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Famulus

From Hertford, Hertfordshire United Kingdom
Joined Thursday, October 18, 2007
Recent Book Activity
Statistics
4 weeks all time
books registered 0 637
released in the wild 0 210
controlled releases 0 123
releases caught 0 58
controlled releases caught 0 75
books found 0 110
tell-a-friend referrals 0 9
new member referrals 0 4
forum posts 0 18
Extended Profile
First came across Bookcrossing in 2007 through a contact at OU (whom I omitted
to credit as referring member - sorree!) and thought it was a fascinating idea.
I still do, though I sometimes wonder how I can find all the time I need to
register and keep track of everything, when I could just be reading :O) In the
3 years since joining, I've enjoyed local bookswapping meets, joined rings, rays
and bookboxes (even set up a couple of my own), and finally, this year, made it to my first Uncon. And, of course, made lots of friends on the BCUK Forum.

After moving from 5 bedrooms to 2, I thought there would be a fair number of
books to release - but never had time to register them! Of course, I also
resurrected all those old favourites I hadn't looked at for years ...

What do I like to read? My tastes are fairly random, and perhaps a bit picky -
different genres, but usually just certain authors in each. Maybe a bit
conservative - I love re-reading old favourites, and finding new books by an
old-favourite author, but not too good at trying new authors. Bookcrossing takes me out of my comfort zone - I'm getting exposed to new material I wouldn't dream of picking up in a library or bookshop! Sometimes my conservatism proves justified, but more often than I'd expected, I find a new author to add to my approved list. So my BC bookshelf, and my reading list below, will give you an idea of my recent activity, but doesn't yet extend to all my long-term favourites - over time maybe I can work on that.

Currently (re-)reading:
The Tiger that Isn't - Michael Blastland
The Water Gypsies - A P Herbert

Books (re-)read recently include:

June 2011
(32) Tom's Midnight Garden - Phillipa Pearce (9/10)
(31) Howards End is on the Landing - Susan Hill (9/10)

May 2011
(30) Play to the End - Robert Goddard (7/10)
(29) Sword at Sunset - Rosemary Sutcliff (9/10)
(28) An Instance of the Fingerpost - Iain Pears (9/10)
(27) A Fine Place for Death - Ann Granger (8/10)
(26) The Whole Day Through - Patrick Gale (8/10)

April 2011
(25) March - Geraldine Brooks (9/10)
(24) Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear (10/10)
(23) All the Colours of Darkness - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(22) The Dangerous Sports Euthanasia Society - Christine Coleman (9/10)
(21) The Wise Woman - Phillipa Gregory (not finished - 4/10)
(20) The Railway Detective - Edward Marston (8/10)
(19) Child of the Jago - Arthur Morrison (9/10)

-March 2011
(18) Conversations with Rabbi Small - Harry Kemelman (8/10)
(17) Death in Camera - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(16) The Witch Hunter - Bernard Knight (8/10)
(15) Death on Remand - Michael Underwood (7/10)
(14) The Day the Rabbi Resigned - Harry Kemelman (8/10)
(13) Name to a Face - Robert Goddard (8/10)

February 2011
(12) Victim of Circumstance - Michael Underwood (7/10)
(11) Dual Enigma - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(10) The Veteran - Frederick Forsyth (8/10)
(9) One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross - Harry Kemelman (8/10)
(8) Piece of My Heart - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(7) Smooth Justice - Michael Underwood (7/10)

January 2011
(6) The Clowns of God - Morris West (8/10)
(5) The Injudicious Judge - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(4) Dying to Tell - Robert Goddard (8/10)
(3) A Clear Case of Suicide - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(2) The Sunday Philosophy Club - Alexander McCall Smith (8/10)
(1) The Map that Changed the World - Simon Winchester (Non-Fiction - 8/10)

