2011 1001 Books - Final Analysis

I read a good mix of books in 2011, from chunky classics to short stories. 
Here are my top reads:

 And the bottom three:

 

 

 

 

 

52x 1001 Books in 2011 - Extras

I had already reached my target, but powered on to make my 2012 target of 400 books read off the list more attainable.  So, with nice symmetry, I read 63 last year, which leaves me with 63 to read in 2012. 

53. Foe (Essential Penguin)
54. Ethan Frome
55. Breakfast Of Champions
56. Wide Sargasso Sea
57. The Magic Mountain
58. The World According to Garp
59. The Body Artist: A Novel(A 1001-Library Book) 
60. Jane Eyre
61. The Fall of the House of Usher
62. The Pit and the Pendulum
63. The Purloined Letter

The best of the end of the year would have to Foe (Essential Penguin), I also enjoyed The World According to Garp and can finally wipe Jane Eyre off my conscience.

 

52 x 1001 Books in 2011

I've now reached my target of 52 1001 books read this year.  My final baker's dozen were a mixed bunch, but at least I got some long-term TBR's read.  It's always tough to choose the my favourite out of 13 books which have made it on the 1001 list, but I'll have a go!  Good Soldier Schweik was very funny and subversive, I need to get my own copy of it, and a few more to give to as gifts.  Unless blew me away, it had so much more going on than just a narrative.  The Virgin Suicides was another that took me by surprise, I had seen the film, but the book makes it realer, more powerful.  The one I enjoyed least, pretty much down-right disliking it was On the Road, what a load of BLA BLA BLA. 

40. Billiards at Half-Past Nine
41. The Swimming Pool Library
42. Unless
43. On the Road
44. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Penguin Modern Classics)
45. Good Soldier Schweik
46. Choke
47.  So Long a Letter (African Writers)
48. The Sea, The Sea (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
49. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Coronet Books)
50. The Woman in White (Penguin Popular Classics)
51 Women in Love (Wordsworth Classics) 
52. The Virgin Suicides

11 in 11 Step Challenge 3/4 Done

The third quarter for my 11 in 11 Step Challenge has gone quickly as I am on holiday.  I cracked on with my 52x 1001 books in 2011, nearly completing the category.  I had a wee bit of a reshuffle after my Mum brought out another stack of books to Spain, and as I'm going back home for a few days, there will be more changes to come.  This will help with tackling my TBR pile.

Top 1001 books include The Rainbow, following three generations of the Brangwen family from Nottinghamshire, their lives and loves, moving from the 1840s into the 20th Century.  I have managed to get a copy of Women in Love through Bookmooch which continues the story.  I think my favourite, though, was Unless, which just blew me away.  I would also recommend One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and the very funny The Good Soldier Schweik.

As for the rest, I read the thriller The Righteous Men, which was a thriller in the vein of The Da Vinci Code, though more readable.  The Little Stranger was up to Sarah Waters' high standards.  Bitter Grounds was a good read, one of a stack of Latin American books my brother has passed on to me since moving over there for work.  The history of El Salvador came alive with the story of three generations of women.  I also got some long term TBR books off my conscience, the best being Year of Wonders, about the Black Death, and Brazzaville Beach.

As for the other end of the scale, I found On the Road very disappointing, it just didn't live up to the hype for me.

11x 1001 Books


6. Billiards at Half-Past Nine
7. Unless
8. On the Road
9. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich



10x Crime COMPLETE


Crime, mystery, thriller
This has been bumped up due to Mum bringing me a stack of mysteries, and I've done some reshuffling of books.

1. The Trial **1001 Book
2. The Ministry of Fear
3. The Winter Ghosts
4. The Ghost
5. Restless
6. Bangkok 8
7. The Righteous Men
8. Thirty three Teeth
9. Disco for the Departed
10. The Little Stranger

9x Films



Books adapted for the big screen, small screen and stage.
3. The House of Sand and Fog
4. The Rainbow ** 1001 book
5. Timeline
6. The Good Soldier Schweik ** 1001 book

8x British

Books from the British Isles.
5. The Flood
6. The Swimming Pool Library ** 1001 book
7. Brazzaville Beach

7x Spanish


From Spanish speaking world or in Spanish

2. Muerte de Tinta
3. Journey to the Alcarria **1001 Book
4. Bitter Grounds
5. The FARC ** Early Reviewer Programme
6. Still Love in Strange Places

6x Asian Books



None in this quarter

5x Food 'n' Drink


None in this quarter.

4x History


1. Year of Wonders
2. The Alchemist's Daughter

3x French

French Books
COMPLETED

2x Short Stories


COMPLETED

1x Tome
A big, fat, scary book.


Still unread.

52x 1001 Books in 2011 - 3/4

The third quarter, and I am ahead of schedule (for now!).  Actually I still have quite a stack of 1001 books with me in Spain, so I should complete my challenge with a little bit of time left over.

My favourite, in terms of the way it was written, was Invisible Cities, I don't think I have ever read such beautiful prose.  The Age of Innocence (Wordsworth Classics) was an achingly moving love story, and shame on me for having taken 3 years to read it!  All Quiet on the Western Front was a reread for me, but affected me just as much as the first time I read it.  I was impressed by Half of a Yellow Sun, for the author's treatment of a little known civil war.  I enjoyed all the books this time, though a couple weren't great books, you could see how they had influenced those that followed them: Fantomas (Penguin Classics), Three Lives (Twentieth Century Classics) and The Vicar of Wakefield (Oxford World's Classics).  Here's to the final quarter!

