Sunday 29 April 2007

Books I read in April

Total: 10 books

This is the first month I've compiled a list and it was done retrospectively so I may have missed some, but here are the books I think I've read this month (most recent first):

- Belle de Jour (Anonymous)
- Mister God, This is Anna (Fynn)
- Poppy Shakespeare (Clare Allan)
- The Tenth Circle (Jodie Picoult)
- A Family Daughter (Maile Meloy)
- Seeing Voices (Oliver Sacks)
- Born on a Blue Day (Daniel Tammet)
- The Vagina Monologues (Eve Ensler)
- The Memory of Running (Ron McLarty)
- The Last Witchfinder (James Morrow)

Of these only Belle de Jour (the intimate adventures of a London call girl) was a quick evening reread as I was giving it away on BookMooch (to Auz:UK) and thought I'd skim through it again before I parceled it up. It's a nice easy read, particularly as it's not really continuous and there's little inserts with lists and such. The second one's out in paperback nowish but I'm not going to rush out and acquire it. It's an OK book but it's not wonderful.

Mister God, This Is Anna is a really nice short little book I shall be hanging onto and I will buy the other Anna book as soon as I see it again. I bought this book at Borders Oxford Street and almost bought both then - now I want it, they don't have the other one! Will almost certainly reread this many times in the future.

Poppy Shakespeare is another book I've decided to keep onto for now. It's a first novel and I really quite liked it. The story of Poppy, who finds herself in a London mental institution but insists she's not mad, is told by another inmate 'N'. Great characters and some nice observation. 'Twas a Borders Oxford Street 3 for 2 acquisition - it was bought at Easter in the same trip as A Family Daughter, Seeing Voices & Born on a Blue Day (plus many others still on the TBR pile).

One in a string of Jodie Picolt novels, The Tenth Circle was roughly as expected. An enjoyable, fairly easy-going read which I'd happily read again. For future reference, this is the one in which a teenage girl, Trixie, accuses an ex-boyfriend of rape after a party. It's got some nice comic-book art too. I've given it away (it went with Perfect Match to Caroline2403:UK through BookMooch) but will perhaps acquire it again to read in the future (as if there weren't enough books out there to keep me going). This was, as many, a Borders Oxford Street 3 for 2 acquisition.

I read A Family Daughter at Spring Harvest so again it's fairly easy reading :) This is the second novel by Maile Meloy. I didn't read the first novel until June which made things very confusing and I've only just got it sussed in my head now that... the first novel (Liars and Saints) is the semi-autobiographical novel written by the character Abby in this novel! It all makes more sense now. I much preferred this book to the first one. This book was good and I almost didn't give it away but I did (on ReadItSwapIt to amc78:UK for Keeping Faith which was a duplicate I then gave away on BookMooch to siobhan:Ireland).

Oliver Sacks is another one of those authors I come back to again and again. I bought this full-price at Borders Oxford Street. Reading this book prompted me to go out and track down everything else he's written that I didn't already own, so there will be more to come. Seeing Voices was read half whilst commuting (which is currently when I do the majority of my reading) and half at Spring Harvest. Whilst Oliver Sacks is a very readable writer, the stuff in this book is too interesting and demanding of my attention to class it as easy reading. Having said that, it wasn't really hard and I love to read all his stuff - I also want to go away and read all his references but perhaps that's not such a great idea! This book mixes all my interest in Psych. with my interest in Deafness and sign languages. Really liked it, will keep it, will reread and recommend to those who like that kind of thing.

Born on a Blue Day again plays on my interest in Psychology - it's a biographical account of an 'autistic savant'. This book had been on my wishlist for a while and was picked up, 3 for 2, in an expensive Borders (Oxford Street again) trip over Easter with Dad. I'm pretty sure I read it one evening after work. Good, roughly what I expected. I've lent it to Dad now so don't expect to see it for a while.

The Vagina Monologues has been something on the longer list of 'things I will acquire to read... one day' for a bit - a result of it's regular performance at Lancaster Uni. I mooched it from the US, my second successful mooch and my first foreign one. I read it in one go, as soon as it arrived, an evening after work in the sun (starting in the garden but quickly moving to the conservatory once the breeze got to me). My curiosity now satisfied I've hung on to the book for another reread in the future. It is, unsurprisingly, about vaginas but isn't particularly painful to read.

The Memory of Running - Another Borders Oxford Street 3 for 2 acquisition. This is the story of Smithson Ide as he discovers himself and his memories. It's a nice charactery novel and I've hung onto it. I will no doubt recommend it to someone and reread it sometime.

The Last Witchfinder my first Borders Oxford Street 3 for 2 acquisition. I got this because it looked historical and sort of good. I've quite enjoyed the Philippa Gregory stuff I've read so wondered if I could find something of a similar nature. The book was ok but really not what I was after so it went onto BookMooch (Marco & Wendy:Costa Rica)as soon as I was done. It's the second book I've tried in an attempt to find something historical and good and the second failure (the first being Life Mask by Emma Donoghue).



