Divinenanny's 100 of 2011

ETA: 2011-06-13 - books 76 and onwards have a new thread, check here. Thank you!

I surpassed the 100 books last year (132 was my final total) but I want to stay here. This year my plan is to focus even less on the total count (read some big works). My other plans are to read as much of my shelves as possible (the money is a lot tighter this year) and to read more science fiction. Other than that I would like to read some of my medieval history works to get back into reading more non-fiction. I will also keep my eye on some short-lists and prize winners, mainly the Hugo's, Nebula's, Man Booker prize and Samuel Johnson prize.

My counter:



2011 reading list (in this thread)
1. The Fall - Guillermo del Toro
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
3. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
4. Matter - Iain M. Banks
5. MW; Eerste boek - Geheimen - Osamu Tezuka
6. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood
7. MW; Tweede boek - Onthullingen - Osamu Tezuka
8. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
9. De Grote Zaal - Jacoba van Velde
10. Ode aan Kirihito: Deel 1 - Hondenlevens - Osamu Tezuka
11. Ode aan Kirihito: Deel 2 - Mensenlevens - Osamu Tezuka
12. Kamer - Emma Donoghue
13. The Gathering - Anne Enright
14. De erfenis van het verlies - Kiran Desai
15. Ghostwritten - David Mitchell
16. Het lange lied - Andrea Levy
17. Zo kwamen we aan het eind - Joshua Ferris
18. Kinderen van Moeder Aarde - Thea Beckman
19. A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
20. The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
21. Het meisje met de glazen voeten - Ali Shaw
22. De strijd der koningen - George R.R. Martin
23. De cartograaf - Heather Terrell
24. Meneer Beerta (Het Bureau 1) - J.J. Voskuil
25. De nevelprins - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
26. Een storm van zwaarden (a) - George R.R. Martin
27. Dagboek van een geisha - Arthur Golden
28. Vuile handen (Het Bureau 2) - J.J. Voskuil
29. Een storm van zwaarden (b) - George R.R. Martin
30. Eten, Bidden, Beminnen - Elizabeth Gilbert
31. Haar naam was Sarah - Tatiana de Rosnay
32. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
33. Plankton (Het Bureau 3) - J.J. Voskuil
34. De Kraai - Kader Abdolah
35. Een feestmaal voor kraaien - George R.R. Martin
36. A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro
37. Flowers for Algernon - David Keyes
38. De wonderlijke avonturen van Kavalier en Clay - Michael Chabon
39. Eekhrn zkt eekhrn - David Sedaris
40. Het A.P. Beerta-instituut (Het Bureau 4) - J.J. Voskuil
41. Oeroeg - Hella S. Haasse
42. Station Perdido - China Miéville
43. The Swarm - Frank Schätzing
44. First Among Sequels - Jasper Fforde
45. Een korte geschiedenis van de tractor in de Oekraïne - Marina Lewycka
46. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
47. De naam van de wind - Patrick Rothfuss
48. De Finklerkwestie - Howard Jacobson
49. De goede man Jezus en de schurk Christus - Philip Pullman
50. Buddha 1: Kapilavastu - Osamu Tezuka
51. Possession - A.S. Byatt
52. The Sea - John Banville
53. 1Q84 Deel 1 - Haruki Murakami
54. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
55. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
56. En ook weemoedigheid - J.J. Voskuil
57. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
58. Blanche en Marie - Per Olov Enquist
59. Strindbergs ster - Jan Wallentin
60. Black Swan Green - David Mitchell
61. Waar je valt - M.J. Hyland
62. The Algebraist - Iain M. Banks
63. Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry
64. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman
65. 1q84; Boek twee; juli-september - Haruki Murakami
66. 1q84; Boek drie; oktober - december - Haruki Murakami
67. De appel - Michel Faber
68. De vertelling - Ursula Le Guin
69. Robopocalypse - David H. Wilson
70. Afgang - J.J. Voskuil
71. De dood van Maarten Koning - J.J. Voskuil
72. Het uur van de Engelen - Danielle Trussoni
73. Het meten van de wereld - Daniel Kehlmann
74. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursala Le Guin
75. De kaart van de tijd - Felix J. Palma

I loved the first in Del Toro's series, but I'm still to read the second, I'll have to see what you think of it.

Hi divinenanny, and welcome back! There seems to be a trend towards the "bigger" books on the shelves this year, it seems. (And it's a good one, I'm hoping to tackle some big ones too!)

More science fiction is always a good goal! I haven't read the second del Toro book yet either, so I'll also be awaiting your response eagerly!

Welcome all! Well, the going is slow in the del Toro book, not because it's not good, but because I still have vacation from work. What I did notice to my joy is that the story from the first book is recapped a bit by short (half-page) explanations and memories. Which is good, because I never remember much of the books I read months later.

Today I started back at work, so also back in the trains, and I finished The Fall just now.



My short review of The Fall (01-01-2011 / 10-01-2011)
This book deals with the breakdown of civilization, a bit more history of the original vampires and Sektarian and how our heroes are fighting back.
The book contains some flashbacks to the first book, short enough not to be annoying but long enough to remember all that happened before. The story itself seems to be pretty depressing, humanity seems to be fighting a losing war, but even though I am not a fan of depressing stories, I cannot wait for the third and final book in the series. Four out of five stars for my first book of the year.

Glad to hear The Fall is good! I think I might put it off til the third is done, though.

The third is pretty close to its release (March 15th I believe). Much sooner than I expected... So you won't have to wait long.

I was thinking that when this trilogy gets made into a/three movies, I'll be sure not to watch them... I think that the descriptions in these books are horrific and graphic enough, no need to see them on the screen. In fact, I think that these books are probably the most horror like books I've read. I usually go for the quiet and eerie horrors (still horrific but not described quite as graphically).



My second book of the year was The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. (11-01-2011)
I knew of this book mainly because of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the movie). Since I love reading classics more and more I was really looking forward to reading this book.
For me it were really two main threads in the story. On the one hand you have the story of Dorian Gray and his portrait, but on the other hand you also have the thoughts about youth, beauty, art and the good life. It was a very interesting read, despite the fact that the characters weren’t very lovable. Four out of five stars.

I agree that it's good to know The Fall is good. I've been planning on reading it because I liked the plot of the The Strain. However, I also thought the authors seemed to have a very depressing view of humanity in the first book...so I'm having to work my way up to reading the rest of the series. Make sure I'm in the right mood.

Oh, how funny, I just (back at the tail end of 2010) read Dorian Gray too, and I also was inspired by The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Still to read The Invisible Man, however, although (like Dorian) I sourced it fairly soon after reading League.

Love Dorian, all that beautiful language. I've been meaning to read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, loved the movie, but just haven't gotten around to the graphic novels quite yet. Moving them up on the TBR list.

You know, I actually have never seen the movie (The League). I don't really like movies, but I saw a bit of it (they were gathering in a study). I saw Dorian Gray there. I knew most of the characters there, had read the original stories they came from, but not Dorian Gray. So as not to spoil anything, I switched off the movie. And I haven't read the books either, though I will this year. They are on the TBR list :D

The books are good but nothing like the film (which I thought bad in a good way). Dorian isn't even in the comic books! At least I dont *think* he is... hmm wonder if I missed a cameo.

According to Wikipedia he isn't in the books. So I guess the movie did some good, in leading me to the Oscar Wilde book :D.

Dorian's not in the comic books? Wow, I got the movie completely muddled with the books! I know Tom Sawyer is only in the movie, trying for an American edge to the story.

I do have to say I thought the movie was a complete train wreck. So terribly wrong. (The leader is the *woman*, Nina Harker! Not the man! You stupid, stupid Hollywood people who can't deal with a strong female character. Stupid! *ahem*)

I've not had the chance to read Dorian Gray yet (though it's been on my TBR list for years). However, there's a totally awesome Dorian Gray painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. I remember it vividly because as I was standing there admiring it some family with an adorable little 3-ish girl walked around the corner and the LOOK on that girl's face! It was priceless. Then she pulled on her daddy's arm and pointed at it and he just laughed.

(I tried to post a link to the picture, but it doesn't work for some reason. I guess if you want to see it you can google it, just keep in mind that it looks much more colorful in real life.)

I found this image: http://www.chicagostagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/290px-the_picture_o...

And I don't blame the little girl for being scared! He's pretty terrifying looking.

The project I used to work on had some people in it who also made a few cartoons for YouTube explaining Digital Preservation (http://www.youtube.com/user/wepreserve). We asked them why there were no females in the first few movies. They said that they had planned that, but the animators explained that with female heroes, men don't identify. While with male heroes, men and women identify. Women seem to be trained not to mind (for the most part). Which is weird in this case because the DP field is, to my experience, at least 50/50 male/female.

That painting is pretty freaky. Not something I'd like for a three year old (or me) to dream about at night....

And Tom Sawyer is in the movie? Is he an extraordinary gentleman? I have never read his book either....

this one?

No he is not in the either. sigh and don't get me started about Ms Harker's character in the film... so much that went wrong. I always think it's a bit insulting to male intelligence to say they cannot relate to strong a women but what do I know.

On a more happy note, I have always wanted someone paint Dorian Gray and now they have, that's brilliant :)

I liked the painting my book had on its cover (see above)... There he does look like a nice looking young man. A bit arrogant, but still very young.

And there goes number three: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (11-01-2011 / 12-01-2011)
This is my third book by Murakami, but it is very different from the other two (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka On The Shore) I've read. This book is 'just' a love story, without any magical elements that the other two books had. But that doesn't make me love the book any less.
Like the other books, Murakami drew me into this story written from the point of view of Watanabe, who is studies in Tokyo in the late sixties. He loves, he loses, he grows up, he discovers himself. It is at times a pretty tragic story, but still beautiful. I give this book five out of five stars.

#21> I always think it's a bit insulting to male intelligence to say they cannot relate to strong a women but what do I know.

Exactly. Men should be up in arms that Hollywood treats them as idiots!

#23> I'm glad you liked Norwegian Wood. I did prefer his more magical works to this one.

They make that claim about boys - especially teens - and reading female heroines, too. Well duh, the boys want to read about boys - most the awesome characters in books for their age are boys! (Although this is not as problematic as it used to be, thankfully).

When something comes along that hits their buttons - like The Hunger Games - I notice a lot of them quite willing to pick it up.

#25> *laugh* It is a self-fulfiling prophecy, I guess. At least times are better than when my role model was Anne from the Famous Five!

You know, I can't really think of a movie or book character that was a role model for me, male or female. I was always raised with the knowledge that men and women, while different were equal. I should study and work just as hard as my brother, and could accomplish just as much. I have always been surrounded by both men and women in high positions. The field I work in now is about 50/50 men/women, maybe even slightly more women (at college it was 80 women to 5 men in my class). And now I meet women that are... older ;) who are really sensitive about the male/female issue. It is almost weird to me...
Anyway, so it never really occurs to me to watch for these things, male or female heroes. Although, I do have to say that anytime I see that topic "What book by a female author are you reading" pass by I think to myself how strange it is that I read almost only male authors. But then again, I read what I like, and apparently it is mainly male authors.

