The reading week

And so, a new week begins again. Funny how that works. Hopefully, with luck, a fair wind and the stars in alignment, I will have finished The Vintner's Luck by tomorrow night (Monday) so I can return it to the library just a few days late.

I was cross-eyed tired last night, so instead of The Vintner's Luck I turned to an old favourite, Agatha Christie, to see me off to dreamland. I anticipate I'll finish that this week, too.

Then what, I hear the masses cry out, biting their nails at the thought of being left in suspense. I'm not entirely sure. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte is October's classic novel, so I will hopefully start that this week.

I've re-sorted my library and book review books, and some have been put on the backburner for the time being. Also, some were due back at the library that I hadn't already started reading, so they went back on Friday.

Hmmm ... I have a couple of Star Trek: Voyager novels that I got out of the library last time, and they may be calling, after A Moveable Feast and The Vintner's Luck back-to-back. Something light, like my Christies, but something I haven't already read 100 times. I think that's what the book doctor ordered.

Have a great week everyone, full of rainbows and puppies, if that's your thing. Or you know, barbed wire and large rats, if that's what fries your onions. :)

Weekly Geek 19

This week, your WG theme is to list your top books published in 2008.
1. Compile your list of favorites. Please be sure that books you choose actually were published in 2008, or at the very earliest in the winter holiday season of 2007. Sometimes books that come out then are left out.
2. Come back and sign Mr Linky with the url to your top books of 2008 post.

Hmmm. I've gone through my read-this-year list, and I've only read seven books so far, that were published in 2008. So here they all are, ranked from 1-7. Number one being my favourite so far :)
1): Un Lun Dun _ hands down, one of my favourite reads.
2): Duma Key _ classic King; very creepy.
3): Certain Girls _ very, very good sequel to Jennifer Weiner's novel, Good in Bed
4): Odd Hours _ fourth book in the Odd Thomas series. Not the strongest entry in the series, but I do love Odd Thomas. :)
5): The Beach House _ light, readable fluff from Jane Green.
6): This Charming Man _ Marian Keyes' latest novel. Not my absolute favourite of hers, but still very readable.
7): Sail _ pretty standard James Patterson. Fast-moving and fun to read. :)

How was the week that was?

Well, I finished A Moveable Feast, and wrote the review. I'm about halfway through The Vintner's Luck, which I'm loving, but I'm very tired tonight; in fact I'm off to bed after this.

So I'm going to bed with an old favourite: Evil Under the Sun, by Agatha Christie, which won't be quite so taxing on my poor brain and nerve cells. Not that The Vintner's Luck is taxing as such, it's just very ... wrought.

Also daylight saving starts? ends? the springing forward one tonight and I hate daylight saving with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. All the clocks have been put forward, now all that remains is a week or so of my "I hate daylight savings!!!" outbursts. Then I'll forget all about it.

I did update my non-book blog. By which I mean, I made a token post. I'd like to post over there more, but my head is still up my ... uh, nevermind. I'd like to be in a happier frame of mind. But practice makes blog posts, so I will make an effort.

I'll do a reading week post tomorrow or Monday; I'll see how I'm feeling.

Sunshine, lollipops and fluffy kittens. :)

Booking Through Thursday

I haven't done this for a while, but the question this week interested me:
What was the most unusual (for you) book you ever read? Either because the book itself was completely from out in left field somewhere, or was a genre you never read, or was the only book available on a long flight… whatever? What (not counting school textbooks, though literature read for classes counts) was furthest outside your usual comfort zone/familiar territory?
And, did you like it? Did it stretch your boundaries? Did you shut it with a shudder the instant you were done? Did it make you think? Have nightmares? Kick off a new obsession?

The most unusual book I have ever read (and I believe I've mentioned it here before) is Pale Fire, by Nabokov. It was part of my Modernist Fiction course in my last year at university and I remember almost none of it. Except that it was painful to read. It's a novel, told in poetry, that's a whodunit. The narrator is untrustworthy at best and, according to our lecturer there was a big payoff at the end. The only payoff I got was from finishing the damn thing!
So. Um. It's Pale Fire. :)

Making progress

So I started The Vintner's Luck a couple of nights ago and, of course, because it's due back at the library tomorrow, I haven't been able to pick it up since. But I really want to finish it, mostly because Elizabeth Knox uses similes like this: "Breath stood at each soldier's lips like a phantom sunning itself on the threshold of a tomb" which gave me the shivers.