December 2010
(135) The Last Unicorn - Peter Beagle (10/10)
(134) Midnight Fugue - Reginald Hill (9/10)
(133) The Unprofessional Spy - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(132) Private Peaceful - Michael Morpurgo (9/10)
(131) The Deceiver - Frederick Forsyth (9/10)
(130) The Summer That Never Was - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(129) Shattered Icon - Bill Napier (8/10)
(128) The Malice of Unnatural Death - Michael Jecks (5/10 - not finished)
(127) Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home - Harry Kemelman (9/10)
(126) The Body on the Beach - Simon Brett (8/10)

November 2010
(125) The Cave - Kate Mosse (7/10)
(124) The Price of Love - Peter Robinson (Short stories, 8/10)
(123) Double Jeopardy - Michael Underwood (7/10)
(122) Death and the Joyful Woman - Ellis Peters (9/10)
(121) Mud, Muck and Dead Things - Ann Granger (7/10)
(120) An Expert in Murder - Nicola Upson (8/10)
(119) Gallows View - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(118) Strange Affair - Peter Robinson (8/10)

October 2010
(117) Birds on the Trees - Nina Bawden (8/10)
(116) The Sanctuary Seeker - Bernard Knight (8/10)
(115) The Kill Crew - Joseph d'Lacey (7/10)
(114) Innocent Graves - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(113) Crime Upon Crime - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(112) Over - Margaret Forster (9/10)
(111) A Dead Giveaway - various authors (7/10)
(110) Among the Mad - Jacqueline Winspear (9/10)
(109) Sovay - Celia Rees (7/10)
(108) Found Wanting - Robert Goddard (7/10)
(107) Waiting for Anya - Michael Morpurgo (8/10)

September 2010
(106) The Children's Book - A S Byatt (4/10, unfinished)
(105) Death in the West Wind - Deryn Lake (7/10)
(104) A Better Quality of Murder - Ann Granger (8/10)
(103) The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver (9/10)
(102) Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson (9/10)
(101) Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman (Short Stories 7/10)
(100) Pride of Lancashire - Anna Jacobs (8/10)
(99) The Hills is Lonely - Lillian Beckwith (8/10)
(98) Call in the Night - Susan Howatch (7/10)

August 2010
(97) Salamander - Thomas Wharton (7/10)
(96) The Rebel Heart - Martin Stephen (7/10)
(95) A Spoonful of Jam - Michelle Magorian (8/10)
(94) Schindler's List - Thomas Kenneally (5/10 - didn't finish)
(93) Rest Upon the Wind - Gill Twissell (Ray - 7/10)
(92) The Secret World of Polly Flint - Helen Cresswell (6/10)
(91) Thirteen Problems - Agatha Christie (7/10)
(90) The Rosemary Tree - Elizabeth Gouge (7/10)
(89) The Lady and the Unicorn - Tracy Chevalier (8/10)
(88) Figure of Hate - Bernard Knight (8/10)
(87) The Catherine-Wheel - Patricia Wentworth (7/10)
(86) Caedmon's Song - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(85) Post Captain - Patrick O'Brian (8/10)
(84) The Jigsaw Maker - Adrienne Dines (Ray - 8/10)
(83) Risking it All - Ann Granger (8/10)

July 2010
(82) A Respectable Trade - Phillipa Gregory (7/10)
(81) Six Detective Stories - various authors (7/10)
(80) Into the Silent Land - Paul Broks (non-fiction 9/10)
(79) Pargeters - Norah Lofts (7/10)
(78) Notes from an Exhibition - Patrick Gale (8/10)
(77) Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (7/10)
(76) Debts of Dishonour - Jill Paton Walsh (7/10)
(75) The Devil's Alternative - Frederick Forsyth (8/10)
(74) Richard Temple - Patrick O'Brien (5/10 didn't finish)
(73) Brooklyn - Colm Toibin (6/10)
(72) The Witness at the Wedding - Simon Brett (7/10)
(71) The Other Side of Paradise - Margaret Mayhew (7/10)
(70) A Few Green Leaves - Barbara Pymm (6/10)
(69) A Rare Interest in Corpses - Ann Granger (8/10)
(68) Paper Lanterns - Christine Coleman (8/10)
(67) Not Safe After Dark & A Necessary End - Peter Robinson (Omnibus - 7/10, 8/10)

