I could only read two books in the past book. Considering, one was 688 pages and the other 415, I think I did well. Both were difficult and thoughtful reads.

One was Roots by Alex Haley and the other, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Both deal with the slave trade in America. After reading the former, I had to re-read the latter. Both left me asking questions and made major impact on my mind. That too despite knowing about slavery all along.

I have listed the Nobel Laureates and their books I have read so far. I have not reviewed all of those on my blog as I read a few, long time back. If I do, I will link those here. I am in the process of reading another book by Steinbeck, three by Marquez and one by Orhan Pamuk.

1907 - Rudyard Kipling
Jungle Book

I received "The last Single Woman in America" by Cindy Guidry directly from dutton, the publishers as I had emailed to them asking for it after reading about the giveaway offer in Dewey's blog. I am very much Indian and single, although I do not think I am the last single woman in India! I have read some 80+ pages and find it very interesting. Cindy writes it with a wry sense of humour. And I am finding it good to read. I can relate to it too in some instances.

I usually finish such books fast. But today I was sleeping most of the day with stomach cramps. I must have eaten something, which has played havoc with my digesting system. Although I am drinking a lot of fluids, still I feel weak and lethargic which is not conducive for reading.

I will post the review as soon as I finish it.

1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?

2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

Another sunday has almost ended. It was a long day. I got up around 5 am and read for a while. I am moving house in mid April. Therefore, I had a house warming today. We Hindus do a Puja before moving into a new house. After the puja, there was a celebration lunch, which went on upto 4 pm! Then cleaning up.

However, nothing can stop me from reading. I started Twelve Red Herrings by Jeffrey Archer. It is collection of short stories. Each story has a red herring! Archer leaves it on the reader to discover it. I have read two and plan to finish it by tomorrow. I used to love Archer's novels. And this story collection is good too. Will write a review as soon as I finish it. One good thing about reading short stories is that one can randomly pick and choose. I am lovin' it!

This is a relatively free sunday after our move to this house. Otherwise, it had been occupied by one or the other household works. All my things are set in their right places. And I am now feeling a lot better. Initially I was missing my old home. I still do but slowly accepting this too.

Today I got around reading The Black Island: The Adventures of Tintin written by Herge. I think I finished the whole series in my high school days and now I have forgotten the stories. It was a pleasure to go through one of my collections. I just picked this out randomly.

"What's In A Name?" Reading Challenge
Dates: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008
The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

1. A book with a colour in its title.

I have not listed here those books, I have not reviewed as yet. have put this link up on my rightside bar, too. Click on the title for the review and feel free to link it to your review post! I You too can leave a link for me. I am way behind my target of 150 books to be read this year!

May (10)

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Second Journey by Joan Anderson
Tintin: The Black Island by Herge

In a week's time, I leave this house where I have lived for 14 years. It is my parents house. My dad passed away in 2002 and I live with my mom. Both of us are moving to be nearer to my younger brother. We will stay apart yet near. In India family is important. In a way, I never left home, always living with my parents and then only mom. My three brothers come home, on and off. I am the permanent fixture. Although I am the third child, I am treated as the youngest one by my family.

Enough about that. I had started reading My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, in January, I think. Somehow it just receded to the background. I again picked it up this week. I am in the middle of it. This is not an easy read. Not by substance or by font.

According to the book Blurb:

There is paint work going on in one part of our house. The air is smelling of fresh paint. I love the smell of paint but it is getting too much lately. 10 more days to go. I am going nuts over it. I keep reading. This time I read a novel from a collection of three by Patricia Gaffney. I had not heard of her before this. I got this book as an advance birthday gift for March 22! (Anyone else interested to send me birthday gifts?! :D)

Circle of Three is one of the three novels in one FAT volume. I say fat becos, this in itself is 421 pages. I started it on Friday and managed to finish it a while back. It took me a while as I had to evaluate answersheets in the midst of it all, i.e, blogging, writing poetry, reading. You get the gist?

What’s your favorite book that nobody else has heard of? You know, not Little Women or Huckleberry Finn, not the latest best-seller . . . whether they’ve read them or not, everybody “knows” those books. I’m talking about the best book that, when you tell people that you love it, they go, “Huh? Never heard of it?”

