Paul C's 2016 Reading and Life - 26

Yasmyne my eldest and far away in Scotland together with her best friend in school Koo Yong who actually stayed with us for a while to finish up her term when her parents couldn't afford to stay in Malaysia any longer. Miss both of them.

Opening Lines

The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini



In the Guardian 1000 novels to read (typical Guardian there are only 998 in the list!) and celebrated in her own country Maraini is certainly one of Italy's premier writers.

Here they are, a father and a daughter.

READ FIRST QUARTER

JANUARY
1. Ru by Kim Thuy (2009) 153 pp
2. A Story I am in : Selected Poems by James Berry (2011) 208 pp
3. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983) 200 pp
4. Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis (2015) 159 pp
5. Clem Attlee by Francis Beckett (2015) 476 pp
6. The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Theriault (2005) 117 pp
7. 40 Sonnets by Don Paterson (2015) 44 pp
8. The Quality of Mercy by Barry Unsworth (2011) 294 pp
9. The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry (2010) 92 pp
10. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler (1993) 269 pp
11. Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen (1998) 104 pp
12. Coast to Coast by Jan Morris (1956) 238 pp
13. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (1982) 314 pp
14. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (2014) 688 pp
15. The Perfect Stranger by P.J. Kavanagh (1966) 182 pp
16. The Manticore by Robertson Davies (1972) 255 pp

FEBRUARY
17. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (1934) 347 pp
18. The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara Tuchman (1958) 200 pp
19. Coventry by Helen Humphreys (2008) 169 pp
20. Selected Poems by Cecil Day Lewis (1951) 158 pp
21. Return of a King : The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple (2013) 487 pp

MARCH
22. Assalamualaikum : Observations on the Islamisation of Malaysia by Zaid Ibrahim (2015) 200 pp
23. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (2009) 339 pp
24. How to be Both by Ali Smith (2014) 372 pp
25. Towards Asmara by Thomas Keneally (1989) 320 pp
26. New Selected Poems by Robert Minhinnick (2012) 185 pp
27. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (1986) 664 pp
28. Around the World ichael Palin (1989) 241 pp
29. Poems of the Past and the Present by Thomas Hardy (1901) 96 pp
30. The Boat Who Wouldn't Float by Farley Mowat (1969) 243 pp

BOOKS READ IN 2016

Second Quarter

APRIL
31. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (1991) 371 pp
32. What Work Is by Philip Levine (1991) 77 pp
33. Eventide by Kent Haruf (2004) 300 pp
34. A New Selected Poems by Galway Kinnell (2001) 179 pp
35. The Black Album by Hanif Kureishi (1995) 276 pp
36. Demelza by Winston Graham (1946) 521 pp
37. Geography III by Elizabethe Bishop (1976) 50 pp
38. The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855) 142 pp
39. Why I am not a Christian by Bertrand Russell (1957) 259 pp

MAY
40. Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson (1989) 108 pp
41. Ruby by Cynthia Bond (2015) 330 pp
42. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (1994) 289 pp
43. The Sea Runners by Ivan Doig (1982) 275 pp
44. Make Me by Lee Child (2015) 544 pp
45. Old Filth by Jane Gardam (2004) 290 pp
46. The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin (1964) 46 pp
47. Fault Line by Robert Goddard (2012) 509 pp
48. AWOPBOPALOOBOPALOPBAMBOOM by Nik Cohn (1972) 247 pp
49. Risk by C.K. Stead (2012) 267 pp

JUNE
50. Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey (2006) 46 pp
51. The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad (1917) 145 pp
52. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) 333 pp
53. Crow by Ted Hughes (1970) 89 pp
54. A Zoo in My Luggage by Gerald Durrell (1960) 173 pp
55. The Green Road by Anne Enright (2005) 310 pp
56. Famous Last Words by Timothy Findley (1981) 396 pp
57. Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx (2011) 234 pp
58. Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser (1969) 691 pp

BOOKS READ IN 2016

THIRD QUARTER

July

59. The Pearl by John Steinbeck (1948) 89 pp
60. The Sergeants' Tale by Bernice Rubens (2013) 217 pp
61. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895) 106 pp
62. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (2013) 487 pp
63. The Battle for Scotland by Andrew Marr (1992) 240 pp
64. The Fifth Son by Elie Wiesel (1985) 220 pp
65. Holiday by Stanley Middleton (1974) 222 pp
66. Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich by Barry Turner (2015) 275 pp
67. Jeremy Poldark by Winston Graham (1950) 344 pp
68. The European Union : A Citizen's Guide by Chris Bickerton (2016) 230 pp
69. An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell (2013) 169 pp
70. Bad History : How We Got the Past Wrong by Emma Marriott (2011) 173 pp

August

71. March by Geraldine Brooks (2005) 273 pp
72. The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2016) 289 pp
73. Rape : A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates (2003) 154 pp
74. Black Dogs by Ian McEwan (1992) 174 pp
75. Eileen : A Novel by Otessa Moshfegh (2016) 260 pp
76. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986) 429 pp
77. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (2016) 191 pp
78. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (1984) 190 pp
79. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien (2016) 466 pp

September
80. The North Water by Ian McGuire (2016) 255 pp
81. Selected Poems by Laurie Lee (1960) 80 pp
82. Blade of Light by Andrea Camilleri (2012) 271 pp
83. The World According to Garp by John Irving (1978) 596 pp
84. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (2015) 409 pp
85. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing (1988) 133 pp
86. The Many by Wyl Menmuir (2016) 141 pp
87. Grief is the Thing with Feathers (2016) 114 pp
88. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet (2016) 280 pp

BOOKS READ in 2016

FOURTH QUARTER

October
89. Who Runs Britain? by Robert Peston (2008) 348 pp
90. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (2016) 218 pp
91. Rites of Passage by William Golding (1980) 278 pp
92. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (2008) 480 pp
93. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861) 432 pp
94. The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry ed. by Rita Dove (2011) 570 pp

November
95. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1939) 143 pp
96. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (1918) 148 pp
97. Confabulations by John Berger (2016) 143 pp
98. Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney (1966) 44 pp
99. The Ipcress File by Len Deighton (1962) 342 pp
100. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (1979) 295 pp
101. Crime Story by Maurice Gee (1994) 272 pp
102. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon (2005) 127 pp
103. Cobra by Deon Meyer (2014) 367 pp

December
104. Military Blunders by Saul David (1997) 387 pp
105. The Maytrees by Annie Dillard (2007) 216 pp
106. The Innocence of Father Brown by GK Chesterton (1911) 263 pp
107. The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes (1993) 87 pp
108. Walking Away by Simon Armitage (2015) 271 pp
109. Mrs Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel by William Trevor (1969) 277 pp
110. Please, Mister Postman by Alan Johnson (2014) 312 pp
111. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (1846) 302 pp
112. The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini (1990) 319 pp
113. Mao II by Don DeLillo (1991) 242 pp

Reading Plans and a little about me

Me?
I was 50 in September and have enough unread reading material on my shelves to take me safely into my seventies! I have lived in Malaysia since 1994 and have a long suffering (but never quietly) wife, Hani (sometimes referred to as SWMBO), three children Yasmyne (19), Kyran (17) and Belle (12), as well as a supporting cast which includes my book smuggling assistants Azim (also my driver and a part time bouncer who, despite his muscles, lives in almost as much fear of my wife as I do) and Erni (my housemaid, almost-little sister and the worlds greatest coffee maker). On this thread you'll probably read as much about the vagaries of life, book buying and group related statistics as you do about the actual books themselves.


clockwise from top left: Kyran, Paul, Hani, Yasmyne & Belle

2016 Reading

American Author Challenge - Mark (msf59) is on the third year of this great challenge where the task is to read a work by a featured US author each month.

Canadian Author Challenge - This is its inaugural year and I will try to read (and find books for!) as many of the 24 authors featured as I can.

ANZAC Challenge - Set up by Kerry this year. I will try to follow this one alternating between Oz/Nz

Pulitzer Challenge - Bill has created a challenge to read a Pulitzer winner each month in 2016

Chunkster Challenge - Also set up by Bill to take care of that small matter of books over 600 pages!

Non-Fiction Challenge - Suz (Chatterbox) has put this up and I will follow this one too

TIOLI Challenge - Surely needs no introduction!

1001 Books First Edition - I am working my way through these. So far at 262.

Booker Prize Winners - Another one I am wending my way through

Nobel Laureates - I am trying to read something by all the Laureates - so far have read 57 of the 112 winners.

Poetry - I will be trying to read a different collection/anthology each week and at the same time promote poetry in the group (tough one that) which will include my own occasion clumsy scribblings.

Series I have so many I follow Montalbano, Reacher, Hole, Banks, Davenport, Sejer, Allon, Lennox .....and I will be trying to read many of those as I can.

History Another favourite of mine

Political Biography - I am of the left in political terms so I prefer to read more from my heroes than my villains but sometimes it pays to check out what the opposition are up to!

I will try to combine challenges as much as I can to do something in each challenge each month.

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE 2016

December Thread : http://www.librarything.com/topic/242395

January : Susan Hill & Barry Unsworth
February : Agatha Christie & William Dalrymple
March : Ali Smith & Thomas Hardy
April : George Eliot & Hanif Kureishi
May : Jane Gardam & Robert Goddard
June : Lady Antonia Fraser & Joseph Conrad
July : Bernice Rubens & H.G. Wells
August : Diana Wynne-Jones & Ian McEwan
September : Doris Lessing & Laurie Lee
October : Kate Atkinson & William Golding
November : Rebecca West & Len Deighton
December : WEST YORKSHIRE writers
Wildcard : Rumer Godden and George Orwell

Round up of Stats

1001 Books First Edition - Read 271 of 1001

Nobel Winners - Read something by 59 of the 112 Laureates

Pulitzer Fiction/Novel Winners - Read 14 of 88 outright winners

Booker Winners - Read 24 of the 51 winners

Bowie 100 Books - 22 read a further 21 owned

1000 Guardian Books - 317 / 998

I have been keeping records of my reading since coming to Malaysia in 1994. My best reading year in that time was 1995 when I read 179 books. Since joining LT and the 75ers in 2011 these are my reading stats.

2011 119
2012 100 (my lowest since I kept records)
2013 157
2014 146
2015 120
2016 112 (to date)

Since joining LT I have read 754 books over six years or 126 books on average in 2016.

RATIONALISED TBR FROM 1 JANUARY 2017

Fiction Works : 900

Pages : 314,921

Non Fiction Works : 180

Pages : 72,132

Target is to finish this TBR in six years!

BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

FICTION

The North Water by Ian McGuire
Crime Story by Maurice Gee
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
Eventide by Kent Haruf
The Bird Artist by Howard Norman

Non-Fiction

Return of a King : The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple
Military Blunders by Saul David
Confabulations by John Berger
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Walking Away by Simon Armitage

Poetry
40 Sonnets by Don Paterson
The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry edited by Rita Dove
Crow by Ted Hughes
The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin
Geography III by Elizabeth Bishop

BOOKS ADDED SINCE 1 JANUARY 2016

1. Fifteen Dogs Andre Alexis (2015) 159 pp (Added 6 Jan) COMPLETED
2. Rain by Barney Campbell (2015) 362 pp (Added 6 Jan)
3. Coventry by Helen Humphreys (2008) 169 pp (Added 7 Jan -Secret Santa (Katie)) COMPLETED
4. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015) 362 pp (Added 14 Jan)
5. How Good We Can Be by Will Hutton (2015) 250 pp (Added 14 Jan)
6. Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (1988) 641 pp (Added 14 Jan)
7. The Chimes by Anna Smaill (2015) 289 pp (Added 14 Jan)
8. Wild Swans by Jung Chang (1991) 669 pp (Added 14 Jan)
9. The Black Moon by Winston Graham (1973) 546 PP (Added 14 Jan)
10. Let Me Be Frank With You by Richard Ford (2014) 238 pp (Added 22 Jan)
11. Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker (1992) 270 pp (Added 22 Jan)
12. Cat and Mouse by Gunter Grass (1961) 191 pp (Added 22 Jan)
13. The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino (1969) 129 pp (Added 22 Jan)
14. The Enigma of Arrival by VS Naipaul (1987) 387 pp (Added 22 Jan)
15. Mao II by Don DeLillo (1991) 241 pp (Added 22 Jan)
16. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham (1990) 343 pp (Added 22 Jan)
17. Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe (1958) 189 pp (Added 22 Jan)
18. Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis de Bernieres (1991) 280 pp (Added 22 Jan)
19. Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare (2000) 182 pp (Added 22 Jan)
20. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (1972) 172 pp (Added 22 Jan)
21. Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts (2014) (Added 29 Jan)
22. March by Geraldine Brooks (Added 29 Jan) COMPLETED
23. The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen (1935) (added 29 Jan)
24. Mary Barton by Mary Gaskell (1848) (added 29 Jan)
25. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (1990) (added 29 Jan)

