Role Models by John Waters
It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken by Seth
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Christmas present)
The Heroine’s Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore (Christmas present)
Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin (Christmas present)
More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin
Travels With Alice by Calvin Trillin
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
Lynchpin by Seth Godin
Tribes by Seth Godin
Sway by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman
Fordlandia by Greg Grandin
Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin (Christmas present)
Claudine at School by Colette
Dragonwyck by Anya Seton
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Boy Book by E. Lockhart
The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart

Books Read:

The 10 p.m. Question by Katie de Goldi
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (re-read, audio)
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Heroine’s Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (re-read)
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

The 10 p.m. Question is a YA novel about a boy named Frankie Parsons. I loved it, but it’s been a while since I finished it, so rather than bumbling through a description of it that doesn’t do it justice, here’s a description from Booklist:

Twelve-year-old Frankie dreams of having his best friend Gigs’ worry-free disposition. But in his family, Frankie feels like he is the only one who “bothers doing the thinking” about everything from grocery lists to smoke-alarm batteries, and nothing seems to quiet his internal “rodent voice . . . the perpetual bearer of unpalatable facts,” once it gets rolling. Then irrepressible tomboy Sydney arrives at school and befriends Frankie almost against his will. Prompted by her brash charm, Frankie begins to follow Sydney’s “book of wacko etiquette and, for once, talk straight and tough” about family mysteries, beginning with the most obvious and avoided question: Why does Ma never leave the house? An award-winning best-seller in New Zealand, where it was published in 2008, De Goldi’s novel is an achingly poignant, wryly comic story of early adolescence that invites comparisons to works by authors as varied as Lynne Rae Perkins, Nick Hornby, and J. D. Salinger. Nearly every character, from Frankie’s cheerfully sardonic teacher to the trio of pillowy, cigar-smoking aunties who give him sanctuary, is a loving, talented, unforgettable eccentric whose dialogue, much like De Goldi’s richly phrased narration, combines heart-stopping tenderness with perfectly timed, deliciously zany humor. Readers from early teens through adults will be drawn to this beautifully nuanced, unsentimental view of family life, friendship, the heroic requirements of growing up, and the rewards of speaking the unspeakable out loud.

I listened to The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid this month, and this was the third time I’ve read it. I love Bill Bryson’s stories of growing up in the midwest in the 1950s; he brings the decade alive and reminds us of how magnificent things were back then. I’ve read this three times (and will re-read it more) because it transports me back to the joys of childhood and reminds me of the pleasures of simple things that we stop noticing or admiring once we grow up. And also because it makes me laugh a lot. Bill Bryson narrates the audio version himself, and he does it very well – the humor really shines. If you’ve never read this one, I highly recommend it. And if you’re so inclined – try the audiobook, it’s lovely.

I must have picked up and put down Brooklyn by Colm Toibin in bookstores about 6 times before I finally gave in and bought it. Everything about the appearance of the book called to me, and I finally gave in because I kept seeing great reviews of it as well. I enjoyed it very much, mostly because Colm Toibin’s writing is beautiful. It reminds me of being inside on a snowy day – it’s warm and intimate, and I was immediately pulled into the story and wanted to settle in for a while and wrap the words around me.

I’m not sure how I’d never read A Christmas Carol before, but I’m please to report that I remedied that in December. I read my snowflake covered Penguin Classics clothbound edition right before Christmas, and it was lovely. Now I need to decide what Dickens novel to read this year. (2008 – David Copperfield, 2009 – Great Expectations, 2010 – A Christmas Carol.) I think Oliver Twist might be in the lead, but I have a while to decide because I usually wait until the end of fall/beginning of winter to start it.

After reading The Heroine’s Bookshelf (review posted here), I wanted to immediately read (or re-read) all the books she discussed. I bought the copies of Claudine at School and Their Eyes Were Watching God that appear above in my Books Purchased stack. And since I was at home for Christmas, I grabbed my mom’s copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and promptly re-read it. I remember loving it back when I first read it in 2004 (which, coincidently, was also during a Christmas break at home, and using my Mom’s same copy), and I loved it even more the second time through. It’s heartwarming, cozy, and perfect. Reading it again has cemented it into my list of top 10 favorite books of all time.

In December I started reading the Ruby Oliver series, by E. Lockhart. I loved her book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and had been wanting to read more of her YA fiction. I read the first book in the series, The Boyfriend List, which I liked a lot. Ruby is a funny, down to earth girl struggling with life at an expensive private school, where she goes on scholarship. She struggles with all the normal teenage problems: friendships, parents, and boys. Her emotions feel very real, and her humor makes the series very fun to read. I’m making my way through the other books now (the series is four books, so far).

