Tsotsi

Another canongatebooks give away. I saw the film Tsotsi a while back and am looking forward to reading the book. There is going to be another readalong, which should be fun. Am just waiting for the book to arrive from the U.K., I am being sent a whole stack of books from home, can't wait to receive them! I am trying to be good and not order new books when I have a huge stack to read at home.

Reading in the Sun

Finally, the weather has turned here, so I can return to one of my favourite hobbies - reading outside. (Double happiness, as my flat is freezing!) For the last couple of weeks, we have been on semester break at the uni, so have had more free time than usual. I've been reading quite a few 1001 books, especially as have had some to pass on. I have also managed to squeeze most of the books into my 999 Challenge. I think the 999 Challenge is going well, up to 16 books read and have managed to pick up a few more for different categories. The hardest one will be the Portuguese one, but will keep looking on Bookmooch.

Enduring Love 1001 book, 999 Challenge - British Writer
The 13 Clocks 1001 book, 999 Challenge - Children's book. This was sent to me via the 1001-library by KaKo27
Intimacy (1001 book) 1001 book, 999 Challenge - British Writer. Sent to me by katrinat, again through the1001-library
The Go-between (Penguin Modern Classics) 1001 book, 999 Challenge - Historical. Sent to me by ArwenG through the 1001-library and now on its way to the States to perryfran.
Mansfield Park & Northanger Abbey 2 1001 books in a double volume, 999 Challenge - 1001 books. I have had this for a while, but its size kept putting me off.
On Beauty 1001 book, 999 Challenge - British Writer. Another book I had on my shelf for a while, enjoyed this much more than the Autograph Man.

Bookcrossing in Portugal

Unfortunately, Coimbra is not an active Bookcrossing town, and to be fair, I haven't been doing much wild releasing. Books are expensive here and there aren't many second hand options, so have been reliant on rays, the 1001-Library, Bookmooch and books brought over from the U.K. I am also lucky that there is a bookshelf at work, so have been making my way through them.

Brought with me:
Enduring Love bought at the airport
Montenegro read for the 999 Challenge and Olympic Challenge
Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea read for the 999 Challenge
The Rose Of Sebastopol read and sent on for NSS
Masters of the Dew (Caribbean Writers Series) arrived in my Latin American Bookbox
The Poison That Fascinates read for a readalong
The Hinge Factor: How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History read for NSS
On Beauty 1001 book
To the Lighthouse 1001 book
A Clockwork Orange (Essential Penguin) 1001 book
The Stone Diaries (The Perennial Collection)1001 book
The Emigrants 1001 book
The Thirteenth Tale read for the 999 Challenge
Gem Squash Tokoloshe left at work
The Ringmaster's Daughter given to a colleague in Lisbon
The Karnau Tapes read for the Olympic Challenge, left in the office
The Pianist (Film Tie-in edition): The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 read for the Olympic Challenge and given to a colleague in Lisbon

Ray it Forward:
The End of Mr Y - sent to me by KiwiinEngland and then on to Releanna.

From Bookmooch:
The Pit and the Pendulum (penguin 60s S.) for the 1001 Library
Red Dust
The Black Monk (Penguin 60s)
The Mermaid Chair read for NSS

Special releases: from Canongatebooks, to be released to celebrate the Poet.
A Night Out with Robert Burns: The Greatest Poems copy 1
A Night Out with Robert Burns: The Greatest Poems copy 2

Taken from work to bookcross:
Birthday Stories: Selected and Introduced by Haruki Murakami added to my Asia-themed bookbox
My Name is Red added to my Asia-themed bookbox

A Sudanese Memoir

I signed up for a ray ages ago, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur and finally it arrived! The ray was started by MarciNYC and has travelled widely, from the States to Switzerland, from the U.K. to me here in Portugal and on to Ireland. The account of a Sudanese translator in Darfur, thought-provoking and honest.

