The Young Healer by McMillan - OPTIONAL

McMillan III, Frank N. The Young Healer, 208 pgs. Mackinac Island Press, 2012. Language - PG (9 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - G; Violence - G; 

Feather's brother Peter is in the hospital worrying everybody. Feather wants to do something helpful, so, when her grandfather takes her out of school, she's relieved to go see her brother. However, the hospital isn't their first stop. Or their second. Or their third! Can all this running around really help Peter? 

The Native American culture I learned in this book is really interesting. Feather's grandfather is a medicine man and he shares some of the Indian ways with Feather and the readers. Another thing I like about this book is how Feather gets to go on an adventure in the city she's grown up in. An adventure doesn't have to mean going somewhere exotic as long as one can met new people, learn new skills, and discover the courage within themselves. 

EL, MS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Christmas Wombat by Jackie French - ADVISABLE

French, Jackie Christmas Wombat, illustrated by Bruce Whatley .  Clarion (Houghton), 2012.  $17.  PICTURE BOOK.  

A wombat finds his way onto Santa’s sleigh and discovers there is a whole world of carrots out there just waiting to be eaten.  I think my favorite wombat holiday book is still Wombat Divine by Mem Fox, but for sarcasm and cuteness, this definitely is a winner.  

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

Spilling Ink by Mazer and Potter - OPTIONAL

Mazer, Anne and Potter, Ellen Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook, 244 pgs. Roaring Brook Press, 2010. Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - G; 

Anne and Ellen are inviting everyone to write. Write whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want. This duo goes through the "writing process" and hands out tips and challenges for anyone who wants to write. Their advice was very helpful in understanding writing terms I didn't understand as well as with writing. Just reading through the book gave me several writing ideas and a whole poem! Whether you've been writing for ten years or decided you wanted to try ten minutes ago, every writer will learn something from Anne and Ellen. 

EL, MS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Baby Penguins Everywhere! BY MELISSA GUION - OPTIONAL

Guion, Melissa Baby Penguins Everywhere!  Philomel (Penguin), 2012.  $17.  Content: G.  PICTURE BOOK.  

A lonely penguin finds a magic hat, which produces a plethora of penguins for her to care for.  

While the drawings of the baby penguins are of course adorable, there is not much to this book to grab onto.  Maybe if it were a counting book or something else to give it structure – not just a book about how everyone needs a moment to themselves?  Maybe as a board book?  

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

More Statistics!

Happy New Year!

You'll be sick of these soon... but what is the new year for but to share book-reading statistics?  I'll be revisiting the meme I started a few years ago - quite a simple one.  I'll be doing some comparing with the results I got in 2011.

Number of Books Read
135 - rather more than the scant 106 I managed last year.

Number of Books Bought
I don't know, and you shouldn't guess.

Fiction/Non-Fiction Ratio
95 fiction, 40 non-fiction - a higher percentage of non-fiction than ever before, which seems to be a growing trend - but does not reflect the books I have waiting on my shelves...

Male/Female Authors
45 books by men, 90 by women.  My reading is always slanted towards female authors, but not usually this much.  Maybe I should make 2013 the year of the male author.  But I won't.

Re-reads
Only 9 this year, and most of those were for my thesis.

Biggest turn-around in opinion
How could I not have realised how brilliant One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes was the first time?

Oldest book read
Castle Rackrent (1800) by Maria Edgeworth.  And I didn't like it.

Newest book read
My friend Karina's Shrinking Violet (2012).  And I loved it!

Shortest title
Mamma by Diana Tutton.  Which unwittingly reveals my confession that I have read it, and never wrote about it!  It's not very much like Guard Your Daughters.

Books in translation
Only 8, which is far fewer than I'd imagined - from French, Swedish, Spanish, German, and Czech.

Most books by one author
6 each by Sylvia Townsend Warner and Muriel Spark - no surprises there, since I wrote a chapter on Sylvia Townsend Warner and co-led Muriel Spark Reading Week.

Place names in book titles
The Abbess of Crewe, Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris, Mrs. Harris Goes to New York, The Westminster Alice, Brighton Rock, The House in Paris, Lovers in London, Reginald in Russia.

