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I don’t normally pay a huge amount of attention to book awards (well, I keep a bit of a weather eye on the Booker, who doesn’t?) but I was interested to see that for once we actually had a couple of the Costa category winners already chez Bride:
- the first novel winner, Elizabeth is Missing, which I bought ages ago based on a recommendation in a blog somewhere (I’m sure) and which will now be hoiked to (near) the top of Mount TBR; and
- the children’s book winner, Five Children on the Western Front, which the Book God finished and enjoyed over the holidays (he’s a bit of an E Nesbit fan, I’ve only ever read The Railway Children)
I quite like the sound of the Ali Smith novel, The Ghosts of Heaven is already on my wish list (I’m not buying books at the moment) but none of the others are grabbing me at the moment. Wonder what will win.
Well this has been a bumper reading year for me. As always I aim for 52 books in 52 weeks, a challenge that got me into book blogging in the first place way back in 2007. This year I actually read 73 books, both a surprise and a delight. I think the reason I did so well is down to talking more about books with friends both online and in the real world (good thing) and several bouts of illness which meant I was sofa-bound and couldn’t do much other than read (bad thing). And taking part in the the 24 hour readathon in April also helped as I read 8 books in one night (and raised money for charity at the same time).
But what of these books you ask?
Well, I don’t really like best of lists, and definitely not Top10s because it seems so arbitrary and I just don’t want to have to choose. So what I thought I’d do highlight the things that jump out to me from what I’ve read this year.
- I’ve been good at keeping on top of or catching up with my favourite series – big stand-outs here were in August where I read four each of Charles Finch and Jacqueline Winspear which took me up to and including their latest published novels (though Finch cheated by bringing out a new volume later in the year, but I’ve read that too now);
- I’ve rediscovered my love of (mostly genre) short stories;
- zombies are a thing – if you’d asked me a year or so ago I would have pulled a face about zombie novels but I’ve read and enjoyed several this year;
- the end of the world (as we know it) is also a thing, often combined with zombies of course but also viruses and such like, and I find them difficult to resist;
- I still love classic crime – AA Milne’s one and only crime novel being a particular delight, but the British Library classic reprints also look excellent;
- I read much more quickly on the Kindle app on my iPad;
- lots of new authors but the two that struck me the most were James Smythe (I read four of his with another waiting to be picked up) and Jeff VanderMeer who’s been around for a while but whose Southern Reach trilogy was just brilliant.
So that was 2014. Wonder what delights 2015 has in store 🙂
W… W… W… Wednesdays poses the following questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
What am I currently reading?
I have decided that I really don’t want to continue with A Fire Upon the Deep, it just isn’t grabbing me. The Book God is disappointed but agrees this is not grounds for divorce. I have also set aside Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Colwin, to pick up again after the holidays. Which means I’m *gasp* not actually reading anything at the moment!
The Jonathan Strange Update
Still on page 134. As suspected was distracted by shiny new things. But I am not downhearted and now that I am on holiday until 7 January I am determined to make progress. Baby steps, but progress nonetheless.
What did I recently finish reading?
Read quite a lot over Christmas, but most recently finished The Advent Killer which I reviewed here.
What do I think I’ll read next?
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell and/or The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross.
W… W… W… Wednesdays poses the following questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
What am I currently reading?
I’ve started but not made much progress on A Fire Upon the Deep as mentioned before, and I’ve also started one of my planned re-reads, Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Colwin. But if I’m honest I’m in a slight pre-Christmas mini reading slump..
The Jonathan Strange Update
I have shamed myself into reading a bit more of this and am now on page 134. Really am going to try to make progress with this over the holidays. Well, as long as I’m not distracted by shiny new book-shaped Christmas presents 🙂
What did I recently finish reading?
Just bits and bobs and a few sci-fi short stories which I talk about here.
What do I think I’ll read next?
I’m saving Mystery in White for Boxing Day, and The Last of the Spirits for tonight (a suitable read for Christmas Eve) and I’ll continue with the books mentioned above. And of course Santa may have left something interesting under the tree. Expect pictures!
On Saturday the Book God and I made a second attempt to visit the British Library to view their Gothic exhibition (we failed earlier in the month as I had been unwell). I was very keen to see this because (of course) I love all things Gothic but also because we’d seen a number of the supporting TV programmes on BBC4 and our interest had been piqued. (I love that word and should definitely try to use it more!)
Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination covers the period from the 1790s (lots of Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill which, despite it only being about five stops along the railway from us I have yet to visit) to the present day through a wonderful range of books, manuscripts, illustrations and other artefacts. There are also some fabulous film clips playing in the background – Boris as Frankenstein’s Creature, Lady Dedlock from Bleak House, The Wicker Man, The Innocents – and interviews with modern figures such as Neil Gaiman (talking about Coraline).
