{Book Week}

I don't doubt that given the choice Possum would have preferred something a little more 'princess' and a little less elephant but I had purchased these costumes for a ballet concert only to have the teacher move away before the ballet concert could take place.  

I decided to use them for book week in a 'waste not want not' kind of way and I think it worked well.  To turn Possum into Elmer I basted some fabric off-cuts to her suit.  I didn't do anything to Blue's costume as he was happy to be the Tawny Scrawny Lion as it was.

I love the idea of book week and this did take the stress out of the costume making for our first year.

They were both excited to be able to wear there costumes to school all day.

2013 Reading List

It is that time of the year again when I have to start a new reading list before I forget which books I have read over the summer break. I really enjoy keeping a record of which books I read so that I can reflect upon my choices at different points in time and I will link this post into the 'I'm reading this...' blog button in my sidebar in case anyone else wants to check in here and there with a suggestion or just to see how I am going. I am off to a good start to the year but suspect that my reading run will slow from here on in as I get busier.

If I think it is a book that I would happily read again at some point I will list it in italics. 

1. Divisadero - Michael Ondaatje
2- The Red Queen - Philippa Gregory
3. The White Queen - Philippa Gregory
4. Legend - David Gemmell
5. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade - Diana Gabaldon
6. Little Red Riding Hood and Other Classic French Fairytales - Jack Zipes
7. The Crucible - Arthur Miller
8. Red Dog - Louis  De Bernieres
9. Cloudbusting - Malorie Blackman
10. Genesis - Bernard Becket


The 2012 List (12 books read)
The 2011 List (7 books read)
The 2010 List (18 books read)
The 2009 List (57 books read)

2012 Reading List

I don't imagine, between uni and life, that I will get to read too much this year, but I will keep updating this list as progress is made.  Looking at the previous years totals, it is obvious that I had a lot of free time in 2009, moved to a renovation block in 2010 and went back to uni in 2011.  I hope this year I can beat last year's tally!  I will link this list to the picture on my sidebar if you are interested in keeping track.

1. The Postmistress - Sarah Blake
2. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simpson
3. The Donkey who carried the wounded - Jackie French
4. Truth - Peter Temple
5. Murder on a Midsummer Night - Kerry Greenwood
6. Wintersmith - Terry Pratchett
7. In the Heat of the Night - John Ball

June 26th: Hurrah, I am already equal to last year!

8. Dead Heat - Bronwyn Parry
9. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
10. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
11. catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
12. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins


The 2011 List (7 books)
The 2010 List  (18 books)
The 2009 List (57 books)

Reading in 2011

The 2011 master list of books read.  Is it ironic to call a handful of books for 12 months a master list?


1. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me ~ Roald Dahl
2. The Dancer Upstairs ~ Nicholas Shakespeare
3. Six thinking hats ~ Edward De Bono
4. Madam Bovary ~ Gustave Flaubert
5. Does my head look big in this? ~ Randa Abdel-Fattah
6. Treachery in death  ~ J.D Robb
7. Caleb's Crossing ~ Geraldine Brooks


The 2010 list (18 books)
The 2009 list (57 books)


Books on the Holiday Reading list:
Mr Rosenblum's List ~ Natasha Solomons
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand ~ Helen Simonson
The Postmistress ~ Sarah Blake
Fantasy in Death ~ J.D Robb

Reading in 2010

The 2010 Master reading list. 

JANUARY

1- The Cross-Country Quilters ~ Jennifer Chiaverini

2. The 19th Wife ~ David Ebershoff

3. People Might Hear You ~ Robin Klein

4. Seeing Things ~ Robin Klein

FEBRUARY

5. The girl who kicked the hornet's nest ~ Stieg Larsson

MARCH
6. The Lost Symbol ~ Dan Brown
7. A Blunt Instrument ~ Georgette Heyer

APRIL
8. Dark Country ~ Bronwyn Parry
9. Rich Dad, Poor Dad ~ Robert Kiyosaki
10. The Beach Street knitting society and yarn club ~ Gil McNeil

May/June

JULY
11. The Deadline ~ Paul Brickhill
12. Duplicate Death ~ Georgette Heyer
13. Kindred in Death ~ J.D. Robb
14. Silks ~ Dick Francis

AUGUST
15. How to break your own heart ~ Maggie Alderson
16. War Party ~ Louis L'amour

SEPTEMBER
17. Even Money ~ Dick Francis

DECEMBER

18. The Household Guide to Dying ~ Debra Adelaide

Last year I used italics to mark the stand out books that I found..  This year I read less and don't think any are rush our and buy it for my own collection type books :(

 

Click HERE for the 2009 reading list.

