January Roundup

Wow! A month gone already. Would any of you want to live that month again and perhaps change anything?

That question and whatever the answer brings me nicely on to the first book I read of the year Kate Atkinson Life after Life*. You will not have read my review yet as I am still trying to cobble something together that does the book justice but it will appear much nearer the publication date of 11 March. Look out for much about this book from around the 11 February – it is an important date for the book.

After that book it was always going to be difficult to pick a book which can follow something so excellent and I chose for no other reason than it was different and free for a short time Dee Kirkby – Realand. This is in fact a book for children and not having any means I probably approach it differently, but it is a good read that reminded me of many books I read as a child and is certainly a book I would recommend for children as a stepping stone as they move through their reading journey.

And that reading journey normally takes you to what the publishing industry calls young adult books and I made that journey by reading Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games*. I am so grateful to my friend L for lending me the book and even after finishing it I am still thinking about it. Really not my sort of novel as well. I also look forward to watching the film as well to see how it comes across visually.

My sort of novel was Jill Mansell – Don’t Want to Miss A Thing. Actually a new author for me, but in the vein of so many others I have read. It was really a good read and brightened up what can be a rather blue January or even a grey or white January come to that. Another new author as well as a new book was Alexandra Brown – Cupcakes at Carrington’s. A novel based in a department store and the start of a series of books. How frustrating that I have to wait until near the end of the year for the next installment.

Book Club choice for January was Sue Townsend – The Woman Who Went to Bed for A Year. An interesting read, but one that perhaps was a bit different from the norm. It was funny but it was also very sad as well.

It has been a while since I ventured into crime, mainly because the mood was not there but I picked up a book which has been sat on the to review pile for a while and that was Alex Grecian – The Yard. An American author who has chosen Victorian London and the development of forensics and the police as the basis of his story.

So seven books for the start of 2013, ironically enough the two books that have grabbed me the most this month is the two that have yet to be reviewed on this blog. Do pop back and read about them soon.

* Book review yet to appear on this blog.