Animals in book titles
Dear Octopus, When God Was A Rabbit, His Monkey Wife, Dewey the Library Cat, Lady Into Fox, Gentleman Into Goose, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.

Strange things that happened in the books I read this year
I loved doing this bit last year.  Ok... A donkey played chess, a man turned into a teapot, another man turned into a bug, several people turned into flowers, parliament turned up with Alice in Wonderland, a ring turned people invisible, someone sought lots of Mr. Browns, someone sought lots of Mr. Blacks, a woman was haunted by a reappearing corridor, a nunnery was bugged, and a man married a monkey.


If this all sickens you completely, go and enjoy C.B. James' irreverent take on end of year stats!

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce - OPTIONAL

Pearce, Jackson Fathomless, 291 pgs. Little, Brown and Company, 2012. Language - PG (10 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG-13; Violence - PG-13; 

Celia and Lo aren't normal girls. Celia and her sisters have special powers and Lo and her sisters belong to the ocean, not land. One boy will bring them together, but his love also has the power to tear them away from the lives they lead. 

While in my favorite genre, I found this particular story hard to swallow. I'm not completely sure why, because I absolutely love how it turned out. If I had to pin down a couple reasons, they would be the odd combination of mythical creatures and the way they were introduced somewhat randomly. It's hard to explain, but this combination of unique "witches," "werewolves," and "mermaids" isn't my favorite. 

MS, HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Just Right for Christmas by Black and Beardshaw - ESSENTIAL

Black, Birdie and Rosalind Beardshaw Just Right for Christmas.  Nosy Crow (Candlewick), 2012.  $16.  Content: G.  PICTURE BOOK.  

After the king has his seamstresses make a soft, large, red cloak for his daughter, the scraps pass from hand to hand, as consecutive users make more cozy, soft red gifts, until a scrap, just right for a little mouse, is all that is left.  

Ok – Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree is one of my absolute favorite Christmas books and this book plays upon that tradition in a perfect new way.  Love, Love, love it!  

Pre-K, EL (K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL.  GIFT. Cindy, Library Teacher

Fox & Phoenix by Beth Bernobich - OPTIONAL

Bernobich, Beth Fox & Phoenix, 360 pgs. Viking, 2011. Language - PG (7 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG; 

When the emperor falls ill and no one knows what to do when the princess doesn't respond to any messages, the task of finding the princess falls to Kai and his friends. Someone is going to great lengths to stop them from reaching their goal, but, with the emperor's life and the well-being of their home on the line, nothing can stop them from persevering. 

I was anticipating magic and adventure in this book, but I was disappointed. The magic aspect is unique to Beth Bernobich's story, which is interesting, but the adventure part was lacking. In an exciting adventure, readers are drawn in as if they, too, are experiencing it, but I didn't get that feeling with Kai's quest. Also, solutions came too easily, letting obstacles fall away while pages were filled with fluff details instead. During these parts, I felt like I didn't have much reason to keep reading. 

MS, HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Happy Hanukkah, Curious George - ESSENTIAL

Happy Hanukkah, Curious George.  Houghton Mifflin, 2012.  $8.  BOARD BOOK.  

As soon as I saw this cute board book about Hanukkah, I knew I liked it, but I also took it my a friend of mine who is Jewish and she gave it a big thumbs up too.  Rhyming verse explain several of the major traditions of the holiday and of course we have George and the Man in the Big Yellow Hat – nicely done.  

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen - ADVISABLE

Knudsen, Michelle The Princess of Trelian, 437 pgs. Candlewick Press, 2012. Language - PG (23 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG; 

Meg thought that she would finally be able to relax now that Sen Eva was momentarily defeated, but she is finding out that being a princess-heir linked to a dragon is not in the least bit easy. Which comes first: duty, family, or Jakl? Meanwhile, Calen makes his own discovery: he might be a danger to everyone he loves. But he would never betray them, right? 

