Immediate Family by Eileen Goudge

Okay, so I grabbed two of Eileen Goudge's books and read them back to back. I did enjoy this one more than the first of hers I read. Immediate family focuses on a set of 4 best friends. They had first met and bonded in college and kept close ever since. The story opens at their college reunion.
The book progresses though about a year in their lives. It does do a lot of meandering through story lines. I did wonder if their stories would have been better told through 3 or 4 short stories (Maeve Binchy style) rather than wandering back and forth. I think that would have held my attention a little bit better. Once again, this book served its purpose. A quick, easy read just when I needed one.

Otherwise Engaged by Eileen Goudge

This was another book that jumped out at me as a promising 'I think I can read it quickly' sort of book. The name of the author started to drive me nuts. I knew I'd heard it before, but where? Somehow I connected it to being a pre-teen. It's been so long since I read pre-teen/YA books that I wasn't sure. I went to the author's website and still found no evidence of her writing YA books. Then I found an obscure site with author listings. She was on there and sure enough, I found her YA books. The ones of hers that I had read came from two series. One entitled 'Seniors' and the other were the 'Swept Away' books. I remember loving the Swept Away books the most as they were teen romances that whisked the girl away to a time in the past.
Now Goudge concentrates on her adult fiction. Otherwise Engaged focuses on two best friends living completely different lives on other sides of the country. They have an opportunity to switch places for 6 months, asking the question, is the grass greener on the other side. They both wonder what might have been had they made different life decisions.
I liked the book for what it was. It did play out to another easy read. I did get somewhat frustrated with the characters as at times I thought they both needed to grow up a bit and be a little more adult in their actions and relationships, but the kinks worked themselves out.

Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux

Where to begin with this one? Ahhhh! Perhaps I should explain my trepidation at even picking this book up to begin with. Years and years ago I spend much time loving Jude Deveraux's books (I was in my late teen's/early 20's). I loved them so much I even created a Geocities site proclaiming these grown up fairy tales as some pretty special romance books. And then something happened. Her books started to become less romance, more new-agey. Lots of psychic type stuff and past lives and things I'm generally not interested in and fell pretty icky about. I just couldn't read her books anymore. I took down the website. I gave all the books away to a local bookseller and I moved on.
So why now? Why would I pick another one of her stories? Well, I was wandering through my local library this week. I knew whatever I picked had to be a quick read as we're getting ready to move on Monday. It had to be something that I could glance at in between boxes and cleaning things out and still know where I was in the story (nothing heavy). For some reason this title stood out to me from amongst the shelves. I thought, why not? It didn't sound like there was any psychic stuff involved, it was about a widower writer and his research assistant. So I started to read. It stayed pretty basic and enjoyable for the first half. And then wouldn't you know it the occult element entered in halfway through. No past lives or ghosts, but a devil story instead. I wouldn't have a problem with a devil story if the theology of it wasn't so off. See I really enjoyed C.S. Lewis' Screwtape letters (written by a devil) but the theology behind it was correct. It wasn't in this story. So I can't really recommend this one. It served its purpose, an easy read for me and that's about it.

Weekly Geeks - Why Haven't I Read This Yet?

I think just about every reader has a least one book that they've been meaning to read for awhile (months or even years) but, for one reason or another, they just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it's a book a friend recommended last year, or a title you've flirted with in a bookstore on more than one occasion, or maybe it's a book that's sitting right there on your bookshelf, patiently waiting for you to pick it up -- but the thought is always there, in the back of your mind: Why haven't I read this yet?

