The Kama Sutra

Rating: ☆☆☆

Title: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana

Author: Vatsyayana (trans. Sir Richard Burton)

Genre: Classics / Erotica

Read: 9th June 2005


Comments: Don't go getting all excited now; it's not what you think. Although there is a section describing the various types of men (hare, bull, and horse) and women (deer, mare, and elephant) and what positions are best suited to each pairing (including 'the crab's position' and 'the united congress') a lot of the Kama Sutra is relationship advice for the 5th century Indian. It makes fascinating reading from an anthropological point of view, but most of the advice is unlikey to be of use these days; "The signs of a woman manifesting her love... #5 She occupies herself with shampooing his body..." Or then again it might be ; "The following are the men who generally obtain success with women... #24 Men whose dress and manner of living are magnificent." Ain't it the truth?

Quote: "When, while engaged in congress, she turns round like a wheel, it is called ‘the top’. This is learnt by practice only."

The Kama Sutra

Ringu: Notto Beri Kuriipii

Rating: ☆☆

Title: Ring

Author: Suzuki Kouji

Genre: Horror

Read: 31st May 2005






Comments: Maybe sometimes the movie is better than the book. Everyone I know who's seen the movie 'Ring' in either version says it's super-scary, but the book just left me cold. It was creepy in places, certainly, and the detective work of the reporter and his friend was very interesting, but it failed to really grip me. Also the fact the secondary character was so reprehensible (the reporter's friend in the novel is a nihilist and an admitted rapist) took away from my enjoyment of the book somewhat. His blasé descriptions of the girls he had assaulted were much creepier than the 'killer video'. So uncharacteristically, in this case I'm going to have to recommend that you skip the book and just rent the movie.

Quote: "Those who have viewed these images are fated to die at this exact hour one week from now, If you do not wish to die, you must follow these instructions, exactly..."

Ring

Just a Working Stiff

Rating: ☆☆☆

Title: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Author: Mary Roach

Genre: Popular Science

Read: 30th May 2005


Comments: Some pretty entertaining and informative stuff. Ms. Roach explores all the fascinating things that cadavers get up to; being used to study decomposition to aid forensics research, becoming realistic crash-test dummies, getting shot in the name of ballistics research, and of course the old standby of medical dissection. She's obviously very excited about her subject, and sometimes her interviewees seem a little freaked out by her enthusiasm, but her irreverent attitude helps take the edge of some of the gruesomer chapters. All in all a fun read, but perhaps not for the squeamish, (but then again the squeamish probably wouldn't be contemplating reading a book about corpses in the first place).

Quote: "The Holy See, like White'’s transplanted monkey heads, has remained pugnacious in attitude."

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Save Your Money

Rating: ☆

Title: Codex

Author: Lev Grossman

Genre: "Literary Thriller"

Read: 27th May 2005



Comments: I'm only reviewing this in the hopes that I might possibly spare others the pain of reading it. It's supposed to be a "literary thriller" on par with 'The Name of The Rose' but the only thing these two books have in common is that they both have libraries in them. Don't be fooled! Codex is an un-alleviated suckfest from beginning to end with a climax that makes you go 'Huh? What happened? Did I miss something?' then turn back and re-read the last few pages only to realize: 'Nope, I didn't miss anything, it was just a crappy non sequitur of an ending....' Stay away from this book at all costs.

Quote: "For dinner he ate an entire jar of Italian cocktail onions."

(Dead thrilling, eh? The rest of it's just as boring.)

Codex (Amazon's Main Page)

or

My Amazon Review

It's pretty funny reading the other reviews too, there are a lot of people who hated this book.

A Heaping Helping of Plum!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆☆(out of 5)

Title:The Inimitable Jeeves

Author: P.G. Wodehouse

Genre: Comedy

Read: 25th May 2005



Comments: I can't believe I've only been reading Wodehouse for a year; I feel like we're old friends already. For anyone out there who's never read Wodehouse: get up, run to the bookstore and get yourself a copy of this book, NOW! You won't regret it. Wodehouse is the man. He is, without a doubt, the funniest writer in the English language, (Don't take my word for it though, Douglas Adams thought so too!) and one of the most prolific too, over 90 books!