And #24, I do like his magical works better (I always say they make me feel like the movies by Hayao Miyazaki make me feel), but this was certainly not a disappointment.

Hmm I cant although there must have been. Wait I think mine might been of Princess Leia.. oh dear how embarrassing.

I am not too bothered either about the male/female issue until stereotypes starts, I work in male dominated area (IT) but it's never bother me, people are people. However I am a bit sensitive of the gender issue in media, casual misogyny is so embedded, sigh.

26 and there was always George from from the Famous five ;) .. although to be honest I think I preferred Timmy.

Oh, Miss Boo had a school friend over last year, and I'm not sure if you've hung around with five year old girls lately, but as a friend of mine said: "they're hypergenderised at this stage". In other words: kittens, pink, flowers, ponies, squealing, rainbows, etc. Anyhow, Miss Boo's friend asked if Miss Boo had any princess movies. Miss Boo replied "Star Wars has Princess Leia".

(She has since discovered Disney princesses. The modern Disney princess is a good bit of fun though, they're usually very clever and independent and think about more than housework etc.)

Oh I was so not a pink girl when I was little (still ain't, though I like purple)... I liked cars, and BMX bikes and all that. The only reason I liked Barbie was because A) my cousins had everything Barbie and I looked up to them and B) it helped me think up all kinds of stories. But nothing girly girly....

Book #4: Matter by Iain M. Banks (13-01-2011 / 18-01-2011)
Another book, the eight, in The Culture series by Iain M. Banks. When I started the book I thought this might be one of those science fiction books that takes place on a distant planet but is basically a medieval story (kings, servants, war). But luckily, pretty soon higher evolved species and The Culture were introduced in the book.
The book switches from character it is following between chapters, enabling you to see the story from different points of view. What I really liked about the book is how it seemed to have one main event at the heart of the story, and the climax turned to be about something else entirely. Four out of five stars.

I have Matter on my tbr but it's such a massive tome. Did you ever feel like it need a bit more of an edit?

I thought it did, and then the story turned a different way... I am a quick reader but I didn't feel it was too much. And I love all the philosophical ramblings about The Culture in a world with other cultures at different stages of development. I liked it and didn't think it was too much.

Thank you, I have been worried about that so it's nice to know ;)

i quiet enjoyed Matter as well. To tell the story it does tell I suppose it could be a whole lot slimmer, but I didn't mind the length and at no point did I feel that I wanted it to be shorter.

Book #5: MW part one (Eerste boek - Geheimen) by Osamu Tezuka (18-01-2011 / 18-01-2011)
This is the first book in the two part MW series (two parts in the Dutch publication). It is the first book I have read by Osamu Tezuka. It took me a bit to get into the story, but I am very intrigued. At first you think it is about revenge for the tragedy that befalls Michio Yuki, but it all turns out to be a bit more complicated. I cannot wait to read part two and see how this story finishes. Four out of five stars.

Book #6: The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (18-01-2011 / 20-01-2011)
My first books by Atwood were The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood. All books with a dystopian science fiction genre. I knew her other books were ‘normal’ but I decided to try them anyway, and I like them. This one is about three women, friends, who have all been affected by Zenia, the robber bride of the title. She is horrible, that much is clear from the start, and slowly the way she had influence over the three women’s lives is revealed, through stories about their youth and their involvement with Zenia. The stories were all interesting, and it was interesting to see how Zenia manipulated them to get what she wanted. The theme of war seemed to be very prevalent, but that could be my viewpoint because the character of Tony is most like me (in her ways, not her history, luckily!). Very gripping, I couldn’t put it down though I hated seeing what happened next, knowing it probably wasn’t good. Four out of four stars.

Book #7: MW second book by Osamu Tezuka (20-01-2011)
This is the second part of the MW story by Osamu Tezuka. Part 2 was full of action and nasty actions by Michio Yuki but didn't quite satisfy my need for explanations for his actions. But then again, maybe there aren't any explanations, and that is the story. I did like this book by Tezuka, my first and I will be sure to read more in the future. Four out of four stars.

Book #8: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (20-01-2011 / 21-01-2011)
What can I say... I love Neil Gaiman's writing and I think that American Gods and Anansi Boys are my favorites. I love how the story feels like a fairy tale more than just fantasy. I love the mythology, the magic, the way it all comes together. There is not much more I can say. I did expect this book to have stronger ties to American Gods, but except taking place in the same world full of gods, it doesn't really. Which was good for me because I always forget plot details. Five out of five stars.

I am on a roll this week :D



Book #9: De Grote Zaal by Jacoba van Velde (21-01-2011)
This book was given to Dutch library members for the Nederland Leest (Netherlands Reads) event of 2010. The book deals with the difficulty of an elderly lady who moves into a resting home, and also the emotions of the daughter. The book is from 1953, but aside from some reference to things that aren’t with us anymore (taking a horse and carriage ride to the seaside) it is still surprisingly relevant. A beautiful and touching story about letting go, accepting life and love. Four out of four stars.

Book #10: Ode aan Kirihito: Deel 1 - Hondenlevens by Osamu Tezuka (22-01-2011)
My third Tezuka this week, a different series this time. Ode aan/to Kirihito follows the discovery of and research into a mysterious illness. The patients slowly turn into doglike creatures before they die. Dr. Osanai Kirihito goes in search of the cause and finds it, but it quickly becomes clear that not everyone cares if the truth comes out.
In some ways this book is the opposite of MW, in that in this story te authorities are trying to stop the good guys, whereas in MW the main character was evil and the authorities were good.
Another good read, four out of four stars.

Book #11: Ode aan Kirihito: Deel 2 - Mensenlevens by Osamu Tezuka (23-01-2011)
Part two of the Ode to Kirihito. Osanai is still on the run and the professor is still trying to push his own theory for political reasons.
A good conclusion to the story, more of an conclusion than MW offered. What I noticed in both stories were allusions and characters from the Christian faith (a priest in MW and a nun in Ode) and less to the Shinto faith (although the main characters are not Christian). Makes me wonder about Tezuka’s reasoning and symbolism behind these stories.
It was a good read and the drawings added a lot to the story. Four out of four stars.

With the recommendation of many, many people here on LT I finally picked up Room (in its Dutch translation, Kamer).



Book #12: Kamer by Emma Donoghue (24-01-2011)
What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said. For a long time I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it, thinking it might be too depressing, too unhappy. And of course it was, I mean, how could it not be. But because it was told from the point of view of Jack, the five year old boy it was always full of hope. Despite him being scared, he was also brave, and curious, and making the best of it, despite everything. A very impressive story. Four out of four stars.

Book #13: The Gathering by Anne Enright (24-01-2011 / 25-01-2011)
I read this book because it was the Booker Prize winner of 2007. While reading I really didn't know what to think. The story is told by Veronica, one of the twelve children in the Hegarty clan. After the suicide of her brother, she examines the past of the family and her current life to deal with the loss and guilt. The book jumps through time without warning, which took some getting used to. It never follows a straight line in the story, in fact, there isn't really one, at least not one built up from events, but more from feelings and imaginings. For that reason it took me a little time to get in to it, but now, after reading it, I am really glad I did, a very nice and good book. Four out of four stars.

Book #14: De erfenis van het verlies/The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (24-01-2011 / 26-01-2011)
Another Booker Prize winner, 2006. The book, set in India and partly the US deals with identity, and how immigration, colonization and shifting borders provide difficulties for the main characters in finding and keeping their identity, even generations later. This all comes to head in Kalimpong, where the Gurkhas fight for their own country. In this turmoil Say (an Indian girl, with a grandfather, the judge, who went to England for education and hasn't felt Indian ever since) falls in love with a Nepali boy, and Biju (a Nepali boy, son of the judge's cook) tries to make it as an illegal in the US.
A very tragic but well written and good story. I am glad I read it, but I do need to find something a bit more uplifting to read in the coming weeks. Four out of four stars.

Book #15: Ghostwritten by David Mitchell (26-01-2011 / 31-01-2011)
This is David Mitchell's first novel, but my third by him. Like Cloud Atlas, it consists of a number of stories that seem independent but in some small ways all have something to do with each other. Lot's of "isn't that... ooooh" moments for me. The science fiction like futuristic chapter in the end, which is inspired by the work of Asimov but in which I also saw Iain M. Banks, surprised me but I loved it. I guess if you like (love) David Mitchell, you'll love this, if not, then stay away. For me, it was brilliant and I adored it. Five out of five stars.

I must admit its not my favourite David Micthell but I stil enjoyed it. I think some of the stories werent as brilliant as my high expectations thought they would be ;) some of them stay with me though, expecially the story set in the Chinese revolution, with the teashop and the talking tree.

Oh, I think these stories stay with me better than the ones in Cloud Atlas (which I loved too). I loved the one with the talking tree, and the noncorpum. I like how supernatural it all was, under the surface.

I just finished The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, my first by David Mitchell, and I enjoyed it immensely--suggestions on my next foray? I've heard great things about Cloud Atlas, though I've also read some negative reports. What do you think?

Be aware that it is very different. Remember the old holy man in The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet? How something was weird about him? Well, the other David Mitchell books are all like that. More like Haruki Murakami than Jacob de Zoet. But I enjoyed Jacob de Zoet as much as Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten.

Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World has been in my top 10 (well, maybe top 25) list of favorite books for ages... I'm not sure I understand it (often a qualm of mine) but I enjoyed it! Thanks for the info.

I loved Cloud Atlas, and have heard great things about Black Swan Green, which languishes on Mt TBR...

I just discovered that our library (which I recently joined to save money) also has Black Swan Green and number9dream. My dilemma is, do I borrow them and read them as soon as possible because I love Mitchell, or do I wait until I can buy and own them, because I love Mitchell... Luckily my Mt TBR is pretty high so there are many other great books waiting to be read....

Book #16: Het lange lied/The long song by Andrea Levy (31-01-2011 / 01-02-2011)
The Long Song (Het Lange Lied in Dutch) is the life story of a former slave who worked on a plantation in Jamaica. She is now old, slavery has been abolished and her son is free and well of. On his insistence she writes the story of her life as a slave, from childbirth until the abolition, after the abolition and after her white former masters leave Jamaica and her son finds her. The story is sad, her life is tragic. But yet this isn't a sad book. I don't feel that the writer is trying to make us feel sorry for her. I felt it is told in a mood of "This is the way it was, this is what happened. Of course it was sad, and bad, but what are you going to do about it?". It was a very good read, I couldn't put it down. Four out of five stars.

