QuestingA, the boxes, the shelves, the books

In 2012 I am going to read 30 books that I already own (that is, pre-2012). Oh, yes I am! And to kick it off:

1) Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

Pretty good. I see what the hype's all about.

2) Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M R James

This was a book club read and I enjoyed most of the stories. I was a bit frustrated by the lack of explatation provided in some of the stories and surprised by the easy acceptance of the supernatural by some of the characters, but I liked his characters and humour.

Hello and welcome!

I much enjoyed Gaiman's Preludes and Nocturnes, though I look forward to seeing what he does with the Sandman series when he has a greater handle on it. I especially liked the descent into hell.

I enjoyed Preludes and Nocturnes as well. I'm hoping to get back to the Sandman series sometime this year but I'm going to finish the 100 Bullets series by Brian Azzarello first.

Hey ! reflexandresolve and littlegreycloud

I've wanted to read the Sandman series since they came out but it just never happened. Mainly because I tend to buy books and graphic novels are a tad expensive. I bought Preludes and Nocturnes because I attended an event at my local book store and got a discount on any purchases made that night. Thought it was a good opportunity.

Meanwhile:
3) Murder by Nail by Jeffery Farnol

Well, if you want expensive, you can always go for the annotated Sandman.:) Amazon here lists the first volume at just under 50 euros. I have to admit I'd love to have it as i suspect I'm missing quite a few of the allusions but that would work out to over 500 euros for the entire series...

Ouch! that's way too steep for my pocket. The annotated version would be good though.....
My sister buys manga, so I'm hoping to fit in some of them this year.

Well, it' also super-new (and only in hardcover). Maybe it will come down in price.

(-HOPES-)

4) Don't bet on the prince: contemporary feminist fairy tales in North America and England ed by Jack Zipes

I enjoyed reading this book, particularly the fairy stories for children. The other stories (for adults) just read like normal short stories. The critical essays were pretty interesting too.

5) Charmain Lady Vibart by Jeffery Farnol

6) Sunset and Dawn by Kate Ashton

7) The Bandit of Hell's Bend by Edgar Rice Burroughs

One off my e-reader so not exactly a book off the physical shelf, but definitely one I owned pre-2012. A good read.

Do you feel the same sense of accomplishment as when you complete a physical book.

Hi Ridgeway Girl, yes, same sense of accomplishment.

8) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith

Brillant, loved it.

Ooh, I liked that one quite a bit, too. Best part was the list of discussion questions at the back.

:) Agree, the discussion questions were great. I thought the whole book was really cleverly done. Now I want to read Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters!!

9) A Universal History of the Destruction of Books by Fernando Baez

This was a depressing read. Not unexpectedly.

10) A Classic English Crime: 13 Stories for the Christie Centenary from the Crime Writers' Association ed Tim Heald

Fun. I picked this up last year. Now it's off the shelf and on it's way to the second had store.

11) Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer

A re-read. I've had this volume for decades. Now it is out of the box for good!

12) Becoming Queen by Kate Williams

I purchased this book during a visit to Osborne House last year. My book club had a holiday on the Isle of Wight.

I enjoyed reading it and learnt a lot about Princess Charlotte, her parents, Princess Victoria and English royalty at the time (of which I had previously known almost nothing).

13) Dear Osborne by John Matson

This book was purchased during the previously mentioned visit to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. It was short and not difficult to read.

14) Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

One off the e-reader. A book of short stories. I bought it to test out how to buy books with the Sony. Also, I thought I would enjoy them. I was partly right. The stories ranged from genius to dull and/or pointless. This reinforces my mixed opinion of Neil Gaiman.

15) One of our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde

Not quite as funny as the earlier ones, but just as clever.

16) Tangled Vows by Anne Moore

A re-read of a very old Romance.

What do you think of the Sony reader?

Hi bertyboy, I love the sonyreader, although I don't really use all the functions. I have never made a note for example and have yet to put any music on it. My main criticism is with Sony rather than the reader itself. Sony do not let me buy books from the Sony Store, which is only availalable to US and Canadian users. Very frustrating.

17) The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

I took this on holiday with me and read most of it on the ferry. It was good. Easy to read. It's been on my bookshelves for over a year. Now it lives in Guernsey.

18) Following the Drum by Annabel Venning

Not sure when I bought this book but I've been reading it for a few years. Very interesting and well researched.

19) My Place by Sally Morgan

I picked this up years ago while visiting Australia for a conference. It was very good. Now it's out of the box and on my shelf.

20) The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney

I bought this over a year ago. Loved it.

21) Austrian Fairytales: Collected From Old Sources by Vitalis

I picked this up in Vienna. Lovely illustrations. Now it is out of the bag and on my bookshelves.

Re: no. 18: You might want to check out You know when the men are gone, a collection of short stories about the women "left behind" at Fort Hood in Texas.

Hi littlegreycloud, thanks for the recommendation!

22) Beautiful Creatures

I picked this up second hand at Oxfam sometime last year. It was good and easy to read.

23) Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer

Well, 23 is short of my goal of 30. But, not a bad attempt.

#2> I really enjoyed this collection when I read it a few years back. I thought James was great at communicating a pervasive sense of dread.

Not far off. Congratulations, and it's a new year!