The Book Vipers discussion

Finished first and started second book for the Magic Square. Both Scandinavian crime books so not v. original but can't stay away from them.

Tonya's Magic Square List

Finished 11/25

✔ 1. Memoir or Biography - Tuesdays With Morrie 4/1/14
✔ 2. Favourite Genre - Mad About the Boy 2/14
3. Non-Fiction -
✔ 4. Bestseller - Where'd You Go, Bernadette 5/18
✔ 5. Book picked because of cover - The Ghost Bride 3/29/14
6. Book received as present -
7. Travel book -
✔ 8. An award winner - The Kite Runner
9. Translated into English -
10. Free Choice -
11. Science Fiction/Fact -
12. Book still on shelf after 10 years -
13. Free choice -
14. From a genre I avoid -
✔ 15. Book from small publisher - Searching for Von Honningsbergs
4/18/14
16. Free choice -
✔ 17. Richard & Judy recommendation - The Husband's Secret 1/16
18. History novel/non-fiction -
✔ 19. Friend's recommendation - The Fault in Our Stars 4/27
20. Old Favourite -
21. Book of poems -
✔ 22. Classic - 1984
23. The author shares my name -
✔ 24. New author - The Night Rainbow01/19
✔ 25. Crime novel/true crime Touch & Go 01/19

I will probably see what fits into this as I'm reading normally, then start picking things to fit it later in the year. Poetry will be hardest for me!

Memoir or Biography - Orange is the New Black ✔
Book received as a present -
Science fiction or fact - Hyperion by Dan Simmons ✔
Free Choice - Fall of Hyperion ✔
Book of Poems -
Your favourite genre -
Travel book -
On my shelf after 10 years - Lathe of Heaven ✔
Richard & Judy - The Rosie Project ✔
Classic -
Non fiction - Six Wives of Henry VIII
Award winner -
Free Choice - Buffy Vampire Slayer Volume 8.3 (Graphic novel)
History Novel/Non fiction -
Author shares my name -
Bestseller -
Translated into English -
Genre I avoid - (romance)
Friend recommendation -
New Author -
Picked because of the cover -
Free choice -
From a small publisher -
Old favourite -
Crime novel/true crime -

Tonya wrote: "Tonya's Magic Square List

Finished 0/25

1. Memoir or Biography -
2. Favourite Genre -
3. Non-Fiction -
✔ 4. Bestseller - The Husband's Secret
5. Book picked because of cover -
6...."

What did you think of The Husband's Secret, Tonya? I read it over the holidays.

I've already completed:

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield "The Thirteenth Tale"
A Book of Poems - Vickie Johnstone "Travelling Light"
A Classic - Grimms Fairy Tales
Translated into English - Victor Hugo "Les Miserables"
A Friends Recommendation - Neil Gaiman "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"
An Old Favourite - Anita Shreve "The Lives of Stella Bain"

and I'm currently reading:

Richard and Judy Recommended this one- Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller" and

Non-fiction - Germaine Greer "The Female Eunuch"

Donna- I really enjoyed The Husbands Secret! The characters could drive me batty, but I thought it was a very well written story. What did you think?

1. Memoir or Biography -
2. Favourite Genre -
3. Non-Fiction - The struggle for mastery
4. Bestseller -
5. Book picked because of cover -
6. Book received as present - Jamaica Inn
7. Travel book -
8. An award winner -
9. Translated into English - My name is red
10. Free Choice -
11. Science Fiction/Fact - Consider Phlebus
12. Book still on shelf after 10 years -
13. Free choice -
14. From a genre I avoid -
15. Book from small publisher -
16. Free choice -
17. Richard & Judy recommendation -
18. History novel/non-fiction - Wolf Hall
19. Friend's recommendation - The Pillars of the Earth
20. Old Favourite -
21. Book of poems -
22. Classic - For whom the bell tolls
23. The author shares my name -
24. New author -
25. Crime novel/true crime - In A Dry Season (Jan)

19 down, 6 to go...