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin
Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace
Carney’s House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace

Books Read:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (re-read, audio)
Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace (re-read)
Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace (re-read)
Betsy Was a Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace (re-read)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (re-read, audio)
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace (re-read)
As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon
The Trouble With Poetry by Billy Collins

November turned out to be the month of re-reading! I finished listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in November, which completed my completed “re-reading” of the series – my first time through on Audio. I absolutely adore the audio books – Jim Dale is amazing. I know I will be listening to the books many times more in the future. It was also the fourth time I’ve read HP7 in the past 4 years – once per year. I’m not sure there’s ever been a book I’ve read every year for 4 consecutive years. I’m planning on listening to it (or reading it) again before part 2 of the movie next summer, so that will be 5 times in 5 years.

After finishing the Harry Potter series on audio, I had to find new audio books to start. I tried the audio book edition of The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine. Aside from the fact that I’m not sure the book itself was for me, the narrator’s voice was sharp and sounded like a dull computer voice from phone tree answering services. I barely got through one chapter before deleting the entire audio book from my computer. Instead, I decided to listen to The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, since I want to re-read the five Thursday Next books before the new one comes out next spring. I loved the narrator, Susan Duerdan, who (appropriately) has a lovely British accent. After listening to it, I decided to try a membership to Audible.com, and my first purchase was the second Thursday Next book - Lost in a Good Book, which I’m planning on starting soon. For some reason, each book in the series is narrated by someone different. But presumably they are all British, so I think I’m likely to enjoy them all (fingers crossed).

Michelle’s review of Betsy in Spite of Herself reminded me of how cozy the Betsy-Tacy high school years books are, and made me crave a re-read of at least one of them. I started with the first one, Heaven to Betsy, and then I couldn’t stop – I re-read all four high school years books in November. They were the perfect books to read in November – very cozy, and they go so quickly, which is perfect for a busy month full of holiday activities and my family’s visit. I brought the last two Betsy books with me to Michigan for the holidays and I’m planning on reading them on my Aunt’s cozy couch on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. While eating Christmas cookies. They’ve got 3 feet of snow already and the house is full of family & Christmas cheer. It’s such a cozy picture I almost keel over with coziness just thinking about it. I’m so incredibly excited!

My family visited over Thanksgiving, and we got tickets to see Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice on Broadway. I wanted to read the play before we saw it, but I hadn’t read any Shakespeare since high school and for some reason I was a little intimidated. Fortunately, there was no need to be. With the help of the notes in the Barnes and Noble edition, I found Shakespeare to be just as readable as I did in AP English in high school. I enjoyed reading the play, but I loved seeing the performance. It was fantastic overall, but Al Pacino as Shylock was truly spectacular. It was amazing to see the words come alive on stage, and I’m very glad I read the play first. It left me craving more Shakespeare – definitely on the 2011 bucket list!

As Always, Julia is a collection of letters between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. We learn about their friendship and her role in publishing Mastering the Art of French Cooking in Julia’s book My Life in France and the movie of Julie and Julia, but it’s really interesting to read the letters first hand. It’s so cool to read about the book evolving, and details of their lives during the post-war era. If you’re a fan of Julia Child, this book is definitely worth reading.

I finished another Billy Collins poetry book this month too – The Trouble With Poetry. I enjoy every one of his books – in my opinion there’s no better way to end or start your day than by reading a Billy Collins poem. I got to see him read some of his poems a few weeks ago when he was a guest start on the taping of Prairie Home Companion I went to at Town Hall. He read 5 or 6 poems, and one of them was called Horoscopes for the Dead, which I’m guessing is the title poem from his new collection coming out next spring.

The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis
And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman
The Autobiography of Mark Twain edited by Harriet E. Smith
Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris

Books Read:

Great House by Nicole Krauss
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (Audio, Re-read)
Everything is Going to be Great by Rachel Shukert
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (Audio, Re-read)
Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman

This post is long overdue – I’ve been a very absent Blogger lately. So I don’t have very extensive things to say about most of these books, since I read them a while ago. But I’ll attempt to share a few thoughts about each one anyway.

Great House by Nicole Krauss was a good read. Her novel The History of Love is one of my favorites of all time, so anything else she wrote would have a hard time living up to that. But it was an interesting novel, and I do like her writing style quite a lot.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, a new collection of short stories by David Sedaris. I was wondering how his easy, personable style and his humor would translate into fiction – since I’ve only read his non-fiction essays. Effortlessly, it turns out. This was an enjoyable and fun collection. He personifies animals and turns them into human stereotypes that are very funny to read. A great read that goes very quickly.

