid Ibrahim (2015) 200 pp (added 27 Feb) COMPLETED
46. The Illuminations by Andrew O'Hagan (2015) 293 pp (added 27 Feb)
47. The Children Who Stayed Behind by Bruce Carter (1958) 216 pp (added 27 Feb)
48. Armada by Ernest Cline (2015) 349 pp (added 28 Feb)
49. The Walk and Other Stories by Robert Walser (1957) 197 pp (added 28 Feb)
50. Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette (1977) 98 pp (added 28 Feb)
51. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (2016) 191 pp (added 28 Feb) COMPLETED
52. The Civil War : A History by Harry Hansen (1961) 655 pp (added 28 Feb)
53. The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo (2013) 420 pp (added 28 Feb)
54. Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg (1998) 562 pp (added 28 Feb)
55. The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World by Edward Shepherd Creasy (1851) 380 pp (added 28 Feb)
56. Hitler's Spy by James Hayward (2012) 278 pp (added 28 Feb)

57. A Cautious Approach by Stanley Middleton (2010) 220 pp (added 2 March)
58. Incandescence by Craig Nova (1979) 297 pp (added 2 March)
59. Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid (2014) 343 pp (added 2 March)
60. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1977) 337 pp (added 2 March)
61. Love in Winter by Storm Jameson (1935) 407 pp (added 2 March)
62. How I Became a Holy Mother by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1976) 363 pp (added 2 March)
63. On Horseback and Other Stories by Guy de Maupassant (1877) 130 pp (added 2 March)
64. Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (2007) 349 pp (added 2 March)
65. Anything but the Law by Tommy Thomas (2016) 334 pp (added 4 March)
66. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker (2011) 841 pp (added 4 March)
67. Why the West Rules by Ian Morris (2010) 645 pp (added 4 March)
68. Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (1937) 330 pp (added 4 March)
69. Make Me by Lee Child (2015) 544 pp (added 4 March) COMPLETED
70. The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall (2015) 432 pp (added 4 March)
71. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936) 984 pp (added 4 March)
72. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (1986) 664 pp (added 7 March) COMPLETED
73. From Restoration to Reform by Jonathan Clarke (2014) 299 pp (added 7 March)
74. Josephine : Desire, Ambitions, Napoleon by Kate Williams (2013) 303 pp (added 7 March)
75. Britain's Royal Families : The Complete Genealogy by Alison Weir (2008) 331 pp (added 7 March)
76. A Brief History of Indonesia by Tim Hannigan (2015) 277 pp (added 12 March)
77. Max Havelaar by Multatuli (1860) 320 pp (added 12 March)
78. Jernigan by David Gates (1991) 339 pp (added 12 March)
79. Private Life by Jane Smiley (2010) 480 pp (added 12 March)
80. Betrayal : The Crisis in the Catholic Church by Matt Carroll (and others) (2002) 265 pp (added 12 March)
81. The Green Road by Anne Enright (2015) 310 pp (added 12 March) COMPLETED
82. When I was Old by Georges Simenon (1970) 452 pp (added 15 March)
83. The Full Catastrophe : Inside the Greek Crisis by James Angelos (2015) 292 pp (added 15 March)
84. No Highway by Nevil Shute (1948) 325 pp (added 19 March)
85. The Italian Girl by Iris Murdoch (1964) 171 pp (added 19 March)
86. Diary of a Mad Old Man by Junichiro Tanizaki (1961) 177 pp (added 19 March)
87. Most Secret by Nevil Shute (1945) 346 pp (added 19 March)
88. Kathleen and Frank by Christopher Isherwood (1971) 510 pp (added 19 March)
89. The Viceroy of Ouidah by Bruce Chatwin (1980) 101 pp (added 19 March)
90. The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen (1948) 330 pp (added 19 March)
91. Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville (2011) 304 pp (added 19 March)
92. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (1980) 688 pp (added 27 March)
93. Home : A Time Traveller's Tales from Britain's Pre-History by Francis Pryor (2014) 290 pp (added 27 March)
94. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (1962) 576 pp (added 27 March)
95. Ultimate Questions by Bryan Magee (2016) 127 pp (added 31 March)
96. The Four Books by Yan Lianke (2015) 338 pp (added 31 March)
97. Find Me by Laura Van Den Berg (2015) 278 pp (added 31 March)
98. A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell (2015) 371 pp (added 31 March)
99. The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855) 142 pp (added 31 March) COMPLETED
100. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762) 168 pp (added 31 March)

Books bought second quarter

101 The Carpathians by Janet Frame (1988) 196 pp (Added 2 April)
102 Georgy Girl by Margaret Forster (1965) 171 pp (Added 2 April)
103 Great Apes by Will Self (1997) 404 pp (Added 2 April)
104 The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (Added 14 April)
105 My Son, My Son by Howard Spring (Added 14 April)
106 A Very British Coup by Chris Mullin (Added 14 April)
107 Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins (Added 14 April)
108 The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma (Added 15 April)
109 Common Ground by Andrew Cowan (Added 15 April)
110 The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard (Added 18 April)
111 AWOPBOPALOOBOPALOPBAMBOOM by Nik Cohn (Added 18 April) COMPLETED
112 Montalbano's First Case by Andrea Camilleri (Added 18 April)
113 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (Added 18 April)
114 I am Radar by Reif Larsen (2015) (Added 18 April)
115Ruby by Cynthia Bond (2015) (Added 18 April) COMPLETED
116 The Faithful Couple by A.D. Miller (Added 18 April)
117 A Strangeness in my Mind by Orhan Pamuk (Added 18 April)
118 The Trial of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens (Added 18 April)
119 How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup by JL Carr (Added 18 April)
120 The Outsider by Colin Wilson (Added 20 April)
121 Puckoon by Spike Milligan (Added 20 April)
122 Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell (Added 20 April) COMPLETED
123 Arcadia by Iain Pears (Added 22 April)
124 The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney (Added 22 April)
125 The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Added 24 April)
126 A Whole Life : A Novel by Robert Seethaler (Added 24 April)
127 The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild (Added 24 April)
128 The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie (Added 24 April)
129 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (Added 24 April)
130 The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (Added 27 April) COMPLETED
131 The Edge of the World : How the North Sea Made Us Who We Are by Michael Pye (Added 27 April)
132 A Heart so White by Javier Marias (Added 14 April)

133 Silas Marner by George Eliot (added 3 May)
134 The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley (added 13 May)
135 Girl at War by Sara Novic (added 13 May)
136 Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh (added 13 May)
137 I Saw a Man by Owen Sheers (added 13 May)
138 The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir (added 20 May)
139 Unknown Soldiers by Vaino Linna (added 20 May)
140 Stop Time by Frank Conroy (added 20 May)
141 What Is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman (added 25 May)
142 Black Dogs by Ian McEwan (added 25 May) COMPLETED
143 S. : A Novel about the Balkans by Slavenka Drakulic (added 25 May)
144 The Angry Tide by Winston Graham (added 25 May)
145 The Master by Colm Toibin (added 25 May)
146 Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (added 25 May)
147 The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani (added 25 May)
148 Love and Obstacles by Aleksandr Hemon (June 16)
149 The Book of Memory by Pettina Gappah (June 16)
150 The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (June 16)
151 The Four Swans by Winston Graham (June 16)
152 Three Tales by Gustave Flaubert (June 16)
153 The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (June 16) COMPLETED
154 SPQR : A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard (June 16)
155 The Sympathizer by Viet Tanh Nguyen (June 16)
156 Black Earth : The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder (June 16)
157 The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry edited by Ruth Dove (June 16) COMPLETED
158 The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen (June 16)
159 The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni (June 16)
160 Laurus by Eugene Vodolazin (June 16)

Books Added Third Quarter
July
161. The European Union : A Citizen's Guide by Chris Bickerton COMPLETED
162. Dust by Elizabeth Bear
163. King John : Treachery, Tyranny and the Road to Magna Carta by Marc Morris
164. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
165. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams
166. Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young
167. The Foundation Pit by Andrey Platonov
168. One Man Against the World : The Tragedy of Richard Nixon by Tim Weiner
169. The House of Ulloa by Emilio Pardo Bazan
170. Sweet Caress by William Boyd
171. Vermilion Sands by J.G. Ballard
172. The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
173. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
174. The Orphan Train by Christina Bake Kline
175. The Aerodrome by Rex Warner
176. Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich by Barry Turner COMPLETED
177. The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy
178. Hadji Murat by Leo Tolstoy
179. Bad History : How We Got the Past Wrong by Emma Marriott COMPLETED
180. One Bloody Thing After Another by Jacob F. Field
181. The Ends of the Earth : The Wide World by Robert Goddard
182. Morning Sea by Margaret Mazzantini
183. London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins
184. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby
185. Eileen : A Novel by Otessa Moshfegh COMPLETED
186. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien COMPLETED
187. The Sellout by Paul Beatty COMPLETED
188. All That Man Is by David Szalay
August
189. Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson
190. Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
191. In the Dark by Mai Jia
192. The South by Colm Toibin
193. Extraordinary People a.k.a Dry Bones by Peter May
194. Brodeck's Report by Philippe Claudel
195. A Proper Marriage by Doris Lessing
196. Don't Trust, Don't Fear, Don't Beg by Ben Stewart
197. Questions About Angels by Billy Collins
198. The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds
199. Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal
200. The Caliphate by Hugh Kennedy
201. Wanderlust : A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
202. Serious Sweet by A.L. Kennedy
203. Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
204. Save the Last Dance : Poems by Gerald Stern
205. The Kindness of Enemies by Leila Aboulela
206. How Many Miles to Babylon by Jennifer Johnston
207. Embers by Sandor Marai
208. Walking Away by Simon Armitage
209. In the Land of Giants by Max Adams
210. A Change of World by Adrienne Rich
211. The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
212. Written Lives by Javier Marias
213. The North Water by Ian McGuire COMPLETED
214. Hystopia by David Means
215. Victim Without a Face by Stefan Ahnhem
216. The History of Modern France by Jonathan Fenby
September
217. Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado (1966) 550 pp
218. Unity by Michael Arditti (2005) 369 pp
219. Ted Hughes : The Unauthorised Life by Jonathan Bate (2015) 566 pp
220. Now is the Time by Melvyn Bragg (2015) 357 pp
221. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet (2015) 280 pp COMPLETED
222. The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati (1939) 265 pp
223. Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter (1964) 308 pp
224. Outlaws by Javier Cercas (2012) 367 pp
225. The Death of Grass by John Christopher (1956) 195 pp
226. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg (2015) 293 pp
227. The Schooldays of Jesus by J.M. Coetzee (2016) 260 pp
228. Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello (2015) 670 pp
229. Father and Son by Edmund Gosse (1907) 251 pp
230. Like Dreamers : The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein Halevi (2013) 538 pp
231. Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney (1966) 44 pp
232. Slow Horses by Mick Herron (2010) 328 pp
233. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (2016) 218 pp COMPLETED
234. The Outrun by Amy Liptrot (2016) 280 pp
235. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (2009) 427 pp
236. The Assistant by Bernard Malamud (1957) 339 pp
237. The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini (1990) 319 pp
238. The Many by Wyl Menmuir (2016) 141 pp COMPLETED
239. Horse Latitudes by Paul Muldoon (2006) 106 pp
240. Homesick by Eshkol Nevo (2004) 374 pp
241. At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien (1939) 218 pp
242. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter (2015) 114 pp COMPLETED
243. Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves (2016) 260 pp
244. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1969) 224 pp
245. The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon (1956) 139 pp
246. Zeno's Conscience by Italo Svevo (1923) 437 pp

