Books I wish I could get for Christmas. December 5, 2012

I say ‘could’ in the title to this post because most of my gifts are already in, and I suspect if anyone else is giving me anything it most certainly won’t be a book. A strange fact about my life and books: until about four or five years ago almost all the books I owned were gifts. In other words almost all my gifts during birthdays and Christmases were books. Since then the only person who has gifted me books is my best friend. Sad but true. However, I have been very generous about keeping me constantly supplied with books…something that is the despair of my husband!

Anyway, here’s a wishlist that I hope to get at some time or an other.

1. Anna Karenina (the movie tie-in edition) by Leo Tolstoy — I’ve heard the translation is good and this is one movie cover I would very much like to own. I think it looks incredibly pretty. I love the richness of those colours!
2. Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh — After having read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome, and having some minor ambitions of my own about a travelogue of some kind, I have found I am interested in reading travel books and would definitely like to read a good one about my country. This one sounds like it might be a treat.
3. The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai — It’s a book of three novellas. Apart from that I can’t say much except that I have heard good reports of Desai and this sounded like a good introduction to her. I’ve had this sitting in my wishlist for nearly two years now.
4. The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart — The first book in this trilogy, The Crystal Cave, is the first book I read when getting out of my five-year reading slump. It was fantastic! ….beautifully written with a tight plot and interesting characters.
5. The King Raven trilogy by Stephen R Lawhead — Ah! Lawhead is one of my favourite writers and his TheSong of Albion is among my all time favourites. I’m currently reading the second book in his Pendragon Cycle series and am enjoying it. King Raven is another I’m sure I will love. It is Lawhead’s take on the legendary Robin Hood.
6. The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas — I’ve watched the Richard Burton movie based on this book, several times as a child. When I later learnt of the existence of the book I decided I wanted to read it. I liked the movie very much. I’m hoping to love the book.
7. The African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe — I’ve been wanting to read Things Fall Apart for a long while now. And then last year I discovered a copy that includes the two sequels. I want!!
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky — Since the release of the movie I have been reading a great deal about his book and am now very curious.
9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern — Another book I have read so much about. The premise for the whole story sound very intriguing.
10. The Complete C S Lewis Signature Classics – I’ve been wanting to read Mere Christianity for over a year now. And while I hadn’t quite thought of picking up Lewis’ other religious works I kinda jumped at the chance of getting them all in one when my husband asked me what I’d like him to get me for Christmas. Whether I get it or not is quite another matter altogether!

This list was prompted by Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by the The Broke and Bookish.

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Bookish confessions. August 28, 2012

 

The folk over at Broke and Bookish have asked us to confess some of our bookish oddities.

Here are mine.

• I really can read only one book at a time. I’ve tried reading more than one, but I always seem to choose one over the rest to read up till the end before choosing the next one.
• Books with verses make me nervous. It’s why I have as yet to read The Illiad and The Odyssey, The Canterbury Tales, Paradise Lost, The Divine Comedy and the like. Even when picking up a Shakespearean play to read I need to think twice for this very reason.
• I dislike reading books that are full of descriptive sex. I tend to skip such parts in a book that I otherwise find very good. I guess I prefer it when things are implied rather than thrust in my face. Plus, it’s like peeking into another person’s bedroom…no thank you!
• The Russian writers frighten me!
• I can’t read poetry for pleasure. I just can’t!
• It makes me extremely uncomfortable when the Bible is treated as a mere literary text.
• I own just one book cupboard of which I use only three shelves for my own books. I tend to give away books I never intend reading more than once. I don’t like cluttered shelves.
• It’s been years since I’ve borrowed books from a library. I’m just too lazy to make the trip!
• Since I discovered I could buy books online and on discount I have stopped buying books from stores. It’s been two years now.:-/

Ten writers I wish could have written another book. January 11, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish.

Well, I hadn’t intended answering this week’s Top Ten theme because my mind was a complete blank. But after making a bit of an effort I’ve come up with a list of ten that I absolutely love!