27.  All Quiet on the Western Front Written to describe the horrors of WW1, but sadly relevant today.
28. Crime and Punishment (Wordsworth Classics) A tome dealing with the harshest punisher of all, our conscience.
29. Lord Jim: A Tale (Penguin Popular Classics) How an act of cowardice could be the making of a man.
30. The Vicar of Wakefield (Oxford World's Classics) A funny look at marriage obsessed vicar and his family.
31. The Age of Innocence (Wordsworth Classics) An impossible love set against the backdrop of high society.
32. Three Lives (Twentieth Century Classics) Three women, three very different lives and a very modern narrative style.
33. The Trial (Modern Classics)  Kafka on crime, how can you clear your name if you don't even know the charge?
34. Fantomas (Penguin Classics)  A modern criminal and the detective after him, great fun.
35. The Immoralist a man's musings on life.
36. Half of a Yellow Sun Relationships set against the backdrop of civil war.
37. Invisible Cities Marco Polo describing cities to Kublai Khan.
38 Journey to the Alcarria post Civil war trip to the countryside by a traveller, writing his observations. 
39. The Rainbow Three generations of a family, from yeomen to teacher.

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.

Top Reads for July

I am happy with my July reads, a book from the darkest corner of my TBR pile, another I received as a gift, a trio of Asian mysteries and more!  I am still working on The 11 in 11 Category Challenge : Soffitta1's 11 in 11.   I've got more books on my top reads than in previous, this is a nod to my 1001 Challenge and also to the fact that I was doing a summer camp and needed some "switch-off" reads for the evenings.  I am pleased to say that there were no bad apples this time, which probably accounts for so many "top reads"!



I read three page-turners, whilst they aren't the highest rated books, they all entertained me.  First up was Water for Elephants, which I received this as a RABCK, as it was on my wishlist and couldn't resist getting stuck in immediately. I haven't seen the film, and didn't know much about it before starting, all the better.  The book has two timelines, a man in an old folks' home is reliving his past, a very colourful past. Jacob worked on a circus as a young man, and here the story of his life on the road and his love, Marlena.  A good love story told against a rather unusual backdrop, though I felt it could have done with some tweaking to make it great.  Next was The Winter Ghosts, a real page turner, I sat down in a cafe to read " just a few more chapters" and ended up finishing the book!   I was already familiar with Mosse's work, having read Labyrinth a few years ago. The Winter Ghosts also takes place in the same area of France, the Languedoc region, famous for the Cathars. Starting in the inter war period, a young man walks into a shop with a piece of parchment with an almost forgotten language written on it, he then tells the story of how he came into possession of it.  I enjoyed the dual time period of the book, and Mosse certainly knows how to draw in her audience and paint a beautiful scene. Perfect after a long day at summer camp, it is the kind of book that sucks you, entertains you, but ultimately won't remain with you for long.   The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce, another of my long term TBR books. I really enjoyed Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which is why I picked this up.   Wilberforce is a wine-lover, though that term doesn't really get close to how he really feels about the drink, he "inherited" a great wine cellar when he bought up a dying friend's collection. He justifies his drinking, claiming not to be an alcoholic as he only drinks great wine, not just any bottle.   The style of the book is unusual, with Wilberforce narrating his story, each part starts a year before the previous, so while you know how it will end, only slowly do you find why.   I would recommend the book, for the literary style and also a, sometimes painful and often sad, intimate portrayal of a man's self-destruction.

I kept up with my 52x 1001 books in 2011 Challenge, this months offereing differed wildly.  I had put off reading The Age of Innocence, putting it down and picking up again and again, over a period of 3 years!  It is a tale of clandestine love in the upper echelons of society in New York in the 1870s.  Archer is torn between love and desire on one side and social duty on the other.  Very good, not only because of a well-told romance, but also as a window into the society of the time.  The Trial, another book on my radar since studying some Kafka at uni, was a good, thought-provoking read. I did have a severe case of deja vu with the priest's description of the door keeper, but as none of the rest of the book seemed familiar, I think I had studied that section as part of background reading. Strange, but fitting I suppose!  A lighter entry from the list was Fantomas.  I knew nothing of this, being sent it through the 1001-Library. It was great fun, a mystery about famed mysterious criminal, Fantomas, and Juve, the detective determined to catch him. Three seemingly unlinked crimes, 2 rather gruesome, are connected by Juve and he sets off to find evidence. There are better books in the genre, but apparently this book was the inspiration for those which followed.

I got stuck into Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri series, reading the first three in July.  It is an unusual series, from the setting in Laos, a little known country, to its main characters.  The first in the Dr. Siri series, The Coroner's Lunch, introduces us to Dr. Siri, a reluctant coroner in '70s Laos.  Siri is a great character, he is a grumpy 70 year old,  a party member, though he admits to joining up for a woman, his wife.  He doesn't suffers fools gladly, and he, and his unusual team made up of a rotund nurse and a young man with mild Down's Syndrome, solve a series of unusual murders.  In the first book, the bodies of an official's wife and 3 Vietnamese torture victims cause the doctor to look more closely, especially when it becomes clear he is not wanted on either case.  In the second book, Thirty-three Teeth, there is a bigger nod to the supernatural.  Here Siri has two missions, first to discover how to open a box with a royal seal and second, to capture the creature terrorising Ventiene.  The third installment, Disco for the Departed pulls you straight into a strange mystery, this time an arm is found sticking out of a concrete path. Siri and Dtui are called to investigate.  It is always good to come across an interesting new series.  The only snag is I have book 6, but not book 4 or 5. I may crack my buying moratorium, as it means I can read book 6 which is on my TBR pile. That means it isn't really buying new books, doesn't it?

