SpiraledStar's 75 books

Well, I posted a 75 book challenge over at the 50 Book Challenge. I guess I'm viewing it as a safety net - if I don't reach 75, I'll hopefully at least hit 50.

Here's what I've read so far:
The Book Thief
How to Read Literature Like a Professor
The Inimitable Jeeves
Chocolat
Four Queens

What I'm currently reading:
Jane Eyre
God's Demon
Neverwhere

Any suggestions will be happily accepted!

welcome Spiraledstar, and good luck with either one of your challenges. Neverwhere is one of my all time favorites of Gaiman.

Well, I think I'll modify my list a bit: I'll make it so that it encompasses all of 2008. (My other list is from this June to next June). My list now includes:
Anansi Boys
Walden
The Great Gatsby
A Raisin in the Sun
Death of a Salesman
The Caine Mutiny
Pagan Christmas
The Light Fantastic
The Zombie Survival Guide
Apocalypse Wow!
Doomsday Prophecies
The Time Traveler's Wife
Slaughterhouse-Five

So...now I'm up to 18...and the year is about halfway over. Hm...hopefully, keeping this lists up-to-date will keep me on track for 2008. Maybe. I know there's a few other books that I read, but I don't remember them. If I do, I'll add them.

edited again because the touchstones are being wonky

Welcome to the 75'ers!!

I like the diversity of your list here....zombies to Walden. Although, I guess an argument could be made for the existentialism of zombies.

Don't worry, recommendations will abound. As to Reading Literature Like a Professor, what did you thinkg of that read? I quite enjoy books about reading and writing. They always seem to expose me to new books and authors.

Also, what about Slaughterhouse-Five? I've exchanged thoughts with other 75'ers on this one and wondered whether you enjoyed it?

blackdogbooks: I enjoyed both of the books you mentioned. I found Reading Literature Like a Professor to be quite entertaining. It was really humorous, and I was able to refresh my analyzing skills from my lit classes. Plus, like you said, I was exposed to books that I wouldn't have thought to read before. Now, I can't wait to find them at the library!

I thought Slaughterhouse-Five was a good book. It didn't take me too long to adjust to all the time changes, and I liked Vonnegut's writing style. A few of my friends read it around the same time, so we had a great conversation on mental issues, war, and aliens. What did you think of it?

I didn't love it because I never could tell if the shifts in time were really happening or if they were a coping mechanism for the character in dealing with the abusive and hard treatment. Maybe it was just me.

It was a bit hard to follow at first, but I had a lit major to discuss it with, so I think we decided that it was a coping mechanism. Especially when you take into account that the aliens looked like something off of a book cover or something...

The book count is now up to 19, as I recently finished World War Z. It's a wonderful book. I actually listened to the audiobook, but since it's a collection of interviews with people who took part in a zombie war, it seemed a little more personal. Plus, the pace kept up and each interview was fascinating. Highly recommended!

What I'm currently reading:
Jane Eyre
God's Demon
Neverwhere
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse

I'm up to 20 books now, as I just finished Jane Eyre. I really enjoyed it. I expected a period romance, and what I got was an engaging novel that I could not put down. Jane was a great heroine: smart, sensible, and take-charge. She charted her own course instead of weeping helplessly at her fate. She realized that kindness from others is certainly helpful, but it's not the only way in life. Throughout the novel, she only had to betray her heart once, for propriety's sake, as she knew she would not stay happy if she had followed it. Luckily, the problem was resolved, and she found her happiness. I will definitely look for this book on my next trip to the bookstore (this copy is from the library).

I really liked World War Z, but read it rather than listened to it. The audiobook sounds interesting, so I'll have to dig it up. Jane Eyre is a favorite of mine, and if you want to have some fun with it, try The Eyre Affair.

I'm looking forward to your take on Hollow Chocolate Bunnies. It's on my list of recommended books these days.

Took a nice, short read with The Code of the Woosters. I liked it; it was funny and fast-paced, with Bertram "in the soup" and Jeeves stepping in to save him. Poor Bertram never catches a break...at least he gained control by the end of the book (with the aid of Jeeves, of course). I'll have to look for more of Wodehouse's books!

drneutron: I'll have to look for The Eyre Affair. It definitely sounds intriguing.