The Vintner's Luck is about a 19th-century French winemaker, Sobran, who meets an angel Xas one night. Man and angel agree to meet once a year and eventually fall in love (so says the synopsis _ I haven't made it to that part yet.) So far so good.

One of the reasons I haven't had much reading time is the books cupboard at work. I work at a newspaper, as you know, and we regularly get review copies in. The guy who was taking care of them is leaving (one of the ones cast out in the redundancy round, but he's ready to retire anyway, and is happy about going) so one of my workmates and I volunteered ourselves to take care of the books (heh).

So I've had a couple of extra-late nights this week as we sort through the cupboard, weeding out those books that are too old to review, too obscure to be interesting and generally having a bit of a spring clean. But ... I get to play with books! (Heh).

I promised myself as part of the Weekly Geeks that I'd update my other blog too. So I'm going to do that now. :)

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

This was September's classic. I haven't been doing too badly with this personal project _ I gave up on The Old Curiosity Shop and for now, The Once and Future King _ I got bogged down in The Ill-Made Knight. I skipped The Portrait of Dorian Grey and picked up again with A Moveable Feast, although I might read Dorian Grey for October's Bookworms' Carnival.

Anyway. That's off the subject.

A Moveable Feast was written by Hemingway in the late 1950s, near the end of his life. He was reflecting on his time in Paris from 1921-1926, when there was a large ex-pat community of American writers and artist living there.

He talks about the people he meets, and describes Paris in the spring and the winter, and the writing is so vivid, it feels as though he's sitting next to you, describing all of these things. He's reminiscing, and it's just wonderful.

He talks about people like Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound, and F Scott Fitzgerald _ people he became friends with during his time there. Hemingway talks about most of them with great affection, and puzzlement sometimes; especially in the case of Stein with whom he apparently had a falling out. He had a lot of affection for Pound and determined to do all he can for Fitzgerald after he read The Great Gatsby _ and worked out that Zelda Fitzgerald was insane.

It's not just the people Hemingway describes so vividly _ there's also Paris of the 1920s, and the food, and his writing and ... A Moveable Feast isn't a long book, at about 160 pages, but there is a lot of detail which, in my mind, is a testament to Hemingway's writing skills (although, so far, this is the only book of his I've read).

Read it. But you can't have my copy. :)

The reading week

I'm trying to start my blogging week off right, inspired by this week's Weekly Geek.
By tomorrow (Monday) I should have finished A Moveable Feast and hopefully I'll post a review about it tomorrow night.

But I'm loving it. LOVING it!!!! I want to carry it with me everywhere, and stick it under people's noses and say "have you read this? you should read this".

After that _ I'm going to read The Vintner's Luck, I think. I talked about it last week, then completely forgot. Plus, it's due back at the library soon. Then I think I'll read Book 1 of The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Let's hope this reading week is better than last week's!

Weekly Geeks 18

This week’s theme is: catch up on… something.

Weekly Geeks #6 was catch up on reviews week, but so many of you organized bloggers were caught up with reviews that you chose to catch up on other things. So I kept in mind that a catch-up week every now and then will probably be welcome. At this point, I’m very behind on several blog tasks, so I thought maybe you might be, too!

This is a timely Weekly Geek for me because I'm behind on ... reading. I haven't even picked up a book for about four days. I feel as though I should hand in my library card!
Also, blogging. I've let that slip too, apart from posting my quotes for the last Weekly Geek.
So, for this week, I'm going to catch up on my reading. I'll finish A Moveable Feast, and post a review at the end of the week, and start ... something else.
The possibilities are:

Salt by Maurice Gee
The Knife of Never Letting Go Book 1 by Patrick Ness
Up Till Now by William Shatner
Maybe Inkeart by Cornelia Funke, which I've had for ages and not read.
And ... lots of others.

As for blogging _ I need to try and keep up here, and post at my non-book blog, http://zooblife.blogspot.com/ which is where (accidentally) I seem to be recording Patrick's milestones. Better than not doing it, but I do get behind.

So.
Reading. Blogging. Oh, and maybe a review or two. That's my catch-up week. :)

Weekly Geek 17 _ Quote Seven

"One is never sure, watching two cats washing each other, whether it's affection, the taste or a trial run for the jugular."- Helen Thomson

For the last but not least post of Weekly Geeks 17, I give you Merlin and Piper:

Weekly Geeks 17 _ Quote 6

Cats, like butterflies, need no excuse _ Robert A. Heinlein.

