My Reading List for 2008

1.A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi-
2.Bulgarian Diaries by Count Robert de Burbulon (in Bulgarian)-
3.Bachelor Brothers` Bed&Breakfast by Bill Richardson-
4.Just One More Day by Susan Lewis- 352 pages,finished
5.I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson-
6.The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory-
7.Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi-

8.Bounjour,tristesse by Francois Sagan-

9.How To Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young

10.Stuart-A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters-


11.The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadel-

12.Glass Children by Lyudmila Filipova-

13.Measuring The World by Daniel Kehlmann

14.The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman-


15.Digging to America by Anne Tyler-


16.Schindler`s Ark by Thomas Keneally-


17.The Corrections by John Franzen-


18.Marie Darrieussecq- Le Bebe-

19.The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant-

20.The Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi-

21.A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi-

22. The Other Side by Maria Staneva

23.Light My Fire by Ray Manzarek- 352 pages

24.Father`s Affair by Karel Van Loon-238 pages
25.Mapping The Edge by Sarah Dunant- 195 pages( unfinished)

26.Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harer- 335 pages
27.Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison-224 pages

28.The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- 584 pages

29.Virgin Earth by Philippa Gregory- 661 pages

30.The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai- 324 pages
31.The True And Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson- 350 pages
32.Wild Swans by Jung Chang- 684 pages

33.Into The Wilderness by Sara Donati- 874 pages

34.Together by Anna Gavalda- 590 pages
35.Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen- 276 pages

36.Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz- 338 pages

37.Death Dance by Barbara Nadel- 360 pages

38.The Savage Garden by Mark Mills- 388 pages

39.Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson- 338p.

40.The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes by Marcel Theroux- 216 pages

41.Time`s Arrow by Martin Amis- 176 p.

42.Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler- 222 p.

43.Simon`s Night by Jon Hassler- 309 p.
44.Engleby by Sebastian Faulks- 342 p.

45.The Original Sin by Marcel Gabriel- 689 p.


46.The Diviner`s Son by Gary Crew- 261 p.

47.Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen- 464 p.

48.Larry`s Party by Carol Shields- 339 p.

49.Catch a fish from the sea (Using the Internet) by Nasreen Akhtar-324 p.

50.Chasing Dreams by Susan Lewis- 340 pages, unfinished

51.The Bad Mother`s Handbook by Kate Long- 350 pages
52.The Language of Others by Clare Morell- 376 pages

53.The Navigator of New York by Wayne Johnston- 485 pages

54.A Spot of Bother by mark Haddon- 503 pages

55.Amos Oz- "To Know a Woman"- 220 pages
56.The Point of Rescue- 457 pages
57.Janet Davey- First Aid- 178 pages
58.Josephine Hart-The Reconstructionist-216 pages
59.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield- 452 pages

Total Pages for 2008- 22470

Books read between 21/08- 10/09

16)The Original Sin by Marcel Gabriel- 689 p.

17)The Diviner`s Son by Gary Crew- 261 p.

18)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen- 464 p.

19)
Larry`s Party by Carol Shields- 339 p.

Books read between 11/08- 26/08

9)The Savage Garden by Mark Mills- 388 pages

10)Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson- 338

11)The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes by Marcel Theroux- 216 pages

12)Time`s Arrow by Martin Amis- 176 p.

13)Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler- 222 p.

14)Simon`s Night by Jon Hassler- 309 p.

15) Engleby by Sebastian Faulks- 342 p.

Books read between 21/07- 11/08

1)The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai- 324 pages


The book is well written and manages to convey the complex and often controversial atmosphere of the small society at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga. The lives of the old judge, his cook and his granddaughter, Sai, are inflicted with the political riots and insurgency. Sai`s first romance with the young teacher Gyan is dramatically turned by his political involvement. Cook`s son, Biju, is fighting his place in America. The writer manages to describe the lives of ordinary people turned down by political changes. For me the novel was lacking a bit of focus. I fought to reach the end and somehow the story couldn`t sustain my interest.

