What's the best book you read this year?

That's a pretty challenging question, I've read quite a lot of good ones this year.  Memorable reads include Khartoum way back in January, Restless by William Boyd, For Whom The Bell Tolls and The Prisoner of Zenda; which I enjoyed so much I raced through it in one day. It's so hard to pick one, but I've narrowed it down to three.  (Hey - I love books, I can't help it!)  Worryingly, it did make me think about how many books I have read this year, and it seems I may spend a little too much time reading, if that's possible...

Suite Francaise

Irene Nemirovsky

Suite Francaise - a classic, probably one of the best written books I have ever read, it has the scope of an epic like War and Peace, but it's far more readable and enjoyable. One of the true master pieces in the history of literature, I think, it explores the human condition set against the invasion and occupation of France.  It was originally to be five books, but tragically Némirovsky was sent to Auchwitz and died with only two written.  The back story of the book and how it lay undiscovered for five decades by Irene's daughter who assumed it was her diary and would be too painful to read is also amazing.

Thank You, Jeeves

P.G. Wodehouse

William Wilberforce: The Life of the Great Anti-slave Trade Campaigner

William Hague

Non-fiction wise I've read some very good ones that I'd advise to anyone and narrowing it down is almost impossible, but I chose this one because it's a really impressive biography, and it's on a really awesome man.  It's well written and very interesting, Wilberforce was positively unbelievable his achievements are amazing, and while the BBC seemed to spend the spring time being disrespectful to his legacy, the book rightly praises the work he achieved.

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Vox kindly stopped comments on my last two entries and I never noticed. 

Booo and Hissss.

I noticed some other people had entries that couldn't be commented on, so I don't know if it's site wide or just some folks...

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Show us what you hope Santa brings you.

I want Santa to come early this year and deliver the Christmas presents that were apparently dispatched from Amazon US several weeks ago and still haven't arrived! I don't really mind what he brings me, but I'd very much like to have all of my presents for giving out and I hate feeling like there is nothing you can do while you wait on the Royal Mail. I really, really want these presents sorted, especially as they're for best friends.

That is, presently, my only Christmas Wish, and I'm getting more crestfallen by the day as I wait for the mail and nothing comes.

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If you could easily choose to live in another country without all the red tape and legal stuff, which one would you select and why? 
Submitted by Matthew 25.

You know, I love England - I love the climate (even if I do reserve the right to complain when it's minus four!) I love the history, it's everywhere and you can't escape from it, and I love the cultural heritage of Europe as a whole.  However, I can honestly see this country becoming somewhere it's not nice to live any more, sad as that is, and if it ever does, I'd move.  First choice would be Scotland, if it ever gets it's independence, I love that country, it's probably the best country in the world. 

Beyond that I'd probably say America, but only if I can specify New York.  I do love the idea of the great European capitals, but I don't speak the languages.  New York for me doesn't seem like America - although granted I have yet to go there so it could surprise me.  It's this odd paradox of so many iconic American things and yet it's made up of so many other cultures and peoples - maybe in that sense it is more literally America than anywhere else.

New York - Chrysler Building

Even post-Guiliani people always mention the crime, but for some reason that doesn't enter my mind, I've never really worried much about crime, and generally feel pretty secure in cities. Ideally I like the look of the village, it looks very human and real, like a real neighbourhood should be, of course it's not stupidly expensive and full of celebrities, but hey ho.  I also love the fact that New York has real institutions, museums and galleries and such of pedigree, big stores, historic buildings, parks, the things that make a city centre.

Greenwich Village

I know that some people would probably say that I subscribe to much to the Hollywood idea of New York, but I still think it's probably a great place to live, if you can afford it.

New York, New York

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Show us a winter photograph.

Snow

This photo was taken in January 2004, from the front door of the holiday home I was staying in.  The snow actually got heavier and thicker after that, and stopped us being able to drive out that day, although the snow ball fights and snowy walk into town were fun.  That was the same trip where some of the homes next to ours had sled dog teams in them, so every morning we'd see people walking past with the huskies, and then after they left one of the husky owners left us there toboggan as it was starting to give a bit and they didn't think it was worth travelling back with, so we got to have great fun tobogganing too!

Icicles

This is a picture from a different trip, I was staying in an A-frame type chalet and those icicles were hanging from the tip of the roof.  That was a really, really cold day, the longer icicles there are about three foot long!  However, when I did get inside it was nice and warm thanks to this...

Fire Place

I loved the fire, although I may have spent quite some time sitting very close to it to get the best of the heat.

