Books... October

October has passed me by in a blur of adventures and busy-ness, and I only managed to finish two books. Unusually for me, I am also in the middle of three others, I don't really know how that happened...

October Books - 

• Posy Simmonds - Gemma Bovery 
• Robert Newman - The Entirely Accurate Encyclopaedia of Evolution

Reading... September

I am a self confessed creature of habit, and although I try to always read things that I've never read before, I am always drawn back to the Harry Potter books. I read books five to seven earlier this year, in preparation for our visit to the Studio Tour, but I've started the series again. It's like coming home to visit old friends. I also read the short story "The Collectors" from Philip Pullman, and as much as I enjoyed "The Dark Materials" trilogy, I don't feel the same emotional attachment that I do to Harry Potter. 

I have followed "Fine Little Day" on Instagram for some time now, and was thrilled to find that Elisabeth's book has been translated to English. It's a lovely, lovely book, inspiring and filled with beautiful images and words. It's pure happiness.

So my September reads were...

• JK Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
• Elisabeth Dunker - "Fine Little Day"
• Philip Pullman - "The Collectors"
• JK Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

Readings...July

This month I have been immersed in books, as always they have been a welcome distraction from the real world! I loved re-reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" in preparation for "Go Set a Watchman", having read it originally about ten years ago, and I found I appreciated it so much more this time around, the benefit of a bit of life experience I should imagine. Don't know that I'll be re-reading "Go Set a Watchman"...

My July books...

• Gillian Flynn - "Gone Girl"
• Harper Lee - "To Kill a Mockingbird"
• Harper Lee - "Go Set a Watchman" 
• Lena Dunham - "Not That Kind Of Girl"
• R.J Palacio - "Wonder"
• Sue Townsend - "The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year"

Readings...June

I found myself in a fairly unusual position this month - I really didn't enjoy one of the books that I read. I persisted and finished "All the Materials for a Midnight Feast", but it really was a chore. In fact, it took most of the month to read it because I couldn't bring myself to pick it up. There's nothing that I can put my finger on, it just didn't go anywhere or have anything much to say. I don't really like to be negative, but it really was a disappointment. 

The positive was that "The Opposite of Loneliness" was full of brilliance. I found the recommendation on a blog that I follow, but unfortunately I have since lost track of which one, because I would like to thank the author for sharing it. Marina Keegan died so tragically young, but I believe that her legacy will be a great one. I would say it's worth picking up a copy for the opening essay alone, her words are so poignant... 

"We're so young. We can't, we MUST not loose this sense of possibility because in the end, it's all we have." Marina Keegan

My June books...

• David Nicholls - "Us"
• Gary Dexter - "All the Materials for a Midnight Feast"
• Marina Keegan - "The Opposite of Loneliness"
• Mark Thomas - "100 Acts of Minor Dissent"

Reading - May

The one advantage to the fairly miserable weather that we are having is that there is more opportunity to read. The garden is looking overgrown, but it's just so much nicer to stay inside. My May readings were an interesting mix - a bit of fiction, some political musings and a sweet vintage Penguin biography of Beatrix Potter. As much as I look forward to nicer weather I am making the best of it.

My May books...

• Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen - "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" 
• Jamie Kilstein and Allison Kilkenny - "#Newsfail"
• Nick Hornby - "Funny Girl"
• Margaret Lane " The Tale of Beatrix Potter"

My Week...

I have had a lovely week - there has been crafty planning and working away in two of my favourite cafes with two of my favourite ladies, and lots of cake and tea to help things along. I have had cosy moments at home with the cats, and made progress with my toe-up-socks. I had my lovely day out in Liverpool and although I didn't take many photographs I brought home a head full of ideas. 

And despite being chilly outside, the spring is plodding along at it's own little pace, and it's lovely to see.

Readings...April

My April books were just lovely, as always I wish I'd made more time to read, but the month just seemed to fly by. 

I read...

• Denis Theriault - "The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman"
• Arthur Conan Doyle - "The Lost World"
• Jojo Moyes - "Night Music"

I'm reading "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" at the moment and enjoying it so far. I've added more books to my "to read..." pile, I can never resist buying a book.

My Week...

As weeks go, this one has been pretty special, full of my favourite things - exploring and adventures, and cosy times at home with my cats and my garden and some knitting. 

The fresh Spring weather has blown away the winter cobwebs, and the opportunity to wander aimlessly in the sunshine has been so welcome. I have so enjoyed watching the hard work we've put into the garden start to pay off, and seeing little birds foraging for bits and bobs for their nest is a joy - They work so tirelessly, with tufts of fluff and twigs to make their little homes cosy. 

As always, I've tried to make time for some craftiness, and have finished two pairs of socks that have been on the needles for some time. It's been a good week. 

Readings...March

My readings for March - a strange sort of mixed up month for books, I seemed to go from action-packed adventures to complicated reality... 

I read...

• JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Kim Gordon - Girl in a Band
• John Green - The Fault in Our Stars
• Ian McEwan - The Children Act
• Jon Ronson - So You've Been Publicly Shamed
• Pittacus Lore - The Power of Six

Have you read anything nice recently? Any recommendations?

Reeadings... February

February was a month of whimsical tales and fantastical adventures. 

I read...

• David Shrigley - "The Red Book"
• P.L Travers - "Mary Poppins"
• Esther Freud - "Mr Mac and Me"
• P.L Travers - "Mary Poppins Comes Back"
• Philip Pullman - "Grimm Tales"

Readings... January

With all the excitement of January coming to an end, I forgot to share my reading for the month.

I read...

• Joan Didion - Slouching Towards Bethlehem
• JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Richard Ayoade - Ayoade on Ayoade
• JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I always plan to read the Harry Potter series from start to finish, but find invariably that I get distracted by something else around "...Goblet of Fire", so this time I started at the end, with the last three books. I am halfway through "...the Deathly Hallows" now, and so pleased that I've done everything the wrong way around. 

I think I may have started in the wrong place with Joan Didion though. I hadn't read anything else she'd written, and although "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" is famous for being a good representation of the time, quite honestly it was too much of it's time - essentially before mine - for me to understand the context or some of the references. I will persevere though because I loved her style. 

"The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself." 

Joan Didion from "On Keeping a Notebook"

Readings - October and November

I always seem to be such a busy bee, and the little smidgens of time that I have to spare fill up quickly with makings, but I've managed to squeeze in these books over October and November...

• Victoria Coren - "For Richer For Poorer"
• Patti Smith - "Auguries of Innocence"
• Julie Arkell - "Home" and "Away" exhibition guides
• Caitlin Moran - "How to Build a Girl"
• Karen Joy Fowler - "We are all Completely Beside Ourselves"

My Readings - September

September has seen me settling into the cosy Autumnal routines of reading under blankets in front of the fire. I have enjoyed the long and sunny summer, but the arrival of chilly weather and the need for woollens always brings a little smile to my face.





My readings for September were -

• "The Quantity Theory of Insanity" by Will Self
• "The Vet's Daughter" by Barbara Comyns
• "I am Number Four" by Pittacus Lore

My Readings - August

If there's one thing that I like particularly about the summer - and I must admit there are lots of things to like - it's the opportunity to have days out, and how that can often lead to reading in a cafe or a park, or just making the most of sitting outside in the the garden. I have spent lots of time grabbing those opportunities, and that means I have read lots of books in August. I generally like to read lots of books, so I am rather pleased.

So in August I read - 

• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Out of the Ordinary and What I Do by Jon Ronson
• Secret Britain - the Hidden Bits of Our History by Justin Pollard
• Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds