Another day, another year

New Years Eve came and went. Fergus slept through most of it.

 Conkers just stayed superior to all the fuss (Fergus was growling at him when M took this - looks like he cares?)

Pooper Grunty disgraced herself by refusing to go out and do-do - she came in and did the deed in Grandma's bedroom....she is sleeping off her disgrace!

M, J and I celebrated a special birthday for M - had a lovely meal with one of his sisters and her husband on Friday which was awesome and on the day went for a totally fabby meal with some jolly good chums which resulted in much merriment and jollifications all round. Pretty good birthday for the ole boy (lol).

Now we are into 2012 - no resolutions here - waste of brain juice.

But I have cast on for my first pair of socks for 2012 and started the first book in 52 books in year challenge - apart from that life as normal really.

A fanfare pleeaasseeeee!

52 books in 52 weeks - books 41 - 52.

I am going to list these in the format they were read in. This would have been nowhere as easy if audio books weren't allowed. As I have been knitting and spinning in the evening and not watching TV much at all I have got through quite a few since my last post.

Audio Books.

Book 41 - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. (Librivox read by Chip).

Ashamed to admit that all I knew of this story was the most recent Hollywood telling of it. The book bares so little resemblance to it - it is almost criminal. I loved the story and Chip told it wonderfully - he has the sort of lyrical voice that made it almost poetical. I do think that there is far more descriptive writing of the 'where' than telling of the 'how' and 'what' though.

Book 42 - Love and Friendship by Jane Austen. (Librivox read by Cori Samuel).

I have never read this before. Oh dear. You can tell the youth of the author by its content and the story telling - good thing she improved is all I can say.

Book 43 - Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen. (Librivox read by Elizabeth Klett).

One of my less favourite of JA's books normally but I had never listened to it on AB before and I found it held my attention more and Catherine annoyed me less in this format. It was very well read and the narrator made no mistakes in her English pronunciations and her American accent worked quite well in the telling. I still find that it is not a favourite though.

Book 44 - Mansfield Park - Jane Austen. (Librivox read by various).

This is another less favourite JA and same as above I had never tried it on audio book. It is better in that format but I think the multiple narrators didn't add anything. I might buy an audio copy and listen again. I still find Fanny as irritating as hell and Edmund is wet!

(Sorry bit of a JA binge in the last couple of weeks).

Book 45 - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off. (Read by the author).

As a knitter this kind of book amuses me no end. I know some people don't like the Yarn Harlot and her books but I do. She is funny in a lovely self depreciating way, she knows her subject and the twists (lol) she puts into the telling of her knitting life are great. This book takes you through the land of knitting introducing the world of modern knitters, their jargon and their obsessions.

Kindle Book.

Book 46 - The Chosen Soul - Heather Killough-Walden.

This is much more a traditional fantasy story, though I found it in the teen/vampire bit of of Amazon. I think it was in the wrong place. It belongs more with fantasy sagas etc. You have Demons and 9 rings of Hell, you have Orks, you have Gods and you have Elves - all the components of a good fantasy read and it didn't disappoint too much - a little formulaic in places but not boring, a few nice twists with a good end that makes you want to know what happens in the next one. These books are not great literature but they are readable.

Book 47 - Finding Sky - Joss Stirling.

There are probably a 100 reasons why I shouldn't like this book but I don't care. I loved it! Corny and predictable in places, teen market based but I loved it. Could not put it down. Terrible I know but it sucked me in and I can't wait to read the next one.

Books 48 & 49 - Demon Girl/Demon Day (The Rae Wilder Novels) - Penelope Fletcher.

The opposite of the above - I should, knowing my penchant for this type of book, have loved these - fairies, vampires, shifters, witches, clerics and lots of teen(ish) angst but even with the voodoo and a zombie thrown in - they just didn't do it for me. The female main character was too needy, selfish and stupid to make me want to care - I just wanted someone to kill by the end of the 2nd book - won't be reading the rest.