Jane Eyre is also a favorite of mine; one of my first reads ever. Another suggestion is Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys which is an examination of Mr. Rochester and his crazy wife and the family before they meet Jane, a speculative look at how they got to be the way they are. Wonderful writing, even though I had a bit of trouble keeping track of the narrative thread. I really enjoyed it.

I also recently read World War Z and it definitely sounds like it would be interesting to actually hear an "oral history". Was there an entire cast so that each character sounded different, or was it one or two readers doing multiple voices?

wunderkind: There was an entire cast, with the exception of maybe one person doing two roles. I found that it helped me keep all the narratives straight, and the different accents helped me remember what country that survivor was from.

I am going to check out World War Z - it sounds interesting!

Jane Eyre is a long time favorite of mine as well! I second drneutron's recommendation of The Eyre Affair, lots of fun. Also, for a pretty faithful SF retell, try Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn.

I also am interested on your take on Hollow Chocolate Bunnies. Amazon keeps recommending it to me, but I've never read anything by the author.

ronincats: Thanks for the recommendation on Jenna Starborn! I'm going to the library today, so I'll be looking for that book along with The Eyre Affair.

I'm almost done with Hollow Chocolate Bunnies, so I'll be posting my thoughts on that soon.

Hollow Chocolate Bunnies is a mixture of fantasy, noir detective mystery and comedy. I liked it for most of the same reasons I liked The Eyre Affair, although Rankin's and Fforde's approaches to comedy are somewhat different.

I will have to look for Jenna Starborn, too. Like drneutron, I am a fan of both Jane Eyre and The Eyre Affair.

#9
A&E has one of the best adaptations of Jane Eyre I've ever seen.

Whisper1: I'll have to keep my eye out for that, too.

Sadly, when I went to the used bookstore today, I couldn't find Jenna Starborn. This search wasn't aided by the fact that I forgot the author's name...whoops. I can't find the book at the library, either. Is this book really that rare, or am I just looking in the wrong places?

#21 SpiraledStar: My library does not have the book, either, so I checked www.abebooks.com and there were 42 copies available for sale. You might give them a try.

alcottacre: I'll definitely give that a look-up, thanks!

Well, I finally finished The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse. I'm not sure why it took me so long, as I started it in late June, and it's only 342 pages in paperback. It was a decent book, though. It took me a little while to get used to Rankin's writing style; characters would often see something, but not talk about it until later. I think this was to keep the reader in suspense. The story centered around a boy named Jack who has gone to the city to seek his fortune. You meet him when he's still on the road and follow him as he finds out that this is a city inhabited by toys. These toys talk, move, think, and even eat and drink, as is easily seen in Eddie bear, the teddy bear of the detective Bill Winkie. Eddie befriends Jack and asks him to help him on a case. The "old rich" (who resemble our society's celebrity culture) as being murdered, and Bill Winkie has disappeared, so Eddie decides to finish the case and needs Jack's help. It was fun to follow the pair as Jack got a crash course in Toy City society, but starting about two-thirds of the way into the book, there were a lot of sudden twists. I don't know if it was Rankin's writing style or my penchant for late-night reading, but I didn't expect any of them and ended up a bit confused until the end. It was a good book, though, and I'd recommend it, with the warning to pay close attention. Nothing is as it seems.

Now, onto Great Expectations and Atonement.

Amazon has about 60 copies used available as well. Sharon Shinn is the author--I like most of the things she has written. Wrapt in Crystal is probably my favorite.

Now up to 23 books with Watchmen, and all I can say is: wow!

Alright, that's not all I can say. Watchmen was dark, thought-provoking, visually splendid, and riveting. I picked it up last night, had to convince myself to stop at about three o'clock, then picked it up again throughout the next day, finishing it this evening.

Set in the Cold War of 1985, with Nixon still serving as president, the story follows a handful of (mostly) former masked heroes and vigilantes. Vigilantism has been outlawed by the Keene Act, so most of our characters are trying to live "normal" lives. When they learn that one of their number has been murdered, they set off, old costumes in hand, to find out who has been targeting them, although they don't form a set team. This book isn't about a team of superheroes; it's about the individual actions and mindsets of normal people who decide to take the law into their own hands. It's a complex read, with a major story-within-the-story and lots of subplots, and it tackles a lot of tough issues. I liked how the inner story echoed what was going on in the main plot, and the carefully woven-in psychological and moral analyses were fascinating. There isn't a black-and-white, good vs. evil distinction: no bad guys to get a comeuppance, no lessons to be learned. Everything is hazy, just like life.