---

* Where I haven't otherwise stated, I most likely read the book whilst commuting. I read a book if I'm awake in the morning from Ewell West to Vauxhall and then the Metro from Vauxhall (where I pick it up) to Oxford Circus (where I go to work). I'll usually be reading my book again by the time I leave work (often right from the moment I step out the office to wander towards the tube) and continue all the way home.
I dislike hardbacks so if I don't suggest otherwise, then whatever I am reading is a paperback copy.
Any book listed here was a book I reached the end of in April 2007.

Thursday 26 April 2007

A-Z of me.

A - Available?: For what??
A - Age: 22
A - Annoyance: Moaning.

B - Best Friend? Lizi, Dave.
B - Bar: Furness College, Lancaster University.
B - Birthday?: 7th October.

C - Crush: The fancying strangers who don't know kind? Noone at the moment!
C - Car: Don't drive.
C - Cat: Allergic.

D - Dead Pets Name: A multitude of rabbits, Arthur the guinea pig.
D - Dad's Name: Dave.
D - Dog(s): Teddy.

E - Easiest person to talk to: Lizi.
E - Eggs: Boiled. Fried in sandwiches.
E - Email: Yes.

F - Favorite color?: Blue/Green.
F - Food: Anything vegetarian that isn't pasta.
F - Football team?: Liverpool.

G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Bears.
G - God: Is awesome.
G - Good Times: More please.

H - Hair Color: Dark brown.
H - Height: 5ft 1.
H - Happy: Often.

I - Ice Cream: Vanilla/Ben & Jerry's.
I - Instrument: Not really.
I - Idol: Um. Can't think.

J - Jewelry: A necklace given to me by Mark (an ex-boyfriend).
J - Job: Developer.
J - Jokes: I'm not funny.

K - Kids: Fund to play with, nice to give back.
K - Karate: No. I've done kick-boxing and jujitsu at points in time though.
K - Kung Fu: Nope.

L - Longest Car Ride: Lancaster to London I guess.
L - Longest Crush: I don't remember, must have been in High School.
L - Life Is: Bizarre.

M - Milk Flavor: Ew.
M - Mothers Name: Claire.
M - Movie Last Watched: Iris.

N - Next weeks plans: Work, sleep.
N - Northern or Southern: Northern.
N - Name: Sarah Elizabeth Rutlidge (Saff).

O - One Wish: Smiley happy people.
O - One Phobia?: Things that buzz.

P - Piercings: None. I did have three in each ear though.
P - Parents: Loads!
P - Part of your appearance you like best: My shoulders (yes, I'm weird).
P - Part of your Personality you like best: Um.

Q - Quick or Slow?: Walking - not slow.. Running - very slow. Thinking - varies.
Q - Quality Street, which one?: The toffee ones.
Q - Question your decisions often?: Once I've made them :)

R - Reason to smile: The world is pretty to look at.
R - Reality TV Show: None.
R - Right or Left: Both.

S - Song Last Heard: Something from Wicked
S - Season: Spring - the summery feelings come out without the crazy heat.
S - Sex: Female.

T - Tattoos: None.
T - Time Now: 14:10.
T - Time for bed: Ideally 9:30 but it never happens.
T - TV Show: None.

U - Unknown Fact about me: I go to bed with a Peter Rabbit cushion.
U - You are?: A girl. (That'd be you with a 'u' then...)

V - Vegetable you hate: Are capers a vegetable?
V - Vegetable you love: Leeks.
V - View on Politics: It's more fun when you play at it.

W- Worst Habits: Worring about everything especially if it's unimportant.
W- Where are you going to travel next? Home after work. In terms of real going somewheres probably Lancaster. As for real holiday travelling - I dunno :)
W- Where you live: Surrey

X - X-Rays: A finger
X - X-Rated: Nope

Y - Year you were born: 1984
Y - Year it is now: 2007

Z - Zoo Animals: Red Panda
Z - Zodiac: Libra

Wednesday 25 April 2007

Voodoo Lady

1. Put All Your Music On Shuffle
2. Press next and put the title of each song as the answer

1)How would you describe your family?
Annilhilation - A Perfect Circle. (Um.)

2)How would you describe your friends?
I Love You - Doug Horley. (Awww :))

3)How would you describe yourself?
Sound the Trumpet - Dave Bilbrough. (I'm not that good).

4)How would people describe you?
A Lotta Locomotion - Starlight Express. (?)

How Would you survive if:

5)You were homeless?
Fall On The South - Gone With The Wind. (I've never heard this before in my life I'm sure. I've also no idea quite what it means.)

(There was actually some other track in here, but it was Japenese Characters for the title [something from the Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack] and I couldn't see me getting too far with that).