This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?
I can think of a lot of books that fall into this category for me and most of them are classics. I have some (I'm sure) wonderful books sitting on my bookshelf (or more accurately, in boxes - we're moving on Monday) that have been loved for generations, but I haven't yet managed to read myself. I was just thinking about this as we were packing up. We're downsizing for the move and many books have landed themselves into the "I've loved it, now let someone else love it pile", then there were these books, the ones that I've had for years, not read, but can't get rid of. They follow me from place to place crying "read me!" but I haven'. Here's a list of some of these books:
1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I fell in love with his book Dubliners and promptly bought this one, 15 years ago and still it sits on my shelf unopened
2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - This one has been with me for 17 years now, I've started it 2 or 3 times.
3. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - I bought this for my original move across Canada, 7 years ago.
4. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe - Bought at the same time as the Three Musketeers
5. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach - I took this off my parents shelf when I was 15, I turn 34 on my next birthday
6. East of Eden by John Steinbeck - I love, love, love the Grapes of Wrath, so my mom passed on her copy of East of Eden a couple of years back, the good news is this book is getting used this summer, but by my husband, not me - he's raving about it as he goes
All of these books intregue me, enough to keep them around. I will get around to reading them one day.

Free Book Offer from Chatelaine

Hello Canadians - Chatelaine is offering a free book starting today to the first 10000 people who sign up for it, no purchase necessary. The book is The Girls by Lori Lassens. Go here to sign up http://en.chatelaine.com/english/contests/article.jsp?content=20090812_154225_5252

It's Monday

Out of nostalgia I'm reading Jude Devereaux today - this one is called Wild Orchids. I haven't read this one before or touched any of her books in years and years. We'll see how it goes.

Monday's Child by Louise Bagshawe

"Monday's child is fair of face..." this seems like such a joke to our lead, Anna Brown. Anna has been extremely self conscious of both her height and looks since she was a child. She dresses as plainly as possible figuring it's just best not to draw attention to herself. Anna works as a 'reader' for a film company. Basically, it is her job to read through scripts and discern which have potential and which are pure rubbish. She has a terribly demanding boss and an awful boyfriend.
As we learn and begin to cheer for this girl, she is in fact quite clever about everything except herself. We want her to do well in her job (and get credit for it). We want her to pursue her dreams of true love. We want her to become more confident about her looks and not hide them away.
I had never heard of Louise Bagshawe before. This book literally jumped out at me while perusing the shelves of our local library. I'm glad it did. I felt like I was in the middle of a good chick flick. I love it when authors write scenes that I can see happening and she does this well. I enjoyed this one and will look for more by this author.

Weekly Geeks - 2nd Chances

Better late than never - I almost missed this week's geek topic but back in time from vacation to just squeak in. Here's what's going on this week:

There have been times in my life where I reread a book (or author) I hated--or thought I hated--but the second time around ended up loving. Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever changed your mind about a book or author the second time around? Have you ever given a book or author a second chance?

If you have, I'd love to hear your stories. Blog about your experience(s) in giving second chances.

If you haven't, I'd like you to consider giving a book or an author a second chance. You can blog about your intentions to do so--or if you're a quick reader, maybe you can even squeeze something in!

Can't think of a single book or author? Don't worry, you can stretch this one to include movies or music if you prefer.

It is just very interesting to me how time can change tastes and perceptions. How subjective the reading experience is and always will be.

Coincidentally, I just gave an author a second chance this summer. I first tried Anita Shreve about 10 years ago. I wasn't yet married, I didn't yet have children, basically I was just out of university and starting out in life. My first go at an Anita Shreve novel was The Pilot's Wife. I liked it okay, but I didn't really get why it was getting so many rave reviews.

I picked up The Pilot's Wife again this summer. 10 years down the road, I'm now married, I have 2 kids, I've been in my career for a while now, I've travelled and lived on both sides of the country. Basically, I've gathered some life experience. I know I've grown up a lot too. I totally 'got' Anita Shreve this time. So much so that I've been on a bit of an Anita Shreve kick this summer. My favorite of hers so far is Testimony (which is her newest novel).

So why did I give her another try? Not an admirable explaination, but basically I was bored. I didn't have a novel on the go and this one was one sitting on my shelf that I didn't remember so much of that I knew I'd be bored reading it again. I'm glad it's a book I bought and held on to.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Sometimes it is a case of thank God they made it into a movie so I can know about the book! No, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will, I've got a girl's night planned soon :o)
I picked this up on my way to PEI for our family vacation. I needed something to read that wasn't a library book (I have this fear of losing books when I'm away ever since I accidentally left one on an airplane!). For me this was the perfect vacation read. It was light, it was true, it was very entertaining.
I'm a food blogger too (http://whatcha-eatin.blogspot.com) so I totally can relate to posting and having a following (though mine is much, much smaller and my blog is a lot less purposeful than hers). I did find Julie's blog when I got home and have enjoyed reading through a few of her posts, I do want to go back in time to see some of her originals.
I know I didn't give much of a book description here, but I think most people are aware of the story by now (Julie decides to cook through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1 in a year). I do look forward to the movie, especially seeing the other side of it (the Julia Child side that I haven't read - I'm a huge Meryl Streep fan). Loved it and recommend this book!