June 2010
(66) The Watersplash - Patricia Wentworth (6/10)
(65) The Ionian Mission - Patrick O'Brien (8/10)
(64) The Hanging at the Hotel - Simon Brett (7/10)
(63) Days without Number - Robert Goddard (8/10)
(62) Planet Narnia - Michael Ward (non-fiction 9/10)
(61) Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear (9/10)
(60) Narrow Dog to Carcassone - Terry Darlington (unfinished 5/10)
(59) The Righteous Men - Sam Bourne (8/10)

May 2010
(58) Small Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver (essays 9/10)
(57) The Raven in the Foregate - Ellis Peters (8/10)
(56) The Favoured Child - Phillipa Gregory (7/10)
(55) Game Over - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (7/10)
(54) Quite Honestly - John Mortimer (unfinished 5/10)
(53) London's New River - Robert Ward (non-fiction 9/10)
(52) The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey - Patrick O'Brian (unfinished 5/10)
(51) Kisses on a Postcard - Terence Frisby (8/10)
(50) Our Yanks - Margaret Mayhew (7/10)
(49) Whistling for the Elephants - Sandi Toksvig (6/10)

April 2010
(48) One More River - Lynne Reid-Banks (6/10)
(47) Playing with Fire - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(46) Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver (9/10)
(45) Requiem for a Wren - Nevil Shute (9/10)
(44) Gone Tomorrow - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (8/10)
(43) Gallows View - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(42) Messenger of Truth - Jacqueline Winspear (9/10)
(42) The History of Love - Nicole Krausse (5/10)
(41) Consciousness Explained - Daniel Dennett (non-fiction 8/10)
(40) Chaos - James Gleick (non-fiction 8/10)
(39) The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth (10/10)
(38) Mother Tongue: The English Language - Bill Bryson (8/10)
(37) The High Deeds of Finn MacCool - Rosemary Sutcliff (8/10)
(36) Free: Adventures on the margins of a wasteful society - Katharine Hibbert (non-fiction, bookring 8/10)
(35) Holiday with Violence - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(34) The Will and the Deed - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(33) The Piper on the Mountain - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(32) The House of Green Turf - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(31) Fatherland - Robert Harris (8/10)
(30) The Double Comfort Safari Club - Alexander McCall Smith (8/10)
(29) Blue Skies and Black Olives - John & Christopher Humphreys (non-fiction 8/10)

March 2010
(28) Beneath these Stones - Ann Granger (9/10)
(27) Pardonable Lies - Jacqueline Winspear (9/10)
(26) Wednesday's Child - Peter Robinson (8/10)
(25) The Piano Teacher - Janice Y K Lee (unfinished - 4/10)
(24) The Vows of Silence - Susan Hill (9/10)
(23) The Final Throw - Michael Gilbert (8/10)
(22) Rough Music - Patrick Gale (8/10)

February 2010
(21) The Water Clock - Jim Kelly (8/10)
(20) Latter End - Patricia Wentworth (8/10)
(19) An Incomplete Revenge - Jacqueline Winspear (9/10)
(18) Sacrifice - S J Bolton (8/10)
(17) White Riot - Martyn Waites (8/10)
(16) The Knitting Circle - Ann Hood (bookring 9/10)
(15) The Translator - Leila Aboulela (bookring 8/10)
(14) Beautiful Just - Lilian Beckwith (8/10)
(13) Blood and Judgement - Michael Gilbert (8/10)
(12) The Long Journey Home - Michael Gilbert (8/10)
(11) The Dark Tower and other stories - C S Lewis (8/10)

January 2010
(10) Crime upon Crime - Michael Underwood (8/10)
(9) Anything but the Truth - Michael Underwood (7/10)
(8) To Kill a Cat - WJ Burley (7/10)
(7) The Queen's Fool - Phillipa Gregory (8/10)
(6) The Boy in the Bubble - Ian Strachan (8/10)
(5) Glimpses of the Moon - Edmund Crispin (unfinished - 3/10)
(4) Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian (10/10)
(3) The Eighth Champion of Christendom - Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(2) The Blanket of the Dark - John Buchan (7/10)
(1) Carrie's War - Nina Bawden (8/10)

