For more than ten years, I've enjoyed writing this blog, but the time has come to pursue other projects. This may turn out to be a temporary hiatus or a permanent change. Only time will tell. In the meantime, keep enjoying the other great book review blogs out there and, above all, keep reading!
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
10 March 2024
09 October 2016
The Reading Paradox
Not the latest Dan Brown, as I'm sure you all thought, but the conundrum I've found myself in over the past few weeks.
Normally, the warmer months are a great time for me. What reader can resist a pleasant summer afternoon outdoors, sunscreen-covered nose in a book? (That's how we bookworms preserve our appropriate pallor - industrial quantities of factor 50.) For some reason, this year hasn't quite panned out like that. In June/July/August 2016, I only read four books, compared with eight in 2015 and a whopping 11 in 2014. Not only was it very odd, but it also left me without much to say to you!
September was a bit more successful, but led to the opposite problem. While other years have seen a lull around the end of summer, this year I got through five and a half books. "Really?" I hear you cry "Why haven't I heard about this?!" Well, it turns out that if I read too much, I don't have time to blog! Who'd have thought it?
I think what I'm trying to say is, yes, I am still here, I am still reading and I am still blogging. I've got a handful of posts in the pipeline about some of the great things I've read recently, plus I've had some trips to bookish places that I'd love to tell you all about.
So, let's get cracking!
Coming soon (hopefully)...
Normally, the warmer months are a great time for me. What reader can resist a pleasant summer afternoon outdoors, sunscreen-covered nose in a book? (That's how we bookworms preserve our appropriate pallor - industrial quantities of factor 50.) For some reason, this year hasn't quite panned out like that. In June/July/August 2016, I only read four books, compared with eight in 2015 and a whopping 11 in 2014. Not only was it very odd, but it also left me without much to say to you!
September was a bit more successful, but led to the opposite problem. While other years have seen a lull around the end of summer, this year I got through five and a half books. "Really?" I hear you cry "Why haven't I heard about this?!" Well, it turns out that if I read too much, I don't have time to blog! Who'd have thought it?
I think what I'm trying to say is, yes, I am still here, I am still reading and I am still blogging. I've got a handful of posts in the pipeline about some of the great things I've read recently, plus I've had some trips to bookish places that I'd love to tell you all about.
So, let's get cracking!
Coming soon (hopefully)...
- A glamorous French empress!
- Two secret missions!
- And a peregrine on a Welsh island!
22 May 2016
Year Five: A Reading Renaissance
I've heard it said that birthdays become less important when you get older and it looks like it was true of my blog's birthday this year - I totally forgot about it! Nevermind, less than a month late, so the cake won't be too stale nor the champers too flat.
To be fair, the reason I lost track was because I was doing what I was supposed to be doing (reading, just in case you were wondering!). After a very quiet patch at the start of this year (four books in four months - rubbish!), I've suddenly read four books in a month. Amazing what some nice weather and longer days can do for finding time to read.
But there is more to it than that. Despite my best intentions, I've always found it hard to buy fewer books and concentrate on just reading the ones I've already got. And, to be honest, the self-inflicted pressure and guilt was getting me down. On the one hand, I wanted to read what I'm lucky enough to already have, but, equally, brilliant things are being published all the time. My love of reading comes from curiosity and I simply couldn't help being interested in what various new publications had to say.
So I've come to a decision... to go a bit easier on myself. Rather than worrying about what I'm reading, my new focus is on just... reading. It's better for me to be spending time reading something that I really, really want to read than struggling distractedly through something just because I've had it for a while. As I'm sure you've found, every book has it's day and while you may not be in the mood for something one week, you may be the next. I picked up 'The King's General' by Daphne du Maurier three times before I read it all the way through and then I absolutely loved it. But I wasn't in the right frame of mind during attempts one and two.
I have read 26 books over the past 12 months, 24 of which I've posted about. About 12 of these titles were published since I started this blog, but I will always find it hard to resist a new Bernard Cornwell ('Warriors of the Storm'), Caitlin Moran ('Moranifesto'), Neil Gaiman or Philippa Gregory.
Hopefully you've found something interesting among what I've been reading lately. I'm nothing if not varied! Sixteen titles were non-fiction, including Antonia Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette (only took me seven years to finish, partly because it's such a heartbreaking story, partly because it's flamin' massive.), 'It's All in Your Head' (Fascinating book about psychosomatic illnesses which has started off an interest in science that has lain dormant since school) and 'My Grandfather would have Shot Me' (Thought-provoking story of a black woman who discovered her ancestor was a notorious Nazi concentration camp commandant). The ten fiction books I've read included favourites such as short stories and historical fiction, but I'm glad to say I finally got around to 'To Kill a Mocking-Bird' (recommended to me by so many people I've lost count) and 'Pet Semetary' (incredibly waiting to be read for nearly 15 years).
Unusually, I had three absolute favourite books this year. As well as 'It's All in Your Head' and 'My Grandfather would have Shot Me', I absolutely loved 'Animal QC' by the most unlikely barrister around, Gary Bell. His story is, without a doubt, completely nuts, but is also one that shows what you can do with drive, focus and hard work. Call me old fashioned, but I like stories which remind us success is not just about getting the girl/boy, passing that exam or winning a competition.
I also dipped my toe once more into a bit of travel writing in 2015 and the resulting post, 'In Search of Wuthering Heights', is far and away the most popular piece I've ever posted. I'm really glad you enjoyed it, it was hard work walking up that hill! It really was a fantastic day out and I'd thoroughly recommend it to Bronte fans and people who like getting some fresh air once in a while. I've got a couple more pieces about book-related places in the pipeline, so watch this space.