In October, I listened to two more Harry Potter audio books: Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince. Jim Dale is such a masterful performer, I’m not sure that many (any?) other audiobook narrators can live up to him, but I’m going to explore anyway, because I adore listening to audiobooks. I listen whenever I’m cleaning or walking anywhere – it’s fun to be read to, and it greatly expands the amount of time you can spend ‘reading.’

Everything is Going to be Great: I liked reading about Rachel Shukert’s adventures abroad, and she has a way (like the best memoir writers) of telling her humiliating stories with humor that makes them endearing.

I found Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography while browsing through the graphic novels section at the Hoboken Public Library. It’s a fantastic graphic novel biography and I recommend it to anyone interested in Anne Frank. I really enjoy reading biographies in graphic novel form and hope that there will continue to be more written & published.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic that I’ve been meaning to read for years. I finally set my mind to it and I’m glad I did. I thought that the beginning was rather dull, with Lord Henry droning on and on. But then once the narrative switched over to Dorian it picked up a lot and I really enjoyed it.

And the Pursuit of Happiness is the second collection of Maira Kalman’s New York Times online columns. Maira is one of my favorite artists, and I love her whimsy and insightful art & writing. This collection, and her first (The Principles of Uncertainty) are often re-read and gifted to others by me.

One Day by David Nicholls
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, translated by Lydia Davis
The Best American Comics 2010 edited by Neil Gaiman
The Best American Non-required Reading 2010 edited by Dave Eggers
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust, translated by Lydia Davis
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by Davis Sedaris
A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse (birthday present)
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (birthday present)
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (birthday present)
Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala (birthday present)

Books Read:*

Ape House by Sara Gruen
One Day by David Nicholls
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (re-read, audio)
Clementine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Questions about Angels by Billy Collins
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (re-read, audio)

*(For the audio books I listened to, I put my paper copy in the stack for the photo)

Not a bad reading month, boosted by audio books! I’ve really been enjoying listening to Jim Dale read Harry Potter books to me. :) It’s really amazing how much more “reading” time you get a month when you can listen to audio books during mundane activities like cleaning & washing dishes, and also while walking. I’ve also started listening to audio books while in the shower, although I have to turn the volume on my iPod dock up very loud to hear it over the noise of the water. Sometimes I listen before bed and drift off to sleep while it’s going, which I think is the cause of all the dreams I’ve had lately where I have to fight Lord Voldemort.

I wanted to review Ape House in its own, full post, but I just couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to write a whole post about it. I had high hopes for Sara Gruen’s new novel, since I adored Water for Elephants so much. I tried to keep my expectations in check, but I found Ape House to be disappointing. It lacked the magical feel that Water for Elephants evoked – the magic of settling down to enter into a book and feeling yourself embraced by the story. I’m not sure if I’m describing this very well – but it mainly just seemed to be an average reading experience, instead of an extraordinary one. If I try to put my finger on the difference, I’d guess that the fact that it’s set in the present day, along with the changing point of view, didn’t help it. Maybe it’s simply a case of historical fiction seeming more magical because it takes us to a time unlike our own. I also didn’t find the characters (with the exception of the Great Apes) very endearing, possibly because we didn’t get a lot of time with them.

One Day, on the other hand, is a story that definitely benefits from multiple points of view. I love the structure of the book – it follows the two main characters through their lives on only one day (the same day – July 15) of every year for 20 years. It’s funny, and the story welcomes you into it. I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in about 2 days. I think it will make a great movie, as well.

This month I read the latest Clementine book by Sara Pennypacker: Clementine, Friend of the Week. The new book in this series of children’s books is just as good as the ones that came before it, and was a charming read. Clementine is like a modern day Ramona – goofy, strongheaded and stronghearted, and a bit of a unintentional troublemaker. And of course, completely fabulous.

My library, the Hoboken Public Library, has recently expanded its Graphic Novels section, and it’s quite spectacular now. I picked up Ghost World because it’s a classic one that I’ve never read. I enjoyed it and am glad I read it, although it’s not going to make my list of favorite Graphic Novels. I’d like to watch the movie now, I’ve never seen it. I can’t wait to read more of the great finds I’ve spotted in that section.

I finished another book of poetry by my favorite poet, Billy Collins: Questions about Angels. I keep one of his books on my nightstand, and I try to read a poem each day. I think that reading a poem a day is a way of guaranteeing a little bit of art and beauty in your day, as corny as that sounds. I love having a Billy Collins collection at hand for this, and my other favorites are Garrison Keillor’s two poetry anthologies: Good Poems and Good Poems for Hard Times. For anyone interested, I just searched online and was delighted to see that Billy Collins will have a new collection out next year (3/29/11), called Horoscopes for the Dead.

