Izzybee's 2008 List

I should have done this ages ago, but I was too busy reading. ;)

I will be using this to keep track of all the books I've read this year. I welcome all book recommendations.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green

A compelling YA book about love, life and death. (3/5)

2. Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness by James Allen

I've been a Formula One fan for many years and was a big Schumi fan till the day he retired. This is not the best Schumacher book out there, but it is still an absorbing read which provides a lot of insight into the mind of one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time.

3.A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell

A beautiful book about an horrifying topic. This will definitely be one of my favourite books of the year. (5/5)

4. A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena De Blasi (3/5)

An enjoyable sequel to A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance.

5. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti

A gripping account of a boy's loss of innocence when he makes a discovery which will change his life forever.

6. Youth by J.M. Coetzee

I liked this a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone reading Coetzee for the first time.

7. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

A haunting account of a father and son's post apocalyptic journey through an ashen and repugnant landscape in the hope of finding something better. I loved this book.

8. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

A creepy, little book.

9. Mallory's Oracle by Carol o'Connell

10. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

Fantasy is not really my genre, but this was a fun start to the Codex Alera series.

11. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

A simple, delightful read.

12. Before the Knife by Carolyn Slaughter

13. The Field Guide by Holly Black

14. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters

Book #2 in the Amelia Peabody series. A fun and entertaining read.

15. Where or When: a novel by Anita Shreve

Very disappointing.

16. Holes by Louis Sachar

17. Made in America: an informal history of the English language in the United States by Bill Bryson

A fun look at the history of English in the US. Very entertaining.

18. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

A heartbreaking story of love and loss set in 1962, which focuses on a newlywed virgin couple and their fears and expectations as they approach their first night together.

19. I Feel Bad About My Neck: and other thoughts on being a woman by Nora Ephron

I had mixed feelings about this book. Some of the essays were very funny, others I found to be a total bore.

20. Minaret by Leila Aboulela

21. The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

22. March by Geraldine Brooks (4/5)

23. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

24. Desert Dawn by Waris Dirie

25. Every second Counts by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins

26. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

(re-read).

27. The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster

28. Postcards from the Ledge: Travel Tales of the Lowveld by Bridget Hilton-Barber

An off-beat and humorous book about the Lowveld, which is IMO one of the most beautiful regions of South Africa.

izzybee, I love your list, it has a nice variety. It gives me the impression of you walking through a house of books, randomly picking up and reading whatever strikes you as you move from room to room.

Thanks, avaland. That is pretty much what I do, but you make it sound so much more romantic. :D

29. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell.

(re-read)

30. The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry.

izzybee, we've read a lot of the same books. On Chesil Beach was one of my favorites last year. Here are three of my recent reads that I highly recommend:

The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
Afterwards by Rachel Seiffert

All very different but equally good. I've posted reviews on all three.

Cariola, you obviously have very good taste. :=)

On Chesil Beach is one of my top 5 for this quarter. Mister Pip is on my wishlist, and I had a Rachel Seiffert book in my hand 2 days ago. I've never read any of her books and can't remember if it was Afterwards, but I have to go back to the bookstore tomorrow and will have definitely have another look at it.

Izzybee, as a newcomer to the Neil Gaiman fan club, I have to ask - why was Coraline so creepy? I haven't read it, but intend to

I have Afterwards in the TBR pile; picked it up as soon as it was available over here after seeing it on the Orange Prize longlist. She had a previous book on the longlist also...The Dark Room. . .

Very interesting list, Izzybee. I have read some of your list.

A Thousand Days in Venice was highly recommended to me and I really didn't like it - so regretted buying it. I thought the writing was quite second-rate.

Coetzee and Gaiman and Seiffert and Auster and Carey are all very good writers, IMO.

One of the books that hasn't gotten much attention in your thread here is one of my recent surprises.....I'm Not Scared. I picked this up through the bookseller Bas Bleu and was nicely surprised by the story. This is one of those books that creeps up on you. Looks like you enjoyed it also.

I've been curious about March....any thoughts?

I also really enjoyed 'I'm Not Scared' by Niccolo Ammaniti I'm not sure if any others of his have been translated from the Italian, but it was one of those sweet and refreshing books that does not resort to tricks or sensationalism, IMO.

(I'm not sure how you got the touchstones to work, 'cos I couldn't!)

Other books you might enjoy, if you liked Ammaniti is the Coetzee books about his childhood - Youth and Boyhood. I really enjoyed these two.

>36 judylou: Judylou, I thought Coraline was a great book, but Gaiman originally wrote it for his daughter and it has been touted as a children's book, hence my "creepy" comment. I guess I was expecting it to be more like Stardust.

