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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!"
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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.
April 03, 2007 12:54 pm
Bibliophile said…
Thank you. This is the kind of comments- that really makes it worth continuing to blog.
April 03, 2007 12:58 pm
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