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Thursbitch by Alan Garner.

Kirsten wrote: "I just finished The Hours by Michael Cunningham. I wasn't sure about this one as I didn't really enjoy the movie but I ended up appreciating the novel much more. Maybe not having to look at Nicole ..."

I wish this comment had a like button.

Nancy wrote: "Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "I DID IT!! I FINISHED The Tale of Genji!!!"

Bravo! How long did it take you to read it?"

About a month, because I was reading it off and on.

Susan wrote: "Major Congratulations Rachel! How was it???"

Good at times, dull at others. But how often do you get to read something that gives you a glimpse into the 'olden times' court of Japan?

Susan wrote: "The Moonstone was my introduction to Wilkie Collins. WHERE has this book been all my life? Absolutely loved it!"

I just LOVED that book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Susan wrote: "The Moonstone was my introduction to Wilkie Collins. WHERE has this book been all my life? Absolutely loved it!"

I just LOVED that book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I loved Moonstone but really really loved "woman in white"

Yes...I see that in my near future!

Passing by Nella Larsen. So sad and so infuriating! A great, yet heavy quick read.

The Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino. It's part of Our Ancestors.

Just finished Brave New World - mixed feelings on this one

Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "I DID IT!! I FINISHED The Tale of Genji!!!"

Bravo! How long did it take you to read it?"

About a month, because I was reading it off and on."


haha!!! I tackled this one last year and it took me AGES! I was also a bit disconcerted about his relationship with that young girl, but I suppose we can`t really tune into the social mores of that time. I`m in Japan at the moment and anyone I`ve mentioned it to looks at me like I`m mental to have even attempted the thing. It`s such a MASSIVE book that I don`t think any of them attempt it a lot of the time. Thank The Lord for iPads x

Ellinor wrote: "The Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino. It's part of Our Ancestors."

Thanks for pointing this out. I did not realize that Our Ancestors: The Cloven Viscount, The Baron in the Trees, The Non-Existent Knight was an omnibus of three titles I have read (and loved). One more title checked off the list.

Fiona wrote: "Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "I DID IT!! I FINISHED The Tale of Genji!!!"

Bravo! How long did it take you to read it?"

About a month, because I was reading it off a..."

Many people think I'm crazy that I even started it.. hehe! But then I have read the complete works of Shakespeare, so you would think they would be used to it by now..

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Pretty good. Like an intersection of Franzen and John Irving.

Nineteen Seventy Seven - the second of the Red Riding Quartet, and the only one on the list. I'm trying to read the entire series, but it's very difficult subject matter. I also haven't quite decided if David Peace is a genius or a misogynist, or both.

I just finished Things Fall Apart. It was very interesting to read a book about Africa that was actually written by an African author.

War and Peace!

I was surprised at how NOT difficult and/or tedious it was, given its great length. I enjoyed it. I think I'll have to read it again someday, because I think I'll absorb much more, and I'm not even afraid or put off but looking forward to the re-read.

Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "War and Peace!

I was surprised at how NOT difficult and/or tedious it was, given its great length. I enjoyed it. I think I'll have to read it again someday, because I think I'll absorb much mo..."

This is good to know!

Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "War and Peace!

I was surprised at how NOT difficult and/or tedious it was, given its great length. I enjoyed it. I think I'll have to read it again someday, because I think I'll absorb much mo..."
Great book... definately a reread for me too! Started me off on the rest of the russian authors

All Souls - Javier Marias


Really good read for me.

The Stranger by Albert Camus. I cared about as much as the MC.

"Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "War and Peace!

I was surprised at how NOT difficult and/or tedious it was, given its great length. I enjoyed it. I think I'll have to read it again someday, because..."

Mandy wrote: Great book... definately a reread for me too! Started me off on the rest of the russian authors


After Anna Karenina, and now War and Peace, plus some other shorter Russian reads due to the List, I'm not as afraid anymore. I bet I get distracted by other choices though. So many books so little time! (Until I win the lottery that is. :o)

I've just finished Flaubert's Parrot.
This book didn't hook me at all. The same with Madam Bovary...um meh. Well it's another off the 1001 list.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: 3.5 stars. Now, here's the thing: the book was five stars until the part he joins the brotherhood. That's where I felt that the book lost momentum. However, the author had an outstanding ability to draw me in and bring out strong emotions within a few pages. Interestingly enough the infamous scene, involving the narrator and other young black men where they were humiliated and degraded by white men, reminded me very much of a similar one in Django Unchained. I wonder if Tarantino drew inspiration from this book. Despite the rating I've given this book, I would recommend it because it's an eye opening experience.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman: Five stars. I might have identified with the main character a wee bit too much.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach: 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it because baseball is one of my favorite sports. I did not think it really belonged on the 1001-book list and I would not be surprised to see it gone when 1001 does another Purge.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami: 2.5 stars. This book was on my to-read shelf since 2011 so I was quite excited to finally read it. I just didn't like it. For a book that has been described as "easily accessible", it took me a week to complete it (that's slow for me when it's a contemporary fiction). Oh, I'm not saying that it all sucked; the characters such as Mr. Nakato and his companion, the talking cats, Oshima, etc., made the book bearable but it just wasn't enough. Being in a state of confusion after reading a book is a huge turn off for me, and that is what unfortunately happened here. With that said, can someone kindly link me to a website that provides more insight about Kafka on the Shore?

