Reading Goals for 2006

This year was good for my reading. Many books came through my hands, most of them were really very interesting, some of them even remarkable. I managed to read 77 books, 20 more than in 2004. I kept in time my reading for bookrings and rays, except for two books in the past few months which I retained unusually long.

For 2006 my reading goals will be:

a) Read 100 books
b) Reduce my TBR pile
c) Read more books in Russian
d) Continue to broaden my reading horizon with new writers
e) More wild-release.

Two Murakami books in my mail

Today I got 4 books from the post office, and two of them were by Haruki Murakami:

South of The Border,West of The Sun
Hard-boiled Wonderland and The End of The World

The other books were "Coffee Tea or Me?" by Trudy Baker/Rachel Jones, and "Deafening" by Frances Itani. "Coffee Tea or Me?" is from trade, and the other books are from bookrings.

My reading is not going very well these weeks. I have several books I promised to give to bookcrossers, and I feel pressed by time to read them but I cannot force myself...perhaps this hinders my reading...

A book run away from me!

"Awakenings" by Oliver Sacks showed in action the "karma of the books". It ran away from me through a hole in the plastic bag where I put it while going to the playground with my daughter. I must admit I was not at all happy with this, as I liked the book very much and was yet through the half of it. Let`s hope that it has been picked up by a new reader.

I bought a translation of "Republic of Love" by Carol Shields some days ago. Have not started reading yet...

Yehudi Menuhin`s autobiography received today

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/3366103/bookmaniac70/book_-Unfinished-Journey-Yehudi-Menuhin

Got it as RABCK from Mastulela, UK. I even didn`t know such book existed! It must be awfully interesting and full of great info about outstanding people!

Now reading...

..."Awakenings" by Oliver Sacks. It is my first book by this author. I heard about him from Bookcrossing.com. The story is amazing- it is about a group of patients victims of an epidemy of lethargic illness who subsequently developed Parkinsonian symptoms to various degrees and modes of appearance. Most of them led a primitive and totally reclused existence, shutted from the outer world, from human contact and emotions. In the 60-s they were administered a new medicine called L-DOPA which worked amazing effects on them. The motionless, speechless and dull patients were "awaken", brought to sudden activity and agitation. The book contains the stories of a dozen patients and their fates. I`m amazed by the details about Parkinsonism, the strange receptions of time and space, the infinite depth and mysteries of human conscience and unconscience.

Books reserved for bookcrossers

Books reserved for bookcrossers from relays:

"This Way To The Gas, Ladies and Gentleman"by Tadeusz Borowski----> reserved for DreamSE32 (mailed)

"Samarkand" by Olga Kharitidi----> reserved for tehuti

"I very nomi" by Andrea de Carlo---> reserved for bilbi

Books mailed 10/15:

"Mary Called Magdalene" by Margaret George (bookring)----> to Elestr

"The Stepford Wives" by Ira Levin (Surprise bookrings)----> to benjymouse

"Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress" by Dai Sijie (bookray)---> mirp

Books mailed 10/10:
(from bookrelays)

"Reading Lolita in Tehran"----> to crimson-tide

"Vita di Casa" by Rafaela Sarti"---> to AnglersRest.

Books I owe to other bookcrossers

I owe to send the following books:

Reading Lolita in Tehran>>>>> to crimson-tide (mailing tomorrow)

Three Times Table by Sara Maitland>>>> to cougmax

Paradise by Toni Morrison>>>> to summerbreeze

Vita di Casa by Rafaela Sarti>>>>>to AnglersRest (mailing tomorrow)
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Getting better with my reading

Despaired as I was recently with my reading, hope returns, as I am close to finish a book of 860 pages just in a week! The book is "Mary Called Magdalene" by Margaret George. It retolds the story of Jesus through the eyes of Mary from Magdala, a controversial personage and a target for many speculations. It is in fact very close to the original Biblical story but is beautifully told. I have to say, I`m quite impressed with it. It was absorbing and moving. There were some subtle meanings and details which often pass unobserved when one thinks about Jesus. I was very content that Mary Magdalene was shown to be in love with Jesus, as it sounds psychologically true and is in no way uncommon. Somehow the writer has managed to soften the question of Jesus`s celibacy, making it look more as a personal mission than as a God`s commandment or repudiation of the flesh. I liked also the natural feelings of rivalry and occasional jealousy in Jesus`s apostles as they should be very natural in such a community. The book made pounder once again over one of the greatest stories of humanity.