Well, it looks like I'm going to have plenty to read and tell you about for a long time yet! Thank you so much for joining me in this project and I hope you keep enjoying the blog for a long time to come.
Now, back to Poldark 5!
The 500 Books Blog: Selections from 2015/16
May
'Marie Antoinette' by Antonia Fraser
June
'In Town' by Mark Steel
July
'It's All in your Head' by Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan
'My Grandfather would have Shot Me' by Jennifer Teege
'Diamonds are Forever' by Ian Fleming
August
'The Spy who Loved Me' by Ian Fleming
'In Search of Wuthering Heights'
September
'The Kingmaker's Daughter' by Philippa Gregory
October
'The Library of Unrequited Love' by Sophie Divry
'Just a Phrase I'm Going Through' by David Crystal
'Sandwich Man' by John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich
November
'A Book for Her' by Bridget Christie
'Jeremy and Amy' by Jeremy Keeling
'Warriors of the Storm' by Bernard Cornwell
December
'Pet Sematary' by Stephen King
'Animal QC' by Gary Bell
January
'Little Tales of Misogyny' by Patricia Highsmith
February
'The Rendezvous and Other Stories' by Daphne du Maurier
'Wishful Drinking' by Carrie Fisher
'To Kill a Mocking-Bird' by Harper Lee
April
'Moranifesto' by Caitlin Moran
Previous Birthday Posts
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
To be fair, the reason I lost track was because I was doing what I was supposed to be doing (reading, just in case you were wondering!). After a very quiet patch at the start of this year (four books in four months - rubbish!), I've suddenly read four books in a month. Amazing what some nice weather and longer days can do for finding time to read.
But there is more to it than that. Despite my best intentions, I've always found it hard to buy fewer books and concentrate on just reading the ones I've already got. And, to be honest, the self-inflicted pressure and guilt was getting me down. On the one hand, I wanted to read what I'm lucky enough to already have, but, equally, brilliant things are being published all the time. My love of reading comes from curiosity and I simply couldn't help being interested in what various new publications had to say.
So I've come to a decision... to go a bit easier on myself. Rather than worrying about what I'm reading, my new focus is on just... reading. It's better for me to be spending time reading something that I really, really want to read than struggling distractedly through something just because I've had it for a while. As I'm sure you've found, every book has it's day and while you may not be in the mood for something one week, you may be the next. I picked up 'The King's General' by Daphne du Maurier three times before I read it all the way through and then I absolutely loved it. But I wasn't in the right frame of mind during attempts one and two.
I have read 26 books over the past 12 months, 24 of which I've posted about. About 12 of these titles were published since I started this blog, but I will always find it hard to resist a new Bernard Cornwell ('Warriors of the Storm'), Caitlin Moran ('Moranifesto'), Neil Gaiman or Philippa Gregory.
Hopefully you've found something interesting among what I've been reading lately. I'm nothing if not varied! Sixteen titles were non-fiction, including Antonia Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette (only took me seven years to finish, partly because it's such a heartbreaking story, partly because it's flamin' massive.), 'It's All in Your Head' (Fascinating book about psychosomatic illnesses which has started off an interest in science that has lain dormant since school) and 'My Grandfather would have Shot Me' (Thought-provoking story of a black woman who discovered her ancestor was a notorious Nazi concentration camp commandant). The ten fiction books I've read included favourites such as short stories and historical fiction, but I'm glad to say I finally got around to 'To Kill a Mocking-Bird' (recommended to me by so many people I've lost count) and 'Pet Semetary' (incredibly waiting to be read for nearly 15 years).
Unusually, I had three absolute favourite books this year. As well as 'It's All in Your Head' and 'My Grandfather would have Shot Me', I absolutely loved 'Animal QC' by the most unlikely barrister around, Gary Bell. His story is, without a doubt, completely nuts, but is also one that shows what you can do with drive, focus and hard work. Call me old fashioned, but I like stories which remind us success is not just about getting the girl/boy, passing that exam or winning a competition.
I also dipped my toe once more into a bit of travel writing in 2015 and the resulting post, 'In Search of Wuthering Heights', is far and away the most popular piece I've ever posted. I'm really glad you enjoyed it, it was hard work walking up that hill! It really was a fantastic day out and I'd thoroughly recommend it to Bronte fans and people who like getting some fresh air once in a while. I've got a couple more pieces about book-related places in the pipeline, so watch this space.
Well, it looks like I'm going to have plenty to read and tell you about for a long time yet! Thank you so much for joining me in this project and I hope you keep enjoying the blog for a long time to come.
Now, back to Poldark 5!
The 500 Books Blog: Selections from 2015/16
May
'Marie Antoinette' by Antonia Fraser
June
'In Town' by Mark Steel
July
'It's All in your Head' by Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan
'My Grandfather would have Shot Me' by Jennifer Teege
'Diamonds are Forever' by Ian Fleming
August
'The Spy who Loved Me' by Ian Fleming
'In Search of Wuthering Heights'
September
'The Kingmaker's Daughter' by Philippa Gregory
October
'The Library of Unrequited Love' by Sophie Divry
'Just a Phrase I'm Going Through' by David Crystal
'Sandwich Man' by John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich
November
'A Book for Her' by Bridget Christie
'Jeremy and Amy' by Jeremy Keeling
'Warriors of the Storm' by Bernard Cornwell
December
'Pet Sematary' by Stephen King
'Animal QC' by Gary Bell
January
'Little Tales of Misogyny' by Patricia Highsmith
February
'The Rendezvous and Other Stories' by Daphne du Maurier
'Wishful Drinking' by Carrie Fisher
'To Kill a Mocking-Bird' by Harper Lee
April
'Moranifesto' by Caitlin Moran
Previous Birthday Posts
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
17 May 2015
Happy Birthday and So Forth
You may have noticed that I've been a bit quiet lately. I know what you're thinking. "Good fourth blog birthday bash, eh? Suffering more than a book hangover afterwards? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink?" Well, tut, tut and how dare you! There's only so much jelly and ice cream one person can eat and the clown was rubbish (Bit too Stephen King perhaps..?)!