The 2009 Reading List

I had wanted to read 100 books in 2009.  I would have been very happy to have reached 75.  I am content with the final figure of 57 (mostly) good books read for the year.

No big surprise that July and August were light months with Baby Blue arriving then.  December has let the team down too, not sure why but I have only read one book, and even then I had to renew it twice from the library to get through it.  That is no reflection on the book either, I enjoyed it.

Next year I am going to aim for 50 books.

So here it is, my 2009 book list in full!

January/Febuary

1. The wooden horse ~ Eric Williams
2. The comfort of Saturdays ~ Alexander McCall Smith
3. The tales of Beedle the Bard ~ J.K.Rowling
4. The Turning ~ Tim Winton
5. La's orchestra saves the world ~ Alexander McCall Smith
6. The Hobbit ~ J.R.R Tolkien
7. Whitethorn ~ Bryce Courtenay
8. Sharpe's Tiger ~ Bernard Cornwell
9. Salvation in Death ~ J.D. Robb
10. Danny the Champion of the World ~ Roald Dahl
11. Rebel ~ Bernard Cornwall
12. Copperhead ~ Bernard Cornwall
13. Battle flag ~ Bernard Cornwall
14. The Bloody Ground ~ Bernard Cornwall

March/April
15. Hamish meets Bumpy McKenzie ~
16. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ~ Lewis Caroll
17. The Choice ~ Nicholas Sparks
18. The first Casualty ~ Ben Elton
19. Promises in Death ~ J.D.Robb
20. East of the Mountains ~ David Guterson
21. The Red Pony ~ John Steinbeck
22. Maps for Lost Lovers ~ Nadeem Aslam
23. Testimony ~ Anita Shreve
24. Twilight ~ Stephanie Meyer

May/June
25. New Moon ~ Stephanie Meyer
26. Eclipse ~ Stephanie Meyer
27. Sewing Projects in an afternoon ~ Susan Mickey
28. Breaking Dawn ~ Stephanie Meyer
29. The Mighty Toddler ~ Robin Barker
30. Toddler Taming ~ Dr Christopher Green
31. Let me sing you gentle songs ~ Linda Olsen
32. The Persimmon Tree ~ Bryce Courtenay
33. Fishing for Stars ~ Bryce Courtenay
34. Truckers ~ Terry Pratchett
35. Meet me at Mike's ~ Pip Lincolne
36. Sewing in no time ~ Emma Hardy
37. House at Slavation Creek ~ Susan Duncan
38. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas ~ John Boyne
39. The Quilter's Apprentice ~ Jennifer Chiaverini
40. The last Continent ~ Terry Pratchett

JULY/AUGUST
1. The bonesetter's Daughter ~ Amy Tan
42. Baby-Led Weaning ~ Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett

SEPTEMBER
43.On, Off ~ Colleen McCullough
44.The Unknown Terrorist ~ Richard Flanagan
45.Lord john and the Private Matter ~ Diana Gabaldon
46.Choo Woo ~ Lloyd Jones
47.The Guernsey Literacy & Potato Peel Pie Society ~ Mary Ann Shaffer
48.The girl with the dragon tattoo ~ Stieg Larsson
49.The Undomestic Goddess ~ Sopie Kinsella
50.As Darkness Falls ~ Bronwyn Parry

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
51.206 Bones ~ Kathy Reichs
52.The Thirteenth Tale ~ Diane Setterfield
53.The girl who played with fire ~ Steig Larsson
54.A Question of Death (Phryne Fisher Treasury) ~ Kerry Greenwood
55.Le Bal & Snow in Autumn ~ Irene Nemirovsky
56. The Lieutenant ~ Kate Grenville

DECEMBER
57. Jasper Jones ~ Craig Silvey

The books I have listed in italics I highly recommend and I will read them again one day.

I should also mention that while there are two craft books listed I really did read them cover to cover so put them in.  The tons of other craft books that I have and flip through I would not list.

Blogtober #20 ~ Reading

I have a few more books to add to the 2009 Reading Challenge list!

51. 206 Bones ~ Kathy Reichs
As good as expected.

52. The Thirteenth Tale ~ Diane Setterfield
This was this month's book club book. An enjoyable but forgettable read...

53. The girl who played with fire ~ Steig Larsson
I can't wait for my copy of the last book in the Millennium Trilogy to be available at the library!!

