The year's reading list, continued:
#26 The Boy in the Suitcase: Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis. Another Scandinavian mystery (see Girl with the Dragon Tatoo) and a pretty decent read.
#27 My Sister's Keeper: Jodi Picoult. I had seen the movie but had not read the book. It was good right up to the end which, as Ellie warned me, does not match the movie. And there I found it a cop-out. It seemed too neat and not realistic. Disappointing.
#28 The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale: Oliver Potsch. Eh. Not as good as the original. No torturing of "witches".
#29 44 Scotland Street: Alexander McCall Smith, the first of the 44 Scotland Street novels. I have read all of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books and adore them. They make me want to go to Botswana. I found this book to be fun, and will read the others in the series.
#30 Sometimes when I read one book, it leads me to try another. In the book In One Person by John Irving, Madame Bovary plays an important part. I tried. I really tried. For the last three weeks I have tried. But all that happens is that I go to bed, read one page (sometimes less) and it puts me to sleep. It is very rare that I get through 64% of a large book and give up on it. I skimmed through to the end, which I already knew. Due to the effort involved, I am counting it anyway.
There is a scene in In One Person where the hero is reading the story to his friend Tom Atkins. Tom cheers at the end when Emma vomits blood and dies. I understand: Emma is one of the least sympathetic characters (to me) I have ever read. Grow up and get over it!
Update as I was unclear: #30 that I couldn't stomach was Madame Bovary, not Irving's book.
#31 Currently reading Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale Dan Dye & Mark Beckloff. The true story of a deaf double-merle (they are calling her an "albino") Great Dane. Good entertainment so far, though written by "pet people" rather than from insiders of the fancy.
I think that next I will spring for Barbara Kingsolver's new novel which was just released. If you haven't read her: do!