Much to look at and enjoy. Wonderful selection of related material in the exhibition shop; I can’t decide whether I am appalled or pleased that I already had so many of the books on sale on my shelves at home, but I did nobble the exhibition catalogue and some lovely postcards.
Earlier this week I took a day off to do some pre-Christmas stuff, meeting a friend for lunch in Covent Garden and then meeting another friend (MargaRita, Queen of Speed, a friend of the Bride’s blog, previously mentioned here) for drinks at the splendid St Pancras Hotel. In between I spent a few hours around Piccadilly, mostly shopping but also finally getting round to doing something I’ve talked about in previous years – visiting the Chris Beetles Gallery to view their annual exhibition of illustration.
The Illustrators: The British Art of Illustration 1800-2014 is a feast for the eyes, exhibiting original works by many of the greats – Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, Heath Robinson, Ronald Searle (those are just some of my favourites) – as well as artists less well known (at least to me). The walls are crammed with these wonderful pieces of art, all for sale. Sadly, much as I would have loved to I couldn’t quite put my hands on the £17,500 for Dulac’s Asenath from 1907, let alone the £250,000 for Rackham’s The Fairies Are Exquisite Dancers from Peter Pan (1906). A girl can dream though.
So I made do with a copy of the exhibition catalogue which is a beautiful thing in itself.
There was also a fantastic exhibition of Quentin Blake illustrations and some original drawings for Paddington, any of which would have looked very nice framed on my study wall.
A lovely way to spend a winter’s afternoon.
W… W… W… Wednesdays poses the following questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
What am I currently reading?
I’ve started but not made much progress on A Fire Upon the Deep as mentioned in my last WWW Wed post.
The Jonathan Strange Update
Still on page 122. *sigh* But the TV series doesn’t start until the New Year so surely I can read the thing by then? Surely?
What did I recently finish reading?
I finished The Mistletoe Bride by Kate Mosse, lovely collection of haunting tales (as it says on the cover), very enjoyable and just right for the time of year. Had planned a story a day but got sucked in and finished it more quickly, obviously.
What do I think I’ll read next?
Not sure. On the Christmas theme I’m looking at Mystery in White, a crime novel to read on my Kindle app, and I also feel the need to re-read an old favourite so have picked up Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Colwin (I think she was fabulous.)
W… W… W… Wednesdays poses the following questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
What am I currently reading?
Have parked Trevor Royle and am reading The Mistletoe Bride by Kate Mosse as part of my Christmas reading. I’ve also started A Fire Upon the Deep (which I originally mis-typed as Depp which would be another kind of book altogether I think!) by Vernor Vinge at the insistence of the Book God and for Carl’s Sci-fi experience 2015.
The Jonathan Strange Update
Still stuck; still on page 122. It’s beyond embarrassing and becoming a joke. Must try harder.
What did I recently finish reading?
I loved Deadline by Mira Grant (my review is here) and also finished a book of ghost stories aimed a younger readership Christmas Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley. Great fun. Review will be up shortly.
What do I think I’ll read next?
Not sure. Flowers for Algernon and something else on the Christmas reading list (though I’m limiting Mosse to a story a day and at that pace it will take me up to Christmas Eve).
W… W… W… Wednesdays poses the following questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
What am I currently reading?
I have reached an impasse with Trevor Royle’s book on Scotland in WWI for some reason, must pick it up again. Currently totally immersed in Deadline by Mira Grant, another page turner.
The Jonathan Strange Update
Still stuck; still on page 122. It’s beginning to get embarrassing…..
What did I recently finish reading?
I finished Shoggoths in Bloom by Elizabeth Bear, The Testimony by James Smythe and Lock in by John Scalzi. I was ill and housebound and spent 3 days on my sofa with a blanket and hot water bottle so nothing for it but to read 🙂
What do I think I’ll read next?
Hmmmm. May start Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge for the Sci-fi Experience and/or something Christmassy in the short story line.
I’m using this post to keep track of my walking during December as part of the Book Blog Walkers thingy. My final tally for November can be found here (big dip at the end of the month as I was ill and housebound for several days)
Week 1 (Dec 1)
- 2.9 km
- 46 minutes
A really bad week; was stuck at home, head down and working, and miserable grey weather didn’t exactly encourage me to go out. Will do better……
Week 2 (Dec 8)
- 20.6 km
- 5:01 hours
From a completely dreadful week to a bit of a record. Go figure!
Week 3 (Dec 15)
- 15.8 km
- 4:18 hours
Week 4 (Dec 22)
- 6.4 km
- 1:29 hours
It was Christmas week and i was mostly curled up on the sofa!
Bride of the Book God 