Oh and Ravenous, how does Hard-Boiled Wonderland compare to other Murakami works? I have read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore and Norwegian Wood. I have loved them all, but Wind-Up is my favorite. I actually have Hard-Boiled at home already, but I like to space out my reading of my sure to be favorites (works by Mitchell, Murakami, Atwood, Fforde, Banks) to save some for later.

I had a similar reaction to The Long Song - the content *should* have been depressing, but it was written in such a way that it wasn't. I did like the narrator, she was great, and probably the reason that it wasn't a downer of a book.

55: I have no idea. It's ridiculous, I loved Hard-Boiled Wonderland, but I've just not picked up another yet. I've read that one like 6 times though! :) And I wish I spaced out my favorite authors- I tend to be an author-binger.

56: Yes, she was strong and I loved the little interludes where she talks about how her son is pushing her and annoying her (but actually giving her a chance to tell us more).

57: Well, I'll let you know how it compares when I finally read it. I could be an author-binger, but I love so many authors that my mind wanders... and I don't want to overdo it and then start to dislike the author/series.

Book #17: Zo kwamen we aan het eind/Then we came to the end - Joshua Ferris (01-02-2011 / 02-02-2011)
I have no idea really why I picked this book. Maybe it was the English cover with the Coca Cola lettering that intrigued me. And the subject matter, life at an office (ad agency in Chicago) spoke to me. I really liked the book, which is written from the first person. He works at an ad agency when the internet web bubble burst and people start getting fired. He talks about the office gossip, and tricks they pull on each other. About the reactions to getting fired. About personal matters. I couldn’t put it down, I really liked it. And I don’t really know why. But I liked the characters despite their flaws, and wanted to know what would happen to them. A very nice book. Four out of five stars.

Book #18: Kinderen van Moeder Aarde by Thea Beckman (03-02-2011 / 04-02-2011)
A Dutch classic (by one of The Netherlands' favorite writers, Thea Beckman), this is the story of Thule. Thule is the land founded on the island of Greenland, after World War 3 has pretty much destroyed the world and caused the poles to shift. Greenland's ice has melted, and Thule is a very nice place to live. Thule is ruled by women, men have no right to power or weapons, because they have caused the war and destruction by not respecting nature and each other. Nature, Mother Earth is extremely important, and they make sure they destroy nothing. But as the son of the Konega (the supreme ruler of Thule, but in an extremely democratic and open way) is not very happy, he wants to be something more than a breeder for future Konega's. And then a ship appears, from (former) Europe. The land Baden is founded there, by men, who have rediscovered steam power, electricity, and weapons. They rule their country in an authoritarian way, exploiting and destroying it. They 'discover' Thule and decide to take it, because what can unarmed women do about it. Christian, Thura (his common girlfriend) and the people of Thule must decide what to do, and how to preserve their beautiful land. And maybe get some equality for the men while they are at it.
When I started this book (because it was such a classic) I was afraid that it would be very feministic, and man-bashing. I was afraid Beckman would show us how good the pacifistic women of Thule are, and how bad the violent men of Baden. But it wasn't that bad. The women realize they need the men, the Badeners aren't all that bad, and it wasn't as idealistic as expected. I really enjoyed the read. Four out of five stars.

Book #19: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (04-02-2011 / 10-02-2011)
I knew about this series, but was never really attracted to it. My fantasy days were behind me, I read more science fiction and magical realism now. Or so I thought. Lately I have been hearing more and more about this series, mostly because of the upcoming TV series. So when I saw the first book in our free book section at my work, I just knew I had to pick it up. And when some of my friends and colleagues found out, they were jealous I found it for free, but, more important, that I would get to read it for the first time.
Though political intrigue isn’t really my thing, I was blown away by this book. I couldn’t put it down, so much was happening, and despite its size, the story moved pretty fast. There wasn’t that much fantasy in it, the story takes place in a medieval world. There are some hints to fantasy (the darkness in the north, the dragons) but it is mainly a political game of families, kings and lords. I can’t wait to pick up part two, and hope that I won’t be too disappointed the series isn’t all written/published yet. Five out of five stars.

oh yes, A Game of Thrones stares balefully at me from its dusty position atop Mt. TBR... waiting patiently for me to finish the other chunksters ahead of it; namely Pandora's Star (which I'm gamely plowing through... only ~200 pages to go... sigh) and possibly Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

My wife (not a fan of fantasy at all) even said something about the book... probably due to ads for the upcoming TV series.

I don't know about the other parts, but I think A Game of Thrones is a book that non-fantasy lovers can like. The main themes are political, and the world is medieval. Nothing too far fetched but some religions and rituals different from ours. I picked up part two in the library today...

hehe my wife has her own chunkster to read.. she received The Pillars of the Earth for Christmas.

62:A Game of Thrones is considered a fantasy book for people who hate fantasy so your wife will probably like it. I'm not a huge fantasy fan either and I loved it.

I *am* a fantasy fan (although mostly lapsed) and I loved A Game of Thrones too. Plus the sequels, although I'm not reading them any more, because I'm unhappy at the lack of resolution. (Write faster, damnit!) Great characters, the endless cliffhanger is killing me.

66: I know about the sequels... I still have hope, reading the blogs, that part five might come out this year. I found that this one, the first one, stands on its own pretty well. I mean, I know that the story isn't finished, but it could be.... ;) And part 2, 3-1, 3-2 and 4 are pretty hefty, so they give me something to do in the mean time.

I'm maybe a hundred pages from the end of Game of Thrones myself, for the 75 books group read.

I was worried I wouldn't love it as much as everyone else I know does, but I absolutely do - the characters, the plot, the world, it all works just wonderfully.

I've been watching the previews for HBO since I got about halfway done, and I'm really impressed. The look and feel is exactly right to me, and I noticed that several of the lines are word-for-word from the book. I wonder how the strict faithfulness will serve a series!

Book #20: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (10-02-2011 / 14-02-2011)
This classic was recommended to me by a friend and I haven’t regretted reading it. This early (first?) detective story deals with the theft of a unique diamond. The story is told by different people who all were involved with the mystery, and slowly but surely the solution is revealed to the main characters, as well as the reader.
The characters are great, the writing very good, changing from character to character. I loved reading it. Four out of five stars.

Book #21: Het meisje met de glazen voeten/The girl with glass feet by Ali Shaw (14-02-2011 / 16-02-2011)
I picked up this book purely by chance at the library, attracted by the cover and the title. The book describes the island of Sint Hauda, and the illness of Ida, who is slowly turning into glass. The story has a certain mood that really attracted me to it, and I couldn’t put it down. This was a good book to read on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The island is weird, with fantasy creatures and people who all have their own problems. The story is an allegory (I presume, also from the book club questions in the back) but I just liked it for the story. It took a bit getting used to the flashbacks and character changes which sometimes happen unannounced. I am having a hard time describing just what it is I liked so much, and also a hard time agreeing with the more negative reviews on LT. I guess I just like it for what it is, and for me it was a great tragic story. Four out of five stars.

Book #22: De strijd der koningen/A clash of kings by George R.R. Martin (16-02-2011 / 23-02-2011)
This is the second book in the Song of Fire and Ice series. After reading the first I just had to read more from this saga.
The book picks up right where the previous one left us. The king is dead and war is going on. Robb is king of the North, the old kings brothers are fighting with Joffrey for the throne, and other Lords and knights feel they should sit on a throne. Meanwhile, winter is coming and in the North the free men are stirring.
This book has some more fantasy elements in it, but they are introduced slowly, and are as unbelievable to the characters as the reader. I loved reading the book despite the tragedies, death and hardship the like-able characters face. Near the end I thought that I had enough of this saga for a while, but now that I have finished the book I want to read the next one really soon. Luckily it is waiting for me at home. I give this book four out of four stars.

Oooh, I'm going to pick up A Clash of Kings soon!

You won't be disappointed, I loved it! I have the first part of A Storm of Swords waiting for me. I want to pace myself though, I want to savor the story (also knowing there is no part 5 yet).



Book #23: De cartograaf/The Map Thief by Heather Terrell (23-02-2011 / 24-02-2011)
A book in the style of The Da Vinci Code about a world map from China that predates all European maps from the fifteenth century. This map is found at a dig in Xi’an and promptly stolen.
The story alternates between China in the early fifteenth century, Portugal in the late fifteenth century and now. Te writer tries to write an exciting adventure but for me the story was too short, too hasty and not well developed. The writer also seemed very keen to have the characters recite dry facts to give the story some context, but it felt very out of place.
My conclusion is that the premise of the story was nice, but the writing let it down for me. Three out of five stars.



Book #24: Meneer Beerta by J.J. Voskuil (24-02-2011 / 26-02-2011)
This is an autobiographical novel about the authors work at the Dutch Meertens Instituut. The story starts in 1957 and ends in 1965, although the whole series (seven parts) goes to 1987. The author (and main character) doesn't take the scientific world (humanities) too seriously, and neither his work. This clashes with other people he meets during his work as head of the department for popular culture, especially with the director, Mr. Beerta (based on Mr. Meertens).
I love the dry humor, the slowness of the story, the language used, the reactions, the people. I recognize some situations in a modern form from my daily work. I found this book very enjoyable and couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to start part 2. Five out of five stars.

Book #25: De Nevelprins/The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (26-02-2011 / 27-02-2011)
I read The Prince of Mist because I loved The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game. From comments on LT I knew this book was different, being Zafón's first and a children's book. I think those are the reasons it didn't quite speak to me.
The story takes place during WWI in Spain, in a little coastal village and is a horror story. For me the story moved too fast, there was no real development in the characters or the mystery itself. A lot wasn't explained, and taken for granted.
But, it was still a Zafón story, so it had something supernatural, something magical. I can see how his later novels came from this. In the end it was enjoyable. Three out of five stars.

Book #26: Een storm van zwaarden/A storm of swords by George R.R. Martin (27-02-2011 / 01-03-2011)
This is part three (a) in the Song of Fire and Ice series, and the series title becomes more clear. The threat from the North grows, and the war goes on. For the main characters, life is eventful and depressing. A very good continuation of the story, but as this is part three and it doesn't really stand on its own, there is not much more I can say. Four out of five stars.

Book #27: Dagboek van een geisha/Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (02-03-2011 / 03-03-2011)
Lately, books about Japan have interested me a great deal. This was one I couldn’t not read. While looking up some of the things mentioned in this book I found out that it wasn’t an actual biography (I had thought as much) and that there was some controversy about the truthfulness of the things described. But for me it doesn’t change how much I liked this book.
The book is told by Sayuri, a geisha who started work during the Great Depression and is now (1990s I guess) living in New York, telling her life story. Her story is tragic and filled with hardship. However, I loved the descriptions of how she felt and how she dealt with it. The descriptions of life in Japan, in Gion and outside, before and during the war are beautiful, and I couldn’t put the book down. Four out of five stars.