Book 50 - Hard Landing (The 1st Spider Shepherd Thriller) - Stephen Leather.

Not a normal choice for me and when I started it I loved  it,a real page turner (I do like this author and have read others of his) but as the story progressed it moved in one direction really and I don't know I got a bit apathetic with it all. I still enjoyed it, but it got a little bland for me. Even the ending was a bit predictable (seem to be using that word a lot at moment - perhaps I'm jaded?)

Proper old fashioned books.

Book 51 - The Colour Purple - Alice Walker.

This has been my bedtime reading and it is an old favourite. I think it is one of the best books ever written. Every time I read it I cry. I loved the film too which is unusual when a book is such a firm favourite. I think it is one of those books that everyone should read at some time in their life. Genius.

Book 52 - Frankenstein (1818 text) - Mary Shelley.

Another firm fav and another bedtime reader - I like a proper book at bedtime that it doesn't matter if I drop it as I doze off. I first read this book in my 30's - so late to such a good story. This is the third time I've read it and it doesn't get old - my favourite section is still the part where the creature is hiding and watching at the farm my heart aches for him every time. Brilliant.

So that is it - 52 books done - I had two fails during this time so I thought I'd give them an honourable mention.

1st fail - The Girl with Dragon Tattoo - Stig Larson.

It is still on my Kindle and I will try and finish it -so many peeps have told me it is worth the effort the only problem is every time I start reading it my eyeballs dry out!

2nd fail - Trick of the Dark -  Val McDermid.

I should stay away from thrillers - I can always works out the who did what to whom and why - long before the end - this fell into that category.

I know some peeps keeping going to see how many books in total in a year, but I can't do that - I'd start competing with myself!!! I am done. It was fun.

52 books - 29 - 40

I have seriously remiss in posting my reading. So I decided to do a bulk list and as I have been reading loads of crap quick fix fantasy stuff I will only review the books I really loved.

Book 29
The Three Musketeers - Dumas.
Format - Audiobook - Librivox.

Never read this before (or listened to it) I love the story - fab. But as it had different narrators which differing French accents and pronunciation it wasn't an easy listen. It has however made me determined to read it for myself or at the very least get a decent audio version.

Book 30
The Beekeepers Apprentice - Laurie R King.
Format - Kindle.

This is a really good read. I saw that Wibbo had read it in her 2010 book challenge, I enjoyed her review and decided to give it a go....well it's a variation on a theme with added Sherlock Holmes - how could I resist?
I am so glad I didn't resist. I loved it. I will be reading more of this series.

Book 31
Wuthering Heights -  Emily Bronte
Format - Audio book

This is a really old download that is on my previous iPod (which I use now mainly for audio books) and I cannot find anywhere who the narrator is -but however she is, she is wonderful.
I was a late comer to this book as I didn't read it until I was in my 20's and on my first reading I enjoyed it but it wasn't at all what I was expecting. It is now a favourite classic and one I return to time and time again. It is such a clever, thought provoking read - I love the dialect usage and the language - it is a book that makes you feel it.

Book 32
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Format - Kindle.

This is my bandwagon book. I saw that quite a few friends had read and enjoyed it. I read its synopsis and some reviews and decided to download it. It is really good. Not my normal stuff but a change is good for you. I read it in two days because I couldn't put it down. I love the mix of thriller, police drama and a sprinkle of ghosts, spirits and magic -really works. I can't wait to download and read the next one.

Books 33 - 36.
Format - Kindle
(all chick lit)

Cinderella Deal - Jennifer Crusie
The Way to a Womens Heart - Christina Jones ( I love Christina Jones - her books are fab)
The Moon and Back - Jill Mansell
Summer of Love - Katie Fforde.

Books 37 - 40
Format - Kindle
(all fantasy)

My Love Lies Bleeding and Out for Blood - Alyxandra Harvy
My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save - Rachel Vincent

The above four books are all good reads but they are all very much on a par with the Twilight and Vampire Diaries style of book - with different twists - first two are vampires but it is more a telling from their world and perspective the Rachel Vincent books deal with banshees - but still are a variation on a theme. I would read more from Alyxandra Harvy but not of the others.

