Friday, June 1, 2007

List Number One!

So this is a pretty self-indulgent blog (because of course, there aren't any of those on the net already!) so ignore if you wish. Who knows how you've happened here...maybe you're a friend of mine, a forum buddy or perhaps an English student somewhere googling for free exam papers. Well, bad luck to the latter (and go and do your own work!) - this is just my new little pet project.

About a year ago, one of the bookstores put out their top 100 list (okay, yes it was A&R) and I picked it up to see how many of the pop culture books I had read. It ended up being only about a third which actually quite surprised me. However, on this list, there are lots and lots of books from genres that I would never pick on my own. So I decided to read the entire list...

Well, it's 2007 now and they've just released the updated list. And I'm still working on last years'.

The new list, thankfully, contains some Steinbeck and the most over-rated book ever published, The Alchemist has dropped off. Maybe I should read that one but eh - anyone who knows me, knows I have completion issues so I'll perhaps get to that later in the year. Or in the next decade sometime.

Anyhow.

My plan is to write up the ones that I have read so far and then tell people about this blog. Maybe someone else will read it - who knows. I'm always being asked to recommend books anyhow (I'm a mild manner English teacher by day) so this will be a start for those people anyhow.

Please feel free to argue with me, warn me or praise any of the books that I have/haven't got to - using the comments. Please don't use the comments to say "Oh My GOSH, you haven't read Lord of the Rings" or similar, cause that just annoys me. Oh, and would love to hear some of your favourite books ever that aren't on the list. I'd heartily recommend the new Mitch Albom or my absolute most recommended, but exceptionally disturbing novel ever - We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

Alright, here goes.... Will be back to update soon.

By the way, if you are very interested, and wish to be emailed when I update, please send me an email with the URL of this site as a subject - lineke98@hotmail.com - and I'll let you know.

Oh darn, now I have to read Lord of the Rings.

1. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Yeah, it was okay.

That was my reaction when I finally read this book that everyone had been raving about. It was definitely *the* book for 2005-06 so that's probably why it's on this list. I don't think it's got the substance to achieve real longevity - it's slipped from #1 anyhow on the updated list.

Basically, the story is about a professor - an expert in religious symbolism - who gets caught up in a thriller to discover the truth about the Holy Grail. I think we all know the controversy by now. I bet the Christians that protested about this book and the subsequent film were not all that impressed that it beat the Bible by 26 places.

It was a reasonable book but not really worth the hype. And the movie was horrible. Read it if you want. I'd give it about a 7/10 cause it was interesting but there's other things to read first in my opinion.

2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I did it! I laboured through this tome and now I am done!

This has been one of those books (or set of three really) that I always thought I *should* read but never really cared enough to. I'm not a massive fan of the fantasy genre and having the Hobbit read to me when I was in Year 7 scarred me a bit.

I did enjoy the movies when they came out, and I think they actually helped my enjoyment of the books too. I think I may have struggled to keep all the characters straight otherwise, though I almost wish I hadn't seen them on the other hand, so that I could have given my imagination a workout. 

I had to work hard to get through this - I think I've been "reading" these for about six months now and was definitely counting down the page numbers at the end. R offered me a reference guide so I could research along the way but I think not. I did enjoy the last maybe 80 pages with the re-taking of the Shire - a nice "surprise ending" that I either didn't remember or that wasn't in the movie.

Won't ever do it again, but kinda glad to have conquered it. Like running a marathon or climbing a mountain - it was a little too much like hard work for a pastime that's supposed to be enjoyable!!

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Well, now, I'm a female English teacher so I have to love Austen. I think it's a given. And I do - though not the the extent that people often suspect. Austen really was the Marian Keyes of her generation and these romances with all their intrigue and manners are a gorgeous glimpse into life in the 1800s. I had the phase many of us did, when I was about 16, where I devoured these novels and was gutted to think that there would not, and could not, be any more to come from Austen - quite a depressing thought! This isn't my favourite of them all - that's Persuasion - but it's a wonderful read for a summer's afternoon.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is my equal-first favourite book. It's one that I come back to every couple of years and re-read. I just love it - I find it so beautifully written and crafted.

The story is set in the deep South during the 30s. It starts off introducing the narrator, Scout's family and then slowly, through her eyes and growing awareness, moves into the main plot line. Scout's father, Atticus Finch defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. It's a terribly bittersweet book - moments of laughter and hope contrasted with the worst of human nature.

Just gorgeous - I could gush for hours. I was captivated by this novel when I was 15 and it's one of the only books that I can see myself re-reading for the rest of my life.

5. Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden

This novel is set in Japan in the 1930s and 40s. Chiyo is sold to a geisha house by her parents and eventually is trained and debuts as a successful geisha. Along the way, she describes, in a first person narrative, the lessons she learns about the art and also of the cruelty and jealousy involved in this exacting tradition.

I rather liked this book. Didn't get so involved that I started buying kimonos on the net and developing a Japanese obsession like a few people I know did, but it really was a very insightful view into a culture that I knew very little about. I was very surprised to realise halfway through that it was written by a man though. I know he worked in consultation with a true geisha but the narrative is very well written, describing the confusion and emotion that Chiyo, later Sayuri, experiences.

6. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

This is the first book of the series that spawned the Da Vinci Code. Robert Langdon is a American expert in religious symbolism who is unwittingly drawn in to a plot to destroy the Vatican. Much like the Da Vinci Code, a lot of the novel relies on the conspiracy theories concerning secret religious societies.

I actually quite liked this book. I read it as a book club selection after reading the DVC which I wasn't that impressed with - but was pleasantly surprised. I felt this plot had more surprises in it and less "running-around-frantically" which drove me mad in the second novel. Perhaps it's time to mention here that I HATE The Amazing Race for just that reason so I was bound to hate anything with a frantic treasure hunt. Anyhow, quite liked this book, especially the visions of Rome and the Vatican which I could visualise so clearly. Hated hated hated the helicopter scene - just a LITTLE far fetched!

7. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This is a book where the plot sounds so strange, it puts people off. I did really like the premise - it starts with the murder of the 14 year old narrator, Susie, who then continues observing the events after her death from heaven and also in a ghostly state on earth. The depth of development of the family's trauma and eventual "moving on" is very clever.

The ending however - horrible. Horrible for the reader in terms of satisfaction. Erk. Awful. It just made me so cross because it didn't seem true to the rest of the book. I'd give it a 7/10, I guess - minus 30% for a few dozen horrible pages of plot twists seems about fair.

8. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, is about a teenage girl who sues her parents for the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used when a kidney transplant is planned in order to potentially save her older sister from cancer. She has been conceived through in vitro fertilisation to be a perfect donor match for a bone marrow but this did not send her sister into a long term remission. The novel is told through narratives from all members of the family involved and is quite interesting in that way. It examines, from each point of view, the conflicts and ethical choices that have to be faced.

I thought this book was okay, if a little predictable. Maybe I'm a little cynical but I saw the "surprise twist" from about the third page and I kept thinking, This can't be it! I also though the ending was also the ultimate cop out and was really disappointed that the author went that way. It felt a little like "The Lovely Bones" or something by Nicholas Sparks with the horrible, trite, sentimental ending. So I haven't been converted to Ms. Picoult yet, even though she seems to be filling everyone else's bookshelves!