I was captivated by Meg and Calen's story from the first page. However, I would not suggest reading this book with reading the first book, The Dragon of Trelain, as I did. It was still an excellent read, but I wish I had read the first adventure before diving into the second one. 

MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood - ESSENTIAL

Underwood, Deborah The Christmas Quiet Book, illustrated by Renata Liwska.  Houghton Mifflin, 2012.  $13.  Content: G.  PICTURE BOOK.  

Underwood has brought her imaginative representations of quiet to the Christmas season.  I can’t wait to read this one with a small friend – It would be great to read as a bedtime book, to settle down restless bodies.  With a big yawn after every page, the children will be ready for their long winter’s nap in no time.  Though I do hope that next year brings a Christmas Loud book as a complement!  

Pre-K, EL (K-3)- ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Elephant Joe, Brave Knight! by David Wojtowycz - ADVISABLE

Wojtowycz, David.  Elephant Joe, Brave Knight!  Random House, 2011.  $16.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  Elephant Joe and Zebra Pete were enjoying a swim in the moat when they heard a call of distress.  They ran into the castle and learned that a Dark Knight had stolen the king's crown.  Joe and Pete become knights and set off on their quest.  When they reach the Dark Knight's tower they discover a dragon and a damsel in distress.  They ask the dragon to please let them pass and he does because of their good manners.  The damsel in distress is really the Dark Knight in disguise who escapes.  Joe and Pete ride the dragon to chase him back to the castle where he falls into the moat and can't swim.  Elephant Joe dives into save the Dark Knight and the crown.  The Dark Knight's punishment is truly a hoot, but you'll have to read it to find out.  A fun, off-the-wall story about unlikely knights that will charm readers.  The illustrations are as zany as the story and are colorful and appealing.  Pre-K, EL - ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.

Because Your Mommy Loves You by Andrew Clements - ADVISABLE

Clements, Andrew.  Because Your Mommy Love You, illustrated by R. W. Alley.  Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), 2012. $16.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  A delightful story about a boy and his mommy.  When the boy gets lost in the camping store the boy yells for her.  Instead of mommy coming to find the boy, she calls out his name and he finds her.  They go camping together and the boy's pack is heavy.  His mommy could have offered to carry it, but she doesn't.  She allows the boy to cross the log by himself.  She lets the boy help set up the tent.  And when the boy burns his marshmallow, she could have offered to make one for the boy, but she doesn't. She shows the boy how to roast a marshmallow to perfection and he does it himself.  She let's him learn and explore and discover things for himself.  Even through failures.  Why?  Because she loves him.  An unexpected moral to a lovely book for mommies and boys.  The illustrationsby R. W. Alley are a perfect combination of ink, watercolor, and acryllic.   Pre-K, EL - ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS   

A Brand-New Day with Mouse and Mole by Wong Herbert Yee - ADVISABLE

Yee, Wong Herbert. A Brand-New Day with Mouse and Mole.  Green Light Readers (Houghton Mifflin), 2012.  $4.99.  EARLY READER.  A Level 3 Green Light Readers book for independent readers.  Guided Reading: L.  Reading Recovery: 19.  Grades 2-3.  There is a hole in Mole's pants!  Moths have been eating his clothes.  His friend Mouse takes Mole to buy new clothes.  The only problem is that Mole doesn't want new and different clothes--he just wants his old clothes.  Mole buys some new clothes and Mouse takes his old clothes and puts patches on all the holes.  They learn that you can make new things out of old ones. The story is simplistic, but the pictures are charming.  Early readers will be able to relate with Mole and his difficulty in giving up his favorite old clothes for new ones that are different.  EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.

Ballet Stars by Joan Holub - ESSENTIAL

Holub, Joan. Ballet Stars, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. Random House, 2012. $3.99.  EARLY READER.  A Step 1 book from the Step Into Reading series, this one shines with its simple rhymes.  Large typeface and only a few words per page make this a perfect beginning reader.  Today there will be a ballet show and all of the dancers are so excited.  They put on their costumes and preform in front of their families.  Illustrator Shelagh McNicholas does an excellent job of portraying multiracial characters and even a boy who likes ballet too.  The illustrations are pretty and perfect for appealing to young girls.  Pre-K – ESSENTIAL.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.   