Glad you're enjoying the Game of Thrones series! And Memoirs of a Geisha, I liked that one too.

I did hear that the woman whose story Memoirs of a Geisha was based on was unhappy with the fictionalised version, so wrote her own version: Geisha of Gion: The Memoir of Mineko Iwasaki. I enjoyed that one as well, it's not as well written, but it had the "truth" factor.

Yeah, I am really hooked on the Game of Thrones series, even though I usually don't like books where people are this mean to each other. When I am reading them, I constantly think, this is terrible, this is horrible, but when I near the end, I pick up the next one from the library and continue on.

When reading Memoirs of a Geisha I saw on Wikipedia that the informant for the story wasn't happy. Your commented prompted me to see if my library has her book, and lo and behold, they do (I really didn't expect that from a small Dutch library). Yay! It is on my large TBB list (To Be Borrowed)...

Book #28: Vuile handen by J.J. Voskuil (03-03-2011 / 05-03-2011)
The second part in Het Bureau series. It is a direct continuation of book one, covering part of the sixties and seventies. The Bureau moves and Maartens role grows, even though he doesn't want it to. I loved this part even more, because of the recognition I get from his descriptions of the scientific world and congresses, and Maarten's feelings of discomfort. Four out of five stars.

Book #29: Een storm van zwaarden/A storm of swords part 2 by George R.R. Martin (05-03-2011 / 07-03-2011)
The second book of part three of The Song of Fire and Ice series. A direct continuation of the first three books so there isn’t much new I can say, except that Mr. Martin sure likes to kill his characters off. Not that that is a bad thing, it sure keeps me guessing as to how this story will eventually conclude in the years and books to come. The book itself didn’t have much hope for the good guys, but just enough to keep me reading. Four out of five stars.

except that Mr. Martin sure likes to kill his characters off

Yes, it's a very dangerous world he's created! :) But I did like being kept on my toes with that, it was rather refreshing not *knowing* the basic story arc because of what tropes one expects from a fantasy novel. (Although occasionally I'd be really, really peeved at who got killed.)

The first death (waaaaay back in book 1) shocked the Bejesus out of me. Did not see that one coming.

Me neither! But I find it somehow refreshing how he isn't attached (that much) to his major characters, and isn't afraid to kill them off. Too many writers (and TV shows) don't dare to, while here the story is all the more refreshing and surprising for it.

Book #30: Eten, Bidden, Beminnen/Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (07-03-2011 / 08-03-2011)
I read this book purely because it is so popular and I see it for sale everywhere. I have had success reading popular and hyped books in the past, so I tried this one. I enjoyed it, but the subject matter isn't quite my cup of tea. I expected it to be more a description of her life and experiences in Italy, India and Indonesia, than a description of her own spiritual journey of healing. It didn't speak to me as it did to most, I suspect, but all in all it was a nice book. It also reminded me of Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, it had the same tone and way of speaking to the reader. Three out of five stars.

Book #31: Haar naam was Sarah/Sarah's key by Tatiana de Rosnay (09-03-2011)
This book is very popular at the moment here in the Netherlands. It tells the dual story of a girl who gets deported from Paris in 1942, and the American woman in 2002 who is moving into the apartment where the girl lived and is researching what happened during that razzia (of Vel’ d’Hiv’) and afterwards, while her marriage is on the rocks.
I thought the two stories were interwoven very well, and even though it isn’t logical I can see why Sarah’s story gripped Julia so much. Despite the tragedy a wonderful book. Four out of five stars.

Book #32: Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami (13-03-2011 / 15-03-2011)
One of the more weird Murakami’s I have read, this book is more science fiction than surrealism/magic realism. The concept is very theoretical, very fantastical, but the story was very enjoyable. The book contains two stories, told in alternating chapters. In one story the main character is working with data, encrypting it with his mind. He meets a professor and the assignment he is one turns out to be the strangest and most life changing yet. In the other, the main character is trapped in a town, and he doesn’t really know what happened and how he got there. In the end, the two stories meet.
A very cool and unique story, I really liked it all, the writing, the premise, the characters. Another great book by Murakami. Four out of five stars.

In between this book and my last I tried Night train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier but found this book way to vague, too philosophical, without a main line in the story. It felt like a chore reading it, and around page 200 I gave up, there are way too many books I know I'll like waiting for me, like this Murakami.

Book #33: Plankton by J.J. Voskuil (15-03-2011 / 17-03-2011)
The third part of the “Het Bureau” series about the working life of the writer. He hates his work more and more, and he hates himself and how he is at work and in work-social situations. I loved this book even more than the first two, because of the humor in the book. At several points the main character (Voskuil himself) refers to writing a book about his work-life and colleagues, and reassures them that he never would, because they are too boring. I do feel sorry for him sometimes, because no matter what he does, he doesn’t seem to do it right (he feels, or if he thinks he is right, others disagree). The ending is a sad transition to the next part. Four out of four stars.



Book #34: De Kraai by Kader Abdolah (17-03-2011)
This years ‘week of the book’ is about writer (auto-)biographies, and the gift is written by Dutch-Iranian writer Kader Abdolah. The story of De kraai (The Crow) is about a refugee from Iran who lives in Amsterdam and tells about his life and how he became a writer, first in Persian, later in Dutch.
The book is short, only 91 pages (all bookweek gifts are) but the story doesn’t feel rushed. It is a very nicely written story, describing the beauty of Iran, the hardships of the flight and the life in The Netherlands well without being able to go into detail. Four out of four stars.

Book #35: Een feest voor kraaien/A feast for crows by George R.R. Martin (16-03-2011 / 29-03-2011)
Part four in the Song of Ice and Fire series. It all goes on in the same manner, only this book focuses on just half the characters/locations. I did miss some of my favorites (Jon Snow, Daenerys), but really liked (as much as you can like) the parts about Cersei and those about Dorne. The book has many surprising twists and turns, those on top are not secure, and those at the bottom needn’t stay there. I liked this book as much as the others, and continue to look forward to part 5. I guess I am lucky I just discovered the series and didn’t have to wait as long as most fans. Four out of four stars.

I'm currently cursing the library which did not deliver my Feast for Crows today - and I finished Storm of Swords at lunch!

Great books.

And very good to read back to back :D



Book #36: A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is the first book by Ishiguro, and because I read and loved some of his other works, I picked up this one. Reading it, it seems pretty straight forward, the story of a Japanese woman living in the UK, remembering a summer just after the war in Nagasaki. But the friend she describes is very strange, antisocial almost, and the child too. And in the end, just a few lines, a few words make you doubt all you read and see the story in a whole new light. Wow. Another one I loved very much. Four out of five stars.

I am loving the titles you've read so far this year and will keep following to find out some more great books. The first George RR Martin book I have reserved at the library and am looking forward to it more now after reading your reviews.

Thanks! I hope you like the George R.R. Martin books, I did, and most people seem to.



Book #37: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (31-03-2011 / 04-04-2011)
I picked up this book mainly because my copy was published in the SF Masterworks series, and I am trying to read more classic SF. I had also heard about this book here on LT, or at least I seem to remember hearing about it. The story itself isn't hard SF, but more about medical advances that could be made in the not so distant future, or maybe even today. The main character is Charlie Gordon, a mentally challenged man who is selected for a medical experiment to make him smarter. Algernon is the mouse who they have experimented on before, and who became very smart (for a mouse). The book is a collection of the progress reports written by Charlie, and in his writing we can see the effects of the experiment on him, both with regards to his 'smartness' and his emotional development.
Especially when Charlie realizes how people have been treating him, thinking people were his friends that were actually making fun of him, made me so sad. He seemed like such a nice guy and nobody understood him. The book was a great read, and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended, also for people who don't like science fiction. Five out of five stars.

Oh, I've been meaning to read Flowers for Algernon for ages! Thanks for the reminder to find a copy. (I also like the Masterworks SF series, they've had some good ones, and it's always good to read the classics.)

I find it nice and easy when there is a masterworks/classic series that appeals to me. I hardly think about it when I find an SF Masterworks book, as long as I don't have it, I'll get it, I am bound to like it.



Book #38: De wonderlijke avonturen van Kavalier & Clay/The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (04-04-2011 / 06-04-2011)
This book is the story of Joe Kavalier, a refugee from Prague, and Sammy Clay, a boy from Brooklyn. Together they are Kavalier & Clay, and they write comic books. The story follows them, from youth (through flashbacks) to the start of their comic book carreer with their hero The Escapist, to later life. It is not only about their life in comics, but also about Joe’s struggle to save his family in Prague from the nazis, and the struggle of Sammy to find meaning in his life and work.
Like the previous Chabon book I read (The Yiddish Policemen’s Union) I loved the flow of the story and the writing. Because of the real people mixed in with the characters, I sometimes got the feeling more of the story was true than probably was. The ending I found… too abrupt. There could have been a whole extra section after the ending, but instead the story just ends. However, it is a great story, full of romance, betrayal, action and adventure. A great read. Four out of four stars.

Book #39: Eekhrn zkt eekhrn/Squirrel seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris (09-04-2011)
After hearing Sedaris promote this book on Dutch radio (I didn’t know that much about him before, certainly never heard him read or tell stories), I was intrigued. It seemed to me he had my sort of humor. This book isn’t quite laugh out loud funny, but more painful stories about animals displaying very human characteristics. Pretty interesting, but not much more than that. I am trying one of his family books next, I hear those might be more to my taste. Three out of five stars.

Interesting idea but I may leave that one. Adore the title though - Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk puts images of odd classified ads in my head.

Kavalier and Clay looks pretty good though.

I've got Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk on Mt TBR - I've read some of his other stuff, and have really enjoyed them. So I'll still be reading this one, even if it is different from his previous works.

Yeah, KiwiNyx, it is a reference to this one story about a chipmunk and a squirrel dating. In Dutch it doesn't translate well, because we have the same word for both species, and the story is about them being not the same, so...

And yeah, wookiebender, I am not letting it keep me from more of his works, just because he was so funny on the radio. Glad to know you like his other stuff as well.

Book #40: Het A.P. Beerta-instituut by J. J. Voskuil (06-04-2011 / 11-04-2011)
The continuation of the Bureau series, in the same vain as the other three books. Some of the people Maarten works with really annoy me, or what annoys me more is actually how Maarten (doesn’t) deal with it. I wouldn’t know a solution either, but I do know that the mood in the office isn’t what he wants, or what I would want. But later on in the book I get the feeling Maarten doesn’t care anymore, so neither does the reader have to. The sections, each covering one year, seem to get longer, but I still enjoy reading it. Part 5 is next for me. Four out of five stars.