I just finished The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. This is the third Wells book I have read and the each packs such a big punch for being such short books. He writes so vividly that you are automatically part of the story. This book raises some interesting issues about what the future will look like and makes one think about how our actions today may influence the future. I would have enjoyed more of his adventures exploring different parts of the future, but I guess one wouldn't want to ruin the surprise of what is to come!

Rebecca wrote: "Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: 3.5 stars. Now, here's the thing: the book was five stars until the part he joins the brotherhood. That's where I felt that the book lost momentum. However, the auth..."

I'm sorry you thought it appropriate to post spoilers without hiding behind the spoiler tag.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: 3.5 stars. Now, here's the thing: the book was five stars until the part he joins the brotherhood. That's where I felt that the book lost momentum. H..."

I don't know that I'd call that a spoiler - I haven't read it yet, but it doesn't change my interest level or how much I feel like I know about it.

I'm disappointed because I do try to put more effort in my posts by making sure they're not spoiler-ish, offensive, etc. I thought it was fine since I found the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blurb about Invisible Man to be more revealing than mine.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying to participate in communities these days because I'm an overly sensitive person that's easily upset by comments from strangers. Ah, well.

Rebecca wrote: "I'm disappointed because I do try to put more effort in my posts by making sure they're not spoiler-ish, offensive, etc. I thought it was fine since I found the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blurb about Invisible Man ..."

Don't worry about it! Even if people feel this might be a spoiler, by the time they get round to reading it they will have probably forgotten anything they have seen in this thread! Reading these books at the end of the day is meant to be fun - don't forget that :)

Finished Where Angels Fear to Tread

Finished To the Lighthouse. Stream of Consciousness writing is so not for me.

Mary Barton. LOVED it.

Just today got done with The Virgin Suicides. Wow, short book, easy read, very poignant, sad...

Finally finished The Golden Bowl by Henry James. I really hated this book and have never wanted to abandon a book so much in my life. I always finish the books I start in case the end somehow makes up for the rest of the book, but the ending of this one was as bad as the rest of the book. I read and liked Wings of the Dove by Henry James, but this one I found to be incessant rambling.

The handmaid tale by Atwood

Danyellemastro wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "I'm disappointed because I do try to put more effort in my posts by making sure they're not spoiler-ish, offensive, etc. I thought it was fine since I found the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blurb abou..."

And so is participating in "these communities"...supposed to be fun.... and informative, that is. My advice is to stick with us. I've been offended once too, but it is rare that someone is insensitive, or judgmental or ill-informed in a post and does not apologize when he or she realizes it. Everyone has a bad day now and then, right? :)

The White Tiger - Adiga
The White Tiger

I just finished The Club Dumas. A very entertaining novel and completely different from the movie (The Ninth Gate) which I watched first.

Kerry wrote: "Finally finished The Golden Bowl by Henry James. I really hated this book and have never wanted to abandon a book so much in my life. I always finish the books I start in case the end somehow make..."

I agree whole heartedly with finishing a book because I have been surprised at the end. Henry James must be an acquired taste, like liver?

Iain M. Banks' (his SF moniker) The Player of Games.
Excellent! His only SF title on the list, but I will definitely be reading more! This is one author I am very grateful to the List for. All 5 list titles rate 3-5* for me.

Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.

At times cliché, at times unbearably beautiful, then trite, afterwards though provoking, falls to nattering. Difficult to place, really.

Now, for the epic bits alone, it's worth it.

Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

I had no expectations when I picked up this book...knew nothing about it and had never read any of Kingsolver's other works. So, it was a pleasant surprise to read this saga of an American family in the Congo, colonial and post-colonial. The novel excellently presents itself in the separate voices of the mother and three daughters...all with separate personalities. Although there is a lot to chew on here, my take on the moral is that one needs to seek balance...or the world will enact balance when you least expect it.

Ed wrote: "Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

I had no expectations when I picked up this book...knew nothing about it and had never read any of Kingsolver's other works. So, it was a pleasant surpri..."

I thought it was great - the twists in the middle/end really sucked me in!

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Hoooooolllly. How many twists does it take to make a turn? Really liked it - a real page turner, even if some bits were a bit slower than others. It now joins all the other well thumbed tomes on my wee blog:

L'innommable/The Unnameable by Samuel Beckett. Words fail me (I guess that's the point).

Things Fall Apart

Under the Net, interesting.

American Pastoral
I understand why Philip Roth is on the list, but I can't quite become a fan. He depresses me.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Lovely writing. I plan to read more by Angelou.

Les Misérables
I bought this particular translation because I heard a review of it on NPR a few years back. Truly an amazing book. Granted, there were some slow parts (it IS 1200 pages), but overall I loved it.

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
I was somehow expecting more from this.

I just finished The Sword in the Stone, the first book of The Once and Future King. Some parts were very enjoyable and funny, others quite boring.

The Optimist's Daughter. I wasn't overly impressed. Sounds harsh, that. I can't imagine having anything in print, so really I shouldn't judge. Let me start again. Nice one, Eudora! Just not really my cup of tea.