Happy New Year 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012 was actually great for me. Some bad stuff happened in my family, but as always, we were strong enough to take. It has been a happy year, and I'm very thankful :)

But my favorite memory of 2012 is my trip to Orlando with my boyfriend. I haven't been there since I was like 12 years, and it was my first time at Disney. You can imagine my excitement, here are some pictures!

Hogwarts @ Island of Adventures! If you are a fan of Harry Potter, please go!! It's amazing, the best atracctions! :D And go with lots of money, the shops have great stuff.

Epcot! My favorite photo is this one with Tiger and Pooh, they were so cute!

Magic Kingdom! I went to the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and enjoyed it so much, very cool :)

I was there for only 7 days, but I want to go back next year. I did a lot of shopping, and also went to the Cirque du Soleil at Downtown Disney, but I didn't have time (and money xD) to visit Sea World, Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios. Maybe next year, right? ;)

(source)

A Song for My Sister by Lesley Simpson - ADVISABLE

Simpson, Lesley.  A Song for My Sister, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss.  Random House, 2012. $16.99.  PICTURE BOOK.   A young girl named Mira dumps her piggy bank into a wishing well hoping for a sister.  Four years later when the wish comes true she’s not so sure about having a sister after all.  The baby cries a lot.  Mira suggests that her parents put the baby on a police car for the siren.  Mira waits for her sister’s simchat bat, when she is welcomed to the world and named on her eighth day.  When the rabbi arrives at their house her sister is still crying.  The rabbi lights a candle, mom puts a cinnamon stick under the baby’s nose, and dad dips his finger into his Kiddush cup and then places it on the baby’s lips.  Then it’s Mira’s turn.  She sings and miraculously her baby sister stops crying.  Her parents name the baby Shira which means song.  The illustrations draw the reader into the book and are truly sweet.  The story about sisterhood and adjusting to new siblings is universal and one that members of all religions (or lack thereof) will enjoy.  Being unfamiliar with the Jewish culture, I would have enjoyed a small glossary at the end of the story explaining the different terms and ceremonies found in the book.  EL- ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.   

Small Bunny's Blue Blanket by Tatyana Feeney - ADVISABLE

Feeney, Tatyana.  Small Bunny’s Blue Blanket.  Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. $16.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  This is a book for every child who has loved a special blanket.  Small Bunny loves his blue blanket.  He takes it with him everywhere.  It helped him swing higher on the swingset, paint pictures, read, and even play in the sandbox.  Then the inevitable—Mommy Bunny wanted to give Small Bunny a bath and to wash his blanket.  Small Bunny thought his blanket was perfect just the way it was.  Mommy Bunny assures him it will only take a minute—it takes 107.  Author/illustrator Feeney uses only three colors to illustrate her story: blue, charcoal, and a little bit of pink.  The focus of the illustrations and the story is entirely on Small Bunny and his blue blanket, as it should be.  Small children will readily relate to this story and parents too!  Pre-K-ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS. 

One Two That's My Shoe! by Alison Murray - ESSENTIAL

Murray, Alison.  One Two That’s My Shoe!  Disney Hyperion, 2011.  16.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  Author/illustrator Alison Murrary has taken the popular nursery rhyme “one-two buckle my shoe” and made into something new and fun.  It’s both a counting book and charming story.  A little girl’s dog takes one of her two red shoes and  after passing three teddy  bears and four blocks, heads out the door.  The chase continues all the way to the number ten and ends when the little girl gets her shoe back and she and her doggie are “friends again.”  Murray has chosen blues and greens for her main pallet with red accents (including the shoes).  A short and enjoyable read aloud story sure to be a hit with preschoolers.  Pre-K—ESSENTIAL.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.    