Book #41: Oeroeg by Hella S. Haasse (11-04-2011)
The story of a Dutch boy, born on a tea plantation on Java, and his friendship with the son of one of Indonesian staff. The book tells the story of them growing up together, from the point of view of the Dutch boy. He doesn't realize how different society, both the white and Indonesian, treats them. They go to separate schools, have different career options, and slowly grow apart. They relate to each other less and less, while in the background Indonesians want to become independent from the Dutch. Short but very nice book. Three out of five stars.

Book #42: Station Perdido/Perdido Street Station by China Miéville (11-04-2011 - 14-04-2011)
After my first experience with Miéville (The City & The City) I wanted more. My library had this book, so I decided to try it, knowing before beginning that this would be different from my earlier read. It took me a little while to get into the story, to get a feel for the world this all takes place in. The main location is New Crobuzon, a city dirty with industry and build full of houses and hovels. I picture it black and grimy. In it live several different species, one of which are the humans (who do seem to be at the top, at least, I think the mayor (a dictator) is a human) but also humanoids. The species themselves are pretty out there, one of the main characters is a humanoid female with a scarab for a head, you have cactae (yes, cactus-humanoids), garuda (human birds) etc.
The main event in the story is the release of some horrible creatures in the city, threatening every humanoid species and possibly leading to the end of New Crobuzon, or the world entirely. The main characters feel responsible and try to fight it, using some really funky science.
The story has so many elements to it. You have the world full of strange beings. You have the depressing dystopia of a polluted city and a ruling dictator (complete with militia, censorship and torture). You have the multiple dimensions. The weird science. And regular human(oid) emotions. This all made it a great read, though sometimes I think it was a bit too much detail (like the description of the dead bodies without eyes that wash up from the river). But then again, the detail did make the story come together and I felt immersed in it.
Great read, and now I really want to find the other Bas-Lag books somewhere. Four out of five stars.

I've heard so many things about Perdido Sreet Station, I have to find that one. Good review.

I think you kind of have to like science fiction or fantasy, but I do, so I really liked it. Very good book :D



Book #43: The Swarm by Frank Schätzing (15-04-2011 / 21-02-2011)
After getting a recommendation for this book from one of my friends I saw it was also on the 1001 books you must have read before you die list. Two good recommendations made me put it on my wishlist, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Worldwide, scientists start noticing strange things happening with the sea and its creatures. Whales don’t act the way they used too, new creatures are discovered, and slowly mankind realizes something in the sea is out to get them. Without giving too much away, mankind is put in their place.
The book is quite hefty, describing the catastrophes in the first 450 pages, and the race to discover what is happening and the fight back in the second. I liked the first half better, because of the mystery and (despite the disasters) peaceful tone. In the second half the governments and armies get involved, with their own agenda’s. The book (written by a German) paints a pretty stereotypical picture of Americans which is a bit annoying and two dimensional. Schätzing also explains a lot of scientific fact and history in the course of the book, trying to make the horror sound as real as possible. I really liked that, because it made it much easier to understand and much more real. Some of the side stories with the main characters might not have been necessary for the plot, but they gave a bit of color to the book, making sure not everything is doom and gloom. The ending was a bit too quick, not entirely satisfactory, I am left wondering what happened after the book, but maybe that is better left to a writer who likes to write dystopian stories. Four out of five stars.

Book #44: First among sequels by Jasper Fforde (21-04-2011 / 23-04-2011)
This is the fifth book in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. I was a bit apprehensive about reading it, mainly because my memory for book plots and characters is so bad, and this series has some seriously weird things going on. So much so that I didn’t know if this book would be as much fun as the others were.
Luckily I was mistaken, the book was another great read by Fforde. It is about fifteen years after the last book. Thursday leads a respectable life now that SpecOPs is closed down. Or is she? The adventure that follows is absurdly great (England is suffering from a stupidity excess, cheese is still being smuggled, etc.).
Without giving too much away, I loved the new theories, the new characters, the famous characters that come by, and the ending that left room for more Thursday Next books. Anybody who loved the previous books will love this one. Four out of five stars.

Book #45: Een korte geschiedenis van de tractor in de Oekraïne/A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (23-04-2011 / 24-04-2011)
This book centers around an old man from the Ukraine who lives in England, whose wife has died. He finds love (he thinks) with a very young woman from the Ukraine who is very obviously using him to get to stay in England. His two daughters, who have been fighting all their life, try to do the best they can to save their father from the terrible situation he has put himself in. While this story is told, we also get to read chapters from the book the man is writing about the history of the tractor in the Ukraine, and about the family, how they have come to live in England and why the two sisters are so at odds with each other.
This book is marketed (at least the Dutch version is) as being quite funny. I didn’t quite agree, I found the story mostly pretty tragic. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty nice read, but I struggled to find anything funny about it. Strangely (to me) most reviewers on LibraryThing found it very funny too. I guess the type of humor has to appeal to you. Anyway, despite that, I still give the book four out of five stars.

Book #46: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (25-04-2011 / 26-04-2011)
This is one of the classic must have read books for English. It was even on the "English class reading list" shelve at our local library. I had never read it before, so, to brush up on my classics, I picked it up.
The book, although most people will know it, is the story told by Holden Caulfield about the time he got kicked out of prep school (again) and he tries to figure out what to do next. He is a pretty impulsive guy who doesn't seem to be able to socialize with people that well. He doesn't like other people, but he doesn't quite hate them either, and in the end he even misses them.
The book was a pretty nice read, but I have to admit that if it hadn't been a classic, I wouldn't have read it, it is not quite my taste. It was too much rambling, too open ended. For me it was a three out of five star book.

Book #47: De naam van de wind/The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (26-04-2011 / 27-04-2011)
I have to admit, I had never heard of this book or writer before the comic by Greg Dean last March, where he is incredibly excited for the sequel to The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear. After that I noticed that a lot of people on LibraryThing also seemed to be very excited about the sequel, and figured, the first part must have been quite good.
And it was, oh yeah, the book was brilliant. It is the story of Kote the innkeeper, who tells his life story. His life as Kvothe, everyone's hero, the one about who fantastic heroic tales are told. Once and for all, he will tell us the true story, which is different, but no less heroic. The world this is set in is a fantasy world, with beasts, demons, magic and history. But that is not the point of the tale. You are so focussed on Kvothe that whatever strange things go on, what it does to Kvothe is more important than what it is. Not that the fantasy element isn't great, it is, and it is done real well.
All in all, the book is all good. The story is great, the world is great, the writing is great. The only fault I have is that this is part one of a trilogy. Part two just came out, and now I have to find it, and then wait for part three. Needless to say, this book gets five out of five stars from me.

I'm terribly behind on these threads!

I had the same sort of mixed-but-favorable reaction to Perdido Street Station. I think it's a book you /experience/ almost more than you read it. I remember it being very immersive. I had some problems with the pacing and plot, but it's hard to fault Mieville's knack for description or world-building. I feel like it's something fans of genre fiction ought to read just because it's so unique.

I read The Name of the Wind last year amidst much fanfare and liked much of it (although I was ready for Kvothe to stop being the Best. At. Everything. by the end, and I was frustrated by the jerking-halt nature of the ending). I think I'm going to pick up the sequel tonight, actually! Strangely enough, after having just finished the latest Mieville!

:) I know, keeping up with everybody when they go so fast... ;)

With regards to 'experiencing' Mieville, I had the same with The City & The City, and I am guessing it is the case with more of his works. I do love him, and am sad that our Library only has two of his works (Perdido and The Scar). Oh well, guess I will just have to buy them ;).

With The Name of the Wind, yes, sure Kvothe is the best at everything, but I read somewhere that for once this is a hero who knows he is, instead of the usual unsuspecting hero who is reluctant to do what is apparently expected of him. And I saw it as a change to experience the world at its best, since Kvothe is good at everything, so we get to see the best troupe, the best arcanum, the best demons. The cut of was rather abrupt. I heard that Rothfuss wrote all three works at once, and it feels like one story chopped to bits... Luckily we have part two already, now we just have to wait for part three...

I see you got Embassytown as an ARC, I am very jealous (we never get any good ARCs in The Netherlands). And (I am ashamed to ask), do you also have a thread somewhere?

Book #48: De Finklerkwestie/The Finkler question by Howard Jacobson (28-04-2011)
The Man Booker prize winner of 2010, The Finkler question is about three men and judaism. The main character, Julian Treslove is a sorry character, depressing and always feels he is one step away from total disaster. He is single, never really had a long term relationship and has no real goals or joy in his life. Sam Finkler is his friend from back when they went to school together, although they don't really like each other. Finkler, who is Jewish, has just lost his wife. He is also a successful author of popular philosophical works, and appears on TV regularly. The third man is Libor Sevcik, 30 years older than Finkler and Treslove, also Jewish, and their former teacher. Libor has also just lost his wife after a love-filled marriage of fifty years.
In the book, Judaism and Jewish identity are the main subjects. Treslove, a non-Jew, is intrigued by Judaism and Jews. Finkler is trying his best to convince himself he is not like other Jews. Libor loses himself and grief and his thoughts about his faith change throughout the work. Meanwhile anti-Jewish sentiments are on the rise due to the situation in Israel/Palestine and they all have to deal with it one way or the other.
It took me a little bit to get into the story, mainly because Treslove is not a very like-able man (I found him whiny), and in the beginning the story jumps around with flashbacks and thoughts of the characters. But, when the lines of the story became clearer I was hooked and I loved the way the three characters react to the world around them and try to find their way and their identity. Tragic, but a very good story. Four out of five stars.

@107 & 108 re: The Name of the Wind, your reviews and discussion clarifies why the one of my students who reads a LOT likes this book (and the sequel who's name escapes me at the moment) so much. He sees himself as Kvothe. Simple as that. The BEST at everything (especially with girls don't you know), and of course his depression when he ... isn't.

@110, kcs_hiker: May be. But I didn't think of Kvothe isn't as an arrogant know it all. He has his reasons for going through everything fast, and he'd rather not draw attention to himself. But he does have a couple of goals in his life, and nobody is going to stop him. Being smart just helps. And he doesn't respect his betters (blue bloods) as he should, and his mouth works a lot faster than his brain. I like him :D

oh I really like this student that I mention. But he isn't popular with many of his peers...

Oh yeah, then I understand. Neither is Kvothe. He has friends, but many more people who don't like him... It really is a very nice book.

I have a copy sitting on my headboard.... right next to Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games (which Claire or Aerrin or somebody is demanding that we read RIGHT NOW ;-)... haha went and checked.. it was Jennifer!)

sigh... too many good books, not enough time.

Pssst. Read The Name of the Wind first ;).

Am really enjoying the Rothfuss discussion, I love Kvothe's character for being good at everything but also for being understated about it, most of the time at least. Can't wait to read the sequel soon. Bought it as soon as it arrived in the country.