Wildcard of the month must go to The Ministry of Fear. Not what I thought it would be from the title - another wartime thriller. It is set in WW2, but is a a psychological thriller. Arthur Rowe is a man with a guilty conscience, he killed his ill wife, deemed a mercy killing, but he can't get past it. He goes to a fair, and on a whim goes to have his fortune read, accidentally giving the code phrase to the fortune-teller. He leaves with a cake, the weight of which was revealed to him by the fortune-teller, wondering why the fair organisers don't want to give it to him.  Good thriller, unexpectedly so from the cover.

11 in 11 Category Challenge: 1 Latin America

Category 1: Latin America

In the 999 Challenge I had a Portuguese speaking world category and in the 1010 Challenge, a Spanish speaking one. This time I thought I would concentrate on Latin America related books as I am curretntly travelling there. As Latin America can be taken in many ways, here it will be all countries (or regions - like Quebec) in the Americas speaking a Latin language.

1. The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
2. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord ** 1001 Book
3. Malinche
4. The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman
5. La Ciudad de las Bestias (in Spanish)
6. El Reino del Dragon de Oro (in Spanish)
7. Relato de un Naufrago (in Spanish)
8. El Bosque de los Pigmeos (in Spanish)
9. Captain Pantoja and the Special Service
10. The Queen of the South
11. A death in the Sanchez Family

A very strong group, I cleared 9 books of Mount TBR. The list is made of two Latin American trilogies. The first by Louis de Bernieres, was very good, I enjoyed the style (magical realism) and the characters, as well as the absurdity and contradictions of life described. The second was by Chilean author, Isabel Allende, once again magical realism. Though written for YA, the stories about Kate Cold and her son, Alex, and their travels will also appeal to adults. While most of the books were indeed written in the style of magical realism, a genre which I clearly enjoy, it was interesting to read one of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books from before he had fully developed his writing in that way. I also thoroughly enjoyed Captain Pantoja, a biting satire.

As for the negatives, well, only one really, Malinche. I don't think it stood up to Laura Esquivel's other work. I also took El General en su Labirinto back to the library, I'll try reading it again when I have more time to concentrate on it. I am happy that 4 of the books were read in their original Spanish.

Top Reads in May

I cracked on with my 1001 challenge and read quite a few. They were very varied, both in nationality of the authors and in genre. Three of my 1001 books were WW1 and 2 related. The first, Closely Observed Trains is a short 1001 book. I saw the film back when I lived in Prague, and it was pretty faithful to the book as far as I remember. A young man Milos, working for the Czech Railways under German occupation, has just come back to work after a suicide attempt stemming from unconsumated relationship with Masha. It is comic, but also full of tragedy. I dusted off Suite Francaise as part of a Librarything readalong. Suite française are the two books that Irène Némirovsky wrote in WW2, before her death in Auschwitz. The two books themselves are rather different, but as can be seen from the first appendix, the author planned to tie the threads together. This is not a book about heroes, rather this is the reality of people living in terrible times. At first, in the first book, I found it hard to sympathise with the characters, until I tried to place myself in their shoes, surely our own survival is the most basic of instincts. All Quiet on the Western Front, a reread for me, I was chosen by World Book Night to hand out the book in March, and so I read it on its way to a friend. I wanted to give out the book because, despite being written about a war which started nearly a century ago, I think it's still relevant today. All politicians should be made to read this before being sworn into office.
I especially enjoyed Burmese Days, I am a big George Orwell fan, and this is another of his good books. This is a biting look at life in Burma, the machinations of the British, Burmese and other nationalities. Diary of a Nobody was a lighter read from the list, very amusing! I have had this for a while, but it was only at Christmas that I realised it was on the 1001 list, so I bumped it up to the top of my reading pile. Mr. Charles Pooter is a nobody, well, he is no Pepys or Johnson, but he won't let that hold him back. What makes this funny is that Pooter takes himself rather seriously, opening himself up to being laughed at by others.



As for non-1001 reads, Seven Years in Tibet, I finally read it after being put off the beautiful but terribly dull film. The book is Harrer's own words, his experience in Tibet, a country which, even today, is one of the last really mysterious places on Earth. Harrer arrived in Tibet after escaping from a POW camp in India, a great adventure in itself. He writes about all aspects of Tibetan life, from life in the provinces to life in the capital, Lhasa, where he became a tutor of sorts to the Dalai Lama. Recommended.



I also read a good mystery, A Case of Exploding Mangoes. I bought this for the title, who could resist such a provocative one, especially with a great cover. I must admit, I know very little about Pakistan, and the case that the book is about, the suspicious death of General Zia, was completely unknown of by me. The book opens with an assertion of the ending, the death of Zia, and then moves back to explain how Shigri comes to be the only survivor. Keeping with the military theme, I also read Captain Pantoja and the Special Service. Captain Pantoja is ordered to Iquitos to deal with a military problem, he has to stop the frustrated servicemen jumping on the local women. His orders are to organise the "special service", where "specialists" provide "services". Pantoja applies his military ethos to the task in hand, making "Pantiland", as his enterprise becomes known, a great success. As to be expected, "Pantiland" is not universally popular, especially among the good burghers of Iquitos and the clergy. Very funny.