I give you: Sam and Chloe:

Weekly Geeks 17 _ Quote 5

Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want .... by Joseph Wood Krutch.

This is a photo I like to call Misty on coffee table:

Weekly Geek 17 _ Quote Four

"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats."- English Proverb
Illustrated here, by Piper hogging the DVD remote:

Weekly Geeks 17 _ Quote three

"One cat just leads to another."- Ernest Hemingway

Illustrated here by five of our 10 cats.

Here we have Misty (front, ginger leg), Chloe (back), Sam (ginger tabby) Piper and Merlin :)

The reading week and a wee review

Here we go again ... I finally, finally finished Artists in Crime yesterday. It took me far longer than I expected it to. And, unfortunately, I didn't greatly enjoy it. Apparently Ngaio Marsh's books get better later on, and I hope so.

Artists in Crime was just so slow! The middle part seemed to really drag and there were a couple of continuity issues that really bugged me:

In one part, Inspector Alleyn asks what the time is, and is told it's after midnight; about 12.20am. Then, a few short paragraphs later, someone mentions that it's after 11.

In another scene, one of the minor policeman characters was there, then he'd gone to do a job, then someone asked him a question (not mentioning whether he'd come back) then Alleyn said they'd better see how he was getting on.

It really brought my enjoyment level down, which wasn't particularly high to begin with. It probably didn't help that I seemed to have less reading time last week _ I worked two 12pm-8pm shifts, which really isn't conducive for doing anything and I read very little those two nights. But I made a concerted effort yesterday and finished it. The book did get better towards the end _ it picked up as they came closer to finding out whodunit, and apparently it's of interest because it's in this book that Inspector Alleyn meets his wife.

I'd like to read more of Ngaio Marsh's books, but I think next time, I'll pick up one of the later ones.

Now, the reading for this week is (finally) A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, my classic for September. I started it today, and so far I'm loving it. It's so descriptive, and evocative. And it makes me want to time-travel to Paris in the 1920s.

I'm also hoping to start ... maybe The Vintner's Luck, by Elizabeth Knox. We'll see. :)

Weekly Geeks 17 _ Quote Two:

"The smallest feline is a masterpiece."- Leonardo da Vinci


To illustrate: Merlin the tabby as a kitten:


He must have been about eight weeks old in this photo _ so it's not long afer we got him.
He's about three years old now, and he's the cat in my avatar thingy. :)

Weekly Geeks 17

It's another fun one from Dewey:

This week’s activity is: A Quote a Day.
I've decided to keep things (relatively) simple and go with cat-related quotes. And there will be cat pix all week, so ... enjoy!

First up is from Eleanor Farjeon. It's a poem, actually, that I've always liked:

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.

Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.

Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.

Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.

Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.

To illustrate that, here is Scout, as a kitten, in one of her favourite sleeping-places:

(Of course, if she tried to get in there now, she'd break the box ...)

The big 5-0

I've hit 50 books for the year. Not bad for someone with a nearly-toddler who works fulltime, I feel. I'm also trying to tuck other things in _ some stitching, a little writing, my TV column, the odd movie ... just about enough to keep me off the streets I hope.

Twas Galahad at Blandings, by P G Wodehouse that tipped my numbers. I had a gallstone attack last Saturday so was reading for a bit to try and distract myself from the pain (oh ... the pain!!!!). Then I counted, and the magic number came up.

It'd be nice to think I could hit the big 1-00, but I don't think that's going to happen. For one thing, I've slowed down a bit, for another _ it's September already!

Here's the list to date: (In order of remembering, rather than order of reading)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
Beowulf by Caitlin Kiernan
The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Storm Front: Book 1 of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist Wife by Irene Spencer
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
Blood is the New Black
Star Trek: Resistance
Star Trek: Q & A
CSI: Sin City
Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
Belladonna by Anne Bishop
This Charming Man by Marian Keyes
Duma Key by Stephen King
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
A Sandwich Short of a Picnic by Felicity Price
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Mort by Terry Pratchett
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
1984 by George Orwell
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
Momo by Michael Ende
Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
On, Off by Colleen McCullough
The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Melusine by Sarah Monette
Red Dwarf by Grant Naylor
Sourcery by Terry Pratchett
Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie
Sail by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Six Pack Two Various
Six Pack Three Various
Beach House by Jane Green
Space by James Michener
Galahad at Blandings by P G Wodehouse

Weekly Geeks 16 _ Interview One

Dewey at http://deweymonster.com/ challenged geekers to pair up this week, and interview each other about recent reads that haven't been reviewed.
My partner was Joanne at http://bookzombie.blogspot.com/
I interviewed her about The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson, and she interviewed me about Space by James Michener.