10. Magician by Raymond E. Feist

I should preface this my saying that I am not a real fantasy fan. Dwarves, elves, magicians, eh... However, I really rather enjoyed this. I think the biggest difference was that the characters were quite well developed generally. The storyline had a lot of depth and enough twists to keep me interested and the war scenes themselves were fast paced and didn't extend over too many pages. I was a bit cynical that everyone seemed to survive quite so well through the nine years of war, but otherwise, I would have to say that this is quite an enjoyable novel, for the reader who perhaps doesn't really swing this way normally :)

9. Tomorrow, when the War Began by John Marsden

I've taught this book a few times and absolutely love it. I even got my other half hooked on the series when we were dating in the U.S., buying the set from Amazon. It's a great book as a self-contained volume too. The progression in character development is gradual but real - the change from kids to young adults with awareness and a growing sense of ruthlessness is very believable. I think the series drags around the fifth book but this first volume is pacy and well crafted.

11. The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons

I'm not always a huge fan of historical fiction, but I really was drawn into this. It takes place in Leningrad in 1941. The scenes of war time rationing and how it all went so terribly wrong as the German invasion loomed are harrowing but at the same time, I was drawn in by the realism in the way the characters were described. They were definitely flawed but you still were hoping against hope that they would make it through. I learned a lot about the history of this time that I probably already should have known and it inspired me to do a bit more research on my own too. It's not perfect - it does drag a little at times, but a really enjoyable read none-the-less.

12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I think this has got to be my favourite Harry. Though I did like Prisoner of Azkaban, I thought this one had a great pace and loved the introduction of the wider wizarding community through the Quidditch Internationals and the Wizarding schools exchange. And you've got to love a Cinderella story - Hermoine comes into her own here and thankfully, I'd read the book before the movies came out so I still had the vision of the earlier, dumpy, frumpy Hermoine to imagine. I loved the idea of avoiding braces with a spell too! Yeah, I know they're kids' books but they're oh so fun!

13. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I had "The Hobbit" read to me in Year Seven by Mr. Callen at Marryatville Primary. It put me to sleep. Little goody two shoes herself got told off in English class. I think that says it all. This book just had too many people in it - I get to the stage where I just don't care anymore.

See - my #2 entry and my aversion to LOTR is now explained.

14. Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding

I really don't know how this can be included on this list. It's a fun book but it's chick lit and certainly not a novel to change the world. Oh well, who knows. I liked this but then who wouldn't? Well, I should re-phrase that - who wouldn't when they quite like reading girly Brit fiction on sunny beaches?

The movie's fun too, if just for Colin Firth. :)

15. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

I've always been a bit exhausted by Winton. Not sure why - I read "That Eye, the Sky" and have also taught it and I am not really a fan of that one. So I guess I've always approached his novels with a bit of negativity.

Well, this one actually surprised me. My students were performing the play as a year 12 production earlier this year so I thought I'd better sound knowledgeable about the text and get it crossed off my list. I was actually pleasantly surprised.

The novel focuses on two families who move into an old house in Perth in the last months of WW2. It's a epic saga in a very Australian setting and there are a huge amount of characters to keep track of. Many of them aren't particularly likable but I was entertained and the pace isn't too bad. It's pretty long though and I was pretty glad to be over with it by the time I put it down though - I'd say a 5/10. I'm surprised it made it so high on this list actually! Not sure what caused that - maybe people wanted something Australian to vote for and this sprung to mind? It's a bit of a standard school text in the Eastern states apparently.

16. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

IThis is my second favourite Harry. In this installment, Harry meets and learns the truth about his godfather, Sirius Black and also begins to learn that things are not always as they seem. I did cry at the end too - it is terribly sad as Harry loses his chance at "family". The movie was a reasonable adaption, but the Dementors were WAY more scary in my imagination.

17. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

I read this back in Year 8 when it was THE book to read. The novel tells the story of an English boy who, through the course of the story, acquires the nickname of Peekay, and is set in 1930s and 1940s South Africa. The story revolves around Peekay's traumatic childhood and his career as a boxer, but also provides a lot of cultural observations about life in pre-war SA. It's one of those inspirational stories that maybe I am too sophisticated for now but that I remember with great fondness. I have a copy somewhere - really should re-read it. I'll post again, if and when that happens.

18. April Fool's Day by Bryce Courtenay

This is definitely not the book to read when you're pregnant and attending all your screens for genetic diseases :)

An interesting book, though heart breaking. This is a true story, of Bryce Courtenay's son who was born a haemophiliac and then contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. Courtenay tells his son's story with tender reminiscing about Damon's childhood, teens and his tragically few years as an adult. We do get a true picture of this man, warts and all, which makes his inevitable decline and death very hard to bear. I did sob through the last chapter even though I knew what was coming. Courtenay is at times scathing of the medical profession, though does give credit where due. It's a very enlightening story, showing the challenges - both medical and societal - that face patients dying of AIDS.

19. Tully by Paulina Simons

Tully is probably the most annoying main character in any of the Simons books. I quite like her epic style but this book needed to be about 100 pages shorter. Tully has a pretty rough life, growing up with two best friends, Jennifer and Julie, but also an abusive family life. Her issues from her childhood affect her so she seems unable to function normally in her adult relationships. I just wanted to tell her to stop being such a cow and get over herself - and I don't think that's what the author intended. Probably says more about me than her, but the self indulgent, selfish behaviour of this character was pretty darn alienating in my opinion and I was pretty glad to finish this and put it away.

20. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

Quite an interesting departure from what I'd normally read. This is the first book of a trilogy set in medieval Japan, focusing on a young boy called Takeo. He grows up in a small, peaceful village but this quiet life is destroyed when the Tohan army massacre everyone in his town. He is saved and then adopted by Otori Shiguru and under his tutelage, learns to develop his inherited special talent to meet his goal of revenge.

I would have thought I would have liked this. It suffers a little from being translated but I did get caught up in the world presented and came to care about the characters. I'm even tempted to read the other books in the series!

21. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This has got to be the winner for the most over-rated book ever, in my opinion. I met so many people who raved about this "life changing" tale that I had built myself up for an amazing read - and it wasn't. But hey, I am sure that many people like many things that I don't...

22. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

I read this just this year (2007) as I'm also working through the Year 12 English Studies reading list. I pity any student who has to tackle this. I quite liked the setting - India - for its mystic exoticism but I found the pacing to be terribly slow. It must infuriate students who have to re-read it! It's got an interesting structure - the narrative shifts from the perspective of the main protagonists' - a pair of fraternal twins - childhood and subsequent reunion as adults. What I did love was the incidental tangents. One of the characters would notice a photograph on a parlour wall for instance and the narrative would depart from the "current" and explore the history of the person pictured. I love family sagas and histories so that appeals but overall, I wasn't enthralled and was pretty ready to finish this novel too.

23. Ice Station by Matthew Reilly

This is absolutely NOT my genre. If you like action movies, you'd probably love this book though. Basically, the plot is that following a scientific discovery in Antartica, a team of elite Marine are sent to secure an American research ice station. Lots of conspiracy and battles ensue....

I was skim reading in some sections because I was very very bored of all the fighting and not really interested to hear how the next soldier was going to die. I also found some of the escapes and also some characters pretty unbelievable. Overall though, I can appreciate the writing and the complicated development of conflict and would be able to recommend this novel to people who like books of this kind.

24. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

A really enjoyable book. Set in the 12th century in Kingsbridge, England, it revolves around the construction of a new cathedral. The main characters are the prior of the cathedral monastery, the master builder of the cathedral and his family and also the children of a deposed (?) earl.

It's been criticised because of its simplistic characterisations - the good are very good and the bad are unconscionably evil - but I really enjoyed it none-the-less. Not too challenging and not all that surprising, but well written and paced.

25. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

If your heart breaks at death, grief or the pain of losing someone dear, don't read this book. It's absolutely wrenching. It's based on the true recount of the author's experience visiting a college professor who is dying of ALS or motor neurone disease. Morrie, his professor, was always full of wisdom but the way he deal with his deteriorating health and gradual journey into paralysis and death is beautifully detailed through the visits that the narrator makes every Tuesday. The clever part of this writing is that the author does not delve into the maudlin or the sentimental. I really liked this, but I cried my eyes out, so I probably won't read it again. And this is from a woman who hates hates hates "teacher books".

26. Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Here's a bit of trivia for you - this was one of Kurt Cobain's favourite books. He even wrote a song about it :)

This is a really interesting book, set in France in the 18th century. It follows serial murderer, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille through his murder spree. Grenouille has a peculiar trait in that he has no personal scent and this, as a child, alienates him from others and warps his perception of the world. He becomes obsessed with capturing the perfect scent, murdering 25 girls along the way.

Sounds very gruesome and it is at times, but it's also beautifully written. The imagery usage is stunning and the character draws you in. It's one of those novels that stays with you for days and affects your perception of the world for a little while.

27. The Bible

I'm not reviewing the Bible! Are you kidding me??

I have read it though - all the way through three or four times. My parents used to get us kids to read it after dinner every night. Reading practice and spiritual guidance, I think. It's actually a childhood memory that I hold near and dear, despite dreading reading aloud as a child.

28. The Bride Stripped Bare - Anon

Ugh. Could this book be any more over-rated? Well maybe. Just look at The Alchemist. This was one of those novels that everyone was reading and I borrowed a copy from someone back in early 2004 with high hopes.

Maybe it was the completely unlikeable protagonist, perhaps it was the fact that the "anonymous" author finally revealed herself (and what a wanky, pretentious woman she was!) or perhaps it was just that I was about to get married and was all loved-up myself, but I just couldn't stand this novel. I really didn't get what all the excitement was about - a woman who cheats on her husband and has sex A LOT.

Yeah, I know - I'm grossly simplifying but as I said - uuuggghhhh! I think it was also the writing style - no quotation marks for direct speech and the very annoying use of the second person, "you", meant that I was continually irritated while reading this novel. I found it to be the next step in the "Sex and the City"fying of pop culture and that also irritates me. It seemed to suggest that her actions were the right and were justified - the labelling of the chapters as "Lessons" further supported that suggestion. I know a lot of people that enjoyed it though so I'll be interested to see any differing opinions appear in the comments.

29. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Just re-read this recently. It's quite a nice book but I felt it was a bit of a filler. A little bit heavy on exposition perhaps? Not one of my favourites, though I do love Umbridge's continuing battle with Fred and George.

30. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The first Harry! I resisted the lure of Harry Potter for the longest time, then fell into the obsession headlong. I look forward to reading this book to my kids someday. Rowling is just so imaginative - I love her odd little ideas about life as a wizard among the blissfully ignorant Muggles.

31. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I read this as a child but didn't remember much so thought I'd give it another read. I must have read this quite young as I remember it being a more difficult and longer book. I was a bit surprised when I read all the Chronicles in three days. Still, it really is a lovely story and it was interesting to read as an adult and find all the Christian parallels. It's interesting how Lewis doesn't really flesh out the children's characters much - it's all about the events really. Now I'm thinking I might want to see the Prince Caspian movie....

32. Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldron

I'm not usually a huge fan of historical romances. In fact, I usually DETEST them. This one has a bit of a Beatie Bow twist which added interest but I still thought I was going to struggle to get engrossed. Still, I did end up getting drawn in as the characters were generally well crafted and the pace reasonable. Did think it was several "near-death/near-rape followed by a heroic rescue" episodes too long but I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. It feels like the author had done a ton of research and then tried to cram as many references in as possible at times. Overall, an okay read but I certainly won't be running out to get the rest of this author's back catalog.

34. Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

This autobiography follows Li Cunxin through his childhood in peasant China, through the Cultural Revolution. He is chosen for the Beijing Ballet School and eventually defects to America, becoming an international star.

A very interesting book, though I have read others that examined the situation during this time in more depth and detail. His views on his childhood are definitely seen through the eyes of a child, which is fitting, but ultimately, not super-satisfying for the reader. For instance, he mentions one of the staple foods, dried yams, dozens of times and seems very focused on the lack of variety in their diets. While this was obviously a real focus of the eight/nine/ten year old character, it did get a bit wearing in my opinion.

Overall, a good read though. Autobiographies interest me as I love to imagine a totally different way of life and this certainly provides that.

33. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

I read this earlier this year, once again only cause it was on the list. How I avoided it through eight years of teaching, I do not know. Well, yeah I do - I moved to the UK. The book is written in first person from the POV of Josie Alibrandi, a first generation Italian-Australian and follows her trials fitting in at a "mainstream" school. It feels a little dated now - the Italian community is definitely not viewed in the same way as it was at the time this book was published. For instance, I don't think many kids growing up now would be shocked at a garlicy pasta dish anymore! The theme of culture and fitting in is still universal though - it's been modernised in the 2005 by Randa Abdel-Fattah, Does My Head Look Big In This? which seems more relevant - and I think Looking for Alibrandi will soon replaced on the school reading lists by this book too.

35. Secret History by Donna Tartt

This was a really intriguing read. The narrator, Richard, is a drifting college student who transfers to a New England college from his native California, hoping to escape the trap of suburban life. He is drawn into an exclusive and isolated major, Ancient Greek, and the five other students in the course become his friends. But things are not always what they seem in this close-knit group and an accidental death leads to the group's further isolation and eventual implosion.

While there were some parts which I skimmed over, as the writer started to get too "clever" for my reading tastes, overall, this had me hooked. It's an impressive size but didn't take too long to get into and the pace didn't drag. Very interesting from a psychological view point as well.

36. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

I would have never ever read this book, based on the subject matter, if not for this list challenge. Set in 1666 during the Great Plague of London in a small rural village (and based on the true story), the novel focuses on Anna Frith, a widowed mother-of-two (at 18 years old) and her experiences in the year when the Plague ravages her town. It really drew me in - I got totally caught up in the experience of life in 1666. It's written with awareness of Old English sentence structure and vocabulary but only to the point that it sounds authentic, not that it becomes difficult to read. A very interesting twist at the end and intriguing, flawed characters.

37. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Gone with the Wind is the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a spoiled and selfish Southern belle. It begins in the days before the American Civil War, set in Georgia in a community of cotton plantation farmers. Published in 1937, it was written by one of the "daughters of the Civil War" and while Mitchell did a huge amount of research, it was exclusively with Southern historians and writers so the book definitely has an overt Confederate bias and Scarlett, the main character is often blatantly racist. Scarlett is also selfish and conniving which makes her hard to like - but I still found myself hoping for a happy ending.

Not sure what I thought overall...the word that immediately jumps to mind is "Long!" It's an epic tale and took me weeks to read. I did like the view it affords into a totally foreign setting and mindset. My next task is to watch the movie now - it's one of those classics that I've somehow missed along the way.

38. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I read this only a few years ago and was expecting to be enthralled. But I think it's one of those novels that you have to have read when you were 14, so that you haven't heard all of the funny bits. There were a few wry smiles along the way but I think it's like seeing a movie when the preview has given away the best bits - not all that enthralling.