52 Books - playing catch up - 23 - 28

Have been reading loads just haven't been 'asked' to blog about it. So thought I'd better play catch up. To date I have read/am reading book 41. So I am rather behind - whoops.

Book 23.

The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir
Format - Book.

I love history. I love reading about history and one of my favourite time period runs from Henry viii to Elizabeth i. I have read so many books, by so many authors that I didn't think there would a new slant or commentary that I hadn't come across but this book ticks the 'new idea' box wonderfully. It is well written, easy to follow and very informative without being too dry. I've not read this author before but on the performance of this book, I would happily read her work again.

Book 24.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan.
Format - Kindle.

I have been having a binge of teen fantasy lit - cos I like it! This one is a corker. In fact the abrupt ending was a shock I was so sucked into it. The book came up in the Kindle sale and I decided just to give it a go, now I can't wait for the follow up. Dragon/people - who can fly - yes!

Books 25 and 26.

Kisschase by Fiona Walker/ Kiss and Tell by Fiona Walker
Format - Kindle.

I haven't read any Fiona Walker for years - I went off her. But in 'Kiss and Tell' she revisited some characters that I liked from a previous book so I thought 'why not'. It took me a while to get back into her style and there were still some of the issues that stopped me reading her books, but once it got going it was good. A romping 'Jilly Cooper-esqe' style or perhaps that was the horsey setting?  But by the end of the book I realised I had enjoyed it but it still, in my memory didn't match up to the first book of hers I ever read 'Kisschase'. I thought a comparison read would be good so I downloaded it there and then (got to love yer Kindle) as I had no idea if I'd kept the book. Now this is a book I read over and over when it first came out but that was a while ago and it was hazy - and my tastes have changed. I still love it! It is fab, girly, but fab. Her style and content have changed but I'd say for the worse in her more recent books, if she went back to this I read everything she wrote.

Book 27.

Persuasion by Jane Austen.
Format - Audio book read by Greta Scacchi

I think this is my second favourite Austen. I love Capt Wentworth as a hero. I want to visit with the Musgroves and go to Lyme. I think it has the most satisfying ending of all her novels - the letter gets me every time. This audio is great - Ms Scacchi handles the telling well and does good characterisation without distracting from the story. She has amazingly clear diction too. I never ever tire of this.

Book 28.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Format - Book.

I realised that I haven't re-read this book since my 20's. I found my copy of it in J's room and borrowed it back -it was a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening/night a couple of weeks ago. Scandalous as it may seem I don't really like LOTR - I've read it twice and it is boring IMHO - but 'The Hobbit' I loved and still do. I got pulled straight into it and had to be forcibly dragged out of it to go to bed! I still love the mutton chapter and still think Gollum is better in this book than LOTR (I do like the films!) and it stills calls to the 12 year old who first read all those years ago. It was my first experience of the fantasy genre and has shaped a lot of what still appeals to me again. I also loved that this battered copy had the lovely old book smell - you don't get that with yer Kindle!

52 Books - 21 and 22

The Host by Stephanie Meyer.

Format - Kindle.

OMG how much do I love this book? It is a little slow going at first but once it gathers pace it is brilliant. I prefer it to her 'Twilight' books by far (and I love the Twilight books). I loved this twist on an old sci-fi favourite 'body snatchers'. The development of the symbiotic relationship of the two main characters is really good and although you start disliking the alien by the end you are willing for her survival in some way. I really could not put this down - not for anything.

I'm sure Hollywood will put it in a film and bollix it up - but I wish they wouldn't it is far too good for that - but then that didn't stop them ruining Jane Austen's stuff did it?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Format - Audio book.

This is an old download from when I got my first ever iPod -I have no idea who narrates it -  it sounds a bit like Gerladine McEwan but whoever it is they do a first class job.