Interview questions on The Gargoyle:

I've seen this book pop up on few book blogs lately, which is how I heard about it. How did you hear about it?
I had seen some information about this book on the Random House/DoubleDay website and was really interested so when I had the chance to grab an ARC took it.

How would you rate the book's readability? Is it an unputdownable read, or a chore to pick up read? What made you pick it up?
For me this book was impossible to put down, but at the same time, I took my time reading in order to draw out my enjoyment. While reading it was nice to set it aside every once in awhile just to contemplate where the entwining stories were taking you and how they could possibly relate.
Initially I picked it up for the love story aspect. Amazon describes it as "An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time." That quote really got my attention as I love a good love story, but have grown tired of the massive amounts of predictable chick-lit available. I wanted more than just "boy meets girl" romance, I wanted a love story that made you feel something and The Gargoyle was perfect.

The editorial description on Amazon makes The Gargoyle sound like a fantastic, Gothic love story. Would this be accurate?
Was The Gargoyle fantastic? In my opinion, yes, it was probably my top read this year. The true definition of a Gothic love story is a story that combines romance and horror, so The Gargoyle fits this to a tee. But it is so much more than this, it explores almost every facet of what makes us human – honour, redemption, personal beliefs, salvation, self-image, the mystery of the soul and the human desire to live and love.

How is the love story between the main characters handled? Is it convincing? Is there a strong sense of emotional truth?
First off, I just need to clarify that I am a total cynic when it comes to love stories. More often than not, I am harrumphing through a romance saying to myself "oh please, like that would ever happen", I despise sappy chick-flicks and a lot of romantic chick-lit turns my stomach. For a love story to work for me it needs to be real, it needs to show the true emotional pain involved with being loved and loving. I want to truly feel that two people live and would die for one another and that they have a connection in soul, not just body. With that said, The Gargoyle was a completely convincing love story for me. The characters knew their love for one another was about more than just getting married, having sex and growing old together. Their emotions were always very believable even when they hated one another.

How engaging were the main characters, given that neither sounds particularly sympathetic. Was there room for the reader to empathise with them, given that they both seem to be scarred _ either internally or externally?
Although the stories in the novel are fascinating, the characters are what truly bring this book to life. The narrator – unnamed throughout the entire novel – is at first not so likeable. He is a drug-addicted pornographic filmmaker, who crashed his car while drinking and driving. When first introduced he is in a burn unit recovering from extreme burns to his entire body, which of course, makes him not very friendly, happy, courteous or vaguely appealing. Marianne is the leading lady who brings out the best side of the narrator. Marianne herself is an intensely attractive character from the beginning when she saunters into the burn unit like the crazy lady she is (or at least she may be crazy). It is her involvement with the narrator that begins a very complex labyrinth of character development for them both. By the end of the novel, I felt as though I would do anything to see them find happiness, love or peace.

Given that the two main characters seem to be so strong, how well drawn were the secondary characters? Did they feel like real people, or two-dimensional characters?
The Gargoyle is structured in such a way that all of the secondary players are actually characters from stories that Marianne is telling the narrator while he is recuperating. The main story is Marianne's which takes place in a convent in the 1300's. The other four tales she tells all involve certain characters experiences with love; a Japanese glass blowers, an Italian ironworker, an English farmer and a Viking boat woodworker/painter. Astoundingly, these characters are very well developed and original. They appear as strong and pertinent to the story as Marianne and the narrator.

The author, Andrew Davidson, has a piece on Amazon, where he talks about The Gargoyle being compared to The Name of the Rose, The English Patient and The Shadow of the Wind. Have you read any of these, and do you think the comparisons fit?
I've only read The English Patient, and the only comparison that I feel relevant is that they both concern burn victims and their recuperations. I found the book my thoughts stray to most while reading The Gargoyle was Dante's Inferno by Dante Dante Alighieri. The narrator is on a journey where he must travel his own personal hell, while facing many demons along the way. I think many of the ideas the narrator of The Gargoyle explores are similar to ones seen in Dante's Inferno.