39. Jessica by Bryce Courtenay

I've read a few Bryce Courtenay books and generally enjoyed them and this one was no different. Set in Australia for a change, this one centres around Jessica (really?) who grows up on a remote farm around the WWI era. It follows her life for about ten-fifteen years and is quite enjoyable. It's been made into a mini series and that's really no surprise as there are about five different episodes in her life that are covered - you never get a real feeling of connection, though there is a nice ending that echoes events of the introduction which is cleverly done. I read this in a day - not heavy going - and while it got a bit over-dramatic at some points, it was a pleasant read. The lack of a tidy ending, a happy ending or an ending where everyone got what they deserves was pretty refreshing too :)

40. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Ah, Nicholas Sparks. This book recounts the love story of Allie and Noah, who "now" live in a retirement home. Allie has Alzheimer's but before the disease progressed, she wrote the story of their courtship down and "now" Noah reads it to her everyday. I read this specifically because it was on the list and finished the book in two hours or so. Two hours of my life that I won't get back. It was sweet. Very sweet. Not quite sickening but bordering on it. I don't think I need to see the movie. The biggest problem in this book is the writing - it's unimaginative and relies too heavy on the sentimentality of the plot. I can see how it became a best seller as a result but in my opinion, it's not a great work of literature by any stretch.

41. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I read this a few years back and was "yeah, alright" about it. Not a huge fan but not ripping the book in two either. Since teaching at my current school, I've taught it twice already and have developed a real admiration for Salinger's use of symbolism and characterisation. The book describes a sarcastic, alienated teenage boy and a weekend he spends in New York after being kicked out of his fourth private school. He's a loner who's desperate for human connection at the same time and the way Salinger traces his unravelling mental state is really really clever. There's more to find each time I read it and I love that.

42. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Well, I was hesitant to read this one because I'd heard it was "so great". You know the way you hear that about books that are the flavour of the month and then you're let down when you actually read them? Well, this wasn't one of them!!

Amir, growing up in 1970s Afghanistan, is desperate to win the local kite-fighting contest in order to impress his father. Father and son share a difficult relationship and Amir hopes to impress his father and gain his affection. But something happens on that day that changes Amir's life forever. The rest of the book follows his maturation as he realises that he must somehow redeem himself in order to be truly happy.

It's a simple tale and a sometimes predictable one but this is easy to read and very enjoyable. I also found it quite educational and interesting to learn about Afghanistan - a country I know little about. I'd definitely recommend this - the characters are well developed and the writing style flows with good pace.

43. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

As I've said earlier, I'm usually a big fan of trashy pulp fiction for women. This series just didn't do it for me. I think I have some sort of psychological issue when it comes to Stephanie Plum and I just want her to get run over by a truck. All the time. Every page.

It's detective fiction, based around a "spunky" female character. Be still my breakfast.

ETA: Well, I read it again yesterday. Yeah, she still irritated me and I still found the whole plot pretty "convenient". Guess I won't be one of those excited fans who reads 1-10 in a week...

Nah, can't be bothered thinking about this book properly to write a full review....

44. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This book is just so sweet. Published in 1868, Little Women tells the story of the four March sisters, growing up during the American Civil War. All four girls are very different and are all flawed, but the sense of family within the book is darling. :)

I read the whole series when I was a teenager and spent years yearning to have sisters. Didn't everyone just want to be Jo and grab Laurie and haul him off to give him lots of kisses in the woods somewhere? Sigh. I love Laurie still. And yeah, who didn't cry when Beth died? :) I'm going to make the Louisa May Alcott Pilgrimage to Concord one day.

45. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Wow, another very cool book. This book, while ENORMOUS, is really engaging. It's beautifully written, well paced and full of suspense. In a nutshell and without giving too much away, it's about a young boy in Barcelona who happens across a novel by an obscure author. The book intrigues him and he begins a search for the author. Set in 1945, the country is in political and social turmoil and this seemingly innocuous quest leads to danger and conflict.

Really really enjoyed this - learned a bit about Spanish history too. It was easy to imagine the scene as I loved Barcelona and many of the places where key scenes are set are easily recognisable. A great mystery with an excellent ending.

46. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I had to read this in Year 12 and I remember chucking it down so vividly - I'd never been so glad to get through an assigned text! (Well, maybe Lord of the Flies....) I figured it was probably more the fact that I *had* to read it that led to my dislike so I thought I'd give it another try 15 years on.

Didn't work. I still am irritated by this book. Heathcliff is tortured and evil, Catherine is a spoiled twat and I don't care about either of them. The only person who is truly likeable in the novel is Edgar Linton and even he is a wet fish. And he gets so royally screwed over that it's hard to "enjoy" this novel. I didn't mind Hareton, I guess, but eh. The ending is a little neat and yet still, I didn't really care.

It does make you really glad for the womens' liberation movement though....

49. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Well, I finally finished this! I know I have read the beginning before - I love the opening with the forge, and the gravestones, Joe, the Tickler and the mysterious convict. It's so beautifully written. The language is just delicious - which is why it's endured so long, I am sure.

I started to struggle towards the end - the machinations of English society always wear on me. I definitely had to work through the last 100 pages but ah well, it's a good read and enjoyable on a quiet, winter's afternoon.

47. Bridget Jones : The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding

Why oh why? Okay, I could just tolerate the first novel but the sequel? Much of the same and a bit too much so. Not a huge difference to the first book's plot and characters - Bridget doesn't seem to have learnt much on the way. If I loved the first one, maybe I would have loved this, but there's just not too much to it.

48. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Another Mitch Albom. It's hard to believe this man was a sports journalist for so many years, then wrote a best selling memoir and then came out with this stunning piece of fiction.

The novel focuses on a elderly repairman, Eddie, who is killed suddenly in a shock accident at a funfair. After "death", he meets five people whose lives he has touched in some way; sometimes insignificant events, the book suggests, have greater ramifications than we will ever realise.

I really liked this book - I think I need my own copy so I can re-read it every now and then. It's really well crafted and very very clever.

50. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

This was also one of those books that "everyone" read a few years back. The protagonist Pi, an Indian boy explores issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives 227 days shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. The ending is very clever though I don't know if I actually like it. I think it's one of those literary twists that you either appreciate or you dislike for its very nature.

I read this as a book club selection a few years back and quite liked it, though I thought it dragged in the middle. Definitely makes you think and ponder which is always good.

51. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

In my opinion, some editor somewhere should have told Barbara Kingsolver to cut the last third of this book. The book's first two thirds is intriguing; following the life of the Price family as missionaries to the Congo in the 1960s, you are drawn into the setting and political situation through the narratives of the four daughters. Interspersed with this are "present" memories of a grieving Mrs. Price, which tell the reader that one of the children will not survive the experience. The final third of the book however, feels like a very extended epilogue - after the split of their family as the girls near adulthood, they all deal with the experiences in different ways. I found this section really dragged but I did learn a lot about the politics of the Congo, now Zaire, during this era which was pretty interesting.

Definitely not a book, I'd read again - but the narrative structure is interesting and well-executed. Each girl has a distinct narrative voice, authentic to their age and personality.

54. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

When my students write dribble about being drunk and all the crazy things they get up to, I tell them no one's really interested. It's one of those "you had to be there" stories. That's what I felt about this. I can see it may have been interesting and eye-opening to people who've never had a bender, but I was very "eh" about this tale of a drunken, drug-filled week of destruction in Las Vegas in the 60s. It's all a little self congratulatory to me...

55. On The Road by Jack Kerouac

One of those cult classic books, I've recommended this to several of my students but never read it myself. I usually suggest it to 16-17 year old boys and I think I was right :). A rambling narrative following the travels of Sal Paradise from East to West coasts and back again and again, there wasn't enough plot or character development to really grab me. It does capture this time well though - and makes me want to grab a backpack and road trip too.

