The Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge

The aim of this challenge is to read the list from The Ultimate Teen Book Guide. There are 681 entries, some of which are series of books, so I intend for this to be a long term challenge. My start date is Jan 1st 2011 and I begin having already read 18 entries.

1066 And All That - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman
The 13½ Lives Of Captain Blue Bear - Walter Moers
52 Pick-Up - Elmore Leonard
84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
87th Precinct Series - Ed McBain
Abarat - Clive Barker
The Abortion - Richard Brautigan
About A Boy - Nick Hornby
Across The Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
After The First Death - Robert Cormier
Against The Day - Michael Cronin
Airborne - Kenneth Oppel
Al Copone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Choldenko
Alanna: The First Adventure – Tamora Pierce
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist's Apprentice - Kate Thompson
Alchemy - Margaret Mahy
The Aldous Lexicon - Michael Lawrence
Alex Rider Series - Anthony Horowitz
Alice Series - Susan Juby
All American Girl - Meg Cabot
All Quiet On The Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
All The Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett
The Amulet Of Samarkand - Jonathan Stroud
And The Ass Saw An Angel - Nick Cave
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging - Louise Rennison
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Anita And Me - Meera Syal
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
Another Roadside Attraction - Tom Robbins
Anthem For Doomed Youth - Ed. Jon Stallworthy
An Anthropologist On Mars - Oliver Sacks
Apocalypse - Tim Bowler
Arabella - Georgette Heyer
Archer’s Goon - Diana Wynne Jones
Are You Dave Gorman? - Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace
Are You Experienced? - William Sutcliffe
Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Arthur: The Seeing Stone - Kevin Crossley-Holland
At Swim-Two-Birds - Flann O'Brien
At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum - Mary Hooper
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Automated Alice - Jeff Noon
Bad Alice - Jean Ure
Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie
Barrel Fever - David Sedaris
Be More Chill - Ned Vizzini
The Beach - Alex Garland
Beau Geste - P.C. Wren
* Beauty - Robin McKinley
The Beet Fields - Gary Paulsen
The Belgariad - David Eddings
The Bell - Iris Murdoch
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Beloved - Toni Morrison
Beyond The Deepwoods - Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler
Bilgewater - Jane Gardam
Bindi Babes - Narinder Dhami
The Birds On The Trees - Nina Bawden
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
Bitter Fruit - Brian Keaney
The Black Magican Trilogy - Trudi Canavan
Blame My Brain - Nicola Morgan
Blankets - Craig Thompson
Blinded By The Light - Sherry Ashworth
The Blood Stone - Jamila Gavin
Bloodtide - Melvin Burgess
Blue - Sue Mayfield
Blue Moon - Julia Green
The Body In The Library - Agatha Christie
Bonjour Tristesse - Francoise Sagan
Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier
Bows Against The Barons - Geoffrey Trease
Boy2Girl - Terence Blacker
The Boy In The Burning House - Tim Wynne-Jones
* The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
Boy Kills Man - Matt Whyman
Boy Meets Boy - David Levithan
Boy Soldier - Andy McNab and Robert Rigby
Brat Farrar - Josephine Tey
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Breadwinner - Deborah Ellis
Breakfast At Tiffany's - Truman Capote
Breaktime - Aidan Chambers
Brideshead Revisted - Evelyn Waugh
Bridge To Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
Brighton Rock - Graham Green
The Bromeliad Trilogy - Terry Pratchett
Brother Of The More Famous Jack - Barbara Trapido
Brothers - Ted Van Lieshout
The Buddha Of Suburbia - Hanif Kureishi
The Burning City - Ariel and Joaquin Dorfman
The Butterfly Tattoo - Philip Pullman
The Call Of The Wild - Jack London
Calling A Dead Man - Gillian Cross
Can You Keep A Secret? - Sandra Glover
Candy - Kevin Brooks
Cannery Row/Sweet Thursday - John Steinbeck
Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
Carwash - Lesley Howarth
Cat Among The Pigeons - Agatha Christie
Catalyst - Laurie Halse Anderson
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Catcher In The Rye - J.D. Salinger
Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut
Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood
Caught In The Crossfire - Alan Gibbons
Cause Celeb - Helen Fielding
The Cement Garden - Ian McEwan
The Changeover - Margaret Mahy
* A Child Called ‘IT’ - David Pelzer
Child X - Lee Weatherly
Children Of The Dust - Louise Lawrence
* Chinese Cinderella - Adeline Yen Mah
Chocolat - Joanne Harris
The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
Christine - Stephen King
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
The Chrysalids - John Wyndham
Cider With Rosie - Laurie Lee
Claudine At School - Colette
Clay - David Almond
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
The Colditz Story - P.R. Reid
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Come Clean - Terri Paddock
Coming Up For Air - George Orwell
Complete Short Stories - J.G. Ballard
Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen - Dyan Sheldon
Consider Phlebas - Iain M. Banks
* Coraline - Neil Gaiman
Coram Boy - Jamila Gavin
Corbenic - Catherine Fisher
