11. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Well I've had about five books on the go since May so there's been a bit of a gap in posts, but I finally finished one! I'd been meaning to read this for years, so when I saw it on my friend Berni's bookshelf the other day I grabbed the chance to borrow it. She said she's lent another two copies at least to other friends so it must be the thing to do. Anyway I really liked it. Good old Holden Caulfield.. he's a smart guy stuck in a world full of phoneys. You can't help feeling for him. He just got kicked out of school for not 'applying himself' and this is the story of a few days he spends wandering around New York after he walks out of school early. Straightaway I liked the way its written just like a teenager of that time probably spoke - lots of repetition of phrases like 'that kills me' and 'I really get a bang out of that' and finishing sentences with 'and all'. And I love his straight-talking character analyses - 'My aunt's pretty charitable - she does a lot of Red Cross work and all - but she's very well-dressed and all, and when she does anything charitable she's always very well-dressed and has lipstick on and all that crap. I couldn't picture her doing anything for charity if she had to wear black clothes and no lipstick while she was doing it.'

10. Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, by Peter Hoeg

And so in search of something more challenging I picked up one of my old favourites, "Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow" by Peter Hoeg, and reread the first half or so. It was like catching up with an old friend you haven't seen in years- that sudden sense of familiarity, but you also realise what it is about yourself that drew you to them in the first place. I loved how this book kept me guessing. I never knew where the story was leading but it was great fun speculating. The tantalising glimpses into Smilla's character revealed a combination of strength, determination and vulnerability that made her seem real, and made me care enough to keep reading. Plus I loved the philosophical questioning and the sharp social and political comments which I happened to agree with and feel strongly about. So all of these combined make this one of my all-time favourite books.

9.The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

I opened this up on the recommendations of friends who said this was the best book they've read all year. I tried, and it wasn't bad, but I couldn't get into it. Partly because the idea of creating "Death" as a character in a book has been done before (with funnier jokes) by Terry Pratchett. Also because using Death as a third person narrator means that the author doesn't have to delve too deeply into what the characters are going through. And you get the feeling they should be going through some pretty significant things, as it's set in the middle of WWII and it's about a girl, Liesel, who witnesses her brother's death and doesn't even know if her mother is alive. Not to mention her foster family are hiding a Jew in her basement. But apart from her nightmares, it is her stealing of books that seems to bother her more.
There are some interesting turns of phrase and clever metaphors but that wasn't quite enough to keep me reading. And I found that the teasing little hints about what was in store killed the fun of finding it out for yourself. So it wasn't for me, and I have to admit I didn't finish it - maybe it gets better, and I gave up too early.

8. The Railway Station Man, by Jennifer Johnston

I first discovered Jennifer Johnston when I picked up "Fools Sanctuary" a few years ago and was immediately impressed with her ability to tell a story through her characters. Everything they say or do tells you something about who they are and why. Nothing is wasted, and the story reveals itself to you scene by scene without need for lengthy descriptions or history or explanations. I love the way this allows you to make your own mind up, and the way it relates the political theme of Ireland's Troubles through the personal interactions of her characters.

So I was excited to find The Railway Station Man included in a collection of her work I'd not seen before, and eager to revisit her wild Ireland. I wasn't disappointed. This is set on the west coast of Ireland, and the main character, Helen, is a painter, who has a studio built on a hillside with a glass wall of windows looking out over the ocean, so she can have the view to herself. There is the same intimate, truthful and forgiving attitude to all of her characters that's so rare in politically-themed novels, and in society in general. It sends a powerful message about the needless deaths caused by violence. But it is also a personal story about Helen's struggle with herself to finally become the artist she once dreamed of being before it's too late.

I loved it, and like her other books I can't wait to read it again to discover what I missed the first time.

7. Changing Planes, by Ursula Le Guin

This is a book of ideas. Elegantly written, subtle, philosophical and satirical, it uses fantastical worlds to provoke questions about how we live in our world. It begins with a woman who while waiting for a aeroplane discovers the technique for travelling to other planes (not aeroplanes, but planes of existence). Each plane is richly imagined and deftly described, but rather than depend on the sheer novelty and originality of the fantasy worlds, each story focusses on a distinct characteristic of an alien culture to reveal something about our own world, our human flaws and our potential. I loved it! Especially The Fliers of Gyr (if you've ever wondered what it would be like to be able to fly, read this), and The Seasons of the Ansarac (about a culture that travels seasonally between the country and the city - in the country they mate and have children, while in the cities the family splits up and they live in unrelated groups) . They're short stories, but so full of ideas and questions that they kept me entertained long after I'd put the book down.

