2019 may not have been the most prolific year in terms of the number of books ticked off my TBR, but I hugely enjoyed those I read.
Fiction
10 Books of Summer 2019
From 3rd June to 3rd September I will be working my way through this list.
WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019: Shortlist Announced
The shortlist for the Wales Book of the Year 2019 awards for English and Welsh-language books has been announced.
2018 Reading Year in Review
What a wonderfully diverse and gratifying reading year 2018 turned out to be!
THOUGHTS ON: Autumn (Seasonal #1)
Daniel is a century old. Elisabeth, born in 1984, has her eye on the future. The United Kingdom is in pieces, divided by a historic once-in-a-generation summer.
The Classics Club
I have finally succumbed to joining The Classics Club. Here is my list of fifty fine titles to be read over a period of five years.
THOUGHTS ON: Around the World in Eighty Days
One ill-fated evening at the Reform Club, Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the world in 80 days – and he is determined not to lose!
#VOTE100BOOKS: A Century of Memorable Books by Women Writers
After masses of nominations and much lively debate Hay Fest came up with the top 100 books by women over the last century. I intend to read my way through the list!
THOUGHTS ON: ‘Scoop: A Novel About Journalists’
Described as “a brilliantly irreverent satire of Fleet Street and its hectic pursuit of hot news”, I was unfortunately unable to connect with Scoop – one of Evelyn Waugh’s most popular novels.
My One-Hundred-Book Library
The challenge of creating a zero-sum book collection. Can you create a one-hundred-book library?
BOOK REVIEW: Ayiti
This debut collection from Roxane Gay is a unique blend of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, all interwoven to represent the Haitian diaspora experience.
BOOK REVIEW: Turn a Blind Eye (DI Maya Rahman, #1)
A headmistress is found strangled in her East London school, her death the result of a brutal and ritualistic act of violence. Found at the scene is a single piece of card, written upon which is an ancient Buddhist precept: “I shall abstain from taking the ungiven.”
How to Read a Novel
Follow my progress as I take part in a four week online course with the University of Edinburgh on How to Read a Novel.
Books Before the Blog
This is the start of an occasional feature in which I highlight a small selection of books that I read and enjoyed at some point before publishing this blog.
BOOK REVIEW: Her Body and Other Parties
Carmen Maria Machado’s debut short story collection has marked her out as an effervescent talent in fermentation.
BOOK REVIEW: Asymmetry
Asymmetry is a story in which nothing and nobody is equal. It is inventive, compelling and altogether unforgettable. We should expect to hear a great deal more of its promising author over the coming months.
Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime Tag
This is a first! Brittany, a fellow book critic over at Perfectly Tolerable, has picked me, along with several others, to take part in her book tag.
2017 Reading Year in Review
What a wonderfully diverse and gratifying reading year 2017 turned out to be!
Christmas Book Bonanza 2017
Father Christmas left these beauties under my tree. Did you receive any long-coveted titles in your stocking today?
Book Review: The Novel Cure: An A to Z of Literary Remedies
You know you’ve morphed into a literoholic when you start reading books about books – and having just finished The Novel Cure, I must also confess to being something of a literary valetudinarian.