Incoming books: an inventory
As always, I can’t walk past a bookshop without going in to browse, and I can’t browse without buying a book, so I have recently added the following to my collection…
1. ‘The Body: a Guide for Occupants’ by Bill Bryson
Purchased from a really lovely independent bookshop we wandered into in North Wales because I always enjoy Bryson’s observations about life (and death, in this case!) I’m currently halfway through this and enjoying it tremendously.
Did you know that you have a blind spot in your right eye? If you close your left eye, look straight ahead, hold up one finger on your right hand as far as possible from your face and then s-l-o-w-l-y move it across your field of vision, you will discover a blind spot about the width of a standard HB pencil. Normally you don’t notice it as your brain just ‘fills it in’ by guessing what you should see there.
I love reading all these unexpected facts, though I’m not sure my husband enjoys being showered with second hand facts whenever I happen to recollect a choice nugget or three…
(Reviewed here.)
2. ‘The Keys to the Street’ by Ruth Rendell
Purchased from a charity shop in North Wales because the proprietess kindly gave each of my three children a free gift so I felt compelled to buy something! I am trying to read more of the “Classic” crime writers so I can feel a bit less of a fraud running the Library crime fiction reading group! This sounds like my cup of tea, but first….
3. I need to read ‘The Binding’ by Bridget Collins.
Purchased from Waterstones Piccadilly on impulse because it sounds wonderful and the page edges are purple and beautiful. What if all books were really memories that people had chosen to seal away, and you had the power to bind them? What if you then spotted your own name on a bound book? Magic, mystery, books…I’m hoping for a fascinating read!
4. ‘The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read’ by Philippa Perry
Another Waterstones Piccadilly impulse purchase which I have already read and reviewed and know I will reread whole chunks of to remind myself to keep tending towards the positive rather than disciplinarian in my parenting approach.
5. ‘The ABC murders’ by Agatha Christie
Purchased from a bargain books shop in North Wales as part of my ongoing discovery of her books. I’m anticipating much irritation from Hastings, Poirot’s sidekick, but looking forward to a well thought out ending.
6. ‘Ordeal by Innocence’ by Agatha Christie
Purchased as above. I love the idea of this: an innocent man is only discovered to be innocent after he dies in prison, meaning the horrified family of the victim must now look for the murderer amongst themselves…
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So that’s my January reading planned! What are you looking forward to reading this month?