The Dinner – Herman Koch (International Giveaway)

I have a giveaway copy of Herman Koch’s The Dinner, courtesy of the publisher.

This is a dark, morally ambiguous read, as enjoyable but potentially as guilt-inducing as Death by Chocolate!  Yummy but it comes with a health warning!

To enter, simply leave a comment with a description of your favourite dessert.  The winning entry will be the one which makes me break my diet.  Or if my willpower proves unbreakable, or,  as is more likely,  I decide to sample everything (!), random.org will be designated judge.

To be eligibile, entries must be made on this post.  The winner will be chosen on Friday May 10.  Competition is open internationally.

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TBR Double Dog Challenge: At the halfway point

The first 6 weeks of 2013 have been challenging. In a case where life reflected art, the house was transformed into something ressembling the Gorbeau slum – why are decorating jobs never straight-forward? I suppose it helped me empathise somewhat with Hugo’s Les Miserables – but not much. Hugo’s wordiness drove me to distraction and if you can follow mindmaps, you will see from the picture below

that I distracted myself with many an interlude as I worked my way through the 530,892 words of the French masterpiece. Am I elated now it is done? Not really, just relieved. So relieved in fact that I have no interest in seeing the film.

Hugo’s loquacity seems to have dried up my own and It has been 6 weeks of very little blogging. Lots of reading though. The books I highlighted in pink are books read in January, those in yellow the ones read so far in February. (Reviews will follow for the best of the bunch.) Those not yet highlighted are the immediate TBR and books I intend reading before the TBR Double Dog Dare finishes at the end of March. Looks like I’m going to be spending plenty of reading time in Germany (mindmap – top left) and a goodly amount in Italy (mindmap – top right).

Choosing books by association with something already read is proving an interesting experiment. It’s certainly one way for the books in the TBR mountain range to fight their way to the summit. it also gives me the feeling of reading whimsically. Plus there’s only one unhappy face in the choices i made so far. Les Mis doesn’t count – it was a book group choice. I’m sorry, Simon at Stuck In A Book, but Cheerful Weather for A Wedding left me cold.

I think I’ll keep this mindmapping experiment going through 2013 and see where it leads me.

However, I’m not going to make it to the end of March with the TBR double-dog dare. I signed up for the whole 3 months only because Glasgow’s Ayewrite festival, the usual reason why I fail, has been scheduled for April. Then the rug is pulled from beneath and Ayewrite schedules two early taster events for March. I can only make one but I do want to read the book before attending and so it is that I shall call a halt to my TBR challenge at the end of February.

Still there’s plenty of time to add to height of the book pile on the right. It may not add up to the height of a munro by the time I’m done, but as they say every little helps in the battle against the ever increasing TBR.

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C’est fini!

530,982 words.

Now all I need to do is finish the decorating job that has gone awry and I may return to some kind of regular blogging schedule.

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2012 Year in Review: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Read Jan-June 2012

Actually there are no ugly books in this post. It’s just that I find lateness a very ugly quality and I was late for many things in 2012. So my Falladian February shifted to April, Venice in February was postponed to May, #germanlitmonth became #germanlatemonth and I finally reviewed books read in September and October just in time for the end of the year. Oh I have excuses aplenty but still, I shall try to be more punctual next year.

Try being the operative word. Plans for January have already gone awry – but more on that when we get there.

Was there any badness in 2012? Yes, there were a few DNF – about six  in all.  The less said the better. I didn’t curb my acquisitions and so – despite ongoing culling – the TBR is taller at the end of the year than it was at the beginning. I have to get a grip on this in 2013 – otherwise there’ll be no space for me to live in! (Note to self: You cannot afford a second mortgage.)

On the other hand this was a year of bountiful goodness.

Read July-Dec 2012

In January I built my (first) library (yes, am formulating plans for a second. Don’t tell Rossetti) and participated in Australian Literature Month (on time!). February saw me invited to tea and cakes in Bloomsbury and wandering the streets of London in search of Dickens. We’ll forget March: it was overshadowed by the Prince II manual and April by Rossetti’s ill-health. Appropriately in May I discovered Peter May’s fantastic Lewis trilogy and embarked on some fictional island-hopping to pass the time until the release of the final volume. (Only one week to go!) I interviewed the legendary Peter Stamm in June and was also on time for Dutch Literature Month. I remained punctual during Spanish Literature Month in July. You couldn’t tear me away from Charlotte Square and the Edinburgh Book festival in August, where I met favourite German language authors Peter Stamm and Matthias Politycki and not just in the signing queue. September brought with it the inaugural Bloody Scotland crime book festival and a second trip to London to visit the fab-u-lous Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. Naturally I slotted in much related themed reading. I enjoyed most of the best Booker shortlist for years in October. (3 of which made their way to my own Best of 2012.)  What can I say about November and the second German Literature Month except thank you to everyone who participated and made it even better than the first! If fact, thanks to everyone who reads my literary musings. The 300,000 hit milestone was also passed in November. And to end the year, once I’d got #germanlatemonth out of my system, I caught up with Dickens in December.