My only issue with this was that the female crime fighters don't get the depth (or costumes) they deserve. Especially the costumes. Sure, it's a step up from being a damsel in distress, and the two major females are tough women with pasts, motives, etc., but I didn't feel that they had the same roles as the men. It may just be the feminist in me, but shouldn't a woman be able to do more than look pretty and be the reason the men do things, with the occasional display of ferocity? And the costumes...please, can't we women at least wear tights with our costumes, like the men-folk? Pants would be nice. Ah, well. At least they still managed to be pretty tough.

Also, poor German Shepherds and genetically-altered lynx. D:

Mini-rants aside, if you haven't read this yet, you really should. It's absolutely fantastic. (Although, fair warning: this isn't a family-friendly superhero comic. If you can't handle a dark, gritty story with dark, gritty characters doing dark, gritty things, don't pick it up. But if you can...perfect.)

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy makes 24. A quick read, but hilarious and brilliant. Plus, Tim Burton's illustrations are fantastic.

Finally, finally, finally finished Atonement. I thought the beginning was very slow and forced. It focused mostly on the younger girl's thoughts on being a writer, and I felt that it was just an outlet for the author to express his own thoughts. Once the novel got going, though, it was better. I'll probably rent the movie, but McEwan's writing style doesn't make me want to rush out and find more of his books.

Hooray! 1/3 of the way completed!

Finished Simple Prayers very early this morning, reading about 2/3 of it in one chunk. The novel focuses on the villagers living on a tiny island as they deal with love, loss, and everyday survival. While reading, I was surprised that the bubonic plague hit the island so late in the book (the opening scene focuses on one man's discovery of a body from said plague). However, now that I've finally gotten some sleep, I realize that this book was about the characters and their relationships, with the plague being but one test thrown their way.

I rather enjoyed this novel. My only issue was that I don't speak any Italian, so I couldn't keep most of the supporting characters straight, and I had no idea what the names of the dishes they prepared meant. There wasn't a happy ending, but I think a happy ending would have spoiled the story. This is a novel of hope, devotion, longing, and sacrifice. Recommended.

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I finally found Jenna Starborn! It's definitely going straight to the top of my personal library TBR pile. Up first, though, the books I have from the city library: Great Expectations, The Eyre Affair, The Book of Air and Shadows, The Year of Living Bibilically, possibly The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, and the entire The Dark is Rising series. I don't want to return all of them to the library unread...

Congrats! Reading that along with The Eyre Affair will certainly give you an Eyre fix. I love The Dark is Rising series as well, with the second book being one of my top books of all time in sheer story-telling. I have The Year of Living Biblically on my wish list. DK The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters--you shall have to let me know what you think!

I thoroughly enjoyed Glass Book of the Dream Eaters - great steampunk. If you like it, you may also like Perdido Street Station.

PSS is sitting on my TBR pile!

Well, Great Expectations is finally finished. I enjoyed the story, but it took me a very long time to read. I'm blaming the tiny print on large pages (it was a Norton Critical Edition, if you can use that to gauge the size), so when I thought I was making good progress, I'd usually only read about six or seven pages.

Now I'm thinking I'll read The Eyre Affair - I just went to renew my library books, and apparently I've reached the maximum number of renewals allowed. The Eyre Affair was the book I went to the library specifically for, so I want to at least finish that one.

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I know how it goes with attempting to renew library books and then finding you can't. It happens to me all the time. You have my sympathies, lol.

Finished The Eyre Affair. I ended up taking far too long to read it because I became horribly busy, but I loved the book. Very fun. For a while I was wondering when I'd finally be introduced to Jane (after all, it is called The Eyre Affair), but I still really enjoyed the story.
Also, I found out that one of my friends owns the entire series, so that will make getting my hands on the next book a lot easier.

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A quick note on The Eyre Affair that I inexplicably forgot until talking to a friend about the book: the scene where Richard III was treated like The Rocky Horror Picture Show left me in stitches.

Ok, another book done. This time, Storm Front. It was an easy read, something light to occupy myself with as the pressures of classes begin to bear down once again. I loved Harry Dresden's sarcasm and dark humor, and the descriptions used were vivid. Also, Bob the air spirit (living in a skull, no less) was quite hilarious. I ended up not being able to put the book down.