After a really good year last year, I suddenly went through a bad patch, finding it hard to settle and flitting from book to book like a moth with a paper penchant. I couldn't get into anything and in the end I had to accept I needed to take a bit of a break so I didn't inadvertently lose my love of reading by making it a chore.
But all that seems to have changed now and the episode has given me the impetus to work on a new mini-project.
As you know, I've been trying to read sets of books so I can reach mini-goals and feel like I'm making progress even though reading all 500ish books seems a long way away. This has been quite successful and I've now read most of Philippa Gregory's Cousins War series (although she keeps ruining it by writing more. Surely that's cheating?). I've also read all of Bernard Cornwell's Anglo Saxon books and I'm a good way through Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, which I'm enjoying very much. I would've started reading the fifth Poldark by now, but got a bit distracted by the BBC series. I kept accidentally giving away the plot, which didn't go down too well with my co-viewers, so decided to not make it any worse. I'm unlikely to hold out until the next series though!
In a pile by the bookcase is another set of books, but one with a very specific link. They're by different authors, of various genres and, on the face of it, have no particular connection. Open one at random, however, and you'll find they're being used to store bookmarks. Or, to put it another way, I started but didn't finish reading them. So I've decided the next 'set' of books I should tackle are these, the Ones that Got Put Away.
They include Alexandre Dumas' 'The Three Musketeers', a feminist book called 'Wifework', Robert Harris' 'Lustrum', 'Angels and Demons' by Dan Brown, Charles Dickens' 'Little Dorrit' and a biography of Queen Isabella by Alison Weir. Unlike the books I've given up on, I really do want to finish these and can't actually remember why I stopped reading them.
So, earlier this month I made a re-start on 'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' by Antonia Fraser. The last time I remembered reading this was seven years ago and it's bloomin' massive, so it could've been arm strain that made me stop reading it, Anyway, yesterday, I made it to the end (also known as page 548), so my next post will be all about that.
I hope that you'll be happy to join me on this new stage of my journey towards book 500. Then we can party!
Previously from the Girl Who Loves Books...
May
'Mr Briggs' Hat: A Sensational Account of Britain's First Railway Murder' by Kate Colquhoun
'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming
June
'A Host of Voices' by Doris Stokes
'Dr No' by Ian Fleming
'The Psychic Tourist' by William Little
'The Essential Marx' by Groucho Marx, selected by Stefan Kanfer
July
'All My Friends are Superheroes' by Andrew Kaufman
'The Art of Being Brilliant' by Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker
'Warleggan' by Winston Graham
'My Baby Shot Me Down' by Blinding Books
August
'Wake' by Anna Hope
'Octopussy, the Living Daylights and Other Stories' by Ian Fleming
'Moranthology' by Caitlin Moran
September
'The Illustrated Man' by Ray Bradbury
'Thunderball' by Ian Fleming
'Love and Treasure' by Ayelet Waldman
'Warm Bodies' Isaac Marion
October
'Office Politics' by Oliver James
'We Bought a Zoo' by Benjamin Mee
'The Tiny Wife' by Andrew Kaufman
November
'How to Read a Graveyard' by Peter Stanford
'Moonraker' by Ian Fleming
December
'The Miniaturist' by Jessie Burton
January
'The Empty Throne' by Bernard Cornwell
February
'So, Anyway' by John Cleese
'From Russia with Love' by Ian Fleming
'The Victorian Chaise-Longue' by Marghanita Laski
March
'Goldfinger' by Ian Fleming
'Living Dolls' by Natasha Walter
April
'When I Met You' by Jemma Forte
'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' by Jon Ronson
Birthday Blogs
2014
2013
2012
The First Post
After a really good year last year, I suddenly went through a bad patch, finding it hard to settle and flitting from book to book like a moth with a paper penchant. I couldn't get into anything and in the end I had to accept I needed to take a bit of a break so I didn't inadvertently lose my love of reading by making it a chore.
But all that seems to have changed now and the episode has given me the impetus to work on a new mini-project.
As you know, I've been trying to read sets of books so I can reach mini-goals and feel like I'm making progress even though reading all 500ish books seems a long way away. This has been quite successful and I've now read most of Philippa Gregory's Cousins War series (although she keeps ruining it by writing more. Surely that's cheating?). I've also read all of Bernard Cornwell's Anglo Saxon books and I'm a good way through Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, which I'm enjoying very much. I would've started reading the fifth Poldark by now, but got a bit distracted by the BBC series. I kept accidentally giving away the plot, which didn't go down too well with my co-viewers, so decided to not make it any worse. I'm unlikely to hold out until the next series though!
In a pile by the bookcase is another set of books, but one with a very specific link. They're by different authors, of various genres and, on the face of it, have no particular connection. Open one at random, however, and you'll find they're being used to store bookmarks. Or, to put it another way, I started but didn't finish reading them. So I've decided the next 'set' of books I should tackle are these, the Ones that Got Put Away.
They include Alexandre Dumas' 'The Three Musketeers', a feminist book called 'Wifework', Robert Harris' 'Lustrum', 'Angels and Demons' by Dan Brown, Charles Dickens' 'Little Dorrit' and a biography of Queen Isabella by Alison Weir. Unlike the books I've given up on, I really do want to finish these and can't actually remember why I stopped reading them.
So, earlier this month I made a re-start on 'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' by Antonia Fraser. The last time I remembered reading this was seven years ago and it's bloomin' massive, so it could've been arm strain that made me stop reading it, Anyway, yesterday, I made it to the end (also known as page 548), so my next post will be all about that.