1. J R R Tolkien — I’d have loved to have read another epic along the lines of The Lord of the Rings. While all the other tidbits and The Silmarillion are fascinating in themselves, it would have been nice to be immersed in yet another adventure like Bilbo and Frodo & Co..
2. C S Lewis — I’m not talking about the likes of Narnia, but the likes of The Screwtape Letters. The latter was simply brilliant, with so many home truths it made me think quite abit while giving me a good laugh every now and then. Actually, from my foreword to this work, it would appear that many people appealed to Lewis to write another one just like it. But he said, trying to think like the devil made him feel awful.
3. Stephen R Lawhead — This guy mostly writes stuff along historical magic realism. His Song of Albion trilogy was the only one of its kind and it’s an all time favourite of mine. I would so like him to write another like it.
4. Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman — I simply enjoyed their world of Krynn. While I know that there are hundreds of books set in this universe by other writers, I would, by far, prefer to read more of this kind by the original writers themselves.
5. Margaret Mitchell — What can I say? She wrote Gone with the Wind, didn’t she?
6. Louis May Alcott — I’ve recently discovered that Alcott wrote some really dark literature, and that she would have preferred to have continued in that vein. I’d have loved to have read more of this side of her.
7. Alistair McLean — I love this guy! I’ve read almost all of his books, and would have loved to have read more. In fact, I suspect, the reason I haven’t read those last couple of books is because I’d know I’d read them all and there would be nothing more from him to read! In case you’re wondering his works are all action packed WWII and/or spy stories.
8. Dr Seuss — Really. This is just the sort of thing the whole family can enjoy. I’d have loved for him to have written lots, lots more!
9. Bernard Shaw — I haven’t read every single play by Shaw, but I find him absolutely delightful! If you haven’t read anything by him before I would recommend you start with Arms and the Man! For the unaware, he is the one
10. Jane Austen — Need I really explain this choice?

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Ten books I’m eager to read this year. January 3, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s top list of books I’m so much looking forward to reading consists of books I already own. It also consists of re-reads as I’ve been eager to read again quite a few of the books on my shelves this year!

1. Roots by Alex Haley
   
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
   
3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
   
4. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
   
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (re-read)
6. The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien (re-read)
7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
   
8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (re-read)
9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
   
10. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

I would’ve added Marlowe and Shakespeare to the list except that that would have been way too many works to mention! Also, I’ve begun the Narnia series that I’ve been anticipating all of December 2011 (since the books arrived at my doorstep to be precise).

What book(s) has got you all excited about this year?

My top 10 reads of 2011. December 27, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

2011 has simply flown by! And as I’ve been going through the list of books I’ve read this year, I find it’s actually quite hard for me to pick just ten books that I’ve enjoyed. After a bit of a struggle the following are ten I have picked for this list. I have avoided adding re-reads.

1. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell — a brilliant epic!
2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens — Book 3 of this novel made it for me. I loved how Dickens portrayed the mood of the French revolution.
3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver — I loved the story and the five different perspective of a similar experience.
4. The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey — Non-fiction. Left me breathless! When I read the Psalms, the prophets, and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, I’ll understand better why they’re worth it.
5. Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke — Clarke is amazing with her historical world of magic.
6. Behind a Mask, or, A Woman’s Power by Louisa May Alcott — WoW! A new side to Alcott. Was brilliant!
7. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery — Achingly beautiful.
8. A Long Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka — Two different stories. Two different ways of telling them. Extremely well done!
9. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame — Gorgeous writing!
10. Sense and Sensibility  by Jane Austen — Must I really say it?

What are your 2011 favourites?

Top Ten Books on My Christmas Wishlist! December 20, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This is going to be wishful thinking on my part, since all the gift-giving is over in my family already. My parents were going to be out-of-town for Christmas, and my kid-sister and her husband are spending Christmas with his folks, so we had our Christmas get-together early. And while my husband and I haven’t gifted each other anything as yet, I suspect it’s going to stay that way since the husband does not believe in Christmas gift-giving! Oh well… some of the books I’m about to list I might be able to get on my own, but others might remain dreams until someone feels kind of enough to get them for me.

Among what I’m about to list I have already read a few but would love to own my own copies of them. So, here goes!

1. 
   I first read the Song of Albion trilogy a little less than ten years ago. I fell so much in love with it that I simply had to write my M.A. dissertation on it. It got me a fantastic score! However, I don’t own my own copy of this trilogy and I’m hoping to get my own set sometime next year.
2. 
   I hadn’t heard of this book until earlier this year, and my best friend encouraged me to read it online (since this seems to be a rare Montgomery book!). But I believe I would so love to own a copy of this. It’s definitely worth it!
3. 
   I love Alistaire MacLean, and this book is an absolute favourite! I’d love to own a copy of my own. The other is an old one that belongs to my mom.
4. 
   I don’t own ‘em.
5. 
   A book of three novellas whose reviews have piqued my curiosity.
6. 
   Read good reviews and it sounds/looks beautiful!
7. 
   It’s been awhile since I’ve wanted to read a Lisa See, and this seems to be a good books to start with.
8. 
   This…
9. 
   …this…
10. 
    …and this, go without saying!

Any special books you’re hoping to be gifted this season?…

Top Ten Childhood Favourites December 6, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week they’ve asked what our childhood favourites were. I’ve listed down a few, considering books I read between ages 3 and 12. You will notice that there are three or four Enid Blytons mentioned. That would be, because, for many years my only reads were fairy tales, Bible stories, classics adapted for little children (and some that didn’t need to be abridged) and lots ‘n’ lots of Enid Blyton. By 11 I’d made a big jump into YA mystery, my favourites being The Three Investigators series and The Hardy Boys.