Monday 28 December 2009

I think I was a very good girl this year......




.........what do you think?

Book titles are:
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
Little, Big - John Crowley (fantasy classic, how have I not read it yet? thanks to Nymeth who reminded me again that this should be read)
Arctic Chill - Arnaldur Indridason (I'm so happy)
Anathem - Neal Stephenson (look! It's one volume! And supposed to be very very good science fiction. Hmm. Could be good for a challenge I'm about to join again, see below).
The Red Breast - Jo Nesbo (new to me mystery writer, recommended by Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise )
Tin Roof Blow Down - James Lee Burke (this was going to be a birthday present, last year!!! lol Mom finally found it on her shelves where she'd put it, and now at last I can read it.)
Book of Lost Things - John Connolly (everyone has liked it on the blogs! And it looks very good)
Blue Shoes and Happiness - Alexander McCall Smith
Morality For Beautiful Girls - " "
The Pure in Heart - Susan Hill (2nd in Simon Serailler series, just discovered by me, thanks to Bride of the Book God and Geraniumcat, I believe, who reading books in the series at the same time early this year. My review of first book still to come......like many things this year.....)
Bone By Bone - Carol O'Connell ( one of my favourite mystery authors, this one is getting excellent reviews)
Doors Open - Ian Rankin (Ann at Table Talk read this and enjoyed it, which convinced me to read a non-John Rebus mystery!!!)
Prepared for Rage - Dana Stabenow (a stand-alone book, not one of the Kate Sugak series which I love. My mother says these are quite good and this is the second one she's given me for Christmas. It does look good!)


I am already 3/4 of the way through The Tin Roof Blowdown, and happily contemplating which one is next. I hope you received books you wanted to read, my Gentle Readers. I hope you've had time to read!!!

Movies: Star Trek, Dr Who Season 3, Pride and Prejudice on dvd ( *Colin Firth*), and Smallville Season 3 (shared with my daughter, from the eldest son) - all favourites, all lovely!

Odds and thoughts:

Dr Who:
Don't you like how the Dr Who covers and removable covers are different? So depending what mood you're in, I can have Martha or the Master with the Doctor on the cover.


42 Challenge completed and signed up for again:
I've already watched Dr Who Season 3 "Blink" (the episode with the killer angels, my favourite) twice. Just as good as ever. *sighs happily* And with this, I finish the 42 Challenge by Becky. I'm so happy! I did it!!! and I am going to take this opportunity to SIGN UP FOR THE 42 Challenge for next year!!! Hurray! It's at the same link. *another happy sigh* This was a fun challenge, which I enjoyed and had fun adding to whenever something unexpected - like discovering Fringe in October - came along. I have the new version of Alice PVR'd, and can borrow Tin Man, the remake of the Wizard Of Oz, which is worth at least 4 already on next year's list. Plus, the Dr Who finale ***David Tennant is no more on the show! sob!*** on Jan 2 falls nicely into the new 2010 42 Sci-Fi Things Challenge. *deep sigh of pleasure* Thanks Becky, for doing this one again!

10 Best Crime Novels compilation at Mysteries in Paradise
Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise has a open question going: what is your list of the 10 best crime novels you read in 2009? Please let her know what your ten are; she combines all our thoughts and comes up with a blogger compilation list of the best crime novels of the year!!! I have to do mine; I'm just waiting to finish The Tin Roof Blowdown to add it to mine - it's that good.

All right, must go feed the hungry hordes, and I'm waiting on one of my sisters who is coming for a lovely visit for a few days. I hope the holidays are continuing fun for all of you, and as ever - I hope you are finding time to read!!

****Edited to add: Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise also had a note on her post today that Martin Edward's first mystery, The Coffin Trail, is being re-released!!!!! I'm so happy! I've been trying to get this for a year now, and my local indie mystery store said it was not available - not quite out of print, but next to it. Now it's coming, according to this link to the author's own blog. I'm so happy, this is like a late Christmas present!!! I have been holding off on the series until I could get the first one, so now I will go ahead and buy the other two (the last one is out in Hardcover, I believe, or will be over here shortly)*******

23 comments:

Gavin said...

What a fabulous pile of books and movies! You were very, very good:)

Susan said...

Gavin: lol! thank you!! how was your Christmas?

Molly said...

What a wonderful stack of new books! Merry Christmas to you :)

Anonymous said...

Color me envious! You'll be busy for quite some time with that loot :)

Daphne said...

So glad you'll be reading Little, Big... I should read that again, what a fantastic book. Also enjoyed Book of Lost Things -- I think you'll like it too. Merry Christmas! You certainly deserve all these goodies!

Kerrie said...

You've done very well Susan.

DesLily said...

yep, I would say you had a good christmas!!! ya know I only own one tv series, Beauty and the Beast. and I own that because it never went into syndication, so there were never reruns, and I loved the series. but seeing your series reminds me I would love to get the Firefly series.. I can't seem to find that as repeats either and I missed it completely!

Inside A Book said...

You must have been a VERY good girl. Thank heavens it wasn't coal!!!

Enjoy many a reading hour!

Cath said...

What a lovely book haul! Several there I've read, The Book of Lost Things, and the two McCall Smiths, which I absolutely adore.

And yaay! for that version of Pride and Prejudice. My favourite and probably always will be. Another period drama that's wonderful is Cranford, season 2 has just started. And the recent Emma was really rather wonderful too I might add.

The Coffin Trail was one of the best crime novels I read last year so I hope you can find it. Book 2, The Cipher Trail, was also superb.

