25

Just finished Michael Palmer's Fifth Vial.

Like so many books, I found that this one was really good until about the last couple of chapters. Then it was like he thought, "ooh I bet I'd sell this to more people if I threw a romantic story line in. And hey! It would help me tie everything up if the two lovebirds could get together and talk about everything afterwards."

Which always seems so contrived to me.

Other than that, a stellar book, and a quick read.

I just finished Miss Wyoming. Life After God is still my favorite Coupland novel, but I think this one runs a close second.

I'm going to post a passage from the book on my other blog.

18, 19, 20 and 21 (and 22 and 23)

Oh dear, I keep forgetting to keep track...

Well, Jane lent me Saving Graces, a wonderful book on friendship. Since I know Jane from a group of friends a leeeetle like the Saving Graces, this book was especially tearjerky. So good.

Then I read All Families are Psychotic. Not my favorite Coupland ever.

So I went back to Martha Grimes. I read Cold Flat Junction then I went over to her website to read about this author, I was a bit confused as to whether she's English or a Yank. Well turns out that she's famous for her Richard Jury mysteries of which I've read one. And that her RJ fans actually sent her hate mail when she wrote this semi biographical trilogy (Hotel Paradise, Cold Flat Junction and Belle Ruin). Well, I'm sorry, but I think they're brilliant. In fact, I started carrying a pen and paper with me to write down quotes from the books. But then I like to think I'm a precocious child like the protagonist in these books is...

When I was returning books to the library I saw Robert Ludlum's The Bancroft Strategy. Probably my favorite Ludlum book to date. Although in the beginning I found it quite witty and kept reading one liners and quotes to Andrew. By the end it felt like he was tidying things up too quickly and it was getting a bit corny.

Next I pulled out Hey Nostradamous, but after the first page I realised I've already read that one, so instead I started Miss Wyoming, also by Douglas Coupland. And that brings me to book 23. I was getting a little desperate for books, but I realised that Jane lent me a few more which I have yet to read...

I just started reading King of Torts. My first impression is that

john grisham does not look at all like I thought he would.

Sixteenth this year, Fiftieth since keeping track!

jPod by Douglas Coupland.

DC is one interesting person. Actually, believe it or not, this book reminded me of some of my favorites by Robertson Davies, another prolific Canadian Author.

I'd stop and chat about why I liked this book so much, but I have about 23 more books on my shelves that need to get read and returned to the library.

Oh - I did decide to finish Daughter of Mine. I think it bugged me so much cause it was like a really bad Catherine Cookson.

Books 12, 13, 14 and 15

Shutterbabe by Deborah Copaken Kogan: I kept trying to read this book for a bit longer. Andrew says the stories of her adventures as a photographer aren't bad, but I couldn't get past her moral issues (my moral issues?) Anyway, I may go back and give it a bit of a skim, but probably not.

Next on the agenda was Daughter of Eden by Charlotte Bingham. I quite liked this story: It was like watching an old movie. Set during World War II it not only featured characters, plot line, etc. from that era, you almost felt like the author was stuck in the 1930s/40s. Which in this book's case was a good thing. The story had a kind of corny olden-days feel to it, which was actually more conducive to the storyline, or at least, that's what I felt.

Then I read Anne Bennett's Daughter of Mine. Which just felt completely contrived. So I read the first two hundred pages and skimmed here and there in the next four hundred (cause you have to know what happens after the first two hundred). But I wouldn't recommend it.

Now I'm reading Saving Graces, loaned to me by Jane. Very, very good. I'm currently trying to figure out which of us is which (from our writing group of five). Looking forward to getting through this one.

This Blog's First Posting:

I finally decided to follow Rachel's lead and just start a new blog about all the books I'm reading.

I currently have 19 books on my shelves from either the library, Jane or my mum. 16 of these books should be read soon. 12 of them definitely before I rack up more debt at the library.

So what did I do tonight? Well, I divided my time evenly between reading and creating this new blog. All of my postings about books I've read so far (since 01/06) I've put here. Now I just need to quickly review the books I've read so far this year:

Whiteout by Ken Follett
The Train Now Departing by Martha Grimes
The Old Wine Shades by Martha Grimes
the English Assassin by Daniel Silva
Devices and Desires by PD James
The Broker by John Grisham
Death of An Expert Witness by, PD James
Original Sin by PD James
The Street Lawyer by John Grisham
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Against Tall Odds by Matt Roloff

And finish the 19 books on my "to read" shelf of course...