Sometime in 2009
(117) The Triumph of Goodness - Lisa Cherrett (non-fiction, 8/10)
(116) Flight of a Witch - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(115) The Grass Widow's Tale - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(114) The Lily Hand and other stories - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(113) Lost Children - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(112) Never Pick Up Hitch-Hikers! - Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter (8/10)
(111) Cuckoo in the Nest - Michelle Magorian (8/10)
(110) Goodbye Mr Chips - James Hilton (9/10)

December 2009
(109) Ways of Death - Roy Lewis (8/10)
(108) The man who mistook his wife for a hat - Oliver Sacks (9/10 non-fiction)
(107) Uncle Tungsten - Oliver Sacks (9/10 non-fiction)
(106) Pigs in Heaven - Barbara Kingsolver (bookray 8/10)
(105) Seeing Voices - Oliver Sacks (9/10 non-fiction)
(104) Memory Hold-the-Door - John Buchan (7/10 autobiography)

November 2009
(103) The End of Mr Y - Scarlett Thomas (8/10)
(102) Sight Unseen - Robert Goddard (9/10)
(101) The Herb of Grace - Elizabeth Gouge (7/10)
(100) Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (9/10)
(99) The dignity of difference: how to avoid the clash of civilizations - Jonathan Sacks (unfinished - recalled by library)
(98) Unlocking Harry Potter - Five Keys for the Serious Reader - John Granger (7/10 - bookring)
(97) Kensington Heights - Lesley Thomas (9/10)

October 2009
(96) The Pirate's Daughter - Margaret Cezair Thompson (4/10 - not finished)
(95) The Plague Dogs - Richard Adams (3/10 - not finished)
(94) Storm in the Village - Miss Read (8/10)
(93) Headhunter - Roy Lewis (8/10)
(92) Tea Time for the Traditionally Built - Alexander McCall Smith (8/10)
(91) Planes, Trains & other short stories - Richard Strong (7/10)
(90) The Shield Ring - Rosemary Sutcliff (9/10)
(89) Rumpole & the Primrose Path - John Mortimer (8/10)
(88) The Lady Elizabeth - Alison Weir (9/10)

September 2009
(87) The Information Officer - Mark Mills (7/10)
(86) Growing Up with Lucy - Steve Grand (9/10 non-fiction)
(85) Air & Angels - Susan Hill (3/10 - not finished)
(84) Alibi in Time - June Thompson (7/10)
(83) The Winthrop Woman - Anya Seton (9/10)
(82) The Orange Girl - Jostein Gaarder (7/10)
(81) The Other Queen - Phillipa Gregory (7/10)
(80) The Desperate Remedy - Martin Stephen (8/10)
(79) Guardians of the Dead - Roy Lewis (8/10)
(78) Candle for a Corpse - Anne Granger (8/10)
(77) Distant Voices - Barbara Erskine (Short stories, 6/10)
(76) Never Go Back - Robert Goddard (7/10)

August 2009
(75) Star Gazing - Linda Gillard (bookring 8/10)
(74) The Wishing Game - Patrick Redmond (7/10)
(73) The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway (7/10)
(72) Thursbitch - Alan Garner (8/10)
(71) Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling (9/10)
(70) Footsteps in the Dark - Georgette Heyer (6/10)
(69) Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively (8/10)
(68) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askhaban - JK Rowling (9/10)
(67) The Maid's Request - Michele Debordes (8/10)
(66) Giotto's Hand - Iain Pears (8/10)