Seat in Snow

And that is the little seat around the corner, it's in a little community garden in the village, and I thought it looked great surrounded in all the virgin snow.

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Show us something you think isn't written about enough.

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There are so many things in this world that no one speaks out about.  There are so many things in this world that our governments and corporations turn a blind eye to because it will make them even richer if they keep silent.  So many voices that should be united in demanding change yet instead are apathetic. 

I want to highlight the issue of Christian Persecution, because there is almost a total media blackout on this problem. It's not prejudice, I'm talking about, it's organised state persecution.  Take for example one of the west's new found financial markets friends, China.  While the Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of religion, this is not the case in practice.  The only churches that are legal and un-persecuted are those that are controlled by the state, so the state can restrict their teachings. To be an unregistered Christian is highly dangerous, they meet mainly in houses as if they do get their own buildings these are destroyed. When these churches are found they are split up, people are banned from meeting and sometimes sent for re-education in labour camps.  But there is worse, the leaders are often beaten, tortured and imprisoned and there is particular danger for Sunday School teachers as it's illegal to teach Children about religion as the state curriculum states that there is no God and to believe in one is unpatriotic.

I doubt Christians are the only group treated like this, in fact, I know that they aren't, and I'm against state persecution like this against any group, but as this is my space, I wanted to highlight something that is of personal relevance to me.  I just feel sad for the people who have no voice, the people who are attacked and persecuted and yet nobody knows, because it's not really news, it just happens. 

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Show us something you recently wrote.

DSCN0902

My NaNoWriMo novel, which I'm now editing after a few days off.  I'm up to page 72 on the edit, the word count has increased by a couple of hundred and I have noticed some truly hideous errors.  (Not least the amount of times I have typed 'new' instead of 'knew').  Note the tatty old OPED and Thesaurus which I've had far too long, and the St Petersburg Wallpaper* guide, just in case I need to check where anything is.

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Audio: What's your favorite carol or holiday song?

I love old school Christmas songs mainly, Louis Armstrong is brilliant, as is Jona Lewie, but a real favourite has to be the Pogues with Kirsty McColl.

06 Fairytale Of New York

The Pogues

I love this song, I know some people find it a bit melancholy, but it's just such a classic.  I also have a major problem with anyone covering it, especially Ronan Keating and Moire Brennan who seem to try to make it into some nice friendly Christmas thing.  It just doesn't sound right, "cheap lousy faggot" gets changed to "cheap and you're haggard." A small change, but it kinda sums up the wishy-woshy feel to it when they do it.  Ronan is too much of a bland, boring wet pop star to pull off what Shane McGowan does with so much aplomb.  When something works this well, you shouldn't touch it.

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If you could perform alongside any artist (actor, dancer, musician, etc.), who would it be, and what would you perform? 
Submitted by Kristin.

Henry V- Speech

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...so let it be filed somewhere and ignored. 

I have finished the novel, it felt good, at 2:30 this morning when I word counted and it was over 50k, needless to say there was no one around to share my momentary joy with.  I did however eat two jaffa cakes and shimmy around the kitchen while pouring my orange juice. (oh, the extravagance of my celebration.)  I also removed the "working title" from the end of title, as I figure a finished novel probably needs a finished title.

I'm a little unsure on the length, as fifty thousand words is not terribly long, but maybe it will grow a little in the edit.  As the story is basically complete, I don't want to extend it any at the end, and don't think I could.  This has left me a little stumped, I like short reads, Prisoner of Zenda, Gatsby, 39 steps, Tolstoy's The Cossacks, To have and Have not.  All short books, but lets face it novel length seems to have grown, so, do I try to lengthen it or accept that the writing of it has been enjoyable and never ever send it off to anyone?

Anyway, one thing is for certain, I have completed nanowrimo, which is what I set out to do, it was enjoyable and challenging, so I'm pleased as punch to have done it.  The word count of the first draft was 50,189, although it does have 39 chapters, as I rather like short chapters like in early Tolstoy as it lets you move around the adventure a little quicker.  It's not really literary fiction, it's not deep and emotional, it's just a bit of fun that whizzes you through an adventure in Imperial Russia. 

It probably has a million and one grammatical errors, and I'm fairly sure no publishing house has published this style of book for about 80 years, but it's been fun!

Next step is re-reading it for any glaring errors.  Fun, fun, fun.

My NaNoWriMo page is over here, where there is a short, and possibly rather silly, excerpt.

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