2)The True And Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson- 350 pages

Olivia Hunt tries to enter the glamorous world of Hollywood. At the same time she has to deal with the fatal illness of her younger sister and to put some order in her personal life. The novel reminded me sometimes of Melissa Bank`s “Girl`s Guide to Hunting and Fishing”. I expected something light and relaxing for a read but was going to be disappointed. That part about Maddie`s illness was depressing, and the other part about Olivia`s personal and professional misfortunes was annoying.

3)Wild Swans by Jung Chang- 682 pages


August

4)Into The Wilderness by Sara Donati- 874 pages

5)Together by Anna Gavalda- 590 pages

6)Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen- 276 pages

7)Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz- 338 pages

8)Dance with Death by Barbara Nadel- 360 pages

Books going on vacation!

Well,of course, books are not going without me:-)).

Here comes of the list of my summer-to-be-readings:

1)A Long Way Gone: The True Story of a Child Soldier by Ishmael Beah


2)Angela`s Ashes by Frank McCourt


3)As Time Goes By by Harry Bowling


4) Drowning Ruth by Christine Schwarz >>>>finished


5)Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler >>>>finished


6)In The Shadow of The Ark by nne Provoost


7)Into The Wilderness by Sarah Donati>>>>finished


8) Lost Nation by Jeffrey Lent


9) The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes by Marcel Theroux >>>>finished


10) Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson >>>>finished


11) Wild Swans by Jung Chang >>>>finished


12) Engleby by Sebastian Faulks >>>>finished


13) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai >>>>>finished


14)Dance With Death by Barbara Nadel >>>>>>finished


15) Simon`s Night by Jon Hassler >>>>finished



I think there are more titles,I shall add them later.
Let`s see how many of them I`m going to read:-)).

Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison

# Paperback: 240 pages
# Publisher: Fourth Estate Ltd (2002)
#Language-English






"It is 1915 when Bigelow, a young scientist, is dispatched to build a weather observatory in Anchorage. He is optimistic and enthusiastic, little realizing what life will be like in an arctic railroad town peopled by men and precious few women. The nights are endless and lonely.

Before long he is held sway by a seemingly unknowable woman, Aleut. She is not his only obsession - he designs a kite intended to fly higher than any kite has ever flown. "


I wasn`t impressed by this book. The writer was attempting to recreate the atmosphere of ice,remoteness and loneliness of the distant Alaskan land which was fine but the main character and his love story was boring. Nothing interesting happens during the whole story. Bigelow is obviously in a forcing need of a woman during his stay and quite depressed. His connection with the Aletian woman is supposed to be pictured as something unusual and even carrying a kind of hidden beauty but in fact I was bored with their silent meetings and quite unimpressive sex life.

Summary of 2008 Pages Challenge

June- 1538 pages
May- 1957
April-1946
March-1200
February-758
January-1051

Total- 8450

The Olive Readers by Christine Aziz

# Paperback: 340 pages
# Publisher: Pan Books (May 5, 2006)
#Language-English





The novel reminded me slightly of Margaret Atwood`s books.Well,it has been far from her style but still skilled enough for a first novel.

The story unfolds in the distant future. There had been a Green Revolution in the past which helped the humankind to restore the balance of nature`s resources and averted the ecological apokalypsis. However,the pure principles of the movement were corrupted and the power was taken by a handful of commercial companies.Their main aim is to control the water and discover the secret of multiplying water resources.

As a whole,I liked the story. The book ban reminded me a bit of Bardbury`s "Farenheit":-)). The relationship between the sisters was interesting.The overthrowing of the Federation was a bit too easy.

The Sea by John Banville

# Paperback: 200 pages
# Publisher: Picador (3 Jun 2005)
# Language English


Fine and sad novel. Art historian Max Morden returns to a sea village to experience again his mixed memories of childhood and the recent death of his wife,Anna.The narration flows and travels easily between his early years and the year of his wife`s illness. It`s a memoir of grief and mourning for the lost innocence of childhood.