I love this book. I hated it when I read it for my English Literature O'level but when I revisited it as an adult I found a story that I never grow tired off. I'm not usually a big fan of first person narration but it works so well here - is seamless - that I forget it as I get lost in the story. The narrator puts hope,  youth, loss and lethargy across within her characterisation so well, you can visualise it in your mind perfectly. It really is a wonderful place to get lost in for a few hours.

Aside from the audio presentation it is a story I can read over and over again in book form. My copy is seriously battered. From the opening pages with the Reed children and Aunt Reed, all through her school years and the death of Helen Burns, the growing romance, the Gothic madness to being lost on the moors, I am entranced.

I've made myself want to read it again now.....perhaps I should try the version called Jane Slayer which I've recently downloaded on to my Kindle instead?

52 Books - 17, 18, 19 and 20 - bumper crop!

Morning peeps - gosh that wind is little brisk. I got quite chilly pegging out the washing - back to brrrrrr.

Thought I'd better catch up with this as it has been a little neglected.

Book 17 - Sense Sensibility and Sea Monsters - by JA and Ben. H. Winters.

Format - Kindle.

OK so I loved and I mean really loved 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' - so I was looking forward to this like you would not believe, but oh boy did I struggle with it. If I'm honest  'S & S' is not my favourite Austen but I don't dislike it, I've just read it less than the others. The addition of sea monsters didn't freshen it up or make it more exciting, if anything, I thought it made a slow book, well, slower. The humour didn't come through the way it did in  'P & P & Zombies' at all in that you could still hear the original text with its original humour under the addition of the zombies, but Eleanor et al were lost within this ridiculous setting. There were some things that worked but I honestly think they tried too hard. Tedious, very, very tedious.

Book 18 - Far from the Madding Crowd  - by Thomas Hardy.

Format - Audio book - read by Martin Shaw.

Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

Have always loved this book - not a massive fan of Hardy but this is my exception to the rule book. It works for me on every level. Martin Shaw really, really gets it. Good even reading and a little addition of dramatisation and vocalisation just adds to the whole thing. I could listen to this over and over again.

100% Excellent.

Book 19 - Perfect Proposal - by Katie Fforde

Format - Kindle.

I have a secret passion for feel good, humorous chick lit. There are times when ones of these genre of book are just the perfect pick me up and comfort food in literary form. Katie Fforde is a favourite provider. I have read all but one of her books - my late MIL started me off on reading this author and it was one of the few things we agreed on. I haven't read one of her books for a while but really felt in the mood for her brand of sensible but funny-ish heroines and this did not fail me.

There is a formula to her story telling but it doesn't get stale as she adds enough flavouring and humour to keep it all fresh. I really engage with her characters because she often makes them seem quite normal and not as dipsy, randy or stupid as a lot authors tend to make their characters in this genre of story telling. There have been times with other authors when I have thrown books down in disgust because they make their characters so dumb - (can't do that with a Kindle though  - bit expensive) Katie Fforde has never done that to me. I have another of hers downloaded ready to go and am waiting for the perfect moment of need to indulge myself again.

Book 20 - Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - by J.K Rowling.

Format Audio Book - read by Stephen Fry.

Everyone (who likes them) has a favourite HP book and mine is the first one. It has wonderful associated memories of sharing it with a very young J at bedtime, it was such fun and so special as we both couldn't wait for the next chapter it led to a few late nights.
I have listened to this on audio books many times before and, for me, it never gets old. It is like a pair of old slippers and is perfect for some chill out knitting time when I want to escape the noise (especially of next doors toddling screamers). I love Stephen Fry's telling of the story he does it so well I actually forget it is him and just settle down and wallow in the fantasy.

I do know HP isn't every ones cup of tea - but I still enjoy all sorts of children's literature and the HP books were a great motivator for J to want to be able to read them for himself which then led him on to other authors. I bought them for him but they live in my book cupboard. I can't knock the books at all and think they a wonderful.

Books 14, 15 and 16.