I'm now off to have a look at the Spark Notes and see what cleverness I "didn't get".

52. The Poet by Michael Connelly

This is a crime thriller, written from the point of view of a crime reporter for a Denver newspaper whose police officer, twin brother is found dead of an apparent suicide. As he digs deeper into the story, trying to find the answers as to what happened, he gets caught up in an FBI investigation into something much more complicated and sinister.

I thought this was "oaky" - not really sure how it made this list at #52 though. It's reasonably well written but formulaic and a bit slow in the middle. It's a beach read in my opinion, not a great work of literature.

53. A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

This story is supposedly an autobiographical recount of the horrific child abuse suffered by Dave Pelzer at the hands of his mother. She calls him "It" as a powerful symbolic label of his unimportance in the family and the descriptions of horrific psychological and physical abuse *should* turn your stomach. There's been lots of press debate about how true it actually is but the fact that it *could* have happened is scary enough. I was moved by the first novel but I feel Pelzer is cashing in a bit with the subsequent volumes. Still, why not? Not great writing generally but at least it's raised an important issue that is ignored too often in society and send the message loud and clear - child protection is everyone's business.

56. Tell No One by Harlan Coben

Wow. Okay, I thought I'd read a chapter before bed last night - I read 6 and fell asleep at 2am. Then I woke up and didn't bother to get up til I'd finished the whole thing - thank goodness for uneventful Sundays! This was a really gripping book. Not a long read - which was great 'cause there was no padding and a speedy pace that kept me gripped.

The plot in a nutshell...David Beck's wife is kidnapped and he is left for dead. Eight years later, he has somewhat moved on with his life when he gets an email...from his dead wife.

I won't say anymore as it's too easy to give it all away once you get hinting :) Great book though. I'm not often a thriller reader but this was a real exception to the rule!

57. 1984 by George Orwell

I still remember studying this at school, though my only memory that is exceptionally vivid is seeing pubic hair in the film version. Oh the horror. Set in a future totalitarian state (in 1984 but the book was written in 1948 so not "our" 1984), Winston Smith lives under the watchful eye of Big Brother, a government entity. The greatest crime is "thoughtcrime".

I really think I should be teaching this. It's longer and tougher than the novels we tend to choose for class texts, but I need to encourage more students to read this book. It's disturbing and a scary glimpse into where the world could end.

58. Almost French by Sarah Turnbull

Just finished this one over the weekend. This is a far more interesting book that I expected. It starts with the arrival of Aussie backpacker Sarah at the Paris airport, looking for a guy who she met at a dinner party one night in Budapest. He had suggested that she come and stay with him and since she was leading the backpacker life where you make these somewhat crazy decision weekly, she takes him up on it! Seven years later, they have married and she is a permanent resident in the French capital.

The book chronicles Sarah's struggle to adapt to French traditions and culture. There's a lot of funny moments but also a lot of times where she is angered and frustrated by the perceived "coldness" of the French. It's a really interesting read as she really addresses not only *what* happened but also explores the cultural *why* as well. A lot of these experiences really taught her what it meant to be an Australian - what makes up our "culture and traditions" as well. I could relate to a lot of these observations after living in England and the US - it's something you never learn until you live away from home for a while.

As a novel, it was a little slow at times and occasionally, seems a little simplistic. Sometimes Sarah shows that she's been out of Australia for a long time (some of her early 1990s rememberances are very dated!) and that in her mind, Australia=Sydney which is a little irritating for an Adelaidean! Overall, though, I'd recommend this especially for those who have done the Antipodean overseas thing!

59. An Equal Music by Vikram Seth

This novel tells the tale of Michael, a professional violinist who has never recovered from the loss of his only true love. Set in Vienna, he meets up with this woman after many years and the narrative traces their tempestous reunion.

I liked this book because the musical society and atmosphere of Vienna is well captured and I could imagine the setting so well after my travels in Austria. I didn't like it at times though as I thought it dragged and I developed a deep dislike for the protagonist, who I thought was an immoral, self-indulgent sap. To be kind. It's hard to like a book, I find, when I can't stand the person I'm supposed to be sympathising with. Friends loved it though, so who knows.

61. The Blind Assasin by Margaret Atwood

This novel is so complicated. I need to read it again to give a better review. I found it hard work though, which was odd cause I generally love Atwood's stuff. Will come back and give a better review when I've read it again.

Oh, I liked this way better the second time. I read it first when I was living in the US, and for some reason I remember reading it in a rush so I don't think I was paying attention quite enough! I really enjoyed the two narrators in this - the secret second narrator had me guessing the whole time, trying to work out who she was. Very very clever, but hard to summarise. Basically the tale of two sisters, a marriage and a whole lot of scandal. :) Very well written as Atwood always is - you could really feel the age, attitude and situation of the narrators throughout.

60. Ancient Future by Traci Harding

Well after beginning this with some trepidation as it was *not* recommend by several :) I must say that I ended up rather liking it. The writing is terrible - description is awkward and the characters are a little cardboard, but the twists and turns in the plot were sorta clever. I liked it more than the Galbaldron that I read last, which had a very similar plot. I think this might annoy the crap out of anyone who has a good knowledge of medieval history and literature - or even some views on time travel and continuity - but all in all, I didn't mind it. Not a strong recommendation in the least but there you go!

62. The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom

This definitely is not my style of book at all. A conspiracy thriller, this book is set in France, Switzerland, London and Germany and follows Paul Osborn and his quest to find his father's killer. It all gets very complex and there's a ridiculous number of deaths along the way to upset you.

I wasn't convinced at all and I saw the ending coming from about four chapters away. It really, to me, was just LONG and tedious.

64. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

It's 1945 and the war is over - just - in Europe. A nurse refuses to leave a horribly burned patient and so they remain in an old villa which was being used as a hospital. They are joined by a thief from her past and an Indian bomb disposal expert. Hijinks abound. Well, not really, but stuff happens and lots of conversation is had.

I'm not a huge fan of Ondaatje. I had to read another of his novels in uni and didn't really make the connection then either. I spend half the time vaguely confused and I'm not a fan of that. I don't really get the great love story aspect of it which is what I was expecting from the film previews that I saw all those years ago. I'm all a bit meh about this one...

63. Desert Flower by Waris Dirie

Waris Dirie is a Somalian born model who now lives in Europe. This is the autobiographical tale of her childhood in Somalia (including a graphic recount of her genital mutilation with a broken piece of glass in the desert as a traditional nomadic girl) and her eventual move to London and discovery.

It's an interesting book. I found a lot of her comparisons between the country of her birth and England quite annoying - she is pretty negative about Western culture for someone who chooses a life in Europe - and she spends a little too much time recounting how beautiful everyone thought she was for my taste. What is intriguing and engaging however is the story of her childhood - the life she lived is such a contrast to mine. The struggle she has dealing with the psychological and physical aftereffects of her circumcision are also sickening but it's an issue that is currently being raised in Australia as African refugees arrive here and so it was very interesting to read a first person recollection.

65. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Yeah...okay. I thought I would like this a lot more than I did. It's been recommended to me quite a few times, as I'm a bit of a Bronte fan, so I was quite excited when my reservation at the library finally came up! Basically, the book is about an alternate 1983 where Thursday Next, a Special Ops agent is tracking down a killer. However, in this reality, literature is religion and taken very very seriously. The killer has stolen a first edition and has the power to remove characters and murder them - and is therefore holding the country to ransom.