What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?

1. The drive is often the best thing about traveling.
2. I love a good snuggle with my husband when I'm cold.
3. I often use pasta when I am cooking.
4. I'm reading Little Women right now; I love it.

I was tagged by Melody for this fun meme.

The rules of this particular meme are:

1). Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages)
2). Open the book to page 123
3). Find the fifth sentence
4). Post the next three sentences
5). Tag five people

Although I am currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan was the nearest book. Here I go:

Today’s suggestion is from Cereal Box Reader

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I would enjoy reading a meme about people’s abandoned books. The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing. So . . . what books have you abandoned and why?

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Yes, I am aware its Monday but this is too good to wait a whole week.
Several of my blogging friends have signed up at The Sunday Salon and brought it to my attention. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon that reading and sharing bookish thoughts with other book-lovers? Thanks to my blogging friends for pointing me to TSS.

• Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
• Turn to page 123.
• What is the first sentence on the page?
• The last sentence on the page?
• Now . . . connect them together….
  (And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)

I am currently reading My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

I must be out of my mind. I joined a few more challenges for 2008. I think I can overlap many of those. Click on the icons to know more about those challenges. Join as many as you can.

The challenges in alphabetical order are:

Total 52 books. 26 each for authors and titles.

This has been a busy weekend and I have had little time for reading or blogging. However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that The Sleepy Reader has moved. It can now be found at either of the following URLs:
http://www.thesleepyreader.net   orhttp://readingtoolate.net
I hope to be back in the normal swing of things in the next week with a couple of new book reviews.
Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

This is my tentative list for the Decades Challenge 2008. At least 8 books to be read from consecutive decades. I can change my list at anytime.

Before 1800
1719: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

1810's
1816: Emma by Jane Austen
1817: Rob Roy by Walter Scott

1820's

I am kind of liking to participate in weekly geeks. A good way of community building, to discover new blogs, new books, new bloggers. Best is to read different perceptions about same books! That is the theme for this week's geek which Dewey borrowed from Darla's blog, books and other things. You review a book and then link it with the review of the same book reviewed by a fellow blogger. That way you and your reader get to read diverse viewpoints. I think this is a great idea. I have infact linked a few of my reviews in previous posts, before this.

Searching through archives might take a while but well worth the effort. Time for me go link hunting and post those here. The linky think might work well after each review. That way, more might look out for their older reviews and just copy/paste the links in the linky thing.

I think I am getting cold feet looking at my own list. However, I have to do this. I can't go on procastinating!

Man Booker Challenge 2008
1) 2007 The Gathering by Anne Enright
2) 2006 *The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
3) 2000 *The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood currently reading it
4) 1981 *Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
5)
6)

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I have taken this negative meme from Dewey's blog. I thought I would give it a shot. My answers are not as good as hers! Feel free to do this meme and credit it to Dewey!

1. When you dislike a book, do you say so in your blog? Why or why not?

I do say so. As I spend a lot of time reading and analysing it, I do think I should mention the negative aspects too. However, I mention it why I did not like that particular book. There might be cultural reasons too. Some books simply do not work for me.

2. Do you temper your feelings about books you didn’t like, so as not to completely slam them? Why or why not?

1. My favorite song of 2007 was "The Face of Love" by Sanctus Real.
2. I'm most tempted not to do housework by reading a book.
3. Today I want to stay home and relax.
4. The last thing I took a picture of was my daughter.

As my school is far from my present residence, I have been reading a lot while travelling. I have finished three books. Posted review for the other two. Today I will post a review for Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan. I read it in April though. Sunday Salon seems like a good way to write a review. I plan to write poetry after posting my review. And catch up with my fellow bloggers. I have slacked enough.

Title: Did I Expect Angels?
Author: Kathryn Maughan
ISBN: 9780595402595

1. The last compliment I got was from my husband; he/she said I was doing great on a project I have undertaken.
2. I'm reading The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer.
3. I woke up today and thought T.G.I.F!!!!!!!