6)You met your favourite stars?
Addicted - Lit. (Sort of works).

Your life:

7)How did people react when you were born?
Missing Person - Michael Smith.

8)How were you as a toddler?
Woo Hoo - The 5.6.7.8's. (Party animal me!)

9)What was your first day at school like?
My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms - Bon Jovi. (I can't remember, but I'm fairly sure that's not true.)

10)How about last year?
Far Away - Nickelback. (As in distance? Or just that it seems so long ago?)

11)How was your childhood?
Frankenstein - Edgar Winter. (So that's why I was so popular :))

12)What about your 13th birthday?
Crying - Don McLean.

13)Teenage years?
Drink With Me - Les Miserables. (That'd be everyone else's teenage years then :))

14)How is you future planned out?
Let Me Finish - Song & Dance.

15)Kids?
Catch The Sun - Jamie Cullum.

16)Old age?
Turn - Travis.

17)What will your song be at your funeral?
It's a Man's World - Forbidden Planet. (So clearly I didn't belong here in the first place!)

18)Last wishes?
Pick A Part That's New - Stereophonics. (I don't really get this one).

Miscellanious:

19)What do you like to do in your spare time?
Same Old Song & Dance - Aerosmith. (Only if there's noone to see/hear me do it :))

20)Repost this as...?
Voodoo Lady - Ween.

Saturday 7 April 2007

Word.

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.


1. Where is your cell phone?
Desk.

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend?
Biscuit.

3. Your hair?
Varies.

4. Your mother?
Funny.

5. Your father?
Great.

6. Your favorite thing?
Doing.

7. Your dream last night?
Forgotten.

8. Your favorite drink?
Juice.

9.Your dream car?
Chauffeur.

10. The room you're in?
Mine.

11. Your ex?
Inconsistant.

12. Your fears?
Lonely.

13. Where do you want to be in 10 years?
Homely.

14. Who did you hang out with yesterday?
Work.

15. What you're not?
Boy.

16. Muffins?
Chocolate.

17. One of your wish list items?
Books.

18. Where you grew up?
North.

19. The last thing you did?
Chat.

20. What are you wearing?
Dress.

21. Your TV?
Nope.

22. Your pet?
No.

23. Your computer?
Pieces.

24. Your life?
Busy.

25. Your mood?
Chilled.

26. Missing?
Friends.

28. Your car?
Legs.

29. Your work?
Passable.

30. Your summer?
Beautiful.

31. Like someone?
Yes.

32. Your favorite color?
Blue.

33. When is the last time you laughed?
Today.

34. Last time you cried?
Weekend.

35. School?
Happened.

Tuesday 3 April 2007

I've read 42 out of 100 books

Put a cross my the ones you've read and add them up. Audio books and films do not count!

BBC Top 100 Books:

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien (x)
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (x)
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (x)
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (x)
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling (x)
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (x)
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne (x)
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell (x)
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis (x)
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë (x)
Total so far: 10

11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller ()
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë (x)
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks ()
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier ()
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger ()
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame (x)
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens ()
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (x)
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres ()
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy ()
Total so far:13

21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell ( )
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling (x)
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling (x)
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling (x)
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien (x)
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy (x)
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot ()
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving ()
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck ()
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (x)
Total so far: 19

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson (x)
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez ()
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett ()
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens ()
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl (x)
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson (x)
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute ()
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen ()
39. Dune, Frank Herbert ()
40. Emma, Jane Austen ()
Total so far: 21

41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery (x)
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams ()
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald ()
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas ()
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh1 ()
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell ()
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (x)
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy ()
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian (x)
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher ()
Total so far: 24

51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett (x)
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck (x)
53. The Stand, Stephen King ()
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy ()
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth ()
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl (x)
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome ()
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell (x)
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer (x)
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky ()
Total so far: 29

61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman (x)
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden (x)
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens ()
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough ()
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett ()
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton (x)
67. The Magus, John Fowles ()
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman ()
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett ()
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding ()
Total so far: 31

71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind ()
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell ()
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett ()
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl (x)
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (x)
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt (x)
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins (x)
78. Ulysses, James Joyce ()
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens ()
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson (x )
Total so far: 36

81. The Twits, Roald Dahl (x)
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith ()
83. Holes, Louis Sachar ()
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake ()
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy (x)
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson (x)
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley ()
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons ()
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist ()
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac ()
Total so far: 39

91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo ()
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel ()
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett (x)
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho ()
95. Katherine, Anya Seton ()
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer ()
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez ()
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson (x)
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot (x)
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie ()

I've read 42 of the top 100 books then... there's a few on there sat on 'I've got it but not got round to reading it yet' pile too. I'm not sure I should have a list though, gives me an excuse to buy more to read :)

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