Counting Stars - David Almond
Crazy - Benjamin Lebert
Crime And Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Cry Of The Icemark - Stuart Hill
The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart
The Crystal Singer - Anne McCaffrey
Cue for Treason - Geoffrey Trease
The Cup Of The World/The Widow And The King - John Dickinson
* The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time – Mark Haddon
Cut - Patricia McCormick
* The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Daisy Miller - Henry James
Dance On My Grave - Aidan Chambers
Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury
The Dark Beneath - Alan Gibbons
The Dark Ground - Gillian Cross
The Dark Is Rising Series - Susan Cooper
The Dark Lord Of Derkholm - Diana Wynne Jones
Darkhenge - Catherine Fisher
Daughters Of Jerusalem - Charlotte Mendelson
The Day Of The Jackal - Frederick Forsyth
The Day Of The Triffids - John Wyndham
Daz 4 Zoe - Robert Swindells
Dead Famous - Ben Elton
Dead Negative - Nick Manns
Deadkidsongs - Toby Litt
* Dear Nobody - Bertie Doherty
Death And The Penguin - Andrey Kurkov
Deep Secret - Berlie Doherty
The Defender - Alan Gibbons
Desire Lines - Jack Gantos
The Diamond Girls - Jacqueline Wilson
Diary Of A Nobody - George and Weedon Grossman
The Diary Of A Young Girl - Anne Frank
Disconnected - Sherry Ashworth
Discworld : Monstrous Regiment – Terry Pratchett
Divided City - Theresa Breslin
Dizzy - Cathy Cassidy
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? - Phillip K. Dick
Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
Does My Bum Look Big In This? - Arabella Weir
Doing It - Melvin Burgess
Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight - Alexandra Fuller
Down With Skool! - G. Willans and R. Searle
Dracula - Bram Stoker
The Dragonriders Of Pern Series - Annie McCaffrey
Drama Queen - Chloe Rayban
The Dud Avacado - Elaine Dundy
Dune - Frank Herbert
Dusk - Susan Gates
The Eclipse Of The Century - Jan Mark
Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin
Empire Of The Sun - J.G Ballard
Empty World - John Christopher
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Escape - Kate Cann
Ethan Frome - Edith Warren
Ethel And Ernest - Raymond Briggs
An Evil Cradling - Brian Keenan
Exile And The Kingdom - Albert Camus
Exodus - Julie Bertagna
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Face - Benjamin Zephaniah
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Fake - K.K. Beck
Faking It - Pete Johnson
Falling 4 Mandy - Chris d'Lacey
Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb
Fat Boy Swim - Catherine Forde
Fat Kid Rules The World - K.L. Going
Fatherland - Robert Harris
Feather Boy - Nicky Singer
Feed - M.T. Anderson
Festival - David Belbin
Fever Pitch - Nick Hornby
Fire And Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Fire From Heaven - Mary Renault
Firedrake's Eye - Patricia Finney
The Fire-Eaters - David Almond
Fireweed - Jill Paton Walsh
Fleshmarket - Nicola Morgan
Floodland - Marcus Sedgwick
* Flowers In The Attic - Virgina Andrews
The Flowing Queen - Kai Meyer
Follow Me Down - Julie Hearn
For Esme - With Love And Squalor - J.D. Salinger
Forbidden - Judy Waite
Forever - Judy Blume
The Fortune Teller - Alison Prince
The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Franny And Zooey - J.D. Salinger
Frenchman's Creek - Daphne Du Maurier
Friendly Fire - Patrick Gale
Frost In May - Antonia White
Frost On My Moustache - Tim Moore
The Garbage King - Elizabeth Laird
A Gathering Light - Jennifer Donnelly
Generation X - Douglas Coupland
Georgie - Malachy Doyle
Getting Rid Of Karenna - Helena Pielichaty
Ghost Stories - M.R. James
Gifts - Ursula Le Guin
Gigi - Colette
Girl, 15 (Charming But Insane) - Sue Limb
The Girl In The Attic - Valerie Mendes
Girl With A Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Girlfriend In A Coma - Douglas Coupland
Girls In Love - Jacqueline Wilson
Girls Like You: Alex - Kate Petty
Go And Come Back - Joan Abelove
Go Ask Alice - Anonymous
The Go-Between - L.P. Hartley
Going For Stone - Philip Gross
Goldkeeper - Sally Prue
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Goodbye To All That - Robert Graves
The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale
The Gormenghast Trilogy - Mervyn Peake
The Great Blue Yonder - Alex Shearer
The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Railway Bazaar - Paul Theroux
The Greengage Summer - Rumer Godden
Gulf - Robert Westall
Gulliver - Martin Jenkins and Chris Riddell
* Hamlet - William Shakespeare
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Hangover Square - Patrick Hamilton
Happy - Keith Gray
Hard Cash - Kate Cann
The Hard Man Of The Swings - Jeanne Willis
* The Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray - Chris Wooding
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers
Heart Of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
A Heakbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
The Heaven Shop - Deborah Ellis
The Henry Game - Susan Davis
Heroes - Robert Cormier
Hex - Rhiannon Lassiter
High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
His Dark Materials Trilogy - Phillip Pullman
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein
Hole In My Life - Jack Gantos
Holes - Louis Sacher
Hombre - Elmore Leonard
Homecoming - Cynthia Voigt
Hoot - Carl Hiaasen
Hope Was Here - Joan Bauer
Horace - Chis d'Lacey
The Hours - Michael Cunningham
The House In Norham Gardens - Penelope Lively
The House Of Sleep - Jonathan Coe