>39 blackdogbooks: blackdogbooks, March is a beautifully written book. It's not a happy book, but I highly recommend it.

>40 kiwidoc: and 41 karenwardill, Niccolo Ammaniti's I'll steal you away has also been translated, but I haven't read it. I read Boyhood last year after you had rated it so highly. I loved it! I liked Youth, but not as much as Boyhood. Have you read any of Coetzee's other books?

31. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

A dark, gothic adventure.

32. Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth Von Arnim.

33. Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters.

34. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

I have only just 'found' your thread here and have loved looking through your list! There is certainly a huge variety - I read My Family and Other Animals a long time ago and loved it. As for the Thread of Grace I am with you on that one! Oh and I have just seen The Road. I am off to see how much our librairies coincide ... runs fast!

35. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

36. The Colour by Rose Tremain

I loved this book. (4/5)

37. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

38. Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith

I've only just found your tracking thread. I have one over on the 50 book challenge thread. I'm trying to read 100 this year, and when i set mine up this one didn't exist yet. Ah well, next year.

Anywho...I really need to check your profile out more often so I can keep better track of what your reading. =)

39. Afterwards by Rachel Seiffert
A great book recommended to me by Cariola.

40. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
(re-read)

41. Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson

42. The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett

43. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Very enjoyable.

izzybee, I'm so glad you liked Afterwards! She writes so beautifully and really understands the nature of the human heart.

44. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Another great read.

45. O Meu Pe De Laranja Lima by José Mauro De Vasconcelos

46. Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

47. Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson

48. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

49. The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris

50. The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut

I read Rhett Butler's People earlier this year, what did you think of it? I was a bit disappointed in it, but it was okay, I reviewed it here at LT back then after I read it.

Hi izzybee, enjoying your list!

You certainly do have a delicious variety on your list (which I have only just discovered).

What did you think of Minaret? I have it on my Amazon wishlist but can't remember why I put it there.

#57 Ktleyed, I enjoyed the book, but I was disappointed in Scarlett's characterization. Mitchell's Scarlett was ambitious, intelligent, fiery and determined, whereas McCaig's Scarlett just comes across as being bitchy and cold.

#58 Thanks, Meg.

#59 Amanda, I liked Minaret and gave it a 3 out of 5. I was expecting it to be quite heavy, but it turned out to be an engaging, quick read.

51. Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

A modern take on The Count of Monte Cristo. Enjoyable, but not as good as his earlier books.

52. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

A great book with lots of plot twists.

53. The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth Von Arnim

Re-read.

54. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

A very well-written first novel. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

55. The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman

A gripping historical novel of Richard III.

56. The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander

An interesting portrayal of the events leading up to the last days of the Romanovs.

57. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham

Very well written with interesting and complicated characters.

58. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

59. In the Woods by Tana French

60. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

An impressive debut novel. Very enjoyable.

61. The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari

An easy to read memoir about the conflict in Darfur.

62. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri

First in the Inspector Montalbano series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Hi Izzybee. I'm posting regarding your number 56 book, The Kitchen Boy. I read this book a few months ago and enjoyed the details. I read Rasputin's Daughter previously and was not as impressed with this book as I was re. The Kitchen Boy. I thought it fascinating that the author took one sentence from the diary of Alexandra (or Nicholas?) regarding the kitchen boy and then exprapolated on this.

Did you enjoy the book?

Hi izzybee, I'm enjoying your books and your comments!

#60 - Izzy, I agree with you about Scarlett, she did come across as suc h a bitch, and I was so disappointed in her! (I've been away, just got back and saw your post), I really wasn't all that impressed with any of his characterizations that were orinally MM's, his original characters were the ones that were more interesting.

#64 Whisper1, I loved The Kitchen Boy. I'm very interested in the Romanovs and Russian history in general, so although I'm disappointed that most reviews have not been as favourable towards Rasputin's Daughter I will probably still read it.

#65 Thanks, Judy.

63. The Girls by Lori Lansens

Wow! Came highly recommended by teelgee and she was right.

64. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

This book deserves all the hype it's been getting. It's a delightful book!

Izzy - have you read The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry. It was written a few years back and deals with the search for Alexi and Anastasia. This book postulated that they survived the massacre and tries to find out what happened to them. Of course it was written before their bodies were found but it wasn't a bad mystery.

I've been look at The Girls and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society....will have to add them to my library wishlist. =)

I own The Romanov Prophecy but I haven't read it. It's lost somewhere in one of many unread piles.

You might also like to try aThe Romanov Bride by Robert Alexander. This was a good read.

