12 Days of Christmas Day 6: 7 Series' I Read in 2010

So I'm being a bit liberal here and listing 7 series I read or read part of in 2010. I do plan to read the complete series with each of these, so I figure that counts, right?

 The Elm Creek Quilt Series by Jennifer Chiaverini

 I read this whole series in 2010. Number 17 comes out next year - I can't wait!

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith

I read the 2 most recent of these in 2010. I love this series. Mma Ramotswe is one of the world's great detective characters!

Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

I read the first of these in 2010 and have started the second. One of the most original fantasy fictions I have read in a long time. Looking forward to finishing it in 2011.

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I was a late comer to this series but once I got there I became a true convert. I've read all three this year and can see me doing so again next year! Better buy my own copies then!

The Complete Peanuts by Charles M Schulz

Everyone loves Peanuts! I read the first of these this year and have the next two borrowed from the library for the holidays. This series has 14 volumes in total. 14 books of Peanuts - Good grief, Charlie Brown!

Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan

I've been aware of this series for awhile. I even bought the first few for the school library when I was a teacher librarian. I've read the first one of these and found it incredibly enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series in 2011.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy by Maggie Steifvater

Another fantastic series I came to late in the year. I've read Shiver, am waiting for linger to come into the library. Forever will be released next year. I'm fairly sure I will end up buying this series as well.

Oh and please leave a comment. Those montages took me ages and I'd love to know someone else has seen them! Thanks. :)

Don't forget to pop over to Writing From the Thumb to check out Carly's 12 Days of Christmas. Keris Stainton at Della Says: OMG! has a version too! Check them out!

12 Days of Christmas Day 5: 8 Favourite covers

I've had a huge day with my 8 and 5 year old at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary so todays 12 Days of Christmas - 8 favourite covers is going to be done wordless weekend style. Pics, no comments. Click on the titles for a link to my reviews of each book.

 

 The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

 The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

 Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

 Left Shoe and the Foundling by Annie O'Dowd

 The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

 

 Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons

 Shallows by Tim Winton

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Make sure you check out Carly over at Writing From the Thumb and Keris at  Della Says: OMG! to see where they are at with their 12 days of Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas Day 4: 9 Books I missed in 2010

This one was easy! All I had to do was check my list of Books from Other Blogs list! So here is my picks from that list.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.

OK, so this one isn't on my list, but I did miss out on it! I came to the whole Maggie Stiefvater thing late in the year. I'm on the request list for this at the library, but I there are too many people in front of me to even contemplate getting it before new years.

Room by Emma Donoghue

I first saw this on Book Journey. The whole idea sounds intriguing to me. 

Disrupting Grace: A Story of Relinquishment and Healing by Kristen Richburg

Life in the Thumb's six sentence review of this tore at my heart. I can only imagine the anguish that goes with a decision such as this. It's a must read for me in 2011.

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson

I love elephants! This recommendation came from All Booked Up.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

 

I loved The Time Traveler's Wife. This is one of the first books I put on my list. It's on my Kindle ready to go. Next year I promise!

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

A recommendation from the brains behind the twelve days of Christmas - Carly at Writing From the Thumb!

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

I know people who have hording tendancies - nothing this bad though. I do dread cleaning out my in laws house when the die. My mother in law hates throwing anything out! This came from So Many Books, So Little Time. (never a truer word typed I feel!)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I consider myself fortunate to never have been in a position where I thought things were so bad suicide was the way out. Unfortunately like most people, I have lost family and friends who did get to that point. I also get the feeling that this book deals with the whole issue of peer pressure and bullying in the electronic world - something my children will have to learn to deal with and so will I. This review came via Bippity Boppity Book.

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

I don't remember reading a review of this during the year, but I love Kathy Reichs. This is another on my Kindle ready to go!

Don't forget to pop over to Writing From the Thumb to check out Carly's 12 Days of Christmas. Keris Stainton at Della Says: OMG! has a version too! Check them out!

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

Told by 31 year old Kathy as she comes to the end of her life as a carer, Never Let Me Go tells the stories of a special group of friends, bought into the world for a special purpose. From their days at Hailsham School, through to the fulfillment of their purpose, Never Let Me Go explores friendship and how a shared past can help shape the person you end up being.

I had read several reviews of Ishiguro's books and thought they sounded interesting. I picked this up off the shelves at work one day and borrowed it out. It sat on the shelf awhile before I picked it up again.

What I discovered was a beautifully written story. Kathy's voice was very natural to me. Her exploration of her upbringing and friendships were heartfelt and moving. The slow realisation of what their purpose was lead to the suspense of the novel and once it was revealed, I was both horrified and fascinated.

