Books I Read in July

Total: 9 books

Daughter of Regals & Other Tales (Stephen R. Donaldson)
All He Ever Wanted (Anita Shreve)
The Girl at the Lion d'Or (Sebastian Faulks)
A Walk Down the Aisle: Notes on a Modern Wedding (Kate Cohen)
Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)
The Shadow in the North (Philip Pullman)
The Ruby in the Smoke (Philip Pullman)
Life Skills (Katie Fforde)
Stately Pursuits (Katie Fforde)

Daughter of Regals & Other Tales (29/07) begins with an explanation of how the short story must demonstrate a greater skill than the novel - unfortunately as short stories go, these aren't fine examples. That's not to say this book is full of rubbish short stories, but I've read some fine short stories and these aren't those. Mooched from Lee Hwang (USA) and later abandoned somewhere on CMU to be found by a lucky reader, or cleaned up and added to a mustering pile of lost property.

Mooched from eacook (UK) after reading The Last Time They Met, All He Ever Wanted has the same lovely descriptive style.

The Girl at the Lion d'Or (23/07) was one I mooched at around the same time as Great Expectations. I decided that whilst I was out here and mooching arbitrary books to read, I could try picking some off the Book list instead of simply reading all the chick lit I could find. This book isn't on the list but I already have the Faulks books on the list (somewhere - probably with bookmarks halfway through - not because they were bad books but simply because I got distracted/lost the darn thing). Anyway, this was inspired by the book list even if it wasn't actually on it. Shorter than many of his other novels but still great. Received from Jehannette de Lille (USA).

A Walk Down the Aisle - it was about weddings so I felt the need to mooch it. Not as academic as I might have liked but some interesting musings nonetheless. Received from cassiejane (USA).

Surprisingly easy to read (I always forget how easy Dickens actually is, the word 'classic' makes me assume difficult), I've been reading Great Expectations (16/07) in tiny pieces over the last month or so. I don't think I 'get' the original ending so it's a good job he didn't use it! Mooched from hmrakes (USA). This book features on the 100 books list, taking me to 46.

I read The Shadow in the North (12/07) and The Ruby in the Smoke (12/07) in close succession (finishing one and immediately picking up the other). Exactly what I'd expect from the author of Northern Lights, these are really nice little books if shorter and more obviously for a younger audience. Mooched from mel7996 (USA) and Priscilla Kraut (USA) respectively.

Life Skills and Stately Pursuits follow a very similar pattern to each other although set in somewhat different contexts. Slightly more refreshing than your average chick-lit, maybe. Mooched from Amy Watts (USA).