Vestafan's aim for 2013

I'm determined that this will be the year that I read those pesky books that I feel everyone else but myself has read. There are 12 that really reproach me when I see them on the shelves so I aim to get them read this year and to aid my commitment, I'm going to list them:

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

So.. if I aim for one a month, I should feel a lot less guilty by the end of this year. I'll be interested to find out which, if any, I shouldn't have felt guilty about!

A great list, Ive read - and really enjoyed - all but two of these books, looks like you have a great reading year ahead.

Funny, I came across "Midnight" just yesterday -- wouldn't say it looked reproachful, just a little dejected. Maybe we should start a group read?

I'd be in for that. That is one that I have meant to read forever.

Well, I'm up for it.:) Anyone else?

I've already read that one, but I remember it being enjoyable.

I'd be happy to join in a group read of Midnight in the.. as well.

> 4 and > 7: Sounds good! Any preferences regarding the time frame?

Sue, I love the list. I have only read three of them. And of the remainder:
The Secret History by Donna Tarty,
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, ***
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel,
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, and
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
are on my list.
I am a bit frustrated with myself that I haven't read Wolf Hall yet because I want to read
Bring Up the Bodies (the 2nd in the trilogy) and I can't until I have read Wolf Hall. Blast! Will try to tackle that
one in May or June so I can read Bring Up the Bodies for Orange July.

BTW: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a great read. So good in fact, that when I had finished I went back to the beginning for an immediate reread. Of course as I read it I kept seeing John Cusack and Kevin Spacey in my mind. This should be a fun group read for you.

Anyone up for a group read starting May 1?

Yes, I'd be interested!

Sorry, I didn't see your message until now. I had made a group read thread but it seems interest is limited...

Finally, I've got round to reading some of the dozen I aimed for this year. I took the opportunity of a holiday to take four of them, and I managed to read them all. They were:

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
The Secret History
The Time Traveller's Wife
and
Memoirs of a Geisha

I enjoyed them all, but particularly The Secret History which I found gripping and very well written. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher as well as being an account of a Victorian crime, also covered social history, the effect of the media on perception of crime and the origins of the role of detective. I was also struck by the similarities between this real life case and early works of detective fiction such as The Moonstone. Memoirs of a Geisha was fascinating but horrifying in its portrayal of the treatment of women in Japan.

13> The Secret History has been a long-time favourite of mine, ever since my Latin teacher recommended it to his tiny, select group of (in our case female) students. We all went away and read it, and then - needless to say - gave him a very hard time with the teasing. He was charming, but he was no Julian!

I've preferred both Time Travellers's Wife and Memoirs of a Geisha to The Secret History -- interesting how tastes differ! (And a good thing, too.) Haven't read Whicher yet ...

15> Oh I love The Time Traveler's Wife too (haven't read Memoirs yet)

Managed to read one more of my dozen - Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. I enjoyed the golden atmosphere of pre-war Oxford, but I couldn't warm to Charles Ryder as a character.