I hope that you'll be happy to join me on this new stage of my journey towards book 500. Then we can party!
Previously from the Girl Who Loves Books...
May
'Mr Briggs' Hat: A Sensational Account of Britain's First Railway Murder' by Kate Colquhoun
'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming
June
'A Host of Voices' by Doris Stokes
'Dr No' by Ian Fleming
'The Psychic Tourist' by William Little
'The Essential Marx' by Groucho Marx, selected by Stefan Kanfer
July
'All My Friends are Superheroes' by Andrew Kaufman
'The Art of Being Brilliant' by Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker
'Warleggan' by Winston Graham
'My Baby Shot Me Down' by Blinding Books
August
'Wake' by Anna Hope
'Octopussy, the Living Daylights and Other Stories' by Ian Fleming
'Moranthology' by Caitlin Moran
September
'The Illustrated Man' by Ray Bradbury
'Thunderball' by Ian Fleming
'Love and Treasure' by Ayelet Waldman
'Warm Bodies' Isaac Marion
October
'Office Politics' by Oliver James
'We Bought a Zoo' by Benjamin Mee
'The Tiny Wife' by Andrew Kaufman
November
'How to Read a Graveyard' by Peter Stanford
'Moonraker' by Ian Fleming
December
'The Miniaturist' by Jessie Burton
January
'The Empty Throne' by Bernard Cornwell
February
'So, Anyway' by John Cleese
'From Russia with Love' by Ian Fleming
'The Victorian Chaise-Longue' by Marghanita Laski
March
'Goldfinger' by Ian Fleming
'Living Dolls' by Natasha Walter
April
'When I Met You' by Jemma Forte
'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' by Jon Ronson
Birthday Blogs
2014
2013
2012
The First Post
01 June 2014
Three is a Magic Number...
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday The Girl Who Loves Books blog... Happy birthday to you!
So here we are, three years old, toddling about, asking annoying questions, learning how to tell the time and throwing tantrums (mainly because I can count and I'm starting to grasp the task ahead of me).
But it's not all doom and gloom! In fact, 2013/14 has actually been pretty good. Even during the lulls I've managed to read at least one book a month and, appropriately for the third year, I read three or more books in December, February and March. In total, I've hit my two a month target and read 24 books. Yippee!
I've also read two book series (the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell and the Oryx and Crake trilogy by Margaret Atwood) and am two titles off finishing the Cousin's War series by Philippa Gregory. I've also made a start on the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. I've managed to get my sticky fingers on some of the excellent 007 Reloaded audio books by AudioGo, which is getting me going on these books and really helping me make progress. I don't want to make a habit of it, but everyone likes having a story read to them from time to time and it means I can keep working on the list even when I don't have time to sit down with an actual book.
As mentioned in my 2013 review post, however, there is a slight snag. I've read a lot of books that weren't on my list and/or are new. Certainly something to work on this year. Especially as I've had a count up and realised that I've got a few more books than I thought. Ooh err.
So, in the next year I want to stay focussed on the list, keep reading at least two books a month (or ideally more) and work on series of books as this is clearly helping and I do have several sets on my shelves. I also want to get better at a) blogging more regularly and b) blogging more quickly after finishing a book as I think I've got a bit rubbish at doing this again. After all, I should've written this post on 5th May 2014...
Last but far from least, a big thank you to you for reading my blog. I hope you're still enjoying it and appreciate your support and encouragement. If you have any feedback, you can find me on Twitter as @Girl_LovesBooks.
Now, where's that birthday cake...
Previously from the Girl Who Loves Books...
So here we are, three years old, toddling about, asking annoying questions, learning how to tell the time and throwing tantrums (mainly because I can count and I'm starting to grasp the task ahead of me).
But it's not all doom and gloom! In fact, 2013/14 has actually been pretty good. Even during the lulls I've managed to read at least one book a month and, appropriately for the third year, I read three or more books in December, February and March. In total, I've hit my two a month target and read 24 books. Yippee!
I've also read two book series (the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell and the Oryx and Crake trilogy by Margaret Atwood) and am two titles off finishing the Cousin's War series by Philippa Gregory. I've also made a start on the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. I've managed to get my sticky fingers on some of the excellent 007 Reloaded audio books by AudioGo, which is getting me going on these books and really helping me make progress. I don't want to make a habit of it, but everyone likes having a story read to them from time to time and it means I can keep working on the list even when I don't have time to sit down with an actual book.
As mentioned in my 2013 review post, however, there is a slight snag. I've read a lot of books that weren't on my list and/or are new. Certainly something to work on this year. Especially as I've had a count up and realised that I've got a few more books than I thought. Ooh err.
So, in the next year I want to stay focussed on the list, keep reading at least two books a month (or ideally more) and work on series of books as this is clearly helping and I do have several sets on my shelves. I also want to get better at a) blogging more regularly and b) blogging more quickly after finishing a book as I think I've got a bit rubbish at doing this again. After all, I should've written this post on 5th May 2014...
Last but far from least, a big thank you to you for reading my blog. I hope you're still enjoying it and appreciate your support and encouragement. If you have any feedback, you can find me on Twitter as @Girl_LovesBooks.
Now, where's that birthday cake...
Previously from the Girl Who Loves Books...
