Summer Reading Challenge: Read a book set in/about Japan or by a Japanese author

Fruits Basket, Volume 1 by Natsuki Takaya


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
this is the first manga book i've read and it took a while to get used to reading in the Japanese style (back to front, right to left) but i enjoyed it, the art work was beautiful and the story imaginative. I have V.2 so I'm looking forward to continuing the story of the Sohma household.


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10 more points bringing me to 275

Summer Reading Challenge: Rhiannon's Task - Read a book by an author born on the same day as you

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is a love or hate book judging by the reviews of others. I can see why this book is seen as so important, it must have been so shocking when it was first published but shock and awe should not be the only reason a book should be a classic. I don't like stream of consciousness novels but this was more of a stream of altered consciousness novel.

That said in the few lucid moments in the text there are some quirky, humorous moments and some truly nauseating ones. Most however is just a mix of ideas, images and words that make no sense whatsoever.

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Total Points: 265

Summer Reading Challenge: Sandy's Task – Read two books with main characters whose names are Lucy, Ricky, Fred or Ethel or derivatives of

The 39 Steps by John Buchan


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What a peculiar book, I don't know why it became a classic but the ending was strangest of all. The main drift of the story became almost irrelevant and it almost seemed as if the author had lost the plot and decided to end the book before the situation became worse.



Definitely of it's era in descriptions and language and entertaining if slightly anti-climactic.




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Another challenge complete and my points total so far is 245

Summer Reading Challenge: Kristina GA's task - read a book about a secret society

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
that i didn't like it and the hype was definitely hype.


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Points to date: 215

Summer Reading Challenge: Bonnie's Task – Read a book with 900+ pages

Today I finished The Bear and The Dragon by Tom Clancy. I wasn't overly impressed by this huge book.



I didn't really enjoy this, whilst I'm sure the research was in depth and the details were fascinating, the plot didn't grab me, and the ending was inevitable from about half way through.

Points to date: 190

Summer Reading Challenge: Sandy's Task – Read two books with main characters whose names are Lucy, Ricky, Fred or Ethel or derivatives of

Finished half of this challenge so I won't add any points to my score just yet.




I didn't enjoy this Austen as much as the others I have read so far, there wasn't as much of a story as there could have been and at times I was confused by the characters and events. The ending seemed to abrupt and artificial.

There were little highlights but the wittiness that fills Emma and the drama that fills Pride & Prejudice but not enough.