That said, there's basically only one plot to all of the Bertie and Jeeves stories; Bertie has some wacky misadventures, usually involving impersonating someone, or trying to steal some kind of tchotchke to help a friend out of a scrap, thereby getting himself deeply into the soup, whereupon Jeeves in all his wisdom manages to pluck him out- however it's the dialogue and in particular Bertie's sublimely ridiculous slang that really make the books. He's quite probably the most entertaining narrator in the history of English fiction. Think I'm playing a little fast and loose with the all the superlatives here? Then go check out some Wodehouse online right now... I guarantee you'll pee your pants laughing!

Quote: "I rather fancy I'm in the soup, Jeeves."

The Inimitable Jeeves

or

Check out 'Right Ho, Jeeves' online now!

Beware the Necrotizing Fasciitis

Rating:☆☆☆☆

Title:Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

Author: Atul Gawande

Genre: Medicine

Read: Sometime in May 2005



Comments: Gawande's style is very conversational and he gives an honest look at what it means to be a surgeon today. He covers fascinating cases of rare medical conditions, but without losing sight of the person behind the disease. He's very forthright about issues concerning medical ethics and doesn't shy away from painful subjects such as the problems of stress and substance abuse among doctors. Neither is he afraid to get gory as evidenced in the chapter on necrotizing fasciitis (better known as flesh-eating bacteria); which is also an enlightening study of how even in modern medicine, it sometimes pays to go with your gut feeling. This is great read, but perhaps not right before dinner!

Quote: "An extremely rare and horrendously lethal type of infection known as necrotizing fasciitis..."

Complications

Lumber!

Rating:☆☆☆☆

Title:The Size of Thoughts

Author: Nicholson Baker

Genre: Essays

Read: Sometime in May 2005





Comments: This is a brilliant book. It consists of several short essays on varied subjects; fingernail clippers, a review of a slang dictionary, and the demise of card catalogues to name a few, and one long essay on the history and usage of the word 'lumber'. Nicholson is a master of finding the sublime in the mundane and his essays bring into focus the understated beauty of everyday objects. Eccentric and and at times almost comically over-erudite? Sure, but you'll find yourself nodding in silent recognition at his apt descriptions of the minutiae of daily life.

Quote: "Some chicks lead with the boobs... This chick leads with the grumper" (an example-sentence from his review of the slang dictionary.)

The Size of Thoughts

And now introducing: Dr. Johnson!

Rating:☆☆☆☆

Title:The Life of Samuel Johnson

Author: James Boswell

Genre: Biography

Read: Sometime in May 2005


Comments: I read somewhere (I think it was 'An Incomplete Education') that Boswell is like a good TV host, because he knows when to shut up and just sit back and let the guest do the talking. And that's what he does. A good portion of the biography is just voluminous chunks of Johnson being Johnson. You'll be surprised at how many famous quotes/clichés/ what have you, originally were uttered by the man himself. Admitedly Boswell does come off as a bit sycophantic at times, but it's still an engaging read, and you can't not be impressed by a guy who wrote an ENTIRE FRIGGIN' DICTIONARY all by himself! (I mean DANG!)

Quote: "Sir, your wife, under pretence of keeping a bawdy house, is a receiver of stolen goods."

The Life of Samuel Johnson

First Post

Coming Soon: My all new book blog! Yee-Ha!

