At the beginning of this year I noticed that our bookshelves were overflowing somewhat, and shockingly there was a large number of books on those shelves that I haven't read, much like a stash of unused fabric. I don't really have much of a fabric stash (yet) so I've decided to bust my book stash instead. Here is my To Read List 2012.
1. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
I've already started on this one but at over 1400 pages I think it's going to be a challenge (I'm only 250 pages in). I really like it though. It's full of wonderful characters and although nothing hugely dramatic has happened yet, I'm still desperate to find out what happens next to each and every one of them. This book is lusciously descriptive and everything sings with colour and sound a smell and taste, I can't wait to read on...
2. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
This one is not something I ever saw myself wanting to read and I have to admit is a little bit of a busting cheat as it's not technically my book, it belongs to my lovely Chap. We both really got into the HBO series based on this series of books because one of Chap's classmates from drama school is in it so we thought we'd check it out and we were hooked within the first 10 minutes!! We are both nerdishly excited for series 2 in April. I am usually a read before watching kinda girl and will often miss a film in the cinema because I am stubbornly finishing the book, but I wasn't so bothered about the book this time round. However Chap and one of my besty's have been going on and on (and on) about how good the book is that I've been coerced in to adding it to my list. At 780 pages this is another mountain of book but I'm looking forward to it a lot.
3. If This Is A Man and The Truce by Primo Levi
I have a particular interest in books, poetry and plays about the First or Second World Wars. I don't really know why it enthralls me so much but it does. I'm not interested in the political and strategical history of these times but in the human stories. I adore the poems of Wilfred Owen, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks is one of my all time favourite novels and Blackadder Goes Forth is definitely the best of all the Blackadder series. I picked up this book in my local charity book shop, which is full of weird and wonderful books (and staff!) and have been itching to read it ever since. I know it will be hard going and harrowing but I also know it will be worth it.
4. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
I
How could I possibly not read such a beautiful thing?
5. The Idiot by Dostoyevesky
I started reading this maybe a year ago during a break from uni and I was really enjoying it but then I went back to uni and the poor thing got forgotten. I'm hoping to get to this by the time summer hits us so I can go and lounge around on the common just opposite our flat (maybe in my finished Lonsdale dress) and read in the sunshine, otherwise I shall just have to enjoy it under a blanket with a cup of tea and some chocolate digestives.
6. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood.
I picked this one up at The RSC bookshop for a mere £3, that place is usually pretty expensive. I love ancient Greek myth and legend and I love Margaret Atwood and I love that it's all about the girls. This is a nice short one to finish the reading year off.
There they are my six books for 2012, in theory that makes it a book every 2 months but, as we are now in month number 3 and I'm nowhere near finishing book number 1, that theory is already somewhat out of the window!! Not to mention I've just joined goodreads.com which is a great way to keep track of what you've read, what you want to read and to get recommendations, but not a great way of keeping my reading wishlist in any way realistic!!! Oops.
This has been a pretty long post huh? Here is a beautiful bunch of flowers on my lovely sunny windowsill to say thanks for reading!!
I want to read The Game of Thrones books so badly! I got totally hooked on the tv series, and can't wait for season 2!
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