The Dreamers Cat - Stephen Leather

This was the first book I read on my Kindle. It was a recommendation by my sister-in-law.

Not the worlds longest read or the hardest but definitely an intriguing one. It had a good paced plot, with lots of interesting changes of scenario but all the while keeping the main plot carrying forward. The main human character didn't have that much depth but his cat certainly did. I like Sci-fi but am not normally a fan of thrillers, the mix of genres in this story works really well and it added another dimension to the plot line.

I did work out the end before I reached it - that is the main reason I tend not to read thrillers I have an uncanny ability to suss them out really early into a book! I have another of this authors books downloaded ready to read - I hope it lives up to this one.

American Gods - Neil Gaiman.

I can never choose between this one and 'Neverwhere' . I love them both.

Revisiting this book was wonderful. I love Gaiman's tone and pace. His use of language and the overall weirdness of his story telling and Shadow is probably my favourite main character (though my real Gaiman favourites of all time are Vandemar and Croup).

One of the delights of this story is the uncovering of the old gods and the telling of what they are now and how they have merged into our society to survive - it is all very clever stuff.

I don't want to give too much away - for anyone who hasn't tried Neil Gaiman's books -  'American Gods'  is a good place to start.

Immortal  - Lauren Burd.

More vampires this week. What can I say about this Twilight/Vampire Diary hybrid?

Well I was taught that if you can't say anything nice - then say nothing.

"Nothing."

52 Books - 12 and 13

Doing these two together because they are by the same author are 1 and 2 in the series and that's the way (uhuh-uhuh - I like it) I read them.

Vampire Diaries - The Awakening/The Struggle - L.J. Smith

I have, since my teens, loved vampires from my first ever reading of Bram Stoker aged about 13 which led me to read Anne Rice and so on.

In recent months I have read all the of the Twilight Saga (J calls them Twishite) and all of the current Sookie Stackhouse books and I know they are not erudite or profound by I loved them. And even though I'm not really into cinema or TV that much I have watched Trublood and seen the Twilight films - I have also watched Vampire Diaries (season 1 & as much of season 2 as they've shown so far) and I have loved all of these also. When ITV2 announced another Vampire Diary TV break I decided to give the books a ago, with some trepidation, as I had read review that they were very much more aimed at a teen audience than others but they were quite cheap on my Kindle so I downloaded 1 and 2 as I  thought 2 books would give me a good  taste.

I will not be downloading the rest. Sorry but me no likee. The book characters are not much like the TV ones and they didn't draw me in at.....not even Damon. I decided book Elena was stupid and couldn't engage with her personality and book Stefan needs a kick up the arse. They weren't scary, thrilling or even that romantic. In fact one word sums it up and that word is 'pants'.

52 Books - 9, 10 and 11

Book 9 - King Arthur - Dragons Child by M K Hume.

I came across this book after reading Wibbo's review of it for her 52 books in 2010 (Wibbo's book blog here). It sounded like my sort of read so right at the beginning of the year I ventured into Brighton city centre and managed to find a copy in Waterstones. I am so glad I did. I read it in 2 days and I loved every page.

It is the legend of the Arthur but with a twist - Arthur is raised by a Roman family - this gives the book a whole different feel from the more traditionally told versions, but the difference really works, it actually makes it feel more real.

This is quite a dark and violent book in places and there some disturbing areas, however, it is part of the story and doesn't seem gratuitous. I like a book and that can shock within a good story without detracting from the tale and this book definitely does that.

I have the second book downloaded onto to my Kindle - but am saving it for when I need a really good, absorbing read and I also have time to loose myself for a  couple of days.

Book 10 - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.

Loved the TV series decided to read the book or should that be tome. It is a long book and not good for travelling, hence it took me a little longer to wade through. I did enjoy it though. There are subtle differences from the TV version but it was close enough. The details are there and didn't detract from the story telling - the feel of characters worked well, though, I did picture the actors as I read which I didn't like so much but can live with....who wouldn't mind picturing Rufus Sewell?