It's very very British - that's for sure. It reminds me a bit of the Terry Pratchett work, not in content or even writing style, but just that oh-so-cleverness that really doesn't appeal to me. I think I look for something else in novels - a connection to the character in some way and that just didn't happen for me here. I didn't care about the protagonist at all... I did like the Jane Eyre ending storyline but overall, this wasn't a winner for me.

69. The Godfather by Mario Puzo

You should know - I *hate* Mafia movies. I get creeped out by them, and just dislike the all-pervasive nature of the "Family" influence. I even switch the channel when the Law and Order storylines take that plot direction. So I was expecting to hate this book and approached it with trepidation and a definite lack of enthusiasm.

Well, this was a REALLY GOOD BOOK. I was totally drawn in to the story by the end of the first chapter and did have to check myself a few times when I realised that I was cheering on the murderous vengeance attacks a few times! The characters are well drawn and lull you into a level of acceptance where their actions seem perfectly logical and deserved. It was funny to finally see the context of those movie snippets you see in all the "Top 100 movies" shows too - another movie that I will have to track down!

67. A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey

This is the story of the extraordinary life of an ordinary man - that's the description on the back of my copy of this autobiography. Albert Facey was born in 1894 in Victoria but then moved to Perth as a young child. Because of circumstance, he had to go to work by the age of 8 or 9 as a farmhand and the narrative follows his story from this point, through his experiences on the WA farms where he worked in his youth, to Gallipoli as a soldier at the landing, to life back in Australia during the Depression and through his marriage and parenthood until the early 1980s.

This is a really interesting book. I am so surprised that I have not come across it before. I don't know why I haven't as it's an Australian classic and something that I would naturally pick up, but there you go. It's on many senior school curricula here in Australia and I think it would be a nightmare to study with all the "characters" that come into Albert's life as the story progresses. As a written piece, you do really get a sense of the character of it's first person narrator though I became so engrossed in the story that I couldn't really tell you how this was developed. I'll have to read it again :) And I'll look forward to that!

66. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

A lot of people don't even know that Fight Club was once a novel - a cult novel at that. I'd heard the film was good but very very violent which isn't my cup of tea, so I thought I wouldn't really like this book either. I decided that since I was nice and bruised this week after having wisdom teeth out, that this was the perfect novel :)

The book is focused on an unnamed narrator. He leads a boring life until he meets Tyler Durden, a malicious and brilliant anarchist who invents the Fight Club - basically a place for men to vent their frustrations by beating the crap out of each other. It's a very dark novel, with black black comedy.

And the surprise is... I actually kinda liked this. I didn't see the twist coming and it was easy enough to read and intriguing at the same time. I did find the narrative style a little hard to follow but maybe that's because I wasn't in the mood to 100% focus. Generally, I would recommend this. Heck, I probably will.

68. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

I didn't know much about this novel or the painter, Vermeer, on which this book is based but really, really liked it! Set in sixteenth century Holland, the book is told by Griet, a tile-painter's daughter who becomes a maid in the wealthy, Catholic household of Vermeer. A young beauty, she becomes involved in sexual politics within Delft society and is revealed as powerless as a result.

A very eye-opening book - interesting to know about the life of a young girl in this time and the limited possibilities that one would face. The description and writing style were lyrically beautiful and I did love the "back story" to many of the paintings that I could then research. Now I'm keen to see the movie adaptation!

70. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Yet another Harry. A bit of a failing of this list. Thankfully, the updated list this year has them all together as a series at #1. I think that's better than filling the list with all seven but they'll probably be there for a while now. This one was another one of the "sweet" ones, without the dark elements that got introduced by volume 3.

71. The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

It's pulp fiction at its best. After a horrific accident, Grace works with Horse Whisperer, Tom Brooker, to try to heal the psychological scars left on her horse by the accident. Of course, her scars also need attention and through the process of regaining the horse's trust, Grace is able to heal as well. There's also a love story to deal with - but I actually quite enjoyed this. The opening scenes recounting the accident are really hard though. The book is written in a really lyrical, quiet style but the characters aren't portrayed in overly sentimental manner so you do actually come to care. For what it is, this is a pretty enjoyable read.

73. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

While reading this list, I've occasionally stumbled on an absolute gem. Some I loved already and some I have thought "Yep, good example of the genre, but SO not my genre" but there have been just a couple of titles that I've read and loved to pieces. This is one of those novels.

I would have never picked it up. It's about a hermaphrodite and the great family that brought him/her to the point of realisation, as well as presenting a bit of a family saga through WWII and the Depression, through WWII and into the 60s and 70s. It's quite a long book as a result but I only found one section dragged, and I couldn't quite be sure whether that was just cause I was really tired for other reasons.

Overall, a great read. Something that I am so glad I found and will now heartily recommend to all!

72. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I've always thought that Jane Eyre is a Cinderella story - with the twist that Jane is not beautiful. She is good though and that eventually wins out in the end with a sense of the bittersweet. I am always left wishing that I could transport Jane into a modern world where she wouldn't be judged quite so much on appearance and status in society. It's a gothic novel and would have probably been frowned upon as trash in its day but it's also engaging! I taught an abridged version to my year 9 class in England and they loved it. As do I.

74. The Pact by Jodi Picoult

I'm taking advantage of some of some of the quick reads in order to get some posts on the board! I read this one, courtesy of Courtney H. and a really violent movie that our husbands insisted on watching on Sunday night!

Basically, two teenagers grow up together, fall in love, and are about to graduate. One night, they are both rushed to hospital. One dies from a gunshot wound; the other says it was a suicide pact. He is eventually charged with murder and the truth is obscured for all until the very end.

I'm not a fan of Picoult's style which always surprises me. I think her novels lack pace and that while she has an interesting premise, they are always so laboured that you can't help but guess the ending. That was my problem with this novel too - many many too many descriptions of life in jail and sad parents on the outside and far too many hints as to the real truth.

Only "okay" in my opinion, though I'll expect some opposition on this one as many people just LOVE this writer. I've still two more of her titles to read....

76. Wild Swans by Jung Chang

For some reason, I thought I hadn't read this. So I borrowed it again, and a few pages in, I realised I had, but not for a while. Still, I got totally caught up again and enjoyed this book a lot!

The book is about three generations of Chinese women, living in the decades between 1909 and 1978 when the story concludes. These years were politically turbulent in China with the expulsion of the Japanese, and the ensuing civil war. Chang's parents were active in the development of the Communist regime that followed, but then suffered the miseries of the Cultural Revolution.

The book was a best seller in the early 1990s because it's a very accessable, personal look into Communist China - something that many Westerners don't really know much about. Chang writes well, (though perhaps with a little lack of skill in description -probably due to translation) and it is easy to follow the politics and changes.

75. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Quite a recent novel (published in 2004), I'm impressed to see this has already made the list. The novel is about Henry who suffers from "Chrono-Impairment" - a "disease" that means that he constantly travels through time without control. Into the past, into the future - he never knows where he will end up. The narrative too jumps around following Henry's experience - as he slowly realises that in one of the memories, he has seen his death. Another aspect is added when it is revealed when he meets Claire who recognises him as the man she will marry in the future - as when she met him as a child, he tells her that he is married to her adult self.

Wow, that's confusing myself as I write. The clever thing about this book is that you don't get lost. The narrative is strong and easy to follow and the slow reveal of events is intriguing. One of the best "new" books I've read recently.

77. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm is a satirical allegory focused on the events of the 1917 Russian revolution. It's surface plot is basically that the animals of Manor Farm overthrow their cruel human master and aim to run the farm themselves as equals. The pigs, being the smartest, take the leadership and eventually become corrupt and as cruel as the human master ever was.