26. White Crocodile by KT Medina (2014) 374 pp (added 8 Feb)
27. A Brief Stop on the Road From Auschwitz by Goran Rosenberg (2012) 331 pp (added 13 Feb)
28. Martin Dressler by Steven Millhauser (1996) 274 pp (added 13 Feb)
29. The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien (1967) 199 pp (added 20 Feb)
30. The End : Germany 1944-45 by Ian Kershaw (2011) 400 pp (added 20 Feb)
31. In the Light of What We Know by Zia Haider Rahman (2014) 555 pp (added 20 Feb)
32. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (1929) 293 pp (added 20 Feb)
33. Peacemakers : Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan (2001) 500 pp (added 20 Feb)
34. My Life as a Foreign Country by Brian Turner (2014) 224 pp (added 20 Feb)
35. Astragal by Albertine Sarrazin (1965) 190 pp (added 20 Feb)
36. If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes (1945) 259 pp (added 20 Feb)
37. The Seven Madmen by Roberto Arlt (1929) 304 pp (added 20 Feb)
38. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2012) 331 pp (added 20 Feb)
39. Six Days : How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East by Jeremy Bowen (2003) 373 pp (added 22 Feb)
40. I, The Jury by Mickey Spillane (1947) 164 pp (added 22 Feb)
41. The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery (2015) 258 pp (added 22 Feb)
42. Ostland by David Thomas (2013) 430 pp (added 22 Feb)
43. Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz (2015) 310 pp (added 26 Feb)
44. The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon (2016) 321 pp (added 26 Feb)
45. Assalamualaikum, May Peace Be Upon You: Observations on the Islamisation of Malaysia by Zaid Ibrahim (2015) 200 pp (added 27 Feb) COMPLETED
46. The Illuminations by Andrew O'Hagan (2015) 293 pp (added 27 Feb)
47. The Children Who Stayed Behind by Bruce Carter (1958) 216 pp (added 27 Feb)
48. Armada by Ernest Cline (2015) 349 pp (added 28 Feb)
49. The Walk and Other Stories by Robert Walser (1957) 197 pp (added 28 Feb)
50. Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette (1977) 98 pp (added 28 Feb)
51. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (2016) 191 pp (added 28 Feb) COMPLETED
52. The Civil War : A History by Harry Hansen (1961) 655 pp (added 28 Feb)
53. The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo (2013) 420 pp (added 28 Feb)
54. Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg (1998) 562 pp (added 28 Feb)
55. The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World by Edward Shepherd Creasy (1851) 380 pp (added 28 Feb)
56. Hitler's Spy by James Hayward (2012) 278 pp (added 28 Feb)

57. A Cautious Approach by Stanley Middleton (2010) 220 pp (added 2 March)
58. Incandescence by Craig Nova (1979) 297 pp (added 2 March)
59. Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid (2014) 343 pp (added 2 March)
60. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1977) 337 pp (added 2 March)
61. Love in Winter by Storm Jameson (1935) 407 pp (added 2 March)
62. How I Became a Holy Mother by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1976) 363 pp (added 2 March)
63. On Horseback and Other Stories by Guy de Maupassant (1877) 130 pp (added 2 March)
64. Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (2007) 349 pp (added 2 March)
65. Anything but the Law by Tommy Thomas (2016) 334 pp (added 4 March)
66. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker (2011) 841 pp (added 4 March)
67. Why the West Rules by Ian Morris (2010) 645 pp (added 4 March)
68. Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (1937) 330 pp (added 4 March)
69. Make Me by Lee Child (2015) 544 pp (added 4 March) COMPLETED
70. The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall (2015) 432 pp (added 4 March)
71. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936) 984 pp (added 4 March)
72. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (1986) 664 pp (added 7 March) COMPLETED
73. From Restoration to Reform by Jonathan Clarke (2014) 299 pp (added 7 March)
74. Josephine : Desire, Ambitions, Napoleon by Kate Williams (2013) 303 pp (added 7 March)
75. Britain's Royal Families : The Complete Genealogy by Alison Weir (2008) 331 pp (added 7 March)
76. A Brief History of Indonesia by Tim Hannigan (2015) 277 pp (added 12 March)
77. Max Havelaar by Multatuli (1860) 320 pp (added 12 March)
78. Jernigan by David Gates (1991) 339 pp (added 12 March)
79. Private Life by Jane Smiley (2010) 480 pp (added 12 March)
80. Betrayal : The Crisis in the Catholic Church by Matt Carroll (and others) (2002) 265 pp (added 12 March)
81. The Green Road by Anne Enright (2015) 310 pp (added 12 March) COMPLETED
82. When I was Old by Georges Simenon (1970) 452 pp (added 15 March)
83. The Full Catastrophe : Inside the Greek Crisis by James Angelos (2015) 292 pp (added 15 March)
84. No Highway by Nevil Shute (1948) 325 pp (added 19 March)
85. The Italian Girl by Iris Murdoch (1964) 171 pp (added 19 March)
86. Diary of a Mad Old Man by Junichiro Tanizaki (1961) 177 pp (added 19 March)
87. Most Secret by Nevil Shute (1945) 346 pp (added 19 March)
88. Kathleen and Frank by Christopher Isherwood (1971) 510 pp (added 19 March)
89. The Viceroy of Ouidah by Bruce Chatwin (1980) 101 pp (added 19 March)
90. The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen (1948) 330 pp (added 19 March)
91. Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville (2011) 304 pp (added 19 March)
92. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (1980) 688 pp (added 27 March)
93. Home : A Time Traveller's Tales from Britain's Pre-History by Francis Pryor (2014) 290 pp (added 27 March)
94. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (1962) 576 pp (added 27 March)
95. Ultimate Questions by Bryan Magee (2016) 127 pp (added 31 March)
96. The Four Books by Yan Lianke (2015) 338 pp (added 31 March)
97. Find Me by Laura Van Den Berg (2015) 278 pp (added 31 March)
98. A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell (2015) 371 pp (added 31 March)
99. The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855) 142 pp (added 31 March) COMPLETED
100. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762) 168 pp (added 31 March)

Books bought second quarter

101 The Carpathians by Janet Frame (1988) 196 pp (Added 2 April)
102 Georgy Girl by Margaret Forster (1965) 171 pp (Added 2 April)
103 Great Apes by Will Self (1997) 404 pp (Added 2 April)
104 The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (Added 14 April)
105 My Son, My Son by Howard Spring (Added 14 April)
106 A Very British Coup by Chris Mullin (Added 14 April)
107 Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins (Added 14 April)
108 The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma (Added 15 April)
109 Common Ground by Andrew Cowan (Added 15 April)
110 The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard (Added 18 April)
111 AWOPBOPALOOBOPALOPBAMBOOM by Nik Cohn (Added 18 April) COMPLETED
112 Montalbano's First Case by Andrea Camilleri (Added 18 April)
113 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (Added 18 April)
114 I am Radar by Reif Larsen (2015) (Added 18 April)
115Ruby by Cynthia Bond (2015) (Added 18 April) COMPLETED
116 The Faithful Couple by A.D. Miller (Added 18 April)
117 A Strangeness in my Mind by Orhan Pamuk (Added 18 April)
118 The Trial of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens (Added 18 April)
119 How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup by JL Carr (Added 18 April)
120 The Outsider by Colin Wilson (Added 20 April)
121 Puckoon by Spike Milligan (Added 20 April)
122 Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell (Added 20 April) COMPLETED
123 Arcadia by Iain Pears (Added 22 April)
124 The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney (Added 22 April)
125 The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Added 24 April)
126 A Whole Life : A Novel by Robert Seethaler (Added 24 April)
127 The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild (Added 24 April)
128 The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie (Added 24 April)
129 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (Added 24 April)
130 The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (Added 27 April) COMPLETED
131 The Edge of the World : How the North Sea Made Us Who We Are by Michael Pye (Added 27 April)
132 A Heart so White by Javier Marias (Added 14 April)

133 Silas Marner by George Eliot (added 3 May)
134 The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley (added 13 May)
135 Girl at War by Sara Novic (added 13 May)
136 Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh (added 13 May)
137 I Saw a Man by Owen Sheers (added 13 May)
138 The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir (added 20 May)
139 Unknown Soldiers by Vaino Linna (added 20 May)
140 Stop Time by Frank Conroy (added 20 May)
141 What Is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman (added 25 May)
142 Black Dogs by Ian McEwan (added 25 May) COMPLETED
143 S. : A Novel about the Balkans by Slavenka Drakulic (added 25 May)
144 The Angry Tide by Winston Graham (added 25 May)
145 The Master by Colm Toibin (added 25 May)
146 Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (added 25 May)
147 The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani (added 25 May)
148 Love and Obstacles by Aleksandr Hemon (June 16)
149 The Book of Memory by Pettina Gappah (June 16)
150 The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (June 16)
151 The Four Swans by Winston Graham (June 16)
152 Three Tales by Gustave Flaubert (June 16)
153 The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (June 16) COMPLETED
154 SPQR : A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard (June 16)
155 The Sympathizer by Viet Tanh Nguyen (June 16)
156 Black Earth : The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder (June 16)
157 The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry edited by Ruth Dove (June 16) COMPLETED
158 The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen (June 16)
159 The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni (June 16)
160 Laurus by Eugene Vodolazin (June 16)

Books Added Third Quarter
July
161. The European Union : A Citizen's Guide by Chris Bickerton COMPLETED
162. Dust by Elizabeth Bear
163. King John : Treachery, Tyranny and the Road to Magna Carta by Marc Morris
164. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
165. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams
166. Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young
167. The Foundation Pit by Andrey Platonov
168. One Man Against the World : The Tragedy of Richard Nixon by Tim Weiner
169. The House of Ulloa by Emilio Pardo Bazan
170. Sweet Caress by William Boyd
171. Vermilion Sands by J.G. Ballard
172. The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
173. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton COMPLETED
174. The Orphan Train by Christina Bake Kline
175. The Aerodrome by Rex Warner
176. Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich by Barry Turner COMPLETED
177. The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy
178. Hadji Murat by Leo Tolstoy
179. Bad History : How We Got the Past Wrong by Emma Marriott COMPLETED
180. One Bloody Thing After Another by Jacob F. Field
181. The Ends of the Earth : The Wide World by Robert Goddard
182. Morning Sea by Margaret Mazzantini
183. London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins
184. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby
185. Eileen : A Novel by Otessa Moshfegh COMPLETED
186. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien COMPLETED
187. The Sellout by Paul Beatty COMPLETED
188. All That Man Is by David Szalay
August
189. Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson
190. Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
191. In the Dark by Mai Jia
192. The South by Colm Toibin
193. Extraordinary People a.k.a Dry Bones by Peter May
194. Brodeck's Report by Philippe Claudel
195. A Proper Marriage by Doris Lessing
196. Don't Trust, Don't Fear, Don't Beg by Ben Stewart
197. Questions About Angels by Billy Collins
198. The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds
199. Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal
200. The Caliphate by Hugh Kennedy
201. Wanderlust : A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
202. Serious Sweet by A.L. Kennedy
203. Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
204. Save the Last Dance : Poems by Gerald Stern
205. The Kindness of Enemies by Leila Aboulela
206. How Many Miles to Babylon by Jennifer Johnston
207. Embers by Sandor Marai
208. Walking Away by Simon Armitage
209. In the Land of Giants by Max Adams
210. A Change of World by Adrienne Rich
211. The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
212. Written Lives by Javier Marias
213. The North Water by Ian McGuire COMPLETED
214. Hystopia by David Means
215. Victim Without a Face by Stefan Ahnhem
216. The History of Modern France by Jonathan Fenby
September
217. Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado (1966) 550 pp
218. Unity by Michael Arditti (2005) 369 pp
219. Ted Hughes : The Unauthorised Life by Jonathan Bate (2015) 566 pp
220. Now is the Time by Melvyn Bragg (2015) 357 pp
221. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet (2015) 280 pp COMPLETED
222. The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati (1939) 265 pp
223. Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter (1964) 308 pp
224. Outlaws by Javier Cercas (2012) 367 pp
225. The Death of Grass by John Christopher (1956) 195 pp
226. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg (2015) 293 pp
227. The Schooldays of Jesus by J.M. Coetzee (2016) 260 pp
228. Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello (2015) 670 pp
229. Father and Son by Edmund Gosse (1907) 251 pp
230. Like Dreamers : The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein Halevi (2013) 538 pp
231. Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney (1966) 44 pp
232. Slow Horses by Mick Herron (2010) 328 pp
233. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (2016) 218 pp COMPLETED
234. The Outrun by Amy Liptrot (2016) 280 pp
235. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (2009) 427 pp
236. The Assistant by Bernard Malamud (1957) 339 pp
237. The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini (1990) 319 pp COMPLETED
238. The Many by Wyl Menmuir (2016) 141 pp COMPLETED
239. Horse Latitudes by Paul Muldoon (2006) 106 pp
240. Homesick by Eshkol Nevo (2004) 374 pp
241. At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien (1939) 218 pp
242. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter (2015) 114 pp COMPLETED
243. Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves (2016) 260 pp
244. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1969) 224 pp
245. The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon (1956) 139 pp
246. Zeno's Conscience by Italo Svevo (1923) 437 pp