House Of The Scorpion - Nancy Farmer
House Of The Spirits - Isabel Allende
How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff
How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found - Sara Nickerson
Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Hunter's Heart - Julia Green
I Am David - Anne Holm
I Am The Cheese - Robert Cormier
I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
I. Robot - Isaac Asimov
I Was A Teenager Worrier - Ros Asquith
The Ice Road - Jaap Ter Haar
If Only They Could Talk - James Herriot
If You Come Softly - Jacqueline Woodson
The Illustrated Mum - Jacqueline Wilson
The Iliad And The Odyssey - Homer
I'm Not Scared - Niccolo Ammaniti
I'm The King Of The Castle - Susan Hill
In The Shadow Of The Ark - Anne Provoost
The Inheritors - William Golding
Innocent Blood - P.D. James
The Innocent's Story - Nicky Singer
Inspector Morse Books - Colin Dexter
Interview with The Vampire - Anne Rice
Inventing Elliot - Graham Gardner
Is Anybody There? - Jean Ure
Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott
Jake's Tower - Elizabeth Laird
Jamaica Inn - Daphne Du Maurier
The James Bond Books - Ian Fleming
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Jeannie of White Peak Farm - Berlie Doherty
The Jeeves Stories - P.G. Wodehouse
Jemima J - Jane Green
Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth - Chris Ware
Johnnie's Blitz - Bernard Ashley
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull - Richard Bach
Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell - Susannah Clarke
Journey To The River Sea - Eva Ibbotson
Junk - Melvin Burgess
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
Just Sixteen - Jean Ure
The Just William Series - Richmal Crompton
Katherine - Anya Seton
Keeper - Mal Peet
Keeping The Moon - Sarah Dessen
A Kestral For A Knave - Barry Hines
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
Kim - Rudyard Kipling
The Kin - Peter Dickinson
The King Must Die - Mary Renault
The Kingdom By The Sea - Robert Westall
Kiss The Dust - Elizabeth Laird
Kissing The Rain - Kevin Brooks
The Kite Rider - Geraldine McCaughrean
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Kit's Wilderness - David Almond
The L-Shaped Room - Lynne Reid Banks
Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence
The Land - Mildred D. Taylor
Last Chance To See - Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
The Last Of The Wine - Mary Renault
Last Seen Wearing Trainers - Rosie Rushton
The Last Siege - Jonathan Stroud
Last Train From Kummersdorf - Leslie Wilson
The Lastling - Philip Gross
LBD: It’s a Girl Thing - Grace Dent
Le Grand Meaulnes - Alain-Fournier
The Left Hand Of Darkness - Ursula Le Guin
Letters From the Inside - John Marsden
The Liar - Stephen Fry
Life Of Pi - Yann Martel
A Little Piece of Ground - Elizabeth Laird
Lola Rose - Jacqueline Wilson
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
The Long Walk - Stephen King/Richard Bachman
The Long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz
A Long Walk From Verona - Jane Gardam
Looking For JJ - Anne Cassidy
The Looking Glass Wars - Frank Beddor
Lord Loss - Darren Shan
Lord Of The Flies - William Golding
Lord Of The Rings Trilogy – J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord Peter Wimsey Books - Dorothy L. Sayers
Lost And Found - Valerie Mendes
Love, Fifteen - Ros Asquith
Love In A Cold Climate - Nancy Mitford
Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marques
* The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Lucas - Kevin Brooks
The Machine-Gunners - Robert Westall
The Magic Toyshop - Angela Carter
The Maigret Books - Georges Simenon
Make Lemonade - Virginia Euwer Wolff
Making Sense - Nadia Marks
Malarkey - Keith Gray
Man And Boy - Tony Parsons
The Man In The High Castle - Phillip K. Dick
Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Martyn Pig - Kevin Brooks
Massive - Julia Bell
Master And Commander - Patrick O'Brian
The Master Of Ballantrae - Robert Louis Stevenson
Mates, Dates... Series - Cathy Hopkins
Maus - Art Spiegelman
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment - James Patterson
Megan Trilogy - Mary Hooper
Memoirs Of A Geisha - Arthur Golden
Memoirs Of An Infantry Officer - Siegfried Sassoon
The Merrybegot - Julie Hearn
Midget - Tim Bowler
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil - John Berendt
Midshipman’s Hope - David Feintuch
Milkweed - Jerry Spinelli
The Mill On The Floss - George Eliot
Millions - Frank Cottrell Boyce
Milo's Wolves - Jenny Nimmo
Mine - Caroline Pilcher
Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow - Peter Hoeg
* Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry
Mondays Are Red - Nicola Morgan
Montmorency - Eleanor Updale
The Moon Riders - Theresa Tomlinson
The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
Mortal Engines - Phillip Reeve
The Moth Diaries - Rachel Klien
The Motorcycle Diaries - Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway
Mr Midshipman Easy - Captain Marryat
Murkmere - Patricia Elliot
My Brilliant Career - Miles Franklin
My Darling, My Hamburger - Paul Zindel
My Family And Other Animals - Gerald Durrell
My Side Of The Mountain - Jean George
Naked Without A Hat - Jeanne Willis
Narziss And Goldmund - Hermann Hesse
The Nature Of The Beast - Janni Howker
Never Ever - Helena Pielichaty
The Neverending Story - Michael Ende
New Boy - William Sutcliffe
Nicola And The Viscount - Meg Cabot
The Night Country - Stewart O'Nan
The Night World: Secret Vampire – L.J. Smith
Ninteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
No Shame, No Fear - Ann Turnbull
Noodlehead - Jonathan Kebbe
Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less - Jeffrey Archer
Not Dressed Like That You Don't - Yvonne Coppard
Not The End Of The Word - Geraldine McCaughrean
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
Notes On A Scandal - Zoe Heller
Noughts And Crosses - Malorie Blackman
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
Of Mice And Men - John Steinbeck
The Old Man And The Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Olivia Joules And The Overactive Imagination - Helen Fielding
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
The Once And Future King - T.H. White
Once In A House On Fire - Andrea Ashworth
One Day In The life Of Ivan Denisovich - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One For The Money - Janet Evanovich
One Girl, Two Decks, Three Degrees Of Love - Jonny Zucker
One Hundred Years Of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Only Forward - Michael Marshall Smith
Operation Red Jericho - Joshua Mowll
The Opposite Of Chocolate - Julie Bertagna
The Oracle - Catherine Fisher
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson
Orlando - Virginia Wolf
The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
Other Echoes - Adele Geras
The Other Side Of Truth - Beverley Naidoo
Our Man In Havana - Graham Greene
Out Of Bounds - Beverley Naidoo
Out Of The Blue - Sue Welford
Out Of The Dust - Karen Hesse
The Outsider - Albert Camus
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
The Owl Service - Alan Garner
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle
Pagan's Crusade - Catherine Jinks
Paper Faces - Rachel Anderson
Peace Like A River - Lief Enger
Peace Weavers - Julia Jarman
Pennington’s 17th Summer - K.M. Peyton
Perfume - Patrick Suskind
Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood - Marjane Satrapi
Phosphorescence - Raffaella Barker
Picnic At Hanging Rock - Joan Lindsay
The Picture Of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Pied Piper - Nevil Shute
The Pigman - Paul Zindel
Pirates! - Celia Rees
Plague - Malcolm Rose
Pobby And Dingan - Ben Rice
Polo - Jilly Cooper
A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man - James Joyce
Postcards From No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers
Power Of Three - Diana Wynne Jones
A Prayer For Owen Meany - John Irving
Prey - Michael Crichton
Pride And Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
The Princess Bride - William Goldman
The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot
The Prisoner Of Zenda - Anthony Hope
Private Peaceful - Michael Morpurgo
A Question Of Courage - Marjorie Darke
The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis
Rachel's Holiday - Marian Keyes
Radio Radio - Graham Marks
The Rag And Bone Shop - Robert Cormier
Rani And Sukh - Bali Rai
Raspberries On The Yangtze - Karen Wallace
Rat-Catcher - Chris Ryan
Raven's Gate - Anthony Horowitz
* The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
Reckless - Sue Mayfield
The Recruit - Robert Muchamore
Red Shift - Alan Garner
Redwall - Brian Jacques
Refugee Boy - Benjamin Zephaniah
Regeneration - Pat Barker
Remembrance - Theresa Breslin
The Riddle Of The Sands - Erskine Childers
River Boy - Tim Bowler
Roll Of Thunder, Here My Cry - Mildred D. Taylor
The Romance Of Tristan and Iseult - Retold by Joseph Bedier
A Room Of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf
A Room With A View - E. M. Forster
Round Behind The Ice-House - Anne Fine
Round Ireland With A Fridge - Tony Hawks
Roxy's Baby - Catherine MacPhail
Ruby Holler - Sharon Creech
Ruby Tanya - Robert Swindells
Rumblefish - S.E. Hinton
The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
Sabriel - Garth Nix
Sabrina Fludde - Pauline Fisk
Saffy's Angel - Hilary McKay
Salem's Lot - Stephen King
The Sally Lockhart Books - Phillip Pullman
Sammy And Juliana In Hollywood - Benjamin Alire Saenz
The Sandman Series - Neil Gaiman
The Scarecrows - Robert Westall
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Orczy
Scoop - Evelyn Waugh
The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
Sea Of Trolls - Nancy Farmer
Second From Last In The Sack Race - David Nobbs
Second Star To The Right - Deborah Hautzig
The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ - Sue Townsend
The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
Secrets In The Fire/Playing With Fire - Henning Mankell
Seeker - William Nicholson
A Separate Peace - John Knowles
A Series Of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
The Serious Kiss - Mary Hogan
Set In Stone - Linda Newbery
Seventh Heaven - Alice Hoffman
* The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Shadowmancer - G.P. Taylor
The Shamer's Daughter - Lene Kaaberbol
Sharp North - Patrick Cave
Sharpe's Company - Bernard Cornwall
She - H. Rider Haggard
The Shell House - Linda Newbery
The Sherlock Holmes Stories - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Short Stories - H.G. Wells
The Short Stories Of Saki - H.H. Munro
Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
A Sight For Sore Eyes - Ruth Rendell
Silas Marner - George Eliot
Silent Snow, Secret Snow - Adele Geras
Silverfin - Charlie Higson
The Simple Gift - Steven Herrick
The Sirens Of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut
The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants - Ann Brashares
Sisterland - Linda Newbery