I placed a request for acquiring at my local library, it comes out in Dutch in June. But I may succumb and buy it myself in English before then. I loved it so much :D



Book #49: De goede man Jezus en de schurk Christus/The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman (28-04-2011 / 30-04-2011)
This is one of the works in the Canongate Myths series, where famous writers like Margaret Atwood, Ali Smith and now Philip Pullman retell famous myths in their own style. This is the story of Jesus, but not like we know it. In this book, Jesus has a twin, Christ. This separates the spiritualism of Jesus and the creation of an organized religion to last eons.
It was a nice retelling, keeping Pullman's dislike for the church in the back of my mind. I found the title a bit confusing, at the end I was thinking, was Christ such a scoundrel in this story? And who is the stranger? In the end, you can believe about Jesus what you want, but the message about the church is clear. I do believe it is better when you know the New Testament, because you can more clearly see what Pullman did. Because of the subject matter, which left little to the imagination of the writer (he took the main line from the gospels) it was ok. Three out of five stars.



Book #50: Buddha 1; Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka (30-04-2011)
After reading MW and Ode to Kirihito earlier this year I wanted to read more by Osamu Tezuka, and I've seen his Buddha series in the stores I finally started reading it. This book, part one of eight, is just the introduction to the story. Siddharta is not featured in many pages, and only as a new born. Instead we are introduced to other characters, also very special. They make this a great book, with fantastic stories, all while explaining the setting and back story.
I loved Tezuka's style even better in this book. There are some great inside jokes, including cameos, references to modern culture. I can't wait to read the other books in this series. Four out of five stars.

I was completely unable to read The Finkler Question. I only just got through the requisite 50 pages before having to put it down in disgust. It just did absolutely nothing for me. But I'm glad that you found it such a good read. At least that shows it did deserve it's Booker prize!

It did take me a long time to get into it, couldn't say I thought the first 50 pages were that brilliant. But later on it did pick up.

Book #51: Possession by A.S. Byatt (29-04-2011 / 02-05-2011)
I discovered A.S. Byatt last year, with The Children's Book, and I read everywhere that Possession is her other classic. I picked it up last year, but it took me forever to get to it. I don't know what kept me, but I am glad I finally read it. It took me a while to get into the book. Even though I have been reading more and more Victorian fiction, Victorian poetry is still too much for me. But luckily after a little while the mystery and the scientific search took over and drew me in. I loved how the story was told through poems (even though I didn't get half of it), letters, diaries and later on some fiction from the era. I also loved the cross over between the Victorian era story and the modern day romance. I didn't like the American characters, I guess they were just too loud for the rest of the English characters.
For lovers of the works of Byatt, I highly recommend this book.

Book #52: De zee/The sea by John Banville (02-05-2011 / 03-05-2011)
My second Man Booker prize winner in a row, this is a short novel in which an elderly man, Max Morden tells the story of both the slow death of his wife, as one summer spent on the coast. He does this while he rents a room in the house his vacation friends from back then used to rent. Slowly we discover what happened that summer, and why it influenced Morden so much for the rest of his life.
The book is divided into just two parts, and is basically just a long story told all at once by Morden. He jumps through time quite easily, shifting between that summer, the death of his wife, and his life now, with little bits of his life in between thrown in. It took a bit getting used to, but it wasn't hard to follow, and it actually added a lot to the story, because it highlights the connections between certain events. I really liked the ending (as much that you can like a tragic story). Four out of five stars.

> 108

I do have a thread! It's here.

I also loved Possession, mostly for the reasons you stated. I've got The Children's Book but haven't gotten around to it yet.. soon. The Sea sounds fantastic, good review.

>122 Aerrin99: - Found it!

>123 KiwiNyx: - I liked The Children's Book even better, a family epic to get lost in. And The Sea was short but a good read.

Book #53: 1Q84 - deel 1; April - Juni by Haruki Murami (03-05-2011 / 05-05-2011)
This is part one of the latest work by Murakami, 1Q84. Here in The Netherlands, the Dutch version of this book has been published in three parts, so I have about 1000 more pages to look forward to. One thing that this does mean, is that Murakami can take his time to tell his story. As a reader, you slowly get eased into the world he creates, which gets further removed from reality very slowly. I love this about this book, you can really get lost in it.
There is not much I can say about the story so far, I feel it is just getting started. In it we follow Aomame and Tengo in alternating chapters. Weird things are happening to them both, and slowly we realize that they might have something to do with each other, now or in the past. I don't want to say more because I don't want to spoil the discovery of the story.
I do have to give a special compliment to the Dutch translator (Jacques Westerhoven) and publisher (Atlas) for this edition. Not only is it a beautiful hardcover, but Westerhoven has added footnotes to explain some typical Japanese customs, history and culture. As far as I know, none of the (UK edition) other books by Murakami I have read have had these. While it does take you out of the story a bit, it does enhance it by letting you enjoy some of the subtle things Murakami does in his story.
Even though this is part one of three, I love it already, and give it five out of five stars. I just hope the other two parts deliver.

Book #54: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (05-05-2011 / 08-05-2011)
After reading The Moonstone earlier this year, my first introduction to Wilkie Collins, I was curious to read more by him. My FiL had this book, so I borrowed it, knowing next to nothing about it.
Unlike The Moonstone, the crime in this mystery novel is much more refined, and it takes a long time, even for the main characters to discover what exactly is going on, and why it is a crime. This made this work a bit more work for me to read, but that may also have been because of my mood during reading. The reading style, especially the different voices of all the characters was great again, and I love the 19th century humor in this book. Marian is a great character, a strong woman, and Walter is a great hero. Another great classic deserving of the title. Four out of five stars

Phew! Just caught up on an awful lot of posts here!

I got stalled about halfway through The Woman in White a year or two ago. I should try picking it up again, I do hear good things about it.

And, going back to message #102, I just put in a request for The Swarm at the local library...

:)

I found that The Woman in White picks up a lot about halfway through. The scene is set, and now the crime(s) start happening and need to be solved. Especially the Third Epoch went by pretty fast for me.

And I still recommend The Swarm, just thinking back on it is still a bit disturbing. It also contains a very vivid description of a tsunami, and I couldn't help but see the images of the quake in Japan in my mind...

Book #55: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (08-05-2011 / 10-05-2011)
This book is a cross between a family epic and a journey of personal discovery. The narrator and main character Cal tells the story of his family. His grandparents fled Greece in the 1920s when they were at war with the Turks (they came from what is now Turkey). They married and started a life in Depression-era Detroit. His parents grew up together and later got together, and about halfway through the story Cal and his brother appear.
It's quite clear that Cal isn't quite normal, something his grandmother was always afraid would happen. In the latter part of the story Cal tells of his youth, the discovery of his true identity/condition, and how he deals with it. In between we get some glimpses of Cal's modern day life in Berlin.
The writing in this book is very easy going, and I kept on wanting to read more and more. Probably because of the author's Greek background I found I could really imagine all the mannerisms of his family. I have read that Eugenides has not spoken to any intersex people when he was preparing for this book, but as a lay-person, I think he did a very good job. Great book, four out of five stars.

Book #56: En ook weemoedigheid by J.J. Voskuil (10-05-2011 / 13-05-2011)
This is the fifth part in the Bureau series about Voskuil's working life as department head of a research agency doing research into material culture. It's a direct continuation of the previous four books, in the same style. The Bureau is under threat of financial cutbacks, and bureaucracy is invading the work place. Meanwhile Maarten realizes more and more that there is a big distance between him and his staff. Also, slowly around him everyone he worked with for so long is getting old, retiring, getting sick etc.
I enjoyed this book as much as the others, recognizing some patterns of behavior in the people I work with. But the book is also a bit depressing, the feelings of being useless and powerless that Maarten has. Two more books to go before Maarten retires himself. Four out of four stars.

Book #57: Lelieblank, scharlaken rood/The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber (13-05-2011 / 18-05-2011)
This book came incredibly highly recommended by the member of Library Thing, and with the book being made into a TV mini-series on the BBC, I just had to read it. This is the story of Sugar, a prostitute in late nineteenth century London, who meets William Rackham, up and coming perfume brand owner. Sugar wants to get out, and William may be able to offer her that oppurtunity.
Starting the book I loved the style of the narrator, where we are transported through London, following several characters before getting to the main part of the story.
The story itself swept me away, I couldn't put the book down. The thing I did not like about the story was the ending. To me it seemed that the writer had a set amount of pages, and just ended the story quite abruptly.
After I finished the book I read an interview with Michel Faber and his wife, where he talked about how William was such a villainous character. I really didn't experience him as a villain, but as a tragic character that despite everything, couldn't help himself in trying to do the best he could to fit in to society. The book gets four out of five stars.

That book sounds really interesting despite the abrupt ending (I hate those too). Good review.

Mum gave me her copy of The Crimson Petal and the White in a fit of pique over the ending. She never wanted to see the book again. :) I am, of course, yet to read it...

Without giving too much away, the ending is like... This major thing happens, what are we gonna do, BAM and now the book is over. It does have an ending of some sort, as in: one period of their lives is clearly over and a new one is yet to start, but it isn't a resolution. Like I said in the What am I reading this week thread, I am glad my library also has The Apple which apparently is a short story collection with some stories taking place after the events in this book....

Book #58: Blanche en Marie/The Book About Blanche and Marie by Per Olov Enquist (18-05-2011 / 19-05-2011)
I picked up this book because it is on a few 'must read' lists and I was intrigued by the subject matter. The book is, as the title says, the story of Blanche and Marie. But the Marie we are talking about here is Marie Curie and her research assistant Blanche Wittmann.
The book is not a straight forward story but it are the observations of the writer as he is going through three notebooks of Blanche. The writing alternates between his take on things and the history he is telling us about. The fact that the book is about characters who have all lived in the real world, but the book is classified as fiction makes it a bit harder for me to determine what is real. But that's not the point. In the end this story is about love, the meaning of love, the essence of love and what love does to you. Impressive. Four out of five stars.

I've never heard of the Blanche and Marie book, but I really want to read it now!

Ditto, it looks really good.

I recommend it. It is different from anything I read before, but it's really enjoyable and it stays in your head, thinking about it. It's on the 1001 books you must read before you die list, and this time I really agree.

Book #59: Strindbergs Ster by Jan Wallentin (19-05-2011 / 20-05-2011)
After all the serious and literary reads of the last few weeks, I couldn't resist when I saw this book in the library. Nothing serious, this is a mixture of Indiana Jones, Dan Brown and Jules Verne. It's got a strange artifact, a flight from police, nazi's, supernatural happenings, secret societies, etc. The book is nothing fancy, the writing could have been better (all the yiddish got to me about half way through, I get it, he's jewish), and the story is pretty far fetched. But that doesn't matter, because it is very entertaining, fast paced, and I liked the supernatural element/history in the story. Four out of five stars.