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Caught a few of the SciFi channel renditions of these stories. Didn't know they were based on novels at first. They were a little 'cheesy' but fun to watch. Sounds like the books read better than the show watched?

blackdogbooks: I started out watching the show as well, then found the books and went, "Aha!" The books read much better than the show watched. There are a lot of differences in character appearances and roles. Bob was a bit more droll and only appeared as two glowing lights in the skull, Karrin is blonde (definitely a change in the show), and Morgan is Dresden's warden, following him around with suspicion and a huge sword of Doom. Since you've seen the show, I definitely recommend the books.

Finished reading Out of the Silent Planet yesterday. It was a really good read, very detailed and engaging. I could definitely tell it was an allegory, but it read well as just a science fiction tale, too. Apparently, it's part of a trilogy, so I may have to keep my eyes peeled for whatever books come after.

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That Hideous Strength and Perelandra are the other two volumes. IMO, just as good as the first!

I second doc's opinion on Lewis' trilogy. The entire trilogy is well worth the read, unlike some that seem to run out of steam by book number 3.

Thanks for the names of the other volumes. Now they'll be much easier to find at the library! I look forward to reading them, especially if they're as good as foretold.

Finished Cold Sassy Tree last night. An interesting book, I guess. It was assigned for class, and while the soap opera-like events were fun to follow and it made some great social statements, I have a deep dislike for books written in deep South dialect, so that made it really hard to read. Plus, I didn't like about two-thirds of the characters, so focusing was a challenge there, too. Probably not a book I'd pick up on my own, but I'm glad I read it.

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Hi. When focusing is a challenge, the writer is losing the audience. Previously, I took time to sort through a book that was tedious, now, I simply give it up. I read for enjoyment and when it becomes troublesome, I discontinue reading it. Thomas Hardy is one of those authors.

However, it does sound like you are glad you read it even though it was hard to read....

Thanks for the post.

On to more exciting and pleasurable books with The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists. Very wacky and very funny. Set in Victorian England, the Pirate Captain and his crew team up with a young Charles Darwin, Mr. Bobo the chimp, and a few other pirates as well as some ladies and scientists. It's full of intentional incongruities and some fun little footnotes. The Pirate Captain is quite a character - very airheaded and single-minded. Defoe's writing style is easy to read and flows well, and the random twists in the plot add to the zaniness of the whole situation. I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants a quick read and a good laugh.

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Finished Beowulf this morning. A fantastic book. I loved the fact that my copy was the dual language, Old English-Modern English copy. Looking at the original text was eye-opening in terms of the origins of the English language. My only qualms with the book are the lack of breaks and plethora of speeches. Yes, it's an epic poem, and yes, it was originally performed as a long story, but some of it got pretty tedious, and I usually look for a chapter end to get up and divert myself for a bit. Plus, the speeches - I like more action, less talk. All in all, though, a great read.

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#47 SpiraledStar: Sounds like The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists is great fun. On to Continent TBR it goes . . .

Sped through The Graveyard Book today. Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. It follows an orphan named Nobody Owens (Bod for short) who grows up in a graveyard, learning from and living with the ghosts. It started great and kept building - I was completely riveted! Not the deepest of novels (it is, after all, a YA book), but it still had all the pieces of a great novel (including adult-aimed themes and ideas), and Gaiman put in plenty of witty names and phrases, vivid imagery, and dark humor.

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Hi SpiraledStar...
Lately I've been reading a lot of YA books and find some of them very fascinating. I've added The Graveyard Book to be tbr pile.

Finished The Kite Runner this morning. What a fantastic book! At first, I didn't like how cowardly the narrator was, but I knew he would mature and face his flaws. The characters were engaging. This book was very tragic, and it was a great read. I liked how Hosseini didn't use a lot of flowery sentences and far-fetched metaphors, just stark (but still detailed) descriptions to get the situation across. I'll probably look for A Thousand Splendid Suns sometime.

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I don't foresee finishing this challenge. I guess my excuse is that I started it in June with the hope of finishing by the end of the year, so I guess that definitely works against me. My real excuse is that I'm doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year, so all my free time is sucked into the vortex of Microsoft Word. Times New Roman text dances before my eyes...I'm hoping to still get some books in, though.
As hard as this may seem, I'm not giving up yet!