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I was galvanised into reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when I saw it suggested as April's 1001 group read. Imagine my surprise to see, on opening the book, a note from my big brother. Apparently he gave this to me for Christmas many years ago, though I suspect it was one of those presents brothers give which they really want themselves. I guess the fact the book belongs to the sci-fi genre is what put me off reading it for so long, but recently I've been branching out more.
Arthur Dent is not having a good day, the council have decided to knock down his house to make way for a bypass. In a display of cosmic coincidence, the Earth is also destroyed for a hyperspace bypass, but he is saved by Ford Prefect, a writer for the best-selling “Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy”, who has been marooned on Earth for 15 years. Arthur and Ford manage to get off Earth in time, hitch-hiking. What follows is their journey in space, getting picked up by the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beedlebum and his companion, Trillion, being pursued by those wanting to know a particular question.
I found myself chuckling out loud whilst reading, the humour is very British, very dry and sarcastic. I also hadn't realised how far the series had penetrated popular culture, for example, there is Marvin, the Paranoid Android and Babel Fish, an ear implant translator.
It is not a stand alone book, but luckily I had book 2 waiting for me. While it is not all my cup of tea, I did find it fast paced. ( )

In The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitch hiker's guide to the galaxy), book 2 of the series, Arthur, Ford, Zaphon and Trillian are on their way to eat at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe (time not space). I particularly enjoyed Arthur explaining to a machine what a proper cup of tea was. The Restaurant is amazing, with a compère, a show, famous people, though, like Arthur, having a cow recommend to you what parts of it to eat is rather off-putting.
Problems arise with the group trying to leave the restaurant, stealing a ship, which, unbeknown to them, is to be shot into a sun as a grand finale. In this volume there is more movement in time, with Arthur having to cope with the realisation that his ancestors were not as he expected.
As with volume 1, this is funny, but as we get no neared to finding out the question to which 42 is the answer, so I'll have to get my hands of volume 3. ( )

Life, the Universe and Everything (Hitch Hiker's guide to the galaxy) , Book 3 of the series arrived a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't resist picking it up to continue reading about Arthur Dent.
As a cricket fan, I found the idea of a book based round Krikket, a planet with particularly bloodthirsty inhabitants, to amusing for words. That humans would be seen as being in bad taste while playing cricket for its similarity to the Krikket way of killing, genius.
The inhabitants of Krikket, on finding out that they are not alone in Space find the concept rather hard to cope with. Instead they decide to anhilate everyone else to go back to their lonely state. Naturally, the Universe is not happy with this and punishes them by locking them in their planet. Unfortunately one ship was out of its airspace when this owas done, so they are trying to find the key to the lock. This is where Dent and co. come in, to save the world.
Still amusing, though I am getting the feeling that the books are becoming less universal and more for hardcore fans. ( ) 

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy) , number 4 in the series. Arthur finds himself back on Earth after being away for 8 years. It turns out that the Earth wasn't destroyed. Arthur gets picked up by Russell, who's driving his drugged up sister, Fenny, back to the asylum. Arthur feels a connection with her, though he is not sure why. He engineers a meeting with her to work out what it is.  Arthur is also trying to find out why the dolphins all disappeared at the same time as the Earth was due to explode.
While it was nice to see life finally going Arthur's way, I felt book 4 was weaker than the others before. ( ) 

Mostly Harmless (Hitch Hiker's guide to the galaxy) , Adam's last book in the Hitch-hiker's series. Here alternative universes collide. Ford returns to the Guide's HQ to find everything changed, Arthur is separated from Fennie and is trying to find an Earth he can live on and Trillian is living in the reality in which she didn't go with Zaphod.
Not as funny as the others, but with some good moments, like the squirrels the computer trains to be flight attendants, forcing peanuts and wet wipes on all who go past them.
It's always satisfying to finish a series, but I can't see myself getting Eoin Colfer's 6th instalment as I can't imagine a different voice narrating. Mostly Harmless is really for big Hitch-hiker's fans, but I will be looking out for the Dirk Gently books. ( ) 

Euro 1001-Library VBB

There were 20 books in the box at the start, and over 40 books are now winging their way around Europe to be read by new readers.  I am pleased that it has worked well, and that the list has moved so quickly!
Taken out of the box:
Closely Observed Trains (Abacus Books)
The Successor 
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
The Rings of Saturn: An English Pilgrimage (Panther)
MORVERN CALLAR
In the Forest: A Novel 
The Awakening  
Frankenstein 
Disgrace
A Clockwork Orange 

Suite Francaise 
The Diary of a Nobody (Penguin Classics) 
The Arabian Nights: The Marvels and Wonders of the Thousand and One Nights 
Silk   
The Sound of Waves 
The Light of Day
The Hours  
Agnes Grey
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin Popular Classics)
Through the Looking Glass
Ethan Frome (Wordsworth Classics) 
Mother
The Cement Garden *1001-book*
Soldiers of Salamis (different cover)
Possession: A Romance
Barabbas
The Talk of the Town
The Grass Is Singing
Elizabeth Costello
The Age of Innocence (Vintage Classics)
Life and Times of Michael K: A Novel
Black Dogs 
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
To the Lighthouse 
Atomised
The Body Artist: A Novel(A 1001-Library Book)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Accidental 
Lady Chatterley's Lover: Cambridge Lawrence Edition (Penguin Classics) 
Nervous Conditions 
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Signet Books)
Portrait of the Artist
Invisible Cities
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The World According to Garp

52x 1001 Books in 2011, 1/2 way there

Here is my second quarter of reading.  A good mix of books, from classics to modern, from humourous to deadly serious.  My favourites would have to be The Reluctant Fundamentalist, A Fine Balance and Closely Observed Trains (Abacus Books).  Three very different books, but linked by politics.  In the Forest: A Novel was also great, dark and opressive. I am pleased that I read some books which I'd had for a long time, like A Fine Balance and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  No bad books here, which is not always the case with the 1001 List.  As for the next quarter, I still have some 1001 books here in Spain, but will be adding to the pile from the 1001-Library.  I am one away from having read 300 off the combined list, just need to choose the right book to hit that milestone with.

