Sunday 7 July 2013

On Reading...

I am a prolific reader. I always have been. I remember so clearly the day I got my teenage library card and was allowed to take 12 books from the library at once. It was such an amazing day- if you want to read an brilliant description of this particular feeling, I highly recommend reading Caitlin Moran's first chapter of 'How to be a Woman.'

But pregnancy has ground this to a halt. I have only managed to read a few books in the last 4 months- mostly Agatha Christies (I've updated the list- I am more than half way there!!) and a couple of Inspector Rebus books by Ian Rankin. It's been a pretty poor show. I don't know if I just don't have the concentration, or don't want to sit down for that long or what, but reading has become too much of a challenge. I even got a stack of books from the library that I returned before I read more than a chapter. I WILL read Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall'- the first 10 pages were so beautifully written, I just didn't manage to read any more.

I am determined to read 10 books before the baby arrives (since I know reading will be out of the window for a while...) so I am looking for recommendations. If you were only going to read 10 books in the next 5 months, what would they be? All suggestions gratefully received!

4 comments:

  1. Oh Lorna, such pressure! I hate this question. I've read so many wonderful books in my life and so I just seem to never be able to think of them when asked. Damn. So I won't try to think of the "best," I'm just going to give you a few that come to mind. Fair?

    The Kitchen House
    Yellow Raft on Blue Water
    anything by Barbara Kingsolver
    have you read Gone Girl yet?
    The Narnia Chronicles!
    A Fine Balance
    Bel Canto

    ...and that's all I can think of right now.

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  2. Most of these books were on my reading list at uni... Instead of reading classics and Shakespeare I read American fiction and children's books for my degree!

    Noughts and Crosses (Malorie Blackman)
    The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)
    Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
    The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton) or The Portrait of a Lady (Henry James)

    My Sisters Keeper (Jodi Picoult) probably my fave out of all her books
    I would also recommend Gone Girl, but the ending was a massive frustration!

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    1. Ooh your degree sounds good! I did one year of English Literature and read some Henry James, but I did read the odd classic and a bit of Shakespeare (this was where I discovered that no matter how many attempts I make, I will NEVER finish Great Expectations.)

      I actually have The Age of Innocence sitting unread on a shelf- I bought it at a library sale- that will be my next project. Thanks!

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