June
'The Unknown Ajax' by Georgette Heyer
July
'The Lady of the Rivers' by Philippa Gregory
'The White Queen' by Philippa Gregory
August
'Will Storr vs The Supernatural' by Will Storr
'The Red Queen' by Philippa Gregory
September
'The Year of the Flood' by Margaret Atwood
'Maddaddam' by Margaret Atwood
October
'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell
'Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell
December
'Dracula' by Bram Stoker
'You Made me Late Again!" by Pam Ayres
'The House We Grew up In' by Lisa Jewell
'Him and Me' by Michael and Jack Whitehall
January
'Alex and Me' by Irene M. Pepperberg
February
'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton
'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell
'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming
March
'The Devil in the Marshalsea' by Antonia Hodgson
'Gin O' Clock' by HM The Queen of Twitter
'The Bluffer's Guide to Chocolate' by Neil Davey
April
'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming
'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman
May
'Mr Briggs' Hat' by Kate Colquhoun
'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming
Birthday Blogs
2013
2012
The First Post
January
'Alex and Me' by Irene M. Pepperberg
February
'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton
'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell
'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming
March
'The Devil in the Marshalsea' by Antonia Hodgson
'Gin O' Clock' by HM The Queen of Twitter
'The Bluffer's Guide to Chocolate' by Neil Davey
April
'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming
'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman
May
'Mr Briggs' Hat' by Kate Colquhoun
'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming
Birthday Blogs
2013
2012
The First Post
01 January 2014
Review of the Year 2013!
An old year ends and a new one begins and it's time for another check up!
Over the past 12 months, I've read 22 books. Pretty good you might think, just two off my target for each year. Just one slight problem. Five of those books weren't actually on my list in the first place. 'MaddAddam' by Margaret Atwood and 'Consumed' by Harry Wallop, for example, were newly published in 2013, but they caught my eye and before I knew it I was several pages in. So I think I really need to stop reading book reviews if I'm ever going to read everything I already have!
On the plus side, I've read lots of different genres again this year (which I hope makes my blog varied and entertaining!). We've had horror ('Fluke' by James Herbert), history ('My Heart is My Own' by John Guy), science fiction ('The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis) and biographical works by Sir Roger Moore and Arabella Weir. I even read a classic in the form of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, although it did take six weeks and I kind of hoped I would read more than just one in 2013.
Later in the year, I decided to try out finishing some sets of books, something I considered in the 2012 review of the year. This seems to have worked - I've finished Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake trilogy and would've finished Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories if he hadn't had the cheek to publish a new one! I'm already on the case with that, though, and hope to finish it early in 2014.
I also made an attempt on Philippa Gregory's Cousins War series. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the second and third books as much as the first, which has put me off reading the fourth, 'The Kingmaker's Daughter'. Ms Gregory also published a new addition to this series in 2013, 'The White Princess'. I think I may give this series another go at a later date, but not just yet.
Overall, this strategy has gone well, so I think I will carry it over into 2014 as it gives me a sense of achievement without tying me down too much. I can still mix and match if the mood takes me or I think you might be getting a bit bored!
Unfortunately, I didn't read anything anniversary related in 2013. As how long it takes me to read books can be very unpredictable, however, I'd have probably disappointed myself and everyone else by failing to finish the right book at the right time anyway, so that idea's probably safer left on the back burner.
So 2013 was on the whole quite positive. I nearly made my target (even though it was in fits and starts and there was a sudden late surge) and I finished a few series and kept the variety going in my reading. But next year I must refocus and keep that list of new releases firmly out of reach! I also hope to find the time to blog more often, perhaps including more posts related to things I've read to keep you entertained. One thing I know for sure, though, is that I mustn't get carried away and forget what this is actually all about!
I hope you've enjoy hearing about the books I've read and want to say thank you for your part in this project. Don't forget that I can be found on Twitter (@Girl_LovesBooks) and love to hear what you think of the project and books I've read. Happy new year and I hope you have a healthy, successful and enjoyable 2014.
Related Posts
Review of the Year 2012
2013: The Year in Books
Over the past 12 months, I've read 22 books. Pretty good you might think, just two off my target for each year. Just one slight problem. Five of those books weren't actually on my list in the first place. 'MaddAddam' by Margaret Atwood and 'Consumed' by Harry Wallop, for example, were newly published in 2013, but they caught my eye and before I knew it I was several pages in. So I think I really need to stop reading book reviews if I'm ever going to read everything I already have!
On the plus side, I've read lots of different genres again this year (which I hope makes my blog varied and entertaining!). We've had horror ('Fluke' by James Herbert), history ('My Heart is My Own' by John Guy), science fiction ('The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis) and biographical works by Sir Roger Moore and Arabella Weir. I even read a classic in the form of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, although it did take six weeks and I kind of hoped I would read more than just one in 2013.
Later in the year, I decided to try out finishing some sets of books, something I considered in the 2012 review of the year. This seems to have worked - I've finished Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake trilogy and would've finished Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories if he hadn't had the cheek to publish a new one! I'm already on the case with that, though, and hope to finish it early in 2014.
I also made an attempt on Philippa Gregory's Cousins War series. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the second and third books as much as the first, which has put me off reading the fourth, 'The Kingmaker's Daughter'. Ms Gregory also published a new addition to this series in 2013, 'The White Princess'. I think I may give this series another go at a later date, but not just yet.
Overall, this strategy has gone well, so I think I will carry it over into 2014 as it gives me a sense of achievement without tying me down too much. I can still mix and match if the mood takes me or I think you might be getting a bit bored!
Unfortunately, I didn't read anything anniversary related in 2013. As how long it takes me to read books can be very unpredictable, however, I'd have probably disappointed myself and everyone else by failing to finish the right book at the right time anyway, so that idea's probably safer left on the back burner.
So 2013 was on the whole quite positive. I nearly made my target (even though it was in fits and starts and there was a sudden late surge) and I finished a few series and kept the variety going in my reading. But next year I must refocus and keep that list of new releases firmly out of reach! I also hope to find the time to blog more often, perhaps including more posts related to things I've read to keep you entertained. One thing I know for sure, though, is that I mustn't get carried away and forget what this is actually all about!
