Typically British Reading Challenge

I have to join in this one! There are four levels of participation, I'm aiming high and challenging myself to read eight typically British novels during 2010. I have not yet decided which books I'm going to read for this challenge, I'll see where the mood takes me.

Books read for this challenge:
1. The Ten O'Clock Horses by Laurie Graham
2.My Canape Hell by Imogen Edwards-Jones

Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank by Celia Rivenbark

I hope everyone had a good Christmas, I certainly did and now I'm looking forward to 2010 with a real feeling of positivity.

No crafting done over the last little while but I did receive a new camera so I'll be able to photograph and post the projects I complete. I have a set of ATCs to make next for a series of swaps on www.swap-bot.com .

I've just read a very funny book, Don't Dress Your Six Year Old Like a Skank by Celia Rivenbark, a wry look at modern life by a very funny author. I found it laugh-out-loud funny in places, the only drawback for me as a Brit was that I was not aware of some of the people she referred to, such as actors in American soaps etc. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the book too much however, nor would it deter me from reading any of her other books.

When Will There be Good News by Kate Atkinson

When Will There be Good News? is a very fast paced novel, with many twists and turns to the story. Reggie Chase is Joanna Hunter's mother's help, she saves the life of Jackson Brodie, retired police officer, when he is injured in a train crash caused by Reggie's Greek / Latin teacher. This gives just a taste of the tangle of coincidences this book contains, coincidences which keep appearing right to the end. While this means that there are no loose ends left untied at the end of the book it can all feel a little too convenient and tidy.

What's in a Name Challenge

I've chosen my books for this challenge, they are as follows:

1. A book with a food in the title: The Persian Pickle Club, Sandra Dallas Read

2. A book with a body of water in the title: Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie

3. A book with a title in the title: The Lost Queen, Norah Lofts

4. A book with a plant in the title: The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver Read

5. A book with a place name in the title: Hollywood Dodo, Geoff Nicholson

6. A book with a music term in the title: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou Read

Quite a varied selection, and all from the huge stack of books I'm trying to work my way through.

Winter Reading Challenge

Challenge Completed!

Reading challenges are addictive! Before blogging I used to follow challenges informally, keeping a check on my progress in a notebook. I have selected another challenge I really want to complete, this time one to take me through the winter months - The Winter Reading Challenge, details on http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/ .

Books required to be read must fit the following categories:

1. Read a book not set in the USA or England
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

2.Read a book with "ice", "frost", "chill", "cold", "winter" in the title
Return to Cold Sassy by Olive Ann Burns

3.For Valentine's day choose anauthor whose first or last name begins with "L"
Good Grief by Lolly Winston

4.Chose a book that is not part of a series
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

5.Read a book written in the first-person point-of-view
Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank by Celia Rivenbark

6.Read a book with "Mr", "Mrs", "Miss" or "Ms" in the title
Mr Commitment by Mike Gayle

I haven't chosen my books for this challenge yet, it's a shame I read the excellent "Goodbye, Mr Chips" last month, it would have been perfect for category six! If you haven't read it, do. I had already seen the movie a couple of times and found it very true to the book.

I'm such a bad blogger, I've let real life get in the way!
What have I been doing? Well, apart from work and general family goings on I've been catching up with some reading, trying to catch up with Christmas shopping and a little bit of crafting. I also enjoyed a trip to the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham - photos to follow later!

I have just signed up for a reading challenge to start in January, I have so many books in my home that I want to read and I find it difficult to chose my next read so I thought starting the year with a slightly more structured approach to defeating the huge Mount ToBeRead that lurks in my study, making me feel guilty would be a good idea. I really can recommend the wonderful http://novelchallenges.blogspot.com , I defy any reader not to find a reading challenge to suit their interests and level of commitment there. Anyway, the challenge I have signed up for is

What's in a name? 3 Challenge, further details at http://whatsinname3.blogspot.com .