Books received yesterday

Books received in the mail yesterday:

American Pastoral by Philip Roth
The Queen`s Fool by Philippa Gregory
(both books courtesy to LoveTeaAndBooks who sent me "American Pastoral" as surprise book along with "The Queen`s Fool")
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric

I`m slow with reading these days, as I had much work. I only manage to read about 50 pages every night from "Mary Called Magdalene" by Margaret George. I like it. It creates in you a feeling of those past times and provides an interesting view of Jesus as a historical personality and his mission.

Books received

I received two books two days ago:

"Awakenings "by Oliver Sacks
and
"This Way To The Gas, Ladies and Gentleman" by Tadeusz Borowski

both from relays.

I`m not very good with my reading these days....went back to work this week and I`m still getting used to it, after long holidays:-)).

Twelve seconds of silence by Silvio Blatter

"Zwölf Secunden Stille" is the original title of this nice book. It is the story of Marco Rotberg`s life after his retirement from a big newspaper company. I like very much that in fact nothing happens in the story but it deals with his feelings and inner life. A very good insight into old age and retirement.

Another book I`m reading now is "The New Life" by Orhan Pamuk. The plot is typical for Orhan Pamuk: one day a student reads a book which completely changes his life. He abandons everything in search to enter and live the new life envisioned by him after reading the book. I don`t know why but I still cannot get into it. Orhan Pamuk is one of my favorite writers, and I like best his novels "The Black Book" and "Snow". They managed to involve me from the first page into his mysterious and strange world which for now doesn`t happen with "The New Life".

Books going in the post tomorrow

The Way The Crow Flies by Anne Marie McDonald (bookring)- mailing to boomda181, Canada

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy -mailing to pilskadde, Denmark- a surprise RABCK through RABCK.COM.

Insieme, e basta by Anna Gavalda- sending to cheeky42, Italy. Rabck through Rabck.com.

Have to buy Jovan Hristic`s book for Serbia.

Book swap with a bookcrosser from Serbia

Few days ago I got a nice request from a Serbian bookcrosser. You know, Bulgaria is a neighbour country with Serbia but I haven`t got the chance yet to communicate with a neighbour bookcrosser. He asks me to buy for me the Bulgarian translation of "Mediterrean Dialogues" by Jovan Hristic, a well known Serbian writer. He is going to send me "The Bridges of Drina" by Ivo Andric. I`m very glad to make this new contact.

Two books received today

Books received today from Titletrader.com:

The Mother-In-Law Diaries by Carol Dowson

In The Shadow of The Ark by Anne Provoost

I`m finishing "The Way The Crow Flies" and intend to begin "The New Life" by Orhan Pamuk and "The Last Life" by Claire Messud. (both have "life" in the titles:-)).

Mailing one book tomorrow

Books for the mail tomorrow:

In The Devil`s Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food by Stewart Lee Allen \sending to kittiwake who requested it on Titletrader.com

Two books arrived today

Two books arrived in the mail today:

"The New Life" by Orhan Pamuk (oh, my favorite Orhan Pamuk, what a pleasure is that to read your novels!)

"Wintering" by Kate Moses (a novel about Sylvia Plath), courtesy to bookcrosser kislany

Books I read in 2005

So far I have read 77 books.
I shall update this post regularly to keep track on my reading.

Here goes the list:

"Blue Suburbia" by Laurie Lico Albanese(good
"Ladies` Detective Agency NO.1" by Alexander M.Smith(good light reading) "My Brother, for example" by Uwe Timm(very good)
"A Gathering Light" by Jennifer Donnelly (good).
"The Curious Incident with A Dog at Night-Time" by Mark Haddon (very good!)
"The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4" by Sue Townsend (good)
"Simon Rattle-The Making of A Conductor"(non-fiction,very interesting for musicians)
"The Time Traveller`s Wife"by Audrey Niffenegger (excellent!)
"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker (very good)
"84 Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff (good)
"Case Histories" by Kate Atkinson (good)
"Notes On A Scandal" by Zoe Heller (very good)
"Fruit of the Lemon" by Andrea Levi (not bad)
"Dance Dance Dance" by Haruki Murakami (excellent!)
"The Light of The Day" by Graham Swift (average)
"Zelda`s Cut" by Philippa Gregory (excellent)
"Perfectly Correct" by Philippa Gregory (very good)
"If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things" by Jon Mcgregor (very good)
"True Notebooks" by Mark Salzman (very good!)
"All the Finest Girls" by Alexandra Sexton (average)
"Fallen Angels" by Tracey Chevalier (very good)
"Mission London" by Alek Popov
"The Storyteller`s Daughter" by Saira Shah
"Around the World in 80 days" by Michael Palin
"English Correspondence" by Janet Davey
"The Amateur Marriage" by Anne Tyler
"The "Good-luck" Shop" by Goran Petrovich
"Sputnik Sweetheart" by Haruki Murakami(wonderful)
Bill Bryson`s African Diary
"Lighthousekeeping" by Jeanette Winterson (good)
"Not a Word from Gurb" by Eduardos Mendessa (good)
I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn (good)
"The Pilot`s Wife" by Anita Shreve (good)
"Post Office" by Charles Bukowski
"The Heirs"(Kikundji) by Yukio Mishima
"Italian Education" by Tim Parks
"Happenstance" by Carol Shields
"The Pianist`s Daughter" by Timothy Findli
"The Stone Diaries" by Carol Shields
"Spilling Clarence" by Anne Ursu (good)
"Losing Julia" by Johnattan Hull (good)
"Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris (very good)
"Thinking in Pictures" by Temple Grandin (very good)
While I Was Gone by Sue Miller (good)
"The Virgin`s Lover" by Philippa Gregory (very good)
"The Namesake' by Jhumpa Lahiri (very good)
"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (excellent)
The Piano Teacher by Jelfriede Jelinek (didn`t like it)
A Home At The End of The World by Michael Cunningham (good)
The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux (very good)
"The Book of Proper Names" by Amelie Nothomb (good)
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (good)
"Any Human Heart" by William Boyd
"Not On The Label" by Felicity Lawrence
"The Third Secret" by Steve Barry
"The Star of The Sea" by Joseph O` Connor (good)
"Tales of Two Cities: A Persian Memoir" by Abbas Milani
"Cry The Beloved Country" by Alan Paton (very good)
"Running With Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs (average)
"Where or When" by Anita Shreve
"Sezon za lov na divi kuchki" ot Rodger Dojh
"The Distinguished Guest" by Sue Miller
"The Way The Crow Flies" by Anne Marie McDonald (very good)
"Scrumbler" by William Warthon (good)
"Twelve seconds of Silence" by Silvio Blatter (very good)
"Mary Called Magdalene" by Margaret George (excellent)
"Balzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress" by Dai Sijie (excellent)
"This Way To The Gas,Ladies and Gentleman" by Tadeusz Borowski (good)
"Without Blood" by Alessandro Baricco (good)
"Coffee, Tea, Or Me?"- Trudy Baker/Rachel Jones (average, not bad)
"South of the Border,West of the Sun" by Haruki Murakami
"Hard-boiled Wonderland and The End of The World" by Haruki Murakami
"Natural Novel" by Georgi Gospodinov
"Street in Marrakech: A Personal Encounter with the Lives of Moroccan Women" by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea (very good)
"Unless" by Carol Shields (good)
"The Historian" by Elisabeth Kostova (very good)
"The Spiral Staircase" by Karen Armstrong (very good )

Introduction

I`m transferring here my reading blog from tblog.com. I intend to keep a track on the books I read,the books I receive and the books I send through www.Bookcrossing.com and www.Titletrader.com.

Book I read at the moment:

The Way The Crow Flies by Anne-Marie McDonald

Book on my TBR pile:

The Last Life by Claire Messud

Books pending:
From Titletrader.com swaps:
Carol Dawson- "The Mother-in-law Diaries" (received)
Linn Ulman-"Before You Sleep"
Mary Higgins Clark-"Kitchen Privileges"
Kate Moses-"Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath" (received)
Anne Provoost-" "In The Shadow of The Ark" (received)
Christina Shwarz-"Drowing Ruth"
Mark Spragg-"An Unfinished Life" (received)
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From Bookcrossing.com:

"Mary Called Magdalene" by Margaret George (bookring)
"This Way To The Gas, Ladies and Gentleman" by Tadeusz Borowski (bookrelay)-------------------------