BOOKS ADDED Q4

October
247. Submission by Michel Houellebecq (2015) 250 pp
248. 1916 : A Global History by Keith Jeffrey (2015) 377 pp
249. Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (2001) 213 pp
250. The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart (1971) 543 pp
251. The History of a Town by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1870) 287 pp
252. Mindstar Rising by Peter F. Hamilton (1993) 467 pp
253. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger (1920) 296 pp
254. Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback (2015) 405 pp
255. Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier (1971) 305 pp
256. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1939) 143 pp COMPLETED
257. The Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace (1869) 728 pp
258. Maestra by L.S. Hilton (2016) 394 pp
259. Sudden Death by Alvaro Enrigue (2013) 261 pp
260. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (1977) 243 pp
261. A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker (2016) 289 pp
262. Fellside by M.R. Carey (2016) 486 pp
263. A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (2012) 243 pp
264. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (1979) 295 pp COMPLETED
265. Connectography: Mapping the Global Network Revolution by Parag Khanna (2016) 402 pp

November
266. Northmen by John Haywood (2015) 351 pp
267. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (1966) 417 pp
268. The Silent Cry by Kenzaburo Oe (1967) 274 pp
269. Beatlebone by Kevin Barry (2015) 263 pp
270. Words Under the Words by Naomi Shihab Nye (1995) 157 pp
271. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon (2005) 127 pp Completed
272. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks (2015) 370 pp
273. Small Town by Rehman Rashid (2016) 64 pp
274. Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson (2015) 315 pp
275. Encounters at the Heart of the World (2014) 336 pp
276. Confabulations by John Berger (2016) 143 pp Completed
277. Icarus by Deon Meyer (2015) 360 pp
278. A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) 319 pp
279. Out in the Midday Sun by Margaret Shennan (2000) 471 pp
280. Pacific by Simon Winchester (2015) 444 pp
281. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (1944) 227 pp
282. Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov (1933) 197 pp
283. Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed (1919) 414 pp
284. Monkey by Wu Cheng-en (c 1560) 388 pp
285. Grass by Sheri S. Tepper (1989) 540 pp
286. The Presence by Eve Bunting (2003) 195 pp
287. The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West (1956) 432 pp
288. Deep South by Paul Theroux (2015) 441 pp
289. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (1998) 873 pp
290. The Establishment by Owen Jones (2014) 313 pp
291. The Killing of Crazy Horse by Thomas Powers (2010) 467 pp
292. Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson (1936) 299 pp
293. Social Class in the 21st Century by Mike Savage (2016) 411 pp
294. The English & Their History by Robert Tombs (2014) 891 pp
295. Confessions : An Innocent Life in Communist China by Kang Zhegguo (2004) 443 pp
296. Hiding in Plain Sight by Nuruddin Farah (2014) 339 pp
297. Northern Lights by Tim O'Brien (1975) 363 pp
298. The Lotus and the Storm by Lan Cao (2014) 386 pp
299. Mood Indigo by Boris Vian (1947) 214 pp
300. Hell and Good Company by Richard Rhodes (2015) 239 pp
301. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (2014) 460 pp
302. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant (2009) 461 pp
303. The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie (1987) 137 pp
304. A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) 296 pp
305. Last in the Tin Bath by David Lloyd (2015) 291 pp
306. The Odessans by Irina Ratushinskaya (1996) 408 pp
307. The Lost by Jonathan Aycliffe (1996) 248 pp
308. Travels in the Interior of Africa by Mungo Park (1805) 388 pp
309. The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence (1964) 301 pp

December
310. Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler (2003) 214 pp
311. Horror in the East by Laurence Rees (2001) 265 pp

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE

THEME OPTIONS

JANUARY : IRISH BRITONS - ELIZABETH BOWEN & BRIAN MOORE

FEBRUARY : SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY - MARY STEWART & TERRY PRATCHETT

MARCH : A DECADE OF BRITISH NOVELS : The 1960s - 10 Novels by Men; 10 Novels by Women

APRIL: SOUTH YORKSHIRE AUTHORS : AS BYATT & BRUCE CHATWIN

MAY : BEFORE QUEEN VIC : 10 Novels written prior to 1837

JUNE : THE HISTORIANS (Historical Fiction / Historians) GEORGETTE HEYER & SIMON SCHAMA

JULY : SCOTTISH AUTHORS : D.E. STEVENSON and R.L. STEVENSON

AUGUST : BRITAIN BETWEEN THE WARS (Writers active 1918-1939) WINIFRED HOLTBY & ROBERT GRAVES

SEPTEMBER : THE NEW MILLENNIUM (Great Books Since 2000) A novel chosen from each year of the new century

OCTOBER : WELSH AUTHORS (Born in or associated with Wales) : JO WALTON & ROALD DAHL

NOVEMBER : POET LAUREATES

DECEMBER : WILDCARD (Chosen via a vote)

Next is yours

First! Happy new thread! :)

Safe I hope? Glad you wouldn't be leaving Malaysia for good, and also glad Hani is so on board with the prospect. Of course, I'm also looking forward to potential meetups :)

>17 amanda4242: Well done Amanda on being first.

>18 lunacat: Meet ups would be certain Jenny. In fact there is more than a slight possibility we'll be back over the Christmas period.

Happy New Thread, Paul. I wanted to let you know I am really enjoying The Return of the Soldier. Short but powerful.

Happy new thread! I enjoyed the audio version of The Final Solution when I listened to it a few years ago.

I read The Final Solution a couple of years ago and enjoyed it too.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Paul!!

Evening ..... nice to see some snow up top !!!

>21 cbl_tn: I was a little intimidated by the length of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and so hit upon this one instead and for once I was right on the money.

>22 avatiakh: I have read that and the Maurice Gee book this month, both of which were excellent. I will have a job deciding which is my book of the month.

>23 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda.

>24 ronincats: Thank you Roni.

>25 roundballnz: Hani was a little surprised, Alex, to get to sample driving through the snow clad country side of Cumbria on her way to Edinburgh.

>10 PaulCranswick: whittling?! To 700-odd fiction titles. I love that about this group, that 700 is the pared down figure :)

We recently purchased a new bookcase, which has taken care of all the stacks of book's that were about the place, and now we are at the point to make new stacks!

>15 PaulCranswick: love the new look British authors challenge!

Oh, and from the last thread, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold seems to be the Le Carre to aim for then? I have a lovely Penguin modern classics edition, Wth should make it very easy to pick up :)

Also, where are you putting the books that didn't make it in the big cull? Shipping them to the uk, or storing where you are? You can't be ditching them!? Surely.....or might there be a Paul Cranswick Memorial Library somewhere in KL some day soon!?

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE AUGUST 2017 - BOOKS OF THE INTER WAR PERIOD

Looking for a female writer and a male one actively writing in the inter war period of 1918-1939 (you can read something by the writer outside the period)

Possibles - Ladies

Vita Sackville-West
Elizabeth von Arnim
Winifred Holtby
PL Travers
EM Delafield
Angela Thirkell
Dorothy L Sayers

Possibles - Gentlemen

George Orwell
Aldous Huxley
Patrick Hamilton
Christopher Isherwood
Hugh Walpole
J.B. Priestley
Wyndham Lewis
Robert Graves

Ideas all?

>28 LovingLit: Yes and it was stated without even a tinge of irony!

>29 LovingLit: Roni did point out that what I have been doing is not exactly culling but more like "sorting" with the books sort of stowed away for future usage. A little over 2,000 books are now stashed above the wardrobes (16 rows of about 30 books four deep). I have put some in boxes and I will part with some that it is really unlikely that I will read.

Looking at your list of options I want to read something by Holtby, having come across her in Shirley Williams autobio, and seen the adaptation of her book South Riding.

>32 charl08: This is one that I really want to canvas opinion on as it is a fantastic but fast becoming neglected period of English Literature. I have South Riding on the shelves and it survived the cull! So did books by a couple of the other ladies too.

Happy New Thread, Paul! Lovely topper picture! No snow here and with any luck, there will be no snow all winter! :) Makes a lovely picture though.

>34 vancouverdeb: It is always better to look at than to physically appreciate isn't it, Deb?

I'd pick Delafield or Holtby for the woman, but I'm not so sure on the man.

I have TBRs for E.M. Delafield, Angela Thirkell, and Dorothy Sayers. No preference for the male authors.

Happy new thread Paul. I do like someone who can see not the future >1 PaulCranswick: !

Happy new thread, Paul!

I think you missed me up there mate, but I am not even mad. Grins...

Happy new thread Paul! It's fun watching you guys pick your BAC choices for next year. :)

>36 lunacat: Not sure whether your preference for Delafield would make you a Provincial Lady, Jenny.

>37 cbl_tn: Both are tough choices - the most famous British lady writing between the wars was undoubtedly Virginia Woolf but she featured last year.

>38 Caroline_McElwee: Hahaha Caroline you really are eagle-eyed- even when looking through your fingers. xx
Btw, I will go and change it to this year!

>39 scaifea: Thank you Amber. xx

>40 msf59: Entirely inadvertent I wish to assure the warbling Postie with the Mostie.

>41 The_Hibernator: More than a little pleased for you to offer your views on which authors you'd like to see on the hypothetical understanding you were to participate, Rachel. xx

Happy new thread, Paul.
A snowy road at the top, we rarely have snow here. Snow adds light to the dark days, I like it.

>44 FAMeulstee: Snow adds light to the dark days

What a lovely phrase and observation, Anita.

>31 PaulCranswick: Good day, Paul! But you can still see them, right? You can look up and revel in their being there, just waiting for potential future enjoyment?

I have read 34 books that were already on my shelves at the beginning of the year out of the 87 that I've read so far this year. Not a particularly good record, less than 40%. I have 1,691 that I've tagged tbr, and at the rate I'll probably finish the year off that's almost 17 years of reading without taking into account all the new books I'll buy. It doesn't deter me, however, and I revel in every book on my shelves.

And re >30 PaulCranswick: my vote is for Dorothy L. Sayers. I love her mysteries, but Sayers herself considered her translation of Dante's Divine Comedy to be her best work. She is also known for her plays, literary criticism, and essays. (from Wikipedia). Lots of variety there. There are also several good biographies of her.

>46 karenmarie: I look at them I surely will, Karen.

It is a weight off my mind that I can concentrate on this smaller number and whittling it down.

What a golden era that was for the feminine weaver of crime mysteries. Josephine Tey, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh, Agatha Christie and Dorothy L.

I like Dorothy Sayers on the female side. Orwell or Priestly would probably be my top picks on the men, but I don't have a strong preference. I liked 1984 better than I expected and wouldn't mind trying some of his other works.

>48 thornton37814: Priestley is very much a favourite of mine, Lori. I have plenty of Orwell to read, Aldous Huxley's books are all waiting for me as I have only read Brave New World. Hamilton, Isherwood, Graves and Walpole - I have books by all. Very much a high point in English letters the 1930s.

I'll add my votes for Holtby and Graves, as I have both on the shelf.

I've been following the construction of the BSC for 2017. So many names I haven't seen or heard before. I just might give BAC a try.

Again, not voting because I probably won't participate, but just mentioning that Sayers, Huxley and Graves are the only ones I've read, and all three are excellent choices. Anyone who hasn't read I, Claudius and Claudius the God is really missing out, but Mr. Milton's Wife is also good and I've wanted to read Count Belisarius and his translation of The Golden Ass by Apuleius. As for Sayers, the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries are classics, and I've got an Early Reviewer copy of Huxley'sIsland to read.

