I had the luxury of reading an entire book in a weekend this month – something that never happens usually. It was due to a combination of Bank Holiday at my in-law’s house, losing the knitting pattern I was working on and nothing on the TV. What bliss. Otherwise the month was as usual –… Continue reading August reads
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Word up
The Oxford English Dictionary is asking for people the world over to vote for their most disliked word. It’s an interesting exercise as I imagine more people will be able to come together over what they don’t like than what they do. But after thinking and discussing this a little, I think people select words… Continue reading Word up
My July reading
I got waylaid this month by a friend going to see the Harry Potter play so I started re-reading them all. (There’s no re-reading option on Goodreads so my reading challenge figures are wrong…) I’ll talk Harry at the end. Otherwise… Rowan Coleman – We Are All Made of Stars I wrote last month about… Continue reading My July reading
June reading list
A late posting this month – events have overtaken me. But here’s what I read last month. Noonday – Pat Barker The final part of Barker’s second war trilogy, ending in the Blitz and focusing mostly on the character of Elinor, estranged from her husband and in vague contact with Kit Neville. I wanted to… Continue reading June reading list
Writing as catharsis
Do you view your writing as somehow cathartic? I’ve been pondering this subject in the last few days. A lot of people use writing to deal with the world, especially though journalling or writing therapy. And some of those writing tip memes that you see flashed around the internet often talk of living life first, experiencing… Continue reading Writing as catharsis
In May I read…
This has been a good reading month, an interesting and absorbing reading month. Here’s my review: Shamim Sarif – Despite the Falling Snow I only realised when I got this home that it’s a film cover; I picked it up because it sounded intriguing. A spy-love story from Krushchev’s time, interspersed with some modern day reminiscences,… Continue reading In May I read…
April reads
It seems a long month. But a nice range of books this month. I even ventured briefly into non-fiction. The Year of Living Danishly – Helen Russell After so many war books last month I couldn’t face something serious to start the month so I decided to read about Denmark instead. This is an Englishwoman… Continue reading April reads
In March I read…
The return of the monthly reading round-up. And I must say, aside from the first book, this month’s reading all appears to be themed around childbirth, pregnancy, and the consequences of both. This month I read: Melissa – Jonathan Taylor I reviewed this earlier on the blog so I won’t repeat it here but if… Continue reading In March I read…
Can a TV tie-in change your reading?
I’ve just finished reading South Riding by Winifred Holtby. I loved it and raced through all 525 pages at breakneck speed. It was a reading group choice and wasn’t in stock at Waterstone’s when I went to buy it. The girl behind the counter placed an order for me but when it arrived it was… Continue reading Can a TV tie-in change your reading?
Review: Melissa by Jonathan Taylor
It’s not a spoiler to tell you that the Melissa of the title dies at the beginning of the book – everything that follows is a result of this tragic occurrence. As she does so, all her neighbours experience a musical hallucination – most find it beautiful if perplexing, only a few dislike it. The… Continue reading Review: Melissa by Jonathan Taylor
Susan E Barsby 