This is my community service to book bloggers – a list of the books that appear most frequently on all of the lists I listed on Best Books of 2016 – A List of Lists. So before I have to write the word ‘list’ again, here it is, the 2016 Commonly-Agreed-by-the-People-Who-Publish-Best-of-2016-Book-Lists-Before-December-31 top 36 books. Continue reading
It’s time for #6Degrees – join in! Link up!
We begin this month’s chain with the controversial eighties best-seller by V. C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic. It’s truly a diabolical book and in 1987, I couldn’t put it down. Continue reading
Lou Lou, is that you?
Hello, it’s 1987 calling and it wants its perfume back. Cacheral named a fragrance Lou Lou, after silent-film star, Louise Brooks, in 1987. When it launched, I immediately loved everything about it – from the rich and distinctive (controversial) fragrance to the exquisite blue bottle and glorious floral packaging. And because I haven’t really moved on from the eighties, I still wear it (only in winter, of course) and I like it as much as I did the very first time I tried it on. So naturally, when I saw Laura Moriarty’s novel, The Chaperone, a story about Louise Brooks and her first trip to New York (with a chaperone, hence the title), I put it on my ‘Novels set in the 1920s’ reading list (1920s and 1980s being my favourite and best decades). Continue reading
First book, then movie. I miss lots of new-release movies because I haven’t read the book. In fact, my chief-movie-going-pal often gives me advance warning of movies she wants to see with a simple “Read the book now because the movie is out in a month.” I have lovely, considerate friends.
Even though the book is nearly always better than the movie (nearly), it doesn’t stop me imagining the movie version of books I’ve loved. Some books just scream ‘screenplay please’. This week’s Top Ten topic, hosted by The Broke and Bookish, is Books I Would Love To See As A Movie.
1. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles – the first thing I thought when I finished this glorious book last week was – Film. Stat. Continue reading
For a relatively long book, this is a very short review of Amor Towles‘ Rules of Civility. Continue reading
Everywhere I turn I’m seeing Gatsby – fringes on dresses, Bakelite accessories and sublime Art Deco curves in furniture design. Get a little Jazz Age into your reading list as well.
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a topic rewind. I’m going all the way back to January 2012 when The Broke and the Bookish looked at their Top 10 Historical Fiction picks… And then I’m rewinding a little further to the glorious years between 1920 and 1940 when the order of the day was bobbed hair, cloche hats and gin cocktails. Of course we must start at the very top with Gatsby.
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Basically I’m beside myself with excitement waiting for this:
But what else is on the ‘Gatsby’ reading list? Continue reading
I need a ‘pause’ button.
I read great reviews (thanks fellow bloggers) and then hit Amazon and moments later I have the book on my Kindle. Such is the joy (and the agony in terms of my wallet) of online shopping.
I have tempered my impulse buying somewhat. Somewhat…
I use ‘wishlists’, Kindle samples and the ‘Want to Read’ feature on Goodreads as a way of reminding me of books that look like my kind of thing. But still, sometimes the need is too great. And I wish I could hit ‘pause’ instead of ‘Add to Shopping Cart’.
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is the Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread. Here are the books that bypassed my wishlists, samples and want-to-read lists and instead were bought immediately. Because I couldn’t wait. And yet, they haven’t even been opened…. Continue reading