Related question: what do you think when a novel is compared to another? Does it make you want to go and find those novels, or are you suspicious that the publishers are just trying to build the first novel up?
I usually don't pay much attention to comparisons between novels or authors. It's like saying that an apple is comparable to an orange. Yes, they are both fruits, round, and have peels...but the differences far outweigh the similarities in my mind. Every author interprets ideas and writes stories differently so all books have their own original flavour (or at least I like to think so).

When you had finished the book, did you feel as though it was a good read? Did it stick with you for a while, or was it easy to move on to the next thing?
When I closed the book at the end, I knew immediately that this would be a favourite of mine. I was completely drawn into the story and at times felt emotions as the characters experienced them. It definitely stayed with me for awhile and I was looking for a follow-up read that was light and easy because my thoughts were drifting back to The Gargoyle.

The Gargoyle is Davidson's first novel. Is it an assured, confident debut? Will you be looking forward to more of his books?
The Gargoyle was one of the best debut novels I have read and I eagerly await more writing from this author, although I do feel that it will be hard to outdo this novel.

I get the impression that The Gargoyle could be atmospheric, and somewhat creepy. Is it? Would it be a good late night read, or is it an all lights on, daytime read?
It is extremely atmospheric, but not in a haunted house scary way or in a way that can be escaped by reading with all the lights on. The Gargoyle explores the darker side of humanity and how to seek salvation in a way that will not leave your soul empty, so this can invoke thoughts that can be creepy even if you're reading it on a tropical beach while drinking a martini.
I will say that personally the descriptions of treatments that the narrator goes through while in the burn unit terrified me and made my skin crawl. They are graphic in description and quite accurate medically, but it is the way in which the narrator reacts physically and emotionally that is disturbing. This is human suffering that I would not wish upon my worst enemy.

I love nothing more than a good story that holds my attention, genre aside. Would The Gargoyle fit that bill?
The Gargoyle definitely held my attention, and with the entwined stories, you get much more than just one good tale. I would highly recommend this book.

Weekly Geeks 16 _ Interview Two

Dewey at http://deweymonster.com/ challenged geekers to pair up this week, and interview each other about recent reads that haven't been reviewed.

My partner was Joanne at http://bookzombie.blogspot.com/

I interviewed her about The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson, and she interviewed me about Space by James Michener.

Interview questions on Space:

What was your reason for reading this book, how did you come to hear of this book?
I have a personal challenge this year _ to read one classic novel a month. Space was supposed to be Hawaii by Michener, but I couldn't find it. It was also supposed to be the book for July, but I got a bit behind; so I cut out August's book _ The Picture of Dorian Grey _ and read Space instead. I'm back on track now, I think. :)

According to this books description, it is the fictionalised history of the United States space program, from 1944 – 1984. How accurate do you believe this story was? Did Michener stay true to the historic happenings or alter the happenings to fit his plot?
I think it was pretty accurate. I don't know a heck of a lot about the space programme but this seemed well-researched and the characterisations gave the massive space programme a very human face.

As the book covered such a huge span of time, roughly 30 years, would you say more attention was paid to description and plot structure or to character development?
There was actually quite a good balance between both plot development and character development, as the book is very character-driven.

This book is centered around the US space program and space exploration, along with many historical events – would this book be readable for anyone? Or would a knowledge of NASA and/or American History help the reader to understand certain parts better?
I don't know a heck of a lot about NASA, or American History, but I found Space to be a fascinating read, and it made me want to learn more. I think Space has very broad appeal.

Was there any particular character you were connected to, or enjoyed more than others? Was there a character you found yourself really hating? Why?
I really liked the character of Penny Pope, a driven, hard-working woman who seemed to have the balance of her life right. I couldn't stand Stabismus _ a conman basically, using whatever was popular to fleece vulnerable people _ and doing it legally.

In the late 80's CBS aired Space - A Mini-Series, based on Michener's novel, which won three Emmy awards. Have you seen this, and if so how does it compare to the novel? If you haven't watched it, do you think you would be interested in seeing how the novel works as a mini-series?
Oooh, there's a mini-series? No, I haven't seen it. I'd love to, though.

Have you read any other books by James Michener? Did you enjoy them and what would you recommend? If this is your first Michener read, do you think you will search out this others by this author? Why or why not?
I've read The Source by Michener, which I love. It's on my list of all-time favourite books. I will read others by Michener, but not for a while _ he writes looong books!

