I love book lists!

Wow -- someone with a lot of time on their hands compiled this list:
Listology: "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die"

Time on my hands...

So getting prepared for the birth of your first child should make you anxiously clean house, straighten cupboards, organize shelves, right? Well...sort of.

I've done some of that, but mostly I've been reading! My due date having come and gone, I'm hoping to get through at least another one or two novels before baby arrives. I just finished reading Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin: another superb outing in the Inspector John Rebus novels. This novel takes Rebus back to school, reform school that is. Rebus is sent to Tuliallan College, where the force sends their rough cops to straighten out and is mixed in with the resurrection men of the novel's title. What ensues is a police procedural of old cases, old enemies, new murders and new characters. Rankin is superior at describing the rank and decay of old Edinburgh alleys and dusky pubs while giving the reader a rousing good police story, with crusty DI's thrown in (thats "Detective Inspector" to you British procedural newbies!). This was one of the better stories and part of this comes from the time that has been investing in reading each entry in this series. It really does help to read the Rebus novels in order, many old characters do pop up in the newer entries.

British public not "clever or lofty" readers...

According to an article in today's British paper, The Guardian, latest figures show that the popular reading tastes of Britain's library-going public lends itself to the likes of Danielle Steel, Catherine Cookson and Josephine Cox: a certifiable triumvirate of romance and suspense. Is this really a surprise? Read the Guardian article here...

Opinions on the Caldecott & Newberry winners

Some commentary this week on the recent award winners of the prestigious Caldecott & Newberry Awards, given annually to the best illustrated and written (respectively) books for children over at the blog, Book Blog | BlogCentral.TheReporter.com

Go the ALA website for more information on the Caldecott & Newberry Award winners...

New Mystery Hardcover Titles for January 2007

Just in time to beat those winter blues -- new mystery novels! Included is the 13th installment of Janet Evanovich' hilarious Stephanie Plum series: Plum Lovin' ...

Mystery Books: Mystery Books: New Hardcover Titles for January 2007

Need something to do in April?

Look no further than The Library of Congress' listings of book fairs, literary festivals and other "readable moments" across the US and the world...
BOOK FAIRS AND OTHER LITERARY EVENTS (Center for the Book: Library of Congress)

The Dawkins Illusion

In the midst of reading Richard Dawkins' latest non-fiction bestseller, The God Delusion, I came across the following article: The Dawkins Illusion - New English Review

I must disagree with one particular aspect of the reviewer's article. The author, Colin Bower, states that Dawkins is covering the same ground as other academics such as Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett and shouldn't be bothered. Unfortunately, atheism is not a well-received lifestyle choice and this book by Dawkins goes a long way to making the ideas and "memes" of atheism palatable to a wider audience. The book is so accessible! And it is not intended to be a scholarly discourse on the history of atheism -- Dawkins even states in his first chapters that he is trying to create a "consciousness-raising" for those who may not know much about evolution or atheism. In this regard, he succeeds admirably.

Mystery Books from 2006

A look at some of the best mystery books from 2006...
Mystery Books: Mysterious Reviews: A Look Back at 2006

A Year in Reading: Recap

Great compilation of reviews and blog posts on the best of 2006 from around the blogosphere...


The Millions (A Blog About Books): A Year in Reading: Recap

The 10 best books of 2006

...subject to interpretation, of course. This year-end list comes to you from the The Times of London.
The 10 best books of 2006 - Books - Times Online

More picks for 2006 from Salon

This time, the editors at Salon.com pick the winners of 2006...
Editor's picks 2006: Books | Salon Books

Readers' favorite books from Salon.com

Find out what Salon readers picked as their favorites of 2006...
Your favorite books | Salon Books

Atonement, by Ian McEwan

I bought a copy of Ian McEwan's award-winning book about 6 months ago, and it sat on my bookshelf, gathering dust, until I read an article in The New York Times in early December. The article was a column in the "Week in Review" section of the December 3rd paper, written by Charles Isherwood. McEwan has been accused of plagiarizing sections of the acclaimed novel, using 'experiences' based on romance novelist Lucilla Andrews' own life as a nurse in a London hospital during World War II. Isherwood's tongue-in-cheek column lashes out at those "plagiarism furies" that were unleashed on McEwan, who has been defended by the likes of Thomas Pynchon and Zadie Smith. I picked up the book as a curiosity, to see what all the "fury" was about -- and was astonished by the beautiful writing. McEwan is a writer I have been meaning to read for years (Enduring Love has been sitting on my bookshelf for at least 6 or 7 years!) and now I wish I had read him before. Atonement begins in 1935, set in the English countryside on the Tallis family estate. Briony Tallis, 13 years old, helplessly imaginative and creative, is beginning rehearsals for her play, The Trials of Arabella, in honor of her older brother, Leon, and his visit home. Meanwhile, older sister Cecelia is engaged in an innocent flirtation with Robbie Turner, the charlady's son and protege of Cecelia's father. When Briony witnesses this seduction, what ensues is a novel of misinterpretation, calculated deceit and a crime which changes all of the characters' lives forever. The novel is a metafictional narrative and the characters are so vividly drawn, you can't help but be engaged and captured from the moment you first encounter them.

100 Notable Books of the Year

100 Notable Books of the Year - The New York Times Book Review - New York Times
Another list!! This time, the top 100 of the year...

Another list...

The 10 Best Books of 2006 - New York Times
A year-end list this time from the granddaddy of all newspapers, The New York Times...

Judging a Book by Its Cover: The Best of 2006

Bookslut | Judging a Book by Its Cover: The Best of 2006
I am always a sucker for these end-of-the-year "Best Of..." compilations!
This one from Bookslut is no different...

L. A Confidential Sequel in the Works

Mystery Books: News: L. A Confidential Sequel in the Works
Awesome! LA Confidential is one of the best films of the nineties, based on an excellent noir novel. Can't wait to see the sequel...

William Styron dies at 81

Styron: A shining author with a 'dark view of life' - USATODAY.com
The author of Sophie's Choice and The Confessions of Nat Turner has passed away...

Desai wins 2006 Man Booker Prize

Independent Online Edition > News
The 35-year-old Indian writer Kiran Desai is the latest recipient of the coveted Man Booker Prize...

Finalists named for Governor General's Awards for literature

CBC.ca Arts - Finalists named for Governor General's Awards for literature
Canada's most prestigious book award announced the finalists for the $15,000 prize in seven categories...