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Reading report for March 2007

Another month has gone by and this time I finished reading 13 books, gave up on one and read parts of several more, some of which I expect to finish in April.
I always hate it when I have to give up on a book I had good expectations of, but sometimes even a favoured author can disappoint. This was the case with Eric Newby in his collection of short travel accounts, Departures & Arrivals. Much as I loved A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, I was disappointed by this book. While I found some enjoyable writing in a couple of pieces, most of them were just boring and finally I decided to stop torturing myself and stop reading the book. I may come back to it later when I am in a mood to finish it, but for now it's going in the unfinished file.

As for the rest, I apologise for the scarcity of reviews lately, but with this and that I have not had much time for writing reviews, what with the bookbinding (lots of homework) and travel planning (it's still many weeks until I leave, but it's fun to speculate and make plans and read guidebooks). I have also started keeping a written journal, which takes time away from my e-journaling.

As always, if there is a book in the list you would like to see reviewed, leave me a comment and I will post a short review.

Reviewed:
Naomi Novik: Temeraire (historical fantasy)
Dodie Smith: I capture the castle (coming of age novel)

Unreviewed: (some I may review later)
Luigi Barzani: The Italians (description of the nation)
Jennifer Crusie: Strange Bedpersons (romance)
Elizabeth David: I'll be with you in the squeezing of a lemon (culinary tidbits)
David Day & Lidia Postma (myndir): The Hobbit Companion (literary commentary)
John Douglas & Mark Olshaker: The Anatomy of Motive (popular criminology)
Jane Greenfield: The Care of Fine Books (book conservation)
Ruth Reichl: Garlic and Sapphires (foodie memoir)
Ruth Rendell: Shake hands forever (police procedural)
Ruth Rendell: Some lie and some die (police procedural)
Freya Stark: The Southern Gates of Arabia (travel)
No author given: Bókasafn barnanna (The Children's Library. (A collection of chapbooks of fairy tales that I loved as a child. I bound them together into a book and then could not resist reading them for the memories they evoked)

Some of the books I am reading now and expect to finish in April:
Holly Hughes, ed.: Best food Writing 2001
Lederer & Burkick: The Ugly American
Joe McGinniss: Going to Extremes
Robert B. Parker: The Judas Goat
Paul Theroux: Riding the Iron Rooster: By train through China
Leonard G. Winans: The Book: From manuscript to market

Additionally, there are about 20 books I started reading at some point but have not touched for months. They lie around with their bookmarks pointing at me like accusing fingers, telling me to "finish this book!"

Comments

Kate said…
This is just to say I have just discovered your blogs about books and cooking and find them fascinating. Your photos are beautiful. Also living in Reykjavík and with similar interests I really look forward to reading your blogs in the future.
Bibliophile said…
Thank you. This is the kind of comments- that really makes it worth continuing to blog.

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