Reading List: Year One

April 2006

100: Unlocking the Air by Ursula LeGuin - 29 Apr

99: The Bridegroom by Ha Jin - 25 Apr

98: Typography by Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris - 21 Apr

97: Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie -19 Apr

96: The Barnum Museum by Steven Millhauser - 18 Apr

95: Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse - 14 Apr

94: The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez - 10 Apr

93: The Best of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton - 9 Apr

92: Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes - 6 Apr

91: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - 4 Apr

90: Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson - 3 Apr

March 2006

89: Tokyo Cancelled by Rana Dasgupta - 31 Mar

88: Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie - 27 Mar

87: Fabre’s Book of Insects by Jean Henri Fabre - 27 Mar

86: Frangipani by Célestine Vaite - 21 Mar

85: Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse -15 Mar

84: The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler -1 Mar

February 2006

83: The Colorado Kid by Stephen King - 24 Feb

82: Why Things Break by Mark E. Eberhard - 23 Feb

81: The Best Sex Writing of 2004 by Daniel O’Connor ed. - 22 Feb

80: Belle de Jour by Anonymous - 22 Feb

79: Pattern Recognition by William Gibson - 19 Feb

78: Venus in Furs by Leopold Sacher-Masoch - 16 Feb

77: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - 14 Feb

76: The Prestige by Christopher Priest - 14 Feb

75: Chocolat by Joanne Harris - 12 Feb

74: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie - 9 Feb

73: Boogers are My Beat by Dave Barry - 8 Feb

72: Very Good, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 5 Feb

January 2006

71: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer - 30 Jan

70: Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin - 27 Jan

69: Orbital Resonance by John Barnes - 24 Jan

68: Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt - 23 Jan

67: Sarudie by Satou Roman - 20 Jan

66: A Dictionary of Maqiao by Han Shao Gong - 17 Jan

65: Inventing the Victorians by Matthew Sweet - 12 Jan

64: Instr. for American Servicemen in Britain 1942 by WD - 9 Jan

63: Carry On, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse - 7 Jan 2006

62: Trading Up by Candace Bushnell - 4 Jan

December 2005

61: Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisburger - 31 Dec

60: The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe - 7 Dec

59: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 5 Dec

58: Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse - 2 Dec

November 2005

57: Liquor by Poppy Z . Brite - 29 Nov

56: Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell - 27 Nov

55: All She Was Worth by Miyabe Miyuki - 25 Nov

54: The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad - 21 Nov

53: Oranges by John McPhee - 19 Nov

52: The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett - 17 Nov

51: A Rabbit’s Eyes by Haitani Kenjirou - 16 Nov

50: Ardor: A Novel of Enchantment by Lily Prior - 16 Nov

49: Sandman Vol.5 A Game of You by Neil Gaiman - 15 Nov

48: Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf by David Madsen - 11 Nov

