Sunday, May 29, 2005

The book group

Tagged by Katya - here goes!!

Total number of books owned - I have no idea, hundreds, ... spread throughout England, Wales and France. I hate to give books away - not even to 2nd hand / charity shops - unless I really hate them. I read constantly (my mother has been known to take the ketchup bottle away from me in a greasy spoon), re-read favourites (see 5 books that mean a lot to you), buy books every week - come to think of it I spend too much money on books! At Ottakar's the guys know me by my first name!! And don't get me started on Waterstones/Borders - a coffee shop and comfy armchairs in a book shop, fabulous marketing darling!!

The last book I bought - well I went for a contact lens fitting today (Simon says I look so different, younger! Yes ladies & gentleman ... Specsavers for your fountain of youth!) and Specsavers is just across from Ottakar's. So ...... today I bought a couple (7!!) of books - there was a 3 for 2 deal going on in there!! I bought (in no particular order)

I'll let you know what I thought of them when I'm done!!

The last book I read - Seeing as I am currently mid read(s), the last book I read and finished would have to be Love Rules by Freya North. Her books aren't "brain surgery" or "crap chick fodder" - there's usually lots of humour as well as a believable plot. I didn't enjoy Love Rules as much as the previous ones .... but I think I'll take it on holiday in July and give it another chance - maybe sun, sea and relaxation will make a difference :o)

Five books that mean a lot to me - wow! Only 5? [Beginning to sound like a broken record!!] Ok ...*thinking*

  • The Eight - Katherine Neville, the complexity of this storyline is mind blowing. I don't know how the author managed to keep it all straight in her head and how she weaved wove it all together. If you have a space in your reading schedule - I would highly recommend it! *brief synopsis* - chess, Algeria, clues, nuns, Napoleon, Charlemagne and his chess set, sex, falcons, oil/OPEC, French Revolution - wow!!
  • The Belgariad - David Eddings; you're going to see a "fantasy" thread appearing, since I was a child. The Belgariad is yet another "edge of seat" set of 5 books - dragons, wizards, kings, secrets and "the will and the word"! [SPOILER WARNING - don't follow link if you don't want to know what happens!!]
  • Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin, Mary Ann's life in Barbary Lane.
  • Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt, cried, laughed, cried some more. Even enjoyed the film - I don't normally watch films if I've enjoyed books (e.g. anything by Colleen McCullough, The Flame Trees of Thika, The Bone Collector)
  • The Sun Bird - Wilbur Smith, actually anything by Wilbur Smith is on my list it's just that the Sun Bird is so gripping. Reincarnation, in the African desert!!

Two major books when I was a kid that I kept on me all the time - when I was 7 or 8 my parents changed the light bulb in my bedroom to a red one!! From the outside our house looked like a seedy brothel but it stopped me reading until 1am. I still love children's literature and am lucky enough to still be allowed to read it everyday - and get paid for it!! So ... 2 books would have to be -

Five people I want to tag - so many people will have already done this, so I will instead say ... if you want it, it's yours!! I am only sorry this man (see below) doesn't have a blog - because he can read for Wales & France!!

Ready lads I'm going in

5 comments:

JoeinVegas said...

Is that a sump pump in hand? Water problems?

Le laquet said...

Joe - No, that's a torch to go under the house - crawl space in an area with European scorpions and meaty looking spiders!! He was dressed, to kill ... them! Thanks for stopping by - Jo

Anonymous said...

I loved the Tales of the City series - in fact all of Armistead Maupin's novels. I wish he'd write more often.

Le laquet said...

Fi - I know his writing is brilliant, did you see the TV series? A rare adaptation that didn't make me go - bleugh!!

Katya Coldheart said...

great answers, i've never read angelas ashes...i should borrow it from my MIL