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

I wanted and didn't want to read this book pretty equally. I wanted to because I love the way Picoult tells a story and this was one of the few books of hers I hadn't read yet. I didn't want to because of the subject matter. Child abuse and sexual preditors are not fun reading, particularly when the victim is a 5 year old boy and you have a 5 year old male child.
I did push past the ickiness of it and get into the book. What I found was a woman who is caught between a law system that often fails the child and a parent enraged that something like this would happen to her own son.
The story was well told and being a Picoult novel it did have some unexpected and unseen twists and turns along the way. If you can handle the subject matter, then pick this one up. It's worth the read.

The Marsh King's Daughter by Elizabeth Chadwick

For those of you following my what to read on Monday indecision, you'll be happy to know that I did decide and yes, this book by Elizabeth Chadwick won out.
I flew through this one much faster than the last Chadwick book. Probably because I was already in that mindset era and didn't feel the need to be distracted and look up historical facts :o)
This story follows two main characters: Miriel, a young woman forced into convent life by her cruel step-father and Nicholas, a young man recently escaped from arrest under King John. Miriel and Nicholas meet when Miriel and a nun from her convent find Nicholas near dead close to the convent. Miriel is one of the people who helps care for and heal Nicholas. She then joins him to escape life in the convent.
Though the two part ways you know that in a book like this they are likely to meet again, which they do under much different circumstances.
This book was much more of a romance novel than I was expecting. I haven't read a lot of romance in the past number of years (I read a lot of it in my early 20's). The historical accuracy of the book is what kept me going. Elizabeth Chadwick is extremely well researched and has had much recognition for that. I will continue to read her books. I like them.

It's Monday

So I'm in debate as to what I'm reading today. I had every intention of my next book being Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. Then I finished the Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick and thought while I was in the 13thC mindset I'd start the Marsh King's Daughter. I began both last night (read both introductions) - at this point I'm thinking The Marsh King's Daughter is going to win out.

15 Books

Here is a Facebook Meme that I got today that seemed worth putting on my blog - go ahead try it :o)

Here are the rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. They don't have to be the greatest books you've ever read, just the ones that stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Copy these instructions and tag 15 ( or more or less) friends, including me - because I'm interested in seeing what books are in your head.

1. The Bible
2. The Autobiography of King Henry VIII by Margaret George
3. The Mark of the Lion Trilogy by Francine Rivers
4. The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy
5. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
6. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
7. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
8. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
9. The Trouble with Jenny's Ear by Oliver Butterworth
10. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards
11. Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
12. Little House Series by L.I. Wilder
13. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
14. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
15. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick

I can thank the online book blogging community for introducing me to this author. I had never heard of her, but according to people who have read her she is one of the best historical fiction writers out there.
My local library had 3 of her books in so I got all three. I started off with The Champion as it was written the earliest and you never know if an author has repeat characters in later books or not.
It has been a long time since I've read a book set in this point of history (the late 1100's-early 1200's). It took me a little bit to get into just reorienting myself with the time period, but it was well worth it.
The story centres on three main characters: Hervi - a tournament knight, making a living on the circuit, Alexander - his brother, recently having left monastic training, and Monday, a girl who is the daughter of Hervi's best friend.
The story takes us from the tournament fields to the courts of medieval England/France. We watch these characters grow and change throughout time. At times they are close together and at others they live lives apart and separate from each other, but they always remain connected. I don't want to give too much of the plot away (one of my big fears in book blogging).
Something that always gets at me when reading historical fiction is to find out how accurate the real historical characters are portrayed (such as King John). I think that's why it takes me longer than usual to get through these sorts of books, I get sidetracked while looking up my own information. It seems to me that Chadwick is well-researched (while she does admit to a little creative licensing) and mostly stays true to the time period and the real historical characters involved. I look forward to my next Chadwick novel.