47: Room Temperature by Nicholson Baker - 7 Nov

46: The Truth by Terry Pratchett - 6 Nov

45: Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse - 4 Nov

44: nymphomation by Jeff Noon - 1 Nov

October 2005

43: Elizabeth&Mary: Cousins,Rivals,Queens by Jane Dunn 28 Oct

42: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - 15 Oct

41: Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin - 13 Oct

40: The Intelligencer by Leslie Silbert - 10 Oct

39: Emma by Jane Austen - 7 Oct

September 2005

38: The Noodle Maker by Ma Jian - 29 Sept

37: Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire - 23 Sept

36: Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie - 14 Sept

35: Changing Planes by Ursula K. LeGuin - 12 Sept

34: Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 5 Sept

August 2005

33: The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder - 26 Aug

32: Genghis Khan & the Making of the Modern World

by Jack Weatherford - 23 Aug

31: The Printer’s Devil by Paul Bajoria - 14 Aug

30: The Sari Shop by Rupa Bajwa - 7 Aug

29: The Joy of Sumo by David Benjamin - 4 Aug

28: Daisy Miller by Henry James - 1 Aug

July 2005

27: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl - 30 July

26: The Diary of Lady Murasaki by Murasaki Shikibu - 29 July

25: The Food of Love by Anthony Capella - 27 July

24: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi - 27 July

23: H. P. and the Half-blood Prince by J.K. Rowling - 19 July

22: As Nature Made Him by John Colapinto - 19 July

21: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman - 19 July

20: Sock by Penn Jillete - 15 July

19: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - 13 July

18: Checkpoint by Nicholson Baker - 9 July

17: The Art of Murder by Jose Carlos Somoza - 9 July

June 2005

16: The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir - 26 June

15: I, the Divine by Rabih Alameddine - 20 June

14: eating mammals by John Barlow - 18 June

13: Mutants by Armand Marie LeRoi - 17 June

12: The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester - 15 June

11: Sarudie by Satou Roman - 14 June

10: My Life as Emperor by Su Tong - 13 June

9: Baudolino by Umberto Eco - 9 June

8: The Kama Sutra - 9 June

May 2005

7: Ring by Koji Suzuki - 31 May

6: Stiff by Mary Roach - 30 May

5: Codex by Lev Grossman - 27 May

4: The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 25 May

3: Complications by Atul Gawande - ?? May

2: The Size of Thoughts by Nicholson Baker - ?? May

1: The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell - ?? May

Reading List: Year Two

April 2007

98: Our Town by Thornton Wilder 24 Apr

97: Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie 19 Apr

96: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 16 Apr

95: In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant 7 Apr

94: Enter Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 3 Apr

March 2007

93: Cell by Stephen King 17 Mar

92: The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie- 9 Mar

91: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey- 8 Mar

February 2007

90: Confessing a Murder by Nicholas Drayson- 26 Feb

89: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova- 20 Feb

88: A Winter Book by Tove Jansson- 16 Feb

87: Elephants can Remember by Agatha Christie- 15 Feb

86: We Wish to Inform You... by Philp Gourevitch - 14 Feb

85: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins - 8 Feb

84: A CT Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - 3 Feb

January 2007

83: Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin - 25 Jan

82: Loving Che by Ana Menendez - 22 Jan

81: The Book of Lost Books by Stuart Kelly - 19 Jan

80: Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie - 11 Jan

79: Heloise and Abelard by James Burge - 5 Jan

December 2006

78: Dune by Frank Herbert - 26 Dec

77: Third Girl by Agatha Christie - 17 Dec

76: Pigs Have Wings by P.G. Wodehouse - 15 Dec

75: The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins - 14 Dec

74: After the Funeral by Agatha Christie - 6 Dec

73: Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl - 4 Dec

November 2006

72: Neko-Daruman's Treasure Island by Takai Yoshikazu - 29 Nov

71: Day I Swapped My Dad for 2 Goldfish by N. Gaiman - 29 Nov

70: The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde - 26 Nov

69: Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & S. J. Dubner - 24 Nov

68: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie - 23 Nov

67: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie - 23 Nov

66: Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman - 20 Nov

65: The Duke of Uranium by John Barnes - 17 Nov

64: The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By - G. Simenon - 15 Nov