Skarrs - Catherine Forde
Skellig - David Almond
Skinny B, Skaz and Me - John Singleton
Slake's Limbo - Felice Holeman
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Sleepwalking - Nicola Morgan
The Slightly True Story Of Cedar B. Hartley - Martine Murray
Snow Falling On Cedars - David Guterson
The Snow Goose - Paul Gallico
Something In The Air - Jan Mark
The Song Of An Innocent Bystander - Ian Bone
Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder
The Speed Of The Dark - Alex Shearer
Spiggot’s Quest - Garry Kilworth
Spindle's End - Robin McKinley
Spy High Series - A.J. Butcher
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John Le Carre
Star Of The Sea - Joseph O'Connor
Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
Starseeker - Tim Bowler
Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
Stealing Stacey - Lynne Reid Banks
The Sterkarm Handshake - Susan Price
Stone Cold - Robert Swindells
The Stones Of Muncaster Cathedral - Robert Westall
Storm - Suzanne Fisher Staples
Stormbreaker - Anthony Horowitz
Strait Is The Gate - Andre Gide
The Strange Affair Of Adelaide Harris - Leon Garfield
Strange Boy - Paul Magrs
Strange Meeting - Susan Hill
Strangers On A Train - Patricia Highsmith
Stripes Of The Sidestep Wolf - Sonya Hartnett
Sugar Rush - Julie Birchill
A Summer Bird-Cage - Margaret Drabble
The Summerhouse - Alison Prince
The Supernaturalist - Eoin Colfer
A Tale Of Two Cites - Charles Dickens
The Talented Mr Ripley - Patricia Highsmith
Tales Of Mystery And Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe
Tales Of The City - Armistead Maupin
Tales Of The Unexpected - Roald Dahl
Talk Of The Town - Ardal O'Hanlon
Tamar - Mal Peet
Taylor Five: The Story Of A Clone Girl - Ann Halam
Tender Is The Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Terra Incognita - Sara Wheeler
Tess Of The D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
There's A Boy In The Girls' Bathroom - Louis Sacher
Therese Raquin - Emile Zola
These Old Shades - Georgette Heyer
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
The Thirty- Nine Steps - John Buchan
This Boy's Life - Tobias Wolff
Three Men In A Boat - Jerome K. Jerome
Thursday's Child - Sonya Hartnett
Time Bomb - Nigel Hinton
Tin Grin - Catherine Robinson
To Be A Ninja - Benedict Jacka
To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Toll Bridge - Aidan Chambers
Tommy Glover's Sketch Of Heaven - Jane Bailey
Touching The Void - Joe Simpson
Tourist Season - Carl Hiaasen
The Tower Room - Adele Geras
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn - Betty Smith
The Tricksters - Margaret Mahy
Troll Fell - Katherine Langrish
The Trouble With Donovan Croft - Bernard Ashley
The Trouble With Lichen - John Wyndham
Troy - Adele Geras
True Grit - Charles Portis
Trustee From The Toolroom - Nevil Shute
Truth Or Dare - Celia Rees
The Tulip Touch - Anne Fine
Tulku - Peter Dickinson
Turbulence - Jan Mark
The Turn Of The Screw - Henry James
Turtle Diary - Russell Hoban
The Twelfth Day Of July - Joan Lingard
Ultraviolet - Lesley Howarth
(Un)Arranged Marriage - Bali Rai
Under Pressure/Bad Boys - Tony Bradman
Underworld - Catherine MacPhail
Unique - Alison Allen-Gray
An Unsuitable Job For A Woman - P.D. James
Up On Cloud Nine - Anne Fine
Useful Idiots - Jan Mark
V For Vendetta - Alan Moore
The Vacillations Of Poppy Carew - Mary Wesley
Vanity Fair - William M. Thackeray
Vernon God Little - D.B.C. Pierre
Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech
Walkabout - James Vance Marshall
Walking Naked - Alyssa Brugman
The Wanderer - Sharon Creech
War And Peace - Leo Tolstoy
The War Of The Worlds - H.G. Wells
Warehouse - Keith Gray
Warrior Girl - Pauline Chandler
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
The Watch House - Robert Westall
Watchmen - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Waving, Not Drowning - Rosie Rushton
Waylander - David Gemmell
Waywalkers - Catherine Webb
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale - Phillip K. Dick
Weaveworld - Clive Barker
Weetzie Bat - Francesca Lia Block
The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen - Alan Garner
Wendy - Karen Wallace
The Wereling - Stephen Cole
What The Birds See - Sonya Hartnett
Wheels - Catherine MacPhail
When Isla Meets Luke Meets Isla - Rhian Tracey
When The Guns Fall Silent - James Riordan
When The Wind Blows - Raymond Briggs
Whip Hand - Dick Francis
The Whispering Road - Livi Michael
White Teeth - Zadie Smith
Who Is Jesse Flood? - Malachy Doyle
Why Weeps The Brogan? - Hugh Scott
* Wicca: Book Of Shadows - Cate Tiernan
The Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys
A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami
Wild Swans - Jung Chang
The Wind On Fire Trilogy - William Nicholson
The Wish House - Celia Rees
* Witch Child - Celia Rees
A Wizard Of Earthsea - Ursula Le Guin
* Wolf Brother - Michelle Paver
The Wolves In The Walls - Neil Gaimen
The Woman In Black - Susan Hill
The Woman In White - Wilkie Collins
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar - Roald Dahl
The World According To Garp - John Irving
Worm In The Blood - Thomas Bloor
The Worst Journey In The World - Apsley Cherry-Garrard
A Wrinkle In Time - Madeleine L'Engle
The Wrong Boy - Willy Russell
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
You Don't Know Me - David Klass
Z For Zachariah - Robert C. O'Brien
The Zigzag Kid - David Grossman
Zoo - Graham Marks
Zorba The Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis

Books read ~ 24

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

No. of pages: 233
Rating: 8/10
Series: Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness (Book 1)

Synopsis: 6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Torak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father - to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans.

Review: With his father on his death bed, Torak promises him he'll go to the Mountain of the World Spirit for help with destroying the bear than killed him. But having never been alone before, the journey is a lot tougher than Torak imagines...

This was a really enjoyable book, and I am definitely going to continue reading the series. Paver does an amazing job of taking you back to times when people wore animal pelts, and hunted with arrows, and even the language has been thoroughly thought out. The storyline itself keeps you interested with the twists the whole way through, and even though this is written for YA, this is definitely something that can be enjoyed by adults. I would definitely recommend it!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

No. of pages: 171
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: In Coraline's family's new flat there's a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall - until Coraline unlocks the door and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only different...

The food is better there. Books have pictures that writhe and crawl and shimmer. And there's another mother and father there who want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and keep her with them...Forever.

Review: Coraline finds a strange door in her new house, and when she goes through it, she's taken to another world where there's another mother and father. But the other mother doesn't want Coraline to leave, in fact, she'll do everything she can to keep her...

I've been wanting to read this for a long time, and I wasn't disappointed. I was surprised by how creepy it was though considering it's aimed at 10+ year old kids, it certainly would have scared me at that age. The storyline was great, I really enjoyed it and I thought it flowed really well, and even though it is a children's book, it's definitely one you can still enjoy reading as an adult. I've heard lots of things about Gaiman and his writing, and I was impressed by what I read, so I will certainly be going on to read other books by him that I'm interested in, and now I really want to watch the Coraline movie!

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

No. of pages: 216
Rating: 4/10

Synopsis: Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns very much about her and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But, to his horror, he does. Hanna is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. As Michael follows the trial, he struggles with an overwhelming question: what should his generation do with its knowledge of the Holocaust?

Review: 15 year old Michael starts a love affair with Hanna, a woman in her 30's, although she always holds herself back from him and he never knows why. Years later when he's a law student, he sees her in a court room being accused of awful things. Michael struggles to come to terms with having loved someone so terrible...

This is a weird book for me as I didn't like it at all, but it's a very thought provoking book. It raises the question of 'how far would you go to hide something?', and the answer in the book is 'too far'. I personally cannot ever imagine doing the things Hanna did, right from sleeping with a child to what she did during the war. I found Hanna to be quite a hateful character, and I thought she was insanely selfish but yet I felt forced to feel sympathy for her when she quite clearly didn't deserve it. I thought that part one was the best section of the book, and my interest slowly waned through parts two and three. It's a book I'm glad I've read, but one I'd not bother to pick up again.

Falling Leaves Return To Their Roots by Adeline Yen Mah

No. of pages: 274
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Adeline Yen Mah's childhood in China during the civil war was a time of fear, isolation and humiliation. The cause of this was not political upheaval but systematic emotional and physical abuse by her step-mother and siblings, and rejection by her father. Falling Leaves is the story of a 'Fifth Younger Daughter' and her determination to survive the pain of a lonely childhood.

Review: Adeline is the fifth child born into a rich chinese family, but when her mother dies a few days after her birth, she's considered bad luck. When her father remarries things go from bad to horrendous for Adeline. Her step-mother relishes in driving wedges between the siblings and telling Adeline that she is worth nothing. This is Adeline's story of how she tries to please her family, even though she's abused everyday, and how she overcomes her past to make a new life for herself.

This is such a sad book, you can feel Adeline's yearning for love and acceptance the whole way through, even though her family treat her so poorly. You almost cannot believe that her step-mother could be so cruel to a child, as the tales she recounts are terrible. The fact her father just sat there and let it all happen is even worse. But as much as you end up feeling sorry for Adeline, you can't help but admire her for overcoming it all and becoming successful in her own right. I enjoyed reading about China through young Adeline's eyes, and what it was like during the many years of upheaval and war. It's a really easy book to read, and I loved the chinese proverbs peppered throughout the story.

Beauty by Robin McKinley

No. of pages: 271
Rating: 10/10

Synopsis: Beauty has always been embarrassed by her nickname - she is plain and awkward compared to her two elder sisters, Hope and Grace. But what she lacks in beauty she can perhaps make up for in courage. When their merchant father returns from a failed business trip to the city where they once lived, he tells his daughters a strange tale: how on his way home he lost himself in a winter storm, and stumbled out of it into the summer garden of a magical castle. Innocently he picks a rose, and a fearsome Beast roars at him that his life is forfeit . . . unless one of his daughters will take his place. He will not hear of it when Beauty declares that she will return to the castle in his stead, but she is determined to go. 'He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much', she says. 'Cannot a Beast be tamed?' This is a captivating retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast.

Review: A beautifully written take on the classic story Beauty and the Beast. When Beauty's dad gets lost in a storm, he stumbles upon a grand castle that gives him shelter, but as he leaves the next morning, he can't help but pick a beautiful rose for his daughter. A furious Beast confronts him, and tells him his life is now forfeit, but as the elderly man begs for his life, the Beast tells him he can sacrifice one of his daughters in his stead if he so wishes. Beauty insists upon being the one to go to the castle, but doesn't expect what is waiting for her there. Can the Beast really be tamed?

I was really looking forward to reading this as Beauty and the Beast has been a love of mine since childhood, but it exceeded even my expectations. The language is which it was written perfectly suited the tale, and the 'modern' aspect kept filmly inline with the original story. Some aspects were changed, but it only made the story more interesting and realistic, rather than so fairytale like. It was all around a fantastic book, I didn't dislike one thing about it, so if you're a fan of Beauty and the Beast, then this is definitely something you will enjoy.

