Thats a Wrap - July 2010
One of the things about blogging that I like so much is getting to know other people who love books and reading as much as I do. When I first started Page Turners, I thought that it would be a place where I recorded the books that I have read and my thoughts about them. Instead, I feel like I have become part of a community, where I can really be honest about my interest and talk about it as much as I like.
The reason I am saying this is because I have really been floored by the wonderful messages that I have been getting from people over the last couple of months with my surgeries. There is nothing more annoying for a reader than not being able to read.
I have been enjoying audiobooks, a friend of mine gave me a present of A Room with a View by EM Forster on audiobook which I intend to start tomorrow and am really looking forward to.
But audiobooks are just not the same as reading a book. And I know that you all really understand what it is like not to be able to read. So, thank you all so much for all your well wishes.
Books reviewed this month
It has been a truly massive month of reviews here at Page Turners.
The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith by Peter Carey: This is an Australian book by one of our most talented and famous authors, as well as one of the strangest books that I have ever read.
The Book of Lost Threads by Tess Evans: This a debut novel by an Australian novelist. It was a lighthearted and pleasant read, sometimes overly sentimental, but relaxing.
The Passage by Justin Cronin: There has been a lot of hype about this book - and from my experience of this book, it was all accurate. I loved it and can't wait for the rest of the series.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: Kafka is someone that I have always wanted to read but felt to intimidated to try. I was totally wrong though and this was a great introduction to his works.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornett's Nest by Stieg Larsson: I think that by now we all know what we love about these books, and what we don't love. But I can say that I was sad to see this wonderful series come to an end.
Flatland by Edwin Abbott: This is an early science fiction novel that I just didn't get. If you are a fan of science fiction though, I think this is one for you.
Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood: This a crime series by an Australian author and I am so glad that I have discovered her. This series of books is fun and exciting and full of mystery, and I hope that I inspire people to give it a go.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver: I think that I could honestly say that I have never had such a strong reaction to a book as I had with this one. The feeling has worn off by now thank goodness, but this is one for everyone to try. Be strong and just do it.
An Iron Rose by Peter Temple: I wanted to read Peter Temple after he became the first Australian crime writer to win the Miles Franklin Award and I wasn't disappointed at all. This was a great read.
A good friend of mine also did a guest review of a non-fiction work - Voices of Resistance by Sarah Husain.
Literary Discussion
There was a bit of literary and blog discussion this month. On the blog front, I conducted a poll about what design people liked best in a blog - the 2 column or the 3 columns? It was fairly even, but you can read about the specific results here.
On the challenge front, I completed the Classics Challenge 2010. You can read about the challenge and the books I read here.
The 2010 Angus and Robertson (an Australian bookstore) announced their annual Top 100 list, and I was pleased to see that I had read 35 of them. Some of the choices made me smile, and others I have to say I was surprised at. How many have you read?
Finally, I was caught up on the legal dramas surrounding the Franz Kafka papers, fascinating stuff!
And that was my July. I hope that August is just as good. Thanks for sticking with me through my absences this year and I hope that there is better to come.
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