Read 50 books in 2007

I was pleased to attempt this challenge…. but found it encouraged me to avoid long books for fear that I’d not complete the challenge.

New challenge for 2008

Q & A by Vikas Swarup

This book was recommended by several mates on bookcrossing, so I joined a bookring and have just read it. It was indeed a good read and an interesting book about a culture and country that I don’t know at all.

Tim the Tiny Horse by Harry Hill

It’s a book about what it says on the cover. Written for small children. It’s a series of illustrated stories about Tim, the Tiny Horse. They are all very Harry Hill. Very zany.

Raw Shark Texts
by Steven Hall

This is just an amazing book. I loved the use of language, and loved reading great chunks of it out loud to my 10 year old nephew. He is very taken with the idea of a conceptual shark, which feeds on memories.

Sonata by Jackie Kay

It’s a very small book, but no less powerful or memorable for it. I loved it.

It’s My Party and I’ll Knit if I Want to…

Fairly light little book – it was perfect for the long train journey from Edinburgh to London.

All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses and Eye

by Christopher Brookmyre.

He writes books that are so much fun to read, and this is no exception – complete with a feisty grannie as heroine!

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4931796

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4721225

This book is at once charming and terrifying. It is written from 9 year old Bruno’s perspective. Bruno lived in Berlin, until one day The Fury came round for dinner. The Fury has got great things planned for Bruno’s father, and as part of the plan Bruno’s family all have to move to Out-With where father will be working. This is the story of Bruno’s friendship with a boy from the other side of the fence at Out-With.

It’s not a happy read, and doesn’t give you a warm feeling about humanity. But nevertheless a very satisfying read (although I found Bruno’s lack of knowledge about Jews, etc slightly unbelievable)

About Grace, by Anthony Doerr

This was actually book five, but I forgot to record it. It was a bookring from fellow BCUK bookcrossers, and a lovely gentle book. One of the wonderful things about bookcrosing is that I would never have picked up this book and read it without the bookcrossing email group. Thank you fellow readers and releasers.

Ring, by Koji Suzuki

I’ve seen the american film version of this book and was really looking forward to reading it.
I love the language, and the feeling of terror and fear in the characters in the first few chapters. Further on, the book lost much of its sense of foreboding and terror for me, although it continued as a good read.