Phew – it’s been a busy year,  full of quality reading, most of which is pictured above.  (Makes a change having pictures of book stacks which have been read, doesn’t it?)   May 2013 bring more of the same.

 

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German Literature Month: Please sign up here.

Only 7 days to go to the 2012 German (language) Literature Month. Are you joining us? If so, would you please sign-up in comments below. The reason I ask this is so that I can add your blog – should you have one – to my google reader. That way I ensure that I don’t miss any of your posts while I compile the author index during the month. Remember how phenomenal last year’s index was? I suspect this year’s list will be just as breathtaking.

My German-lit TBR is certainly taking my breathe away at the moment ….

I’d feel a bit easier if I’d made a final decision about what I will actually read but I want to keep it whimsical and surprise myself! I will stick to the genre guidelines of the first 3 weeks and I have promised myself that I will read something in the original German this year but I have formed no definite plan beyond that. (Remember that the genre guidelines are just that – they’re not rules. You can just read as much or as little as you please all month if that’s what you want to do. My co-host Caroline and I just want you to join in and enjoy!)

So how are your plans going? Are you more organised than I am? More to the point is your shortlist achievable?

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Alma Classics invite you to the party (Giveaway)

OneWorld Classics has become Alma Classics and is inviting the readers of Lizzy’s Literary Life to celebrate by giving away a set of their first 4 titles.

If you loved the livery of OneWorld, you will adore the livery on this new set of Fitzgerald, because … well, just look!

Lavish front-cover illustrations with gold or silver foil accents

French flaps!

Each book has 3 pages of photographs,  a biography of Fitzgerald and notes on the text.  And let’s not forget the novels themselves.  Fitzgerald’s wonderful, wonderful novels. From left to right:  The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night,  This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby.

You can tell I am tempted to keep these for myself.  Fortunately I have a beloved set of Fitzgeralds, that I don’t want to replace, and no room on the shelves for duplicates.  So this giveaway is safe!  If you’d like to bag this set for yourself, simply leave a comment.  You’ll get two names in the virtual hat if you also recommend a favourite read from the 1920′s and a third if you can tell me where I can get myself a flapper dress.  I’ve always wanted one.

Competition open worldwide.  Prize will be sent by surface mail.  Winner will be picked in some random manner on Sunday 23.09.2012 and contacted by email.

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5 from the archive: Top Edinburgh Book Festival Moments

With only 5 days (120 hours) to go to EIBF, there’s no better time for a dip into the archives of years gone by for my own personal highlights. This will be my tenth EIBF and as you can imagine, I have screeds and screeds of notes and memories. Yet picking a top 5 wasn’t that difficult. The special moments stand out.

1) 2003 I’ve raided the microfiche for this pre-blog memory.  My first ever EIBF event with Michael Collins promoting Lost Souls,  the novel I like best and the one he rates the least (it’s too commercial). I remember the absolute exhilaration of standing in a signing queue and being able to speak to him afterwards.  I obviously didn’t know the ropes because I had no camera with me.  Even worse, rookie that I was, I gushed and came on all fan-girl.  I don’t think I calmed down for days afterwards.  Of course, I’m much cooler now.  Which leads us to

2) 2008 and the moment I was very embarrassed but thankfully no-one realised. Andrew Sean Greer called me on the question I had decided to ask him.  (Lesson learnt – I’ve never revealed my intentions since!)

3) Best reading:  Well this is a tie from 2008. Janice Galloway turned up and performed as a 1950′s dolly bird.   Sebastian Barry also stole the show  performing as Roseanne McNullty from The Secret Scripture. Incidentally this event produced the best audience comment ever:   “Sebastian, I would love to buy your book afterwards, but you’ll have to come home with it!”.  (It wasn’t me.  Remember,  by 2008, I was a seasoned festivaller.)

4) 2011 Last year’s finale was definitely the most spectacular event ever when 19 authors (including  A L Kennedy, Ian Rankin, and Will Self)performed the world premier reading of Alaistair Gray’s Fleck. 

5) Best event ever? Surprisingly easy to call. 2008 (again!):The moment when Toibin met McGrath forgot about the chairperson, the audience and bantered author to author as only best mates can.

Now that has surprised me.  It seems that, for me,  2008 set the standard for quality events.  Weather-wise I’m hoping for a 2010 – the year the festival began and ended in glorious sunshine.   What are you hoping for in 2012?

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Literary Giveaway Blog Hop – June 2012

Apologies for the lateness of this posting- I’ve been a little pre-occupied for the past couple of days.  The publication of the Edinburgh Book Festival programme is of insurmountable importance in this reader’s literary life and tends to push all other considerations and deadlines to one side.  The EIBF is the biggest and the best, taking place in the heart of Scotland.  So to celebrate, let’s stay there for the duration of this blog hop.