54. A Question of Death (Phryne Fisher Treasury) ~ Kerry Greenwood
This was the first Phryne Fisher book I have read and while I did enjoy it I found the mysteries a little too simple. This could be a result of the 'short story' format so I am going to try one of the novels soon.

55. Le Bal & Snow in Autumn ~ Irene Nemirovsky
I love Irene Nemirovsky, she has such a simple, but enjoyable writing style. These where two short stories published as a novella. A very enjoyable and quick read.


I am obviously not going to get anywhere near the target of 100 books for the year but I am happy with progress to date. Next year I am signing up for a 50 books challenge :)

Books Alive Reading Challenge

At the beginning of the year I signed up for a challenge. I thought I could read 100 books in a year. I was doing very well until the birth of Baby Bug at which point in time the wheels feel off... Still, I was happy that I had managed to read 42 books come August.

September is THE month for Books with schools everywhere having their book weeks and the publication of 'Books Alive 50 books you can't put down' guide. This was the kick I needed to pick up a book again and start reading. I joined another challenge hosted by Book Thingo to read as many books as I can for September. The added benefit is that I will also be adding to my yearly total!

43.On, Off ~ Colleen McCullough
This took me awhile to get into, but once I had the characters worked out I found it to be not a bad story. Unfortunately I did not much like the end which did spoil it for me, I prefer it when the bad guy is safely locked away when I close the book for the final time.

44.The Unknown Terrorist ~ Richard Flanagan
This was a story about a pole dancer found herself to be Australia's most wanted terrorist. It does leave you wondering at the power of media hype and spin.

45.Lord John and the Private Matter ~ Diana Gabaldon
I enjoyed this enough that I am going to hunt out other Diana Gabaldon novels to learn more of Lord John.

46.Choo Woo ~ Lloyd Jones
Sometimes a story is so horrid it can leave you feeling sick to have the idea placed in your head, while being so well written you have to keep reading. This is that book. I can't recommend it as it was very disturbing...

47.The Guernsey Literacy & Potato Peel Pie Society ~ Mary Ann Shaffer
I am now in love with most of the characters on Guernsey and read this in a day.

48.The girl with the dragon tattoo ~ Stieg Larsson
A mystery thriller which I really enjoyed. The computer savvy Lisbeth did not always work for me as a character but it was a great story which had me reading into the night. I have reserved the sequel and can't wait to get into that one as well.

49.The Undomestic Goddess ~ Sophie Kinsella
This was a light bit of fluff which was an enjoyable read over a couple of cups of coffee. I do like the idea of being able to reinvent yourself and start again but the leap from high profile lawyer to domestic help is a bit much. Love wins in the end which is always nice :)

I managed to read SEVEN books for September which brings my yearly total to 49. Not bad!

I am now starting:
As Darkness Falls ~ Bronwyn Parry.
Bronwyn is a local Aussie writer featured in the Books Alive campaign this year with her latest novel Dark Country which I will be reading soon.


edit 1/10/09 12:44am
50.As Darkness Falls ~ Bronwyn Parry I finished this one last night!
A mystery set in the Aussie Outback with a healthy dose of romance thrown in for good measure. It is a great first novel and I can't wait to read Bronwyn's second book Dark Country.

My total for the month is now EIGHT books and gives me FIFTY books for the year!!

On the shelf ~ August 1st

Oh dear, the last book related post was June 30th :( I have not been reading much of late which is a shame, but these things go in cycles and I don't doubt the bug will strike again soon.

The only update for the month is:
JULY/AUGUST
41. The bonesetter's daughter ~ Amy Tan
42. Baby-led Weaning ~ Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett

The bonesetter's daughter is a story about the relationships and bonds between a Mother and Daughter with love and betrayal thrown in for good measure.

Baby-Led Weaning explores the idea that we should not force babies into eating purees at a certain age, but wait until they show an interest in food and let them eat what they will from an everyday menu.

The full list of books I have read in 2009 can be found HERE

Halfway There ~ 2009 Reading Challenge

As today is the last day of June I thought I had better update my reading list for the 2009 Reading Challenge detailed HERE

How exciting that I have read 40 books for the year so far, I know that the target is 100 books but I am happy with my efforts regardless!

I normally only mention the last couple of books read but seeing as this is a Milestone month I will put the full list.