14. The Reluctant Fundamentalist Brilliant book, why, oh why was it removed from the 2010 edition?
15. A Fine Balance I am ashamed to say I had this for 3 years before reading it, worth the wait though ;) 
16.  In the Forest: A Novel  dark story based on fact.
17. The Arabian Nights: The Marvels and Wonders of the Thousand and One Nights (Signet classics) good to get beyond the Disney versions.
18. Under the Net (Vintage Classics)  my first Iris Murdoch, and certainly not my last! 
19.  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  I had been given this (apparently) for Christmas years ago by my brother, but it was rediscovered in a box of books he gave me.  Good fun, very sarcastic.
20.Vanity Fair (Penguin Popular Classics)  another scary classic read, I took it travelling and got stuck in.  I enjoyed it, though there were parts which dragged. 
21. Burmese Days a biting look at life in Burma, the British living there and prejudice.  Very good.
22. Agnes Grey read as part of a Librarything Readalong, I thought that the life of a governess was well described, with the characters being very real. 
23. Closely Observed Trains (Abacus Books) finally reading the book after seeing the film.  Life at a sleepy station under German occupation, very short, but well-deserving of its place on the list.
24. Diary of a Nobody (Penguin Classics) nice to see a funny book on the list, and what great illustrations!

25. Suite Francaise Another Librarything readalong.  The first 2 books of an anticipated cycle cut short by the author's death in Auschwitz.  The chaos of life in WW2 written at close hand.

26.The Rings of Saturn: An English Pilgrimage (Panther) My second by the author, a tramp around East Anglia, looking at life there and its connection with the wider world.

Euro 1001-Library VBB

With the UK version doing well, I decided to set up a second VBB, this time for all Europeans.  This is partly selfish as I now live in Spain and have been accumulating 1001 books there.  There has been a good response so far.


The VBB started out with 20 books from three donors.

My additions: 
Suite Francaise I have just finished this, and it blew me away.  
The Diary of a Nobody (Penguin Classics) nice to see a lighter book on the list. 
The Arabian Nights: The Marvels and Wonders of the Thousand and One Nights Finally to read something I knew from so many other sources was great fun and insightful, there is a lot more to the collection than can be gleaned from children's versions. 
In the Forest: A Novel a strange story based on fact, very dark. 
Agnes Grey I requested this from the 1001-Library for a readalong, and was not disappointed by the tale of a governess. 
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin Popular Classics) great fun, such a wonderfully written book. 
Through the Looking Glass the sequel to the above, and the story continues in the same crazy, literary way. 
Closely Observed Trains (Abacus Books)
 a short read, but a lot is packed into those 90-odd pages.  A quiet train station in occupied Czechoslovakia in WW2, but not as quiet as it seems.
The Rings of Saturn: An English Pilgrimage (Panther)
I am actually reading this right now, I bought it because my parents live in East Anglia.

Thanks Lemon-Crisis for your donations:     
Life of Pi  a modern classic
Silk another short book on the list, but beautifully written. 
A Clockwork Orange a very dark book, but one which asks many pertinent questions. 
Oliver Twist I've never read this, despite having acted in the musical version at school.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time such a quirky mystery

And from  blackwidow1971
Ethan Frome (Wordsworth Classics) Another I don't know, but a copy is on its way to me :)
The Light of Day I know the author but not the book.
MORVERN CALLAR Crazy with a capital C
The Accidental seems to be a Marmite book 
The Successor  a great find through the 1001-Library 
Soldiers of Salamis (different cover)  A Spanish entry on the list, I haven't read it.

52 1001 Books in 2011

I am about on track, I have read a quarter of my target, but I need to up my game as I know I'll slow down.

A lot of my books have come from the Bookcrossing's 1001-library, which has really helped as I am not in the U.K.  In all, it has been a good run so far, no really bad books.  I didn't enjoy The Mysteries of Udolpho as much as some of the others, but that has more to do with the genre than the book.  It is good to knock off some of the books which have been on my radar for a while.  Not sure what is up next, I have a quite a stack in front of me right now, but as I also have reports to write, I may not have much time over the next 2 weeks.

1. The Day of the Triffids

I remember seeing bits of an old BBC adaptation as a kid. Really good one to kick off the year with, a sci-fi book that proposes a possible future, one that i n today's GM world is actually not that unimaginable.

2. The Big Sleep

I found Marlowe's fast talking style very fun and entertaining, and will look out more in the series.

3.The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay

Also very good. 2 very different cousins come together and create The Escapist, a comic book hero who fights the Nazis.

4.The Story of Lucy Gault  

One of the best I have read recently. This is a beautifully written book, Lucy's story unfolds slowly, but in a very moving way. 

5.The Graduate

As with some of the other books I have read recently, it is odd reading the book when you know the film so well. There is a lot of dialogue in the book, so you can see how it was easily adapted.

6. The Mysteries of Udolpho (Oxford World's Classics)

Second time lucky, actually read this in a few days after having given up on it last time. Very melodramatic, lots of poetic descriptions, but actually rather fun at times. 

7.The Pigeon

The Pigeon is a day in the life of a 50-something-year-old man. His monotonous existance, one of his own choosing and making, is thrown out of kilter by the appearance of a pigeon outside his room. The pigeon disrupts his routine, causing him to consider leaving his sanctuary forever. Thought-provoking. Nice to read a short 1001 book! 

8. Felicia's Journey

A very dark book, the sad story of a pregnant Irish girl searching for the father of her child, with not much to go on except he was working at a lawnmower factory near Birmingham. One day she is offered help by the catering manager of a different factory. Good read, sinister and sad though. Sensitively written, as was The Story of Lucy Gault by the same author.