July 2009
(65) Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling (9/10)
(64) The Witch's Brat - Rosemary Sutcliff (9/10)
(63) Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling (9/10)
(62) Ladies Bane - Patricia Wentworth (8/10)
(61) The True Darcy Spirit - Elizabeth Aston (7/10)
(60) Mrs. Presumed Dead - Simon Brett (7.5/10)
(59) Comme un Roman - Daniel Pennac (Bookring, 8/10)
(58) Undercurrents - Frances Fyfield (7/10)
(57) Dragon Boy - Dick King-Smith (8/10)
(56) The Wrong Box - Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne (9/10)
(55) The Riddle of the Sands - Erskine Childers (6/10)
(54) Tsotsi - Athol Fugard (9/10)
(53) Vivians - M V Hughes (9/10)

June 2009
(52) A London Family Between the Wars - M V Hughes (9/10)
(51) Death of a Hussy - M C Beaton (7/10)
(50) A London Home of the 1890s - M V Hughes (9/10)
(49) Emotional Geology - Linda Gillard (Bookring, 8/10)
(48) A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs - Ellis Peters (9/10)
(47) A London Girl of the 1880s - M V Hughes (9/10)
(46) A London Child of the 1870s - M V Hughes (9/10)
(45) I Didn't Do It for You - Michela Wrong (8/10)
(44) Three Letters from the Andes - Patrick Leigh-Fermor (8/10)
(43) The Full Cupboard of Life - Alexander McCall Smith (9/10)

May 2009
(42) The Hole in the Wall - Arthur Morrison (9/10)
(41) The Chrysalids - John Wyndham (9/10)
(40) Pictures of Perfection (Dalziel & Pascoe) - Reginald Hill (9/10)
(39) On Beulah Height (Dalziel & Pascoe) - Reginald Hill (10/10)
(38) Steven Morris - Nevil Shute (8/10)
(37) Ruined City - Nevil Shute (10/10)

April 2009
(36) The Nine Mile Walk - Harry Kemelman (7/10)
(35) The Chequer Board - Nevil Shute (10/10)
(34) Surfeit of Lampreys - Ngaio Marsh (10/10)
(33) Ghost Portrait - Gregory Norminton (6/10)
(32) Innocent Traitor - Alison Weir (Bookring, 9/10)
(31) Friday the Rabbi Slept Late - Harry Kemelman (8/10)
(30) Year of Wonders - Geraldine Brooks (Bookring, 9/10)
(29) Frenchman's Creek - Daphne du Maurier (8/10)

March 2009
(28) In my Wildest Dreams - Leslie Thomas (7/10)
(27) Stars of Fortune - Cynthia Harnett (6/10)
(26) The Discovery of Chocolate - James Runcie (7/10)
(25) Dream Angus - Alexander McCall Smith (8/10)
(24) The Country of the Blind - HG Wells (Bookring, 8/10)

February 2009
(23) Mr MacGregor - Alan Titchmarsh (7/10)
(22) Duplicate Death - Georgette Heyer (6/10)
(21) The Birth House - Ami McKay (Bookring, 9/10)
(20) The Noble Outlaw - Bernard Knight (7/10)
(19) Animal Instincts - Alan Titchmarsh (7/10)
(18) The Liar - Steven Fry (4/10)
(17) Whitethorn Woods - Maeve Binchy (5/10)

to January 2009
(16) Tied up in Tinsel - Ngaio Marsh
(15) The Wisdom of Crowds - James Surowiecki (Non-Fiction 7/10)
(14) Bump in the Night - Colin Watson (6/10)
(13) Soldiers & Lovers - Leslie Thomas
(12) A Cure for all Diseases - Reginald Hill (8/10)
(11) Suicide Intended - David Williams (7/10)
(10) There are no Ghosts in the Soviet Union - Reginald Hill (9/10)
(9) Not in the Flesh - Ruth Rendell
(8) Death at the Bar - Ngaio Marsh (7/10)
(7) The Afghan - Frederick Forsyth (8/10)
(6) The Roar of the Butterflies - Reginald Hill (10/10)
(5) The Ghost - Robert Harris (8/10)
(4) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne (8/10)
(3) The Final Reckoning - Sam Bourne (8/10)
(2) Tales of Beadle the Bard - JK Rowling (7/10)
(1) The Drunkards Walk- Leonard Mlodinow (Non-Fiction 8/10)

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