Film Bookbox

After ordering a couple of book sets from the.bookpeople.co.uk, I ended up with a few film themed books that I either had or wasn't interested in reading. I decided to set up Soffitta1's 5th Bookbox - Film Theme

Quite a few of the books are also on the 1001 list as well, so hopefully people will enjoy the box.

Contents: The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 (Read a Great Movie) a duplicate copy and an excellent film.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (dif. cover) A fab film, and I have a second copy of the book.
The English Patient got this off www.bookmooch.com for the box
Q and A recently made into Slumdog Millionaire
The Great Gatsby 1001 book and classic film with Robert Redford
Archangel
The Postman Always Rings Twice (Read a Great Movie)
Goldfinger (Penguin Modern Classics)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Penguin Modern Classics)
Starter for Ten
Shawshank RedemptionA book of 4 stories including three which have been filmed Apt Pupil, Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption
The African Queen
Presumed Innocent Harrison Ford Film
Fingersmith A great book from one of my favourite authors.
The Devil Wears Prada
The Hours
A Clockwork Orange (Penguin Modern Classics) I have a duplicate copy to read.
Gladiator - A hero will rise This book was sent to me by Sterile to go in the box, but I forgot to add it. Sorry!
Snow Falling on Cedars

999 Challenge

Saw a post on Bookcrossing about the 999 Challenge on http://www.librarything.com, a great place for keeping a virtual library of your books. The idea is to read 9 books in 9 different categories by the end of 2009.

My categories are:
Group 1: Oceania and Islands
Group 2: Books about Portugal or written by Portuguese writers. I have recently moved to Portugal and feel I should get to know more about the people and culture.
Group 3: 1001 Books
Group 4: Children's Books
Group 5: British Writers (pref. new to me)
Group 6: Prize Winners
Group 7:Travel
Group 8:Canongate Books - a great Scottish press.
Group 9: Historical -either non-fiction or with a historical setting.

Have already read a few, quite a few 1001 books, but really am struggling with Group 2. Suggestions welcome!

1001 Update Feb 2009

Busy month for 1001 books, been trying to boost my numbers, so have signed up to katrinat's 1001 Challenge. The idea is to read 10 or more 1001 books. I think I will do that easily, but it is a good way for 1001-Library members to pimp their books. Check out the forum topic here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/5977240.

From the 1001-library
I am pleased that my stack of books has diminished, there have been more requests recently. A couple of the books I had donated 9 months ago without any interest. Look forward to receiving more as have signed up for a 1001-Library Virtual Bookbox, organised by missgyder. There have been a lot of forum posts about the 1001-Library, which has helped create awareness and get people requesting books.

Books received:
From ArwenG :Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Go-between (Penguin Modern Classics)
Books sent on:
Sent on to nikel27 in Germany: Tipping the Velvet, The Woodlanders ,David Copperfield (Wordsworth Classics) ,Regeneration (Penguin Celebrations), The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation, Heart of Darkness

Sent to ArwenG here in Portugal:Howards End (Twentieth Century Classics), A Passage to India
Sent to KaKo27: Atonement
Sent to katrinat:The Pit and the Pendulum (penguin 60s S.) ,The Wonderful O,The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (King Penguin)
Sent to davemurray101 : The Postman Always Rings Twice

Also joined a couple of rays. Firstly, Evelina (Everyman's Library), a bookray set up by perryfran (a member of the 1001-Library), read this book, which took quite a bit of getting into but was worth the read.
Also read London Fields which another member of the 1001-Library, starflash, set up as a ray. My first of Amis' books, though a colleague at work has lent me The Second Plane, which I look forward to reading.

Elizabeth Costello

I signed up for one of cat207's 1001 Book rays, this time it was Elizabeth Costello by South African author J.M. Coetzee. I had already read Disgrace, a disturbing but good book, and have been trying to pick up more of his books. I found Elizabeth Costello a little strange, but still worth a read. Passed the book on to Tubereader, along with a copy of Disgace. Enjoy!