ETA Orwell to the list of those I've read.

2ETA von Arnim - Enchanted April is wonderful!

I vote Elizabeth Von Arnim and Patrick Hamilton.

Happy new thread mate, hope you are having a good week.

>50 kac522: Thanks for that Kathy and duly noted.

>51 weird_O: It would be a pleasure and a privilege to have you along, Sir.

>52 Storeetllr: Your non-votes are always so interesting and sort of influence my decisions, Mary! You are right about the excellence of Robert Graves. I, Claudius is an absolute favourite of mine and I love his poetry. His WW1 memoirs Goodbye to All That is also a classic of its kind.

>53 SandDune: Glad to see those two getting their first votes Rhian as they are both writers I have long thought I should be reading.

>54 johnsimpson: Thanks John. The selectors really have played a blinder with the squad they sent to India. Finn, Ansari, Batty and Ballance should not have toured. I would have gone with Bell-Drummond, Gubbins, Rayner and Leach.

102.

The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

Date of Publication : 2005 (in book form)
Pages : 127
American Author Challenge

Very enjoyable homage to the British writers of the golden formative years of detective fiction and with a particular nod to old Sherlock Holmes who is hinted at but never named in the novel.

Our old detective spots a boy with a parrot on his shoulder playing dangerously on the railway lines. The boy is a mute Jewish refugee from Hitler's Germany whilst the parrot is intriguingly effusive. The boy is lodging with an immigrant clergyman and his family and guests and when one of the guests is brutally murdered and the parrot goes missing our old timer is called into play with his interest being to find the parrot.

Whilst this is enjoyable I do feel that Chabon lacks the skills of those early practitioners in that the denouement or "final solution" is not explained very well or with an exactitude that the narrating voice of Doctor Watson could have afforded it. The writing style is excellent though and very much in keeping with the period he is making reference to except that I did spot one or two Americanisms that Sir Arthur or John Buchan would have been flummoxed by. He refers to the entrance vestibule of the old man's place as a "screen porch" which is not a term in usage in England and certainly not during that period. That is just me being picky though and I would recommend this as a read to be enjoyed.

8/10

>30 PaulCranswick: I've been pondering which male author to vote for all day and have finally settled on Graves; I read and greatly admired Goodbye to All That earlier this year and would like an excuse to pick up more of his work.

My other vote goes to Sayers.

>58 amanda4242: Graves is building up a little momentum and it is close between the ladies - Sayers and Holtby anyway.

>30 PaulCranswick: I haven't chimed in on the previous choices, because I always seem to be just that bit too late, but for August you've hit on a jackpot of names from my shelves. I have unread books by every one of those impressive women, and would be thrilled whichever you settle on. South Riding has been waiting in the wings for ages, but I think my vote will go to Dorothy Sayers. Orwell, Huxley and Isherwood are all well-represented in my TBR's, but Graves is my choice for the male author. I've been "meaning" to read I, Claudius for years and years.

>60 laytonwoman3rd: The choices are beginning to crystallise, Linda. If it is Graves then I would probably read Count Belisarius or some of his poetry.

Waving 'hello'; happy new thread; congratulations on your century and Yay, Jenny's back!

>57 PaulCranswick: The Final Solution sounds interesting, Paul. I've yet to read anything by Michael Chabon.

Elisabeth von Arnim interests me. I read Enchanted April this year just because I like the movie version so much. Would like to read something more by her. I think the next would be The Pastor's Wife.

Actually re-reading Room With a View by E. M- Forster - a little early from the period you mention, but I like this book a lot.

Happy new thread, Paul! Wow! the road to Edinburgh looks like the road to the edge of the world! So awesome! I want to go there tooooo!

>57 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I started The Final Solution for the AAC challenge in October, but just couldn't get interested in it. I know myself, though, and I expect that I'll pick it up again one of these days (starting over, of course) and love it. Good review.

I feel bad not giving you a turkey. So. As irrelevant as that is to you out there on the other side of the planet.

>62 humouress: Hi Nina, the last one is the most welcome if I say so myself.

>63 vancouverdeb: I think you would like it Deb. It is a gentle foray into serious subjects.

>64 ctpress: EM Forster would be a good one too but only the one you are reading really fits the period; I would think of him more in Edwardian terms.

>65 Carmenere: It does have a certain bleak splendour, Lynda. To the west in the same county is the wonderful Lake District which is a UK scale version of your Great Lakes.

>66 karenmarie: I am hoping that Kavalier and Clay has a similar impression on me, Karen. I started it but just wasn't in the mood to wade through such a chunkster. When I am in the mood I will revisit it though.

>67 The_Hibernator: I would say that since joining LT and having so many wonderful American friends (present company most definitely included) I sort of commemorate rather than celebrate Thanksgiving. Thank you, Rachel. xx

Paul--I know Thanksgiving is not your typical holiday, but I just wanted to let you know how glad I am to have you as a friend. Big hugs!!! And the BAC is looking good...!

>70 Berly: Likewise Kimmers, you Taekwondo Titania you. xx

In the BAC, I vote for Holtby and Von Armin for the women and Graves for the men.

It is a beautiful Thanksgiving day in Alabama. I am at Starbucks and being forced to overhear a conversation from a very loud woman bragging about how she woul never buy another Mercedes because her was such a lemon she traded it in for a Nissan. Ask me if I believe her? Will be going home soon to clean my car and get ready to go to Kansas for the Christmas break.

Oh - thank goodness. The loud woman and her party left. Something to be thankful for.

>72 amanda4242: Thank you Amanda, even if I received it with thanks on Friday!

>73 benitastrnad: Yikes a dead heat for the ladies so I have a call to make.
Benita since you don't keep a thread I will take the liberty of using my own thread to wish you a joyous Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Thank you for all your contributions to the threads and to mine own in particular. xx

I have been round the threads of my American pals today in order to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. If I inadvertently missed any of my friends, I assure you it wasn't on purpose and this general vote of thanksgiving to both this wonderful group and to all the members of the 75ers past and present who have so enriched my life this last six years. THANK YOU ALL.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE AUGUST 2017 - THE INTER WAR PERIOD

WINIFRED HOLTBY



&

ROBERT GRAVES

>71 PaulCranswick: >75 PaulCranswick: : )

>77 Berly: Even bigger smiles back at yer, Kimmers.

I've been making the rounds of my fellow citizens of the USA for the US holiday, but you have been so assiduous at celebrating with us, here's one for you too.

>79 ronincats: Thank you Roni, very kind. Gobbling up books is something you do a little better than I do, generally, if in terms of reading rather than buying.

Ah, missed another selection even though you gave me the schedule, Paul. Happy new thread - it is growing by leaps and bounds. I think you will enjoy Kavalier and Clay when you get to it, I did.

>81 Familyhistorian: I think I was putting myself under too much pressure to read it quickly for the challenges and its 600+ pages was a little too daunting. I will get to it soon.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE SEPTEMBER 2017 - BOOKS OF THE NEW MILLENIUM

September will break with tradition in that I won't be choosing a book by a man and one by a woman. I am looking for a "lost" classic from a British writer for each year of the new Millenium to date. I won't be selecting any books that were winner of the Booker or the Orange Prize as there are groups that read those - just great books.

I hope we don't get all men or all women on the list but it will be the books that determine inclusion not the sex of the author.

Some alternatives

2000
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Witch Child by Celia Rees

2001
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

2002
Haweswater by Sarah Hall
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber

2003
The Sea House by Esther Freud
Dissolution by C.J. Sansom

2004
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke
Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres

2005
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

2006
Disobedience by Naomi Alderman
Restless by William Boyd

2007
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace
Day by AL Kennedy

2008
Poppyland by Raffaela Barker
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

2009
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds

2010
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor

2011
The London Train by Tessa Hadley
Pure by Andrew Miller

2012
The Red House by Mark Haddon
By Battersea Bridge by Janet Davey

2013
Longbourn by Jo Baker
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

2014
Upstairs at the Party by Linda Grant
Shark by Will Self

2015
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Satin Island by Tom McCarthy

2016
Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch
Nutshell by Ian McEwan

Good morning, Paul. I hope all is well with you.

I had an interesting book discussion during Thanksgiving dinner. We discussed Dumas, as I am listening to The Count (now on Disc 25 of 37). We also discussed Dickens, who was a favorite of his. He had recently read Great Expectations, which had followed Oliver Twist. It was good dinner and good conversation.

>83 PaulCranswick: I read several of those. Most would make excellent choices. I'm not certain I would re-read anything, but I might choose one or two I missed out on.

>84 brodiew2: I am planning on reading The Three Musketeers sometime soon Brodie. A great portion of the 19th Century novelists were wonderful storytellers - Dumas, Hugo, Verne, Balzac, Zola especially and I think Dickens certainly qualifies as a great storyteller with the two named being exemplary of that craft. In some of Chuckles work his verbosity gets the better of him but the stories so often remain. The verbosity is largely because of the padding required to meet his monthly serialisation commitments.

>85 thornton37814: I have read 5 of the books listed above, Lori. The list was meant to tease out what other books of recent British vintage the group want to read but I guess the turkey is still weighing heavily on many of our number!

>83 PaulCranswick: I've read several of the books on the list. Of the books I haven't read, the ones I'm most interested in are:
Longbourn
Restless
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
The Girl on the Train
Never Let Me Go

Others I'm interested in reading that I think would fit:
NW by Zadie Smith
Marriage Material by Sathnam Sanghera
Brick Lane by Monica Ali

>87 cbl_tn: Your choices would also definitely fit, Carrie. Marriage Material is a book I haven't come across yet but, looking it up, it is one I should go and seek it out.

>83 PaulCranswick: I've read several on that list and a few others are on my tbr pile including:

The Crimson and the Petal by Michael Faber
Upstairs at the Party by Linda Grant
On Beauty by Zadie Smith

other suggestions from what I've read:

The Dig by Cynan Jones (2014) - a Welsh beauty
When we were bad by Charlotte Mendelson (2007)
The humans by Matt Haig (2013)
The Innocents by Francesca Segal (2013)
Tamar by Mal Peet (2005)
Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood (2014)
Gingerbread by Robert Dinsdale (2014)

others that I want to read though possibly don't meet the 'classic' criteria:

Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick (2016)
The Great Lover by Jill Dawson (2000)
Addlands by Tom Bullough (2016)
The Power by Naomi Alderman (2016)

>89 avatiakh: Kerry, of your suggestions I have The Dig on the shelves (though it was culled, I could still resurrect it!) and a couple of books by Robert Dinsdale as I recall you recommended him. I also have The Great Lover on the shelves and was disappointed to realise that it was not an instruction manual!

Ha. I've only read one book by Jill Dawson, Fred & Edie which I can heartily recommend, it's based on a true story which most of her work seems to be. I love Rupert Brooke's poems, so The Great Lover is a must read that I never seem to make time for and now she's also got The Crime Writer which for me is another must read.

The Cynan Jones book is a real beauty, well worth everyone's time and I loved Dinsdale's Gingerbread.

>83 PaulCranswick: just popping in to say, I love books from 20-or so years ago. I feel like I read a lot of books that are ten to twenty years ago. Mainly because I read second hand books, and they are the ones that turn up! But I love the idea of reading all the books that were the hot topic of the day, and discovering such gems that no one now seems to talk about.

Paul - I think you'll enjoy this article - http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/is-there-an-irish-novel-set-in-every-cou...

>91 avatiakh: Kerry, I have seen that one in the stores too. I must give her a chance at some stage.

>92 LovingLit: Because books always tended to come to me later here than in the UK, I was always a good couple of years behind in my reading really, Megan.