This is the first book by John Banville I read. I will search to read his other novels as well.

The Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi

# Paperback: 256 pages
# Publisher: Ballantine Books (December 26, 2007)
# Language: English



A good novel about immigration and racial hate and prejudices.The Afghan refugee Raihana begins her work program helping the elderly Gunnar who lost his wife recently. Their relationship develops into a friendship but faces the disapproval from both immigrants and natives.Malladi attempts to draw a genuine image of an immigree and to outline some of the problems faced by immigrants in their contacts with the citizens. The major setbacks are the one-sided attitude of the characters- they either approve,or disapprove. Some of them change their opinions in the course of the novel but not very convincingly. Also the conclusion of the story is too quick and decided in a traditional way- Raihana finds a husband and marries for second time. It seems like the only possible solution for her future.

I liked the story of Raihana-Gunnar`s relationship,and also Raihana herself.Malladi proves once again capable of drawing powerful and sympathetic womam characters.

A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi

#Paperback: 240 pages
# Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 3, 2003)
# Language: English


"Anjali's arranged marriage to army officer Prakash Mehra proves to be a disaster: he hits her, lies to her and carries on an adulterous affair. After a tryst with his lover, Prakash neglects to pick up Anjali at the railroad station in Bhopal on the night in 1984 when a cloud of poisonous gas leaks from Union Carbide; Anjali almost dies. Courageously, she decides to divorce Prakash, despite the fierce disapproval of her parents and society. Fifteen years later, Anjali is a teacher in Ooty, contentedly married to a university professor. The Bhopal tragedy continues to affect them, however, since their now 12-year-old son was born with damaged lungs and a weak heart, and every penny they earn goes to his care. When Prakash is stationed near Ooty with his new wife and two healthy children, the two families are bound to meet." (From Publishers Weekly)


I would say this one is not one of the best Malladi`s novels. She certainly is capable of more. While it was interesting to follow the story told by the view point of each character,the two men characters were not very convincing. For example,Prakash`s breakthrough was a bit forced. Also her wife`s attitude was unrealistic. The good points in the book were throwing light over the cultural problems within Indian culture and family traditions,like pre-arranged marriage,the disgrace of divorce,the traditional family model. Anjali is a strong and admirable woman and her character makes about 90% of the book.

I read now that this is Malladi`s debut novel. It`s nice to see that she really improved and developed as writer in her later novels.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Paperback: 672 pages
Publisher: HarperPerennial; New Ed edition (2 Sep 2002)
Language -English









"Framed by matriarch Enid Lambert's attempts to gather her three grown children back home for Christmas, The Corrections examines their lives: Enid's husband Alfred, sinking into dementia, her sons banker Gary and writer Chip (now in Lithuania) and daughter Denise, a chef, busily re-evaluating her sexual identity." (Amazon.co.uk)

Although I feared at some pages that I`m going to lose interest in finishing the book, it is a good novel about old age and family relationships. The writer has drawn a very realistic picture of the "games" played by members of a family,for example, the difficult situation when it comes to choose between paying attention to your old parents and making peace with the preferences of your wife. Jonathan Franzen has a good eye for everyday details and his characters are full of life.

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

The Birth of Venus
Sarah Dunant
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Random House Trade; Reprint edition (30 Nov 2004)
Language- English


Historical novel about the clever girl Alessandra who have to find a place for her interest in art during the brief rise of Savonarola in Florence. She falls in love with the painter of her family chapel but is forced to accept a marriage with an older man in order to protect her independance. Her marriage starts with some unexpected and not quite pleasant surprises but it has good sides as well.

The book is light to read,and Alessandra will be found easy to like by most of the readers. The story is based on historical documents of everyday life in medieval Florence,so it represents an intriguing glimpse into Italian society at that time.For example,I didn`t know about the existence of monasteries with relaxed schedule,which served more as places for women independance than for religious seclusion.