Jan/Feb
1. The wooden horse ~ Eric Williams
2. The comfort of Saturdays ~ Alexander McCall Smith
3. The tales of Beedle the Bard ~ J.K.Rowling
4. The Turning ~ Tim Winton
5. La's orchestra saves the world ~ Alexander McCall Smith
6. The Hobbit ~ J.R.R Tolkien
7. Whitethorn ~ Bryce Courtenay
8. Sharpe's Tiger ~ Bernard Cornwell
9. Salvation in Death ~ J.D. Robb
10. Danny the Champion of the World ~ Roald Dahl
11. Rebel ~ Bernard Cornwall
12. Copperhead ~ Bernard Cornwall
13. Battle flag ~ Bernard Cornwall
14. The Bloody Ground ~ Bernard Cornwall

March/April
15. Hamish meets Bumpy McKenzie ~ ?
16. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ~ Lewis Caroll
17. The Choice ~ Nicholas Sparks
18. The first Casualty ~ Ben Elton
19. Promises in Death ~ J.D.Robb
20. East of the Mountains ~ David Guterson
21. The Red Pony ~ John Steinbeck
22. Maps for Lost Lovers ~ Nadeem Aslam
23. Testimony ~ Anita Shreve
24. Twilight ~ Stephanie Meyer

May/June
25. New Moon ~ Stephanie Meyer
26. Eclipse ~ Stephanie Meyer
27. Sewing Projects in an afternoon ~ Susan Mickey
28. Breaking Dawn ~ Stephanie Meyer
29. The Mighty Toddler ~ Robin Barker
30. Toddler Taming ~ Dr Christopher Green
31. Let me sing you gentle songs ~ Linda Olsen
32. The Persimmon Tree ~ Bryce Courtenay
33. Fishing for Stars ~ Bryce Courtenay
34. Truckers ~ Terry Pratchett
35. Meet me at Mike's ~ Pip Lincolne
36. Sewing in no time ~ Emma Hardy
37. House at Slavation Creek ~ Susan Duncan
38. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas ~ John Boyne
39. The Quilter's Apprentice ~ Jennifer Chiaverini
40. The Last Continent ~ Terry Pratchett

I wonder what great books I will discover in the second half of the year, if you can recommend me something PLEASE do!!!

From my list, the standout book for me is 'The boy in striped pyjamas' by John Boyne.

On the Shelf ~ June 19th

I have not really read much of late, but the last book I read was so good I felt that I HAD to tell EVERYONE about it.

It is the best book I have read all year, and it was the book club book that I picked up yesterday, and finished in one sitting. I love book clubs for introducing you to the odd gem you may not have discovered otherwise. This book is now on my 'Must Buy' list and even Dear Husband wants to read it. I can't wait for the next book club meeting, in a month, when we discuss this gem!!

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne.
'A book that lingers in the mind for quite some time. It is a subtle, calculatedly simple and ultimately moving story.' Irish Times


To add to the full list of books mentioned HERE that I have read for the year I can now include:

May/June cont...
37. House at Slavation Creek ~ Susan Duncan
38. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas ~ John Boyne

38 books so far, I am traveling along fairly well!

On the Shelf ~ June 2nd

I am still trying to fool myself that I am in the running to read 100 books this year as per the challenge described in THIS post.

The latest few are listed below...

MAY/JUNE cont.
33. Fishing for Stars ~ Bryce Courtenay
34. Truckers ~ Terry Pratchett
35. Meet me at Mike's ~ Pip Lincolne
36. Sewing in no time ~ Emma Hardy

Meet me at Mike's is full of great crafty ideas! 26 projects in total so there is plenty to work on. I have several projects book marked for future rainy days and spare moments. A softie wheat bag friend, baby yoga pants, Cow softie, fabric clocks, so much to choose from that I am not sure which one to start with...

None of which will help me read more books to reach my 100 :(

If you love crafty goodness, head over to Pip's Meet me at Mike's Blog

If I could count books read to Miss Possum as well I would be well and truly over 100 book for the year already. In the last week I have read: A Lion in the night, Time for Bed, Fancy that, Mr McGee goes to sea, I wish I had a Pirate suit, Shoes from Grandpa, Wombat divine, The tale of Peter Rabbit, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy and others...

Books for All

Brown Owls are having a Books for All appeal for their members as the first part of earning your 'Community Badge'

Badge aside it is a nice idea, and there are no shortage of books in our house so I thought I would send a package down to help out. Books are a big part of our day here as Miss Possum loves reading, as do we, so it is nice to think that we can share a small part of that joy.