9. Effi Briest

A girl marries her mother's former suitor and is taken off to live far away. A chain of events are set in motion, almost inevitably, and as upstanding Prussians, they can't avoid the rules that society makes them play by Very well written, very sad. 

10. The Monkey and the Monk

This is the journey of the monk Xuánzàng who is sent to the West for Buddhist scrolls to bring back to Chang'an (modern day Xian). The journey is full of obstacles, traps and dangers that the travelling band must come through to reach the West.

This is a book which is easy to recommend, first to those interested in religion in China, secondly to sinophiles, but, perhaps most importantly, for those wanting to read a good story full of colour, drama and great characters.

11. Through the Looking Glass

As with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it is the combination of words and images that make the book so memorable, so charming. This is a book to amuse children and adults alike, great fun and deservedly a classic. 

12.Platero and I

A man and his donkey, musings on life in southern Spain. This is a collection of anecodotes and shows the close relationship the narrator has with his faithful Platero, a donkey with a lot of feelings.

13.Invisible Man 

A young black man and the struggle for equality.

Lewis Carroll's Alice

There are 2 Lewis Carroll books on the 1001 list, both are about Alice.  The first is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin Popular Classics) and the second is Through the Looking Glass.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin Popular Classics) is strange to read.  I remember being read this as a child, and I have seen a few adaptations, though this is the first of the 2 Wonderland books and the films, etc., usually are both in one. Just a great story, fabulously written (and drawn) characters. A true classic.
Alice's adventures begin when she goes down a hole after the White Rabbit. As she tries to find her way, she meets a host of characters, though when she talks with them, they talk back in a nonsensical way, something which is catching. Whenever Alice attempts to recite anything she has learnt, it turns into nonsense, too. This leads into the verse that is an integral part, recited by Alice and other characters.
Reading Alice is like reading my childhood, the characters are so familiar. It is a book that can be read by children and adults, it is a multi-layered narrative. Children will enjoy the anthropomorphic characters, my favourites being the Doormouse and the Cheshire Cat, as well as the great illustrations.

 

Through the Looking Glass is different from Alice, there are parts which I knew very well, in fact I can recite a lot of The Jabberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter. (My inner geek was pleased that I had learnt the correct pronunciation of The Jabberwocky as outlined in the book.) There are a lot of less familiar sections, parts which are often left out of the adaptations which usual condense the two books into one.

Alice is in the parlour with her cat Dinah, who is washing one of her kittens. Alice muses about the world on the other side of the mirror, and, climbing on the mantle-piece, makes her way into it. (I must apologise to the Red Queen for daring to say that Alice made HER way!) This other world is not like ours, things seem to run backwards, it seems to be based on a chess game, no doubt inspired by the set Alice has in her world. In order to make it back, Alice must advance from pawn to queen by crossing the squares. Of course, through the looking glass, that is not as simple as it sounds.

On her journey, she meets many strange and familiar creatures, which find her just as strange. There is a lot of muddles, mainly brought about by the play on words, such as an absurd, but amusing conversation about seeing nobody on the road. Alice says she sees nobody, which impresses the king, who remarks “I only wish I had such eyes […] to be able to see Nobody! And at that distance!” Indeed this wilful misinterpretation of the young girl's words is a device often used in the book, one which adds to its charms. Things also work backwards, the consequences of actions are felt before the action takes place, leaving Alice bewildered as she travels on.

There are more well-known figures in this book, those from other stories, such as Humpty Dumpty and the Lion and the Unicorn, as well as those famous from the adaptations, such as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and a return of the Mad Hatter.

As with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it is the combination of words and images that make the book so memorable, so charming. This is a book to amuse children and adults alike, great fun and deservedly a classic.

February's Top Reads

I haven't really posted many of my reviews, this is because I do them in batches.  Sometimes, I am on the ball and write reviews for all the books I have read, even if it is a short one-liner.  Other times, I get slack, and then, a month later, I can't muster up more than "I enjoyed this" or "a good read".  This year I am trying to do better, I have attempted to write a review for all the books I have read for the 11 in 11 Category Challenge on Librarything.  I don't think I read any real clunkers in February, indeed I could have chosen more books to add to the Top Reads list, but I felt I should limit myself to 4 - one for every week.  Rather than put all my reviews up here, I'd rather add the ones I recommend, so here are February 2011's:

The first is Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country's Hidden Past.  I was lent this by a friend and fellow Hispanophile. 

The subtitle of the book, Travels through a country's past is very apt. Tremlett, a British journalist living in Spain, takes us on a journey around Modern Spain, looking at the effect of the country's past on its present.
Living in Spain, it is easy to forget that Spain suffered for many years of the previous century under the dictatorship of el Caudillo, Franco. There are visual reminders of him, especially in and near my current home town of Avila, a bust in the old town covered in red paint and his mausoleum. Despite living in democracy, the shadow of Franco's legacy looms over everyday life, in the form of some of his ministers who changed shirts as the regime itself was swept aside to a sometimes expressed nostalgia for the boom times at the end his dictatorship, especially in today's economic crisis.
By travelling around Spain, Tremlett probes into the history behind Modern Spain. Each chapter takes a different aspect, from the dictator himself to an economic boom caused by sun and skimpy swimwear, and from the country's Moorish heritage to the modern northern European invaders living on Spain's coast.
I was especially drawn in by the three chapters on the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia, three regions with their own languages, history and culture, which have very different relationships with Madrid, and differ wildly from the stereotypical image of Spain – bullfighting, sangria, Don Quijote and Flamenco (the latter covered in its own chapter). For me, it was fascinating, not only to find out more about the regions, but also Tremlett's own analysis of how and why these relationships with Madrid do differ.
As the reader, what is most important is that the book was written by a writer, who despite being a foreigner, or even because he is, who manages to ask difficult questions, and get people to open up to him. What is also clear is Tremlett's affinity with Spain, which makes the book even more readable. His personal anecdotes, such as the birth of his 2 children in Spanish hospitals, makes the reader feel a closer connection with the material. While I read this book from beginning to end, it would be possible to dip into the chapters which you are more interested in. Highly recommended for people interested in Spain.

