The Uncommon Reader
by Alan Bennett

English
121 pages
Faber and Faber
ISBN: 978-1-84668-133-2
First line: At Windsor it was the evening of the state banquet and as the president of France took his place beside Her Majesty, the royal family formed up behind and the procession slowly moved off and through into the Waterloo Chamber.
Back cover blurb:
Led by her [...]

Posted on June 29th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, English, Fiction | 3 Comments »

A Strong and Sudden Thaw
by RW Day

For the Here Be Dragons reading challenge.
English
333 pages
Iris Print
ISBN: 978-0-9787531-1-5
First line: There’s an old scenic view about halfway up the mountain, alongside where the old highway runs.
Back cover blurb:
Dragons in Virginia?
Nearly a hundred years after the Ice changed the face of our world, the people of Moline work [...]

Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, English, GLBT interest, Here Be Dragons, Romance, Science Fiction | 2 Comments »

Farlig midsommar
by Tove Jansson
Title in English: Moominsummer Madness

For the Decades ‘08 reading challenge (first published 1954).
Swedish
146 pages
Alfabeta
ISBN: 91-501-0478-0
First line: Mumintrollets mamma satt på trappan i solskenet och riggade en barkbåt.
Back cover blurb:
Där kommer en teater på drift och med den driver muminfamiljen in i en midsommarnatt som är full av trolldom och överraskning, av [...]

Posted on May 18th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, Adventure, Children's lit, Decades '08, Fantasy, Swedish | No Comments »

Trollkarlens hatt
by Tove Jansson
Title in English: Finn Family Moomintroll

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
158 pages
Alfabeta
ISBN: 91-501-0479-9
First line: En grå morgon föll den första snön över Mumindalen.
Back cover blurb:
Den här berättelsen börjar med trolldom en tidig vårmorgon och slutar en varm augustinatt som aldrig kommer att glömmas i Mumindalen. Däremellan ligger Mumintrollets långa sommar, full av [...]

Posted on May 17th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, Adventure, Children's lit, Fantasy, Swedish | 1 Comment »

Making History
by Stephen Fry

For the A-Z reading challenge.
English
556 pages
Arrow
ISBN: 0-09-946481-0
First line: It starts with a dream.
Back cover blurb:
Michael Young is convinced his history thesis will win him a doctorate, a pleasant academic post, a venerable academic publisher and his beloved girlfriend, Jane.
A historian should know better than to think he can predict the future.
Leo [...]

Posted on March 27th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, English, Science Fiction | 1 Comment »

Unnatural Death
by Dorothy L Sayers

For the A-Z reading challenge.
English
280 pages
Harper Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-06-104358-1
First line: “But if he thought the woman was being murdered—”
Back cover blurb:
The wealthy old woman was dead—a trifle sooner than expected. The intricate trail of horror and senseless murder led from a beautiful Hampshire village to a fashionable London flat and a [...]

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, English, Historical, Mystery | 5 Comments »

Postcards from No Man’s Land
by Aidan Chambers

For the Young Adult reading challenge.
English
312 pages
Speak
ISBN: 0-14-240145-5
First line: Not knowing his way around, he set off back the way he had come.
Back cover blurb:
Jacob’s plan is to go to Amsterdam to honour his grandfather who died during World War II. He hopes to go, set flowers on [...]

Posted on February 24th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, English, Fiction, GLBT interest, YA Challenge 2008, Young Adult | 4 Comments »

Murder Must Advertise
by Dorothy L Sayers

For the Decades ‘08 reading challenge (first published 1933).
English
356 pages
Harper Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-06-104355-0
First line: “And by the way,” said Mr. Hankin, arresting Miss Rossiter as she rose to go, “there is a new copy-writer coming in today.”
Back cover blurb:
When ad man Victor Dean falls down the stairs in the offices [...]

Posted on February 15th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, Decades '08, English, Historical, Mystery | 5 Comments »

A Countess Below Stairs
by Eva Ibbotson

For the Back to History and A-Z reading challenges.
English
383 pages
Speak
ISBN: 978-0-14-240865-0
First line: In the fabled, glittering world that was St. Petersburg before the First World War there lived, in an ice-blue palace overlooking the river Neva, a family on whom the gods seemed to have lavished their gifts with [...]

Posted on February 10th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, Back to History, English, Historical, Romance | 3 Comments »

Whose Body?
by Dorothy L Sayers

For the Decades ‘08 (first published 1923), First in a Series and A-Z reading challenges.
English
212 pages
Harper Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-06-104357-4
First line: “Oh damn!” said Lord Peter Wimsey at Piccadilly Circus.
Back cover blurb:
The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder [...]

Posted on January 26th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, Decades '08, English, First in a Series, Historical, Mystery | 3 Comments »