✔✔✔✔✔
✔✔-✔✔
✔-✔-✔
✔--✔✔
✔✔-✔✔

Row 1:
✔(Mem/Bio) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
✔(Present) Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger By Ken Perenyi
✔(SciFi) Scarlet By Marissa Meyer
✔(Free Choice) How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue
✔(Poems) Old Possum's Tale of Practical Cats By T.S. Eliot

Row 2:
✔(Fave Genre) Divergent by Veronica Roth
✔(Travel) Angelina Jolie’s: Notes From My Travels By Angelina Jolie
(On Shelf After 10 Years) Motherless Daughters By Hope Edelman
✔(R&J Recommended) The Fault in Our Stars By John Green
✔(Classic) To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Row 3:
✔(Non Fiction) A Year of Biblical Womanhood By Rachel Held Evans
(Award Winner) The Giver By Lois Lowry
✔(Free Choice) Angelology By Danielle Trussoni
(History/NF) Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII By David Starkey
✔(Author Shares Name) Trail of Crumbs By Kim Sunee

Row 4:
✔(Bestseller) The One and Only Ivan By Katherine Applegate
(Translated Into English) IQ84 By Haruki Murakami
(Genre Avoid-Politics) Liberty and Tyranny By Mark Levin
✔(Friend Recommended) The Red Tent By Anita Diamant
✔(New Author) A Life in Men By Gina Frangello

Row 5:
✔(Like Cover) Hollow City By Ransom Riggs
✔(Free Choice) The Bells By Richard Harvell
(Small Pub) Cobweb Bride By Vera Nazarian
✔(Old Fave) Charlotte’s Web By E. B. White
✔(Crime Novel) Guilt By Association By Marcia Clark

Great way to move some of the dust-collecting ones off the bookcase! =D

My list so far:

Row 1 (diagonal):

A Book Picked Because Of The Cover - Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Translated Into English - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Free Choice - Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma

Richard And Judy Recommended This One - Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

A Book Of Poems - In Flanders Fields: And Other Poems Of The First World War by Brian Busby

Done row 1 (vertical)

Going for row 3 next, which will take me up to ten books. Then I'll decide whether to do another five.

Science fiction or fact: Viral nation (done)
A book on shelf for ten years: Carrie (done)
Free choice: The color of magic (done)
Genre I avoid: Water for Elephants (done)
Book from small publisher: Htts lesson 1 (done)

I'm usually too scared to post, but I really like this challenge and seeing all of your lists.

I'll update my list as I go.

Memoir or Biography - Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living
Favourite Genre -
Non-Fiction - Seeing Voices
Best seller - Sharp Objects
Book picked because of cover - Inferno
Book received as present -
Travel book -The 40-Year-Old Vespa Virgin
An award winner - City of Truth
Translated into English - Survival in Auschwitz
Free Choice - KLF: Chaos Magic Music Money
Science Fiction/Fact - Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Book still on shelf for 10 yrs - Lord of the Flies
Free choice - The Once and Future King
Genre avoided - Brokeback Mountain
Book from sm. publisher -Millennium Babies: A Short Novel
Free choice - Fool
Richard & Judy recommendation - The Storyteller
History novel/non-fiction - Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked
Friend's recommendation -
Old Favourite -Journey to the Center of the Earth
Book of poems - Ariel
Classic - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Author shares your name - The Color Purple
New author - Lies We Tell Ourselves
Crime novel/true crime - Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery

x~xxx
~xxxx
xxxxx
xxx~x
xxxxx

Hi Jade, I've been looking at everyones lists and it will be interesting to see what you add. :)

Hi, I've made a start on my list.I will complete it as I go along. Still a few left to choose, maybe I should give this list writing a rest and get on with some actual reading. Has potential to be an enlightening challenge!!