Moab Is My Washpot by Stephen Fry

No. of pages: 434
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: 'Stephen Fry is one of the great originals. This autobiography of his first twenty years is a pleasure to read, mixing outrageous acts with sensible opinions in bewildering confusion. That so much outward charm, self-awareness and intellect should exist alongside behaviour that threatened to ruin the lives of innocent victims, noble parents and Fry himself, gives the book a tragic grandeur and lifts it to classic status.' - Financial Times

Review: Moab Is My Washpot follows Stephen Fry through his first 20 years of life. Mostly focusing on his life at boarding school, then following him as he gets himself into deeper and deeper trouble, ending with how he managed to turn his life around and become the well known and adored actor he is now.

Written in a very intelligent manner as you'd expect from such an intelligent man, this book gives you a huge insight into his past and what made him the man he is today. I didn't know much about Stephen Fry's past before reading this, and was quite surprised to see how frank he had been about everything that happened to him. There is a lot about his struggling sexuality, his need to steal and his love of knowledge, but you can also feel the confusion of a teenage boy trying to figure out where he belongs in the world. It was incredibly interesting to read, and it took me quite a while to finish as there's just so much to take in from the book. There's a fair amount of sexual references which might bother some people, but I didn't mind it. I'm glad to have caught a small insight into Stephen Fry's life, and it's just made me love him all that much more.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 607
Rating: 10/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 7)

Synopsis: Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him.

Review: This was a fantastic ending to the series, I really enjoyed re-reading this book. Having only read it once before and disliking it then, I couldn't remember barely anything about what happened in this book, so it was almost like reading it for the first time. You finish Half-Blood Prince with a lot of answers and Rowling keeps you waiting in the finale, not letting you know the truth until near the end of the book, but keeps you going with lots of anguish and action. Finding Voldemorts Horcruxes is the basis for this book, and that's what majority of the book is about. I enjoyed the ending, with the surprises that it brought, although some bits made me sad. My one concern about this book, is being that it's plugged as a children's book, yet there's a sudden appearance of swear words, such as b*stard, and I'm not sure that's very appropriate.

This is a great series overall, and should be recommended to every young and old reader alike, because although it's said to be a children's series, people of all ages can appreciate and enjoy the series.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 607
Rating: 10/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 6)

Synopsis: Lord Voldemort is acting out in the open, continuing his reign of terror which was temporarily stopped almost 15 years ago. The press have been questioning the events at the Ministry which led to the admission of Voldemort’s return, and of course Harry’s name is mentioned a number of times. Harry’s got his problems, but his anxiety is nothing compared to Hermione’s when the OWL results are delivered. There’s a new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, an assortment of new characters and creatures, and startling revelations about past characters and events. Accepting his destiny, Harry continues to behave as teenagers do, enjoying his time with his friends, developing his relationships outside of his usual circle, and learning more about how he must, eventually, do what he is destined to do.

Review: This was a really enjoyable read and definitely one of the better books of the series. I could barely remember anything when I started re-reading this book, so it was almost like reading it for the first time again, and it was great! Shrouded in mystery from the very first page, it keeps you eager to read on. This book has moved on completely from the last book with regards to Harry's stroppy behaviour, and I was very glad of that. In this book Harry moves from anger to obsession, which is much more readable, and I could feel the dread growing throughout the book, knowing that the ending would be a big one. It was both shocking and terribly sad, and makes you much more aware of what you might be going into in the 7th and last book. This book has some very powerful scenes, and a lot more character development for some of the 'background' characters such as Ginny, Luna and Draco, making the series so much more compelling. Rowling uses this book to pave the way for the ending and she does it very well, leaving readers eager for the final volume.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 766
Rating: 8/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 5)

Synopsis: Over the summer, gossip has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teenager. Even Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of the school, has come under scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic, which refuses to officially acknowledge the terrifying truth: that Voldemort is back. Enter a particularly loathsome new character: the toad-like and simpering Dolores Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the minister of Magic, who takes over the vacant position of defence against dark arts teacher--and in no time manages to become the high inquisitor of Hogwarts. Life isn't getting any easier for Harry Potter. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their examinations, devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team line-up, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested.

Review: I think this has now become my least favourite of the series. It dragged on for what seemed forever, and it was only in the last 125 pages that the book became more engaging. I think Rowling could have cut out most of the long Umbridge passages and the book wouldn't have lost anything at all. I also disliked how Harry suddenly changed so much between the end of Goblet of Fire, and the beginning of this book, and I just found all the angry shouting quite annoying. I also hated the big twist at the end, and wish that hadn't happened. I did enjoy some things about this book though, like Fred and George, the battles and Dumbledore's revelation at the end of the book. I just can't help but think there was no need for this book to be so long, and I think that would be a negative for a lot of readers.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 636
Rating: 10/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 4)

Synopsis: Once returned to Hogwarts after his summer holiday with the dreadful Dursleys and an extraordinary outing to the Quidditch World Cup, the 14-year-old Harry and his fellow pupils are enraptured by the promise of the Triwizard Tournament: an ancient, ritualistic tournament that brings Hogwarts together with two other schools of wizardry--Durmstrang and Beauxbatons--in heated competition. But when Harry's name is pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and he is chosen to champion Hogwarts in the tournament, the trouble really begins. Still reeling from the effects of a terrifying nightmare that has left him shaken, and with the lightning-shaped scar on his head throbbing with pain (a sure sign that the evil Voldemort, Harry's sworn enemy, is close), Harry becomes at once the most popular boy in school. Yet, despite his fame, he is totally unprepared for the furore that follows.

