How is everyone? Has January been a good month for you, or are you glad it's almost over? Have you managed to read much this year? Do you like dogs? Does the buying of books fill you with any special pleasure? Have you taken a moment to wonder why I've not written anything so far that does not end with a question mark?
Are you one of those people who can go for a walk without an apparent destination? Does having time to read and drink coffee matter to you? What is your favourite manifestation of punctuation? How many mugs do you own? Have you heard of Padgett Powell? What are your favourite kind of flowers? Do you find split ends heartbreaking? Do you write a diary? Do you enjoy reading those that have been published? Are all these questions getting you down? What is your favourite piece of classical music? Do you think Bette Davis deserved a slap?
Do you wish I'd get to the point? Do you enjoy sunrise or sunset more? Do you think a book composed entirely of questions can be termed a novel? Do you read much fanfiction? Does a crisp white shirt do it for you? Can you credit the fact that I still buy books, even though I have enough unread to last me for over eight years? Is a pearl necklace somehow calming? Have I confused you? Would you ever start a war, if you could? Do you like the concept of royalty? Do you think Lawrence Olivier or Kenneth Brannah was better at Shakespeare? Can you conceive of a world without dogs? Should I stop now, or carry on indefinitely? Should you read 'The Interrogative Mood'? Do you need me to tell you yes or no?
Do you mind if I put a stop to this now and read something with no questions whatsoever? Will you seek out the book?
Saturday 22 January 2011
Sunday 2 January 2011
New Year's Reformations
I should start this post by apologising for my extended absence. 2010 was an interesting year, but not one I could really write about. The last few months have pretty much been consumed by work - in part a way of ignoring other things that were going on about me. From September I barely had tme to read, and what I did manage seemed hardly worth talking about. I've never been one for the newest reads, and so I seemed to lose my reason for blogging in the face of so many other voices.
In view of tidying things up, here's a list of what I read in 2010
I started the new year in a very familiar way - by reading. However, I chose a non-fiction book. You may be able to tell from the list above that 2010 was dominated by fiction, and on leaving the house this morning I made a grab for 'Venice' by Peter Ackroyd. I've made small inroads into it, and am already fascinated by the way it weaves around the many layers of history - much like the city's many canals.
It's also made me make a decision about how I go about reading, and talking about it all. Whilst I may not comment on the newest things out there, I believe I can still take you all on a journey. We'll start in Venice, but after that who knows? I may take you to India or Greece; back in time to the Plantaganet era, or whisk you off into war torn London. There are a lot of strong women out there, and we might get accquainted with the Georgian Duchess of Devonshire, or perhaps her Tudor ancestor. Thomas Hardy might welcome us to his part of England, and Rasputin might issue a warning from the Russian Steppes.
Do not expect me to stand still this year - I'm broadening my horizons and I suggest you come along for the ride!
In view of tidying things up, here's a list of what I read in 2010
| Barbery, Muriel | The Elegance of the Hedgehog |
| Barker, Pat | Life Class |
| Byatt, A.S. | The Children's Book |
| Chevallier, Tracy | Remarkable Creatures |
| Christie, Agathe | Murder in Mesopotamia |
| Christie, Agathe | Dumb Witness |
| Christie, Agathe | The Moving Finger |
| Collins, Wilkie | The Moonstone |
| Collins, Wilkie | The Woman in White |
| De Santis, Pablo | The Paris Enigma |
| Dexter, Colin | The Way Through the Woods |
| Du Maurier, Daphne | Mary Anne |
| Du Maurier, Daphne | The House on the Strand |
| Dunant, Sarah | Sacred Hearts |
| Gaiman, Niel | The Graveyard Book |
| Grossmith, George and Wheedon | Diary of a Nobody |
| Hardy, Thomas | Jude the Obscure |
| Holt, Tom | Who's Afraid of Beowolf? |
| Holt, Tom | My Hero |
| HRH Princess Michael of Kent | The Serpent and the Moon |
| Kingsolver, Barbara | The Poisonwood Bible |
| Lake, Deryan | The King's Women |
| Laurens, Stephanie | The Ideal Bride |
| Maitland, Sarah | A Book of Silence |
| Mantel, Hilary | Wolf Hall |
| McCall Smith, Alexander | The Sunday Philosophy Club |
| Morton, Kate | The House at Riverton |
| Morton, Kate | The Distant Hours |
| Murdoch, Iris | The Bell |
| Picardie, Justine | Coco Chanel |
| Smith, P. Robert | Up a tree at night in a park with a hedgehog |
| Tolkein, J.R.R. | The Hobbit |
| Beerbohm, Max | Zuleika Dobson |
| Green, Grahame | Travels with my Aunt |
| Barbery, Muriel | The Gourmet |
| Gregory, Philippa | The White Queen |
I started the new year in a very familiar way - by reading. However, I chose a non-fiction book. You may be able to tell from the list above that 2010 was dominated by fiction, and on leaving the house this morning I made a grab for 'Venice' by Peter Ackroyd. I've made small inroads into it, and am already fascinated by the way it weaves around the many layers of history - much like the city's many canals.
It's also made me make a decision about how I go about reading, and talking about it all. Whilst I may not comment on the newest things out there, I believe I can still take you all on a journey. We'll start in Venice, but after that who knows? I may take you to India or Greece; back in time to the Plantaganet era, or whisk you off into war torn London. There are a lot of strong women out there, and we might get accquainted with the Georgian Duchess of Devonshire, or perhaps her Tudor ancestor. Thomas Hardy might welcome us to his part of England, and Rasputin might issue a warning from the Russian Steppes.
Do not expect me to stand still this year - I'm broadening my horizons and I suggest you come along for the ride!
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