Read: Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game

Re-read of a favourite. Still quite gripping.

Want to read: The rook - Daniel O'Malley

Supernatural secret service mystery novel

Want to read: The age of miracles - Karen Thompson Walker

Novel in which the Earth's rotation mysteriously slows.

Want to read: Straphanger, Saving our cities and ourselves from the automobile - Taras Grescoe

Want to read: Jared Diamond - The world until yesterday

Pros and cons of hunter gatherer societies.

Read: Emma Bull - War for the Oaks

Umpteenth re-read of a favourite. But the first time reading this newer addition, which has three additional scenes from a screenplay version - a fascinating twist on familiar material.

Read: John Barnes - Every hole is outlined

Barnes' writing can be very cerebral, or very emotional. This novella was in the cerebral style - a bit of an odd choice; I think the subject matter of ghosts, death and aging would have benefitted from more warmth.

Read: Justin Cronin - The Twelve

This feels very much like the middle book in a trilogy. Expands a bit on the first, but without the same power of the initial concept. Sets it up for a final book, so there's not much satisfaction from resolution of the plot. But I'll probably re-read it as preparation for the final book, and enjoy it well enough.

Read: Diana Gabaldon - Drums of Autumn

This series is evolving into something quite unusual. Almost a diary of everyday pioneer life. Plot is becoming less of a driving force; just the experience, detail and relationships make it a fascinating read. Which lends itself even more to the extensive length of the books. Reminds me of The Wire, and it's enormous plot arc.

Want to Read: Daniel Kahneman - Thinking Fast and Slow

On several people's lists of top books of 2011. I do love books that deconstruct how we think, and see the world around us.

Want to Read: Steven Pinker - The Better Angels of Our Nature

Optimistic history of human violence - it's decreasing, and we have reason to hope that life will get better. Not enough optimistic books out there - I guess it's not as easy a sell.

Want to Read: Ian McGilchrist - The Master and His Emissary, The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

Neuroscience of how the different brain hemispheres see the world differently, and how Western society has created an imbalance in privileging the left hemisphere over the right.

Want to Read: Rebecca Skloot - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks' cells live on in perpetuity, reproducing in petri dishes everywhere. A strange sort of immortality. Raises questions of ownership and compensation - her family hasn't benefited at all from the discovery that Henrietta's cells would uniquely reproduce - science and society has reaped all the rewards.

Want to Read: Oliver Burkeman - The antidote, happiness for people who can't stand positive thinking

A skeptical happiness expert. Actually, I don't want to read this so much as I think Mark will enjoy reading this.

Read: Emma Bull - Silver and Gold

Reminds me of LeGuin's "A wizard of Earthsea". Which is a very good thing.

Read: Emma Bull & Will Shetterly - Danceland

Same world and some of the characters as "Finder". Not quite as moving, but that may be due to the shorter format.

Want to Read: Elly Griffiths - The Crossing Places

Elly Griffiths - The Crossing Places: crime novel in which a forensic archaeologist dates the bones of a 2000-year-old child

Want to Own: Simon Winchester - Skulls

Photos of Alan Dudley's collection of over 2000 skulls

Want to Own: Leonardo da Vinci, Anatomist - Martin Clayton

Want to Own: Jonathan Singer - Fine Bonsai

Photos of bonsai

Want to Own: Andrew Zuckerman - Flower

Incredible photos of flowers

Want to Own: Joseph Cornell's manual of marvels

A facsimile of a bookwork by one of my favourite artists!

Want to Read: Charles Simic - Dime-store alchemy

A book about Joseph Cornell.

Received as a gift from my sister! Looking forward to reading it :)

Want to Read: Kenji Kobayashi - Keshiki bonsai, the easy, modern way to create miniature landscapes

Want to Read: Robert Sullivan - My American Revolution

After spending the summer in Washington DC, I have a greater interest in the American Revolution. This sounds like a very interesting personal account of travels to Revolutionary historical sites.

Want to Read: P.D. Smith - City: A Guidebook for the Urban Age

History of cities through the centuries; New York Times review compared it to Norman Davies' history of Europe (which reminds me that I really need to finish reading that book - it used to be my regular breakfast read until it was supplanted by newspapers...).

Want to Read: Jeff Speck - Walkable City

Walkability as the critical factor for healthy cities.

Want to Own: Patricia Jennings - Georgia O'Keeffe's Hawaii

Beautiful Hawaii, in beautiful paintings by a favourite artist. What a great discovery!

Want to read: Andrew Solomon - Far from the Tree

Interviews with parents