Review: Filled with action from the beginning, this is a fantastic book that will keep you gripped from the outset. The two main plot points of the story are the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, which are both darker than previous storylines. Rowling has also written this book in a more mature manner, which I think could be a bad thing for the younger readers, who may not understand some of the words. The length could also be a problem, as it's over double the size of Prisoner of Azkaban. But the story does keep flowing very well, and you're not always aware of the size of the book, and it certainly never drags enough for you to think of it. Mad-Eye Moody is a great addition and provides a lot of entertainment during the story. You're very aware during this book that Harry, Ron and Hermione are growing up and leaning towards adulthood, although there is still the magical atmosphere that is present in the first three books. This is most definitely the best book in the series so far, each book keeps getting better and continues to draws you more and more into the world of magic and Hogwarts.

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 317
Rating: 9/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 3)

Synopsis: The escape of Sirius Black--one time friend of Harry's parents, implicated in their murder and follower of "You- Know-Who"--from Azkaban, has serious implications for Harry for it would appear that Black is bent on revenge against Harry for thwarting "You-Know-Who". Back at Hogwarts, Harry's movements are restricted by the presence of the Dementors--guards from Azkaban on the look out for Black--however, this doesn't stop him throwing himself into the new Quidditch season and going about his normal business--or at least attempting to. Despite warnings Harry is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Sirius Black--how could this one-time close friend of his parents become the cause of their deaths?

Review: This is the third book in the series, and starts to pick up in pace and bring in events that lead into the future books. The style of writing is very easy to get into whether you're a child or an adult, and that's why this series has such wide spread appeal, to people of all ages and nationalities. I loved how this book didn't have Voldemort as the main "bad guy", but was still gripping and dark. Rowling does a great job of describing the Dementors, and how they affect people, in particularly Harry, and you can clearly imagine how awful it would be to be locked up in Azkaban with them surrounding you. Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark-Arts teacher, is introduced in this book and it's enjoyable to read about him and his lessons, the boggart one in particular. And of course, we can't forget the escaped convict Sirius Black, who is out to kill Harry for thwarting Voldemort as a child. The Sirius Black storyline is my favourite so far in the series, it keeps you guessing all through the book, and then surprises you at the end.

I've given this a 4.5/5 as it's a fantastic book and the series is definitely getting better, but it hasn't peaked yet, there's still so much more to look forward to and enjoy reading in this series. I would definitely recommend this, to both adults and children who will enjoy the antics of Harry, Ron and Hermione at Hogwarts. It's something fun and easy to read, but is still incredibly enjoyable!

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 251
Rating: 8/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 2)

Synopsis: Harry is returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after the summer holidays and, right from the start, things are not straightforward. Unable to board the Hogwarts express, Harry and his friends break all the rules and make their way to the school in a magical flying car. From this point on, incredible events happen to Harry and his friends--Harry hears evil voices and someone, or something is attacking the pupils. Can Harry get to the bottom of the mystery before it's too late?

Review: This has always been my least favourite book of the series, so I was surprised when I read it through this time and actually liked it a lot more than I have previously. This book is much more eventful than The Philosopher's Stone, so it draws you in much faster. The chamber of secrets makes a good plot line, and the book flows well, and finishes with a gripping conclusion.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 223
Rating: 8/10
Series: Harry Potter (Book 1)

Synopsis: Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand and jellybeans that come in every flavour, including strawberry, curry, grass and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! In the non-magical human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is renowned as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoilt, pig-like cousin Dudley.

Review: As this is a re-read, I've only given this book a 4/5 because I know there are others in the series I prefer, but this is still a fab beginning to a great series. I forgot just how short this book is, and so the action ending is wrapped up pretty quick, using most of the book to introduce Harry to the world of magic and Hogwarts. It was enjoyable to start over and get to know all the characters again, although Dumbledore still remains my favourite. I think it's been about 8 or 9 years since I first picked this book up, and I do still love the series as much as I did in my teens, so now I'm eager to move on to the rest of the books in the series.

Dear Nobody by Berlie Doherty

No. of pages: 152
Rating: 1/10

Synopsis: It was only once, but she's pregnant. When Helen discovers she is expecting a baby, she cuts off her relationshop with Chris, the boyfriend she loves very much. She's confused and tormented, and so is he. Separately, the two high school seniors must come to terms with their childs future-- and their own.

Review: I found this so utterly boring, to the point I wanted to give up on it, but persevered purely because it was such a short book. The premise of the story is good, but I found it poorly written and it just dragged so much. An author I wont be bothering with again!

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

No. of pages: 216
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: This work was set in Berlin, 1942. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But, Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than what meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

Review: The book is written from 9 year old Bruno's point of view as his father, a soldier for "The Fury" moves the family to "Out-With" Camp, a deserted place, where all Bruno knows are that the people on the other side of the fence wear the same pyjamas all the time and he's not allowed to go near them. Bruno knows nothing of the war or the persecution against the Jews and so the book could be perceived as from a naive angle. I actually think it's just pure innocence as his parents make sure to hide everything from him through out the book, but it's pretty easy as the reader to pick up what is happening. I loved Bruno as a character, and thought the friendship between him and Shmuel was very sad, as Bruno was quite oblivious to what was happening to Shmuel, even though commenting himself on how thin and pale he is. It's a very easy read, and although I could see the ending coming, I was shocked it actually played out as it did. I really enjoyed reading it, and now I want to read more about the realities of concentration camps during the war, and so shall be looking into that soon!