#64, 67 I also loved The Kitchen Boy, and I bought Rasputin's Daughter as soon as it came out. Sadly, not so good.

#71 Thanks, Whisper.

65. O Menino do Pijama Listrado by John Boyne. The Portuguese translation of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

66. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Recommended, but difficult to read at times.

67. The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin

Very entertaining.

68. A Reading Diary: A Passionate Reader's Reflections on a Year of Books by Alberto Manguel

Very disappointing.

69. The Road Home by Rose Tremain

One of my favourite books of 2008. Highly recommended.

Hi Izzybee

Did Rose Tremain also write a book called the Restoration
I think I saw that book posted on another thread.

If so, I will have to read her stuff. Please tell me a bit about The Road Home and why you liked it.

Thanks.

Izzybee, I also read The Road Home and really enjoyed it. I am glad she won a prize with this book as I think she was overdue for recognition. I thought her portrayal of the immigrant dilemma very sympathetically done.

#76 and #77, Tremain did write Restoration which I own but have not yet read. I read The Colour earlier this year which I also thought was wonderful. She has a way of drawing you in right from the beginning and I like the way she develops her characters as well. Being an immigrant myself who despite having lived in this country for so many years, sometimes still feel like a fish out of water, I could totally relate to Lev and his experiences.

70. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Very enjoyable.

71. Marker by Robin Cook

Predictable and too long.

72. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Re-read.

I have seen The Beekeeper's Apprentice around about and thought it looked interesting. I guess I can add it to my list too! BTW, I also loved both The Colour and The Road Home. She is an exceptional writer.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice has be added to the mountain of TBR.

#80 & 81: The Beekeeper's Apprentice is well worth the read, as are the others in the series, although IMHO it is the best. Laurie R. King has done an admirable job of making Sherlock Holmes believable in her incarnation of the man as well as providing a good foil for him in the character of Mary Russell. I hope you both try the books and enjoy them!

ok, I'm ignorant...what does IMHO represent?

in my humble opinion

I really enjoyed The Road Home. I've got The Girls and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society coming. Now I'll have to add The Beekeeper's Apprentice...struggling with mountains of great books to read!

#85 merry10: Only mountains of great books - mine has evolved into continents of great books.

Hope you enjoy both Guernsey, which I read in one sitting because I could not put it down, and Beekeeper. Be sure and let us know what you think.

73. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

74. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Recommended.

75. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
YA. Very enjoyable.

76. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
I didn't enjoy this one as much as Inkheart.

77. My Place by Sally Morgan
Recommended.

78. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
Recommended.

79. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

80. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Recommended to all mystery lovers.

#87 izzybee: There is a follow up book to Mistress of the Art of Death entitled The Serpent's Tale, if you are interested. She also has another book in the series coming out next year.

Thanks, alcottacre. I will keep an eye out for The Serpent's Tale.

81. In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
Recommended.

82. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
(re-read)

83. World Without End by Ken Follett

84. The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan

85. The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski

86. The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

87. The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
Recommended.

88. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
(re-read)

89. The Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb

90. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier by Thaddeus Carhart
Recommended.

91. Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

92. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
(re-read)

93. O Agente Secreto by Graham Greene

94. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

95. Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros

96. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
(re-read)

97. The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel by Louis Bayard

98. On the Side of the Angels by Betty Miller

99. Audrey: An Intimate Portrait by Diana Maychick

100. The Physician by Noah Gordon
(re-read)

101. The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro

Congratulations on hitting the 100 book mark!

add my congratulations too!

how did u find book #85 The Painted Bird? i've been wanting to read it.

Congrats!

Congrats on your 100 - you've been busy!

That's a great catch-up izzybee! Congratulations on your 100!

Conrats on the 100 izzy bizzy bee.

- TT

Thanks everyone!!

#95 deebee, I've had this book for ages and I'm glad I eventually read it but I struggled to finish it. I found it very graphic and brutal and it's not a book I will be recommending to anyone.

102. The Death of Kings by Conn Iggulden

103. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Please add my congratulations to those who congratulate you on not only reaching 75, but over 100 books in 2008!

And, I'm curious re. your comments on book #74
The Madonna's of Leningrad. I read this a few months ago and enjoyed it.
What did you think about it?

Izzybee, what did you think of The View from Castle Rock?

Hi izzybee--Just got to finally read your thread and catch up. We have several authors and books in common and you have some interesting ones to add to my TBR. Congratulations on your numbers! We'll see you in 2009, right?

Hi izzybee. I've just caught up with your thread. You sure have read some interesting books lately. Congratulations on making it beyond #100 this year!