From Librarything's Early Reviewers Programme, The House of the Mosque is my second recommendation.  The book follows the story of an extended family living in a mosque in Iran. Starting in the 1950s, the family's fortunes are intertwined with the changing religious and political scene in Iran, to such an extent that the family itself is driven apart.
The family in the mosque are a mixed bunch. First there is the Iman Alsaberi, a weak man obsessed with hygiene and rather negligent of his family. The household is kept together by Aqa Jaan, who also keeps the records of the mosque, as previous generations have done. Their brother Muezzin, a blindman, calls the people to prayer.
Times are changing, with the death of Alsaberi comes a vaccum, into which a new Iman steps, one that will change the path of the mosque. Aqa Jaan tries to keep everything together, but the political turmoil makes it harder and harder.
As an introduction to Iran, this is a good read, but will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens to the family. The author has taken care to show the reader the conflict and destruction brought upon the family, but at the same time showing, for me, a rather little-known side to life in Iran.

The third is the short, but thought-provoking The Pigeon.  I read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Perfume a few years ago, so was eager to find more by this German author.
The Pigeon is a day in the life of a 50-something-year-old man. His monotonous existance, one of his own choosing and making, is thrown out of kilter by the appearance of a pigeon outside his room. The pigeon disrupts his routine, causing him to consider leaving his sanctuary forever.
The author seems to invite the reader to work why the man has this absurd reaction. How can a loner be so touched by the intrusion of a bird? Perhaps the bird is the straw that breaks the camel's back, forcing him to come to terms with his own past, the difficulties he has overcome are alluded to or briefly described throughout the book.
For me, the pigeon forces him to stop sleepwalking through his life, to actually look at those around him.
A quick read, but one that'll stop and make you think.

And finally, last but not least, Effi Briest .  A book my brother has been telling me to read for years!

Written in 1894, Effi Briest is the story of a girl from a good family who makes a "good match" with an older, well-established man, Instetten.  As with Madame Bovary, the sense of impending doom is that from the start, Effie and Instetten are unable to stray from their preordained path, despite not wanting to follow it.
Effie moves from the nursery into an engagement almost immediately, leaving barely any time to adjust from schoolgirl and daughter to adult and wife.  Perhaps more disturbing for the modern reader is the fact that Instetten was linked with Effie's mother, ndeed it is remarked that they would have been better suited, as both are more serious and rather proper, unlike her often inappropriate husband and lively daughter.  Actually, probably because I only recently read it, Effie reminded me of the heroines of The Mysteries of Udolpho and Northanger Abbey.  She is naive, affected by the possibility of the supernatural, such as the story of the Chinaman and the dancing shoes.  She is, on the other hand, a good person, but easily led.
Not wanting to give anything away, I would say it is clear right from the start that Effie is ill-fated.  In fact, we see her own reactions to similar events earlier on in the action.  Who is to blame for her downfall?  Is it Effie, a mere slip of a girl married off to a much older man, shipped off far from home?  Is it her husband, an upstanding Prussian official, but a man who can be cold and leaves his young wife alone?  Or is it, as they themselves ask, the fault of her parents?  All of these options could be argued for successfully, but I wonder whether it is the unbending moral code of the time which is being critisised?  A marriage arranged as a contract between two families of high-standing was hardly unusual.  The response of the characters to the unfolding drama, although absurd and very sad, also falls within the expected social protocol of the day.
As the blurb on the back cover says, Madame Bovary does indeed come to mind.  As with Madame Bovary, the reader does sympathise with the tragic heroine.  I did, however, feel glad to see the Instetten's own thoughts in the latter section, making the story more rounded and more ambigious.
A well-written novel, and one which gives a good glimpse into 19th Century society.

1001 VBB - Round 1

The first round has now come back to me, so I thought I'd share the final list of books taken out.  A mixed bag of books, which is good.  I also look forward to seeing what people think of the books I added.  I think that is the best thing about Bookcrossing, passing on books you have enjoyed and seeing if others feel the same way.  Looking forward to round two which will start later on this month.  There are a couple of books on the starting list which I may still request, but I'd like the other participants to have first dibs as I have a huge TBR pile.

Taken out

1. Of Love and Shadows 

2. The Power and the Glory 

3.Tarka the Otter (Puffin Story Books)

4. The Kingdom of the World

5. Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass

6.  The Plot Against America  

7. Ethan Frome

8. Gone With the Wind
9. Breakfast of Champions

10. Brideshead Revisited:(Penguin Modern Classics)

11.Looking for the Possible Dance

12. Pereira Maintains

13. Rituals (King Penguin)

14. At Lady Molly's

15. Small Island

16. Sexing the Cherry

17. The Third Policeman

18. July's People

19. Foe (Essential Penguin)

20. The Unbearable Lightness of Being

21. The Hound of the Baskervilles

22. Oranges are Not the Only Fruit

23. Their Eyes Were Watching God

24. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord

25. Three Lives (Twentieth Century Classics)

A time for reading

A book bonanza over the last few days. I have had books winging in via the Bookcrossing 1001-Library. The first to arrive were The Monkey and the Monk and Felicia's Journey, the latter I had been keen to read since I read The Story of Lucy Gault. Next up was Arabian Nights, and then a box of books from the States - Effi Briest (a book my brother has been talking about ever since he studied it at uni), Platero and I and The Pigeon. I couldn't resist and started The Monkey and the Monk straight away, I am about half way through, but this is a book to read in chunks, to give you time to let it sink in. This afternoon, with the sunlight streaming through my window, I read The Pigeon, a short, but thought-provoking book. This should help with my 1001 book slump, I just didn't fancy starting Invisible Man, so had been reading anything else I came into contact with.