Don't worry about the challenge too much. Just join us again in 2009!

'Tis the journey, not the destination, that makes it all worthwhile.

(Oops, almost forgot!)

AND the company!

Besides which, you still have time this year to read more! Just enjoy the ride.

Please don't be discouraged about the goal, listen to your fellow 75'ers, we really just like having you along for the ride. And do watch out for our 2009 challenge. The Doc is going to get us started on January 1, 2009.

I agree with all the posts of encouragement. This is such a wonderful group of kind, intelligent readers.
SpiraledStar, I enjoy your posts. Again, don't let the goal of 75 intimidate you. Simply enjoy the communications and keep letting us know what you read when you read it.

I'm about two weeks late with this, but if you and Whisper1 would like to watch and listen to Neil Gaiman read The Graveyard Book, go to http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx
They took a video of him reading a chapter in each of the cities where he was promoting the book, and have them for our delectation on this website.

thanks ronincats.
I appreciate the information!

Thanks, everybody, for the encouragement! I've definitely had a lot of fun reading all these books, and there is still time this year. And now, on a related note:

Finished reading Chaucer's Canterbury Tales last night. Most of the tales were pretty good, though the bawdiness took me by surprise. Definitely an amusing read!

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Two hugely bawdy writers who are rarely acknowledged as such? Solomon in his Song; and Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales. I'd add Shakespeare, but he's known in wider circles. Lots of fun reading!

Hey, I figure 75 books is like your age - just a number! Having a great time with intelligent conversation and comments on books is worth the effort of having with the challenge.

alcottacre: that's true! Great way to look at it.

Finished Brisingr a few days ago. It took me a lot longer to finish than I first figured, partially due to classes. However, the book itself took some serious effort to get through. The first half seemed really long. I found myself getting angry at characterization and editing mistakes (cactuses? seriously?) While reading the book, I could definitely tell that this was originally meant to be the first half of a larger volume. I wish Paolini had kept this book and the next one in one volume. I know that the book would be gigantic, but the plot spacing would have made more sense. All of Brisingr felt like rising action to me.
I did enjoy this book, though. There was a fun Doctor Who reference, which I enjoyed immensely (though I doubt most of the target audience caught the joke). I realized that I should have paid closer attention when I read Eldest a few years ago, but I think I caught enough of the gist of it to not be completely lost. It was a decent book, and I'm looking forward to the final volume in the series.

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Finished reading Gun, With Occasional Music last night. Not a bad book. It had a touch of science fiction/fantasy (I still can't decide which) and an interesting mystery. My only problem with it was all the drugs. I know that the drugs were another facet of the dystopian society, but they were everywhere, and it got a little tiresome.

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>66 SpiraledStar:: I really enjoyed that book and wish he'd written more along those lines. I guess I was able to just read past the drug usage.

I finished reading Cyrano de Bergerac this evening. What a marvelous play! I was completely drawn in, and I loved the characters - especially Cyrano, of course.

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Forsook all other tasks to finish The Prestige last night. Absolutely fantastic! I could not put it down! It started out a bit slow, especially since I went in thinking about the movie. This book is WAY better than the movie. There are so many more plot lines, characters, character nuances...oh, I could just go on and on. I absolutely LOVED the ending; it made up for any drag in the beginning (which dissipated once the story starts in on one of the magician's personal accounts).
Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! Highly recommended!

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Yep. The Prestige was fantastic! I'm one of those people who separate out the movie from the book, and love both. We just sent the movie back to netflix this morning.

drneutron: I did enjoy the movie very much, and after reading the book, I too am separating the two for maximum enjoyment. :) I'm just still in awe over the book.

I had the same reaction, I loved both and treated them as separate entities.

Oh, haven't read it yet, but have the film (Netflix), so I'll watch it sooner now. I do separate my movies from my reading, so this should be a double treat.

The Prestige is now added to the HUGE tbr pile

I recommend watching it twice.

I have not seen the film or read the book, so on to Continent TBR The Prestige goes!

Been very busy this past week, but I found time to finish a few books.

First up: Persuasion. Read this for a lit. class, but I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. I saw the movie on Masterpiece Theatre, and I just loved it. The book met all my expectations and surpassed them. There was humor, there was romance, there were crazy relatives...all in all, a fun, heart-warming read! (Especially Frederick's letter at the end. So sweet!)

