Well, you're the one who told me to read it, ww. I'll be looking forward to those chapters especially, then!

You should reread Herriot! I could probably do with a reread of the earlier books (I've been reading through my six-book collection since I got it in '08), but since I have so many other books on my read and re-read list, I'm a little hesitant to get right back into it. I am, however, going to have to track down my Herriot picture book collection---it's disappeared on me.

Well, of the ones that would probably be of interest to you, at home I have a few McKillips, pretty much all the Sayers, a little bit of Chesterton, a number of classics and children/YA books, lots of Wodehouse, a good amount of Lewis, a decent representation of Tolkien, a number of Agatha Christie, probably every John Buchan book ever written, and a good collection of theology and British history books. (The last few are mainly my dad's. ) But I can also make a trip to the uni library and the local one.

Nioniel, you're on BM? How did I not know this? *tracks Nioniel down on BM and friends her*

Yep. I simply don't talk about BM enough, nor post enough, that's why. I think it must have been you who got me hooked on BM in the first place though - it was you who first started talking about it here, yes?

So is anyone else going to read A Tale of Two Cities ? I'm reading the intro but I will read the book soon, I hope!

I started reading it for school once, but never finished it. From what I read of it, it's pretty good though! I have a friend who is obsessed with everything by Dickens and she loves TTC, too.

Oh goodness! This thread has really run away!

Y: The Last Man is one such example of this extreme view.

Really? I read the first volume for a class and I didn't actually notice that. I mean, after all, the protagonist is a guy. I'm glad I didn't continue it though, if that's the way it went.

I like all the lists of best books of 2010. People read some good books! I read 41 books and my best were probably Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, and The Tempest by Shakespeare. I read a lot of really great books though, so it was hard to choose.

Yay for Brideshead Revisited, Kate!

Welcome back! I was interested in the book, but when I saw your review and that you liked it, I was really inspired to read it, so thank you for the recommendation. The audiobook sounds lovely. I read quickly and tend to skip over really wordy descriptions at time, so it might have been nice to hear it to really let Waugh's flowery stretches sink in.

I enjoyed reading the discussion of Paradise Lost. I was waiting for someone to bring in Blake, so thanks to ww for that. I personally did not really enjoy the poem, but Milton does seem to have a bit of a fascination with Satan.

I listened to my first ever audiobook ever this past week. I listened to The Scarlet Pimpernel and I loved it. The book itself was great with a strong female character and lots of suspense. The only thing that annoyed me were the epithets. Percy's eyes were always lazy, his laugh inane, and Chauvelin fox-like. Was it painfully obvious from the beginning who the Scarlet Pimpernel was? I figured it out right at the beginning. I hear there are lots of sequels. Are they any good?

Kate, Y: The Last Man is 10 volumes long, so you're right, the first volume wouldn't give one that impression. Yes, you expect some dialogue about females place in society but I don't expect a male author to totally trash his own sex! Not cool.

*finally decides she should stop lurking and actually start posting* So, yeah, my Christmas list was almost entirely books to add to my small but steadily growing collection. I guess that means I like to read.

Best new read of 2010:
Thud! by Terry Pratchett

Best re-read:
Till We Have Faces by C.S.Lewis

Honorable Mentions:
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and its sequel by Andrew Peterson
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead
Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

Best purchase of 2010:
The complete Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander in one hardcover volume for $1! I love Goodwill.

To-read in 2011:
Tuck by Stephen Lawhead
All of the Harry Potter books (hopefully before the last movie comes out)
More Discworld books.
And I figure that's a long enough list to start off with since I'm taking 14 hours in the spring semester. I also plan to re-read LotR before school starts. I'll probably start on that tomorrow since my interim class is finally over.

You should reread Herriot! I could probably do with a reread of the earlier books (I've been reading through my six-book collection since I got it in '08), but since I have so many other books on my read and re-read list, I'm a little hesitant to get right back into it. I am, however, going to have to track down my Herriot picture book collection---it's disappeared on me.