>93 avatiakh: Fascinating indeed, Kerry. Plenty of irish authors name-checked there and many of whom I have work by somewhere.

Saw that one of the World's Big Historical figures from the last Century passed away today in Fidel Castro.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38114953

>95 PaulCranswick: And this time it is for real. There have been so many rumours about Fidel Castro's death, but now it is for real. I don't think it will cause much change, give that Castro handed the reigns over to his brother quite a few years ago. Not sure if our Prime Minister has made a statement. He has been visiting South American, Latin America and now Africa, to make certain we continue to have many trading parties in the event of Trump and Brexit creating havoc with world trade. I'm not sure what trade opportunities are in Africa, but what do I know? Maybe Trudeau is just enjoying the trip? :)

I thought Longbourn and Haweswater (argh autocorrect) were brilliant books, Paul.
I've got my eye on Ellen's rereading challenge, so wondering if I can double up here...

>96 vancouverdeb: As someone spending time banging the drum about African development via Ghana and the Commonwealth, Deb, I have to say that I welcome your Prime Minister's travels. I agree that Fidel's passing won't make much actual difference nowadays but he was a monumental figure in the last century in many respects - ogre or hero depending upon your persuasion and often your nationality. Bravo to Obama for paying his visit to Cuba and mending some of the unnecessary antagonisms that existed between the US and their neighbour.

>97 charl08: I will have to support my buddy Ellen too so I will thinking what book I am overdue to re-read.

>87 cbl_tn: One more I just remembered - Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

>99 cbl_tn: That one remains on my TBR as well Carrie. Good pick.

I haven't been able to keep up on the threads, but doing a quick drop in to wave.

>101 streamsong: Waving right back, Janet. xx

I am SO late to this party, Paul, but happy new thread. Hoping that your weekend is full of fabulous!

>103 Crazymamie: No worries, Mamie dear, better late than never as they say. xx

Me, too, Paul. Happy New Thread, mate. Hope you're having a good weekend.

>98 PaulCranswick: Nice to hear, Paul, that you welcome our PM's travels. I hope it will benefit both Africa and Canada. Yes, Fidel Castro was certainly a very historical figure. I am glad that Canada maintained normalized relations with them. It's a big vacation spot for Canadians and we've always had those Cuban Cigars.

Okay, Paul, this give me quite a chuckle http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/trudeaueulogies-fondly-remembers-some-of-history-s-...

the " trudeaueulogies" . I love a sense of humour!

Paul, you are a William Trevor fan, right? Any thoughts of a memorial read? I have never read anything by him, but do have Lucy Gault on my to-read pile, and the article here made me want to move it up the stack.

Oh , my bad. Trudeau is not in Africa on a trade mission, he is there for diplomatic reasons, trying to further women's rights, AID's support, LBTQ rights, , education for girls etc. Good on him.

>105 jnwelch: Joe, what I said to our dear pal Mamie clearly applies to you. Glad to see that the seams didn't burst altogether since Thursday, buddy.

>106 vancouverdeb: I see Trump made a rather ill-timed and unnecessary comment on the "brutality of Castro" to mark the man's passing. Very statesman-like I must say. I found successive American administration's attitude to the Cuban regime baffling if I'm honest.

>107 banjo123: OMG thank you so much for that Rhonda as I had entirely missed seeing news of the great man's passing. There goes another who should have but didn't get the Nobel. I would be up for reading something of his next month in memoriam.

>108 vancouverdeb: Trade invariably is aid in Africa, Deb, as they simply cannot afford to pay hard cash for most things. I like JT and think that he gives us progressives a fighting chance of making a wee difference in the world.

Hi Paul!

>108 vancouverdeb: Now that the US is mired in the debacle that will be Trump, I, too, am glad for Justin Trudeau, Angela Merkel, and even Pope Francis in some respects.

Stopping by to enjoy the conversation.

Is the topper a fresh photograph just taken?

>110 karenmarie: Karen, let's face it, Trump is no diplomat and I guess we are in for at least four years of such gratingly tasteless comments.

>111 sibylline: Yes Lucy. It was taken by Hani on her recent trip to the UK whilst driving back from Yorkshire to Edinburgh. I am presuming that she did stop in order to take the picture as surely even my wonder woman and multi-tasker cannot drive and take photographs simultaneously!

Paul, do you think Trump has ever read a book? To me, he seems to lack not only the attention span, but also the intellect or curiosity. Unless it's about him (and even HE did not write his book, Art of the Deal. It was ghost-written and there was an article by that ghost-writer, not long ago, filled with remorse about dealing with the devil, so to speak.)

WILLIAM TREVOR (1928-2016)



I was alerted to the fact that William Trevor passed away this last week.
Possibly the finest exponent of the short story since Anton Chekov, the brilliance of his art in that genre oftentimes blurred the real excellence of his novel writing. Nadine Gordimer and Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize ostensibly for their talents in the medium of short-story writing but, good as they certainly are, for me, they were not quite at the level of Trevor.
A shy man who lived quietly since the 1950s in Devon with his wife of over 60 years. He was nominated for the Booker Prize five times and won the Whitbread Book Award three times.

I will be reading his novel Mrs Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel (1969) in memory of the great man next month and I would welcome anybody who would like to join me in reading some of his fine work. Perhaps I will look to put up something on the TIOLI this month to that effect.

A MITCHELSTOWN MAN


A Mitchelstown man is gone;
He died peacefully in his sleep
After keeping me awake through
So many nights rapt in his words.
The cliffs of Dynmouth
Preventing slumber.

While he breathed
The echoes of Anton could be
Distinctly heard
Through an unreliable narrator.
A reliable and great man;
A Mitchelstown man is gone.

PC 27-11-16

>113 jessibud2: He is too busy being a Demi-God, Shelley, to waste his time on mere fripperies like reading. I do wish the very best to all my American friends and I am sure that not everything he will do in the next four years will be irredeemable but I just wish his advisers would have the guts to school him just a little to think before he opens that cavernous mouth of his.

>115 PaulCranswick: - The problem is two-fold, I think. First, although I am not familiar enough with American politics and personalities, I have been made to understand that his *advisors* reads like a who's who of a horror film: bigots, mysogenists, climate change deniers, racists, all around. Hand-picked, of course, by Himself. Secondly, as was rather evident in his campaign, he is not one to take *advice* from anyone. Follows no script, and shoots his mouth off at will. That's it in a nutshell, the 2 main problems and the biggest worries for the next 4 years. As I understand it. I'm sure I"ll be corrected if I am wrong

>114 PaulCranswick: I've pulled Two Lives (Reading Turgenev/My House in Umbria) from the shelf and will be reading that next week Paul. It has been on the shelf, unread, for too long.

>116 jessibud2:
I know it is going out of style,
But I rather like to smile.
I know we've all been down in the dumps,
Because our cousins failed to come down Trumps.

I could have seen it from a country mile
That he would make all of us chumps
So maybe we're all about to frown awhile
While America smooths out all its lumps.

Thoughtless words and deeds may rile
And put all hands to the pumps.
No longer willing to ride over the bumps
For another count they will file.

God may lift us from the pile
And deliver us from the rumps.
Pray hard that counting clock can dial
And on the Wisconsin precipice Donald jumps.

>117 Caroline_McElwee: When I sorted my books into 780 fiction books I am relieved that I set aside a goodly number of William Trevor's books to read over the next few years. It was therefore easy to take one of them out to read soon. It also meant that another book got "rescued" from the "Coventry" of the top of my wardrobes. Clarice Lispector in fact.

Oh I've got to get to Clarice Lispector. I bought her as a bargain in a charity shop and have a lovely penguin edition sitting on my shelf...

>118 PaulCranswick: cute!

I love Hani's snow picture. I actually enjoy our first snow of the year which hasn't happened yet. After that one, I am less enamored with the white stuff.

Paul, I admire the thought you are putting into next year's BAC. I didn't do very well with this year's challenge but I did enjoy following along and will take part as much as I can next year. My focus is going to be reading my own books which seem to be by predominantly American authors. I'm sure I can find enough British authors to be a part-time participant.

I hope the next week is a good one for you!

Hi Paul! Hope this finds you and your lovely family doing well, happy and healthy. And you got your library down to under 1,000 books?!? I bow down to you, you must be some kind of magician! I was (overly) impressed with myself for getting rid of 50 ARCs that I knew I wouldn't read. Any tips or tricks for a fellow person drowning in books? :)

Just stopping in to say Hi! Megan and I have chosen our latest Bowie read for December. The Outsider by Colin Wilson. Thread link on my page. : )

>120 charl08: So many people rave about her, Charlotte. I still have five Trevor books that survived the cull plus the one I am going to read next month.

>121 banjo123: Just messin' as I was typing my reply to Shelley. Typed straight onto the thread so if it looks clumsy my excuse is that it was way beyond midnight here.

>122 Donna828: Thanks Donna. I do like this time of year building up momentum for next year's reading. My deliberations and soundings on BAC are part of that process. xx

>123 LauraBrook: Well I am cheating a little, Laura, as Roni correctly pointed out. What I have actually done is sorted them out into the ones I want to read in the middle term and stored the others. The fact that the majority are stored in plain sight is neither here nor there of course! Lovely to see you posting, my dear.

>124 Berly: Well that one too survived the cull. I may just promote it and put one of my December planned reads into the 780 books for January 1st onwards.

>83 PaulCranswick: I'm always happy to revisit Jasper Fforde and have been looking for a reason to read Longbourn.

Hi Paul!

>116 jessibud2: and >118 PaulCranswick: As an American, I feel the biggest worry from Trump is his fascist leanings and his hunger for power. Advisors and department heads may come and go, and he might tweet his little black heart out and get everybody riled up, but it's his taking of power, his willingness to step over boundaries and make people fight him for what he's illegally taking that scare me. Major case in point is his current unwillingness to stop his personal business activities that have direct conflict of interests with the role of President that he's going to assume on January 20th (unless the recounts are successful and/or electors defect on December 19th and vote for Hillary). He's also trying to put direct family members into positions of power. And another smaller worry is that he's apparently not taking advantage of daily intel briefings but is, according to the Chumpmeister herself Kellyanne Conway, getting his intel from personal and phone meetings with world leaders and 60 men and women "who could serve in his government but certainly without the promise of any formal position of certainty." Unhinged. Scary. And, btw, it's his administration, not his government. That's the kind of thinking that makes his fascist tendencies even scarier, thinking our country is now his own personal playground.

Rant over.

>128 karenmarie: I agree completely! Like always, he's all about himself and thrives on bragging about being uneducated. Scares the crap outta me.

Is the vote still open?

Witch Child by Celia Rees
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith
The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters
Longbourn by Jo Baker
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

>126 PaulCranswick: I definitely think you should promote The Outsider to the top of your December list and boot some poor book to the 2017 pile. Of course, I am biased. : )

>127 amanda4242: Duly noted Amanda, dear.

>128 karenmarie: My pithy little rhyme obvious makes light of a pretty serious issue, Karen. I think there is already a sense of Trump fatigue here and he hasn't even got inaugurated yet.

>129 LauraBrook: I wonder how many mirrors he has in his home, Laura. For someone so self-centred I would have thought he would have made a better job at settling his hairstyle.