BOOKS ADDED Q4

October
247. Submission by Michel Houellebecq (2015) 250 pp
248. 1916 : A Global History by Keith Jeffrey (2015) 377 pp
249. Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (2001) 213 pp
250. The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart (1971) 543 pp
251. The History of a Town by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1870) 287 pp
252. Mindstar Rising by Peter F. Hamilton (1993) 467 pp
253. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger (1920) 296 pp
254. Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback (2015) 405 pp
255. Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier (1971) 305 pp
256. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1939) 143 pp COMPLETED
257. The Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace (1869) 728 pp
258. Maestra by L.S. Hilton (2016) 394 pp
259. Sudden Death by Alvaro Enrigue (2013) 261 pp
260. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (1977) 243 pp
261. A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker (2016) 289 pp
262. Fellside by M.R. Carey (2016) 486 pp
263. A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (2012) 243 pp
264. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (1979) 295 pp COMPLETED
265. Connectography: Mapping the Global Network Revolution by Parag Khanna (2016) 402 pp

November
266. Northmen by John Haywood (2015) 351 pp
267. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (1966) 417 pp
268. The Silent Cry by Kenzaburo Oe (1967) 274 pp
269. Beatlebone by Kevin Barry (2015) 263 pp
270. Words Under the Words by Naomi Shihab Nye (1995) 157 pp
271. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon (2005) 127 pp Completed
272. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks (2015) 370 pp
273. Small Town by Rehman Rashid (2016) 64 pp
274. Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson (2015) 315 pp
275. Encounters at the Heart of the World (2014) 336 pp
276. Confabulations by John Berger (2016) 143 pp Completed
277. Icarus by Deon Meyer (2015) 360 pp
278. A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) 319 pp
279. Out in the Midday Sun by Margaret Shennan (2000) 471 pp
280. Pacific by Simon Winchester (2015) 444 pp
281. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (1944) 227 pp
282. Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov (1933) 197 pp
283. Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed (1919) 414 pp
284. Monkey by Wu Cheng-en (c 1560) 388 pp
285. Grass by Sheri S. Tepper (1989) 540 pp
286. The Presence by Eve Bunting (2003) 195 pp
287. The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West (1956) 432 pp
288. Deep South by Paul Theroux (2015) 441 pp
289. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (1998) 873 pp
290. The Establishment by Owen Jones (2014) 313 pp
291. The Killing of Crazy Horse by Thomas Powers (2010) 467 pp
292. Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson (1936) 299 pp
293. Social Class in the 21st Century by Mike Savage (2016) 411 pp
294. The English & Their History by Robert Tombs (2014) 891 pp
295. Confessions : An Innocent Life in Communist China by Kang Zhegguo (2004) 443 pp
296. Hiding in Plain Sight by Nuruddin Farah (2014) 339 pp
297. Northern Lights by Tim O'Brien (1975) 363 pp
298. The Lotus and the Storm by Lan Cao (2014) 386 pp
299. Mood Indigo by Boris Vian (1947) 214 pp
300. Hell and Good Company by Richard Rhodes (2015) 239 pp
301. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (2014) 460 pp
302. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant (2009) 461 pp
303. The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie (1987) 137 pp
304. A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) 296 pp
305. Last in the Tin Bath by David Lloyd (2015) 291 pp
306. The Odessans by Irina Ratushinskaya (1996) 408 pp
307. The Lost by Jonathan Aycliffe (1996) 248 pp
308. Travels in the Interior of Africa by Mungo Park (1805) 388 pp
309. The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence (1964) 301 pp

December
310. Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler (2003) 214 pp
311. Horror in the East by Laurence Rees (2001) 265 pp
312. Natural History by Neil Cross (2007) 279 pp
313. The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1960) 225 pp
314. The Trembling Hills by Phyllis Whitney (1956) 312 pp
315. Someone by Alice McDermott (2013) 232 pp
316. A Company of Planters by John Dodd (2007) 336 pp
317. Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham (2012) 377 pp
318. The Naked Civil Servant by Quentin Crisp (1968) 222pp
319. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (2003) 347 pp
320. Longitude by Dava Sobel (1995) 176 pp
321. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (1997) 233 pp
322. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby (1997) 139 pp
323. Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh (1997) 309 pp
324. Stuart : A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters (2005) 292 pp
325. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (2000) 238 pp
326. Bad Blood : A Memoir by Lorna Sage (2000) 281 pp
327. Sea-Biscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (2001) 399 pp
328. The Bradshaw Variations by Rachel Cusk (2009) 249 pp
329. A Brief History of How the Industrial Revolution Changed the World by Thomas Crump (2010) 330 pp
330. Misspent Youth by Peter F Hamilton (2002) 439 pp
331. Great North Road by Peter F Hamilton (2012) 1,087 pp
332. Owning the Earth by Andro Linklater (2013) 399 pp
333. The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami (1993) 327 pp
334. The North (And Almost Everything in it) by Paul Morley (2013) 552 pp
335. Napoleon by Alan Forrest (2011) 331 pp
336. Dirt Music by Tim Winton (2001) 461 pp
337. The Amalgamation Polka by Stephen Wright (2006) 323 pp
338. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz (2003) 538 pp
339. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton (1991) 431 pp
340. Maiden Castle by John Cowper Powys (1934) 484 pp
341. The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu (2007) 228 pp
342. The Silver Darlings by Neil M. Gunn (1941) 584 pp
343. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (2011) 391 pp
344. Long Way Home by Michael Morpurgo (1975) 149 pp
345. Hunting Season by Andrea Camilleri (1992) 180 pp
346. So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor (2006) 373 pp
347. The Terror of Living by Urban Waite (2011) 304 pp
348. Pandorama by Ian Duhig (2010) 55 pp
349. The Whole & Rain-domed Universe by Colette Bryce (2014) 49 pp
350. Pluto by Glyn Maxwell (2013) 54 pp
351. There Will Be No More Nonsense by Lorraine Mariner (2014) 56 pp
352 The Other Country by Carol Ann Duffy (1990) 53 pp
353. Jake's Long Shadow by Alan Duff (2002) 239 pp
354. The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell (2011) 167 pp
355. To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (2011) 377 pp
356. The Promise by Ann Weisgarber (2013) 306 pp
357. Overlord : D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1984) 418 pp
358. 100 Prized Poems (2016) 206 pp
359. Galore by Michael Crummey (2010) 333 pp
360. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham (1930) 222 pp
361. Dog Years by Gunter Grass (1963) 610 pp
362. The Conquest of Bread by Peter Kropotkin (1892) 210 pp
363. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (c160) 122 pp
364. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1845) 875 pp
365. The Great Swindle by Pierre Lemaitre (2013) 455 pp
366. The Card by Arnold Bennett (1911) 246 pp

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE 2017

JANUARY : IRISH BRITONS - ELIZABETH BOWEN & BRIAN MOORE

FEBRUARY : SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY - MARY STEWART & TERRY PRATCHETT

MARCH : A DECADE OF BRITISH NOVELS : The 1960s - 10 Novels by Men; 10 Novels by Women

APRIL: SOUTH YORKSHIRE AUTHORS : AS BYATT & BRUCE CHATWIN

MAY : BEFORE QUEEN VIC : 10 Novels written prior to 1837

JUNE : THE HISTORIANS (Historical Fiction / Historians) GEORGETTE HEYER & SIMON SCHAMA

JULY : SCOTTISH AUTHORS : D.E. STEVENSON and R.L. STEVENSON

AUGUST : BRITAIN BETWEEN THE WARS (Writers active 1918-1939) WINIFRED HOLTBY & ROBERT GRAVES

SEPTEMBER : THE NEW MILLENNIUM (Great Books Since 2000) A novel chosen from each year of the new century

OCTOBER : WELSH AUTHORS (Born in or associated with Wales) : JO WALTON & ROALD DAHL

NOVEMBER : POET LAUREATES : British laureates, children's laureate, National Poets

DECEMBER : WILDCARD (Chosen via a vote) : ELIZABETH GASKELL & NEIL GAIMAN

December Reading Plans

TIOLI - I am going to have a go at them this month and I have something to fit all the categories so far:
I also have a BAC which celebrates my home area of West Yorkshire.
I have AAC and Don DeLillo....grrr

1 TIOLI #1 Person you admire : Walking Away by Simon Armitage (BAC) COMPLETED
2 TIOLI #2 Colour & object: Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (BAC, 1001)
3 TIOLI #3 Book to finish : The Innocence of Father Brown by GK Chesterton COMPLETED
4 TIOLI #4 Numbers in first sentence : Please Mr. Postman by Alan Johnson COMPLETED
5 TIOLI #5 Solstice challenge : The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini
6 TIOLI #6 Vehicle on cover : Drive by James Sallis
7 TIOLI #7 Two capitals in surname : The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney
8 TIOLI #8 A work of art : The Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett
9 TIOLI #9 One or two repeated vowels : The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes (BAC) COMPLETED
10 TIOLI #10 William Trevor book : Mrs. Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel by William Trevor COMPLETED
11 TIOLI #11 Eve in the title : Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor
12 TIOLI #12 Starts with arriving : Mao II by Don DeLillo (AAC, 1001 books)
13 TIOLI #13 A 12 gifts word : The Maytrees by Annie Dillard COMPLETED
14 TIOLI #14 A chunkster : Angel Pavement by J.B. Priestley (BAC)
15 TIOLI #15 Sci-Fi/Fantasy on Earth : The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
16 TIOLI #16 Peace on Earth : Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
17 TIOLI #17 Not Christmasy : Military Blunders by Saul David COMPLETED
18 TIOLI #18 Scandi Book : Midwinter Sacrifice by Mons Kallentoft

If I can manage all of those I also have

19 BOWIE Books : The Outsider by Colin Wilson

Currently Reading

The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini



Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Next one is yours

Hello Paul :)

>20 lunacat: Jenny!! Well done my dear at being so quick off the buzzer. xx

Happy new thread mate, hope all is well with you and the family. I wonder what will happen tomorrow with the start of the final test, hopefully we will be able to put up a decent fight and win.

I must admit I didn't see Gary Balance as the next Yorkshire captain mate although I think it could be a good appointment and I think he will knuckle down and get some runs and set the tone for the season as he has a lot to prove.

>22 johnsimpson: Thanks John. I had missed that appointment actually ~ well at the very least I think he is unlikely to play for England again for a while and so can concentrate on the fortunes of God's Own County!
I think we'll get hammered again in Chennai.

>23 PaulCranswick:, My thoughts exactly on both points.

Happy new thread! Dang, I'm on a roll today. ;)

>24 johnsimpson: I don't know about Ballance but we need balance in the side, John. Going forward we need another right-hander in the middle order and a more balanced attack.

I have been banging the drum about Bell-Drummond and Leach for a while and I think both should be playing. I think Cook should step down for a series and take a rest giving Root the chance to find his feet as captain. He could come back later in the summer as and when we needed him.

I would play - Hameed, Bell-Drummond, Jennings (or Gubbins), Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Ali, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Leach

It is a Christmas miracle! I'm making up for the 2+ years I spent having fallen off the planet ;).

>25 rosylibrarian: Like London cabbies, Marie. Can't see one for ages then get two at once! Lovely to see you again, again. xx

>27 lunacat: Gravitational pull here is pretty sound, I think, Jenny. One of the highlights of the last Quarter of 2016 in LT is the re-emergence here of some good pals. xx

Happy New Thread, Paul!