Do you mean James Herriot? I love the few books of his that I've read. Some of the stories in his books are quite funny and they are all interesting.

@wisewoman:
Thanks for your Review of Paradise Lost!
Do you have the link to the rest of your review? Or is that the whole thing? Thanks!

Re-read The Giver again - what an amazing book! I think I appreciated it even more this time, because I was in bed with a flashlight, and at several parts I started sobbing. That hasn't happened before with that book!
It makes you appreciate so much. What if we didn't have colors? What if we didn't decide who to marry, and our job? What if there was no pain?!
It's a wonderful book.

Just finished reading Perelandra, second in The Space Trilogy. It was an interesting read. I think it was W4J that said that it reads like Genesis, I agree. I still enjoyed the first book a bit more. I will wait on the third and final book for a while. These books are good, but as others have said- they are also flawed. I read two, I need a break- especially before beginning the final book which is MUCH longer still.

Good series, but can't compare to the Greatness of Narnia.

I am reading these books by Chuck Black about knights! They pull you in in the first chapter and they have a little bit of every thing even romance! They are really good and they have good Bible lessons too!

I just placed three Discworld books on reserve. Whee!
I also checked out three Alexander books to reread. Very nice.

Nice list, dotK! And the Prydian volume sounds like it was a wonderful purchase indeed---I love insanely low prices on books.

n_a_h, yes, I did mean James Herriot. Do you have a particular favourite of the stories?

7chronicles, ww's full review on Paradise Lost can be found here.

I think I read The Giver a number of years ago, Elanor. It was alright, but I don't think I was overly fond of it and certainly not to the extent you are.

Which Discworld and Alexander books are you reading/have on reserve, Lady Haleth?

I am currently reading The Pit and the Pendulum and other stories by Edgar Allan Poe. It's been rather interesting, as I'd only read two stories by him before in school (Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher) and had forgotten much of his style. His plots are certainly interesting, but I'm not the biggest fan of his writing. Maybe it's just because I've been a bit tired out, but he seems to use a number of big words and flowery language unnecessarily and excessively. But it's nice to be reading something 'classic' again, even if it's short stories and not a huge novel.

I also stopped by the uni library the other day and checked out two G. K. Chesterton books: The Club of Queer Trades and, yes, flam, Manalive. I haven't read either yet, though, and since the semester starts on Monday, I don't know how much of a chance I'll get to read them. BUT, I was immensely surprised to discover that the books were checked out to me not for the usual two weeks, nor for the Honors student month or two month period (I never officially left the Honors College, but inactive Honors students don't get special library privileges ), but for a whole FOUR MONTHS! I guess the librarian thought I was a grad student (sometimes, because of the way my id reads in the system, they ask whether I'm Honors or grad, and I sadly have to reply that I'm an inactive Honors), and she didn't ask to check, so I didn't have a chance to set her straight. So, I now have these two Chestertons all to myself until May. I am very happy.

Yes, Herriot is awesome. Those books are hilarious!
As for Alexander, I checked out The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian, (which is probably my favorite of his stand-alones. This one is an autographed edition! ), The Iron Ring, and The Rope Trick.
As for Discworld, I placed Men at Arms, Hogfather, and Going Postal on reserve.

Well I shan't be bookless this week, should I get done with my studying early. I brought three from my home collection to reside down here at my campus dorm.

The three books include the following:

A Christmas Carol, and Other Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens, which was an awesome buy at B&N's after Christmas sale, in which I purchased it (hard-cover) for $3.50

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, which I purchased at a garage sale a few years ago for a quarter.

and finally,

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L Konigsburg, which is a book that I read in 3rd grade, and have loved ever since (although I don't think I've re-read it, but it has a great storyline, and is one of those books that sticks with children throughout their lives)

@ValiantArcher: Thanks for the Link!

I got Arabian Nights for my Birthday!
I’ve been wanting it for a long time. It took me a long time to find a set that contained all 1001 stories in it!
My mom and dad got me the penguin edition that comes in a set of three books! I can’t wait to read them!