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These are all the books I read during 2010. Which ones have you read?

Adichie, Chimimanda Ngozi – Purple Hibiscus
3 (2.3%)
Atkinson, Kate – Case Histories
3 (2.3%)
Austen, Jane – Emma
14 (10.8%)
Beerbohm, Max – Zuleika Dobson
0 (0%)
Boyd, William – A Good Man in Africa
0 (0%)
Byatt, A.S. – The Children's Book
1 (0.8%)
Cambridge, Elizabeth – Hostages to Fortune
0 (0%)
Christie, Agatha – The Mysterious Affair at Styles
6 (4.6%)
Coe, Jonathan – What a Carve Up!
2 (1.5%)
Cusk, Rachel – Arlington Park
1 (0.8%)
Dickens, Charles – Bleak House
7 (5.4%)
Dunmore, Helen – Zennor in Darkness
0 (0%)
Endo, Shusaku – The Samurai
0 (0%)
Faber, Michael – The Crimson Petal and the White
3 (2.3%)
Fadiman, Anne – Ex-Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader
4 (3.1%)
Forster, Margaret – Rich Desserts and Captain's Thin: A Family and Their Times, 1831-1931
0 (0%)
Fraser, Caro – A Little Learning
0 (0%)
Gale, Patrick – The Whole Day Through
0 (0%)
Gibbons, Stella – Cold Comfort Farm
5 (3.8%)
Grahame, Kenneth – The Wind in the Willows
6 (4.6%)
Hornby, Nick – Juliet, Naked
1 (0.8%)
Ishiguro, Kazuo – Never Let Me Go
3 (2.3%)
Kiely, David M. – John Millington Synge: A Biography
0 (0%)
Kingsolver, Barbara – The Lacuna
1 (0.8%)
Larsson, Stieg – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
7 (5.4%)
Lee, Harper – To Kill a Mockingbird
16 (12.3%)
Lindley, Maureen – The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
0 (0%)
Longford, Christine – Making Conversation
0 (0%)
Mann, Thomas – Death in Venice
7 (5.4%)
Maupin, Armistead - Mary Ann in Autumn
0 (0%)
McCann, Colum – Let the Great World Spin
0 (0%)
Miller, Sue – The Senator's Wife
2 (1.5%)
Murray, Tiffany – Diamond Star Halo
0 (0%)
Nobbs, David – Obstacles to Young Love
0 (0%)
O’Connor, Joseph – Ghost Light
0 (0%)
O’Farrell, Maggie – After You'd Gone
1 (0.8%)
Paton, Alan – Cry, the Beloved Country
6 (4.6%)
Quinn, Karen – The Ivy Chronicles
1 (0.8%)
Raban, Jonathan – Old Glory
0 (0%)
Rendell, Ruth – End in Tears
0 (0%)
Rowlatt, Bee and Witwit, Mary – Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad
0 (0%)
Rubenfeld, Jed – The Interpretation of Murder
2 (1.5%)
Seiffert, Rachel – The Dark Room
2 (1.5%)
Slouka, Mark – The Visible World
0 (0%)
Smith, Zadie – On Beauty
7 (5.4%)
Spark, Muriel – Aiding and Abetting
0 (0%)
Stevenson, D.E. – Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
0 (0%)
Stevenson, D.E. – Spring Magic
0 (0%)
Stevenson, D.E. – The Four Graces
0 (0%)
Stewart, Mary – Touch Not the Cat
1 (0.8%)
Strachan, Mari – The Earth Hums in B Flat
0 (0%)
Synge, J.M. – The Playboy of the Western World
1 (0.8%)
Tearne, Roma – Brixton Beach
2 (1.5%)
Tóibín, Colm – Brooklyn
3 (2.3%)
Townsend, Sue – Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years
2 (1.5%)
Upson, Nicola – An Expert in Murder
1 (0.8%)
Verghese, Abraham – Cutting for Stone
0 (0%)
Vine, Barbara – A Dark-Adapted Eye
0 (0%)
Vine, Barbara – The Brimstone Wedding
0 (0%)
Waters, Sarah – The Little Stranger
3 (2.3%)
Webley, Nicholas (editor) – Betty's Wartime Diary, 1939-1945
0 (0%)
Whipple, Dorothy – High Wages
0 (0%)
Winsor, Kathleen – Forever Amber
0 (0%)
Woolf, Virginia –Mrs. Dalloway
5 (3.8%)
I haven't read any of these
1 (0.8%)

Total Members Voted: 21


Topic: My 2010 Reading List & Poll  (Read 5750 times)

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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2011, 02:33:45 PM »
What did you think of On Beauty? I read it years ago, but didn't really like it. It was one of those books that just ended up frustrating and annoying me because the characters were so unlikable.

What was your favorite book from this list?


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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #16 on: January 02, 2011, 02:41:42 PM »
What did you think of On Beauty? I read it years ago, but didn't really like it. It was one of those books that just ended up frustrating and annoying me because the characters were so unlikable.

I agree completely. I couldn't really sympathise with any of them. It's a shame as I really thought I was going to love the book. Looking back, I see I gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 5.

My favourite of the year was Mrs. Dalloway. You either love or hate Virginia Woolf, but I love her and I think this is her at her best.
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #17 on: January 02, 2011, 03:08:34 PM »
Well, thanks to this thread, I started thinking about what I want to read in 2011. I decided to stop wasting time reading crappy books that are handed to me by MIL or others if they don't appeal to me right away (life is too short!) and to instead do some book shopping to choose my own titles! I logged onto Green Metropolis (so great, if you don't already use them) and bought the following:

Likeness by Tana French
Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man by BillClegg
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale
Secret History by Donna Tartt
Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Faithful Place by Tana French
Alienist by Caleb Carr

Very excited to get some books I actually will want to reach for!  :D I think I may start selling some books on GM, just to get rid of these that I'm not interested in.

