read 52 books in 2010

With a little extension – granted in lieu of hospital stress in 2010 – I’ve managed 52 books. Father Christmas brought me a Kindle and I downloaded:

(49) Blind love by Wilkie Collins
(50) What Katy did by Susan Coolidge
(51) The 100 thing challenge by Mark Bruno

I love my Kindle as no-one on the work commute can see what you’re reading!

Public Libraries in the UK are being threatened with closure. February 5th was a national day to show support to your local library. Encouraged to max out allocations I borrowed 10 books and 5 audio books.

I am in the middle of Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series) by Lorena McCourtney on the Kindle but the 52nd book I finished was Ugly shy girl by Laura Dockrill that was on the top of the pile of borrowed library books.

This book has little hints to help you get back the time when life was simple. I finished it yesterday and it gave me the oomph to clear the corner of the spare bedroom where bags and boxes had accumulated that I hadn’t had time to sort through.

Considering I didn’t adopt this goal until June 2010, I don’t think I’ve done too badly. In the first half of 2010, I was finding it hard to concentrate on a book as my mind was thinking ahead to the next hospital appointment and the inevitable surgery. I’m sorry I didn’t reach the magic number by 31 December but it helped me to regain my love of reading.

I have been going through my shelves and picking out the ones I’ve never got round to reading. I did start ‘One good turn’ years ago but just couldn’t get into it. There is a lot of description at the beginning – which is essential to the plot – but it wasn’t until after that had finished that I got into it. Never thought I’d say that!

I read the first part in November 2008 when I was in Las Vegas. Naturally there is a book for each clue! I bought book two in February 2009 but never got round to reading it and it’s been gathering dust ever since. I’ve decided to send on books one and two to my nephew.

This book was part of a boxed set of books from Vintage I’d gotten for Christmas years and years ago. With my limited book choices and the 2011 deadline looming, I picked it up for the first time yesterday and finished it this afternoon.

Hearing Jeanette’s Mum tell her to “here, have an orange” was funny as I am more than familiar with such diversionary tactics when someone doesn’t want to answer a question. How anyone cannot be outraged at the treatment she was subjected to for just being herself is being me.

My Grandparents were evacuated to Wales from Liverpool during the war and I’ve heard many, many stories. This is why I like this book. Although Jimmy and his sister are evacuated to Bangor in the book – a different part of Wales than my Grandparents – even I can relate to some of the stories.

I love the title because I am what it says – my Mum is a Scouser who moved to Wales when she was 13 and my Dad is Welsh = Welsh Scouse hybrid!

This was the book choice for January’s bookgroup. I had planned to read this on my Kindle from Santa but it has yet to arrive :( With the post being as it is, I bought it as a paperback.

A few people have told me this is their favourite book so I’ve been looking forward to it when I saw it on the bookgroup list. Ruby tells us her story, from the time of her conception and her childhood. I like the way she tells us to see footnotes when she is explaining something – these footnotes are in between each chapter – so we understand the learned false smile of her mother Bunty and why it is important to always look after your boots.

Her extended family starts with her great, grandmother Alice whose youngest daughter Nell is mother to Bunty who in turn is Ruby’s mother. I love extended families and going to family gatherings and relatives you haven’t seen since you were a baby asking you who you are and who you belong to!

The book has been on my bookshelf for ages and ages. I started it the other day. The cover brags a quote from Loaded magazine that it is by the ‘novelist of the century’. That should have been a clue – that it’s a blokes book!

I wasn’t sure whether to include this one in the count but it is a book I have read from cover to cover! I read sections of the book over and over before doing the actual detox in August as I do like to be prepared.

I’d done a 21 day detox last year and felt it was too long and at times felt weak from not eating enough. With this detox, I never felt hungry and at times felt like maybe I was eating too much! I thoroughly enjoyed the 9 days, had never felt healthier or more whole. There are some recipies I’ve used since and from time to time start the day with the juice of half a lemon in hot water.