Are you a Brown Owl? Please leave me a comment if you are, I would love to say hello :)

On the Shelf ~ May 21st

I am taking part in a reading challenge (original post HERE).
I will only list the most recent below, the full list is in the original post as linked above.

29. The Mighty Toddler ~ Robin Barker
30. Toddler Taming ~ Dr Christopher Green
31. Let me sing you gentle songs ~ Linda Olsen
32. The Persimmon Tree ~ Bryce Courtenay

Anyone pick that Miss Possum has hit the toddler stage from the above list? I thought I had best read about the wonderful new delights in store for Dear Husband and I... Actually, she has been fairly good, we have had a couple of sleepless nights but I think it may be teeth related. The odd foot stomp and adamant NO we receive here is easy to deal with.

Our book club met this morning to discuss the Let me sing you gentle songs. It was an easy read and was given 2.5 stars at the meeting. We had a lovely early lunch while out and it was a good meeting all told.

Our next book to be discussed in a month is Susan Duncan's Salvation Creek. We are starting to settle in as a new group and I am looking forward to another meeting at the comfortable local Inn :)

On the Shelf ~ May 3rd

I have read a few books in the past week, I have also joined the masses and bought the Twilight series. I was going to wait but my brother came home with the DVD so I had to get the books before I saw it! DH bought me the first one for Mother's day and I got the rest the next day to have the full set.

These are the latest editions to the reading challenge I am doing this year. Guess what I will be reading next ;)

23. Testimony ~ Anita Shreve
24. Twilight ~ Stephanie Meyer

May/June
25. New Moon ~ Stephanie Meyer
26. Eclipse ~ Stephanie Meyer
27. Sewing Projects in an afternoon ~ Susan Mickey

edited 5/5/09 to add:
28. Breaking Dawn ~ Stephanie Meyer
My least favourite from the series...

On the Shelf ~ April 20

I am participating in a Reading Challenge this year with the aim of reading 100 books.

I have been a bit slack on it but do have a couple of extras to add to the list which will take my total to date to 22 books read:

21. The Red Pony ~ John Steinbeck
22. Maps for Lost Lovers ~ Nadeem Aslam

I love Steinbeck, you know there will be a twist but he still surprises you. Both terrible and beautiful this book was a wonderful find at a market stall and goes happily into our collection.

Maps for Lost Lovers is the Book Club Book I madly had to finish before the meeting, I nearly left my run too late. It is beautifully descriptive but the plot seemed to meander until the final 3rd of the book when it all started to come together.
Those of us at the Book Club meeting rated Maps for Lost Lovers as 2 stars.

Our next Book Club book is Let me sing you gentle songs by Linda Olsson. Note to self: Don't leave it to the last minute to read this one :)

If I keep reading at this rate I will end up with around 66 books for the year. Not to be sneezed at but a far cry from 100...

On the Shelf ~ March 29

I was foolish enough to sign up for a challenge to read 100 books this year. I have no hope of getting to 100. At this stage I will call myself happy if I should reach a total of 75. I am obviously feeling optimistic as last time I updated I stated I would be happy to reach a total of 50 books!

The original post, with a full list of books read in 2009 can be seen here.

I will just mention the most recent below:

March/April
15. Hamish meets Bumpy McKenzie ~ ?
16. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ~ Lewis Caroll
17. The Choice ~ Nicholas Sparks
18. The first Casualty ~ Ben Elton
19. Promises in Death ~ J.D.Robb
20. East of the Mountains ~ David Guterson
21.

Slowly slowly, progress is made! It is exciting to have reached 20 books as a milestone :)

Editing to add: I did try to read 'The Quest' by Wilbur Smith but I could not make headway into it at all. I was looking forward to it as I have read the whole Egyptian series but this seemed too unbelievable, even for Taita...

Book Club

This is our first Book Group book which I handed out today at our first meeting, which was quite enjoyable.

I can't wait to get started on it, and should have a good chance this weekend while we are camping.

Amazon.co.uk Review
Maps for Lost Lovers is a stunningly brave and searingly brutal novel charting a year in the life of a working class community from the subcontinent.

As the seasons change, from the first crystal flakes of snow that melt into "a monsoon raindrop", we slowly learn the fate of Jugnu and Chanda, a couple whose disappearance is rumoured to have been a result of their fatal decision to live in sin in a community where the phrase holds true meaning.