Book #60: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (20-05-2011 / 22-05-2011)
This book is by one of my favorite writers, David Mitchell. I love his magical realism in books like Ghostwritten and Cloud Atlas. But this book was different, nothing magical happening here. This is a book about a boy in England, thirteen years old. He stammers, he is bullied, and at home, his parent are having a rough time, and he is discovering who he is. In thirteen chapters, different happenings in his life are told. In the end they form a whole, forming this boy into a fourteen year old.
Even though this book is different from the last two books by Mitchell I have read, and indeed different from what I had expected, I really enjoyed it. Sometimes the story was a bit disorderly, but then again, it is told by a thirteen year old, and his mind is racing a mile a minute. A very nice read, four out of five stars.

Book #61: Waar je valt/Carry me down by M.J. Hyland (22-05-2011)
Completely unintended, the last book I read had much in common with the previous one. Waar je valt/Carry me down is about an eleven year old boy, and tells the story of one year in his life when everything changes, in him, his body and his family. The situation this boy, John Egan, is in, is a lot more tragic than in Black Swan Green, but while reading it I couldn’t help but compare the two. In Carry Me Down, taking place in Ireland in the early seventies, the parents of John are struggling with themselves, their relationship and their future. Meanwhile John, who is really tall for his age and has hit puberty early, is trying to keep everything the way it was, and understand why everything seems to be changing. The story is a long winding road downhill, and John tries his hardest to stop it. This leads to inevitable tragedy.
While reading it I kept asking myself if John was just growing up, and reacting the way he does because he is still a child at heart and tries to do what he can, or if there is something ‘wrong’ him, psychologically. I still don’t know. I finished the book in nearly one go, I just couldn’t put it down. A great read, four out of five stars.

Book #62: The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks (23-05-2011 / 24-05-2011)
After many book of 'real' fiction I finally picked up some science fiction again, by one of my favorite writers, Iain M. Banks. This book is not part of the Culture universe. I would actually qualify this as an anti-Culture book. There are civilizations like the culture, there is AI, there is influence on other races, but the clue is, that now this is all (explicitly) evil.
The story follows a Seer, a human who interacts with Dwellers on a gas giant. Apparently, on one of his expeditions, he has discovered something important. Something that many other people want bad enough to attack his planetary system for, only he doesn't quite know what it is.
It took me a bit to get in this book, before I 'got' the world that Banks created. There were a few story lines, a few flashbacks and many races. But like he always does, in the end Banks brought it all together in a great finish. Four out of five stars.

Oh I had the same reaction to that one. Banks is also one of my favourite authors and after a slow start, I thought this one came together quite well - good review. Do you have a favourite Banks book?

Thanks!
I would say that Player of Games is my favorite. Just the way it all comes together is what makes me love him.

I've been putting off picking up Player of Games after a mediocre reaction to Consider Phlebas. If it's a favorite, maybe I'll finally get myself to pick it up, though. I hear such good things about the Culture books in general...

oh no.. I'm about halfway through Consider Phlebas...

I read The Player of Games last summer (my first by Banks) and enjoyed it. However, I think I prefer Peter Hamilton and/or Alistair Reynolds when it comes to space empire novels. Can't go far wrong with any of them I suppose.

I though Player of Games was better than Consider Phlebas, but I liked both a lot (and all Iain M. Banks). I have never read anything by either Peter Hamilton or Alistair Reynolds, but it seems I might need to pick both up :).

I read Hamilton's Pandora's Star and I had mixed reactions. On the one hand, I really liked it and it stuck with me. On the other hand, it's insanely long and kind of bloated and it took me forever to read it and I found myself confused a lot. My overall opinion changes depending on what day you ask me.

I love Player of Games as well, also Against a Dark Background and the non sci-fi novels too like The Wasp Factory and The Bridge. I just really like his writing. Consider Phlebas to me wasn't one of the better ones but it is definitely personal preference here.

While I haven't read any Alistair Reynolds, Peter F. Hamilton is a firm favourite and I highly recommend his Night's Dawn trilogy, then the Commonwealth Saga duo, and then finally The Void Trilogy. I do understand though that I have just recommended about 9000 pages worth of reading there with Hamilton's books, so just start with the first one and see if you like it. For me, I was hooked and couldn't stop.

It does sound mighty tempting to try Hamilton. The only thing is, the only book my local library seems to have is part 1.1 of Night's Dawn, Emergence. But I guess I could use it as a taster and then just buy the rest of the series if I like it :D.

Book #63: Moab is my Washpot by Stephen Fry (24-05-2011 / 26-05-2011)
I feel incredibly lucky that not only is Stephen Fry coming to The Netherlands, I get to go see him! He will be here to talk about The Stephen Fry Chronicles, part two of his autobiography. So in preparation I had to read at least part one, Moab is my Washpot. This is the story of his life up to university. He is away at boarding school, grows up, struggles (a lot) with growing up, his body and his sexuality, and his kleptomaniac tendencies, leading him to jail.
If you like Stephen Fry, his wit, his exquisite use of the English language, his knowledge and his rambling and then getting back to the point, you will love this book. If you don't... stay away. Needless to say, I love Fry, and I loved this book. I especially loved the honesty, he really tells all, or at least seems to. And I love the pictures. All in all, four out of five stars

Well I love Stephen Fry, especially his wit and exquisite use of the English language, so I guess that one has to go on the list. Nice review.

Moab is my Washpot has been on my wishlist for some time. Stephen Fry is wonderful (sadly, I missed him when he visited Sydney some months ago).

Every time I turn around, there seems to be another book review on this thread! Where do you find the time???

A 3 hour commute each day, and a boyfriend who has to spend the nights away from our home during the week because of work. And pure addiction. There is so much to read in the world and so little time....

Book #64: The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman (26-05-2011)
Two of my favorite subjects in science fiction are time travel and dystopias. I would love to travel through time, to know what will happen in the future, and to discover what really happened in the past. And dystopian stories are witness to the strength of humanity and individuals, that no matter what, they try to survive and live. I bought this book, never having read anything by Joe Haldeman, purely because it said time machine and I knew of Haldeman.
And I didn't regret it, especially when the book also included some dystopian futures. The story is that Matt, a graduate assistant at MIT in 2058, accidentally built a time machine. It's one way, into the future, and each jump takes longer exponentially. At first the machine jumps 12 seconds, then 3 minutes, then 3 days and so on. Matt finds a way to join the machine, and so discovers time travel and a whole lot of trouble while he travels further and further into the future.
The story moves quite fast and is pretty short, but I really liked it. Matt is truly surprised at what is going on and tries his best to figure out what happened and how he can relate it all to the time he came from. He tries to do his best to survive and live, and to make it better for those around him. The ending was quick but sweet. Four out of five stars.

A THREE HOUR commute?? I thought mine was bad, an hour each way! (Or good, as it gives me reading time :)

I do have small children (and a husband) who tend to distract me in the evenings. And on weekends. (And the internet. And, even though I don't think I watch that much TV, it does impact reading time, of course.)

From door to door, it takes me two hours each way, and of that time, one hour and 37 minutes are spent on the train. I have no kids (yet), and when my boyfriend is home we are trying to only turn on the TV when there is really something we want to watch. I usually download shows I like and watch those while surfing before turning in early and reading.

Book #65: 1Q84 - deel 2; Juli - September by Haruki Murakami (27-05-2011 / 29-05-2011)
This is part two of the latest Murakami, 1Q84. The story of Tengo and Aomame continues on. Slowly more becomes clear of the world they inhabit, and what’s going on with all the characters. The story is still being told through alternating chapters, but the stories interweave more and more.
There is not much else I can say that I haven’t already said in my review for part one. The story keeps getting better and better, and the translation into Dutch is very good too. This book gets another five out of five stars from me.

I don't think I've seen a review for a book from that author on LT that wasn't good. Nice review, 5 out of 5 stars is pretty unbeatable.

He can't do much wrong for me, and judging by the (non-) availability of his books in our library, neither can he for many other readers. He is one of my favorite discoveries of the past few years.

Book #66: 1Q84; 3: Oktober - December by Haruki Murakami (29-05-2011 / 30-05-2011)
Part three of 1Q84, which is really one novel which has been split up into three books (for the Dutch market). After the cliffhanger at the end of part two, this brings the story to a (Murakami) conclusion. Both Aomame and Tengo find out more and more about the Little People and the two moons, and the world of 1Q84. And a third character is given his own chapters in this part, Ushikawa. I won’t describe more of the plot here, because I feel that discovering the world that Murakami created in 1Q84 is what is best about this book.
Now, how did I like the story as a whole. I have read reviews of people who thought this story was a bit too strange. I think it is further out there than most Murakami tales, but for me, it did have the same atmosphere to it. True, this has even more of a magical realism feel, the characters are in a different world altogether. But what I like about Murakami, and about this book, is that the world is only slightly different from hours, and just like us, the main characters have to discover for themselves what it is, and what it means. I have also read that people didn’t care for the characters of Aomame and Tengo. I didn’t agree, I did care for them and really wanted to know what the ending of their story would be. And that’s where the book doesn’t quite deliver. I am not saying it is bad, but the ending is not quite a clear ending. This story is over, but it might be followed by more adventures. Who knows? But that is also part of the charm, this way the characters stay with you. After reading it all, all I can say to Murakami fans, is: get this book as soon as you can. For me, this was a five out of five star read.



Book #67: De appel/The Apple by Michel Faber (31-05-2011)
After reading The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber two weeks ago, I, like many others, was unsatisfied at the ending. I wanted to know what happened to Sugar and Sophie and felt the book ended way to early. I was not the only one, I noticed from the reviews on LT and the many letters Michel Faber prints in his introduction to this book, The Apple. In this book he revisits the world of Crimson Petal to tell seven short stories about characters we know from there. These stories take place before or after the events in the main book. However, I am sorry to say, a true ending is still not offered.
There are stories about Sugar before she met William, about William twenty years after Sugar left, about Clara after she was fired, about Bodley and one told by Sophie’s grandson. And although the book doesn’t explicitly tell us what happened after we read the last page of Crimson, it does offer a glimpse. Faber says you don’t have to read Crimson to enjoy these stories, but I think that would take out most of the enjoyment to be had here. An explicit tale of a whore and a strange client isn’t any fun unless you already know that whore. At least, that’s how I experienced it. All in all this was a nice short read, but not more that three out of five stars for me.

Book #68: De vertelling/The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin (31-05-2011)
With all the science fiction reading I have been doing this past year, Ursula Le Guin is a writer I could no longer ignore. I really wanted to read The Left Hand of Darkness, but the book was a bit too expensive and the library does not have it. But they did have De vertelling (The Telling). After starting the book I found out this is part eight in a loose series/universe, but that didn't affect my reading that much. I think the parts of this series are related to each other like those in The Culture universe by Iain M. Banks, which means that while you will enjoy the book more if you know the other parts, you can still read it by itself.
In this story Sutty, from an earth in the future, is sent to the planet Aka to study and observe. However, while she is in transit, something on the planet changes and she hardly has any access to the history of the place because a new totalitarian regime has taken over and destroyed all books, and prohibited history. During the period she is there she finds out more and more about the history, which may give her a key to fixing the relationship between earth-people and Aka.
It took me a bit to get into this story because Le Guin doesn't give too much of a back story (maybe because of the previous parts). But after getting into the story that didn't bother me too much anymore. The story itself was very good, because the reader gets to discover Aka along with Sutty. A nice introduction to Le Guin, four out of five stars.