Weekly Geeks - It's a Mystery

So I'm super-excited for this week's Weekly Geek topic. Mostly because I suggested it and I'm just really blown away that it would be used :o) Read on...

1."Do you love a little suspense in your life? Have you ever read a book that keeps you twisting and turning until the last page? Tell us about it (but not too much , we want to be left hanging ourselves). Or maybe there is a series of mysteries that you adore. Why do you keep reading about the same detectives?"***

2. To expand on that a little: the new TV series Castle revolves around a popular mystery writer. There's even talk that a novel will be published supposedly written by Castle himself. TV and books will muddy the entertainment waters once again. I think we all know of the Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes series on PBS and BBC as well. Not to mention the new movie Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law will open December 25, 2009. Looks pretty exciting!

If you were to be given special TV or movie producing powers, which mystery novel character(s) would you create a TV series or movie for? Who would you cast in the major roles?

You can:

Get creative and post photos of the cast, even the locations you'd love to see them in. If you're really feeling artsy, create a fake imbd page on your blog or make a trailer for your fantasy show.

Have fun!

I actually haven't read a lot of mysteries myself - strange I know. I really got into the Stephanie Plum Books (by Janet Evanovich) last summer and was hoping for some mystery ideas to further my knowledge of this area of writing.
I love the Plum books as they are funny and sassy. I know they aren't traditional mysteries (more crime solving than whodunnits). There must be other books out there that fit the bill. When you read a series like that do you stay in order? Is that important? I did read the Plum books in order and think it added to the series (as character histories and relationships were being built).
As to the movie side of things, I love a good mystery on film. I've seen more than I've read. And I am very much looking forward to the new Sherlock Holmes movie this winter. The best mysteries are the ones that you really just don't know until the very end. I feel I've gotten my $10+ worth out of it then.
I think I read more mysteries when I was a kid. I definately remember a series about 3 siblings who would run into mysteries quite a bit (One was called the Haunted Tree House, anyone remember it?).

Show Us Your Library

Trisha at Trisha's Book Blog has challenged us to show each other our libraries. I actually had a mental debate in my head over this one. We have 3 libraries in town. Which one to show? Well, that can be narrowed down to two, the main branch and the east branch (closest to me and the one I use the most). I happen to be taking my youngest to the toddler time program this summer at the main branch so the main branch won.
This is an overview of the library. I'm upstairs near the computer lab. Upstairs houses the archives, reference material and community rooms. Downstairs is home to the general fiction, non-fiction, videos and children's section.
Looking down at the check-out desk and CD library.
My boys in the video section. The ended up with 2 DVDs (Charlie and Lola, Bob the Builder) and one VHS (Magic School Bus). I didn't get a picture of my regular section as my kids tend to hurry me through to get to the children's section faster.
Where the Wild Things Are.

My oldest reading to my youngest in the kids section - a great place to relax and play. I hope you enjoyed this mini view of my library and get a chance to show off yours :o)

Raising a Reader

This is a post that I wrote for my parenting blog http://clevermamas.blogspot.com