>130 The_Hibernator: I am about to whittle it down to seventeen books, Rachel. In the meanwhile here are a few more candidates from my own library that survived my recent "cull"

2000 Aiding and Abetting by Muriel Spark
2001 According to Queeney by Beryl Bainbridge
2002 White Mughals by William Dalrymple
2003 Judge Savage by Tim Parks
2005 The People's Act of Love by James Meek
2006 Young Bloods by Simon Scarrow
2007 In the Dark by Deborah Moggach
2008 The Truth Commissioner by David Park
2009 The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
2010 The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
2011 Pack Men by Alan Bissett
2012 A Possible Life by Sebastian Faulks
2013 Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield
2014 The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
2015 Arcadia by Iain Pears
2016 The Outrun by Amy Liptrot

>131 Berly: How am I to refuse a pal like you Kimmers?............with your two black belts and all!

>83 PaulCranswick: I'm just going to let everyone else run with this one, and hope that one or two titles that make the ultimate list are already on my shelves. I won't even pretend I would attempt to read 17 books in a single month for any given challenge.

Howdy Paul!

>134 laytonwoman3rd: Yikes I never thought that anyone would try and read all 17 that get picked! Myself will be aiming at two only - one man and one woman.

>135 luvamystery65: Lovely to see you, Ro. xx

Reading Plans from 1 January 2017

I have fully finished my re-organising of my books to reduce my immediate/medium term TBR to:

780 works of fiction
156 works of non fiction

936 books total

of the fiction books 156 of those can be classified as thrillers or science-fiction/fantasy/horror books

The idea is to finish this TBR in six years (talk about detailed planning!) and I will be target to read:

4 works of literary fiction per fortnight
1 work of non-fiction per fortnight
1 thriller/sci-fi per fortnight

26 fortnights in a year x 6 books = 156 books x 6 years = 936 books

New Books & Poetry collections?

I am going to have to go some to be able to incorporate. Challenge I have set myself given my compulsive book buying is that I can only buy books when I am ahead of schedule with my reading and then must read what I buy when I buy it.

Pages

Fiction : 274,536
Average book length = 352 pages

Non Fiction : 64,186
Average book length : 411 pages

Total : 338,722 pages
Average Length = 362 pages

Target Pages to Read per Year : 56,454

Bit intimidating as I have not yet read half that number of pages in 2016 although I normally trouble 40,000 pages a year.

>137 PaulCranswick: Wow, that is some planning, Paul!
I intimidated myself already with 583 childrens/YA books for the next 2 or 3 years ;-)

>136 PaulCranswick: "aiming at two only - one man and one woman." Good---that's what I thought, but am glad to have it confirmed from the Head!

>138 FAMeulstee: Anita, when I added up the pages I gave myself a bit of a shock. There are some real chunksters amongst the 936. Including:

A Suitable Boy 1,474 pages
The Executioner's Song 1,050 pages
The Passage 963 pages
Shantaram 933 pages
Daniel Deronda 888 pages
Tom Jones 877 pages

>139 laytonwoman3rd: So 17 books to choose from (cause 2 books is too narrow) and read as many as you like.

>140 PaulCranswick: Paul, we are planning a group read of A suitable boy over in the category challenge group. Looks to be starting in April.

>141 PaulCranswick: And probably continuing until the following April! I will try to join you for it, Kerry.

>137 PaulCranswick: That is way too much planning for me, and although I love math, it seems a tad out of place on this literary site. : P Good luck!!

>143 PaulCranswick: What can I say, Kimmers; I just don't fit in!

No, you lead the way. : )

>146 Berly: And you are a misguided sweetie. xx

>143 PaulCranswick: There's at least two of us admitting that we'll need a good three months to get it done.

>141 PaulCranswick: Nice selection, I've read five of those and have another 4 on my tbr list.

Wow. Nice choices for September. And 6 books in a fortnight?! Where do you find the time?

>148 avatiakh: I don't know, Kerry, sometimes these tales can have a habit of dragging you in and depriving you of sleep if they are good & this one is supposed to be very good.

>149 avatiakh: Just to show that it is not entirely self-serving, I have read two of them. In keeping with the spirit of the challenge I wanted a roughly equal selection of males and females and so got 8 male authors and 9 female ones. There are a further two that I don't own and another one - The Dig - I will have to go and 'dig' out from its place atop the wardrobe if I am to read it. That would leave 12 books to choose from as is for me; 7 by ladies and 5 by men.

>150 The_Hibernator: Well surely, Rachel, the closing of the old year enables us to tilt at windmills for the new!

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE OCTOBER 2017 WELSH AUTHORS OR WRITERS ASSOCIATED WITH WALES

So the writer could have been born in Wales or have spent much time there or is/was associated with the Principality. This is a quite tough one and not helped that Sarah Waters and Bernice Rubens have featured previously.

Some possibilities:

Ladies

Kate Roberts
Gillian Clarke
Jo Walton
Mary Balogh
Trezza Azzopardi
Sian James
Sheenagh Pugh
Susan Cooper
Jenny Nimmo
Catherine Fisher

Gentlemen

Roald Dahl
Ken Follett
John Cowper Powys
Dick Francis
Howard Spring
Dylan Thomas
WH Davies
Owen Sheers
Richard Llewllyn
Emyr Humphries
Eric Linklater
Niall Griffiths
Patrick McGuiness
Alexander Cordell
Joe Dunthorne
Caradog Prichard
Richard Hughes

Any suggestions?

>151 PaulCranswick: I'm also hoping that but need the buffer zone as I'm notorious for reading too many books at same time.

...and I tell you, The Dig is very very good, well worth crawling around in the headspace above your wardrobe.

>153 avatiakh: I can see me going in search of it over the weekend, Kerry. :D

I'll also have to do some epic sorting through books to find some of what I'm hoping to read next year. Horrors, I might even have to tackle the cupboard under the stairs!

>155 avatiakh: My goodness Kerry - what would have happened if I had two stories at home - how many more stories with an extra story?!

>152 PaulCranswick: Hmm...my library doesn't have books by about 1/3 of these authors and only has one or two books by several others. Well, I'll vote for Jo Walton since I've been meaning to read her for ages and Dylan Thomas because I really need to read something of his other than that one poem that is in every anthology.

>152 PaulCranswick: I'll suggest poet and children's fantasy writer Catherine Fisher - http://www.catherine-fisher.com/about.asp
I haven't read her work and got her mixed up with Jenny Nimmo who has lived in Wales for over 50 years since marrying a Welsh artist. Nimmo writes children's books, some steeped in Welsh mythology, I've read her The snow spider trilogy. Fisher wrote The snow-walker trilogy, hence the mix-up.

From your list I'd probably go for Jo Walton as I'd like an excuse to get to Tooth and Claw. From the men, maybe John Cowper Powys or Richard Llewllyn.

>157 amanda4242: Amanda, keep your eye on that particular post (>152 PaulCranswick: ) as I have added to it every now and then as I remember or think of another option or I get given them.

>158 avatiakh: I must have been adding Jenny Nimmo as you were posting, Kerry. Despite it not generally being my genre, I loved Tooth and Claw.

Hi Paul. I hope you are able to join us next year for the group read of A Suitable Boy. I was just looking at the book sitting there on my shelf and wondering if I will be able to read it in 3 months, it really is quite the chunkster!

I've been following your nominations and choices for next years' BAC, I probably won't be joining in but I do like to follow along and take book bullets!

>160 DeltaQueen50: Well of course, Judy, technically we have about 10 days reading at about 150 pages a day to complete it but it is a daunting, daunting book.
You are welcome to as many book bullets as you can manage, dear Guru.

Wow, Paul! You have a dazzling collection of choices for next year's BAC. You definitely give this some serious thought. I just throw a few names in a hat. LOL. I am very close, to making my final selections for 2017 and yes, it will include another poetry month, which seemed to go so well next time. I am also leaning toward doing a short fiction month. We are due for that and everything else should be a nice diverse mix.

>162 msf59: I am looking forward to the AAC as always, Mark. The obvious issue for me will be that me library of American writers is not as extensive as with my British ones so that the 900+ books I have downsized to may not include all the authors. I am going to have my work cut out for me next year. This is because I have a self-imposed rule that I can only add to my totals if I am in front of schedule and if I am going to read the book immediately.

>137 PaulCranswick: Hi Paull. I'm impressed, and, if I let it get to me, would be a bit daunted. But it's your plan for you and I admire you for it.

I personally find that with the exception of the Great Expectations group read and the September AAC Irving read I don't do well with any regimentation, scheduling, planning, or otherwise. Even in my RL book club, which is now in its 21st year, I don't always read the books. I almost always start them, but I use Karen's Rule (not unlike the Pearl Rule) and ditch them. (Karen's Rule "If for any reason you don't want to continue reading a book, put it down. You may keep it, get rid of it, re-start it, never finish it, finish it from where you left off, but put it down." A different way of saying it is that I abandon books with glee if they're not working for me.)

I think including Mary Balogh in your Oct 2017 Welsh Authors Challenge is great. I love her older Regencies. As with many authors who are prolific, though, I have found that the writing suffers as the cash increases and authors frequently alter their writing style to accommodate a larger Lowest Common Denominator audience. Less descriptive and 'backstory' writing, less detail in general. But her earlier ones are, for me, 'cherce'.

>152 PaulCranswick: Ken Follett? Sarah Waters? Phillip Pullman?

>137 PaulCranswick: I suppose it sounds like regimentation but effectively I start off with 932 books to choose from which many would be overjoyed with.
I was quite surprised that there were relatively few Welsh female writers to choose from. Bernice Rubens, Sarah Waters and Jan Morris have featured in earlier editions. One of the reasons I didn't shortlist Susan Cooper or Jo Walton for the Science Fiction/Fantasy month was that it would have left me very thin to offer up options right now.

>165 jnwelch: Ken Follett & Phillip Pullman are both eligible buddy but Sarah Waters featured early last year in the BAC.

>167 PaulCranswick: I thought I had a dim memory of that, Paul. Okey-doke. I'm glad a couple qualified.

>168 jnwelch: No sweat Joe. Quite aside from my not inconsiderable girth I also have a memory like an elephant!

Owen Sheers please Paul.

>152 PaulCranswick: >166 PaulCranswick: Sharon Kay Penman is an American author, but she spent time in Wales researching her fantastic historical fiction trilogy about medieval Wales. The novels in the Welsh trilogy (Here Be Dragons is the first) are some of the best historical fiction out there, though my particular favorite of hers is Sunne in Splendour. I don't know if that counts as being "associated with" Wales.

Harry Bingham, a British author, writes brilliant mystery thrillers set in Cardiff. Here's what he says on his website: "I’m not Welsh, exactly, but I spent huge chunks of my childhood there – and it’s where my mother now lives full-time. Wales is in my blood. I love it." http://www.harrybingham.com/meet-harry-bingham/ And I love his Fiona Griffiths mysteries, beginning with Talking to the Dead.

>170 charl08: He must be a contender, Charlotte. I have poetry and prose by him on the selves.

>171 Storeetllr: Here Be Dragons is on the shelves Mary, but I think I would be stretching things a little too far by including an American in the BAC as an author rather than a reader! Besides I certainly hope that Mark includes her in the AAC. Sharon is an LT author by the way.
Harry Bingham certainly qualifies though.

Hi Mate, I have to agree with your team for Mumbai after Hameed gave a battling performance with 59no and now needs hand surgery. We need to have some proactive thinking at all levels to get a squad together that can go on a do something good in an England shirt.

I vote for Jo Walton,Susan Cooper, Ken Follett, and John Powys.

A friend of mine read Suitable Boy and she said it didn't take that long at all. It was a very good read. As fast as you read I don't think it would take you 3 months to read.

Is Peter Ho Davies from Wales? Of course, he isn't a woman, but I read his book Welsh Girl and loved it.