I also hope to read To Kill a Mockingbird (thanks for reminding me, Chary!) and may start Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tonight.


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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #18 on: January 02, 2011, 07:11:46 PM »
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale
Secret History by Donna Tartt
Alienist by Caleb Carr

I really liked the above three! Exellent choices! And I normally adore Sarah Waters, but I didn't think Little Stranger was up to her usual standard.

But The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo won my 'Worst Read of the Year' award!  :P
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #19 on: January 02, 2011, 07:19:02 PM »
But The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo won my 'Worst Read of the Year' award!  :P

My family had mixed reviews of this book.  My parents loved it, but my grandfather thought it was too dark.  He didn't really like it.  I've read some reviews and I can't say I'm convinced to read it. 


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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #20 on: January 02, 2011, 07:26:07 PM »
I really liked the above three! Exellent choices! And I normally adore Sarah Waters, but I didn't think Little Stranger was up to her usual standard.

But The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo won my 'Worst Read of the Year' award!  :P

My family had mixed reviews of this book.  My parents loved it, but my grandfather thought it was too dark.  He didn't really like it.  I've read some reviews and I can't say I'm convinced to read it. 

Well, sheateawholepie loaned it to me, and I should probably give it a go before I see her again! Hopefully I will like it. I started it once a while back, but became distracted by something else.

I'm excited about the others I chose, I picked a few off the favourite books thread that showed up a few times from different forum members, so that's where the three Chary mentioned came from!  :D And since I just finished In the Woods by Tana French and loved it, I thought I'd give her other two books a go!


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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #21 on: January 02, 2011, 07:26:21 PM »
Ooooh, I second English Passengers. That's an underrated book, IMO. I didn't rate On Beauty either. My list this year:

The Brief and Adventurous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz
2666, Roberto Bolano
Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce
Terrible Beauty, Peter Watson
David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
Savage Detectives, Roberto Bolano
Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich
Making of Modern Britain, Andrew Marr
Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel
Watchmen, Alan Moore
Berlin Wall, Frederick Taylor

Lots of baby books!

I think my favourite book on your list, chary, is What a Carve Up!
 
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #22 on: January 02, 2011, 07:31:27 PM »
My family had mixed reviews of this book.  My parents loved it, but my grandfather thought it was too dark.  He didn't really like it.  I've read some reviews and I can't say I'm convinced to read it. 

This is a funny one because most people I know loved it - even people with whom I usually have a lot in common book-wise. I just thought it was utter rubbish. Poorly written, poorly translated and really violently offensive on every level. I could go on ... but I'll stop before I put Jewlz off!  :P

My list this year:

What was your favourite, shannuni?


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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #23 on: January 02, 2011, 07:39:42 PM »
This is a funny one because most people I know loved it - even people with whom I usually have a lot in common book-wise. I just thought it was utter rubbish. Poorly written, poorly translated and really violently offensive on every level. I could go on ... but I'll stop before I put Jewlz off!  :P

LOL! You have definitely put a seed of doubt in there, I must admit!  ;) I may have to read something else first until I forget everything you just said.  :P


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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #24 on: January 02, 2011, 08:15:21 PM »
Chary--I assumed you didn't like Girl With the Dragon Tattoo when I didn't see the two sequels on your list. I agree with your assessment, but still found it completely addictive and had to read the other two (I actually read the 2nd one first) immediately.

There was a really funny send up of the trilogy by Nora Ephron in The New Yorker.

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/07/05/100705sh_shouts_ephron





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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #25 on: January 02, 2011, 08:28:02 PM »
Quote
What was your favourite, shannuni?

I loved 2666 but Brief and Adventurous Life of Oscar Wao was the more enjoyable if that makes sense.

I'll be interested to see what the film adaptation of Never Let Me Go is like. Somehow, I think I'll be disappointed. As for Girl With..., I saw the original film and decided that I wouldn't have been interested in the book so just as well I saw the film.
22 November 2005: Arrived in the UK on a work permit
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2 July 2010: Gave birth to our little boy
30 October 2010: ILR Granted!
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #26 on: January 02, 2011, 08:34:01 PM »
There was a really funny send up of the trilogy by Nora Ephron in The New Yorker.

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/07/05/100705sh_shouts_ephron

Oh, that's brilliant! Thank you!  ;D

Many italic thoughts flew through her mind.

I'll be interested to see what the film adaptation of Never Let Me Go is like. Somehow, I think I'll be disappointed.

Me too. I'm nearly always disappointed with film adaptations.  :-\\\\
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #27 on: March 03, 2011, 11:57:50 AM »
I just found this (I know) but I wanted to say to Chary that I'm impressed with how organized you are with your reading!  It was fun to see your list.  What did you think of Fadiman?
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #28 on: March 03, 2011, 01:15:46 PM »
What did you think of Fadiman?

LOVED Fadiman! You?
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Re: My 2010 Reading List & Poll
« Reply #29 on: March 03, 2011, 01:20:11 PM »
LOVED Fadiman! You?

that is one of my very favourite books. The one on combining libraries gets me every time. It's just a gem.

I had people telling me that the "Tattoo" series just got better and better, so I ended up reading all three, but I agree with chary, just not something I'll ever visit again.


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