Lovely photo of Yasmyne and Koo Young up there.

I'll look forward to your Best Books of 2016.

Happy new thread!

>30 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. Coming soon, buddy, coming soon.

>31 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. Lovely to see you as always. xx

Happy new thread!

>34 amanda4242: Thanks Amanda; friend and leading reader of books in British Author Challenge for two consecutive years. xx

Happy new thread, Paul!

Nice topper! Happy new thread!

Happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Paul!

Happy new thread. Good to see your eldest is having fun in Edinburgh. Hoping to make it myself for New Year.

>36 brodiew2: Thanks Brodie; and

>37 jessibud2: Thanks also to Shelley; and

>38 The_Hibernator: No less thanks to dear Rachel; and

>39 harrygbutler: to Harry as well; and

>40 charl08: To Charlotte. She is having fun there but has also finished her first semester exams with decent results so I am quite pleased with her.

Happy new thread, Paul! Good luck on your TIOLI sweep! If anyone can do it, it's you!!

Happy new thread, Paul, and congratulations on a beautiful family.

>43 Matke: Thank you Lynda for the good wishes and the misplaced faith!

>44 PaulCranswick: Thanks Gail, poor lot; I don't know what they did to deserve me.

Hard to believe that first semester is over already, isn't it! Happy New Thread, chum.

>45 ronincats: Roni, you are right, my dear, time really flies when you need to keep spending money!

Happy New Thread, Paul! I just started a new one too. Possibly the last...?

Love the topper! When do you reunite with Yasmyne?

Love the Best Books of the Year list! I am thinking about my own and The North Water may end up being on it. I never did get a chance to read The Orenda. 2017, perhaps? I have read a lot of stellar NF this year but not familiar with any of your titles. Bad Mark?

>47 msf59: Possibly for both of us buddy.
Yasmyne is gallivanting across Europe at the moment at her mother's expense but do hope to make it to the UK before the end of the year although it is starting to be a case of "cutting it fine".

I will be interested to see your own best of lists.

110.

Please, Mister Postman by Alan Johnson

Date of Publication : 2014
Pages : 312
TIOLI December 2017 a number in th eopening sentence

Alan Johnson, for those unfamiliar, became a Cabinet minister in the Blair and Brown Labour governments rising to Home Secretary and proving both a popular figure and a safe pair of hands.

This is the second installment of his memoirs started earlier with the excellent This Boy and sees him joining the Post Office as a postman, getting married and moving his new family onto a council estate in Slough and becoming active in the Trade Union movement. The latter would see him eventually leading the Communication Workers Union and becoming a national figure.

There is also plenty of sadness and tragedy amongst the pages amid the occasional smile or two. This is truth is less good that This Boy but it is still a memoir notable for candour and straight-forwardness. These are qualities many of us would have liked to have seen in our Labour Party leader and why so many hoped he would stand for leader after the last election. Perhaps he is too busy writing books.

7/10

Hope Yasmyne make sit home for the holidays!

I plan on stating Swallows and Amazons tomorrow and I am picking up an Armitage collection, from the library, so that should wrap the BAC up for me.

>51 PaulCranswick: No Mark. It is far more likely that we will go there. She will however at the very least travel down to West Yorkshire and spend Christmas with her Gran and her Aunts, Uncles and cousins.

Interesting fellow Arthur Ransome. Will look out for how you get on with him.

Happy New Thread, Paul! So you are off to the UK for the holidays? My sister's son just returned from university in the UK to visit here for two weeks. Great picture of Yasmyne and Koo.

New thread greetings .... Interesting lists in your last installment

Never know I might just make an appearance in the BAC reading challenge next year - stranger things have happened

Anyway have a great weekend

>52 vancouverdeb: Not exactly confirmed our trip back yet Deb, but I am certainly hoping so.

>53 roundballnz: Alex, it would be nice to have a fellow exile along for the trip next year. A dip-in and dip-out is also fine, mate.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>55 scaifea: Thanks Amber; you can always be relied upon my dear not to miss my threads. xx

One package I can just about keep myself under control with but 2!!!

I have a confessions to make - I folded; couldn't wait for Christmas under the heat of a Malaysian sun and I so rarely get packages that I don't organise for myself, that I couldn't resist and I opened the 2 packages I have received.

VERY VERY PLEASED with what I found there:

Galore by Michael Crummey



&

Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham



Thank you so much Secret Santa! I am thrilled.

Good morning, Paul. Not sure where I discovered this newsletter, likely from someone here on LT, but today's issue is all about *Best Of* lists. Thought you'd enjoy it:

https://www.brainpickings.org/?utm_source=Brain+Pickings&utm_campaign=52a5a8...

Good morning, Paul. I hope all is well with you.

Ooh! Result on the Secret Santa.
Glad to hear Yasmyne did so well in her academics - and that she's taking the opportunity to travel. Christmas markets, maybe?

Happy new thread, Paul. You received your Secret Santa already? I remember waiting until the New Year for mine last year. Wonder how long I will have to wait this time?

>58 jessibud2: Thanks for that Shelley. I particularly like the look of the books by Gaiman and Mary Oliver.

>59 brodiew2: Well at least it is the weekend, Brodie! Still too busy. Still battling cashflow issues in the company. Still trying to believe tha glass is half-full not half-empty.

>60 charl08: Some things are genetic Charlotte. I always did well academically and her mother would beat anyone in a contest regarding shopping!

>61 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. Last year Katie was my secret santa and unfortunately two of the books she had sent me got lost in the post so it is great to get books relatively early.

I was given these presents by one of my partners in the construction company yesterday

361. Dog Years by Gunter Grass (1963) 610 pp
362. The Conquest of Bread by Peter Kropotkin (1892) 210 pp
363. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (c160) 122 pp

361 is the third part of his celebrated Danzig Trilogy which I want to get stuck into.



362 I have long looked for and was pleased to have my old friend Hakem find it for me.



363 I used to have in the UK and dip into a la Ralph Fiennes, will set to and read it again soon.

Hi Paul, just picked up a new rec on Deb's thread which came from you: Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series. Looking forward to this one. And I've learned there are DVD episodes as well, which I'm hoping my library will have. So, thanks!

Oh, I didn't know they've done Inspector Rebus as a series!

Happy new thread and all the new books :)

>65 lit_chick: Lovely to see you Nancy. I haven't seen the series but as far as I know there are two distinct versions. The first series had John Hannah in the lead role and subsequent ones have seen Ken Stott as Rebus. Different actresses have played Gill Templer and Siobhan Clarke.

>66 sibylline: I will have to go and watch them too, Lucy.

>67 paulstalder: Thanks Paul.

>1 PaulCranswick: for a second there I thought your youngest had grown a few years in a few weeks!!!

>64 PaulCranswick: I've read no Gunter Grass, and I want to rectify that!

>69 LovingLit: I am in the same boat as you with Gunter Grass. I have a few of them on the shelves but nothing actually read.

Frank loved Günter Grass, Paul, but I haven't read any of him yet. I loved The Tin Drum movie (Die Blechtrommel, German, 1979).

>71 FAMeulstee: Anita, I need to make inroads a little in my Nobel reading challenge; whilst I have read three this year (Lessing, Heaney and Golding) none of them were new to me.

Oooh, Marcus Aurelius - lovely!

>73 scaifea: Just up your alley, I know, Amber. xx

>64 PaulCranswick: Oh fiddle! That reminds me I was going to buy Meditations for my brother for Christmas. I don't quite know when I'm going to get a chance now. Have you read it before? It surprised me rather to see it on his Christmas list but then I know nothing about it.

>75 eclecticdodo: Yes, sort of Jo. I used to dip into it and try to appear smart with it when I was at Uni. This time I'll read it properly.

Hi, Paul! I've had Meditations on my Kindle for about a year. I'd read a bit of it, then completely forgot it was there until seeing the title here! Time to find it and get it back on the "home" page so I can dip into it when the need for contemplation arises. :)

Have a great weekend!

Happy new thread, Paul! Nice photo of Yasmyne and Koo.

Please, Mister Postman is in my TBR pile, though I'm not sure when I'll get to it, and I bought The Long and Winding Road when I traveled home visited London in September.

>77 Storeetllr: It is certainly something to be dipped into and gone back to Mary. I am not sure that Donald Trump's musings will survive in book form for 2,000 years!

>78 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. The third book is not available over here yet but I would certainly buy it when I am in the UK next.

Happy new one, Paul! Lovely topper.

>80 Crazymamie: Thank you Mamie. xx I have to say I miss your talented young ladies around the threads a-lately. Both of them are busy I know but when they blow through the group, it is a breath of fresh air.

Decent old day. Went out with Hani and Belle and had Penang food (I had prawn mee and Hani had Assam Laksa). We followed that up with a sort of comedy horror movie from Thailand called the Midnight University which had my daughter and her mother in stitches.

This is Penang Assam Laksa

Oh and I added a few more books mainly because of the wait between food and movie as well as all the talk of the Count:

364. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1845) 875 pp

365. The Great Swindle by Pierre Lemaitre (2013) 455 pp

366. The Card by Arnold Bennett (1911) 246 pp



364 Has been the talk of the threads this last month or so - not bad for a novel 170 years old



365 Won the 2013 Prix Goncourt.



I had 366 in an old Penguin edition in the UK and I was taken by this new one.

#82 drooooooooollll. I love laksa. And basically any thai food I've managed to try over here. Nom nom nom... oh and books....mmmmmm

>82 PaulCranswick: Looks delicious!

Wow, that's quite the cover for The Count of Monte Cristo!

>84 BekkaJo: In some Thai restaurants in the west they may carry it, Bekka, but the food is actually Peranakan which is a mixture of Malay and Chinese and why the food emanates from the island of Penang.

>85 amanda4242: It is indeed Amanda. My prawn mee is even more so and possibly more in keeping with western sensibilities

This dish is also known as Hokkien Prawn Mee Soup , Hokkien being a sub-group of chinese.

>86 The_Hibernator: Those are the actual covers I snaffled, Rachel. We would have thought that supply and demand would dictate a higher price for some of these books but the classics are generally much cheaper in the stores than newish releases. It comes of course from the drive towards good books and literacy and the fact that many of the classics were traditionally printed on cheaper paper to get them to a wider audience.

>87 PaulCranswick: Ooh...yes, please.

>89 kidzdoc: For me, Darryl, I prefer Prawn Mee to Assam Laksa it is flavoursome without being too spicy and is a very satisfying dish. Mixed noodles between the yellow egg noodles and the rice vermicelli is my own peculiarity for it. The one pictured has only the yellow noodles.

Wow, that looks fantastic!

>91 drneutron: If you can ever get one of those rockets to deposit you in Malaysia, Jim, I will stand you just such a meal - fantastic it is indeed, buddy.

We'd love to visit that part of the world!

#87 oops - sorry :) I suspect in my head it's all clumped into the wrong places. I think it means I need to eat lots more of it. Lots more.

>86 The_Hibernator: >88 PaulCranswick: I thought the same thing, Rachel. I wondered if person on the cover was supposed to be The Count or one of his enemies. ;-)

>93 drneutron: And you would be made very welcome too, Jim.

>94 BekkaJo: Hahaha, Bekka - actually I have seen it on the menu in Thai restaurants in the UK and NZ which means that the Thais must like the dish too!

>95 brodiew2: It is a low budget version in Wordsworth Classics Brodie and, you're right it could be Dantes or any manner of villain on the cover.

I'm a pretty err - careful/ tame eater, Paul. My daughter in law hails from Hong Kong and my son loves to tell me that " You could not handle the food that we eat" :) It's true! I don't care for shellfish or fish or ..... etc. Prawns and shrimp scare me :) Fortunately for me , my daughter in law and son cook " very western" when we visit with them. We've got plenty of great Asian Restaurants here, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Japanese , Malaysian - well, you name it, but I steer clear. Chicken is about the only meat that I eat and the occasional halibut and chips. I'm very boring when it comes to food :)

>97 vancouverdeb: There is food for every palate here Deb. There are at least a dozen Italian restaurants here that are on a par with anything I have had in Europe, French (the small portions and high prices are the same the world over), plenty of American chains (Chilis , TGI Friday etc), Spanish, Turkish, Lebanese, Iranian, Yemeni, as well as the gamut of asian cuisine Thai, Chinese (of various ilks), Japanese, Malay, Korean, North Indian, South Indian.