Separate post for Skippy Dies is coming soon.

For the Love of Ireland edited by Susan Cahill
At Home by Bill Bryson
Love Letters by Katie Fforde
The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson
Dubliners by James Joyce
The Puffin Book of Magic Verse edited by Charles Causley
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Translations by Brian Friel
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Clementine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

A lot of the books I purchased this month are from Ireland, and I’m excited about the fantastic books I brought back. I picked up a copy of At Home by Bill Bryson, his latest book that is not out in the US yet. I had been meaning to get a copy of Dubliners, and where better to get it than Ireland? I decided to get Skippy Dies, a new fiction book by Irish author Paul Murray, which has received a lot of praise. I found an adorable used book called The Puffin Book of Magic Verse at a cute used bookstore in Sligo. I found an adorable book called The Wonderful Weekend Book at Charlie Byrnes bookshop in Galway (an incredible bookshop).On the trip, Emma told me about her favorite Irish playwright, Brian Friel. I picked up a copy of his play Translations in Dublin. Once I got back home I found another of his plays, Dancing at Lughnasa, at Strand.

Books Read:

Finny by Justin Kramon
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (audio book, re-read)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Notes From a Big Country by Bill Bryson (re-read)
At Home by Bill Bryson

There wasn’t much time to read during August, since most of the month was spent doing the following things:
1. Preparing to go to Ireland
2. Being in Ireland
3. Recuperating from Ireland

But I managed to read (and listen to) a few things this month. I re-read the book Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson (the US title is I’m a Stranger Here Myself). I love Bill Bryson’s observations about the quirks and differences between Americans and Britons. I first read it when I got back from Italy, so it seemed a fitting time to re-read it – five years later on my next trip to Europe. I also listened to the audio version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I’m just getting back into audio books, mainly because I’m realizing how many opportunities there are to listen to one! I’ve been listening to them on my iPhone while cleaning, walking places, baking/cooking, and riding public transportation (when I’m too tired to read for myself). I’ve really been enjoying them, especially “re-reading” the Harry Potter series before the movie comes out in November. Jim Dale is an amazing performer. Next I’d like to re-read the Thursday Next series, to prepare for the 6th book coming out in March next year.

I heard about Finny from Michelle, and I decided it seemed like a perfect travel book. I took it with me to Ireland, and really enjoyed reading it during the trip. I wish I had posted a review sooner, because it’s hard to remember my thoughts on it now! I do remember loving the characters, and that it was a fun, very readable book that made a great travel companion. It’s also interesting how well a man did with writing a female coming of age story. Highly impressive!

There are a lot of reviews of Mockingjay out there, so I’ll just share a few, spoiler free, thoughts. I enjoyed the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy, but not as much as the other two. I thought that the plot felt rushed in many places, especially at the end. Before I even opened it, I figured that I’d have a strong emotional reaction at the end. But I did not, and I’m not sure why. I seemed sort of numb to it all by then, I suppose. It was a page turner though, and I’m glad to have closure to the series.

Last but not least, I adored reading At Home by Bill Bryson, and will post a separate review of it soon.

To Begin Again by M.F.K. Fisher
The Best of Frank O’Connor edited by Julian Barnes
Legendary Ireland: Journey Through Celtic Places and Myths by Eithne Massey
Questions About Angels by Billy Collins
44 Irish Short Stories edited by Devin A. Garrity
The Gentle Art of Domesticity: Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & the Comforts of Home by Jane Brocket
Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
Finny by Justin Kramon

Books Read:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling  (re-read)
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Pride & Prejudice (Graphic Novel) retold by Nancy Butler (library)
Molly Fox’s Birthday by Deirdre Madden (library)
Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson (library)
Wilson by Daniel Clowes (library)

Books Read:

The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald (library)
How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley
The Lovers by Vendela Vida
The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin (library)
A Secret Map of Ireland by Rosita Boland
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
A.D: New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufeld (library)

The Books Purchased stack for May is incredibly large, and (alarmingly) does not include the 25+ books I acquired at BEA. But it’s full of goodies, and that’s all that matters, right?