So you're still a bit short on female Welsh writers. Hmm, how about Sarah Waters? Also, Beatrix Potter? Though she's a children's story writer. BTW, I think C.S. Lewis is Welsh. His Screwtape Letters is a favorite of his, particularly the audio performed by John Cleese.

>173 johnsimpson: As you know I have never rated Cook as a captain. Clearly deserves to be in the team as a batsman but his tactical nous and his generally negative input in selection is not ideal for India. Our only chance in India is a huge score and then rely on Broad and Anderson if fit. He has absolutely no Plan B or way to win low scoring games. I am not convinced that Joe Root is 100% ready but we couldn't do worse than now.

>174 benitastrnad: Strong contenders all I think Benita. I reckon that A Suitable Boy may well get an impetus that drives up your page reading average.

>175 Storeetllr: Mary, Sarah Waters has already featured as a BAC author. CS Lewis was Northern Irish but had Welsh parentage. I considered Beatrix Potter but she wasn't Welsh born and was more related to the English Lake District than to Wales IMO.

>176 PaulCranswick:, I think Cook will step down from captaincy at the end of this series and Root will take over.

Well, I tried. :)

I have to admit that I read A Suitable Boy a few years ago and found it hard going and read about ten other books alongside it. I was glad that I had read it but boy was I glad to get finished.

>177 johnsimpson: Long overdue that he gives up the Captaincy. I do think that James Whitaker needs to be replaced as Selector too. Picking Batty, Ansari and Ballance for this tour is almost unforgivable. We also went there a batsman light. Duckett and Hameed were there on merit and Duckett's nerves are shot but his ability is still there. A different captain and approach and who knows. Bell-Drummond should have toured.

>178 Storeetllr: Well you did come up with Bingham, Mary, which is a pretty good pick. Potter is actually listed on one website I was researching as one of the 12 great welsh writers, but a close appraisal of her background makes it difficult to include her. I mean I went on holiday to NZ and loved it but it doesn't make me a Kiwi!

>179 johnsimpson: That worries me a little because you are used to reading chunksters.

Yes, Bingham is a good choice! I'm not the warbler Mark is, by any means, but I feel the need to warble loud about him!

>181 Storeetllr: I think that I have something of his in the house somewhere......*scurries off to go and investigate*

>163 PaulCranswick: Since, my TBR stacks are not as extensive as many of my LT pals, I really can't base my AAC picks on what I have on shelf. I would rather not limit myself that way, although I would sure love to pluck books off shelf, whenever I can and that also includes the BAC and CAC.

Hey, sharing the reading experience, is what I enjoy the most about this group.

>183 msf59: I also don't limit myself in that way on the BAC pick, Mark. My way is quite consultative as you know but you have a bigger population of authors to choose from! I have chosen a number of authors or books that I don't have on the shelves over the years and it has encouraged to go and seek them out. This group is great at broadening the horizons isn't it?

Jo Walton and Roald Dahl.

I MAY try to read A Suitible Boy with the group read, though I imagine as structured as my reading is next year, I'll be craving impulse reads.

>185 The_Hibernator: Jo Walton, already emigrated to Canada, is romping home in the BAC for Wales. So many different pick for the gentlemen so that will be a tough one for me to call.

Shortlist?

I'm ashamed to say I only recognise the top two of the Welsh gentleman, and either Ken Follett or Roald Dahl would be enjoyable. Of the women, I'm on loved one/hated one with Jo Walton, was traumatised as a child by Susan Cooper (one of hers being SO spooky it was disturbing to me) and don't recognise the others. So, that's a longwinded and pointless way of saying I don't have a vote ;).

Harry Bingham is a fantastic writer. I just read the second Fiona Griffiths mystery/thriller and absolutely adored it. I'm going to be getting the first one, Talking to the Dead, for Christmas from a cousin, and can't wait!

I'm leaving you to the BAC choices, but wanted to stop by and say hi, Paul.

I really have no call to vote, as I don't know hardly any of the writers, but I have been wanting for some time to read Jo Walton's Among Others so I can vote for her.

>185 The_Hibernator: A Suitable Boy? *faints* It's sooooooo looooong....
:)
Not that I am even in a challenge. So I'll butt out now.

>187 The_Hibernator: For the ladies

Susan Cooper

Jo Walton

Mary Balogh

For the gentlemen

Roald Dahl

Ken Follett

Harry Bingham

>188 lunacat: I am not ashamed to admit to not knowing every author on yesterday's list, Jenny. I was familiar with the majority of them but certainly not all of them.

>189 karenmarie: I am sold already, Karen. I order to be able to justify the money to buy a book by him I am going to have to get cracking with my reading next year.

>190 vancouverdeb: Very diplomatic, Deb.

>191 banjo123: Your voice will always be heard over here, Rhonda. I have read three books by Walton and really enjoyed them all.

>192 LovingLit: *Comes on over with smelling salts* megan....MEGAN.....MEGAN

>193 PaulCranswick: Actually it shows the value of the consultative process. I wanted in all honesty to read either Howard Spring (no-one mentioned him) or John Cowper Powys (mentioned a little only) whereas there have been a few calls for Dahl, Follett and Bingham.

I read Howard Spring in the 70s and 80s and reread one and loved it a few years back. Great both on character and story, just out of vogue at the moment. I have a pile in one of the tbr corners (which is two thirds of the collection!). Aren't you impressed I can read with my back to the door Paul?

Jo Walton Roald Dahl same as before

>196 Caroline_McElwee: He is listed on my profile page as a favourite author. I have read four of his and loved them all - especially Fame is the Spur. I won't foist him on the group though, Caroline, as I will try to preserve what little bit of popularity I retain for as long as possible. I seem to recall someone telling me that they weren't watching?! I am not surprised at your being able to read in all manner of unorthodox positions although I am a little surprised that there is sufficient floor space unoccupied by piles of books sufficient for you to stand with your back to the wall or the door.

>197 The_Hibernator: I can tell you that you have certainly gotten 50% right, Rachel!

>198 PaulCranswick: Hmm. I will try to preserve what little bit of popularity I retain for as long as possible. No way, bud! You're the best.

I hope you're having a good week. Was Hani appreciative of your stashing "a little over 2000 books" on the wardrobes?

>199 karenmarie: And you are too kind Karen. I wouldn't mind coming in second behind you, my dear. xx

Erm.....Hani impressed by:

1 My not drinking at the moment; and
2 My not buying books; and
3 My reading room looking relatively well-kept.

Wardrobes she has given up on already.

December Song

Four hundred and seventy years before that day
Henry Five marched into Paris, France - that tranche
Of empire new; brooking of no protestation,
Reminding his spoilt cousins that cousins are still relations
And that geography was an unhappy circumstance.

Four hundred and seventy years to the day;
The men of those two squabbling nations
met under the frigid waters of La Manche.
Joining together without root, but with branch;
With satisfaction and pride, but little elation.

On 1 December 1420, King Henry V rode into Paris a culmination of his military successes seeing him named a heir apparent to the beleaguered French throne. England and France have had an uneasy relationship in the intervening years.

Henry V died a mere two years later and assisted in bringing about the War of the Roses through the vacuum caused by his demise.

On 1 December 1990, Workers from the British and French sides met under the Channel successfully creating the Channel Tunnel and linking inextricably those bad tempered neighbours.

I'm loving the lists and the possibilities, Paul. Going way back, I'm thrilled to see Winifrid Holtby on your radar. Just go for the best and read South Riding. There's another huge Indian book (along with Shantaram and A Suitable Boy) that I'd love to read, and I can't quite recall the title. I'll find it when I get home - it's a police procedural +, which I started while I was still teaching and had to abandon because it was so demanding. Hmmmmm.
>116 jessibud2: Shelley, that's a good analysis from where I sit in NC.
>118 PaulCranswick: *grin*
>128 karenmarie: Alas, Karen, you are right.
I'll simply say that I haven't heard anybody else comment on two throw-away remarks from the DJT that absolutely chill me to my core. A few days before the election, he said something to the effect that we shouldn't even bother with an election - just go ahead and let him be President.
In his acceptance speech he thanked his supporters, and said (ruefully, I thought, and with the obvious intention that somebody should give him a stupendous reward), "I worked hard."
The first indicates to me that he really, truly has no understanding of or regard for the rule of law.
The second implies that he thinks he's over the hardest part. Really?
>200 PaulCranswick: Good for you!

>202 LizzieD: Always lovely to see you here dear Peggy.

I don't think he believes that laws were written with him in mind - he is above all such fripperies.

I'm sure that America will be great again
Just as sure as I am that he will grate again.

Morning Paul! Nice word play. Carry on with the author selection...

>204 Berly: I was struck by the irony of the hole opening and garlic mixing with ros bif on the anniversary of Henry V humiliating the French - hence >201 PaulCranswick: 's playful verses typed straight from head onto the thread.

I had to come back after I came home and found my big India novel. It's Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra, and I'm pretty sure I'll read it soon in 2017. My recollection is that it gave me a taste of what it's like to try to read when you're not a good reader. It is liberally strewn with slang and vocab from all kinds of Indian languages. Chandra said (in a little interview on the book page at Amazon) that he tried to tell the story as if he were telling it to friends in a bar in Mumbai. He also reminds us that when he read about things English and American in novels, he had no help at all but context, reminding me of my earliest reading of Agatha Christie. There is a glossary, but I think that the thing to do is just give up and go with the flow.
And I didn't mean to suggest that DJT thinks laws were made for him (except maybe tax laws) but that they are irrelevant.

>206 LizzieD: Oh sorry Peggy my comment on Trump certainly wasn't a rebuttal of your own but my own view of his skewed thinking.

Believe it or not I immediately thought of Sacred Games when you mentioned another Indian chunkster.

103.

Cobra by Deon Meyer

Date of Publication : 2014
Page : 367

Assassins.
Pickpockets
Alcoholics
mathematicians
integrity
intensity
praiseworthy

8/10

>189 karenmarie: Yippee! Another Bingham aficionado! His books keep getting better and better. My personal favorite, after Talking to the Dead (I love firsts in any series I continue reading) was the third, The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths. Check out his website - he often has special deals on his books and sometimes posts short stories you can download for free (current one is about Lev). http://www.harrybingham.com/ He sent out a blast email with a free book offer a week ago, I responded with a thank you and a comment on something he wrote in the original email about DJT. I was so gratified when he replied to me!

>201 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! Love the poem and the history lesson!

>180 PaulCranswick:, Don't be worried mate, A Suitable Boy is quite an intense story and there was a lot of text on each page and I wasn't really fully up to speed on chunksters as I am now.

Two intriguing choices that the England selectors have turned to although I think they are merited, Jennings had a really good season with Durham and Dawson can bat as well as bowl so there are options.

>209 Storeetllr: Bingham is a strong contender Mary and I have to make up my mind shortly.

>210 johnsimpson: Is Ansari a bowler that bats or a batsman that bowls? Dawson is like for like really and both are nowhere near good enough for selection as a specialist bowler or bat. They already have Stokes, Woakes, Ali and Rashid who will feel that they are all-rounders but who are good enough for selection as a bowler or bat; they needed a spinner not another all-rounder.

Hi, Paul! I like Deon Meyer. I read and enjoyed the first 2 Benny Griessel books but then failed to get back to them.

I am currently loving Pigeon Tunnel, a memoir Mamie warbled about. If you are a Le Carre fan or not, I highly recommend it. It is definitely your cuppa.

I posted the new AAC list. I hope the troops are pleased.