6. There where the pepper grows, by Bem Le Hunte

A student friend recommended this to me after I had recommended "Joy School" by Elizabeth Berg to her. Narrated by a Jewish man (which feels a bit strange at first because it's written by a woman) who flees Poland in WWII with his wife, his son, and his childhood sweetheart. They settle in Calcutta, and I loved the descriptions of the city and the family as their fortunes wax and wane. Made me want to catch the next plane, preferably during the Holi Festival. But it's so much more than a travel book.. it's about compassion, and tolerance, and the many different forms of love we experience in a lifetime, and how it endures despite the inevitability of change. Rich, beautiful, warm and wise, this book definitely belongs in my top ten for this year.

5. The Bronte Project, by Jennifer Vandever

About a graduate student doing a thesis on Charlotte Bronte (my favourite of the Brontes), so I thought it might be similar to Charlotte's style of writing . But it's more of a modern 'chick lit' kind of novel, with a girl struggling to maintain her ideals while everyone around her seems to have none.. so maybe it is a bit like Charlotte Bronte. I enjoyed it.. especially the conflict between the main character and her flamboyant friend/enemy Claire.

4. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon

I loved the idea behind this - it's written from the perspective of a boy with Asperger's syndrome. This is what he says:
"I find people confusing. This is for two main reasons. The first main reason is that people do a lot of talking without using any words. Siobhan says that if you raise one eyebrow it can mean lots of different things. It can mean "I want to do sex with you' and it can also mean 'I think that what you just said was very stupid."

You'll have to read the book to find out the second main reason. This won the Whitbread Book of the Year, and a couple of children/teen fiction prizes, and for good reason. The insights into Aspergers are fascinating, and its so cleverly done that it doesn't feel like you are learning! I'd love to know what someone with Asperger's thinks of it. I thought I knew a bit about it, but nothing you read in textbooks can give you the feeling of having it - this book does. I thought it was brilliant.

3. The Alphabet Sisters, by Monica McInerney

I was in the mood for something light and fluffy when I got back to work so I picked this one out - it's an entertaining and lively book about three sisters who reunite after years of separation to celebrate their Grandmother's birthday. There are lots of funny and awkward moments as they try to avoid talking about the fight that sent them on their separate ways in the first place, and the drama-queen grandmother is a great character, full of spirit. I thought it was good fun and a great book to read when you're in need of some girliness.

2. Unpolished Gem, by Alice Pung

Alice Pung grew up as a Chinese-Cambodian Australian in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray. With lots of anecdotes and sharp, often funny dialogue Alice recalls her childhood with warmth and humour. She's not afraid to make fun of herself or her family, and does so without making caricatures of them. However I wanted to know a bit more about her, and felt that she may have skimmed over the surface of some things that could have given her story more depth. But I liked it a lot and was impressed with her memory for dialogue and her clear-sighted view of herself and others.

1. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

There has been a nuclear war, and the world is empty of life except for a few desperate stragglers, including a father and son who walk a desolate road on their way to the sea.

The boy was born the night the bombs started to drop, and though we aren't told why it barely matters, because everything is destroyed. The ground itself is burnt. There's little hope for the future, but what makes this book memorable is the simple, unwavering bond between the father and the son, through all the horrors of their journey.

It might sound like not much can happen in a book like this, but it's so well paced I could hardly put it down. And it stays with you.

I loved that it manages to convey a powerful anti-nuclear message without even mentioning the word. And that it tells the story of just these two people rather than trying to imagine the whole world. Because that's how we would experience it, if it happened.

Excellent book, recommended to everyone, especially those who think nuclear power is the best solution to global warming.

The challenge

How many books would you read in a year?

Fifty? A hundred?

I found a book called "1001 books to read before you die" the other day, and wondered just how many years it would take to read that many books. I've no idea, but I'm going to try to find out.

So I've set myself a challenge of recording every book I read this year on this blog, and I'll try to write a short review as well. The rules are, they have to be proper books, lets say at least fifty pages long. I will probably stick to novels but books of short stories are allowed, and so is non-fiction (as long as it's not something called "How to renovate your house in 30 days" or similar). It's got to make you think. Or laugh, cry, be transported.

So here goes... it's two weeks in and I'm four books down so I'd better get cracking!