I hope you've enjoy hearing about the books I've read and want to say thank you for your part in this project. Don't forget that I can be found on Twitter (@Girl_LovesBooks) and love to hear what you think of the project and books I've read. Happy new year and I hope you have a healthy, successful and enjoyable 2014.
Related Posts
Review of the Year 2012
2013: The Year in Books
February 2013
'My Heart is My Own' by John Guy
'Fluke' by James Herbert
March
'My Word is My Bond' by Roger Moore
'The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis
'The Real Me is Thin' by Arabella Weir
April
'The Other Queen' by Philippa Gregory
'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella
May
'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro
'Consumed' by Harry Wallop
June
'The Unknown Ajax' by Georgette Heyer
July
'The Lady of the Rivers' by Philippa Gregory
'The White Queen' by Philippa Gregory
August
'Will Storr vs The Supernatural' by Will Storr
'The Red Queen' by Philippa Gregory
September
'The Year of the Flood' by Margaret Atwood
'Maddaddam' by Margaret Atwood
October
'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell
'Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell
December
'Dracula' by Bram Stoker
'You Made me Late Again!" by Pam Ayres
'The House We Grew up In' by Lisa Jewell
'Him and Me' by Michael and Jack Whitehall
02 May 2013
The Difficult Second Year Post
I can't believe I've been writing this blog for two years already! And I definitely can't believe it's a whole five months since I last reviewed my progress. Blimey!
I have to be honest, though, and say that not much has really changed since my review of the year in December. Despite not finishing anything in January, I'm still averaging two books a month (yay!), but I've still not really latched onto any themes or events or read any classics (boo!). I've picked up 'Jane Eyre', 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' at various times, but somehow always managed to get distracted by something else. Clearly I'm shallower than I thought and these books need shinier covers!
On the plus side, and I hope you agree with me on this, what I'm reading is still quite varied. As someone who loves Historical Fiction and Science Fiction, I often worry that I'll get carried away and read too much of one or other of these genres. I really don't want to bore anyone and think my 'library' is broad enough to cater for most people, so hopefully this won't become a problem. Having said that, I do want to read a few series of books, although this category ranges from the Poldark novels to Ian Fleming's James Bond books, so perhaps I don't need to worry!
So, between May 2012 and April 2013, I read 23 books. Not bad considering I had a couple of quite major lulls due to the length (and sometimes weight!) of what I was reading. Sadly, I've not been able to help myself when unleashed in the local bookshop, so this hasn't really made much difference to the overall total.
I am reading more due to the lovely weather we've been having lately though. It makes such a change to be sat in the warm sunshine, lulled by the sound of insects buzzing about, rather than inside, under a blanket, listening to constant rain thrashing against the windows. So, as long as the weather holds, I'm quite hopeful for the next few months. Just so long as I don't get too relaxed!
As always, thank you very much for reading this blog and sticking with me despite the lack of progress! I'm glad that you're interested in what I've read and what I've thought about it and hope that you're enjoying at least a few of the posts. At least not all of them are as dull as this one!
May 2012
'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' by Winifred Watson
'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell
'Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller
July
'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
August
'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox
'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham
September
'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce
'In-Flight Entertainment' by Helen Simpson
October
'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures' by Emma Straub
'Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee' by Neil Forsythe
'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell
November
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran
'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving
December
'Little Boy Lost' by Marghanita Laski
'The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman
I have to be honest, though, and say that not much has really changed since my review of the year in December. Despite not finishing anything in January, I'm still averaging two books a month (yay!), but I've still not really latched onto any themes or events or read any classics (boo!). I've picked up 'Jane Eyre', 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' at various times, but somehow always managed to get distracted by something else. Clearly I'm shallower than I thought and these books need shinier covers!
On the plus side, and I hope you agree with me on this, what I'm reading is still quite varied. As someone who loves Historical Fiction and Science Fiction, I often worry that I'll get carried away and read too much of one or other of these genres. I really don't want to bore anyone and think my 'library' is broad enough to cater for most people, so hopefully this won't become a problem. Having said that, I do want to read a few series of books, although this category ranges from the Poldark novels to Ian Fleming's James Bond books, so perhaps I don't need to worry!
So, between May 2012 and April 2013, I read 23 books. Not bad considering I had a couple of quite major lulls due to the length (and sometimes weight!) of what I was reading. Sadly, I've not been able to help myself when unleashed in the local bookshop, so this hasn't really made much difference to the overall total.
I am reading more due to the lovely weather we've been having lately though. It makes such a change to be sat in the warm sunshine, lulled by the sound of insects buzzing about, rather than inside, under a blanket, listening to constant rain thrashing against the windows. So, as long as the weather holds, I'm quite hopeful for the next few months. Just so long as I don't get too relaxed!
As always, thank you very much for reading this blog and sticking with me despite the lack of progress! I'm glad that you're interested in what I've read and what I've thought about it and hope that you're enjoying at least a few of the posts. At least not all of them are as dull as this one!
May 2012
'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' by Winifred Watson
'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell
'Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller
July
'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
August
'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox
'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham
September
'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce
'In-Flight Entertainment' by Helen Simpson
October
'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures' by Emma Straub
'Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee' by Neil Forsythe
'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell
November
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran
'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving
December
'Little Boy Lost' by Marghanita Laski
'The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman
February 2013
'My Heart is My Own' by John Guy
'Fluke' by James Herbert
March
'My Word is My Bond' by Roger Moore
'The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis
'The Real Me is Thin' by Arabella Weir
April
'The Other Queen' by Philippa Gregory
'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella
31 December 2012
Review of the Year 2012!