Literary Feline said...

I'm drooling over all those books! I am going to miss Tennant as Dr. Who.

Congratulations on completing the 42 Challenge and good luck this coming year.

Ten best crime novels . . . I guess I'd better look through my reading list and see what I can come up with!

Have a great rest of the week, Susan!

Kailana said...

Wow, you were good this year!lol :)

Table Talk said...

The Bears are very excited the you also received the Star Trek movie. They are going to watch their copy this evening. All attempts to convince them that they really want to watch David Tennant's Hamlet have failed miserably.

Amy M. said...

WOLF HALL has been on my list for awhile! Lucky lady! Hope you enjoy it!

-Amy
Life by Candlelight

Jodie Robson said...

Lovely pile of books, lucky you! I'm glad you are enjoying the Susan Hill series and, coincidentally, I couldn't get up this morning until I had finished The Cipher Trail. I've got Wolf Hall on the TBR heap as I got it for my birthday :)

Robin said...

You definitely were a good girl this year!!! A very Happy New Year to you...and happy reading!

DesLily said...

happy 2010 Susan!!! I hope this is a year filled with good health, happiness and lots of laughter!!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Susan! What an excellent stash of goodies you got this year :) Looking forward to reading your reviews as you read them in 2010. Are you still thinking of doing a Mythopoeic Challenge? If you want help hosting it let me know.

Debi said...

Why, yes, my dear, it does appear that you were a very good girl! But then I never had any doubt about that anyway. :D

Btw, I've been meaning to e-mail you for the past week...here's the URL to my new home base: mysimplelife-debi.blogspot.com

Susan said...

Molly: thank you! Happy Holidays (since it's Jan 4, too late to wish you a Merry Christmas....) to you too! Hope your 2010 is starting out well :-D

Stephanie: oh yes, I love my new books! thanks :-D Happy New Year to you!

Daphne: thank you! I think it's you and Nymeth who talk about Little Big, and I am so glad I have it now. I love it when my question is, 'which of these should I read first?'!! :-D Happy Holidays to you too.

Kerrie: thank you! Did you buy/receive any new books for Christmas?

DesLily: Oh, you would love Firefly!!! It really is good - I own it - and Serenity, the movie that came after. Think of it as cowboy in space. Very fun, and funny, and a little bit scary sometimes too. Yes, I think you would really enjoy it. Happy Holidays to you!

Inside a Book: Coal! I think I threatened my youngest son with it at one point before Christmas! lol

Susan said...

Cath: Happy Holidays to you! I'm really excited by all my books, and also by the Coffin Trail news! You and Geraniumcat have been talking about Martin Edwards for a while now, and I am anxious to read the series. Yes, I believe - looking at my stack of new books, all of which I want to read - you never can have too many books! lol

We also had all of Little Dorrit on tv here over the holidays, so I video-recorded it all, hoping to see it this coming weekend. I hear it's quite good too.

Literary Feline: thanks, Wendy! I saw your list over on Kerrie's site, it was a good list and reminded me of what I haven't read yet!
I miss Dr Who - David Tennant already, though I must admit Matt Smith does look quite interesting as the new one! What do you think?

Kailana: thanks! It's only Christmas to me if I receive books! That sounds awful, but when you have one abiding passion like I do.....I am so thrilled with the dvds too, my family knows me! Happy holidays, Kelly!

Table Talk: and since I am late with this comment, how did the Bears find the new Star Trek? I have to admit that at first I was in shock, until what is happening is finally revealed - then it finally made sense, and the second time I viewed the movie (I am such a Star Trek fan I saw it twice in the theatres!) I was able to catch all the little things I'd missed the first time. Very good movie, one of the best Star Trek movies, although I am just as excited to finally receive Star Treks 2-4 finally on DVD also as a late present. Happy New Year to you, Ann!

Susan said...

Amy: how lovely to see your picture! Hi, Secret Santa! :-D I know, I have been enjoying The Tudors on tv, so Wolf Hall fits in nicely with a completely different view of that time and characters around Henry the 8th. I'm not sure what to read first, though! Happy New Year, Amy.

Geraniumcat: You and Cath at Read-Warbler are both loving the Martin Edwards series to much and have me anxious to get my hands on them!!! I got a gift certificate from Amazon also, so guess what I'll be ordering? lol Plus, I bought myself the second Simon Serallier for New Year's just because I had to work all last week! lol so thanks to you and Cath.....Happy New Year to you!

Robin: thank you! Happy New Year to you also! and happy reading to all of us, I think :-D

Deslily: the same for you! Plus always, finding new books to read.....I love your photographs on facebook too. Happy New Year, Pat!

Rhinoa: Happy New Year to you too! And yes, I am still planning to do the Mythopoeic challenge.....Nymeth and Becky sent me some buttons separately early last year, but we're still getting organized. I'm also planning a World Fantasy challenge too, since they overlap....do you want to email me and Nymeth about it? I'd love to have your input!! thanks :-D

Debi: thanks so much for your link, I'm coming to see you! That's a lovely new year present for me, thank you :-D

and you were a very good girl last year too, so I hope you received some treasures under the tree also! happy New year, Debi!

bermudaonion said...

Holy cow! I'll say you were a very good girl! Enjoy!

Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie said...

Wow! I'd say you were better than good this year - what a great pile of treats!

I've been toying with the idea of starting the Dr. Who series, I remember watching the originals when I was a kid and the new series looks really cool.