ROW 1
Memoir or biography - Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger Read
A book received as a present - The Goldfinch Read
Science fiction or fact - Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch Read
Free choice - Twelve Years a Slave Read
A book of poems - The Complete Poetry Read

ROW 2
Your favourite genre - Contemporary literature The Ocean at the End of the Lane read
A travel book - Mountains Of The Mind
A book still on your shelf after 10 years - The Outsider Albert Camus Read Always meant to read Camus but never quite gotten around to it..yet!
Richard and Judy recommended this one!- The Rosie Project Read
A classic - The Master and Margarita Read

ROW 3
Non-fiction - Darwin's Sacred Cause: Race, Slavery and the Quest for Human Origins Read
An award winner - The Luminaries
Free choice - The Six Wives Of Henry VIII Read
History novel or non-fiction - The Long Shadow: The Great War and the Twentieth Century
The Author shares your name - Things I Don't Want to Know Read

ROW 4

A bestseller - Life After Life
Translated into English -Anna Karenina
A genre you avoid - Poetry - An Introduction To English Poetry Read
A friends recommendation - Jack Read
A new author - The Shock of the Fall Read

ROW 5

A book you picked because of the cover - A Cat, a Hat, and a Piece of String Read
Free choice - A Tale of Two Cities Read
A book from a small publisher - Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods
An old favourite - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Read
Crime novel or true crime - The Cuckoo's Calling Read
I like the X O thing so I'm nabbing it too! Apologies for plagiarism. ;)
I'm adding an R for what I'm currently reading. I'm doing so well, I've increased my challenge from 20 to the whole 25 squares. Go me!!
XXXXX
X0XXX
X0XRX
ORXXX
XX0XX

Charlotte wrote: "I've already completed:

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield "The Thirteenth Tale"
A Book of Poems - Vickie Johnstone "Travelling Light"
A Classic - Grimms Fairy Tales
Translated into English - Victor ..."

OOhh good choices. I want to start The Thirteenth Tale next, did you enjoy it?

OOhh good choices. I want to start The Thirteenth Tale next, did you enjoy it? ..."

The Thirteenth Tale is fiction choice for February

Completed my first column on the challenge!!

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield "The Thirteenth Tale"
Richard and Judy - Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller"
History / Non Fiction - non-fiction Alan Sugar "The CV"
Friend's Recommendation - Neil Gaiman "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"
An Old Favourite - Anita Shreve "The Lives of Stella Bain"

Charlotte wrote: "Completed my first column on the challenge!!

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield "The Thirteenth Tale"
Richard and Judy - Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller"
History / Non Fiction - non-fiction Alan Sugar..."
Hi Charlotte, Well done you, 5 already, impressive!! Was the Neil Gaiman good, it's on my TRL.

I've been away with work a lot the last couple of weeks so had a lot of reading time!

The Gaiman was amazing!! You should read it asap.

Charlotte wrote: "Completed my first column on the challenge!!

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield "The Thirteenth Tale"
Richard and Judy - Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller"
History / Non Fiction - non-fiction Alan Sugar..."

Well done Charlotte. I am concentrating on the Winter challenge as I have seven to go on that

Thanks Paul!

Good luck with your challenge!!

Glad you enjoyed it, may well have to be next as the last few books I've read have been non-fiction. I bought Fortunately the milk for my daughter and we thought that was hilariously fantastic. x

Paul wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "Completed my first column on the challenge!!

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield "The Thirteenth Tale"
Richard and Judy - Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller"
History / Non Fiction - non-..."

I've read 5 books of the winter challenge but the last one was a bit of a chore. Only got one left but read one towards the magic square in the meantime. Hopefully that will get me back on track

Debbie- I missed your earlier comment. The Thirteenth Tale was fantastic. I'd have a tough time choosing between that and the Gaiman for my next read if I were you!!

Charlotte wrote: "Thanks Paul!

Good luck with your challenge!!"

Thanks. One more finished at 1am last night :-)

Hi all, here's my list as far as I've got with it. I've already spent far too long mulling it over and not enough reading, so going to post this now and add in more titles as I go along.