A Meal of the Stars: Poems Up and Down by Dana Jensen -- OPTIONAL

Jensen, Dana. A Meal of the Stars: Poems Up and Down, illustrated by Tricia Tusa. Houghton Mifflin, 2012. $16.99.  POETRY.  Each poem either starts at the top of the page or the bottom of the page with no clear indication for the reader.  Author Dana Jensen wrote, “Hmm—which is which?  That’s up to you to find out.  Have fun!”   As a reader I found it more frustrating than fun figuring out where the poem began and where it ended.  It is usually obvious once you read it because one way (up or down) doesn’t make any sense.  My favorite poem in this format began at the bottom of the page and was about a zipper: “zip/ all/ the/ way/ up/ to/ my/chin…”  The poems are short and simple, but the language is beautiful (once you figure out the format).   Illustrator Tricia Tusa’s pictures are what truly steal the show.  The watercolor and ink illustrations are charmingly whimsical and are in a style entirely her own.  EL-OPTIONAL.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.

Hide & Seek by Il Sung Na - ADVISABLE

Na, Il Sung.  Hide & Seek.  Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. $15.99. PICTURE BOOK.  The story is just what the title says it is…a game of hide and seek.  The elephant counts to ten while the other creatures hide.  The giraffe finds a tall tree to hide behind etc.  The elephant finds all of the animals except one, the chameleon.  Na’s illustrations are a combination of painterly textures and digitally generated layers.  The result is a colorful and utterly unique view of creatures and scenery so familiar to us.  The story is simple and very relatable to small children.  A good book to read aloud for a storytime. Pre-K, EL-ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.

Above World by Jenn Reese - ADVISABLE

Reese, Jenn Above World, 356 pgs. Candlewick Press, 2012. Language - G, Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG-13; 

Aluna and Hoku are not going to sit on their fins like the Elders are while their race is dying! The only goal in mind is to save their people when Aluna and Hoku leave. However, once they get to the Above World, plans change as allies are made and new dangers are uncovered. 

From the ocean to the sky to land and back again I happily went wherever I was led. I was so dazzled by the adventure and humor and wit and dangers that I didn't notice it was coming to an end before I found myself upon it. I fell in love (or hate) with each new--and very unique--character Aluna and Hoku came across. The sequel Mirage cannot come soon enough. 

MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas by Watt - ADVISABLE

Watt, Melanie Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas, 72 p. Kids Can Press, 2012.  $18.  Content: G.  PICTURE BOOK.  

Scaredy Squirrel is getting gready for Christmas, and the process is much more involved that any of his previous escapades.  From dealing with mistletoe to choice holiday outfits, Scaredy tries to cover it all.  Watt has stuffed wealth of holiday do’s and don’ts into a little book – almost enough to be overwhelming.  This is more a book that adults would give to each other rather than a book that small children will sit down and read again and again.  But don’t be a scaredy – enjoy it!  

EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough - OPTIONAL

Barraclough, Lindsey Long Lankin, 455 pgs. Candlewick Press, 2011. Language - PG (39 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG-13; Violence - PG-13; 

Cora and Mimi are left with their great-aunt Ida when no one else will take them. While this seems like a good option from their father's point of view, it is actually the worst possible place for the girls. Just down the street from Auntie Ida's house in a church and graveyard. It is here that Long Lankin has been waiting patiently for a new child to prey on; Mimi is perfect. 

My expectations going into reading Long Lankin were too high for it to reach. The action moved slower than molasses, making it painful to read each page. Also, it was hardly scary at all! The scariest and most eventful part didn't happen until page 400. By then I couldn't even enjoy it because I was counting down the pages to the back cover. 

MS, HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

I Love to Eat and I Love to Sleep by Graux - OPTIONAL

Graux, Amelie I Love to Eat and I Love to Sleep BOARD BOOKS. HMH Books, 2011.  $9.99. Content: G. 

These board books introduce very basic eating and sleeping vocabulary with words in three languages (English, French, and Spanish.) The pictures are also combined with textural components, which babies and young children will love to touch.  The books are immediately appealing, as there is texture on the covers.  They also seem a little classier than typical board books because of the vibrant, yet simple pictures and the added language component.  Because of the basic content, I can’t say they are the most spectacular board books I have ever seen, but they are elegantly created and purposeful. 

