This year was the first time Joanna and I made a 5-book exchange. It’s been a great experience and so far I really enjoyed everything she recommended: Kindred, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden and The Star of the Sea. I’m at the moment almost finished with Out by Natsuo Kirino and already have The Space Between Us on the shelf, still to be read this month.
Meanwhile, an off-line friend of ours, also from Brussels, joined the book blogging world – check out Like People and Butterflies and say hi to Larissa for me. So in 2012 the (only?) three bloggers Bruxellois are doing an exchange between them, and the books are already lined up (see here for Larissa & Joanna’s mutual choices).
My books to Joanna
Now that I know her better, I can more confidently chose a balance between the type of books I think she’ll like, and the ones she wouldn’t normally pick but might still appreciate.
My books to Larissa
Just three of my absolute favorites. Hope they’re her cup of tea as well…
Books I’ll read chosen by Joanna
I like the mix of “lit” and “light-lit”. Especially looking forward to Vernon God Little.
Book I’ll read chosen by Larissa
There are translations for the two last ones, but I’ve decided to read them in the original. It’s a good excuse to stop being lazy and read novels in French. At the moment I only do it with comics.
I know other bloggers out there also do exchanges. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve chosen this year!
The Sleepless Reader 
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November 30, 2011 at 12:31 am
nymeth
I did several reading list swaps this year, but as I then completely failed to actually *read* any books from them, I’m sticking with the same ones for 2012. This definitely wasn’t a good year for reading commitments of any sort for me :S
I love the books you picked for Joanna and Larissa! Well, all but one of them anyway. I still haven’t read King Leopold’s Ghost, but it’s definitely on my mental list of non-fiction I need to read.
November 30, 2011 at 12:37 am
Alex
I’ve promised myself that I’d have less commitments in the form of Challenges next year. My bet will be on read-alongs.
Now I’m curious: which one didn’t you like?
November 30, 2011 at 11:08 pm
nymeth
Oops, I just meant that there was one I hadn’t read yet. Sorry for the awkward sentence 😛
November 30, 2011 at 1:07 am
Nari @ The Novelworld
I’m so jealous you can read in French. One of the reasons I’m teaching myself French is to be able to read books in the original language.
I adore American Gods and The Adoration of Jenna Fox was surprisingly good for a teen book. I hope you like the books you received.
November 30, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Larissa
It’s funny that you gave “Mists of Avalon” to Joanna: when I was looking for the ones I would give her, I thought of it but immediately cast it away because obviously she would already have read it. I still can’t believe she hasn’t! She’ll most probably love it.
And “84 Charing Cross Road” is one my list for the What’s in a Name challenge, how weird.
American Gods is great (well, you know, Neil Gaiman is a god), I hope you enjoy it.
And I’m glad to be an incentive to make you read in French – it was not the plan, but it’s a nice perk 😉
November 30, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Larissa
PS: Hey, there’s a French one from Joanna too, you could be a heroin and also read the Pennac in French! 😉
November 30, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Iris
I would love to do an exchange with some bloggers, but I’m not sure if I’d be able to compose a good list myself. I’m mostly very curious about what bloggers would recommend I’d read.
I applaud you for taking on Foucault’s Pendulum. All of my friends so far have given up on the book. I have never yet tried to begin reading.
December 1, 2011 at 9:50 am
Patty
Great that you’ll be reading in French – I’ve taken that challenge upon myself as well, and will look into these two titles to include them in my list!
December 1, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Matthew
What a wonderful haul of books! Rebecca is the one book that kept me up all night under the cover with just a patch of yellow light from the lamp. Love in the Time of Chloera is what I always prefer over One Hundred Years of Solitude. 84 Charing Cross Road is just a charming book and it reminds me the lost times when people had a passionate desire for books that led to a lifetime friendship. Did you see the movie?
December 1, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Audra (Unabridged Chick)
Those are all marvelous suggestions!! Wow, what a lovely group of readers you three are — so many marvelous books.
December 5, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Joanna
I’m so excited about this! 🙂
December 8, 2011 at 10:03 am
Alex
@Nari: it will be a test-trail for me. Reading comics and reading novels is bit different! Let’s see how it goes – I’ll have my dictionary at hand.
@Larissa: Yes, the Mists are a perfect book for her, was also surprised that she hadn’t read it yet!
@Iris: Foucault’s Pendulum intimidates me a bit. I’ve only tried one Eco before. I think I’ll read it in Portuguese because Italian and PT are more similar.
@Patty: Wish me luck! 😛
@Matthew: Yes, I did. I actually saw the movie first, years and years ago and it was only about 5 years ago that I realized there was a book. The same for Anne of Green Gables, Wind in the Willows… that’s the thing about not being Anglo-Saxon!
@Audra: Thanks! 🙂
Joanna: Already have one of them planned for the Xmas holidays!
January 17, 2012 at 2:16 pm
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar « The Sleepless Reader
[…] This was the last of the five books Joanna recommended I read during 2011. The others were: Star of the Sea, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden, Kindred and Out. I hope to have as much fun with the 2012 ones! […]