Friday, February 11, 2011

a year in books

When I decided to list the books I read this year, I didn't give much thought to two things:

1. that I'm starting in FEBRUARY and I read stacks over the Christmas holidays and now I can't remember them all.

2. the book list would very quickly take over my whole sidebar.

SO -- a quick second thought has me maybe creating a page that holds all the books for the year, and a sidebar gadget that has the books for the month. Hopefully that will keep my blog looking reasonably tidy. Unlike my bedside table which has towering piles of books all over it, that threaten to fall on me in the night.

I'm also planning to link each book to either a review or a bookstore, just in case anyone thinks they might like to track the book down for themselves. Because, you know, I'm narcissistic enough to believe that the entire world would like to read the books I like.

I really love to read (can you tell?) and my tastes are (fairly) wide-ranging. In the last month or so, for example, I've read John Howards' bio (very good), a fascinating account of an Aussie doctor living in Ethiopia who set up a fistula hospital (awe-inspiring), and a book by Amy Tan which I'm devouring in huge gulps (more about that later); plus a Spanish cookbook (with pictures of delicately arranged morsels surrounded by an artistic dribble of sauce that takes 3 seconds to eat after hours of preparation) and a book on Australian Country Houses which actually turned out to look JUST like suburban kit homes with a few trees around. (Disappointing). Oh and some of the Harry Potters (love them!)

Also -- I've realised that while I loved Chocolat, I'm not so into Joanne Harris that I want to keep the two books I have of hers -- Five Quarters of the Orange, and Coastliners. They're good -- they're just not ones I'd like to keep. So I'm giving them away, and if you'd like them, mention so in your comment (ha! did you see my sneaky attempt to garner more comments? clever eh?) If there's more than one taker, I'll do a random draw. NOTE they are SECONDHAND BOOKS, not new copies. (and the covers will differ from the ones displayed in the links)
But hey, they're free! I call that a bargain.

4 comments:

  1. Ahhh wish I could get into reading right now. I'm missing it. Too knackered and too much head space going into nesty right now but I think I should get started (and finished ) on something during my last bit of pregnancy. Might help me slow down and get the rest I need.

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  2. Oh I felt so dopey during pregnancy -- especially the last part! I could barely get through trashy womens' mags, let alone a Real Book.

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  3. Somehow Joanne Harris just passed me by ... haven't read ANYTHING by her, so have no expectations to be dashed!! Would be GREAT to try one out without having to outlay time/energy/cash - ie by WINNING it!!

    But like you, I assume everyone wants to read what I read! Weird, huh?

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  4. I don't read nearly as much as I used to. By the time I get through the blogs on my list there's just no time left. I'm a slow reader with a slow computer.

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