Oh, I do like Le Guin. I'd also recommend her fantasy A Wizard of Earthsea (the sequels are less good, although the next two are still worth a read), and I really liked The Lathe of Heaven.

Must read some more Le Guin!

Book #69: Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson (31-05-2011 / 01-06-2011)
Note: I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book through the You Review program of The American Book Centre.

Robopocalypse is the much anticipated robot dystopian novel by Daniel H. Wilson. Anticipated so much that Steven Spielberg is already making a Robopocalypse movie to be released in 2013. But does it live up to the hype?

In Robopocalypse, we are some time in the future. Robots are a part of daily life. There are service robots to help in the household, computers in cars preventing accidents, robot toys, robots in factories, hospitals and the army. But at one point, we go to far, and the robots turn against us with ruthless precision. Slowly we realize that robots might not be as trustworthy as we thought. Then, one day, it's Zero Hour and the New War starts.

The story is described by Cormac Wallace, a surviving warrior, after the war has ended. Through the eyes of some of the key players of the war, the events are described. The manner in which this is done is very much like what Max Brooks did in World War Z. The difference, besides the fact that we trade zombies for robots, is the distance between the main narrator and the events described. In Robopocalypse the narrator is one of the main characters in the war, and the events described have just ended. Eyewitness accounts of short amounts of time before, during and after the war, together form the whole story. We as readers get to take a glimpse into what is happening, but because the characters don't know the full story, neither do we. Only the personal comments of Wallace give a bit of context as to why he has included the fragment. Throughout the book we follow the same groups of characters, sometimes families, sometimes loners who in turn affect the stories of other characters.

I loved the book. The writing was truly scary, especially when the first attacks are being described. I was reminded of the movie Maximum Overdrive, and I was glad we are not living in that world (yet...). The book covers the US mostly, with one character in Japan, and one in the UK. Other than that, there is not much being said about the rest of the world. After finishing it I wanted to know what happened in South America and Africa. For example, was Africa as developed robot-wise as the first world, and if not, what happened there? One of the things I don't care for in books, and what Wilson did here, is the use of flash forwards. In the book, Wallace ends each chapter with a short description of what happened next, for example in the form of "This would turn out to be a turning point.". After a few chapters ending like this I was annoyed about it, I want to find these things out for myself. And if the writer won't describe these things, maybe he should. But that was really the only flaw I found in the book. Of course, some things were a bit unrealistic, some reactions by the characters were very hero-like, but all in all, it was a very entertaining and good book. I hope this and World War Z cause this genre of eyewitness account books to become more popular so we can read more books like this. For me, this book was four out of five stars.

re: Robopocalypse; Wow! Great review... I loved World War Z, so I'll be looking for this book ASAP (ahh looks to be available for download June 7th). That's a cool ARC!

Well, because it was an ARC I felt I had to write a better review than I usually do. But do get it, it was great!

now, of course, I'll have to go reread World War Z in anticipation ;-)

Gosh, that wouldn't usually be my thing, but your review and especially World War Z comparisons (which I loved) make me want to read it. Definitely wishlisted!

Book #70: Afgang by J. J. Voskuil (01-06-2011 / 05-06-2011)
This is the sixth book in the “Het Bureau” series, the autobiographical story of Voskuil’s working life. In this part, the institute’s director retires, there is a political struggle to determine who will replace him, several people close to Maarten and Nicolien die, and at the end of the book, Maarten retires himself.
The book, like the last one, focusses more and more on Maarten’s personal life, and his emotional reactions to his working life. The subjects, the papers, articles and conferences are not as important as they were in the beginning, which makes the book a lot more readable. Other than that this is a continuation of the previous five books, and I really liked it. Four out of five stars.

Book #71: De dood van Maarten Koning by J. J. Voskuil (05-06-2011)
The seventh and final part of the 'Het Bureau' series. Maarten is retired, but still returns to the Bureau every now and then to finish up work, to take part in the commissions of which he is still a member, and to keep in touch with the employees. At home, Nicolien and Maarten have a hard time getting used to Maarten being home all the time. He spends his free time taking bike rides around the country and taking pictures. His return visits to the Bureau end in a dramatic realization, that the people there don't need him anymore, and like to change all he held so dear.
A 'nice' finish to the series. Not nice in the subject matter, but nice in the fact that it provides a real ending to the long autobiographical story. Four out of five stars.

Am I the only one who finds it hard to read the word "Robopocalypse"? I dunno, it just doesn't scan well (not to mention sounds like a seventeen year old made the word up). But, my whinging aside, it does sound like an good book, thanks for the review!

What about typing it... I constantly had to think about it... World War R would have been better ;)

we had a extremely nasty icestorm several winters ago... so bad that a very large area was without power for over a week and some areas for almost a month. There were 4 related households sharing a chainsaw and work for about 5 days to get some semblance of cleanup... to commemorate we had family t-shirts made with ICEPOCALYPSE 2008 on them.

on a humorous note, my daughter used that title and pictures for an English class poster project... and lost 5 pts for misspelling "Ice-Apocalypse" (the teacher's comment was actually written on the posterboard). Needless to say, after a visit to the school by her mother (wearing said t-shirt)... she got the points back.

#173> You know, your area of the world isn't having a lot of luck with weather over the past few years.

Love the "misspelling" of "Ice-Apocalypse"! That's a person who obviously doesn't have fun with words. (And, for the record, "Icepocalypse" rolls off the tongue much easier that "Robopocalypse". I like it.)

Great (besides the terrible weather) story. I guess whatever comes before -pocalypse has to have only one syllable. And not too many o's.

Book #72: Het uur van de engelen/Angelology by Danielle Trussoni (05-06-2011 / 07-06-2011)
Het uur van de engelen (Angelology) is an historical adventure novel taking place in a world were angels are real. The children of humans and angels, the Nephilim, are terrible creatures who want to exterminate humankind. Angelologists, scientists who have been researching the Nephilim and angels since the beginning of time, try to win the war for the humans. In this book we follow Evangeline, a young nun from New York, but also the story of her grandmother and her friend.
The story has a nice historical element that tries to explain the mythology here. It's not quite pro-Christian, but the author makes it clear that humanism, atheism, Darwinism and movements like these are developed or propagated by the evil Nephilim. That wasn't necessary for me, but all in all I enjoyed the book as an entertaining read. The ending left room for a start of a series of Angelology books, so I was not surprised to see that there is already a sequel. Three out of four stars.

BTW: Angelology, another one of those unpronounceable titles...

Book #73: Het meten van de wereld/Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann (07-06-2011 / 08-06-2011)
This book deals with two famous scientists from the nineteenth century, the adventurer Alexander Humboldt and the homebody Carl Friedrich Gauß. They meet, and in alternating chapters their life stories are described. The contrast between the two is large, Humboldt loves and craves adventure, where Gauß wants to stay home and focusses on theoretical science. Halfway through they meet, and the rest of the book is a mix of both their stories.
The writing in the book is great, with some humor and lots of facts. A couple of months ago I read Humboldts abridged travel journal, which made this book even greater, offering a human side to the travelling scientist. A very nice read for those who like the nineteenth century scientists. Four out of five stars

I always get some great recommendations when I visit your thread, you read such interesting books.

Thanks! I get my inspiration from here (the What are you reading thread), from the latest releases in the bookstore, from the 1001 books you must read before you die list, and several awards (Locus, Nebula, Hugo, Man Booker etc). Glad to inspire :-)

Actually, my husband asked me this week for a list of good books to possibly download to his new kindle and I ended up going through your whole thread as your reading appeals to us both. Needless to say, he was very happy with the list. So, two happy customers! ;)

SOme great books here as usual. I have also wishlisted Robopocalypse. Can't beat a good end of the world story.

KiwiNyx: Aawww --blush-- Thanks! I hope he enjoys them!
judylou: My thoughts exactly, a nice, well thought out dystopia is one of my favorite books...



Book #74: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (08-06-2011 / 09-06-2011)
After reading The Telling by Ursula Le Guin, and really liking it, I really wanted to read some of her classics. A Wizard of Earthsea was recommended to me by one of my LT friends, wookiebender, and I wasn't disappointed. This book is all fantasy, dealing with witches, wizards, mages, magic, dragons and quests. But for me, it had none of the standard fantasy stuff, and it was a great fast paced read.
Ged is a smith's son, who turns out to have a talent for magic. He chooses to be trained in Roke, but in his pride he goes too far with a spell and unleashes something on the world. The rest of the book is his quest to rid the world of the shadow he brought into it.
I have seen the Studio Ghibli movie, but while I didn't like that, I loved this book, I loved Ged, and I loved the story. I can't wait to find and read other parts of the Earthsea cycle. I have nothing more to say, this was a five out of five star read for me.

Yay! I love Earthsea! I'm very fond of the first three in the series, but found after that the quality (sadly) dropped off. I'm still buying them (slowly), however!

I missed the Studio Ghibli movie, but hadn't heard anything great. And there was a syfy channel adaptation that I only lasted about 10 minutes into. Great books, we need Peter Jackson to adapt them. :)

Nice review, I own these books but after watching the Gibhli movie I have steered clear of them because the movie was pretty bad. You are making me want to hunt them down again.

Don't be led by the movie, from what I understand it has always been seen as one of the worst Ghibli movies, so not a good representative of Earthsea, and not of Ghibli either...

Book #75: De kaart van de tijd/The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma (09-06-2011 / 11-06-2011)
Lately I have been on a time machine reading bender. This book fit right in. It's London in 1896, and after H. G. Wells has published "The Time Machine" time travel is on everybody's mind. The three main stories in this book all deal with this. One man wants to prevent the death of the love of his life, one woman wants to escape the life she is supposed to live, and one inspector has to solve a murder with an unknown weapon. In this story many famous real people from the time, such as H. G. Wells, Jack the Ripper, the Elephant Man, Bram Stoker, Henry James and others are mixed with fictional characters, telling a great and believable story about how time travel took over London society. The story is told by an all-knowing narrator who sometimes shows himself, to explain why he is not showing us certain scenes or explaining a bit more about the background of the character.
The three stories are separate, so it seems, but they all belong together, and characters meet, influence each other and interact. Great idea, very original (to me). Five out of five stars.

I made a new thread because this one got a bit picture heavy. Check it out here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/118996. Please join me!