No Internet For A While

Hello all,

I wont have the internet for a while so will only be uploading reviews when I have finished a book and not really doing book thoughts and the like, which you will probably prefer hahahahaha.

Soon as am all moved and everything is sorted service will be resumed!

Simon

P.S Has everyone noticed how well I am doing on the book ban? Havent bought one in ages!

Twice In One Week, Not Quite Thrice In One Month

Yes I have fallen off the wagon once again, however not as badly as normal. I have indeed been book shopping and swapping and today this is what the results of this hard labour of book addiction produced.

Point of Rescue - Sophie Hannah

I have only been introduced to the work of Sophie Hannah this year through her short stories and the first of her crime or 'fiction with a crime twist' writing 'Little Face'. This was quite a find as the paperback isnt out for another week! You could tell it was a sneaky leaked review edition as some of the pages needed trimming.

Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

We were discussing this at book group and it was second favourite to be the book we read but lost to the below... However with all the fuss about Rushdie and the Booker of Bookers and the Man Booker Loglist this year (I admit I have joined in the fuss) so feel I should see what all the fuss is about. A readitswapit book.

Empire Falls - Richard Russo

This won the vote for next months book group book. I have never heard of the author ever, even though this book won the Pulitzer Prize back in 2002, its been a nightmare to get hold of but I managed to find a second hand American import in one of the shops on Charing Cross Road today (I almost bought another ten but settled with just this and Sophie Hannah) I will be visiting thes shops much more often.

Whoops More Book Ban Breakage

I don't normally count readitswapit books as part of the book ban as to me its simply an exchanging of the number of books I already own, in fact on occasion I have swapped on behalf of others decreasing my numbers, I'll admit this is rare! I have however included one on here as two arrive in the post today along with some that arrived via me and the shops, oops, the latter were meant to be 5 for a pound... I got 7 for a pound. Charity shops are making life hard for book lovers of late.

West of the Wall - Marcia Preston

I didnt buy this or readitswapit, this is a book for review for New Books Magazine and I will be cracking on with this on the weekend. The guys there have sent me some good (The Palace of Strange Girls) bokos to review and some not so (Tales of Kipling Audiobook) so will be interesting to see how this fares.

Beneath The Blonde - Stella Duffy

The third Saz Martin novel in the series of lesbian crime or if we arent going to pigeon hole it, bloody good fiction with a criminal hint! Have started the series this month and now have this so am very excited.

The Untouchable - John Banville

I already have this biy bought it for Dom. Gay spies who work for the Queen in a novel based on true events, sometimes you couldnt make it up, eager to try a Banville this year.

Calendar Girl - Stella Duffy

This is another book for Polly, she really is a lucky madam, read it this month and its grand.

Breathing Lessons - Anne Tyler

I have mentioned the love of Digging To America and how I am determined to read more and more, this one won the Pulitzer Prize winner so thought it would be worth ago frankly. My mum really loves Anne Tyler.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

I have been recommended this book so many times that I think I need to knuckle down and read it. I have to say Artist of the Floating World was one of my lesser favourite book group books, but the man wrote Remains of the Day (also on my TBR pile) so am hoping this lives up to the hype.

Out - Natsuo Kirino

You are so right, I wasnt the biggest fan of her second book 'Grotesque' this month however this has won so many crime awards I thought would give her a go. This was my readitswapit book, am actually looking forward to this one a lot.

Book Of Evidence - John Banville

Loved the blurb, the idea of someone being a 'murderer second' I think sounds very clever, plus would like to try a shorter Banville first I think as though he is highly recommended have heard that he can be quite difficult. We'll see if its true.

Feather Man - Rhyll McMaster

So many people were saying that this should have been on the Booker Longlist, plus it has an amazing cover. This will be read very soon I think, I dont want to be the last to be raving about a book, that happens far too often on this blog. They had another copy maybe should run and get Polly one?

Breaking The Book Ban Again

This is not my fault, I blame Oxfam for having a day where all books were 49p, I mean really its most selfish. I am naturally just going to buy more books that way and really thats not fair on me. I must write about some very interesting thoughts have been hearing around second hand books at some point, for now will just enlighten you to my purchases.

Two Adolescents - Alberto Moravia

One of Italy's best writers. I have the Woman of Rome in one of my TBR boxes and they are quite difficult to get hold of in general so had to snap this up, must read one as my friend Giorgia recommended him to me over a year ago.

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

I am so cross with myself admitting this... never read it, and I think out of them all bar of course P&P this will be my favourite because of the Gothic undertones, should this be read before or after Udolpho? I have had that ages. and know it needs to be read, there really are too many books in the world.

The Visible World - Mark Slouka

Have seen this somany times in second hand bookshops and always been tempted so today recklessly just added to my selection.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell

One of my favourite books of last year as another Polly must read gift. Wonderful tale of a lost relative who turns out to be living in a mental institution, absolutely brilliant, very understated and just superb. Must read.

What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn

For my Gran as its her book group book a favourite of mine this year, review somewhere below.

The Keep - Jennifer Egan

I bought this for the blurb, I couldnt decide whether the line "then in steps Danny a damaged, cynical, 36-year old New Yorkerwho rarely goes anywhere that isn't wi-fi compatable" made me think this would be one of the most dire (its the word wi-fi) or brilliant modern ghost story, time will tell this has gone quite high on the TBR pile.