I taught this to disaffected hoodies in Newport News. Some of the kids "got it", most of them didn't. That's pretty much ruined this book for me. I think it's quite clever and there's some great lines in it. I love Boxer, the carthorse. It is clever. As you can see, I'm conflicted. I didn't like studying it at school or teaching it for that matter, so I think can will just intellectually admire it and try to avoid reading it again.

80. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Set in Cephalonia, Greece, during World War Two, this book was an absolute best seller. I'd been somewhat turned off in the past because the visual image of Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz had been seared into my mind by the ever-present movie pics that were released. Somehow, it just didn't do it for me.

Reading the novel though, I was pleasantly surprised. The depth of research that the author had done into the situation and experiences of the Greek people during that time, was really evident and made a fairly weak storyline palatable. I did like the "supporting" characters a lot more than the main cast, but overall, it was a reasonable read.

78. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

OH MY GOD!!!

This book has taken me about four months to finish - I don't think I've ever struggled so much to wade through a novel before. I just do not get the interest? Why is this book a classic?

Basically, the novel follows two couples, through their courting and the aftermath in the 1870s. Its listed themes are fidelity, love and jealousy, progress and passion but arrrrggggghhhh. Long and drawn out, tortured characters -- I can barely share my opinion without being bored.

Let's just say I certainly won't be starting War and Peace any time soon...

79. Atonement by Ian McEwan

Upon starting this, I actually realised that I had read it a few years ago! Funny because I was avoiding the movie until I had read the book....

Atonement follows the story of two sisters, Briony and Cecilia Tallis and their "charlady's son", Robbie Turner. Briony mistakenly accuses Robbie of a terrible crime when she is twelve, on the very night that Cecilia falls in love with him. The rest of the book deals with the repercussions for the characters.

An interesting book - I did really want to know what happened to Cecilia and Robbie finally though. Beautiful descriptions throughout and the different narrative voices are very well realised through McEwan's prose.

81. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

Well, this one took me a while but overall, I quite liked it. Set in America during the Civil War, Inman and Ava have been separated by the fighting in the early days of their romance. Inman is injured and decides to make his way home - a harrowing journey with the challenges of Federal soldiers and the Home Guard, as well as survival in the harsh wilderness. Ava, in the meantime, has to learn subsistence farming, after the death of her father and the collapse of the economy leaves her penniless. She is aided by Ruby, a girl who comes to help on the farm as a friend - and only "empties her own night water".

While it's quite slow at times, the story is quite well told. The characters seem real and their challenges draw you into the tale. The ending suffers from Frazier's over-lyricism at times in my opinion - I had to go back and read over just to be sure what actually happened. A good read for those that like historical fiction set in this era - I'm quite curious to see the movie now.

82. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky


I decided to read this on Ebooks because I liked the lovely contrast of old and new. Since this is a novel of such length, this decision almost killed me, but I still enjoyed this a lot. The main character's crime and the subsequent horrors he puts himself through as he wrestles with his conscience are quite gripping. The relationships between the Russian men confuse me somewhat, but overall, I did enjoy this. The protagonist's  journey is long, but also engaging as he tortures himself with guilt and fear. Definitely thrilling from a psychological point of view.

83. Emma by Jane Austen

I love Emma. She's the self obsessed Paris Hilton of her day - though at least she learns her lesson. Her self-absorption is actually adorable and the punishment for it is well developed through the results of her actions. I loved the movie too - so I can't be too much of an Austen purist. Austen was basically a fluff fiction writer in her day and I really enjoyed Emma with that in mind.

84. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan

The book starts with a runaway balloon accident - and thus begins a psychological obsession and a paranoid episode. An interesting book in that you couldn't work out whose truth was the reality but all in all, I found it a little dull. Well written as always but I didn't really get a sense of the narrator or his partner as individuals so I never really became engrossed in the plot.

85. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

One of the great works of American literature, Gatsby is set in 1922 in what Fitzgerald termed "the Jazz Age". The narrator is for once not the focus character - that instead is Jay Gatsby, a wealthy society type who spends most of the novel obsessed with Daisy, an old love who has married someone else.

I really liked this book, though there was a lot of subterfuge which was sometimes difficult to follow as the narrator, Nick Caraway, struggles to know what is truth and what isn't too. It's definitely a classic and captures the feel of the era.

88. It by Stephen King

I've read a few Stephen King novels along the way and always quite liked them. They are incredibly freaky in their imagery - he certainly knows how to create an atmosphere and tap into human fears.

It is a little more "unreal" perhaps than others I've read though. The all-persuasive "villian" was a little odd. I kept wondering why, if he was able to control people and make things appear etc., that he didn't just use this power to kill the main characters once and for all. But there was some sort of an explanation for that, I guess, though it was a little vague.

I did enjoy the novel, though I found it was a bit long, as some parts seemed a bit same-same and I wanted more plot progression. Cleverly written though, with some interesting shifts in narration and the reveal of detail. Definitely not one that I would enthusiastically recommend, but I wouldn't NOT recommend it to fans of the genre or those who are curious.

86. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

This has been on the "to read" list forever, but it was very different to what I expected - though I am not really sure what that was.

To give a very brief summary, the nameless narrator is a "Handmaid" in a future society of what was once the USA. As a fertile woman in a society where infertility has become the norm, she is "trained" by the government to bear children for a high ranking official whose wife is unable to. The novel delves into and explores in detail this life, and this society which was formed to protect the women from themselves and the men of society, but has instead enslaved them.

Rivetting novel - I can see why it is a modern classic. I have been left thinking and shuddering at the life of this woman, and pondering how believable it seems that a society like this could evolve...

87. Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice

I'm not a big fan of vampire fiction - it's all a bit gory and soul searching...two attributes that don't really appeal to me. I enjoyed this to begin with but tired of all the angst about halfway through. Starting in 1791, the story traces Louis, a tortured vampire who hungers for blood as all vampires, but still retains his mortal compassion and love of beauty. This is a vividly written novel and you do get a true sense of character development, but honestly, by the end, I just didn't care. I think I stopped caring some time around the time that Louis arrived in Paris actually - which is a bit sad as that's where the climax of the book occurs. I think I came to this a bit late in life - perhaps as an angsty teenager myself, this would have had more appeal.

89. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

I think I've read this before. It was nice but I was hoping for something more.

The novel is set in Mexico around the time of the Mexican Revolution. The protagonist of the novel is Tita, a beautiful teenager who is unable to marry the man she loves because of a family tradition that states that the youngest daughter must look after her mother and never marry. The novel is written using magic realism, so there are plenty of supernatural events to enjoy. The writing itself is beautiful and lyrical, but I think characterisation is somewhat lost in translation. I really didn't like the male love interest and wanted the novel to head in a different direction, which I don't think is the intention. I'm now interested to see the film, which was released in 1992.

90. Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody

In 1984, Betty Mahmoody travelled from America to Iran with her husband and daughter. Once there, Betty realised that she had been tricked into the trip - her husband, an American-educated Iranian had promised her that it was only a holiday but he actually planned to stay in Iran. The story details her time in Tehran, her interactions with her inlaws and her eventual escape through Turkey.

My feelings about this book are mixed. As a memoir, it's actually pretty well written and the narrative structure is quite interesting too, with a few flashbacks at key moments which add contxt. What I found really "annoying" and unpleasant was all of the "Rah Rah America is Great" sentiments. Betty as a narrator seems incredibly biased. She can't seem to find anything positive to say about Iran or Iranian culture at all. Her descriptions of the way that her inlaws eat are stomach-turning. I don't know whether her inlaws were particularly disgusting or whether her perceptions and memories are all tainted by the horrible situations that she was in, but she continually says "The Iranians" did this or that, insinuating that the entire population of the country lived with the disregard for manners and hygiene that her husband's family seem to. She continually talked about America and Americans like they are the chosen people. Now, I loved America - I married an American too! - but it's not a perfect country and there are gross, stinky, bad mannered people everywhere in every country.