PRE-K – OPTIONAL.  Reviewed by: Shay, Library Media Specialist

A Century of Books: Complete!

As I mentioned yesterday, I have finished A Century of Books - and, even better, I think there was only one other person who was trying to get all 100 books read during 2012 (a few others were joining in with longer-term aspirations) and she managed it too.  Well done Claire!  If I could reach to Canada, I'd give you a pat on the back.

So, that means I have my list of 100 books - it's really fun to see an overview of the 20th century, especially since it's such a subjective overview.  It's a Stuck-in-a-Book overview.  There are definitely many entries which wouldn't make a canonical list - there are plenty which I wouldn't recommend myself - but it's still (to me) a really interesting list to have.

If you click on the link up there, you'll get to Claire's post about her experiences with A Century of Books.  I agree with her - it's been great fun, with plenty of surprises along the way.  I wasn't surprised by how quickly I filled in the interwar years - with the curious exception of 1920, which proved quite elusive.  But I hadn't realised how tricky the 1900s and 1910s would be - I'd prepared myself to run out of ideas for the 1970s onwards, but they turned out to be rather easier.

I'll be doing more stats on my whole year's reading, but I couldn't resist giving one or two statistics for my 100 books in particular:

-- Only 6 re-reads

-- 46 fiction by women
-- 25 fiction by men
-- 21 non-fiction by women
-- 8 non-fiction by men

-- Of those from the second-half of the century, 24 related to the first-half of the century or earlier - i.e. biographies, adaptations etc.  Simon, you CHEAT!  I perhaps haven't explored the post-1950 world quite as I might have done...

And let me imitate Claire, and give you some advice, should you wish to try it yourself (and I encourage you to do so!)

Spread it out...
Don't read all your comfort zone years before the end of March!  If you get to winter and have to read 1900-1915 (or whatever it might be) straight through, you might tire of it all.

Short books are your friend
I love short books all the time, as you might possibly know - but even moreso for this project.  So sometimes I could get through half a dozen years in a week - but then an enormous book would come along and throw things a bit off kilter.  I haven't told you about Iris Murdoch's The Sea, The Sea yet, and how much that almost ruined my schedule...

Friends are also your friend
As Claire says, it's much more fun when someone else (at least) is doing the same project - so that you can encourage one another.  I don't know if anybody is trying A Century of Books within a year for 2013, but there are plenty of people continuing a longer-term project - and if you wait for 2014, Claire and I will probably be doing it all again.

The agony and the ecstasy!
As everyone who's done (or is doing) A Century of Books is in agreement about one thing - the pain when the books you want to read consistently fall into years which have already been covered!  EVERYTHING was published in 1953: FACT.  (Maybe not a fact.)

Reviews are harder than reading
In normal practice, I often decide not to blog about certain books, or simply forget about them.  That wouldn't work with A Century of Books, if you wanted a page which linked to all the reviews.  And so I started doing round-up posts with three or four short reviews - that seemed to work a treat.

But don't meet trouble halfway
It's not really difficult, though!  A few commenters seemed to think it would be too restrictive.  Well, I can only say that I didn't find it so - especially for the first ten months or so of the year.  It really is the anti-challenge challenge (so long as you're used to reading more than a hundred books a year) and embraces every genre, form, author, nationality etc.  What did surprise me was how perfectly the timing ended up - 25 qualifying books finished after three months, 50 after six months, 75 after nine months and, of course, 100 after 12 months.

Enjoy!
I loved doing it, and I'll be doing the project again - but not until 2014.  Like Claire, I'm missing 19th-century books - and 21st-century books too.  Right now I'm onto Vanity Fair...