Ah, 2012! A great year for distractions, not such a good one for reading! Although, having said that, I did spend a few hours reading 'The Somnambulist' rather than watching the sailing on a big screen on Weymouth beach, so perhaps I can't really blame the Olympics or Jubilee!
2012 really didn't start well for my project. One book in two months? TWO MONTHS? And a book of short stories at that?! I'm pretty sure it wasn't the fault of R, Murray Gilchrist, author of 'A Night on the Moor and Other Tales of Dread', or his stories. As usual, I'd bitten off more than I could chew with a training course, lots on at work and a number of other factors too tedious to go into. June was equally unsuccessful, because my friends had the audacity to keep getting married or having children. I didn't want to chance chucking a hardback at the married couple rather than confetti, so decided not to try to multitask that month!
Fortunately, for the rest of the year (nine months) I made my target of at least two books a month. This totalled 21 volumes in all, excluding the three books I gave up on (sorry Ms. Austen!), which brings it up to 24. OK, it's not quite the 30 books I managed in 2011, but it's still progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless!
I've read quite a selection of books this year, so I hope you've all found something of interest to you. The books included modern classics, science fiction, horror, humour, literary fiction, historical fiction (surprise, surprise!), short stories (ditto!) and non-fiction. There have been quite a few new books in there this year, including the lovely 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' and enchanting 'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures'. Although I don't regret reading them for one moment, trying to be less distracted by new releases will have to be a resolution for 2013, otherwise I'll never empty my shelves!
My big regret for 2012 is that I didn't take advantage of various celebrations, anniversaries or film releases to spur me on. 'We Bought a Zoo' came out on DVD, while 'The Woman in Black', 'Anna Karenina' and 'Life of Pi' arrived at cinemas. There is still hope yet, though. While 2012 was the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, 'Doctor No', 2013 is the 60th anniversary of the first Bond book, 'Casino Royale'. Sounds like a good opportunity to me!
On the whole, I think this has been an OK year, but I definitely want 2013 to be better. A minimum of two books a months seems manageable, so I think I'll stick to that for the time being, but I must make sure the acquisitions stay under control too! I think I would like to read more classics in next year (I have my eye on 'Jane Eyre', 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'Anna Karenina') and more non-fiction (I've got a few history books waiting for me). Although I don't want my love of historical fiction to take over, it would be great if I could finish at least one series of books. I'm part way through Jean Plaidy's Tudor novels, Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred books and Winston Graham's Poldark stories.
I sincerely hope that you've enjoyed reading my blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I always try to be honest and fair in my opinions and respectful of the authors whose work I read, which I hope comes across.
Until next time, I'd like to wish you all a very happy new year and the very best for 2013! I hope you'll join me again soon!
2012: The Year in Books
January
'A Night on the Moor' by R.Murray Gilchrist
March
'QI Book of General Ignorance'
'The Virgin's Lover' by Philippa Gregory
April
'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett
'The Psychopath Test' by Jon Ronson
May
'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' by Winifred Watson
'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell
'Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller
July
'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
August
'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox
'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham
September
'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce
'In-Flight Entertainment' by Helen Simpson
October
'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures' by Emma Straub
'Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee' by Neil Forsythe
'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell
November
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran
'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving
December
'Little Boy Lost' by Marghanita Laski
'The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman
2012 really didn't start well for my project. One book in two months? TWO MONTHS? And a book of short stories at that?! I'm pretty sure it wasn't the fault of R, Murray Gilchrist, author of 'A Night on the Moor and Other Tales of Dread', or his stories. As usual, I'd bitten off more than I could chew with a training course, lots on at work and a number of other factors too tedious to go into. June was equally unsuccessful, because my friends had the audacity to keep getting married or having children. I didn't want to chance chucking a hardback at the married couple rather than confetti, so decided not to try to multitask that month!
Fortunately, for the rest of the year (nine months) I made my target of at least two books a month. This totalled 21 volumes in all, excluding the three books I gave up on (sorry Ms. Austen!), which brings it up to 24. OK, it's not quite the 30 books I managed in 2011, but it's still progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless!
I've read quite a selection of books this year, so I hope you've all found something of interest to you. The books included modern classics, science fiction, horror, humour, literary fiction, historical fiction (surprise, surprise!), short stories (ditto!) and non-fiction. There have been quite a few new books in there this year, including the lovely 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' and enchanting 'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures'. Although I don't regret reading them for one moment, trying to be less distracted by new releases will have to be a resolution for 2013, otherwise I'll never empty my shelves!
My big regret for 2012 is that I didn't take advantage of various celebrations, anniversaries or film releases to spur me on. 'We Bought a Zoo' came out on DVD, while 'The Woman in Black', 'Anna Karenina' and 'Life of Pi' arrived at cinemas. There is still hope yet, though. While 2012 was the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, 'Doctor No', 2013 is the 60th anniversary of the first Bond book, 'Casino Royale'. Sounds like a good opportunity to me!
On the whole, I think this has been an OK year, but I definitely want 2013 to be better. A minimum of two books a months seems manageable, so I think I'll stick to that for the time being, but I must make sure the acquisitions stay under control too! I think I would like to read more classics in next year (I have my eye on 'Jane Eyre', 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'Anna Karenina') and more non-fiction (I've got a few history books waiting for me). Although I don't want my love of historical fiction to take over, it would be great if I could finish at least one series of books. I'm part way through Jean Plaidy's Tudor novels, Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred books and Winston Graham's Poldark stories.
I sincerely hope that you've enjoyed reading my blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I always try to be honest and fair in my opinions and respectful of the authors whose work I read, which I hope comes across.
