I feel like I’ve been making slow progress through the TBR recently: I definitely haven’t had as much time to read as normal and have been making my way through what I have been reading pretty slowly. I have also got a few review books in – I’m writing up my review of Tom  Mole’s “The Secret Life of Books” for Shiny New Books at the moment, and have a few more I’m reading, so not everything I’ve read is appearing on here just yet (but I’ll of course let you know when the reviews are up!). I have acquired some lovely new books, including some light Christmas reading and a gorgeous wintery themed review book, of which more later, and anyone who’s planning to join in on my Anne Tyler re-read/readalong next year please help me decide my schedule (further below).

Diana Wynne Jones – “Power of Three”

(29 August 2019)

I acquired this at Oxfam Books at the same time as the last two birding books I’ve talked about, so never let it be said I don’t read a variety of books! I do love her stuff and although I read this a bit close to the “Howl’s Moving Castle” trilogy, perhaps, I did enjoy it. You think it’s set in a fantasy land and it seems to be at first, with three races at war, and us following the “people” but later on we realise the giants may not be so odd after all, and what if all three see themselves as “people”? (a nice lesson on tolerance there, plus we see a few episodes from multiple points of view, which is also interesting). There was a bit of knowledge to pick up on how the world worked, and a nice central character who thinks he’s normal and untalented, as measured against his siblings with their gifts, and of course it’s a well-constructed story, as DWJ’s always are, but there’s not much more I can really say about it.

Books in

Fifty words for snow “Fifty Words for Snow” by Nancy Campbell arrived from Elliot & Thompson this week – what a pretty hardback, with a stamped cloth cover. Campbell wrote “The Library of Ice” which I read and reviewed in April last year, and I enjoyed her writing there – here she takes fifty words for snow from around the world and talks about the language, culture and science behind the word and concept. I feel like this will make an ideal Christmas present for the nature and science lover. I’m joining in on a blog tour so will read it during NonFiction November and review it for Shiny and talk about it on this blog at the end of the month, although I can hardly resist dipping into it!

Four Christmas novelsI did a Click and Collect order with The Works last week to get some Christmas cards and they had a paperback sale as usual. As I’m pretty sure we will be holed up at home at Christmas, I thought I could pick up some jolly, light reads, and here they are, Jenny Colgan’s “An Island Christmas” and Cressida McLaughlin’s “The Canal Boat Cafe Christmas” are both parts of series but I am going to ignore that, seeing my bloated Kindle and huge TBR, and Jane Linfoot’s “A Cosy Christmas in Cornwall” and Sophie Pembroke’s “A Wedding on Mistletoe Island” appear to be standalones. I will be re-reading Paul Magrs’ “Stardust and Snow” on Christmas Day but these should cushion the week with some jolliness as well.

And another NetGalley win (so need to do another NetGalley read very soon!), Ryan la Sala’s “Be Dazzled” is a YA novel set in the world of cosplay costume creation, where our hero finds himself up against his ex-boyfriend in a competition to make the most dazzling outfit for a big competition. It sounds fun and quirky and isn’t out until January 2021 so is not pressing in on me just yet, which feels quite important in avoiding overwhelm!

Have you read any of these or acquired anything new? This is supposed to be my quiet period where I keep aware of Christmas and birthday possible incomings, but I’m not sure any except possibly the first one are likely to appear there …

Anne Tyler schedule

So a couple of people have shown interest in joining my Anne Tyler re-read readalong which I’m planning next year, culminating in “Redhead by the Side of the Road” which I have been waiting to come out in paperback, as everything else I have by her is paperback, although occasionally large, QPD paperback (are they still going? Once I’d wriggled out of their Book of the Month I did get some good bargains there!).

There are 23 novels (at the moment) which makes two per month for a year or one per month for two years and I have to wait two years to read “Redhead”. The books are never very long, and I don’t think anyone else is going to do them ALL, so would two a month be OK for people? Maybe the first to be read and reviewed by the 15th of the month and the second by the last day? Does that feel doable? Or would you rather one a month, or three months to read any or all of a particular six? I do want to do them in publication order, but that’s the only stipulation. Please let me know!