Being away for a couple of weeks and not using the Internet means that I've returned to my pre-blogging reading levels, and a very pleasant experience it was, too.
Here is the result:
Great reads
Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Wegener's Jigsaw by Clare Dudman
Bomber and Studio 69 by Liza Marklund
On the fence
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
The Playroom by John Connor
Don't bother
Alone by Lisa Gardner
Definitely don't bother
No Hiding Place (Company Man) by Joseph Finder
Double Tap by Steve Martini
Unintentional duplicate
Death's Little Helpers (previously read with the title of No Way Home) by Peter Spiegelman
Therefore I ran out of books so read one of Cathy's, which I put into the "definitely don't bother" category: Mercy by Jodi Picoult.
Not quite a book a day, but not bad nonetheless. I will try to find time to write brief notes about some of these books once I've caught up a bit.
Cathy (15) read: Mercy and A Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult; In Cold Blood by Truman Capote; The Innocent by Posie Graeme-Evans; Ithaka by Adele Geras; The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne du Prau; and (because she ,too, ran out so I gave her one of mine) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. All seem to have met approval.
Jenny (11) read: Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton (a re-read), Scorpia and Ark Angel by Anthony Horwitz (last two of the Stormbreaker series, but a new one is promised apparently, even though Ark Angel was billed as the last ); Will Shakespeare and the Pirates' Fire by Robert J Harris; The House on Morningstar Hill by Michael Molloy; The Flowing Queen by Kai Meyer; The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton -- purchased at W H Smith Eurotunnel as she too ran out (and not recommended, unlike the other books she read)...we all underestimated our reading capacity by one book, except for.....
Malcolm (ageless), who read Harlequin and Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell; and (almost finished) Science: a History by John Gribbin, which he highly recommends. He took but did not start Heretic, which is the last of this Cornwell trilogy. (I think the verdict on the first two is "good but not as good as Sharpe", if I interpret correctly.)
Welcome back Maxine,
You've been sorely missed!
And missed sorely...
And with sores...
Good to see you re-enter the fray of what matters in bloggerdom, after a well deserved holiday!
I hope you had a good time!
Best,
CFR
Posted by: crimeficreader | 04 September 2006 at 23:20
Welcome back! And thanks for the card!
Posted by: Debra Hamel | 04 September 2006 at 23:21
Yes, it is nice to have you back, and I'm glad you had time to read lots of books. Your categories are very amusing, I especially like the "Don't bother"/"Definitely don't bother" distinction!
Posted by: Jenny Davidson | 05 September 2006 at 00:01
Hello Maxine! So glad that you're all safely back and had, I gather, a wonderful time. Thanks so much for the card.
Posted by: Frank Wilson | 05 September 2006 at 02:25
It's wonderful to have you back. Amazing how we can miss internet friends.
Posted by: Lee | 05 September 2006 at 09:26
Welcome back Maxine!
Posted by: Marie | 05 September 2006 at 11:54
cool - you're back - now get on with it :)
Posted by: skint writer | 05 September 2006 at 17:18
Oh, thank goodness you're back. As you can tell, you've been missed!
Posted by: Amy | 05 September 2006 at 20:06
Welcome home Maxine. Can't believe you managed to get so much reading done (all of you)-- in just one week! Did you go on a reading holiday? At any rate, it's great to have you back.
Posted by: Sian | 05 September 2006 at 21:03
Thank you so much for all your kind comments! I was worried that while I was away, for you all it would be: "out of sight out of mind"; whereas for each day I was away I was feeling "absence makes the heart grow fonder"!
Thank you all for remembering me and being so welcoming back.
I am really looking forward to visiting all your blogs over the weekend when I have a bit more time, and getting to know you all again via your blogs and emails.
Thank you again -- I missed you all a lot. Next year I think I will go on holiday to Blogotropolis.
Posted by: Maxine | 05 September 2006 at 21:34
Hi babe!
Posted by: Minx | 05 September 2006 at 21:46
Welcome back, Maxine! I hope you had a lovely holiday.
Posted by: Susan | 05 September 2006 at 23:51
Oh goody. Ditto what everyone else said ...!
Posted by: Equiano | 05 September 2006 at 23:59
Me too! Me too! Thanks for card. And happy birthday. And did you have a good time? And how did you get to do all that reading when I only got to read maps? And how could you think you wouldn't be missed? And happy birthday again. And isn't this the best bit of being back?
And ... and ... and ...
Posted by: Debi | 06 September 2006 at 11:12
Thanks so much again, I am blushing but delighted at all these lovely comments.
Posted by: Maxine | 06 September 2006 at 22:06
My memory is so bad I forgot two other books I read on holiday: I am legend by Richard Matheson and Minority Report (and other stories) by Philip K Dick.
Posted by: Maxine | 23 September 2006 at 17:35