A lot of cantonese food can be quite delicate in flavour and often suits western taste-buds. It is probably the proclivity of eating weird and wonderful ingredients that your son and daughter-in-law are referring to.

Despite liking spicy food, I do often yearn for my traditional british staples like fish and chips, shepherd's pie, Lancashire hotpot, roast beef and Yorkshire Puddings - what a happy coincidence for me that Hani can cook them all for me.

>57 PaulCranswick: No self-discipline at all...tsk, tsk. But we knew that all ready, will your book buying tendencies. Grins...

Like I mentioned on the Swap thread, I loved Galore!

>99 msf59: Mark, my dear fellow, I notice that you have spent the year picking up new names. We have had the Warbler, The-Postie-With-The-Mostie and very recently I have seen you dubbed by Alex, "The Teacher's Pet"; the teacher in this instance being Jeff.

One name that will definitely last though is buddy - you are a great pal to so many of us here.

I want to make more inroads into my challenge of reading something by all the Nobel literature winners.
I have presently read something by 59 of the 113 winners and have books by 21 others on the shelves. Want to try and read at least one per month next year.

Thanks, Paul! Yes, a man of many names and many hats! But wait until next year...

>102 msf59: I can hardly wait for next year.......well I will at least be pleased when this one is done.

New year t-minus 11 days.... lets hope it't better!

>104 BBGirl55: My word, I would agree with that Bryony. Just had an exceptionally difficult and exasperating day and had a heart-to-heart with my brother on the phone about the future. He is desperate for me to come back to the UK and I am increasingly struggling with the rampant corruption in business here and the inability of clients to pay for our services.

It could well be that LT and the 75ers may be losing a correspondent in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 as the desire to move on beckons.

>103 PaulCranswick: Well, there's a new place to party in town...

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2017

>105 PaulCranswick: - The lure of good old England...

>105 PaulCranswick: - {{Paul}}

Well, maybe it's a good omen that the calendar will shortly turn, perhaps hinting at the right time to make a new start. I'm sorry to hear of the ongoing stresses and woes at work. You know what they say about change, sometimes it's better to cut your losses and start fresh. I have confidence in you and you skills and attitude that whatever you decide, you will somehow land on your feet.

The good part for us is that wherever you are, you are still with us, and we, with you! :-)

<106 Thanks Jim, I might just go and have a little look at that one!

>107 Trifolia: When I have tough days, it has even more pull, Monica

>108 jessibud2: Thanks for the vote of confidence, Shelley. I am sure that I'll land but which part of my body touches the ground first will be interesting to behold!

I send lots of good wishes. I'm so sorry for all your stress.

>105 PaulCranswick: I hope 2017 will bring you all good in important desicions on location & business!

My best to you and your family as you decide what to do. Sorry for all of your stress and decisions to make.

I haven't added all my purchased books for 2016. I confess to a frenzy of book buying during a recent 30% off sale with Bookoutlet.com. I think you surpasses my purchases and/or acquisitions.

>110 Whisper1: I have missed your presence around the threads for the last week or so, Linda, and am always pleased to see you posting and in good cheer. xx

>111 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita. Some of the issues will resolve themselves depending upon which potential projects get traction and on payments as I wouldn't want to go back to the UK without two pennies to rub together as the saying goes.

>112 vancouverdeb: Deb, they are difficult decisions as I have a profound and genuine affection for the country that sort of adopted me twenty three years ago and is the land of my wife and partly my children. If Kyran and Belle got a vote they would definitely vote to go the UK on the "grass is greener" precept but I do have to consider my in-laws and how the construction company would be managed in my absence or whether to sell my stake in it.
I am a little concerned about a sort of tactical islamisation that Malaysia is undergoing as its corrupt leadership is cobbling together a deal with the equally corrupt opposition Islamic party to make sure it keeps hold of power. Politics is race based here with the Malays holding sway and the Chinese effectively powering the economy. The strains of this arrangement will result in a flare up of conflict at some stage in the near future.

>113 Whisper1: I have tried to curtail my own proclivities this year and have managed to a degree, Linda, but I think in 2017, i will purchase even fewer.

Had a peek over at the 2017 page and see that some of our number are already setting a merry pace with a couple having racked up over twenty posts already just a few hours in. I will start my thread over there shortly after having a little think about how I will structure it this year.

Sure we've racked up some posts, but if you look at mine, they are all numbered place holders. I couldn't resist creating the thread, but I'm not going to put any actual data over there until after Christmas. Time is moving too fast.

>116 PaulCranswick: I don't want to give up the penguins, wondering if I can just carry on in 2017...

Hi Paul, well we got thumped yet again and now is the time for Cook to concentrate on opening and passing the batten onto Root. Yet again we collapsed from a century partnership in a game we should not have lost and the fans who travelled out there were short changed.

I see that Leach's action has been questioned and that was why he wasn't selected, think they were hoping to get this under the radar to protect the lad but it came out. I think that the hierarchy are going to have to take a long hard look at their selection process and fully examine what went wrong and where and to be honest I think Strauss's position could be called into question. On one side I think this debacle could be good for England in that it will show the serious flaws that need to be sorted out and they will not want to go through this again but on the other side nothing major will be done and we will just plod on thinking we are great.

Hope you are having a good week mate and that the family are all well. Karen sends her love to all.

>117 mahsdad: Jeff, I have fleshed my thread out a little over there but the serious business will only start soon!

>118 charl08: You, your penguins, your Guardian reviews are already an integral part of the group, Charlotte, please carry on.xx

>119 johnsimpson: Yes mate, I have said much the same over at your thread for next year.
I think the comments by the ECB on Leach are specious and merely an excuse for omitting him because the uselessly cautious Captain wanted bowlers to be able to bat (Ali, Ansari, Rashid and Dawson) or contain (Batty). There was nothing wrong with his action, in fact by raising this now they will probably spoil the promise the guy clearly has. I think the way this was released is an absolute disgrace in order to justify his non-selection. Not a single whisper of doubt about his action during the whole summer. So if Leach couldn't tour, why not the next best English spinner in Rayner. Again he doesn't fit the batting and containment criteria.
Give Karen a cuddle for us, John.

Hey, Paul! The Mighty 75 is hopping at the moment, with the final thread posts and the launch of many '17 threads! This is our crazy time!

I just started Paper Aeroplane. I like this guy's voice. I seem to do better with more modern poetry, but then again, I am still new at this game.

>121 msf59: I thought that you would like Armitage, Mark. There is an immediacy and a directness in his style that is excellent.

You are right - this is definitely our time of year.

A new 2017 thread is tempting but how to find the time when finishing off books, getting the house ready for Christmas, keeping up with my blog and, oh yeah, that thing called a job *sigh*.

>115 PaulCranswick: I can really understand how difficult it must be to decide what is best to do. Could you run your business from the UK - and would you need to start something new up in the UK - and is that possible to do? And how does Hani feel about it? Yes, many things to consider. As you mention, I suppose the future in Malaysia could be difficult.

I'll wait til after Christmas to create a 2017 thread.

>123 Familyhistorian: Sighs a plenty here too as my time is spent trying to chase up money just in order to have a Christmas! I couldn't manage to get back to the UK for Christmas this time for the main reason that cash flow dictates otherwise and it would be irresponsible of me just to upsticks and go.
Did start a new thread though!

>124 vancouverdeb: I have held preliminary talks with a business associate on the basis that he would step into the management structure of the construction company and help in the management of it. The Project Management personnel worth keeping on in the construction company would be integrated into it.
My brother wants to expand and diversify the business in the UK so my role would be to spearhead that expansion and diversification - let us see, but the call of the UK is certainly growing in volume.

>125 PaulCranswick: I didn't realize your brother was involved in your business - or would this be a new partnership?

Oh gosh, decisions, decisions. I am so struck by the compelling tensions in the middle of which you stand. And by your thoughtful approach to the situation. It is one of those tough moments when being the grownup is just, well, tough.

Wishing you peace....

>126 ffortsa: I have helped him with contract management from afar over the years, Judy, but he has long made it plain that he would like me to come back to help him on a more permanent footing. It would be a position where I would divest some of my shares in the construction company here - some to someone handpicked to take the company forward locally and some to my brother in a share swap for shares in his business in the UK. We also have an expansion plan whereby we would take an interest in another company in Huddersfield with good track-record but an ageing ownership looking for help.

>127 EBT1002: I am not sure how grown-up, I feel on occasions Ellen!

Looks like new Paths & adventures for 2017 beckon .....

Paul, it sounds positive, with your brother having a company that you can work with , as well as possibly keeping your company going in Malaysia as well. Sometimes a person would just like to hide under the pillow. Take it easy , my friend.

>129 roundballnz: Alex, I reckon so buddy and i very much hope so. I am not really enjoying myself here as much as i used to to be honest.

>130 vancouverdeb: Deb, let me go and look for those pillows! Some of my friends here and in RL help to keep me sane and focused. I have one or two parties that I am dealing with who try their damnedest to be fractious and difficult but I do my best not to let them grind me down too much.

Ah changes - they are hard to make but necessary sometimes. It sounds like you have good potential back in the UK business and family wise. But then it is difficult to leave a place you have made a home. Best of luck with your transition.

>132 Familyhistorian: The other thing is that I don't want to burn my boats or my bridges whichever adage is the more appropriate! Thanks Meg.

Thinking of you as you are working on a solution to your troubles. But you are doing a great job of looking at all the possibilities and noting the oros and cons. That'll pay out in a good decision. I'm surprised you're able to keep up reading and thread with all of these weighty thoughts.

Ooof, change isn't easy sometimes, but here's hoping that whatever you decide will go along smoothly and happily.

>134 The_Hibernator: Reading is a brain cleanser, Rachel. If i didn't read, I would probably go insane or keel over from the stresses and strains of life. I have been struggling really hard to get some payments in over the Christmas period with wages and especially bills mounting including a short-term high interest loan I took out two months ago in order to make salaries (all bar my own as it happens!). I got notice this evening that my biggest single client has paid us something which keeps the wolf from the door.

>135 scaifea: Thanks Amber. I think that one way or another, 2017 will be an interesting year!

>136 PaulCranswick: Interesting, indeed. *deep breath*

>137 scaifea: Another deep breath..........we have a situation now trying to get Yasmyne down to Yorkshire from Edinburgh to be with her Gran and Aunts and Uncles. The internet is not user friendly booking train tickets for someone else as they insist on verifying the card that has booked the ticket and buying them cash in ridiculously expensive.

Hope you sort it out Paul. Modern tech eh - my dad used to just slip me a tenner when I came home!

>139 charl08: Turns out the little rascal is having the boyfriend turn up on Boxing Day from Norway and never had any genuine intention of going down to Yorkshire! I can see white lies a plenty!

Fatherhood, ha!

Glad the client coughed up some, wolves are fascinating creatures, but not at the door. I hope 2017 is a mellower year for you with coffers going ring-ding-a-ding Paul.

>140 PaulCranswick: This is not something I am looking forward to dealing with.

>138 PaulCranswick: Oh, yeesh. Best of luck - I hope you find a easy solution!

Leaving you this wish for the season.....

Whenever I see >1 PaulCranswick: above, I think what a wonderful melding of both mum and dad Yasmyne is, Paul. I can see you both so strongly in her face.

Hi Paul, Karen and I would like to wish you and the family a very merry Christmas and whilst we celebrate take a moment to think of those less fortunate than ourselves due to war, starvation and natural disasters. Sending love and hugs.

Paul, I hope there will be time to celebrate the holiday season and enjoy family time. All the very best to you and the family

>141 Caroline_McElwee: I would like to think I am not too old-fashioned and stuffy a Dad, Caroline, but Yasmyne didn't really want to share her plans of course but eventually her mum teased it out of her. I am not scandalised of course as I was 19 and a student and in love myself and am not quite hypocritical enough to forbid to my daughter what I so gleefully enjoyed myself! The mother has had all the normal talks about being careful etc.
The payment last night does give me some peace of mind heading into Christmas - it did feel a little like Santa Claus arriving a couple of days earlier without the smell of reindeer shit or the necessity to lay out mince pies.

>142 Oberon: Yes Eric, as our children become adults and develop in their own brilliant obstreperous manners, they are certainly less easy to deal with. We can not approve and understand at the same time. She will feel the absence of her parents more if she spends Christmas with her Gran and Aunts and Uncles.

>143 scaifea: Well, Amber, she has solved it for us by not really wanting to go anyway!