Until next time, I'd like to wish you all a very happy new year and the very best for 2013! I hope you'll join me again soon!
2012: The Year in Books
January
'A Night on the Moor' by R.Murray Gilchrist
March
'QI Book of General Ignorance'
'The Virgin's Lover' by Philippa Gregory
April
'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett
'The Psychopath Test' by Jon Ronson
May
'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' by Winifred Watson
'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell
'Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller
July
'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
August
'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox
'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham
September
'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce
'In-Flight Entertainment' by Helen Simpson
October
'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures' by Emma Straub
'Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee' by Neil Forsythe
'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell
November
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran
'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving
December
'Little Boy Lost' by Marghanita Laski
'The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman
02 May 2012
Happy Birthday!
It is a year to the day I started this blog! Whoop, whoop! Let the party poppers pop, the songs be sung and the cake be eaten!!
OK, maybe I should tone down the celebrations just a little. To be honest, I've not really done as well as I'd have hoped, but, let's face it, this bookworm was never going to change her spots (or whatever worms have!) overnight!
I have made some progress though and I'm pleased with that. I've not bought anything like as many books as I did before starting this project, so my list of things to read hasn't grown that much really. Honest!
I've also have read some amazing books since May 2011, some of which had been sat on my shelves for years literally gathering dust. 'Brave New World', 'The Help' and 'Jilted Generation' immediately spring to mind. I really can't believe I let these gems just sit there for so long. It does give me hope, however, that there are probably a lot more goodies just waiting there to be picked up and read. If that doesn't give me the energy to keep going, I don't know what will.
So, time for a bit of maths. In the last 12 months, I've ready 23 books. Not quite two a month then. If I carry on at that rate, that means it's going to take me nearly 20 years to read everything. Just as well I can self-censor, I wouldn't want anyone knowing what words spin through my head at the thought of that. Picking up the pace would seem like a good idea!
One thing I have learned in the last year, though, is that my greatest enemy is my own curiosity. I love to read because I want to know about things, which is a nice thing to want, but an impossible thing to achieve. Also, being nosy means that I am quite easily distracted. Y'know, by the usual sorts of things, but mainly what I could read next and things on the web. Don't get me wrong, the internet is an amazing thing that I'm very grateful for, but it can be rather distracting! Equally, if I don't understand something I read, it can be a useful tool. So, swings and roundabouts.
Every new year should begin with a resolution, so here's mine. I'm going to be a lot more focussed in the next 12 months. And I'm going to aim for at least two books a month (I think that's the least I should do). But, to be fair to myself, I think I also need to be more ruthless. If I'm not getting on with a book, I need to know when I'm beaten. I really think that every book has its time. Sometimes you're just not at the right place in your life to fully understand and get the most out of something. So I need to learn to recognise that too. Then perhaps I won't take two months to read a book of short stories.
Very importantly, thank you very much to everyone, friends and strangers, who has encouraged me in my project so far. I hope you're enjoying the blog and the tweets (@Girl_LovesBooks) and you'll stick with me for just a bit longer!
OK, maybe I should tone down the celebrations just a little. To be honest, I've not really done as well as I'd have hoped, but, let's face it, this bookworm was never going to change her spots (or whatever worms have!) overnight!
I have made some progress though and I'm pleased with that. I've not bought anything like as many books as I did before starting this project, so my list of things to read hasn't grown that much really. Honest!
I've also have read some amazing books since May 2011, some of which had been sat on my shelves for years literally gathering dust. 'Brave New World', 'The Help' and 'Jilted Generation' immediately spring to mind. I really can't believe I let these gems just sit there for so long. It does give me hope, however, that there are probably a lot more goodies just waiting there to be picked up and read. If that doesn't give me the energy to keep going, I don't know what will.
So, time for a bit of maths. In the last 12 months, I've ready 23 books. Not quite two a month then. If I carry on at that rate, that means it's going to take me nearly 20 years to read everything. Just as well I can self-censor, I wouldn't want anyone knowing what words spin through my head at the thought of that. Picking up the pace would seem like a good idea!
One thing I have learned in the last year, though, is that my greatest enemy is my own curiosity. I love to read because I want to know about things, which is a nice thing to want, but an impossible thing to achieve. Also, being nosy means that I am quite easily distracted. Y'know, by the usual sorts of things, but mainly what I could read next and things on the web. Don't get me wrong, the internet is an amazing thing that I'm very grateful for, but it can be rather distracting! Equally, if I don't understand something I read, it can be a useful tool. So, swings and roundabouts.
Every new year should begin with a resolution, so here's mine. I'm going to be a lot more focussed in the next 12 months. And I'm going to aim for at least two books a month (I think that's the least I should do). But, to be fair to myself, I think I also need to be more ruthless. If I'm not getting on with a book, I need to know when I'm beaten. I really think that every book has its time. Sometimes you're just not at the right place in your life to fully understand and get the most out of something. So I need to learn to recognise that too. Then perhaps I won't take two months to read a book of short stories.
Very importantly, thank you very much to everyone, friends and strangers, who has encouraged me in my project so far. I hope you're enjoying the blog and the tweets (@Girl_LovesBooks) and you'll stick with me for just a bit longer!
02 May 2011
Once Upon a Time...
...There was a princess with a problem. She lived in a tiny flat in a provincial town with over 450 books. Her Prince Charming was very kind and let her indulge her book buying habit, but after the shelves of two book cases snapped under the strain, it became clear that it would take more than a fairy godmother to sort this one out. So now The Girl Who Loves Books (TGWLB) is on a quest. She must work her way through 477 paperbacks, hardbacks and ebooks, surviving foreign lands and strange times, to bring the addiction under control and, hopefully, find her happy ever after...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)