Here's an example passage from later in the book which illustrates my point. Betty cooks a Thanksgiving meal for a few Iranians who have been educated in America before returning to Iran:

"I was thankful for them - a whole new circle of wonderful,loving people who delighted in civilised living, who were, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, far more American than Iranian."

This sort of ignorant and self congratulatory commentary really put me off. Had I not been reading this for the list, I would have stopped fairly soon into the narrative. This attitude is what Americans are stereotypically known for, and it really irritated me. Her comments about the treatment of women were also very generalised, and considering that she interacted, within the novel itself, with very few women, they seem a little shaky. I have known plenty of educated, independent and very much in control Muslim women who have chosen the traditional dress - so to say that ALL women are oppressed and forced to wear it, is just ignorance.

The book got better once Betty's journey began but overall, I'm not a fan.

PS Thank you to the comment-er :) below who took time to give such a thoughtful perspective.

91. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

I'm not a huge fan of Jodi Picoult, though I do find the ideas behind her books interesting and the writing style is okay. This one attracted me because I know so little about the Amish and Picoult actually spent time living with an Amish family before writing the novel which is pretty cool.

My usual complaints about Jodi Picoult books stand though - her "surprise twist" is so darn obvious from about halfway through the book, that you just get bored with it. Many of my students love these and I can see why - I think I would have been more receptive to the twist if I didn't have the life and literature experience to anticipate it from about page 60!

So an alright book, I guess, is my opinion overall, but definitely a holiday read in my opinion - for when you don't want anything too challenging!

92. First To Die by James Patterson

A popular writer - a thrilling murder mystery to be solved. I felt the characters were realistic, the plot had great pace and the scenario was very clever when finally revealed. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It's not a great work of literature by any stretch of the imagination but I think I read it on a long journey heading somewhere on a train - and it was great in that context!

93. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

I'm torn about this book. I really enjoyed it - was totally immersed - but the ending was very unsatisfying. Set in the 1970s in India, it's all about the struggles of 4 people to survive in the poverty and uncertainty of life at that time. It's really really interesting to see the different characters and stories intertwine and the supporting characters are really intriguing too and draw you in. However, the end was disappointing as while a happy ending for all is probably unrealistic, the sad end that each character eventually faces is depressing. Even the supporting characters who show any decency are left in unjust resolutions. It's definitely worth a read but wow, it won't uplift your spirits!

94. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Alias Grace is a fictionalised recount of a 1843 murder case from Canada where a servant girl was convicted of murdering her employers, with the help of a fellow employee. The book is told as a doctor at the institution where Grace is finally imprisoned seeks to learn the truth of the events. One of the main challenges in the narrative is that Grace seems so sweet and mild mannered, yet has been convicted of this horrifically violent act - so there is a constant question asked. How? Why? Is she really as evil as she would need to be? What is her culpability?

A very clever novel - though very long and a bit slow at times. I did like the gradual reveal and the conflicts that Simon faces as he struggles to find the truth.

95. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

This one was remarkably hard to find. Finally got it from the library, and as expected from the title, it's another fantasy set in medieval England in another dimension :) Fitz is a young boy brought into the royal court as a bastard, who is then apprenticed to - yes, you guessed it - an assassin.

Lots of intrigue and quite well written. The characters felt quite real, as did the events even though they weren't plausible in our time. I've quite enjoyed stretching my boundaries on fiction into this genre.

96. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Wow, interesting read. This took me ages to get into, but I became engaged about 200 pages in. It's a LONG read, and a challenging one in my opinion, but well worth it.

The novel is set in alternate United States. It never says "when" it is, but I definitely felt it was "about" the 1950s or so, just from the level of technology and the fashions described. The novel is all about industrialists, and how they are vital to the world, yet are scorned by "the people". In the novel, the do-ers are regulated by "the men from Washington" to a ridiculous level. To over-simplify, this novel asks the question - what if those people, the people who strive, innovate and produce, just stopped?

A very good read if you're willing to work through the opening, which quite frankly, I found very slow. I powered through the last section - and really enjoyed this novel overall.

98. The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings

Really liked this! Something I would never read in a million years without this list. It's been a very good project for that :)

Athalus is a theif, who is conscripted by a mysterious man, to steal a book. Little does he know that this is his destiny, that the book is holy and the man is an agent for the destroyer. What follows is an epic tale of the battle to save the earth and its inhabitants that spans time and space.

Lots of great characters, a lovely wry sense of humour, an interesting take on religion and reasonable pace. I didn't think I would like this much but powered through it in little time once I was hooked. Got a BAD sunburn too on one day, because I was "just going to read one more page" before coming inside and got engrossed. Highly recommended as an interesting read!

97. The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay

I always perceived Bryce Courteney to really only have one string in his bow - The Power of One. I read Tandia subsequently and was disappointed so never really went much further than that. This reading project certainly has opened my eyes.

My third newly-read Courtenay was again a surprise and a treat. The Potato Factory is historical fiction, based on the life of Ikey Solomon who was transported to the penal colony of Van Dieman's Land in 1831. Apparently, Solomon was quite a notorious criminal of his time and the inspiration for Dicken's Fagin in Oliver Twist. The novel also explores the similar journey of Ikey's mistress, Mary who was also transported and found a new life in Tasmania.

I am reading the following two books right now - something like an extra 1200 pages to the prescribed task - so you can gauge my enjoyment. Courteney writes with easy, descriptive prose and perfectly imperfect characters. I lose patience a little sometimes and skim but there certainly is enough in these books to keep any reader entertained.

99. Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman

Well, this book starts off with a serial rapist hiding in the bushes, then approaching his victim's home and the graphic events that follow. And then it gets worse....

That's a good indication, isn't it? Actually, I am a bit of a fan of these types of "Law and Order" style books. The majority of the novel focuses on a female prosecutor who takes on the case to get a capital conviction for the "Cupid" serial killer. She's quite a well developed character but a bit Scarpetta (Cornwell reference) for my taste. That's definitely what this author is going for and she does pretty well until the last few chapters. There's unfortunately a bit of a giveaway at the end where you're left shouting, "No, stupid! Don't go into his house! Can't you see...!" which was a bit disappointing after such a well-paced narrative previously.

But otherwise, a gripping, intriguing thriller - I read it in a weekend (a chapter for each exam paper I graded!!) and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.

100. River God by Wilbur Smith

According to Wilbur Smith, this novel was based on scrolls found in an Egyptian burial tomb in 1988. Apparently, he just "made it more accessible to a modern audience" by adding dialogue and narrative voice. I've been unable to confirm this but what the hey: it is a great story whether true or not.

The narrator is Taita, a slave-eunuch of the woman who eventually becomes Queen of Egypt. He is a scholar and a poet as well as being brilliant and beautiful. The woman, Lostris, is married to the reigning Pharoah at 14 years of age, although she is in love with another.

I thought this would be a book that I would absolutely have to plough through with determination - not my style at all. But I was enthralled by the end of the first ten pages and while the epic length of the plot line was a little wearing towards the end, it certainly detailed in graphic description how tough life was and how brutal. Lots of stomach turning description at times, but also a gripping, reasonably well paced story that had me immersed til the end.