>144 EBT1002: That is definitely one wish to cherish now and throughout the coming year, Ellen. Thank you. xx

>145 Caroline_McElwee: I agree completely with that Caroline. Some people can clearly see Hani but I have pictures of Yasmyne and of myself both in infancy and you would honestly struggle to determine who was who.

>146 johnsimpson: That is a lovely thought and wish, John. There are always those far less fortunate than ourselves and who are able to put in perspective the things we consider as insurmountable which are really just the detritus of a life lived normally. On Friday lunchtime we had a little gathering of the four members of our Project Management company set up to manage Ghana , UK and Malaysia cross border investment projects. We had the lunch at an Italian restaurant where one of our number is on exceedingly close terms with the Sardinian owner. Paolo, the owner was telling us that it was the worst Christmas trading he had ever experienced but at the same time he had invited the children and staff of a local orphanage to dine at his restaurant as his Christmas treat. The children were at an adjacent table and were lovely. So thumbs-up to Paolo for realising that despite his cares there is always someone in greater need than him. I want to follow that example more in 2017.

>147 jessibud2: Thank you Shelley. I will be across the threads over the next day or so with a few wishes of my own. I ought to add though that I have been very blessed by making your acquaintance more this year and I look forward to your company in 2017.

Sounds like your eldest has got all grown up ......

Seasons greetings from down under (well its Xmas eve ish) All the best for You & Yours

^Not as poetic as your seasonal sentiment, but I think this is quite moving too!

Have a great holiday with the family, my friend.

>151 msf59: Yes mate, too much so!

>152 PaulCranswick: Thanks Mark. The bear necessities, indeed.

Merry Christmas to you, Hani, and family, Paul ...

>153 lit_chick: Thank you, Nancy. It has been a pleasure keeping up with you in 2016 as always. xx

Paul, Thank you so much for the visit and the wonderful message for the coming year, very good thoughts!

>155 mdoris: You are most welcome, Mary. It has been nice to see you so active in the group this year and long may it continue. xx

Have done my rounds with Christmas messages but I know there are one or two I haven't made it too yet and I will put that right later - I am following the group page sorted by the last message posted so if you didn't post for a while then I may take a while to find you too!

111.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Date Published : 1846
Pages : 302
1001 Books First Edition: 271/1001
British Author Challenge
TIOLI - Colour and Subject

Overshadowed by her two sisters and this would indicate that she was overlooked partly undeservedly so.
Agnes is the daughter of a poor Parson who compounds his difficulties by unwise investments. Agnes wants to help out so she embarks upon a life as a Governess of, often, the most obnoxious juveniles.

Apart from the fact that I would have gladly shook the young lady had I come into her presence, I enjoyed this. Predictable but told in beautiful prose.

8/10

I just opened the Talk tab and discovered that you, Santa-like, have been visiting everybody's threads!

Happy holidays and heartfelt wishes that your new year will be happy and full of many great books.

Paul, Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

>159 amanda4242: A couple of hundred threads at least, Amanda. I think it is a good way of delivering my Christmas Cards / Hanukkah / Festive / Seasons Greetings.

>160 SandDune: Thanks Rhian. I do hope that next year allows you a little more time to post in the group as I have missed you this year for long spells.

Merry Christmas!!

Have a great holiday with your family and friends!

>162 ChelleBearss: Thank you Chelle - the same to you and Nate and little Chloe. xx

>163 torontoc: Thanks Cyrel. I have really enjoyed keeping up with you this year and look forward to more of the same in 2017.

I wish you a peaceful holiday full of family, books, and the foods you love, Paul

Thank you dear Gail. xx The very same to you of course.

Thanks for the holiday wishes, Paul. I didn't see whether your kids would be home for the holidays, but I hope you get to see them again soon! Wishing you warmth (probably not a problem in Malaysia) and peace~

Hope you and your family have a peaceful Christmas🎄❄🎁

wishing you a merry Christmas

Peace on Earth and Happy Holidays!

Happiest of holidays to you and your family, Paul!

>167 knotbox: It will be warmer for sure than New York this time of year, Josephine! My eldest daughter is in Edinburgh, Scotland presently studying (well mainly partying) and I was a little touched by Hani and Yasmyne's conversation last night. Yasmyne called her mother to wish her Happy Christmas and the two of them were blubbering on the phone. They spend most of the year like cat and dog but miss each other immensely.

>168 BBGirl55: Thank you Bryony. I trust that you have a wonderful Xmas in Essex, my dear.

>169 eclecticdodo: Thanks Jo. That looks a plastic Santa with a purpose!

>170 Cariola: Thanks Deborah. Isn't that kitty how most of feel in the aftermath of Christmas lunch?!

>171 Storeetllr: Yes Mary, I wish everyone could coexist. The world moved towards polarisation this year and I do hope that 2017 will be a year of reconciliation whilst fearing the opposite.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Paul!

>174 harrygbutler: Thanks Harry. I look forward to more of your eclectic missives in 2017.

Happy holidays to you and your family, Paul.

Thank you, dear Guru.

#172 *Kent. I am sure that I will just hope that my Mum likes her presents.

>178 BBGirl55: Hahaha what a faux pas - calling a Kent lady and Essex girl! I am sure that she will, Bryony, as it is always the thought that count.

Irish guy went home to his wife on Christmas
- Where's my present? (Wife)
- I thought about it (Hubby)
- So where is it? (Wife)
- It is the thought that counts! (Hubby)
.........................
- Ouch! (Hubby)

Merry Christmas, Paul!

Thank you, Paul, for the greetings that you left on my thread. My reading this year has fallen way off so I rarely check in there. Its all due to the general depression and malaise that a lot of us are feeling right now. Though I fear that things will not get better any time soon, I am hoping that my outlook can somehow adjust. So, thank you again for your good wishes and may you and your family thrive in the coming year.

All the best wishes to you, Paul

#179 To be fair I live in the north of kent not to far from the river estry. You could throw stones at Essex from there. To be fair us lot from Medway can sound very Essex-esque, we speak with rounded 'O' & 'A' and extend our E's; as well as dropping H's and pronuncing TH as F. In the Medway contiuancy so many of the towns are pronunced wrong.

Gilingham is pronuced Gill-ing-am in stead of Gill-ing-ham the same with Rainham and Chatham. Higham is pronunced I-am & Hempstead, Emp-stead.

But saying all off this we are not to far from the South and East London which only confuses us more!

This is the Christmas tree at the end of the Pacific Beach Pier here in San Diego, a Christmas tradition.

To all my friends here at Library Thing, I want you to know how much I value you and how much I wish you a very happy holiday, whatever one you celebrate, and the very best of New Years!

Peace and best wishes from the Koons household to yours!

>180 Crazymamie: I am very impressed by your going to the trouble to choose an individual "card" for each of us, Mamie. I am even happier to get a heart and a coffee. Thanks for your friendship and company in 2016 and I am looking forward to a shared LT journey in 2017.

>181 catarina1: It has been a difficult year for so many of us in so many ways, hasn't it? I would like to see if we can put all those cares behind us and say to heck with it, we won't let the bastards grind us down. xx

>182 sibylline: Lovely, Lucy. One is going to get a Teddy that goes barking up the wrong tree!

>183 BBGirl55: Almost saved by geographic proximity then?! We used to have similar problems in having outsiders pronounce some of our place names in Yorkshire. Cudworth (where Michael Parkinson and Olympian Dorothy Hyman hail from) is pronounced "Cud'orth", whilst the small town of Penistone is also not pronounced as you may imagine.

>184 ronincats: As you are valued in turn, Roni; Sci-fi raconteur and potter extraordinaire.

>185 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you, Linda. It has been a pleasure as always keeping up with you in 2016.

Happy Christmas to you and your family, Paul. Nice that the client came through in time for you to celebrate keeping the wolf from the door.

>188 Familyhistorian: It was a real relief, Meg, cause I could almost hear it growling! xx

>189 PaulCranswick: Good thing you had that wall of books to deaden the sound then.

>190 Familyhistorian: Don't you know it, Meg. xx

I hope you have a wonderful book filled 2017.

Happy Holidays, Paul.

>192 calm: Nice to see you Calm. Whichever way the year goes, it will definitely be full of books. xx

>193 Ameise1: Makes me a little homesick that picture, Barbara. It is particularly warm this evening here.

Hi, Paul! It is early Christmas morning here. Everyone else is still in a slumber. I am spending some time online and then I think I will crack a book.

How did your holiday go?

>195 msf59: I still have tomorrow buddy and am getting into your AAC with Mao II which I should make before the month is out.

Merry Christmas Paul - and to your lovely family (even the Edinburgh contingent that is giving you nightmares!). We had the first tears from my daughter by 8.10 this morning so... ah on the whole it's been lovely :)

I'm off to enjoy the fire and port.

>197 BekkaJo: Enjoy away Bekka! Lovely as always to see and I can guarantee that your daughter will get away with a few tears being so blooming cute!

>186 PaulCranswick: "and say to heck with it, we won't let the bastards grind us down." - that's what they are. Very good advice, Paul, thank you. Happy holidays.

>199 catarina1: I came back from my summer holidays last year in a serene place - projects seemingly moving, cashflow healthy enough, new construction company beginning to look vibrant. This was only to find that one of my staff, and my most trusted staff at that had embezzled an extremely large sum and scarpered. I felt like curling up into a ball and waiting for the world to go away as from nowhere I was staring into the abyss. I haven't got that money back but so far have managed to survive that blow and I would like to think that the whole experience has made me tougher but not yet cynical.

Thank you for those kind words, Paul! I had fun doing it, and I thank you for noticing. Hoping your holiday was full of fabulous!

>201 Crazymamie: I am enjoying the leisure, Mamie. I refused a meeting today and am thinking of giving myself an extra day and return only on Wednesday.

Was saddened to see that George Michael has passed away at the painfully early age of 53.



In absolute truth he was not my favourite recording artist but my sister idolised him and Kyran, my retro loving son, adored Careless Whisper

To you and yours, dear Paul.

>203 PaulCranswick: He wasn't my favourite either, Paul, but I was sad when I heard of his passing. He was born in the same year as I was.

>203 PaulCranswick: I was simply stunned to hear of the passing of George Michael! I, like Kyran, adore Careless Whisper and it still remains my #1 all time favorite song. The sax riff if swoonable.

Hope the remainder of the holiday week is a restful and relaxing week for you, Paul!

>204 mirrordrum: Thanks Ellie, dear. I do hope we get a bit more of that in 2017.

>205 FAMeulstee: George Michael's abilities as a songwriter was unquestionable just as tragically some of his life choices were questionable. I thought his first two solo albums were very good but life's blows seemed to have put him off the business of entertainment and he wasn't latterly very active. A great shame.

>206 Carmenere: My favourite song of his is probably nowhere near his most controversial - "Waiting for that Day". I think his songs will endure, Lynda.

Had a good day with my baby Belle (12 is getting a little old for a baby) and Hani. We went to watch Rogue One. I have to say that seeing a digitised version of Peter Cushing was particularly discomfiting and not a little creepy considering he has been dead some 22 years. I can see though why the film has been so successful even though it is not quite my genre.

We followed that with a Korean meal. I had kimchi chi gae (Kimchi Soup) together with spicy sauteed octopi and pae jeon (Korean savoury pancake).

Finally I got to buy a few books for Christmas - since Christmas wasn't around I decided to keep them!

So I have never read a Graphic Novel so I thought I needed to start with reputedly the best:

367. Maus I : A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman (1986) 159 pp
368. Maus II : A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman (1992) 136 pp
369. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2003) 343 pp
370. Red Shift by Alan Garner (1975) 197 pp
371. Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett (1923) 342 pp
372. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (2008) 235 pp
373. The Secret People by John Wyndham (1935) 203 pp
374. Born Free by Joy Adamson (1960) 411 pp
375. Quiet Flows the Una by Faruk Sehic (2011) 193 pp

>208 PaulCranswick: Kimchi is a real favorite of mine; after years when I could find it but rarely, this past summer I located a store where I could get it more regularly. I've not had pajeon, but it sounds good.

Good morning, Paul! I hope all is well with you.

I'm smack in the middle of two print reads, Just Mercy and The Atlantis Gene, finishing up an audio book, The Constantine Codex, and considering a favorite GN of Joe's, Velvet . Things slowed a bit in the last week and there will be some carry over into next year.

>210 harrygbutler: Harry, I have worked closely with Korean companies for over twenty years and was an advisor to the Korean Overseas Contractors Association (ASEAN) and have had more of their cuisine than virtually any other asian cuisine. Paejon are very much a staple of the Korean diet.

>211 brodiew2: I will look out for both of those mate.