Also finished Fragile Things this week. I absolutely love Neil Gaiman's work, and this collection of short stories was no exception. Each one was fantastic.

Last on the list is Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. I had no idea that T. S. Eliot wrote anything like this, so I was pleasantly surprised as I traipsed through the library looking for books illustrated by Edward Gorey. Lots of fun, a quick read, loved the illustrations.

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And your last on the list is the source material for Cats, the musical--with many of the poems intact!

>77 SpiraledStar: Spiral, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is the only set of poems that I can read of Eliot's. The rest of his stuff is way over my little Tortoise head.

- TT

Try Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot--it's the Becket/Henry II story (a brilliant film version with Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton). It's beautifully written and the church versus state argument is elegantly made.

Prop2gether: Was it? I didn't know that! That's pretty cool. Now that I look at it, I can definitely see it.
Also, I will definitely look for Murder in the Cathedral during my next trip to the library. Ever since reading The Canterbury Tales, I've been intrigued by this event.

Oh, I'm embarrassed here! The film I was talking about is Becket, and it was based on Anouilh's play of the same name. In any event, it is a powerful film and the language is very lyrical. The Eliot play is, however, magnificent, as well. Just beautiful language. Apparently a film was made featuring Eliot as one of the temptors. I might have to look that one up.

Now I'm really intrigued. You've given me a book and a movie to search for. So no harm, no foul. :)

Read Amphigorey on Christmas Eve. Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like murder, rain, and dire circumstances, eh? :) I love Gorey's dark humour and beautiful illustrations.

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#84: Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like murder, rain, and dire circumstances

I must agree with you there Spiraled Star, since I read 4 mysteries and 1 action-adventure book in the past week!

Finished a handful of books in the past few days: The Bell, the Book, and the Spellbinder, You Read to Me, I'll Read to You, and House of Leaves. The first two books were picked up at the library because they featured illustrations by Edward Gorey. The Bell, the Book, and the Spellbinder was an easy read. It took me a little over an hour, and it was entertaining enough to keep me from wandering away. I was disappointed that Gorey did not illustrate more of the book (he only worked on the cover), but the story was right up his alley. It featured a great and terrible evil, college professors, schoolkids, all-American dining, and the eventual conquering power of friendship.
You Read to Me... took all of ten minutes to read. Gorey's illustrations were delightful, and the poems reminded me very much of Shel Silverstein.
House of Leaves was a tough book to finish. The not-so-subtle paranoia in Johnny's narration left me a bit uneasy at times, and the house itself gave me the jitters. The dark, creeping prescence that Johnny felt in the beginning of the book reminded me of a few events from my childhood, so that creeped me out a bit as well. I couldn't read the book in large chunks, so I spaced it out over the course of three or four months. An interesting read, very consuming, but if you're like me at all, you may want to read it with a few extra lights on, or at least let the sunlight stream in through your unshuttered window. :)

Oh, I also finished a reread of Macbeth a week or two ago. Very fun, very dark.

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Thanks for the warning re House of Leaves - I've had this on my TBR list for a while as I'm rather fond of books with typographical trickery. However, I am also a total feeble wimp about spooky stuff, with an overactive imagination that tends to run wild once the lights go out. It sounds like perhaps I ought to save this for reading in small doses, over lunchtime, by the pool, on a summer holiday....

Yeah, but you *have* to read it somehow! It's amazing. At least for me. 8^}

Oh, it definitely was an amazing read! I think your poolside idea is a good one though. :)

Time for the year-end wrap-up!

Total books read: 48
Fiction: 42
Nonfiction: 6

Top picks: the baker's dozen of 2008, in random order:
The Prestige
The Graveyard Book
Jane Eyre
Persuasion
The Book Thief
World War Z
Watchmen
Out of the Silent Planet
Canterbury Tales
Cyrano de Bergerac
Fragile Things
Amphigorey
The Great Gatsby
Honorable mention: Anansi Boys

Most read author of 2008: Neil Gaiman (3 books)

Happy New Year Spiraled Star. I've enjoyed reading your posts.

Happy New Year to you as well, Whisper!

Well, it seems the new reading year is well underway already! :) I've read and commented on Stardust (which was fantastic). 2009's list will be here.