63: The Big Over Easy br Jasper Fforde - 10 Nov

62: Leave It to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse - 7 Nov

61: The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs - 5 Nov

October 2006

60: Worlds of Exile and Illusion by Ursula K. LeGuin - 29 Oct

59: 5 Minute Mysteries by Ken Weber - 26 Oct

58: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - 25 Oct

57: Eva by Peter Dickinson - 25 Oct

56: To See Every Bird on Earth by Dan Koeppel - 24 Oct

55: The End of Faith by Sam Harris - 20 Oct

54: The Brick Testament by Brendan Powell Smith - 19 Oct

53: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie - 18 Oct

52: Christ the Lord by Anne Rice - 17 Oct

51: The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - 13 Oct

50: Ursula Under by Ingrid Hill - 10 Oct

49: Fanny: A Fiction by Edmund White - 4 Oct

48: A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie - 3 Oct

September 2006

47: The Godfather by Mario Puzo - 21 Sept

46: Double Fold by Nicholson Baker - 19 Sept

45: Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie - 18 Sept

44: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder - 7 Sept

43: The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst - 6 Sept

42: The The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett - 6 Sept

41: Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin - 4 Sept

August 2006

40: Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie - 31 Aug

39: How to Cook a Tart by Nina Killham - 30 Aug

38: For Her Own Good by Barbara Ehrenreich - 29 Aug

37: Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie - 24 Aug

36: Ken's Guide to the Bible - 23 Aug

35: Monkey by Wu Ch'eng-en - 22 Aug

34:The Pine Barrens by John McPhee - 13 Aug

33: Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg - 12 Aug

32: Ring for Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 11 Aug

31: Puddn'head Wilson by Mark Twain - 8 Aug

30: American Bee by James Maguire - 7 Aug

29: Diamond by Matthew Hart - 4 Aug

28: Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin - 3 Aug

July 2006

27: Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett - 26 July

26: The Ess. Hb of Victorian Etiquette by Thomas E. Hill - 25 July

25: The Madness of Pr. Hamlet by Robert M. Youngson - 25 July

24: The Pig that Wants to be Eaten by Julian Baggini - 23 July

23: The Conjuror’s Bird by Martin Davies - 19 July

22: The Devil’s Details by Chuck Zerby - 18 July

21: Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits by Dave Barry - 17 July

20: Sandman: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman - 9 July

19: Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman - 9 July

18: 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie - 7 July

17: Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst - 2 July

June 2006

16: The Debutante Divorcée by Plum Sykes - 29 June

15: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - 23 June

14: Intoxicated: by John Barlow - 20 June

13: The Giver by Lois Lowry - 16 June

12: Seven Deadly Colors by Andrew Parker - 16 June

11: 4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell - 9 June

10: Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie - 8 June

9: 1215: The Year of the Magna Carta by Danny Danziger - 8 June

8: Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - 1 June

May 2006

7: The Tattoo Murder Case by Takagi Akimitsu - 26 May

6: A Million Open Doors by John Barnes - 25 May

5: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by J. S. Foer - 24 May

4: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - 22 May

3: Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite - 19 May

2: Dr. Johnson’s Dictionary by Henry Hitchings - 19 May

1: Emergency by Mark Brown - 5 May

Reading List: Year Three

April 2008

121: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - 30 Apr

120: Geisha in Rivalry by Nagai Kafu - 28 Apr

119: The Mystery of the Blue Train by A. Christie (RR) - 21 Apr

118: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie - 18 Apr

117: Call of the Weird by Louis Theroux - 17 Apr

116: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff - 15 Apr

115: Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie - 8 Apr

114: Grendel by John Gardner - 7 Apr

113: The Brief & Frightening Reign of Phil by G. Saunders - 5 Apr

112: Borkmann’s Point by Håkan Nesser - 4 Apr

March 2008

111: The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde - 31 Mar

110: The Luck of the Bodkins by P.G. Wodehouse - 29 Mar

109: Mozart and the Whale by Jerry and Mary Newport - 27 Mar

108: Murder on the Orient Ex. by Agatha Christie (RR) - 25 Mar

107: Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie - 21 Mar

106: The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie - 18 Mar

105: The Big Four by Agatha Christie - 16 Mar

104: Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich - 8 Mar

103: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - 1 Mar

February 2008

102: A Spy in the House of Love by Anais Nin - 27 Feb

101: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (RR) - 23 Feb

100: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - 19 Feb

99: Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown - 18 Feb

98: Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote - 17 Feb

97: Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 16 Feb

96: The Lost Van Gogh by A.J. Zerries - 14 Feb

95: The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie - 9 Feb

94: Confessions of a Yakuza by Saga Junichi - 9 Feb

93: Matilda by Roald Dahl (RR) - 8 Feb

92: Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie - 7 Feb

91: The Secret Diary of A. Mole aged 13 by Sue Townsend - 6 Feb

90: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (RR) - 5 Feb

89: Animal Farm by George Orwell - 4 Feb

88: Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn - 3 Feb

87: The Book of Incense by Morita Kiyoko - 3 Feb

86: Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit by P.G. Wodehouse - 1 Feb

January 2008

85: Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse - 31 Jan

84: Shopgirl by Steve Martin (RR) - 29 Jan

83: More Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver - 27 Jan

82: Foreign Babes in Beijing by Rachel DeWoskin - 25 Jan

81: Being Jewish by Ari L. Goldman - 23 Jan

80: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells - 21 Jan

79: The Commitment by Dan Savage - 20 Jan

78: The Eaten Heart by Giovanni Boccaccio - 19 Jan

77: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming - 18 Jan

76: Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan - 18 Jan

75: The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas - 17 Jan

74: The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side by A. Christie - 12 Jan