I will definitely be reading more of Ishiguro's work. In fact I plan to choose one of his books for my next book group selection.

Minimum of Two

Minimum of Two - Tim Winton

Love, love, love Tim Winton! I've always thought it would be great to hear a Tim Winton book read out loud so when I discovered the library had this on audio book, I had to get it.

And I was right. Winton's style of writing lends itself beautifully to being read out loud, although I wasn't thrilled with the voice of the narrator. At times he just seemed to get the tone wrong. However, Winton's stories over-rode that small annoyance.

Minimum of Two is a collection of short stories, although the majority of the surround the story of Jerra, Rachel and Sam. The last story in the book which was based around Sam's traumatic birth was incredibly powerful and moving.

My pick of the stories though is the one that lent it's name to the title of the book: Minimum of Two. This was the story of a husband trying to deal with the rape of his wife. As I listened, I realised how wrong the husband had got it. That the rape and how the release of the man convicted of it was not about him - the husband. He totally failed to see it was about his wife and while he had been affected by the event, it had not happened to him and what he did in order to "make it better" did in fact, make it a lot worse.

I have said before that Winton is my favourite author. The fact he is Australian is even better. I highly recommend his books to anyone, although if you a little wary of bizzare stories, go for one of his later books such as Breath or Dirt Music.

Miss Page-Turner's Book Giveaway!

 

Click here to pop over To Miss Page-Turner's City of Books to enter her fabulous INTERNATIONAL giveaway!!

On offer is one of these six books

My choice?? Hmmm, not sure, but either Delirium by Lauren Oliver or Other Words For Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3: 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2011

Carly over at Writing at the Tub set a hard task for day three. I don't tend to keep track of what is coming out. A bit of searching through Fantastic Fiction and publisher sites and this is what I came up with.

Union of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

This is one I knew about. I'm already on the request list (in fact I'm first!) at the library. Throughout 2010 I read all of the Elm Creek Novels so am looking forward to this, the 12th book.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I've always been a sucker for a Jodi Picoult novel and this one looks like a doozy!

From Picoult's website:

SING YOU HOME explores what it means to be gay in today’s world, and how reproductive science has outstripped the legal system. Are embryos people or property? What challenges do same-sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption? What happens when religion and sexual orientation – two issues that are supposed to be justice-blind – enter the courtroom? And most importantly, what constitutes a “traditional family” in today’s day and age?

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs.

Other than the fact that this is due out in 2011, I could find nothing! But I love the Temperance Brennan novels so I'm sure it will be good!

 Various Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child

My daughter loves Charlie and Lola and any new book is cause for celebration as I can just about recite all the ones we currently have by heart!

I have this little sister called Lola. She is small and very funny.

 This is the way every Charlie and Lola book starts. Charlie is right, Lola is very funny!

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks is one of my favourite Australian authors. This description comes from Fishpond.

Caleb Cheeshateaumauk was the first native American to graduate from Harvard College back in 1665. 'Caleb's Crossing' gives voice to his little known story. Caleb, a Wampanoag from the island of Martha's Vineyard, seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts, comes of age just as the first generation of Indians come into contact with English settlers, who have fled there, desperate to escape the brutal and doctrinaire Puritanism of the Massachusetts Bay colony. The story is told through the eyes of Bethia, daughter of the English minister who educates Caleb in the Latin and Greek he needs in order to enter the college. As Caleb makes the crossing into white culture, Bethia, 14 years old at the novel's opening, finds herself pulled in the opposite direction. Trapped by the narrow strictures of her faith and her gender, she seeks connections with Caleb's world that will challenge her beliefs and set her at odds with her community.

 The Emperor of Nihon by John Flanagan.

I read the first of the Ranger's Apprentice books earlier this year. This is the 10th and last book in the series due out next year. Hopefully by the time it rolls around I will have read numbers 2 - 8.






The Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak.

Zusak is the Australian author of The Book Thief and The Messenger, both brilliant books. The Bridge of Clay is his new one to be released in 2011. Goodreads keeps it simple:

It's about a boy.
His name is Clay.
He's building a bridge.
And he wants that bridge to be something truly great and miraculous.

 

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall-Smith

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is my all time favourite series. Can't wait for number 12! I always love a wedding!





The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory. 

I've read a few of Philippa Gregory's books and really enjoy them. She is one of the authors whose backlist I plan to read next year so this has to be on the list!

Unknown by Sharon Kay Penman

All I know is that Sharon Kay Penman is due to release another book soon! I only hope it's in 2011.

Tomorrow - 8 books I've missed out on!