This uncompromisingly honest--and often uncomfortable to read--story is told through the eyes of Jugnu's brother's family who live next door. Shamas is director of the local Community Relations Council; a liberal, educated man he still mourns the passing of communism and yearns for passion in his later years. His wife Kaukub, daughter of a Pakistani cleric, is also in mourning for the passing of her devout Muslim upbringing and is forced to watch her three children turn "native". She tries increasingly desperate measures to turn them back to Islam. Pakistani-born Nadeem Aslam skilfully intertwines myths and legends with a harsh, modern reality.
--Carey Green

On the Shelf ~ March 18

I signed up for a 100 books reading challenge for 2009. See the original post here.

I am traveling along well with the reading but I have a funny feeling I won't make it to 100 books by December's end. Perhaps i should aim for 75...

I have finished 18 books for the year so far. The latest few are listed below.

March/April
15. Hamish meets Bumpy McKenzie ~
16. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ~ Lewis Caroll
17. The Choice ~ Nicholas Sparks
18. The first Casualty ~ Ben Elton
19.
20.

As a brief rundown:
Don't read Bumpy Mckenzie, a children's book that might delight children, but not the parents reading it, not me anyway.
Nicolas Sparks made me cry, as per usual, I did enjoy this one more than some of his others that I have read.
The First Casualty was the best Ben Elton I have read to date, it took me a few pages to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it.

Book Club Reading List

I have just been sent the book pack reading list from the library for my new book club and there are oh so many!! The books in bold I have already read but there are so many others I can see the new book club will be spoilt for choice...

A lesson before dying :Gaines, Ernest J
A short history of Tractors in the ukranian: Lewyca, Marina
A thousand splendid suns: Hosseini, Khaled
A thread of Grace: Russell, Mary Doria
A town like Paris: Corbett, Bryce
Alice's adventures in wonderland: Carol, Lewis
Australia Street: Whitehead, Ann
Breath: Winton, Tim
Conviction: Patterson, Richard North
Cooee: Kelly, Vivienne
Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time: Haddon, Mark
Digging to America: Tyler, Anne
Disgrace: Coetzee, J. M
Kill the possum: Moloney, James
Landscape of Farewell: Miller, Alex
Let me sing you gentle songs: Olsson, Linda
Maps for lost Lovers: Nadeem, Aslam
March: Brooks, Geraldine
Mister Pip: Jones, Lloyd
Never go back: Goddard, Robert
On, Off: McCullough, Colleen
People of the book: Brooks, Geraldine
Red dress walking: Jones, Sarah
Rules for old men waiting: Pouncey, Peter
Salmon fishing in the Yemen: Torday, Paul
Salvation Creek -an unexpected life: Duncan, Susan
Sonata for Miriam: Olsson, Linda
Staring at the light: Fyfield, Frances
Suite Francaise: Nemirovsky, Irene
The art of mending: Berg, Elizabeth
The Boat: Nam, Le
The bonesetters daughter: Tan, Amy
The Book Theif: Zusak, Markus
The boy in the striped pyjamas: Boyne, John
The brief history of the dead: Brockmeier, Kevin
The brief wonderous life of Oscar Wao: Junot, Diaz
The broken shore: Temple, Peter
The Children: Wood, Charlotte
The dive from Clausens Pier: Packer, Ann
The Gathering: Enright, Ann
The God of small things: Roy, Arundhati
The house at Salvation creek: Duncan, Susan
The household guide to dying: Adelaide, Debra
The interpretation of murder: Ruebenfeld, Jed
The kite runner: Hosseini, Khaled
The meaning of night: Cox, Michael
The memory keeper's daughter: Edwards, Kim
The pages: Bail, Murray
The Polished Hoe: Clarke, Austin
The secret scripture: Barry, Sebastian
The shifting fog: Morton, Kate
The Slap: Tsiolkas, Christos
The spare room: Garner, Helen,
The tenderness of wolves: Penney, Stef
The thirteenth Tale: Setterford, Dianne
The time traveler's wife: Niffenegger, Audrey
The time we have taken: Carroll, Steven
The twin: Bakker, Gerbrand
The two pearls of wisdom: Goodman, Alison
The unprofessionals: Hecht, Julie
The white tiger: Adiga, Aravind
The zookeeper's war: Conte, Steven
Vertigo-a pastoral: Lohrey, Amanda
Wanting: Flanagan, Richard
Water for elephants: Gruen, Sara
We need to talk about Kevin: Shriver, Lionel

Can you recommend any from the list?
I can't believe there is only a week to go until our first meeting. I am a bit nervous!