Read 50 books in 2006

Beatrice by Noelle Harrison. Lovely book, set in County Meath, Ireland, not too far from where I live now. A sister is haunted by the disappearance of her sister 20 years ago, and her quest to find the truth years later. This was a good summer read.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult I absolutely love this woman’s books. They always involve some sort of moral dilemma, and always have a great twist at the end. This one didn’t disappoint. A man who kidnapped his daughter stands trial for the crime, 30 years after the fact. Would you have done it?

The Know-it-All by AJ Jacobs I’m about halfway through this one. A middle aged man, afraid he is letting his brain go soft, sets himself a goal: to read the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica. There’s a lot of fun facts in here, so you’re learning while reading without even realising it (just the way it should be!)

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk This guy is so warped and twisted, it’s delicious. If you’re in the mood for a collection of scary stories inside a greater scary story, check this out. Not for the faint-hearted.

But Inside I’m Screaming by Elizabeth Flock Another quick read, picked it up in the bargain bin. I have to stop reading all this fluff and find something t stimulate my mind!

Swallowing Grandma by Kate Long Quickish read, a coming-of-age story about an 18-year old girl in England who is torn between her family and becoming herself. If you liked “She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb, you’ll want to give this one a go.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Took me a while to plug through this one, very funny in some places, very slow in others. Ignatius is a character you love to hate, or hate to love.

A Brother’s Journey by David Pelzer- Name sound familiar? It should. Dave is the brother of Richard Pelzer, the author of A Child called IT, and its 2 followups, describing the life of abuse they suffered at the hands of their alcoholic and mentally unstable mother. When Richard was removed from the house, David became the new whipping boy, and his story mirrors his brother’s. What amazes me is how this went on for so long! I recommend this book purely on the fact that I hope you may learn some warning signals of abuse, to help us as a world be more observant of what is going on, maybe not in your own home, but most certainly in a house in your community.

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty – This is by far the best book I have read this year. A overweight, alcoholic on a quest to find himself after suffering more losses than anyone can imagine. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me FEEL. And to think, I only picked it up on a whim from the bookshop because it was on sale for 3 euros. What a find!

7. Light on Snow by Anita Shreve
An easy but lovely read, a father and his 12 year old daughter who have recently had their own share of losses, find a newborn baby abandoned during a snowstorm. Touching and emotional, recommended.