"I love books, I love the library!" my 5 year old shouted at me, holding his new treasures in his arms.
"Mama, read this me?" my 2 year old asked holding a copy of Max's Toys by Rosemary Wells up at me.
How did I create such a joy of reading at young age? Well, it's something I didn't really think about at all, it's just something I did. Reading is something that I love and naturally shared with my children. I didn't think much of it until my husband mentioned to me that reading wasn't a big part of his childhood. He never would have thought to bring the kids to the library as a regular occurrence, but he's happy and appreciative that I do.
So you may be wondering where to begin. How do you get kids to like books? How do you raise a reader?
I started reading to my little ones at quite an early age (infants). Books for infants have a lot of repitition and soft words. As they get to be a little older, their books can become part of their toy collection. Soft books for chewing on and books with texture and bright colours to capture their senses. I also enrolled my children in a local library program called, "Babies in the Library". This was geared for infants to 18 month old babies and involved a lot of rhyme, finger play and dancing with other parents and their babies. The program lasted for 4-6 weeks at a time and rotated through the local libraries.
As my kids grew older going to the library just became a regular part of our lives. We would go every couple of weeks, each checking out books and DVDs that interested us. My 5 year old is a huge hockey fan and knows exactly where the hockey books are located. We've gone to many different library programs including toddler time, preschool time and the summer reading club. Most libraries will offer such programs. If you aren't sure where to begin, your local children's librarian can be a wealth of knowledge for you. They can help you find age appropriate and interest appropriate books for you and your child to enjoy.
We've also made reading a part of our night-time routine. Each of our kids has story time with mom or dad every night. We read anywhere from 1 to 3 books together. My husband is a great one for making the stories more dramatic with interesting voices for the different characters which makes our kids laugh. I often will ask questions about the pictures or what they think will happen next in the story. I will also mix up words of familiar stories intentionally to see if they catch me (they usually do).
Sometimes my kids and I will read side by side. I'll be into my own book and they will be 'reading' theirs. Kids imitate and learn what they see. If they see mom or dad into a book, chances are their interest in reading will be elevated.
Neither of my children read words yet, but they both do a great job at storytelling. They will use the pictures as cues to tell what is going on. This is a great first step to reading. My older son can pick out the letters and some common words, which he finds encouraging.
As your kids get older it becomes even more important that the books they are reading are ones that interest them and isn't at a too difficult reading level. There is no point in forcing a book about horses onto your son who is really into detectives. Find a good mystery book instead.
Once you've opened the mystery of reading with your children you've unlocked a lifelong treasure.

Free Book Offer from Oprah!

Only good until Wednesday, August 5 10:59PM ET - Oprah is offering members of her website a free download of Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (part of her summer reading club.) To find out more visit Oprah.com
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/readinglists/pkgsummerreading/200907-omag-book-download-colum-mccann

Awards Time

Wow, I've been blessed this past month on this site to be nominated for a few blogging awards. This one is from Sue at Book by Book. The premise of this award is this:
The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a regular basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world.

Thank you Sue!

My nominees for this award are:

TeddyRee at The Eclectic Reader
Maree at Just Add Books





The second award is the Heartfelt Award and it is from Yvette at True Crime Book Reviews
. Here is the premise for this award:

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you’re relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family & friends?
You know that feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea or a hot toddy?
That is what the Heartfelt award is all about: feeling warm inside!

The Rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

My nominees for this one are:

Melissa at the Book Nut
Kim at MetroReader
Michelle at Reader's Respite
J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog

Looking Back by Belva Plain

Okay, so I grabbed two Belva Plain books off the quick reads rack this week. I wasn't sure if I'd read this before, but a few pages in it sounded too familiar to me and I started to think, "wait a minute, doesn't she...?" and sure enough what I thought happened later on in the story. It wasn't so fresh in my mind that I remembered every detail, or the ending either, so it was still an enjoyable read to me.
This story tells the tale of 3 college friends at graduation and the years beyond. The 3 girls come from completely different backgrounds. Amanda was a scholarship student determined to get away from her poor upbringing. Norma was raised by her father. She's a very bright young lady, but afflicted with legs that are disfigured. Cecile comes from a well-off family that can only be described as having class.
2 of the girls marry young. We see the connectedness that these women have with each other be stretched and pulled through life's trials. Ultimately this story leads up to a betrayal that will affect their friendships for good.