Not sure I'd bother with the follow up though. I liked book because of the series but am not so sure that Mr Follets style of writing is one I'd be too eager to revisit - that is just a personal thing though.

Book 11 - Sign of the Four - Arthur Conan Doyle.

This was another Holmes book that got missed from 2010's marathon. I downloaded this as a free audio book from LibriVox for knitting time. I loved it. It has to be one of the most intriguing and exciting Holmes stories I've read - I got an awful lot of knitting done as I was engrossed in the story. It seemed the word pictures of London and the River Thames were more vivid than in other longer Sherlock Holmes stories - perhaps Conan Doyle needed to pad out his word count - but for whatever reason it worked for me.

That's me all caught up with my books. I am happy that at week 9 - I have managed to post about 11 books and still have 4 in hand.

I am reading 3 books and listening to 1 at the moment. It's all looking OK to make 52 in a year so far.

52 Books - book 8

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

I am not listing these books in the order I am reading them, I have a list of what I've read/listened to so far, which I peruse and then write about the one that I feel like.

This week it's another audio book. I use audio books a lot because I get to know some great books but can knit at the same time - win/win.

I am sure that I read Kim as a teen, I know I saw the film, but I am sure I read it but maybe I never finished it, because I was very dissatisfied with how it ends. It's a kind of nothing end - it builds up the spying nature of Kim's life and then fizzles out like a damp squib.The reading by Adrian Praetzellis was excellent, great characterisation again and there were portions of the book that I loved and was totally enthralled by. There were characters that I really enjoyed too - but the Llama drove me demented and IMHO way too much of the story was taken up with his speech and religious ideals. I understand it emphasised the whole 'enlightment' theme but there was just too much. You do get a great sense of time and place from the story telling and it has a wonderful alien feel to it but I just felt the story of Kim needed more depth and the whole book needed more Mahbub Ali and Lurgan Sahib.

Considering that Kipling spent time just down the road in Rottingdean and his name appears on quite a few local roads and the school just round the corner I haven't read that much of his. A few poems and The Just So Stories, which I loved from childhood to re-reading them more than once to J, I don't know if Kim is a good example of his longer works but it hasn't inspired to read more of his catalogue. Is that sacrilege?

52 Books - number 7

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

Just an audio book this week. I have memories of my older sister reading this to me when I was little and  I also remember reading this to myself as an older child, in fact I still have my copy, very battered, from childhood and that's the one I read to J.

I decided to try this as an audio book when I saw it listed on Librivox website here. I hadn't heard the narrator listed before but decided to jump in anyway. I am so glad I did!

The narrator is Adrian Praetzellis his homepage and he was a revelation. He read well, nice even pace and tone of voice, good rise and fall to the tone and.....a big AND he characterises Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger beautifully.

I fell in love with the story all over again. It was like a warm blanket and a nice cuppa on a wet and miserable day. The lyrical countryside descriptions, the wonderful characters all complimenting each other and of course the irrepressible Mr Toad. I so enjoyed having the story told to me that I have saved it on to my iPod because I know I will want to listen to it again.

This book well deserves revisiting and lost none of charm to me at all.

Mr Praetzellis is now reading Kipling's Kim to me (review to follow) I think I will listen to all the books he has narrated.

52 books - numbers 5 and 6.

Bookie wook number 5 is 'No one Noticed the Cat' by Anne McCaffrey

This book has been missing for a while - I found it in J's book case. It has been an awful long time since I read it (it was published in 1996). Like a lot of McCaffrey's books it is set in another land and has strange beasts and a fairytale feel to it. The two main characters, a young King and his extraordinary feline, are well rounded for a fairly short book.The only thing is that if I say to much about the storyline then it would ruin it for anyone who fancied giving it a look.  I like the story, it definitely isn't a taxing read but is enthralling enough to keep the pages turning. For me it is a sit and read in one session book being only 127 pages. A jolly entertaining way to pass a winters evening when there was nothing on TV.

