Books by my bedside

I love reading. In fact I adore reading. So when I was tagged by Caz from Charismagick in a book meme I found it shocking that I’ve never mentioned ANY books on my blog before! 

The last book I read was “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham. Some of you may have heard of this from the film adaptation that was made. The book features three generations of women who all have some connection with Virginia Woolf. The first is Virginia Woolf herself and how she struggles with her mental health and writing the novel that becomes “Mrs Dalloway”. The second is Mrs Brown who is stuck in a perfect 1950s world and hating every minute of it, and third is Clarissa in modern day New York. Mental health is the theme that runs throughout this book and it is just beautiful. I adored the characters, and how even across different countries and decades their worlds are linked.

I also recently finished reading “Any Human Heart” by William Boyd. Again, I watched the adaptation by channel 4 featuring Jim Broadbent first and was hooked. The book is even better. It follows the life from adolescence through to old age of Logan Mountstuart. It’s gripping, shocking and sentimental. I loved it.

Sadly this book will also stick with me for another reason. It was the first book I ever ruined. My lovely friend Jess had leant me her copy (a penguin classic cover I might add) and I somehow managed to knock nail varnish all over it. I felt sick! Jess insists she isn’t the slightest bit bothered and is often doing this to her books, but I felt awful - ruining a book is bad enough but ruining a borrowed book! Unthinkable.

At the moment I’m reading “Mrs Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf. I first tried reading this book in my late teens and just couldn’t get on with it at all. I found Woolf’s style of writing irritating, with her long sentences and wordy descriptions. However after reading “The Hours” it seemed so appealing! This time round (at first) I was enjoying it but already several chapters in I’m starting to remember why I put it down last time. I’m determined to finish it this time. 

I’ve got a big stack of books waiting to be read. 

These include:


The Siege by Helen Dunmore - I've read some of her stuff before and really liked her style. This was a present from my Dad - I love it when he buys me books he thinks I might like!

'Brighton Rock' by Graham Greene (I've lived in Brighton for 10 years and still not read this book or seen either of the films!)

My stepmum gave me the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness to borrow. I'd never heard of them but the synopsis sounds fantastic and I adore teen fiction.

Now for my tags! Don’t feel you have to participate but it would be great if you did:

Rachel - Sew, Ray, Me
Elizabeth - Rosalilium
Kate - Bluebell & Rosie
Bex - Shiny Pigeon