Row 1:
Memoir/biog: The Last Pre-Raphaelite: Edward Burne-Jones and the Victorian Imagination
by Fiona MacCarthy
Book received as a present: The Invisible Woman by Claire Tomalin
Science Fiction or Fact:
Free Choice:
Book of Poems: From Me to You: Love Poems by UA Fanthorpe and RV Bailey COMPLETED

Row 2:
Favourite Genre: The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam
Travel Book: Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane
Book still on shelf after 10 years: The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
Richard & Judy: Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty COMPLETED
Classic: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen COMPLETED

Row 3:
Non Fiction:
An Award Winner: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Free Choice:
History Novel: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
Author Shares Your Name:

Row 4:
A Bestseller: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Translated into English:
A Genre You Avoid: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
Friends Recommendation:
New Author:

Row 5:
Book Picked Because of the Cover: Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell
Free Choice:
Book from a Small Publisher:
Old Favourite:
Crime Novel/True Crime

Am working my way across rows 1 & 2, so this is how it looks right now. Thanks to whoever came up with the X and O idea!

O O O O X
O O O X X
O O O O O
O O O O O
O O O O O

Cathy wrote: "Hi all, here's my list as far as I've got with it. I've already spent far too long mulling it over and not enough reading, so going to post this now and add in more titles as I go along.

Row 1:
M..."
Hi Cathy, you have some great choices!1 I know what you mean about losing precious reading time, it's addictive isn't it? Certainly got me thinking about what I was reading.
Just read Goth Girl to my daughters, we all loved it, hope you do too.

Hi Debbie, I like your list too! Why Willows Weep is a really lovely book full of little gems of stories. Hope you enjoy it.
I got Goth Girl for my 11 year old daughter for Xmas but knew that I would enjoy it too from reading the beginning in the bookshop. She's already finished it but then she reads faster than I do.
I've just discovered that one of my books, The Invisible Woman, has been made into a film with Ralph Fiennes. I shall have to hurry up and read it before I see the film!

Cathy wrote: "Hi Debbie, I like your list too! Why Willows Weep is a really lovely book full of little gems of stories. Hope you enjoy it.
I got Goth Girl for my 11 year old daughter for Xmas but knew that I wou..."

We are the same person... The Invisible Woman is fantastic. I have very high hopes for the film, I'm sure Ralph Fiennes is going to be a spine-tingling Dickens!!

Across
Free Choice: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A Genre You Avoid: A Midsummer Night's Dream
History or Non-Fiction:On Evil

Across
Bestseller: The Catcher in the Rye
Award Winner: To Kill a Mockingbird
10 Years on the Shelf: The Picture of Dorian Grey
Free Choice: The History of Love (Done)

Row:
Bestseller:Included Before
Translated to English: Miramar
Genre You Avoid:Included Before
Friend's Recommendation: The Giver/The Time Keeper
New Author:

My Challenge now looks like this:

X00XX
000XX
X0XX0
XXXXX
0X0X0

I'm enjoying it. I read the first Twilight book as my "genre I avoid" and enjoyed it, so ended up reading all 4!! And they fit into the challenge, which was a nice bonus.

Books I've read are:

Memoir or Biography - Alicia Hart - Brains Trains and Video Games

Free Choice - Diane Setterfield - the Thirteenth Tale

A Book of Poems - Vicki Johnstone - Travelling Light

Richard and Judy Recommend - Jodi Picoult - The Storyteller

A Classic - Grimm's Fairy Tales

Non-fiction - Germaine Greer - The Female Eunuch

Free Choice - Stephanie Meyer - Eclipse

History or Non-fiction - Alan Sugar - The CV

A Bestseller - Stephanie Meyer - Breaking Dawn

Translated into English - Victor Hugh - Les Miserables

A Genre You Avoid - Stephanie Meyer - Twilight

A Friend's Recommendations - Neil Gaiman - The Ocean at the End of the Lane

A New Author - Gavin Extence - The Universe vs Alex Woods

Free Choice - Stephanie Meyer - New Moon

An Old Favourite - Anita Shreve - The Lives of Stella Bain

My square looks like this, so far

X00X0
X00X0
XXXXX
0000X
0000X

Nearly half way!

Elizabeth wrote: "My square looks like this, so far

X00X0
X00X0
XXXXX
0000X
0000X

Nearly half way!"

Well done. I am only three in so far. Two books left on the winter challenge, then will crack on with it

I'm going to try to complete all the squares.