Merry belated Christmas and a very happy New Year, Paul!
I hope 2017 will be a better year for you and your family.
May it be a year filled with new opportunities and fresh hope, old friends and wonderful dreams!

>203 PaulCranswick: That candle was never made to burn long but to burn brightly .... Interesting that media have focussed on his Wham/early days rather than his latter .... I love his latter stuff more.

Popping in to say Hi! and wish you and yours a Merry, Merry and a Happy, Happy!

Some good graphic novel choices there. My husband is related though somewhat distantly to Art Spiegelman, he was able to help Art's brother with his family history a couple of years ago. I alerted him to a possible link after reading the Maus books.

>213 Trifolia: Thank you Monica. It would be great if 2017 was a good year and I am certainly going to try to make it so.

>214 roundballnz: The later stuff is obviously (to me) of more artistic value; I mean "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", indeed.

>215 Berly: Thanks Kimmers!

>216 avatiakh: That is a great story, Kerry. I am looking forward to giving those books a go.

>217 PaulCranswick: Yes, similar family names and also the towns mentioned were where my husband's maternal family came from. We visited Poland in 2008 and I was shocked at how close to Oswiecim (Auschwitz) all these places were, just a few kilometres. Visiting Auschwitz has to go down as one of the saddest experiences of my life, I'd read Primo Levi just a few weeks earlier. When we went to Birkenau it was cold and pouring with rain and felt so appropriate, I don't think I could have done it on a sunny day.
Persepolis is very good and I'd recommend Zahra's Paradise as a followup if you find GN's to your taste. It's political about the 2009 elections.

>218 avatiakh: Yes, it is extremely affecting isn't it? I don't have any familial connections with the Holocaust - just close friends, our old family Doctor, etc - but such experiences have marked my view of the world. The Anne Frank Huis in Amsterdam also has a chill about it that transcends climate.
Auschwitz is fairly close to the relative charm of Zakopane and it is sometimes hard to believe that the two can coexist.

No graphic novels yet, Paul? Maus is a good start. Another good one is Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me by Sarah Leavitt. Hey, she could be an author for the CAC. The work is actually her dissertation and she wrote and illustrated it.

>220 Familyhistorian: Yep, I am a GN virgin, but I will soon be putting that right.

Hi Paul! Best wishes during this time of year for you and your family. I'm venturing out into the LT world again today, baby steps at first, and am going to draw another line in the sand and go forward on all the threads and friends I haven't had the heart to engage in and with lately. Appropriate oohs and aahs, and congratulations and so sorrys,..... but here's an Early Happy New Year to you and best wishes for all good things in 2017.

>222 karenmarie: Glad to see you back, Karen; smile painted on or otherwise. xx
Grief and coping with loss are amongst the most difficult things we face on this earth but I do feel that having a strong group that cares for you makes a difference. There are a number of people in this group that hold you in high esteem and deem it an honour to have you visit. xx

I hope this season is filled with peace and joy. Happy new year, Paul. See you around in 2017.

>203 PaulCranswick: I wasn't a huge fan of George Michael's music, either, Paul, but it was part of the soundtrack of my 20s and therefore pulls at heartstrings. He was younger than I am. I hate when that happens.
xo

>224 BLBera: Thanks Beth. 2016 has been your most productive to date threads wise with over 2000 posts for the first time and well deserved as your thread has long been a place I enjoy hanging out.

CARRIE FISHER



Very sad to see the passing of Carrie Fisher aged 60. Just watched Rogue One where she is digitally recreated in an ending scene but she will live on forever as the hugely intelligent, funny and talented actress and writer. Wherever you are Ms. Fisher may the force be with you.

RICHARD ADAMS



Also leaving us today is the British author Richard Adams at the ripe old age of 96.



He will be remembered chiefly for the brilliant and dark modern children's classic Watership Down but he also published several other exceptionally good stories aimed I suppose at a juvenile audience and enjoyed universally.

Sad ending to the year. Richard Adams, too.

>229 Berly: 2016 has taken a toll on the field of popular music with Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen and George Michael amongst others being mourned.

Muhammad Ali and Arnold Palmer in the world of sport.

Carrie Fisher and Alan Rickman

Harper Lee and Richard Adams

In many ways though we are more profoundly affected by the passing of those who are closest to us and those of our friends. A number of our good friends in the group have lost loved ones this year and I will take a little time at the end of the year to again express my condolences to all of them and hope that 2017 will be a year of healing.

So sad to hear about all the people passing in 2016, Paul. But every year seems to bring the deaths of people you might expect and those that are a surprise as they seem so young. 2016 has been a year of loss and we can only hope for better in 2017.

>231 Familyhistorian: Of course, Meg, part of life's process is in its culmination and this is as inescapable as taxes. There will always be sadness and loss to report, I guess, but if it is such with peace and without suffering then it would be a blessing at least.

112.

The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini

Date of Publication : 1990
Pages : 319
Guardian Best 1000 Books

Ms. Maraini has long been suggested as a possible Nobel laureate for Italy and on the strength of this evocative novel it is not difficult to see why.

Our heroine is deaf and dumb and gets married off to her Uncle. Her father spends his time trying to shock her into speaking and hearing again as it appears she used to have both senses and of course the reasons for her loss are teased out as the story progresses.

Set in eighteenth century Sicily this is an excellent period piece in which we enter the mind and silent world of the Duchess just as she enters and reads the thoughts, often unpalatable of those around her. Her desires, her fears, her humanity are exposed to us in a quite unique lyrical voice. Over fifty chapters that have the effect of taking choice snapshots from her life, we have her life and the rights and wrongs of a hierarchical society laid bare in all its feudal injustice and harsh religious zealotry.

Well recommended.

8/10

Hey there, Paul! Yes, do get Hani a viking helmet! My family has a plastic version handed down by my grandparents ;) All manner of family members have posed and been photographed in it, quite to our delight. It is really ridiculous! I'd suggest an Icelandic knit sweater, but that would be rather warm to wear in Malaysia.

>234 vancouverdeb: I rather think she would expect me to wear it, Deb! A sweater would do exactly that in Malaysia, I fear.

Got another lovely gift from My Christmas Swap today.

376. Walking Home by Simon Armitage (2012) 281 pp

Thank you Laura. xx

>223 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. Tears don't come easy to me, but what you wrote made me misty-eyed.

I hope your week is going well.

>237 karenmarie: I am getting a little sentimental in my old age, Karen, or more realistically I just say things exactly as I see them these days. I do think people and especially gentlemen tend to keep their feelings buried far too often. If we like something - we should say so. If we care about someone - we should say so. I feel quite strongly about this group as I know that during my own brief moments of despair someone has popped up with a kind word or two and set me back on the right path.

Good morning, Paul. I hope all is well with you. 2016 continues to take people from us.

>227 PaulCranswick: Well said, Paul. She will be missed. I don't know why, but this line from The Empire Strikes Back is rising in my brain. I love the Han/Leia back and forth.



"Why, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerfherder!"

>228 PaulCranswick: I never read Watership Down, but I remember being emotionally affected by the animated film which is very good in its own right.

Wish-Listed The Silent Duchess!

>239 brodiew2: She was a bright star in the galaxy, Brodie, whether the stars were at war or no. Witty and extremely articulate as well as being a little prone to self-destruction she was the thinking man's pin-up for many years.

>240 Berly: The method of story telling is almost photographic in its attempts to take snapshots along the course of the Duchesses life. A valuable read, I think, Kimmers.

Happy Holidays, Paul!

Good GN choices with Maus and Persepolis. The latter is what I used to convince my skeptical English prof BIL that GNs can be valuable reading.

Wishing you all the best for 2017. Happy New Year!

>242 jnwelch: I am skeptical too Joe, but I think the genre at least deserves a chance with me.

>243 billiejean: Thank you BJ, so nice to see you here. xx

Hi, Paul! Just checking in. I hope you are still enjoying the holiday festivities.

I think I will get my new AAC General Discussion thread up and running, so folks can begin to prepare.

>245 msf59: Ach, I went back to work yesterday, buddy. Not too bad though as most of Malaysia didn't seem to follow suit!
I put my general thread for BAC up yesterday and am waiting on Ilana to give the green for go to do the same for the CAC.

It is the same here too, Paul! Traffic is quiet, with many people off for the holidays. It makes an easy commute. I will be off Sunday and Monday for the New Year.

I will try and stop by, to check out the new BAC digs.

>247 msf59: And I'll be looking out eagerly for the AAC, Mark

Wishing you all the best in 2017!

Hi Paul - I've set up next year's ANZAC challenge thread - http://www.librarything.com/topic/244630

>249 applebook1: Thank you my dear, lovely to have you stop by.

>250 avatiakh: Yippeeee, I am off there now to plan.

Hello PC!
Back to work already? My lovely or he is too, he will take 3 weeks off from mid Jan, for our South Island road trip......AKA our "will we come out of it sane with our two children in tow" trip :)
We are doing see saw weather here at present....cool today. Forecast for 30 deg plus on new years day. It usually settles in late Jan, so fingers crossed.

>252 LovingLit: Jealous! I remember our own South Island road trip and it was by far in a way the most enjoyable family holiday we ever had. I am sure that the boys will be great.
I would like it a little cooler of course - 20 deg is ideal. I look forward to reading about it, Megan.

Wow, there are some important decisions to be taken. How urgent is everything - and what does the heart say? I'm asking because I watched my parents this year reasoning themselves into a dead-end with all the weighing of "good and sensible" pros and cons re. where to move and how and when, and now being totally stuck.

I'd like to wish you and your family all the best for the New Year, whatever decision it brings, and a "Safe Slide" (Guter Rutsch) into it!

>254 Deern: I think the decision is made Nathalie - it is just a question of exactly when and how I do it. I want very much for my construction company to thrive and survive but that will either be through a part disposal of shares or the introduction of professional managers in my stead.

Good morning, Paul! I hope all is with you?

I see that you wen to Rogue One. Did you post comments? What did you think?

>256 brodiew2: I did like it Brodie and especially the fact of its ending being the original movie's beginning. I have to say that I found the use of Peter Cushing's image 22 years after he had actually died, a little creepy or weird but very clever.

Hi Paul, it has been a heck of a year for famous people leaving us and to be honest while not wanting to wish time away I will be glad when 2016 ends on that front although on the reading front it has been a stellar year for me. Hope all is well at chez Cranswick mate and sending love and hugs from the both of us.

>258 johnsimpson: They could make one heck of a rock group out of those passing this year and quite an ensemble cast. It is a time as much to remember the passing of the loved ones of our friends and neighbours and family as they touch our lives in very different and more real ways than those of celebrities who we admire without knowing.

You have done great as the footballer likes to explain with your reading in 2016 - a record return, mate.

Wow, Paul, I am surprised at the decision you've made, but only because I associate you with warm climes and exotic foods and sites. This will be a real adventure for you and the family! I hope all will go as smoothly as possible when the time comes.

>260 Matke: I am concerned about the increasing difficulty to carry on business here under a government which has steadily misappropriated money and as a consequence is trying to make businesses pay for their excesses. At the same time they a pandering to the islamists to hold on to power, creating a powder keg potentially. Besides which, Gail, I am starting to miss the old country, my brother and mother in particular.

I can very honestly say that I have never knowingly favoured male authors over female ones but an analysis of my stats reveals that I generally read 2 books written by a man to 1 book by a woman.

I have unscientifically noticed that the guys read more guys whilst the ladies read more ladies. I am not really sure why that is to be honest but I would feel happier in my skin if I had checked the figures and they had come out even steven.

I found an article from five years ago in the Guardian which would exonerate me slightly in that I seem to be reading in proportion to the numbers of books published or reviewed by men over women.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/feb/04/research-male-writers-dominate-boo...

Hopefully the gap that is identified there has narrowed somewhat over five years but it is shocking and not a little shameful that as recent as five years ago 75 out of every 100 books published were written by men.

Hi Paul, I can't speak for anyone else, but I have been explicitly trying to 'read female' when selecting novels. When I have looked at the library shelves, I have been dismayed by the proportion of male authors to female ones. It is still tricky for me - sometimes I think because I accept the publicity machine for new books. I have nothing against male authors but I don't believe that men are better at writing books than women, which the reviewing and publishing stats taken without thought suggest.

Hi Paul, I admire your wise and thoughtful comments regarding our losses in 2016.
If there really is such a thing as reincarnation, there should be a boom of talent coming out in about 20 years.

