The year in books - January

Well my reading in December didn’t go exactly as planned…

I did read Into the Woods by Tana French. Halfway through I was so enjoying this book I downloaded the next one to my kindle. I really had to hold off from downloading them all right away.

So December consisted of 2 Tana French books…Into the Woods and The likeness. I really, really enjoyed these books and am so pleased Jennifer put her latest one on her blog and gave me pause to consider them! I found the way she develops her characters intriguing and I like how the books are connected but not dependent on each other. I’m holding off binging on all of her novels so I can look forward to the next pones…I also finally finished Stephen Fry’s autobiography. It wasn’t as good as his other stuff. ‘Nuff said.

So this month, and yes I understand it being almost February, I’ve been reading Maggie O’Farrell’s “Instructions for a Heatwave” and plan to read Jay Rayner’s “The Apologist” and potentially a new Simon Kernick novel... If I can stop myself from the third Tana French book…..

A year in books :: July

I had (yet another) bumper month for reading in June. I think not much being on TV accounts for it really. I really like football but I'm a club not country kinda girl (plus England were woeful) and can read whilst its on...

So this months books were:

After You'd Gone - Maggie O'Farrell... I loved this book. I so enjoyed the interwoven story and her writing style really brings the characters and the situations alive. I have to say once again it made me cry, but I was truly moved by the writing.

The Bones Beneath - Mark Billingham...Tom Thorne back again and this time not in London. Definite twist to this one and of course you have to suspend a little bit of belief but a thoroughly good read. I think of David Morrissey as Thorne and it's a good fit. I hope he films some more of these.

A set of 3 short stories by Simon Kernick - super fast and superb story telling. This was billed as 3 interlinked short stories in the sort of way you would 'tune in next week to see what happened' (says Kernick) each being published a week apart. I saved them til they were all there and could be devoured in one go!

The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith...this arrived on my kindle serendipitously just as I finished the 3 Simon Kernick short stories. I'd forgotten I'd preordered it. What a great story and good writing. It's the second Cormoran Strike novel from JK Rowling who is writing here as Robert Galbraith. I really enjoyed the first novel and this continues on from that some months later. Cororan Strike is a really interesting character but more than him is his 'assistant' (for want of a better expression), Robin without whom he couldn't function (figuratively and literally I think we'll see in coming books). So in spite of his fractured personal life he manages to get to the root of the problem where others fail.

So for July's choices:

The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

OxCrimes - various... Suggested by Ailsa am looking forward to this and also to seeing if it gets me into any new authors.

And then if I have any time/effort left in me...

Stay Alive - Simon Kernick...we'll see how I get on with this one. Another crime novel. I really like his quick paced style. Short chapters, keeping the action moving. It's a real book (so I can take a snap of it), as opposed to being on my kindle. So I need to carry it with me and also have the light on to read it. It might take a bit longer this one...

Joining in with Laura

A year in books :: April

Well I seem to have my reading mojo back.

This has been a really good prompt for me to get back into reading and I’m enjoying it thoroughly.

So March included The Snow Child, Raven Black, Tales from the Secret Footballer and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. Phew! I don’t know how I did it.

I loved the Snow Child – recommended by so many bloggers but especially Sarah. The descriptions of the inhospitable Alaskan winters and the hope that the child brings to Mabel and Jack in times of despair I found incredibly moving.

How had I not come across Ann Cleeves before? I’ve not been watching Shetland on TV (but I’ll be catching up on iplayer when I’ve read the books!) but I thoroughly enjoyed the first book. The close, small community where everyone knows everyone else’s business and the prejudice against those that are outsiders even though they’re from within. Gripping stuff. So much so I’ve now bought the remaining 4 books for my kindle and will be attacking (unfortunate turn of phrase given the subject!!) one of those in April. 

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox was read almost in one sitting with the majority overnight as I listened to a small child cough. Incidentally, the small child was asleep….but I wasn’t! Was I waiting for her to wake up so I could administer calpol or just so I could read? Anyway…another amazing story. This took me back to my GCSE RE class where every Christmas we would make cards for the long term in-patients at the local psychiatric hospital. In the last year we went to visit the patients and hand out the (much appreciated) cards and presents. It was the first time that I’d realised many of the elderly patients had been ‘locked up’ for so many years on extremely flimsy (by modern standards) reasons, many for having epilepsy for example. Anyway I’ll be returning to Maggie O’Farrell again very soon! 

My final book of the month was Tales from the Secret Footballer. An easy read that you can dip in and out of. The author is extremely scathing of how football is and how it didn’t help him with his (and others) mental health issues. An interesting read. And yes I did spend the next hour attempting to finds out who it is. The ABO and I have narrowed it down but we don’t know for sure….yet. 

So I’m not expecting April to anywhere near as prolific as March. Now the ABO is at home and not away I might spend some of my evening talking to him rather than only reading. I’m starting with the second on the Ann Cleeves Shetland series and moving on to another crime favourite Lynda La Plante…how I missed an Anna Travis novel Wad published I don’t know.

Joining in with Laura at circleofpinetrees.