Daybreak by Belva Plain

So I found a Belva Plain book that I hadn't read before. It surprised me, I thought I'd read them all. I found this one on the quick reads rack at the main branch library. The quick reads rack is an honour system where you don't actually take the book out on your card, you just grab it and go with the notion to return it within a week.
Onto Daybreak. The premise of this story is that a couple finds out their son, who recently died of complications due to Cystic Fibrosis was not their son, but rather he had been switched at birth. The story does not linger with this family, but rather the other family connected with the switch. Their son is a healthy 19 year old college student. Their younger boy is afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis.
This family, the Rices, have their own worries in life. The mother, Laura is a lady through and through. Her husband is what's known as a 'good ole boy' from the southern US, complete with prejudices that have transferred over to their son Tom.
As with other Belva Plain books, I found myself getting swept away. She writes with emotion, saga style. Belva Plain is a Jewish-American author and many of her books have Jewish themes to them. This one looked at the prejudices held against Jewish people. It was very well researched, though I can't imagine researching such hatred. The atrocities that humankind has dealt one another is abominable. She handled it with grace and style.

It's Monday

I'm back at one of my old standards, Belva Plain, and believe it or not I found a book by her I've not yet read called Daybreak.

Weekly Geeks - Music Match

I honestly thought this would be a no-brainer for me. I teach music, I love to read, how hard could it be? Ummmm, I admit, I stumbled. Read on and then I'll explain:

Music is a pretty amazing thing. It can take us back to the past, make us want to dance, put us in a romantic mood, or simply lift our spirits. But sometimes, music does something a little different for me: it reminds me of a book.

Yes, there is nothing more geeky than to be riding down the road listening to the radio and suddenly thinking "That song matches [book title] perfectly!". But that is exactly what happens to me sometimes. For example, whenever I hear Phil Collins' song 'Can't Stop Loving You,' I immediately think of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South. To me, it is exactly the kind of song that describes the two main characters' relationship.

So, my fellow Weekly Geeks, your challenge this week is to come up with at least one song-book match. It could remind you of a theme from the book, a specific part of the plot, or even one of the characters (a sort of theme song, if you will). Be sure to include samples of the lyrics and the reason why that song reminds you of that book. If you can provide a link to a recording of the song so that other geeks can hear it that would be great as well. (One good place to look for links is last.fm, there are others, too).

Rock n' Roll!!

I kept hearing songs and found no book match. I thought of books I loved, but no song was coming to mind.
There was one book-song match that kept coming back to me and it's one I use in teaching. I will read the book "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister to my primary students, while playing "Aquarium" by Camille Saint-Saens in the background. Aquarium is from Carnival of the Animals. It's a gentle, beautiful piece of music that accurately represents life under the sea. I find that the music helps draw in the kids enhancing the story even further. The story itself teaches the kids about sharing and friendship. It has spawned a whole set of books and an animated TV series.

BBC Reading List

Thanks to Bookfan Mary for this one!
BBC book list
BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

I'm highlighting the ones I've read in bold, and italics for those I've started but not yet finished

# Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
# The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
# Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
# Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - I've read the 1st 4
# To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
# The Bible
# Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
# Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
# His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
# Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
# Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
# Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
# Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
# Complete Works of Shakespeare -I've read about half
# Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
# The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
# Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
# Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
# The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
# Middlemarch - George Eliot
# Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
# The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
# Bleak House - Charles Dickens
# War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
# The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
# Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
# Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
# Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
# The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
# Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
# David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
# Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
# Emma-Jane Austen
# Persuasion - Jane Austen
# The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
# The Kite Runner - Khaled Hossein
# Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
# Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
# Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
# Animal Farm - George Orwell
# The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
# One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
# A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
# The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
# Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
# Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
# The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
# Lord of the Flies - William Golding
# Atonement - Ian McEwan
# Life of Pi - Yann Martel
# Dune - Frank Herbert
# Cold Comfort Farm
# Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
# A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
# The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
# A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
# Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
# The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon
# Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
# Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
# Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
# The Secret History - Donna Tartt
# The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
# Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
# On The Road - Jack Kerouac
# Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
# Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
# Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
# Moby Dick - Herman Melville
# Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
# Dracula - Bram Stoker
# The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
# Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
# Ulysses - James Joyce
# The Inferno – Dante
# Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
# Germinal - Emile Zola
# Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray - I'm currently reading this one
# Possession - AS Byatt
# A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
# Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
# The Color Purple - Alice Walker
# The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
# Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
# A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
# Charlotte’s Web - EB White
# The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
# Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
# The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
# Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
# The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
# The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
# Watership Down - Richard Adams
# A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
# A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
# The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
# Hamlet - William Shakespeare
# Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
# Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

What is that? 30 in completion?