I also returned my 3 books to the library, and picked up three new ones in Spanish. The first is El Capitan Alatriste, the graphic novel version of the first book in the series, I am curious to see how the illustrators have the characters, how they differ from my own thoughts. Second El Reino del Dragon de Oro, the second installment in Isabel Allende's series about Alexander Cold and his adventures with his rather unusual granny, Kate. Last up is Stardust, I loved the film, have the audiobook in English, but really look forward to reading it for myself.

11 in 11 Challenge - 2nd Quarter

62 books now read for the 11 in 11 Category Challenge . I am doing better than I expected, as I have recently moved house and had to leave most of my books in the U.K.  On Friday, I joined the local library in Avila, opposite the cathedral.  They have a small selection of English books (some of which are on my TBR shelf at home), an even smaller one in German, but a good selection of fiction in Spanish.  This will help me actually read more in Spanish, which is easy to put off at home when you have lots of books in English!

 

I have tinkered a bit with my categories.  As I am trying to read as many books as possible from my almost out of control TBR pile, I have decided to ditch the Olympic Challenge Category as I had nothing at home for it.  I have changed it to Books in a Series, this was partially because I got The Somme Stations from the  Early Reviewer Programme from LibraryThing, and I already had the first 4 books on my shelves.  I managed to get 5 and 6 from Amazon and Greenmetropolis.  This means that I have juggled a couple of the books, something I might do again later.  Below are the second set of 31 books, and, in italics, the books I have moved into new categories.

Category 1:  Latin America

4. The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman

Category 2: 1001 Books

5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay 

Category 3: History  (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

4. Shakespeare: The World as a Stage
5. Bound Feet and Western Dress
6. The White Queen
7. The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
8. Guernica 
9. The Poe Shadow 

Category 4: Books in a Series
A change of category, from Olympic Challenge to Books in a Series.


1. Wicked (moved from Films)
2. Son of a Witch part of Wicked series (moved from Links)
3. A Lion among Men part of Wicked series (moved from Links)
4. The Necropolis Railway
5. The Blackpool Highflyer - part of the Jim Stringer Series starting with The Necropolis Railway

Category 5: Asia

4. The North China Lover
5. Driveby Saviours
6. Love and longing in Bombay 
7. The House of the Mosque 

Category 6: Not in English

1. Golem: An Old Prague Tale in German
2. La Ciudad de las Bestias in Spanish

Category 7: German Speaking World
 3. Kleiner Werwolf (in Spanish)

Category 8: Film and Adaptations

8. The Day of the Triffids **1001 Book
9. The Big Sleep ** 1001 Book
10. The Graduate ** 1001 Book
 

Category 9: Links

 

1. An Unequal Marriage - Jane Austen Link
2. Sunday at Tiffany's - linked with Breakfast at Tiffany's
3. Jigs and Reels - also read Five quarters of the orange by the same author, Joanne Harris.
4. The Jane Austen Guide to Dating - Jane Austen link to I was Jane Austen's Best Friend
5. The Mysteries of Udolpho - mentioned in I was Jane Austen's Best Friend 

 

Category 10: Travel

2. Ghosts of Spain

Category 11: British Authors

5.  The Story of Lucy Gault **1001 Book
6. Five Quarters of the Orange
7. The Understudy
8. Pandora 
9. Raffles 

One thing I really like about this challenge is the variety of books you read, it forces you out of your comfort zone and it is such fun finding books to slot in.  I am enjoying the Links Category immensely because this fits my personality.  When I find a subject or author I like, I tend to go on a reading binge.  

Top books for the second quarter:

Well, The North China Lover, was a great read.  Dumas' The Lover blew me away when I read it a few years ago, so I had to see how this differed.  It certainly measured up to the first book, but very different.  

I also enjoyed Day of the Triffids, I am no sci-fi fan normally, but in a world of GM products and experimentation, it was a scarily realistic possible vision of the future.

Another good Bill Bryson in Shakespeare: The World as a Stage, more a biography of what we don't know that what we know!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay was unputdownable, I just caught up in the very different cousins and their lives.

I would say, however, the book that affected me most was The Story of Lucy Gault, I was very moved by Lucy's tragic story, so sympathetically written.

Also tragic, but actually uplifting book was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, this is a book that will stay with me.

Ghosts of Spain was also excellent, for a guide to modern Spain, this is a good start.  It talks about the ghosts and events that have shaped Spain, but what makes it good is that it is written by a foreigner who obviously loves Spain.

Disappointments:

The Understudy  What a pity, I loved Starter for 10!   Not a dreadful book, but not up to his usual standard.

Sundays at Tiffany's.  Oh Mr. Patterson, please stick to your mysteries!

As for the next quarter, I am sat on the sofa with a stack of books.  Shall I head to Nepal with Samrat Umadhay's short stories, or to Flanders with the swashbuckling Captain Altriste, or mourn the loss of Aunt Guadalupe in Mexico?  Better put the coffee pot on and choose ;)