73: Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff - 10 Jan

72: Mistresses,Tigresses & Others by G. Casanova - 9 Jan

71: Brainiac by Ken Jennings - 7 Jan

70: While the Light Lasts by Agatha Christie - 2 Jan

69: Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie - 1 Jan

68: Danny the Champion of the World by R. Dahl - 1 Jan

December 2007

67: Poirot,The Complete Short Stories by A. Christie - 30 Dec

66: One Liter of Tears by Kito Aya - 28 Dec

65: Quill, the Life of a Guide Dog by Ishiguro Kengo - 28 Dec

64: The Adventure of the Xmas Pudding by A. Christie - 28 Dec

63: Red Mandarin Dress by Qiu Xiaolong - 25 Dec

62: I am Legend by Richard Matheson - 16 Dec

61: Piercing by Murakami Ryuu - 15 Dec

60: At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie - 12 Dec

59: The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie - 9 Dec

58: Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie - 8 Dec

57: Towards Zero by Agatha Christie - 7 Dec

56: On Royalty by Jeremy Paxman - 5 Dec

55: Lost in a Good Book by Japer Fforde - 2 Dec

November 2007

54: The Stuff of Thoughts by Steven Pinker -30 Nov

53: Princess Masako by Ben Hills -19 Nov

52: Lost in Austen by Emma Campbell Webster -18 Nov

51: Gangsters Wives by Lee Martin - 17 Nov

50: God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens - 13 Nov

49: Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie - 11 Nov

48: Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich - 9 Nov

47: Much Obliged, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 8 Nov

46: In the Name of Honour by Muhktar Mai - 5 Nov

45: Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi - 4 Nov

October 2007

44: An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina - 31 Oc

43: Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet - 30 Oct

42: Wild Geese by Mori Ogai - 26 Oct

41: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - 25 Oct

40: A Box of Matches by Nicholson Baker - 23 Oct

39: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie - 19 Oct

38: A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie - 16 Oct

37: The Naked Jape by Jimmy Carr - 16 Oct

36: A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah - 6 Oct

35: Dead Man’s Mirror by Agatha Christie - 5 Oct

34: The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke - 2 Oct

33: Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell - 2 Oct

September 2007

32: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie - 29 Sept

31: I was a Child of Holocaust Survivors by B. Eisenstein - 22 Sept

30: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by A. M. Fleming - 22 Sept

29: The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie - 20 Sept

28: Vita Sexualis by Mori Ogai - 18 Sept

27: The Bilingual Edge by K. King and A. Mackey - 15 Sept

26: Curtain by Agatha Christie - 11 Sept

25: Why Men Don't Listen and Women... by A & B Pease - 9 Sept

24: The Nanny Diaries by E. McLaughlin and N. Kraus - 8 Sept

23: Jewels by Victoria Finlay - 4 Sept

August 2007

22: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - 23 Aug

21: I am not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell - 23 Aug

20: Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves - 24 Aug

19: Virgin: The Untouched History by Hanne Blank - ? Aug

18: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - 20 Aug

17: The Kid by Dan Savage - 17 Aug

16: Female Chauvinist pigs by Ariel Levy - 17 Aug

15: Veronika Decides to Die by Paul Coelho - 6 Aug

July 2007

14: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - 25 July

13: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.R. - 22 July

12: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - 17 July

11: Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - 11 July

10: Crossfire by Miyabe Miyuki - 8 July

9: The Hollow by Agatha Christie - 6 July

8: The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin - 3 July

June 2007

7: Unnatural Death by Michael Baden - 31 June

6: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick - 23 June

5: Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel GM - 19 June

4: On the Road to Kandahar by Jason Burke - 17 June

May 2007

3: The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez - 29 May

2: The Adventures of Sally by P.G. Wodehouse - 17 May

1: The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell - 8 May

Reading List: Year Four

May2008

2: The Art of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman- 2 May

1: The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout - 1 May