December Reading Plans

TIOLI - I am going to have a go at them this month and I have something to fit all the categories so far:
I also have a BAC which celebrates my home area of West Yorkshire.
I have AAC and Don DeLillo....grrr

1 TIOLI #1 Person you admire : Walking Away by Simon Armitage (BAC)
2 TIOLI #2 Colour & object: The Innocence of Father Brown by GK Chesterton
3 TIOLI #3 Book to finish : The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (1001 books)
4 TIOLI #4 Numbers in first sentence : Please Mr. Postman by Alan Johnson
5 TIOLI #5 Solstice challenge : The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini
6 TIOLI #6 Vehicle on cover : Drive by James Sallis
7 TIOLI #7 Two capitals in surname : The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney
8 TIOLI #8 A work of art : The Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett
9 TIOLI #9 One or two repeated vowels : Immaculate Deception by Reg Gadney (BAC)
10 TIOLI #10 William Trevor book : Mrs. Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel by William Trevor
11 TIOLI #11 Eve in the title : Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor
12 TIOLI #12 Starts with arriving : Mao II by Don DeLillo (AAC, 1001 books)
13 TIOLI #13 A 12 gifts word : The Maid of Buttermere by Melvyn Bragg
14 TIOLI #14 A chunkster : Angel Pavement by J.B. Priestley (BAC)
15 TIOLI #15 Sci-Fi/Fantasy on Earth : The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

If I can manage all of those I also have

16 BOWIE Books : The Outsider by Colin Wilson and
17 Non-Fiction Challenge : Military Blunders by Saul David
18 AAC November : The Maytrees If I don't finish it on the way to work; otherwise I will swap it for The Robber Bride above

as really 120 books should be a minimum for me in one year

>212 msf59: I do like Le Carre mate but that pales compared to the new AAC.... off to have a gander!

The December BAC Thread is up:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/242395

This month is WEST YORKSHIRE writers

Brontes, Ted Hughes, Billy Liar, Bridget Jones, Inspector Banks etc etc

Jo Walton and Roald Dahl are my top picks.

>207 PaulCranswick: So does that mean that you have read Sacred Games, Paul? I am SO envious!

>215 PaulCranswick: What, Peter Robinson is a Yorkshire writer? I have been wanting to read an Inspector Banks ever since I heard Robinson speak at the Vancouver Writers Festival.

>206 LizzieD: I've marked Sacred games down for reading next year as well as A suitable boy. I'm hoping to tackle a few chunksters that lurk evermore on Mt tbr.

>216 cbl_tn: Picks about to be confirmed, Carrie

>217 LizzieD: I haven't actually, Peggy. It is four square on the shelves.

>218 Familyhistorian: Yes, he was born and brought up in Wakefield (Castleford). Wakefield is my home city.

>219 avatiakh: Your page count next year will be interesting, Kerry.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE OCTOBER 2017 -WRITERS FROM WALES

JO WALTON



ROALD DAHL

>220 PaulCranswick: He still sounds like he comes from Yorkshire even though he has lived in Canada for donkey's years.

>222 PaulCranswick: Cool! I've been meaning to get to Walton and I've loved Dahl since I was a kid.

>223 Familyhistorian: Meg, I still have the same accent despite my time away.

>224 amanda4242: I am pleased that you are pleased.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE NOVEMBER 2017 - BRITISH POET LAUREATES

Read anything by :

Poets Laureate (UK)
Laureateship

Poet
Unofficial Holders

1619-37 Ben Jonson
1638-?
Sir William D'Avenant
Official Holders

1668-89 John Dryden
1689-92 Thomas Shadwell
1692-1715 Nahum Tate
1715-18 Nicholas Rowe
1718-30 Laurence Eusden
1730-57 Colley Cibber
1757-85 William Whitehead
1785-90 Thomas Warton
1790-1813 Henry James Pye
1813-43 Robert Southey
1843-50 William Wordsworth
1850-92 Alfred Lord Tennyson
1896-1913 Alfred Austin
1913-30 Robert Bridges
1930-67 John Masefield
1968-72 Cecil Day-Lewis
1972-84 Sir John Betjeman
1984-98 Ted Hughes
1999-2009 Andrew Motion
2009 Carol Ann Duffy

National Poet of Wales

Gwyneth Lewis 2005 to 2006
Gwyn Thomas 2006 to 2008
Gillian Clarke 2008 to 2016
Ifor ap Glyn 2016

Dyan Thomas recognised historically as National Welsh Poet

William Shakespeare recognised as National English Poet

Robert Burns, Hugh McDiarmid, John Barbour Edwin Morgan are seen as the National Poets of Scotland

Thomas Moore and WB Yeats as the National Poets of Ireland

Children's Laureate

2007–09 Michael Rosen

Any of the above will count for the challenge.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE - DECEMBER 2017 - GROUP CHOICE

SHORTLIST

LADIES

ROSE TREMAIN 1 vote

CLAIRE TOMALIN 1 vote

ELIZABETH GASKELL 5 votes

DOROTHY L SAYERS 1 vote

ZADIE SMITH 1 vote

BARBARA PYM 2 votes

PAT BARKER 2 votes

VALMCDERMID 1 VOTE

BARBARA ERSKINE

GENTLEMEN

JIM CRACE

GRAHAM SWIFT 1 vote

NEIL GAIMAN 4 votes

ANTHONY TROLLOPE 3 votes

DH LAWRENCE

ALDOUS HUXLEY

EM FORSTER 1 vote

JOHN LE CARRE 1 vote

GEORGE ORWELL 3 votes

Straight vote to decide.

>226 PaulCranswick: Perhaps you could include poet Michael Rosen who was Children's laureate from 2007 to 2009. I believe he's the only children's poet to be laureate.

>227 PaulCranswick: My vote - Pat Barker & John Le Carre

>228 avatiakh: I will certainly include him Kerry. Good idea. (eta : done)

>229 avatiakh: First votes logged other than my own.

Tomalin and Orwell please. Fascinating list though, I'd be happy with almost all of them.

>231 charl08: I thought that if I left it entirely open, Charlotte, it may be even harder to get a discernible result. I did try to get something of a mixture of writers and periods.

I would be happy with any of the women except Rose Tremain or Barbara Erskine. Barbara Pym would be my top choice.

As for the men, I am not eager to read Graham Swift or DH Lawrence. Trollope would be my top choice, but I'd be OK with any of the others except the two above.

>233 cbl_tn: Carrie, six votes for six different writers to date. I can see this will be interesting.

>227 PaulCranswick: I will keep an updated record of votes on the post so we can all see the results in real time. I cast my own votes for Neil Gaiman (I know surprise, surprise) and Barbara Pym, but really I am fine with any of the 18.

I hope to join some BAC reads next year, as far as authors are translated & books available.
In this list Rose Tremain and George Orwell get my vote.

Hooray for Gaiman! Perfect choice.

Enjoying a day off today, Paul. Hope to get in plenty of reading. Duh!

>236 FAMeulstee: I hope to see you too Anita. xx

>237 msf59: I am not convinced that Gaiman is my cuppa tea, Mark, but I am convinced that I need to try his books again soon.

Maybe we need to do some kind of reallocated secondary voting system??

It's nice to see folks mentioning Sacred Games. I thought it was a standout, but haven't heard anyone talk about it for ages. Hefty, but a page-turner.

>239 charl08: I think second preference voting may come into play eventually looking at how the voting may spread. Anyone?

>240 jnwelch: I must seek that one out too. It got culled and I am pretty sure it was boxed but I need to go and check my records.

I don't know if I can actually participate or not, but my vote for women is Dorothy Sayers or Elizabeth Gaskell. I read Cranford several years ago thought it a wonderful book.

>242 karenmarie: You can certainly participate in the vote, Karen - it is not compulsory to read the books!

>227 PaulCranswick: Votes for the Victorians: Mrs Gaskell & Trollope. Have lots of both on the shelves.

Ooh, Mrs. Gaskell and Trollope. Great idea.

Gaskell and Forester. 🙂

You have a bunch of good books lined up this month. I own the Atwood, but haven't read it.

I'd like Gaskell and Gaiman, with Barker and Forster as second choices.

Neil Gaiman and Zadie Smith for me

>244 kac522: Would be a lot of reading next December if your vote carries, Kathy.

>245 jnwelch: It is a good idea, Joe, indeed.

>246 The_Hibernator: Made a good start too yesterday, Rachel I will have three of them finished over the weekend, I reckon.

>247 amanda4242: I like that combination, Amanda. I have books that survived my cull for all four writers.

>248 lunacat: One of the problems Zadie Smith has faced is that the excellence of her first novel and the acclaim it generated has proven difficult for her to replicate.

UPDATE ON THREAD POSTING STATS

149 threads have 100 posts or more as of 1 December 2016. Here they are:

1 msf59 8046
2 scaifea 7120
3 crazymamie 7006
4 PaulCranswick 6807
5 jnwelch 6460
6 Charl08 4590
7 KatieKrug 4190
8 kidzdoc 4011
9 EBT1002 3211
10 vancouverdeb 2284
11 Berly 2179
12 Ameise1 2116
13 SusanJ67 2107
14 Carmenere 2098
15 cbl_tn 1972
16 BBLBera 1875
17 Whisper1 1676
18 ireadthereforeiam 1660
19 ronincats 1633
20 FamilyHistorian 1587
21 lkernagh 1562
22 lit_chick 1470
23 johnsimpson 1455
24 LizzieD 1429
25 DianaNL 1396
26 mstrust 1342
27 lyzard 1202
28 thornton37814 1201
29 karenmarie 1193
30 smiler69 1182
31 FAMeulstee 1085
32 Chatterbox 1084
33 Deern 1084
34 Donna 1082
35 drneutron 1063
36 Ape 1054
37 Sibyx 1054
38 bell7 1010
39 The_Hibernator 965
40 Ursula 940
41 Weird_O 896
42 laytonwoman3rd 879
43 nittnut 875
44 rosalita 851
45 avatiakh 828
46 laurelkeet 810
47 tymfos 797
48 souloftherose 790
49 Streamsong 790
50 Oberon 763
51 coppers 726
52 foggidawn 711
53 SandDune 709
54 mahsdad 695
55 MickyFine 694
56 Dianekeenoy 689
57 MichiganTrumpet 684
58 Banjo 648
59 maggie1944 632
60 PaulStalder 628
61 rebarelishesreading 617
62 AMQS 610
63 lindapanzo 600
64 qebo 600
65 brodiew2 574
66 ctpress 573
67 luvamystery65 555
68 Swynn 553
69 TheBookDiva 544
70 norabelle414 530
71 harrygbutler 522
72 storeetllr 439
73 inge87 418
74 _zoe_ 398
75 ffortsa 394
76 Morphy 381
77 SqueakyChu 375
78 eclecticdodo 374
79 mdoris 373
80 lycomayflower 366
81 Porch_Reader 365
82 Humouress 363
83 BBGirl55 343
84 fuzzi 332
85 labwriter 331
86 cameling 319
87 rosylibrarian 319
88 Fourpawz2 286
89 dk_phoenix 282
90 Kassilem 282
91 Luxx 272
92 RichardDerus 269
93 connie53 267
94 seasonoflove 259
95 evilmoose 256
96 SuziQOregon 254
97 Rbeffa 251
98 aktakukac 250
99 kmartin802 250
100 Cariola 229
101 beeg 219
102 klobrien2 216
103 archerygirl 205
104 Aunt Clio 199
105 dragonaria 199
106 cyderry 197
107 jessibud2 193
108 lovelyluck 188
109 kac522 187
110 JustJoey4 186
111 rretzler 182
112 someguyinvirginia 182
113 amanda4242 181
114 leahbird 177
115 Geezlouise 175
116 Bekkajo 169
117 Xymon81 169
118 susanna.fraser 167
119 roundballnz 166
120 witchyrichy 158
121 cal8767 157
122 hredwards 152
123 dajashby 145
124 CassieBash 144
125 elliepotten 144
126 arubabookwoman 143
127 SirFurboy 142
128 tiffin 140
129 torontoc 138
130 LauraBrook 134
131 Deedledee 133
132 tututhefirst 130
133 countrylife 126
134 walklover 125
135 Cait86 124
136 cushlareads 124
137 mckait 124
138 BerlinBibliophile 121
139 scvlad 121
140 jennyifer24 117
141 catarina1 115
142 kgodey 114
143 LibraryLover23 110
144 CDVicarage 108
145 LoisB 108 146 Cookie 106
147 jillbone 105
148 TadAd 105
149 bluesalamanders 101

Thread Posting

Top Ten Females

1 Amber
2 Mamie
3 Charlotte
4 Katie
5 Ellen
6 Deb
7 Kim
8 Barbara
9 Susan
10 Lynda

Top Ten Males

1 Mark
2 Paul C
3 Joe
4 Darryl
5 John
6 Jim
7 Ape
8 Bill
9 Erik
10 Jeff

Woot ! Made it into the top 10 :) Hmmm, I was going to vote, but I don't want to rock the boat. I think I'd vote for Val McDermid, because I've not read anything by her, and I am torn between Graham Swift and John Le Carre for the men.

