September, October and November Roundup

I have been missing for a little while, due to lots of reasons, mainly an inability to read for 2 months over the summer. This was mostly down to being hugely distracted after I came back from Italy, although my reading has returned again now, thank goodness. Together with a very slow laptop and generally being busy the habit of blogging fell aside. Sometimes life just happens. I did wonder was this it for my blog? Had it reached its conclusion, and there has been some anxiety over what to do and finding time, but with determined effort, and missing talking about books, I am back again.
So here is the last 3 months in summary...
Read - 6 books
Completed -
All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Harry Hop-Pole by Wispy Gorman
The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Notes From Walnut Tree Farm by Roger Deakin
I Was A Rat by Philip Pullman
Currently Reading -
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Organic Year by Patricia Gallimore
TBR Pile - currently at 122 (according to GoodReads) with 2 added...
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Shakespeare's Flowers by Jessica Kerr
Challenges -  I still have not bought any new novels in accordance with #1 of this years personal challenges. Both books that are added to the TBR pile were second hand buys.
Wishlist Additions -
The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli
A Winters Night by Valerio Massimo Manfredi
Discoveries -
Decided, during a recent visit to Nottingham, to try and find The Kite Runner in a second hand shop after failing to find a copy in my home towns excellent selection of shops. Visited lots of charity bookshops and expected to find it easily because it feels like one of those books that you see everywhere. This was not the case but led to the discovery of some brilliant Second Hand Bookshops in Nottingham...
Bookwise on Goose Gate- very friendly, nice atmosphere, and an excellent selection of books. This was where I finally found The Kite Runner.
Books And Pieces in the West End Arcade- filled to the brim in a tiny shop as you navigate piles of books on every surface, this is book browsers paradise. The owner looked for the title I wanted on a computer and told me straight away that they didn't have it.
Events -
The Kite Runner is making its European stage debut at the Liverpool Playhouse next summer.

So there it is, 3 months in a nutshell. Amongst the Christmas madness I am looking forward to reviewing the books I have read in that time, and of course I am still on GoodReads.

November Roundup

Remembrance day is such a huge presence during November, and especially from an artistic point of view, the poppies, photos, paintings, music (the emotional Nimrod by Elgar for one), and of course the literary works, most famously the poetry. I find it very emotive and very important for all of our generations.

On to the books...

Read - half a book

Completed - none

Currently Reading -

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (which I am really enjoying even though I am being rather slow)

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

TBR Pile - Still at 109 (according to GoodReads), same as last month.

Challenges -

Still reading Isabel Allende for #4 of my own 2011 challenges

I have covered the penultimate 2 chapters 16 and 17 of my literary theory book The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 that I am making notes on each month.

Wishlist Additions -

The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller

A Gathering Storm by Rachel Hore

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai: A Novel by Ruiyan Xu

Discoveries -

To Be Shelved, a blog about book covers, bookshelves and publications.

Events -

I totally missed the deadline to sign up for the Book Bloggers Holiday Swap this year which I was gutted about because I loved it last year. I hope those who remembered to sign up enjoy it as much as I did last year.

November Roundup

This photo was taken by my friend (holgachick) recently up in Northumberland where they have had about 10 inches of snow. There has been some snow here in the North West but not nearly as much. Time to recap my reading for November.

Read - 1 and a quarter books.

Completed - 2 books...

The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Currently Reading -

The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell

Caught by the River: A Collection of Words on Water (various authors)

TBR Pile - currently at 82 (according to GoodReads) with 2 books added...

Through the Kitchen Window by Susan Hill

Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill

(I have become a bit of a fan!)

Challenges - finished Cranford for my 'read another Elizabeth Gaskell' directional reading challenge from January.

Wishlist Additions -

The Distant Hours: A Novel by Kate Morton

The Last Days of Ptolomy Grey by Walter Mosley

The Crossing Places: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths

Half a Life by Darin Strauss

Discoveries - More country living books by Susan Hill from the '80s

Events - The Book Blogger Holiday Swap (see my sidebar). Mine is parcelled up and ready to go to its surprise destination. Such a great idea and thanks to Nicole from Linus's Blanket for hosting this.

Christmas is well and truly on its way. Hope you are warm and toastie where you are!

November Roundup

This wonderful photo of the Menin Gate in Belgium this memorial day was taken for The Guardian by Brian Harris. I find the days around Remembrance Day very moving and emotional, especially when there are fewer veterans left, and hardly any from the Great War. I am a big fan of the poetry from World War One, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Here is my summary of reading from November...

Read - One and a bit books
Completed - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Currently Reading - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
TBR Pile - currently on 72 (according to Good Reads), with 2 more added...
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
The Light of Day by Graham Swift
Wishlist Additions -
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Bloom's Literary Guide to London
Discoveries -
Halcyon Books in Greenwich, London
Events -
Seeing the wonderful Con O'Neill in Prick Up Your Ears at The Comedy Theatre in London's West End.

Christmas is coming and I've got a big old tome to get through for my course in January. Best get to it...