XXXXX
XXoXX
XoXXo
oXXXo
oXXoo

Memoir or Biog: My Family and Other Animals
Received as present: Instructions for a Heatwave
Science Fiction or Fact: Red Dwarf Omnibus
Free Choice: The Book of Lost Things
Poems: Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Fave Genre: The ABC Murders (mystery)
Travel Book: Around the World in Eighty Days
Still on shelf after 10 yrs unread:
R&J recommended: The Rosie Project
A Classic: Bleak House
Non-fiction: The Burglar Caught by a Skeleton And Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press
An Award Winner:
Free Choice: Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1)
History novel: Girl With a Pearl Earring
Author shares name:
A Bestseller:
Translated into English: The Shape of Water
A Genre you Avoid: The Sisters Brothers (westerns)
A Friend's recommendation: Rules of Civility
A New Author:
Picked because of Cover:
Free Choice: High Rising
Small Publisher: The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade (Thistle Publishing)
An Old favourite:
Crime Novel or True Crime:

I don't have all the titles already; here are the first:
First Row
1 Memoir or biography Claire Tomalin, Charles Dickens  A Life Still TBR
2 A book received as a present
3 Science Fiction or Fact Stephen King 22/11/1963
4 Free Choice Harry Bernstein, The Invisible Wall
5 A book of poem

Second row
6 Your favourite Genre (family saga) Rosa Ventrella, Il giardino degli oleandri
7 A travel Book
8 A book still on your shelf after 10 years
9 Richard and July Recommended this one Lauren Beukes The Shining Gilrs
10 A classic Thomas Love Peacock Nightmare Abbey

Third Row from above
11 A new Author Enrico Ruggeri,  Non si può morire la notte di Natale
12 A friend's recomendation Mathew Green, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
13 A genre you avoid Weatherly Anna, La rivincita delle mogli
14 Translated into english Emile Zola, Abbe Mouret's Transgression
15 A best seller Michele Serra Gli sdraiati

Fourt Row
16 A book picked because of the cover
17 Free Chioce
18 A book from a small Publisher
19 An old favourite
20 Crime novel or true crime Doris Lessing The Grass is Singing

Memoir or Biography - The Heroin Diaries
Favourite Genre -
Non-Fiction -
Bestseller -
Book picked because of cover - Skellig
Book received as present -
Travel book -
An award winner -
Translated into English - The Reason I Jump
Free Choice - Its So Easy : And Other Lies
Science Fiction/Fact -
Book still on shelf for 10 yrs -
Free choice -
Genre avoided -
Book from sm. publisher -
Free choice -
Richard & Judy recommendation -
History novel/non-fiction -
Friend's recommendation - The Book Thief
Old Favourite -
Book of poems -
Classic -
Author shares yr name -
New author -
Crime novel/true crime - Lazy Bones

Update to Square:

X X X X X
0 0 X X X
X 0 X X 0
X X X X X
0 X 0 X X

New additions are:

Crime Novel - William Landay "Defending Jacob" and
Book Received as a Present - Jodi Taylor "A Second Chance"

✔ – Memoir or biography – How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
✔ – A book received as a present – Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen
3 – Science fiction or fact –
4 – Free choice –
5 – A book of poems –
6 – A classic –
7 – Richard & Judy recommended this one –
8 – A book still on your shelf after 10 years –
9 – A travel book –
10 – Your favourite genre –
11 – Non fiction –
12 – An award winner –
13 – Free choice –
14 – History novel or non-fiction –
15 – The author shares your name –
16 – A new author –
17 – A friend’s recommendation –
18 – A genre I avoid – (romance) –
✔ – Translated into English – Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin
20 – A bestseller –
21 – A book picked because of the cover –
22 – Free choice –
23 – A book from a small publisher –
24 - An old favourite –
25 - Crime novel or true crime –

I just realised I never posted my magic square...so here it is!