You may remember I attended the launch of Scotland’s Bookshelf back in March.  Today I have a couple of those specially produced booklets to give you.  Described as a primer for 100 year’s of Scotland’s books, you’ll find a more detailed description on my original post. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of books to add to your already out-of-control TBRs!  Also useful as a reference tool for those participating in Subtle Melodrama’s Scottish Fiction Challenge.  (Actually I’m sure she’ll allow you to count it as one of your titles.)

To enter, simply leave a comment and a Scottish thought – a memory (if you’ve ever visited – only don’t mention the rain.  It’s lashing down as I type.), or a place you’d like to see, a book/a poem you’d recommend or one you’d like to read.  You might even tell me about your favourite malt!

You already know my favourite place:  Charlotte Square, Edinburgh.  You’ll find me there from 11-27 August this year.  7 weeks and counting!

This giveaway is open to all countries.  Winners will be notified on the 27th of June.

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Start blog-hopping now.  Isn’t this list of other participants impressive?

Participating blogs:

Leeswammes Candle Beam Book Blog Musings of a Bookshop Girl Book Journey breieninpeking (Dutch readers) bibliosue heavenali I Read That Once… The Parrish Lantern The Bibliomouse Tell Me A Story Seaside Book Nook Rikki’s Teleidoscope Sam Still Reading Nishita’s Rants and Raves Readerbuzz 2,606 Books and Counting Laurie Here (US/CA) Literary Winner (US) Dolce Bellezza The House of the Seven Tails The Book Diva’s Reads (US) Colorimetry Roof Beam Reader Kate’s Library Minding Spot (US) Silver’s Reviews (US) Book’d Out Fingers & Prose (US) Chocolate and Croissants Scattered Figments Lucybird’s Book Blog The Book Club Blog Lizzy’s Literary Life The Book Stop

Reflections from the Hinterland (US) Lena Sledge’s Blog Read in a Single Sitting The Little Reader Library (UK) The Blue Bookcase (US) 1morechapter (US) The Reading and Life of a Bookworm Curled Up with a Good Book and a Cup of Tea My Sweepstakes City (US) De Boekblogger (Europe, Dutch readers) Exurbanis Sweeping Me (US/CA) Living, Learning, and Loving Life (US) Beauty Balm Uniflame Creates Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book (US/CA) Curiosity Killed The Bookworm Nose in a book (Europe) Giraffe Days Page Plucker Based on a True Story Read, Write & Live Devin Berglund Ephemeral Digest Under My Apple Tree (US) Annette Berglund (US) Book Nympho A Book Crazy, Jane Austen Lovin’ Gal (US) Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

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You couldn’t do this with a kindle ….

….. colour-coordinate your current read with your holiday drink.

 

 

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State of the Blog – April 2012

It’s fair to say that 2012 is setting its own agenda.

Measuring it against the one I set in January, I find that the first half of the first quarter was very much on track. I built my library! I stuck to the TBR dare, made no purchases and read some cracking books, of which Oscar and Lucinda was the highlight.

Then came a surprise invitation from Bloomsbury, which I was delighted to accept and turned into a 3 day publisher-visiting, Dickensian site-seeing book-acquiring expedition – the fruits of which can be seen right. It also signalled the end of the TBR dare at 6 weeks, because I wanted to read this while in London.

Plans to learn to teach English as a foreign language were put on hold when my employer decided that the time was right to introduce PRINCE2.  So for two whole weeks I read the 342-page Prince2 manual twice - though you won’t find it on this blog’s reading list.  It’s dry and tough as old boots but I persevered.  I was determined to find some literariness in it and was rewarded when I spotted the sole metaphor! The plan is the backbone ….  All that attention to detail paid off and I passed the practitioner exam.  But I almost had a meltdown – it’s been a long time since I experienced exam conditions and I shall think long and hard before submitting myself willingly to that experience again.

Blogwise I’ve never caught up with myself, though I have still have some posts from February that I want to write – nay, that I will write.  I enjoyed February in Venice and a Falladian February too much to pass them by without record.

Which brings us to March and, following a couple of outings to Glasgow’s AyeWrite! festival,  my modest 2 posts per week blogging routine began to re-establish itself. Though not for long.  I now find myself preoccupied with another piece of unscheduled non-fiction – The Heart Manual (Post-Myocardial Infarction edition).  Rossetti is poorly though making a good recovery.  While he does, I have no intention of putting the blog on hold – it’s the best distraction therapy I know.   It has, in fact, helped me through some extremely rough patches in recent times.  At the beginning of the year I predicted that I was going to be off-blog busy and that I would need to limit myself to one post per week.   And so it has proved and will continue to be though not quite for the reasons foreseen.

Let’s hope the 2nd quarter of 2012 proves to be a less complex affair.

 

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