Wednesday, December 9, 2009

“To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him and travel in his company.” - Andre Gide

READ

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer - such a beautiful, quaint little book. The synopsis from the Random House website (www.randomhouse.com) reads:

"January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name."

The book is made up of letters between Juliet and the Society as well as her publisher and best friend. The language is fantastic and very much in context of the time. You begin to feel like you know all of these people which is fantastic as you cannot always gleam a lot from letters. There is a lot of talk about reading, obviously, but the main storyline is that of the German Invasion of the island of Guernsey, the subsequent liberation and the struggles of returning the island to normal life.
It's funny, heart wrenching and educational. Fantastic book.

"
At the Gates of Darkness" by Raymond E Feist - another fantastic book by REF. However, I am starting to miss the humor and characterisation of his earlier books. The newer books just don't seem as "real". Plus, I wish I had re-read "Rides a Dread Legion" first - I spent most of the book trying to catch up. Looking forward to the discussions on the mailing list once it's released in America.

"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain - loved this! The writing style takes a little getting used to - it's written in vernacular of the South. (Dean read over my shoulder at one stage and said he couldn't understand a word :P) But once you get into the rhythm of the writing it's a fantastic story. Another classic that I don't know why it's taken so long to read.

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel - fantastic book!

"Tokyo Cancelled" by Rana
Dasgupta

"A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

"Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Truman Capote

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" (The 1st 3 books) by Lemony Snicket/

STILL TO READ

"The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying" by
Sogyal Rinpoche
"Einstein" by Walter Isaacson
"The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
"War & Peace" by Leo Tolstoy
"A Confession" by Leo Tolstoy
"Monet & The Impressionists" by George T M Shackelford & Terence Maloon
"The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins
"The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain De Botton
"The Beatles and Philosophy" - am halfway through. Great so far
"Derrida: writing and difference"
"A Catcher in the Rye" by J.D Salinger
"Twitterature"
"The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle

STILL TO BUY

"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
"Her Fearful Symmetry" by Audrey Niffengger
"The Slap" by Christos Tsiolkas
"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson
"Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss
"Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand
"The Wild Things" by David Eggers
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
"Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts
"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hossein
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain
"The Restaurant at the End of the Universe", "Life, the Universe and Everything", "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" & "Mostly Harmless" by Douglas Adams
"And Another Thing" by Eoin Colfer
The Bonds Series by Ian Fleming