>263 charl08: I agree Charlotte. Man is not better at writing than Woman. Gender doesn't matter. If I hark back to my old school days the most talented english students were exactly equally split in my fairly representative State Comprehensive. The top ten scorers would be five girls and five boys in any sort of order. I remember routinely being in competition with one Debbie Bashford for the creative writing essay prize at school and she beat me as often as I prevailed.

>264 Carmenere: Thank you Lynda. I just think that sometimes when we have had friends close to us and some on LT in tremendous pain through the loss of a loved one; it can be unintentionally crass to mourn too exaggeratedly the passing of a rock star or actor whose life touched us only from afar.
If there is reincarnation, I would probably see no change in my status as I would surely return as a bookworm.

>257 PaulCranswick: Husband and I loved Rogue One and were especially happy that, as you say, the ending of it is the beginning of Episode IV. I also agree that Peter Cushing's appearance was creepy but well done. I'm not as serious a fan of Star Wars as is my husband, but he recognized many people as being from Episode IV, so they digitized them in too, I think. (Husband and daughter received Rogue One toys in their Christmas stockings.....)

>266 karenmarie: It was a good film even if a little on the long side. Rogue One toys? Maybe not exactly but I could do with a light-sabre to deal with some of my more troublesome sub-contractors!

>267 PaulCranswick: I almost bought my husband a light-sabre (they had them at Walmart), but then I would have had to buy daughter one and THEN they would have had epic battles on Christmas Day amongst the presents, candy, and wrappings. I opted for smaller, quieter toys.

>268 karenmarie: I think you are very wise, Obi Wan.

#268 Ha! We learnt this lesson after the Nerf war of '14...

Actually that was really good fun ;)

>262 PaulCranswick: I just checked my own stats and came up with 50% male authors, 41% female authors, and 9% multiple or unknown authors.

thank you for your patient, kind and ever-amusing friendship in the past year, oh Fair-Feathered One. onward we go, ever onward. sending you love across the miles.

>262 PaulCranswick: and >263 charl08: and >265 PaulCranswick:
Interesting discussion! This is a great example "implicit bias." We don't even know we're doing it! Another example is the difference between the phenomenological experience of white students compared with that of students of color on "my" predominantly white college campus: white students experience it as very diverse with regard to race and ethnicity; students of color feel very acutely their (actual) minority numbers.

In terms of reading, in my opinion it's not something to feel sheepish about but it is something to consciously address (if one wants to, that is). It's why in 2017 I'm also trying to read more books by authors whose identities differ from mine. I can think I'm reading a diverse collection but that implicit bias means my intuition can't be trusted.

Anyway, I appreciate your self-check, Paul. You motivated me to explore the stats section of LT; I just checked my stats on books in my library (not all of which I have read, of course) and the authors are 53% male, 47% female. This surprised me. I would have said I was reading/cataloging more women authors, just based on my own identity and predilections. But in this world, I guess I'm still finding more male authors. Huh. Go figure.

So maybe my diatribe above just doesn't hold water.

ETA: and my library is HEAVILY populated by authors from the US, UK, Canada.... my mono-lingualism contributes to this, no doubt, but it confirms my plans for the new year!

>270 BekkaJo: Bekka, I would gladly buy a few light-sbres for the house but i know full well that I would come of second best in jousts with all my overly aggressive lot.

>271 amanda4242: That is a pretty even split, Amanda. xx

>275 PaulCranswick: What a lovely message, Ellie, dear.

I am part of the group. I love being part of the group. I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship. I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for being my friend, Ellie.

>276 Familyhistorian: I think that the diatribe does hold water Ellen.
If 75% of all published books are written by men and only 25% by women then with you reading 47% by women shows a preference for female authors compared to the total available (if that makes sense).
I think my basic point was that women write at least as well as men. Men get published more than women and it is an anomaly that our more enlightened times will hopefully redress over time.

Interesting discussion about the gender of the authors we read. I checked out my own library (not that I have read most of the books but I did pick them out and put them on my shelves). I have 55.32% male authors and 44.68% female authors on the shelves. I thought I would have more female authors but a lot of my books are history books and I find that a lot of that type of non-fiction is written by male authors.

>276 Familyhistorian: I am disappointed that 75 out of my 113 books this year have been by men. Not knowingly choosing one over the other as far as I am aware but the result is striking.

>277 PaulCranswick: That is striking, Paul. That is 66% or 2/3 male over female authors. Better than the figures in the article that you posted, though.

>274 PaulCranswick: I did a bit more math and discovered that of the 89 different authors I've read this year (excluding the multiple/unknowns), 60 are men and 29 are women, so apparently while I'm more likely to read books by male authors, I am more likely to read multiple books by the same author if they are female. Odd stats considering that most of my favorite authors are male.

When I'm looking for something new to read and want to diversify a bit, I search for book lists focusing on a specific group, like "50 best sf novels by women" or "20 great books by African writers", so I'm exposed to different names than the ones that always seem to populate the generic must-read lists.

>278 Familyhistorian: But still not great, Meg. I see my proposed January reads don't improve things much either.

>279 amanda4242: I love looking at the lists too, Amanda, though you might have guessed. I am surprised that the 2 : 1 ratio is maintained in your thread.......and we don't even know that we re doing it!

Trying to polish off my last read of the year between posting.

If I have inadvertently missed anyone out whom has posted or passed through here this year the here is the place I shall wish you a closing thank you for sharing a little bit of your 2016 with me and hoping to see you in 2017.

My male/female ratio is just about the same as Paul's. Over the last few years, I've been steadily increasing the number of female authors I read, but would like to continue, so that stays a goal for 2017. I haven't keep track of numbers, but I'm also trying to increase the number of books by non-English-speaking authors and also by minorities. Maybe I'll add those to my stats starting this year.

Happy New Year, Paul. I'll see you in 2017.

>282 drneutron: Let's compare notes at the end of 2017, Jim, and let's see what progress we have made.

>283 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I would be gutted if you didn't.

>285 Cariola: Thank you Deborah. A very nice message.

May 2017 be a happy, wonderful year for you and your loved ones.
Thanks for the loyal visits to my thread. I have high hopes to be a more regular visitor to yours (although if you start diversifying your threads, that may be a challenge in itself:-)).

>287 Trifolia: Well you will get more than one bite at the cherry that way, Monica!

Great to see you around the threads as always and thanks for the kind words. xx

>288 PaulCranswick: True, true, and I love cherries btw :-)

Thanks for the thread visit Paul. Wishing you and family a wonderful happy and healthy 2017. All the best!

I generally read more male authors than female, so I was pleased to see that a good portion (I am not a mathematician s didn't do the percentages) of the Sci/Fi fantasy books I read this year were by women. I found the Elizabeth Bear books to be particularly good. I also noted that most of these authors were YA and that might account for the lean towards the feminine end of the spectrum.

2016 93 books read, 71 different authors

2016 books read that were written by a male: 44%
2016 books read that were written by a female: 56%

2016 male authors read: 36 = 50%
2016 female authors read: 35 = 50%

Admittedly I like to read romances, which skewed the top statistic towards women, but the bottom statistic is very interesting in that I read the same number of male authors as female authors.

The new stat I'm adding to my 2017 reading will be abandoned authors/books/pages. I probably abandoned 700 or more pages this year but didn't add them to my 2016 pages read count.

>289 Trifolia: You and me both Monica, you and me both.

>290 mdoris: Thank you Mary. xx

>291 benitastrnad: I always hope that I can find you on the threads at this time of year, Benita, so that I can direct my gratitude to you for all your visits, your opinions, your care, your friendship. Even without a thread you are very much part of my world here and I would miss you immensely if you weren't around.
Happy New Year, dear lady and I look forward to keeping up with you in your own unique way in 2017 when we should both try to read more by ladies!

>292 karenmarie: At last Karen, a visitor reading more ladies than men!

I actually read more ladies too, mostly because I read 9 books by Agatha Christie, but still: 41,5 female - 36,5 male

>294 Trifolia: My initial presupposition was that ladies read more ladies and guys more guys which hasn't quite panned out but I am pleased to see that there were at least some readers who who matched my assumptions, Monica!

Last book of 2016

113.

Mao II by Don DeLillo

Date of Publication : 1991
Pages : 242
American Author Challenge
1001 Books First Edition

I read his Underworld and Americana pre my LT days and utterly hated the pair. This was much more to my liking and I actually enjoyed immensely short bursts of it. I think that is essentially my problem with DeLillo in that he works in that way with snippets of brilliance hidden amid detritus of leaden prose. There were some great ideas here and some of it was expounded triumphantly but when he is mediocre and mundane boy is it a struggle.

That said it succeeds in a short novel format and this was by far in a way more successful that his longer work as a result. He created some great scenes in this novel, but somehow he is complacent or uninterested in stitching them together with anything approaching coherence.

I can see why DeLillo is lauded as he can be emotive, expressive and almost rhapsodic, but I don't think he tried hard enough. long enough.

He'll never really be for me.

6/10

Review of December 2016

Books Read : 10
Year total : 113

Genre : Literary Fiction : 6 (Year total 62)
Thrillers/Sci Fi : 1 (Year total 13)
Poetry : 0 (Year total 16)
Plays : 0
Non-Fiction :3 (Year total 22)

Author Nationality : UK : 6 (Year total 60)
Canada : 0 (Year total 10)
USA : 2 (Year total 29)
France : 0 (Year total 2)
Jamaica : (Year total 1)
Australia : 0 (Year total 2)
Malaysia : 0 (Year total 1)
New Zealand: 1 (Year total 2)
Ireland : 1 (Year total 2)
Sweden : 0 (Year total 1)
Italy : 1 (Year total 2)
S. Africa : 1 (Year total 1)

Author Gender : Male : 7 (Year total 77)
Female : 3 (Year total 36)

Booker Winners : 0 (Year total 4) // 24/51 done

Pulitzer Fiction/Novel Winners : (Year total 3) // 14/88 winners

Nobel Winners : 0 // 59/112 winners

1001 Books First Edition : 2 // 272/1001

British Author Challenge : 2 (Simon Armitage & Anne Bronte ) (Year total 23/24)

American Author Challenge : 2 Annie Dillard & Don DeLillo (Year total 12/12)

Canadian Author Challenge : 0 (Year total 7/24)

ANZAC Challenge : 0 (Year total 3)

Doorstopper Challenge : 0 (Year total 3)

Non-Fiction Challenge : 1 : (Year total 10/12)

Pages Read : 2,676 ( Year to date 29,681)
Average Pages per day : 86.32 (Year to date 81.10)
Average Pages per book : 267.60 (Year to date 262.66)

Books Added : 66 (Year total 375)

Book of the Month : The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini

So that's it for me here in 2016.

113 books read is a bit disappointing for me but understandable given the nightmare year I have had in RL

Reading less than 30,000 is a slump indeed.

375 books added is also less than in previous years due to tightening belts and restricted floor space!

Book of the Year:

The Orenda by Joseph Boyden



See you all in 2017. xxxx

Happy New Year to you and your family, Paul! I have so enjoyed reading your reviews and views this year. The Orenda was definitely one of my top reads this year! Looking forward to keeping up with you next year!

>299 Dianekeenoy: Thank you and a I must express very similar feelings towards your first year in the group and which I hope will be the first of many.

BTW can someone remind where to find our library/reading stats .... just curious now everyone has been discussing it

>302 PaulCranswick: Surprisingly enough I don't know whether you can pick up those stats easily off the site but mine own are all done by hand!

I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend, Paul! Once again, LT is buzzing with love and good cheer.

Happy New Year, my friend. I hope this year, puts us closer to finally having a Meet-Up. We are over-due!

ETA- I NEED to read The Orenda!

>303 msf59: It is an ambition of mine long stated to prop up a Chicago beerhall with you and Joe and chew the fat for an hour or four. I managed to meet the Big Fella this year with his lovely wife Debbi and he was exactly as I imagined he would be. That's the thing about LT meet-ups buddy; I have not had a duff one yet (although those meeting me may not say the same!)

Finally as we wrap up here it is incumbent upon me to congratulate you heartily on having the most posts on your thread in 2016 for the first time. It was well deserved and pretty decisive. You are the fifth winner:

2008 2009 2010 Stasia
2011 Stephen
2012 2013 Paul
2014 2015 Amber
2016 Mark

It is like the old tortoise and hare tale, Paul. All that trudging ahead, finally paid off for this warbling turtle.

Trying to make the rounds this morning. Always a daunting task.

>305 msf59: Don't know about that, Mark, I reckon not many people on your round will get their mail late.

>304 PaulCranswick: Congrats to Mark!