1. Memoir Or Biography - Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess
✔ A Book Received As A Present - The Christmas Cookie Club
3. Science Fiction Or Fact - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
4. Free Choice - Inside the Whale
5. A Book Of Poems -

✔ Your Favourite Genre - A Thousand Splendid Suns
7. A Travel Book - Narrow Dog To Carcassonne
8. A Book Still On Your Shelf After 10 Years - Jeeves and the Tie That Binds
9. Richard And Judy Recommended This One! - Notes from an Exhibition
10. A Classic - Emma

11. Non Fiction - Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
✔ An Award Winner - The Cambridge Curry Club
13. Free Choice - The Thirteenth Tale
14. History: Novel Or Non Fiction - Green Darkness
15. The Author Shares Your Name - Love Finds You in Wildrose, North Dakota

✔ A Bestseller - Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist
16. Translated Into English - The Scent of the Night
17. A Genre You Avoid - The Pain Merchants
18. A Friend's Recommendation - Wait Until Spring, Bandini
✔ A New Author - When God Was a Rabbit

20. A Book Picked Because Of The Cover - Tea Time for the Traditionally Built
21. Free Choice - Room
22. A Book From A Small Publisher - Love and Devotion
23. An Old Favourite - The Pirate's Daughter
24. Crime: Novel Or True Crime - The Weight Of Water

So my square now looks like this:



OXOOO
XOOOO
OXOOO
XOOOX
OOOOO

Good job

Right here they are! afraid I have no idea how to link the books!

Memoir or Biography - Prick up your ears - John Lahr
Book received as a present - The Paris wife - Paula McLain
Science fiction or fact - Brave new world - Aldous Huxley
Free choice - No cry sleep solution - Elizabeth Pantley - FINISHED
A book of poems - No Bliss like this
Favourite Genre - The Body in the Thames - Susanna Gregory
A travel book -
A book still on your shelf after 10 years - A Question of Integrity - Susan Howatch
Richard and Judy - A Commonplace KIlling - Sian Busby
A Classic - Lolita
Non fiction - Raising Girls - Steve Biddulph
Award winner - Wolf Hall
Free Choice - Timeless -Gail Carriger - FINISHED
History Novel or non fiction - The Mistresses of Charles II - Brian Masters
Author shares name - Wedlock - Wendy Moore
Best seller - Life of Pi
Translated into English - Crime and Punishment - FINISHED
A Genre you avoid - Never Say Die - Tess Gerritsen - FINISHED
Friends Recommendation - The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters
A New Author - Tigers in Red Weather
Book chosen for the cover - Teleportation Accident
Free Choice - Diaries the Python Year - Michael Palin
Book from a small publisher -
An old favourite - The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fford
Crime Novel or true crime - The Bat - Jo Nesbo - FINISHED

I'm down to my last two books now!

My square looks like this:

X X X X X
0 X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
0 X X X X

Books added to the square since my last update are:

Book from a small publisher: Maria Goodin "Nutmeg"
Travel : Vernon Coleman "Secrets of Paris"
Award Winner: Nathan Filer "The Shock of the Fall" and
Author Shares Your Name: Charlotte Perkins Gilman "What Diantha Did"

I'm currently half way through the Book Chosen For the Cover : Essie Fox "The Somnambulist"

Can't believe I'm nearly finished already

Blimey, Charlotte! You put me to shame - I'm currently reading books 5 and 6.

It's mostly because I was away a lot with work during January, and there's not a lot else to do when stuck in a hotel on your own!!

Charlotte wrote: "It's mostly because I was away a lot with work during January, and there's not a lot else to do when stuck in a hotel on your own!!"

That makes me feel a little bit better :-)
Well done, in any case - it's pretty good going.

Thanks!

I also don't sleep well so often go to bed and read for a couple of hours before actually falling asleep.

Charlotte wrote: "I'm down to my last two books now!

My square looks like this:

X X X X X
0 X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
0 X X X X

Books added to the square since my last update are:

Book from a small publisher..."

I can't believe you have 2 books to go. Well done. At the rate you get through books, you'll be able to do the Magic Square 4 times over before the end of the year. Mightily impressed!!

Charlotte wrote: "I'm down to my last two books now!

My square looks like this:

X X X X X
0 X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
0 X X X X

Books added to the square since my last update are:

Book from a small publisher..."

Well done!! You are going to need to adjust your annual target to something near mine then!

I think you're right Paul. I read 63 books last year, so 60 seemed a sensible target at the time!

I might have another go at the Magic Square Challenge with different books :D