One of the great joys of Christmas is all those new books, and while I was disappointed not to be given The Road (the only one I'd asked for), the rest look promising. I'd already read The Book Thief (which I found rather disappointing), but the others all look interesting. They include A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole),Brooklyn (Colm Toibin), Mudbound (Hillary Jordan), Burial (Neil Cross) and Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout). I've started the Strout, and am enjoying it. I was relieved that eldest son has stopped giving me Magnus Mills's offerings. I've read all he's given me, but you (or rather I) can have too much of Magnus Mills's surrealism. Son, on the other hand, only has to hear the writer's name to be rendered helpless with laughter. I must be missing something.
Which books did anyone else receive? And were they what you wanted?
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Hi Frances, thought I'd pop across to your blog! The books I recieved were The Writers and Artists Yearbook - as you know - and I also got Dark Mountain by Richard Laymon, which I'm reading and enjoying, and also a novel by Brian Keene, an author I've not come across before...so time will tell with that one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Akasha. I forgot all about the Writers and Artists Yearbook, so thanks for the reminder. I have an Amazon token to spend, so I shall get it with that. Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteFrances, I had rather the same idea over at my blog.
ReplyDeleteAll of my books were taken from the copious list I supplied (I am the world's easiest person to buy for: I only want books, and I always present a list...).
A bit disappointed with the Sharon Penman so far, but there's another 700 pages to go - plenty of time to perk up (please God, not another Wolf Hall!)
Tim, you are very wise. I wish I'd supplied a list. I've just realised that I've already read Brooklyn, and quite recently, too. Oh dear. (It wasn't particularly memorable). Are you persevering with Sharon Penman? I tend to let books go if I'm not enjoying them -life is getting shorter, and there are many books to read...
ReplyDeleteI regret not ditching that Ken Follett disaster much earlier (and Wolf Hall, come to that), but I'm sticking with Penman for now. It's not *that* bad, and The Sunne in Splendour was so good that she's earned some goodwill.
ReplyDeleteI've no qualms about culling a real stinker when I need to!