Lucia Rising - E. F. Benson

Sometimes you are just meant to walk into somewhere and see something. I have been trying to get this on readitswapit but its like gold dust, I almost settled on one with a really horridly creased cover and then I see this. Will be doing this with Dom at some point, all the first three in the series for 49p, no it doesn't constitute me buying nine books today, and two arent for me anyway.

Breaking The Book Ban Once More

Oh dear... Its happened again. I was merely walking past the Aladdin's Library near the gym in Tooting Bec (so far my better/less bookier half hasn't noticed this flaw in the gyms location) and it happened all over again. I was better this time though. I only bought two... for me.

Don't Tell Alfred - Nancy Mitford

I have to admit I debated this one, not because its Nancy Mitford as I am growing to truly love her (via Letters Between Six Sisters edited by Charlotte Mosely that I am slowly devouring and have been for some time) it was the cover, which yes is a kitsch Penguin classic but for some reason makes me think of old peoples homes, sadly was too tempting and matched another purchase. I am looking for The Pursuit of Love everywhere.

The Woman In Black - Susan Hill

This was a gift for Polly, isnt it great when you can buy books that form your friends personal library, not in a pushy way. We both read Turn of the Screw and were left cold by it, so I got her this as its a real ghost story with chills and one of my favourite books.

Shameless - Paul Burston

I actually need to re-read this as I know I loved it, but read it when it came out, thats one to dig out and put on the TBR pile. This was another book for Polly.

Love In A Cold Climate - Nancy Mitford

I know I bemoaned the previous Nancy book's cover, but these are wrong, so hideous. Why do publishers need to make (the did it with Austen too) books look chick lit when they arent, I have nothing against chick lit by the way, am I being picky? Anyway been wanting this ages so for me a real gem was found. I do kick myself I didnt get the fabulous 70's BBC cover of The Pursuit of

Love & Love In A Cold Climate from Oxfam for 99p a while back, but then I didnt appreciate who Nancy Mitford was then. Shocking I know.

Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

I bought this for the non bookish member of my household, one because they like travel books (who'd have guessed), two because they not being British might find this a funny account of Brits and how quaint, daft and delightful we can be.

See technically I only bought two!

Breaking The Book Ban

So much for me not buying any more books as was my orders (see previous Book Ban blog) and intentions. These were ruined when I went to a charity shop that I had forgotten existed. Now this shop is like an Aladdin's Cave only recently it seems to have had a makeover into Aladdin's Library with over 15 shelves of books at 50p each, or 6 for £2. So naturally I bought six, I could have easily bought twelve, but was restrained as knew that would be wrong and the look I would get when I got through the door at home would be murderous. I can say only five were for me... does that make it better? So my treats were...

The Bird of the Night - Susan Hill
I have no idea what this is about as I still haven't read the blurb, I have heard of it before and heck its Susan Hill so it is bound to be brilliant. I love, love, love the cover am hoping its quite a twisted tale which is what the cover seems to suggest. Anytime I see a Susan Hill novel I dont have and is hard to get its a MUST have.

Vanish - Tess Gerritssen
I said I would wait until had actually read its predecessor 'Body Double' until I bought this but what can you do when its sat there tempting you with a 50p price tag. I have a feeling I will have read all of her novels in this series by the end of the year. Addictive. The fact it opens with a body in the morgue waking up sent a horrid chill down my spine... genius.

Back When We Were Grown Ups - Anne Tyler
I have only read Digging To America by Tyler so far but every review read of her books on other peoples blogs suggest shes an author to get the collection of. This was a debateable one between 'Falling Leaves' there were so many copies of the later will wait for another trip.

Once in a House on Fire - Andrea Ainsworth
I hate, hate, hate these 'tragic life stories, and the fact that these things (they are not books) have their own section in book shops now bugs me no end. However this is one of those with a twist, the author had made it more fictional and my Gran and Aunty Caz have both said its great, so will try and see.

Not The End of The World - Kate Atkinson
One of the few books that I dont have of hers and I am trying to get more into short stories and can imagine that hers are fantastic.

Star People - Paul Burston
This wasn't for me, this was for Polly. She's been determined to read one of Mr Burston's books ever since we started going to Polari. This is fun read about a man in the closet in Hollywood and I think Polly will really enjoy it, I have a copy already.

So thats that!

The Great Book Ban

Since getting married things have changed slightly, when I used to accidentally come back from town with 3 or 7 second hand books under my arm, or have taken some to the charity shop and come back with quite possibly more than I left with, it was fine, now there are sighs, slight eye rolling and the occasional dare I say it 'tut'.

It happened today and has ended in quite severe circumstances. After doing some serious shopping I wanted to get some nice new shelve to make my books look wonderous as they have been in boxes I 'borrowed' from the office for months. The shelves were too heavy and going to be another £40 to deliver so we thought we would hold fire until we moved. So instead I bought some fantastic new slightly art deco boxes to put my books in instead. It looks like this...

I think it looks really good, (the cat didnt come free with them) and yes I do actually have 12 boxes worth of books plus the piles elsewhere. I decided as I was moving them from box to box I would get rid of some of the books I knew I was never going to read to either readitswapit or give to charity. Several hours later, just before the shops shut, I left the house with several bags of books. I came back with one. Now to me this is a fair exchange, yes? Apparently not, I am now under a book ban! Yes a ban on buying books, as apparently I will never read all the 500+ I have in the boxes, I am most unimpressed.

I wonder if I can actually manage it? I'll keep you posted.