Thread Posting by Residency

USA
1 Mark
2 Amber
3 Mamie
4 Joe
5 Katie
6 Darryl
7 Ellen
8 Kim
9 Lynda
10 Carrie

CANADA
1 Deb
2 Meg
3 Lori
4 Nancy
5 Ilana
6 Micky
7 Mary
8 Faith
9 Megan
10 Shelley

UK (incl Channel Islands)
1 Charlotte
2 Susan
3 John
4 Heather
5 Rhian
6 Jo
7 Bryony
8 Bekka
9 Ellie
10 Sir F

Europe
1 Barbara
2 Diana
3 Anita
4 Nathalie
5 Paul S
6 Carsten
7 Connie
8 Monica
9 Miriam
10 Bianca

Asia Pacific
1 Paul C
2 Megan
3 Liz
4 Kerry
5 Nina
6 Alex
7 Derrick
8 Cushla
9 Adrienne
10 Prue

>252 vancouverdeb: I cannot see you being overtaken as top Canadian this year, Deb. You have a buffer of 700 posts over Meg.
Your votes are duly logged!

>227 PaulCranswick: Regarding Le Carre, didn't you say that an author who featured in the March selections wouldn't be an individual author in 2017?

I'm always impressed with your ability to take time to make all those stats, Paul.

>255 amanda4242: Hoist by my own petard. You are quite right, Amanda, I did say that. Let's see how the vote goes now!

>256 The_Hibernator: Your welcome Rachel. I do keep the figures up to date on posting so it doesn't actually take very long.

Hi Paul! I am voting for Pat Barker, unless you already counted my vote. And Orwell.

>258 banjo123: I have duly logged your vote, Rhonda. xx

Thanks for the stats Paul, my most chatty year before this one was 2010 with 845 posts, so hitting 1000 last month was a milestone ;-)

Hi Paul!

Thanks for the stats, something near and dear to my heart. I'm happily surprised at my ranking at #29/1193 (which of course can be broken down to 2*9 = 18, 1*8 = 8 = my lucky number and 1193 posts is 1+1+(9-3) = 8 too)

Your thread is always a pleasure to visit.

>260 FAMeulstee: You have climbed the posting "league table" steadily throughout the year, Anita and it has been a pleasure for me to see you doing so. xx

>261 karenmarie: Karen you always surprise me at being able to conjure 8s everywhere! I am pleased that you enjoy visiting here - I certainly enjoy hosting you. xx

Another full day of voting for the final two BAC 2017 places. I will announce the final spots tomorrow.

>250 PaulCranswick: It looks like this msf59 person, is hogging all the glory. Some people! At least the next 4 are pretty close.

Happy Weekend, Paul! And Hooray for the impending BAC picks!

>264 msf59: Yep it has certainly been the year for the Postie with the Mostie. TBH mate after so many years in the top three it was overdue for you and well merited. The year isn't over of course but I don't see any of Amber, Mamie, Joe or myself coming up on the rails quickly enough. Back on 2012 & 2013 form I could perhaps string together a few threads a week but not nowadays.

Review of November 2016

Books Read : 9
Year to date : 103

Genre : Literary Fiction : 3 (Year to date 56)
Thrillers/Sci Fi : 3 (Year to date 12)
Poetry : 1 (Year to date 16)
Plays : 0
Non-Fiction :2 (Year to date 19)

Author Nationality : UK : 4 (Year to date 54)
Canada : 0 (Year to date 10)
USA : 2 (Year to date 27)
France : 1 (Year to date 2)
Jamaica : (Year to date 1)
Australia : 0 (Year to date 2)
Malaysia : 0 (Year to date 1)
New Zealand: 1 (Year to date 2)
Ireland : (Year to date 1)
Sweden : 0 (Year to date 1)
Italy : (Year to date 1)
S. Africa : 1 (Year to date 1)

Author Gender : Male : 7 (Year to date 70)
Female : 2 (Year to date 33)

Booker Winners : 0 (Year to date 4) // 24/51 done

Pulitzer Fiction/Novel Winners : 0 (Year to date 3) // 14/88 winners

Nobel Winners : 0 // 59/112 winners

1001 Books First Edition : 1 // 270/1001

British Author Challenge : 2 (Rebecca West & Len Deighton ) (Year to date 21/22)

American Author Challenge : 1 Michael Chabon (Year to date 10/11)

Canadian Author Challenge : 0 (Year to date 7/22)

ANZAC Challenge : 1 (Year to date 3)

Doorstopper Challenge : 0 (Year to date 3)

Non-Fiction Challenge : 1 : (Year to date 9/11)

Pages Read : 1,881 ( Year to date 27,005)
Average Pages per day : 62.70 (Year to date 80.61)
Average Pages per book : 209.00 (Year to date 262.18)

Books Added : 43 (Year to date 309)

Book of the Month : Crime Story by Maurice Gee

>250 PaulCranswick: Will 4 digits happen? Maybe. :)

>266 PaulCranswick: I love seeing your detailed reading stats. It inspires me, but I am taking baby steps toward keeping track of things, so it would be a while before I achieve master level tracking like you!

>267 ursula: Just over two posts a day - you'll do it Ursula! I have to say what a pleasure it has been to see you so active this year. One of change for you too leaving Europe behind and returning to the States and we were all blessed with some lovely photos from you throughout 2016.

I think that there are a number in the group with more facility than I on book reading stats - especially our professional librarians who really know how to classify and so on. I am an interested amateur compared to some of them but as all who visit here know - I do like my statistics. xx

A couple of additions to speak of. This will be my last month as "an acquisitionary power"(!) for a good while as next year I will be rolling up the carpet in an attempt for a while to reduce numbers.

I have the big bad wolf annual sale in town next week and I cannot see me avoiding it entirely.

310. Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler (2003) 214 pp
311. Horror in the East by Laurence Rees (2001) 265 pp

310 above is, of course, entirely Mark's fault as he has put Ms. Butler into January's AAC.
311 is because I struggle to just buy one.

On addictions, I did well yesterday at the High Commissioner of Ghana's dinner prior to his leaving for the election there next week. He poured me a very generous Scotch over ice which he knows is my tipple of choice but I secretly replaced it with apple juice and stayed tea-total another day.

>269 PaulCranswick: Ooh, you have reformed, Paul. Are you going to get back on the stepping bandwagon too?

Hi Paul! Excellent statistics for November/YTD.

You inspire me to try to categorize my books by genre, too. I have even read one play this year, a genre I usually avoid. The play was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. This year has absolutely killed my number of books read - only at 87 - but I've read 29,825 pages and listened to 103.83 hours of audiobooks, which equates to 3,234 pages. Drat those Outlander books!

And substituting apple juice for Scotch is smart for you and kind to the High Commissioner.

>270 Familyhistorian: Hahaha Meg. Believe it or not my walking campaign begins on Monday. Hani, Michelle (her friend) and I have a 6 am destination at a local park to walk for an hour before the sun and humidity make it an undue toil.

>271 karenmarie: Karen, your stats are impressive, I must say. My pages read total this year is possibly my lowest ever.
The apple juice was effective and Uncle Ben (His Excellency the High Commissioner) seemed impressed at how quickly I could despatch it!

>265 PaulCranswick: It looks like the classic tortoise and hare tale, Paul. I knew if I hung in there long enough, I could stroll right ahead.

>269 PaulCranswick: I will totally take the blame on Butler. It is nice to put the spotlight on an author, that does not get much LT time.

>273 msf59: Well yes, Mark. The stats don't lie. Over the years your numbers have been remarkably consistent with 7,000 + scores from 2011 to 2015 without fail but others always having stellar years to keep you on the lower rungs of the podium. My 37 threads in 2012 and nearly 10,000 posts and Amber almost reaching five figures in 2014 are numbers that it is difficult to imagine being repeated but you keep on keeping on. I would guess that you will get to around 8,750 posts this year which is an impressive total and 1,000 more than you have ever managed. I reckon that only myself, Amber, Stasia and possibly Richard will have managed more in a single year.

>274 PaulCranswick: To be fair I did read Kindred last month so I would have been looking for more by her but your welcome selection accelerated my purchasing for sure.

Happy Saturday, Paul (is it still Saturday in KL?). I see that I've dropped behind Katie into eighth place, which isn't a surprise given my near absence on LT for the past month, but I'm pleased that I'll still finish in the top 10. I suspect that I'll fall out of the top 10 in 2017, though.

I haven't been commenting on your 2017 British Author Challenge, as I doubt that I'll participate to any meaningful degree in the AAC, BAC or Reading Globally next year. I will follow Rachel's lead and read the 6 Books to Help Understand Trump’s Win that were posted in an article in The New York Times last month, starting with The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer in January/February. I'll also look for similar books about the rise of populism and the far right in the UK, France and other Western European nations.

>275 kidzdoc: Nice to see you Darryl. It was still Saturday when you posted but my reply has slipped into Sunday!
As you know mate, you'll be welcome to join in as you wish on the BAC to as little or great an extent as you are able or willing to. I will be thinking of you this month as I am reading authors from my home area and one of them will be Caryl Phillips who I know is a favourite of yours.

I have seen the George Packer book but too many reads of that nature stacked together might not make a happy chappy.

Impressive stats, as always, Paul. I'm quite pleased to have made it into the 1,000+ posting league though I confess I'm rather happy not to be a "Top 10" because I don't think I'd be able to keep up with any thread but my own if I were!

>277 bell7: I think Mary to have a "top ten" thread you need plenty of time across the threads otherwise you would never get return visits. Those stats would be immensely difficult but it would be interesting to see who posted the most on other people's threads in any given year.

Well, Paul, I can't keep up with you. Wonderful choices for next year's challenge. I have books by many of these authors on my shelves, so perhaps I can join some of them.

Good resolutions regarding buying books. ;) Good luck.

>279 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I can already feel myself weakening and it isn't even January yet!

Resolution talk? *faints again* (and i only just recovered from my last faint!)
:)

>281 LovingLit: Hahaha. It is of course so encouraging when one's friends have absolute faith in one's incapacities.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE DECEMBER 2017

And the final two picks for next year are......................................

See you on the next thread!