Bookie wook number 5 'A Study in Scarlet' by Arthur Conan Doyle.

After my mammoth Sherlock Holmes binge last winter, I thought enough time had passed to revisit Holmes and Watson. I downloaded this as free audio book via Libravox and was lucky to find it a really good version with just one narrator (who had very few pronunciation issues). I had never read this one before so although episode 1 of the recent TV series was based loosely on it, the majority of it was quite new to me. I enjoyed the growth of the relationship between Holmes and Watson - though not knowing this hadn't ruined the other SH books  that I read and the plot was complex enough to intrigue. I have a feeling I may have read a shortened version somewhere that missed out the whole centre section that takes place in Utah - I had never come across that before and at first thought my recording had gone wrong and I had part of another book. It made the whole story have a greater depth and explained the reasoning behind the murders very well.
I do love Holmes so am biased  in the pleasure I get from this sort of audio book and it passed a good few hours knitting time for very quickly indeed.

I think Librovox on the whole have a really good choice of titles and once you find a few good narrators then it is a service that also being free is wonderful. I have the app in my iPod Touch and it downloads quickly and plays really clearly. Brilliant.

52 Books - book 4

Moon Watchers Companion by Donna Henes
'Everything you ever wanted to know about the moon'

And it does exactly what is says on the tin.

An interesting little book - from global folklore and poetry about the moon to the phases of the moon this book has the lot. It is a pick up and put down sort of read as opposed to a cover to cover one. But there is something for everyone. I like the 'Encyclopedia of Lunar Technology' which explains everything from the original meaning of honeymoon to what a moondogger is.

The format is easy to read with some lovely black and white illustrations. You come away from reading it with a deeper insight to the our lunar neighbour and it does make moon watching (something I love to do) a lot more interesting.

Well worth having a look at. It will be a good one to refer back to as well.

Books 2 and 3.

Book 2 is 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman. I bought this for J for Christmas as he had seen and loved the film and wanted to read the book. He read it in a day and I managed it in an afternoon over the New Year break. The fact that it is a quick read isn't in anyway detrimental to it. I love Gaiman's storytelling, whether for child or adult, and I found this book entrancing. It differs to the film (which I also love) on some levels but the base of the storyline is the same. It was a lovely way to spend a lazy afternoon and I'm really glad I got around to reading it finally.

Book 3 is an audio book of 'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman - going for a theme here.

I often use audio books to revisit old favourites and this is the case with this book. I love the fact that it is read by the author and it gives more meaning to the explanations of how each story and poem came in to being. I find this so interesting that I wish more authors did it.
There is nothing better than a comfy chair, some knitting and a good audio book especially on a winter evening. Mr Gaiman transports you to all sorts of places and ideas and I adore the fact that this book revisits Shadow from 'American Gods' and Mr Clare from another short story in a novella.

I have a thing for short story books - especially by favourite authors - it is nice to dip in and out of their worlds now and then without the commitment of a whole novel.

A Christmas Mystery - Jostein Gaarder (book 1).

I've decided to attempt the '52 books in a year' for 2011. There is a group for this on Ravelry which has some interesting posts etc and is worth a look at. But I think I will fly solo and just blog each book I read here. I'm am including books that I am revisiting and audio books in my list.

My first book is 'A Christmas Mystery' by Jostein Gaarder - which I did start at Christmas 2010 but finished on January 1st 2011 so I'll include it.

I have read this book before but not since J was a weeny baby. I only remembered the bare bones of it so it was nice to visit it again and it is perfect seasonal reading.

Set in Norway it tells the tale of little boy and his magical Advent Calender - this is the outlying story but there is a story within the story within the story. You also get a nativity story - but with a twist - a mystery of a missing girl. All interlock and unravel together with a very clever narration, the stories have good pace and they translate well. It is the kind of book that, although it isn't a compulsive page turner, left me feeling satisfied when I finished it.

I've read other books by this author and so far they have never failed to intrigue, interest and entertain me.