11 in 11 Step Challenge - Half Way There

Still going strong on Soffitta1's 11 in 11 Step Challenge, half way there and with a stack of books in my flat left to read.  I reckon I'll soon be having a tinker with the categories as I have some books that don't fit here.
A good selection of books, no duffers, which makes me very happy!


11x 1001 Books
Bonus 1:


3. Three Lives
4. Half of a Yellow Sun
5. Invisible Cities 

10x Films



Books adapted for the big screen, small screen and stage.
3. The House of Sand and Fog

9x Asian Books

I usually read a lot of books set in Asia or by Asian writers, hopefully some from my huge TBR pile.
4. Thirty three Teeth
5.  Disco for the Departed

8x British

Books from the British Isles.
5. The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

7x Spanish


From Spanish speaking world or in Spanish

2. Muerte de Tinta
3. Journey to the Alcarria **1001 Book

6x Crime


Crime, mystery, thriller

1. The Trial **1001 Book
2. The Ministry of Fear
3. The Winter Ghosts
4. The Ghost
5. The Flood

5x Food 'n' Drink


None this quarter

4x History


Still none :(

3x French

French Books

2. Fantomas ** 1001 Book
3. The Immoralist **1001 Book

2x Short Stories


COMPLETE

1x Tome

A big, fat, scary book.


Still not even opened :S


I would say that The Ministry of Fear was the surprise of the quarter, very gripping, well-written and much more than it appeared from the rather dreadful cover. Another thriller I enjoyed was The Ghost, who doesn't want to know why our former PM went into Iraq! I utterly relished finishing the Dr. Siri books I had, books 2 and 3 continued in the same entertaining vein as number 1. I must get my hand on books 4 and 5 (I already have 6 at home).

As for my top 1001 book, that's tough. I finally read The Trial, which had been on my radar for many years. It was much as I expected, carefully constructed narrative pulling you in and then pulling the rug out from beneath you. Fantomas was fun, while it certainly wasn't the best crime book I've read, I could see how many modern writers have been inspired by the style. Though I have to say I was most impressed by Invisible Cities, such beautiful prose, I will have to get my own copy of the book to dip in and out of.