New bookrays, newly arrived books

How To Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young >>> mailed
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5990641

Serving Crazy With Curry by Amulya Malladi >>>>>mailed to the first reader
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5423192

Stuart- A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters>>>>mailed
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5940037

--------------------------------------------------------
New books on my bookshelf:-))

Digging To America by Anne Tyler
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6086316

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Albert

As Time Goes By- by Harry Bowling- courtesy to jenny72
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5319787

The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman- a bookray
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/377787

A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6006608i

The Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6047403


Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson- courtesy to Smurphie (Secret Santa RABCK)
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5615442

Some pending books

I have been again into buying books recently:-)).

A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi- just received via Abebooks.com

Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi- received from Abebooks.com (15/04)

Naomi, Ph.D. Aldort- Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves- pending from Abebooks.com

Book Description: Every parent would happily give up ever scolding, punishing or threatening if she only knew how to ensure that her toddler/child/teen would thrive and act responsibly without such painful measures. Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves is the answer to this universal wish. It is not about gentle ways to control a child, but about a way of being and of understanding a child so she/he can be the best of herself, not because she fears you, but because she wants to, of her own free will.

Barbara Nadel- Dance With Death- pending from Abebooks.com

Some stats

1.A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi- http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5576600

2.Bulgarian Diaries by Count Robert de Burbulon (in Bulgarian)-

3.Bachelor Brothers` Bed&Breakfast by Bill Richardson-
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5049465

4.Just One More Day by Susan Lewis- 352 pages,finished
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/4602405

5.I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson-
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5450122

6.The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory-
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/4641170

7.Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi-
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5423192

8.Bounjour,tristesse by Francois Sagan-
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/4651003

9.How To Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young- http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5990641

10.Stuart-A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters-


11.The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadel-

12.Glass Children by Lyudmila Filipova-

13.Measuring The World by Daniel Kehlmann

14.The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman-


15.Digging to America by Anne Tyler-


16.Schindler`s Ark by Thomas Keneally-


17.The Corrections by John Franzen-


18.Marie Darrieussecq- Le Bebe-

19.The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant-

20.The Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi-

21.A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi-

22. The Other Side by Maria Staneva



22 books, 8513 pages for 2008

Books released for Keep Them Moving Challenge- 12 books

Well travelled books

Here is some of my well-travelled books, set in motion by me- registered by me or received from other bookcrossers:

Italian Neighbours by Tim Parks- 21 journaliers

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath- 17 journaliers

The Book of Proper Names by Amelie Nothomb- 15 journaliers

Death Is of Vital Importance by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross- 13 journaliers

The Devil`s Cup by Stewart Allen- 12 journaliers

The Virgin Lover by Philippa Gregory- 11 journaliers

Italian Education by Tim Parks- 11 journaliers

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk- 11 journaliers

The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk- 19 journaliers

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver- 8 journaliers

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi

"On a visit to Venice, de Blasi meets a local bank manager who falls in love with her at first sight. After "the stranger" (as she coyly calls him throughout the book) pursues her back to her home in St. Louis, Mo., she agrees to return to Italy and marry him, leaving behind her grown children and her job as chef and partner in a cafe. Although the banker, Fernando, lives in a bunkerlike postwar condominium on the Lido rather than the Venetian palazzo of her dreams, and some of his European ideas about women clash with her American temperament, the relationship works. "

The book started as a cheap romance but turned up as very nice and intelligent. It`s a novel about love and change in a mature age. It`s a love letter to Venice, to Italy,and of course, to the Italian stranger Fernando. It celebrates the joy of life and welcomes

Bulgarian Diaries by Count Robert de Burbulont (in Bulgarian).

A collection of correspondence of Count Robert de Burbulont- a secretary of Tsar Ferdinand Sax-Koburg and Great Chambalain of the palace. Very interesting observations about Bulgarians, their character and struggle for independance.

Stephen Fry- Making History

A graduate history student and a Holocaust survivor embark on an historical experiment to change the course of history.

184 pages read so far

Total pages- 926.