Books Purchased:

Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
World War Z by Max Brooks
About Alice by Calvin Trillin
In the Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim
A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain
Birds of America by Lorrie Moore
Built of Books: How Reading Defined the Life of Oscar Wilde by Thomas Wright
The Bolter by Frances Osborne
The Book of Idle Pleasures by Tom Hodgkinson and Dan Kieran
The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright by Jean Nathan
I Know I Am But What Are You? by Samantha Bee
How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley
Read Me: A Century of Classic American Book Advertisements by Dwight Garner
Classics for Pleasure by Michael Dirda
A Traveler’s History of Ireland by Peter Neville
A Secret Map of Ireland by Rosita Boland
Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors by Bill Bryson

Books Read:

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (library)
About Alice by Calvin Trillin
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman (re-read)
In the Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim
Picnic Lightning by Billy Collins

Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato
Irish Folktales by Henry Glassie and Francine Kass
Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden
Backing into Forward by Jules Feiffer
A Summer of Hummingbirds by Christopher E. G. Benfey
Third Helpings by Calvin Trillin
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Candide by Voltaire

Books Read:

Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis
Round Ireland With a Fridge by Tony Hawks
Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato
Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Alice, Let’s Eat by Calvin Trillin
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
77 Love Sonnets by Garrison Keillor

Previously reviewed: Auntie Mame, The Postmistress, and 77 Love Sonnets

Round Ireland With a Fridge is a very fun travel writing memoir, about a man who takes a bet to hitchhike the full circumference of Ireland with a fridge. I read it in preparation for my trip to Ireland this summer, and it gave me a lot of good ideas of where I’d like to visit. Worth a read if you like travel memoirs and/or Ireland, and especially worth a read if you’re planning a trip there.

I saw Mathilda Savitch for the first time at Barnes and Noble while I was in Michigan last month; it won their Discover Award in 2009. I really enjoyed the unique narrative voice of the main character, Mathilda. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had a stronger ending with more of an emotional impact, I finished the story feeling underwhelmed.

Dead End Gene Pool is a memoir by Wendy Burden about growing up in a wealthy, prestigious (and disfunctional) family (the Vanderbilts). Not a particularly life-changing memoir to read (it isn’t trying to be), but a fun romp that makes for a good summer pick.

I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid to my brother while I was in Michigan (which is why it’s not pictured in the above photo). It’s a very fun book for kids, and Benny loved it. He likes being read to, but doesn’t much like reading on his own. This book changed that completely. He finished the book on his own, and then wanted the other books in the series. My parents got them for him, and he finished them in record speed. So awesome!

Alice, Let’s Eat is the second book in Calvin Trillin’s Tummy Trilogy of food writing essay collections. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first (American Fried), and looking forward to the third – Third Helpings.

I’d never read anything by Muriel Spark before reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I enjoyed this short novel a lot, and now I really want to watch the movie adaptation with Maggie Smith. I’d like to read more Muriel Spark as well – does anyone have a recommendation for which of her books I should read next?

Books Purchased:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
About Town: The New Yorker And The World It Made by Ben Yagoda
Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis
Around the World With Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis

Books Read:

Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
American Fried by Calvin Trillin (library)
Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay (library)
Forever Rose by Hilary McKay (library)
How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac (library)
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Previously reviewed: Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, American Fried, Beatrice and Virgil

I read the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, and just like the first book… I could not put it down. I’m really glad that I got into this series in time to join in the excitement building up to this August’s release of the third and final book, Mockingjay.

Caddy Ever After and Forever Rose are the final two books (that have been written so far) in the Casson family series by Hilary McKay. I adore this series. Forever Rose seemed to tie all lose ends up nicely, but I read that Hilary McKay is planning on writing a prequel. If you enjoy children’s literature, you’ll likely love this series too.

In March I re-read How Proust Can Change Your Life. It was not quite as fantastic as I remembered it being, but it was still good. It makes me want to Stop, Drop, and Read Proust.

I’d been meaning to read Olive Kitteridge ever since it came out, and I’m so glad I got a copy for Christmas. It’s a novel told through 13 interwoven stories, all featuring (sometimes front and center, sometimes in the background) an older woman named Olive Kitteridge. Elizabeth Strout’s writing is incredible, she pulls you into the lives of people in Olive’s small community, and you feel at home there as a reader. You find Olive to be a friend, despite her somewhat grumpy temperament. This is a novel to read when you’re craving the type of story that feels like a windowpane into people’s lives, a movie almost. The stories are moving, honest and beautiful and it was a pleasure to read.

The Rights of the Reader is a book by a French author about children and reading. It’s for adults – it talks about the perception that kids don’t read anymore, and how it often seems like they don’t enjoy reading either. It presents very good ideas about why certain kids don’t seem to like reading, and what you can do to help them find an interest and love of reading. If you are a teacher, or if you have children of your own, this is a fantastic book to read with a lot of good ideas.