Here is the whole list:

1900 - Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
1901 - The Spinster Book by Myrtle Reed
1902 - The Westminster Alice by Saki
1903 - Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw
1904 - Canon in Residence by V.L. Whitechurch
1905 - Lovers in London by A.A. Milne
1906 - The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
1907 - The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
1908 - The World I Live In by Helen Keller
1909 - The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter
1910 - Reginald in Russia by Saki
1911 - In A German Pension by Katherine Mansfield
1912 - Daddy Long-legs by Jean Webster
1913 - When William Came by Saki
1914 - What It Means To Marry by Mary Scharlieb
1915 - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
1916 - Love At Second Sight by Ada Leverson
1917 - Zella Sees Herself by E.M. Delafield
1918 - Married Love by Marie Stopes
1919 - Not That It Matters by A.A. Milne
1920 - The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
1921 - The Witch-Cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray
1922 - Spinster of this Parish by W.B. Maxwell
1923 - Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair
1924 - The Rector's Daughter by F.M. Mayor
1925 - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
1926 - Blindness by Henry Green
1927 - Dusty Answer by Rosamond Lehmann
1928 - Time Importuned by Sylvia Townsend Warner
1929 - A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
1930 - His Monkey Wife by John Collier
1931 - Opus 7 by Sylvia Townsend Warner
1932 - Green Thoughts by John Collier
1933 - More Women Then Men by Ivy Compton-Burnett
1934 - Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
1935 - The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen
1936 - Summer Will Show by Sylvia Townsend Warner
1937 - The Outward Room by Millen Brand
1938 - Dear Octopus by Dodie Smith
1939 - Three Marriages by E.M. Delafield
1940 - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
1941 - Country Moods and Tenses by Edith Olivier
1942 - The Outsider by Albert Camus
1943 - Talking of Jane Austen by Sheila Kaye-Smith and G.B. Stern
1944 - Elders and Betters by Ivy Compton-Burnett
1945 - At Mrs. Lippincote's by Elizabeth Taylor
1946 - Mr. Allenby Loses The Way by Frank Baker
1947 - One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes
1948 - The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner
1949 - Ashcombe: The Story of a Fifteen-Year Lease by Cecil Beaton
1950 - Jane Austen by Margaret Kennedy
1951 - I. Compton-Burnett by Pamela Hansford Johnson
1952 - Miss Hargreaves: the play by Frank Baker
1953 - Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton
1954 - M for Mother by Marjorie Riddell
1955 - The Winds of Heaven by Monica Dickens
1956 - All The Books of My Life by Sheila Kaye-Smith
1957 - Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson
1958 - Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris by Paul Gallico
1959 - Miss Plum and Miss Penny by Dorothy Evelyn Smith
1960 - The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark
1961 - A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
1962 - Coronation by Paul Gallico
1963 - A Favourite of the Gods by Sybille Bedford
1964 - The Garrick Year by Margaret Drabble
1965 - Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
1966 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
1967 - The Joke by Milan Kundera
1968 - A Cab at the Door by V.S. Pritchett
1969 - Sunlight on Cold Water by Francoise Sagan
1970 - Frederick the Great by Nancy Mitford
1971 - Ivy & Stevie by Kay Dick
1972 - Ivy Compton-Burnett: a memoir by Cecily Greig
1973 - V. Sackville-West by Michael Stevens
1974 - Look Back With Love by Dodie Smith
1975 - Sweet William by Beryl Bainbridge
1976 - The Takeover by Muriel Spark
1977 - Injury Time by Beryl Bainbridge
1978 - Art in Nature by Tove Jansson
1979 - On The Other Side by Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg
1980 - The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate
1981 - Gossip From Thrush Green by Miss Read
1982 - At Freddie's by Penelope Fitzgerald
1983 - Blue Remembered Hills by Rosemary Sutcliff
1984 - The Only Problem by Muriel Spark
1985 - For Sylvia: An Honest Account by Valentine Ackland
1986 - On Acting by Laurence Olivier
1987 - The Other Garden by Francis Wyndham
1988 - Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
1989 - Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy
1990 - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
1991 - Wise Children by Angela Carter
1992 - Curriculum Vitae by Muriel Spark
1993 - Something Happened Yesterday by Beryl Bainbridge
1994 - Deadline Poet by Calvin Trillin
1995 - The Simmons Papers by Philipp Blom
1996 - Reality and Dreams by Muriel Spark
1997 - The Island of the Colourblind by Oliver Sacks
1998 - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
1999 - La Grande Thérèse by Hilary Spurling


Happy New Year!