At nearly 1000 pages, this is a very weighty read, how did you find yourself feeling while reading? Was it a page-turner or did you find it dragging in places.
Mostly it was a page-turner, with so much going on and so many characters, it could be hard to put down. It did drag on occasion, just by virtue of being so long, I think. So I'd go and read something else for a bit before returning to the fray.

Once you turned the last page and closed this novel, what were your initial thoughts? Were you satisfied with your reading? Was everything concluded in a way that left you content? Or did you think it needed something more?
At first, relief, because it was so long! And it gave me some food for thought (or musing) about space, and the space programme. It's kind of an ongoing tale, but it felt like the book finished in the right place.

Did you learn anything new from reading this book? If so, what would you say is the most important knowledge you gained?
Um ... I guess, if anything, I learned how difficult the space race can be, looking from the inside out. And how difficult a space mission truly is.

Would you recommend this novel or not? Explain your reasons and convince readers why/why not using 3 sentences or less.
I would definitely recommend it. Michener is an excellent storyteller and seems to have a real gift for telling very human stories against some massive backgrounds. Literally, in this case, with space being the biggest of all.

Last question – list 5 words to describe this novel or your feelings about it?
Massive, fascinating, long, sad, human.

The reading week

I finished Space, finally _ the day before A Moveable Feast arrived in the mail. Serendipity! Although I haven't started A Moveable Feast yet _ probably tomorrow.
I also got Smoke & Mirrors by Neil Gaiman in the mail yesterday and I keep drifting towards it and sneaking glimpses at the introduction. Pretty soon, I think, I'm going to have to bow to the inevitable and just read it (oh, the hardship!).
We also went to the library yesterday, which is always an exercise with a 15-month-old. There is a toy section in the adult library, but I'm overprotective. I'll let Patrick play in it if there aren't any other kids _ it's not particularly big, and he'd be overwhelmed in seconds. Also, it's right next to the library exit, so I won't leave him alone in there (although parents do ... don't get me started on that). So it's either whiz around and find a couple of books so I can read while he plays, or meander around and dig Jeremy out of the computer or science fiction sections when it's time to go.
I take Patrick with me in the library because he prefers to be moving and I'm a mobile browser whereas hubby is a static one. He'll find one section, then be there for ages.
Um. Anyway ... that wasn't my point.
My point was, I added three books to the *mumble* books I already had out. I got House, by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti (I haven't read Peretti before but I really enjoyed Dekker's Circle Trilogy), A Princess of Roumania by Paul Park and Hide & Seek by Ian Rankin _ a Rebus novel.
I read the first one some time ago and thought ''eh'' but a friend told me I should read them, so I'm giving it another go.
These are, of course, added to the library books I already have out.
Er ... I tripped.
So! This week I'll be reading Artists in Crime, by Ngaio Marsh, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway and ... Something Else, by Someone Else.
Peace.

Short bits

I finished a couple of books this week. Still not Space, but probably tonight or tomorrow _ it feels like I've been reading it for months, but it's also good to have my classics project back on track _ sort of.
The classic for September is A Moveable Feast, by Hemingway, and I found a copy last weekend on Trade Me. So now I'm just waiting for it to show up in the post.

I read Sail, by James Patterson and Howard Roughan and Beach House by Jane Green.
I liked Sail; it's a pretty good supense novel, with enough tension to keep you reading. It's not a great ohmygosh I can't believe it!!! suspense novel, but certainly good enough for a few nights' reading.

Beach House is very light. It's a great summer book, I think and Green's characters are very well-drawn. It's a smiley sort of a book, if that makes sense!

New Zealand Book Month

I meant to blog about this earlier in the week but ... I had a skydiving accident. (Not really but it sounds better than ''I forgot'').
So. September is New Zealand Book Month. To celebrate, I'm reading a couple of mysteries by Ngaio Marsh, beginning with Artists in Crime, which I started today.
I'm also planning to re-read Dreamhunter, by Elizabeth Knox, and then read the sequel, Dreamquake.
That may be all I get through, but I'm hoping for more, as always.

If you feel like hugging your Kiwi authors, try Janet Frame, or Lloyd Jones. Or any of Maurice Gee's books _ I can particularly recommend Under the Mountain and The Halfmen of O trilogy _ all YA fiction, and all on my September list.

Or Witi Ihimaera, who writes prose like its poetry _ he's one of my personal favourites.
Or ... I could go on. Visit www.nzbookmonth.co.nz and hug a Kiwi today. :)