In 2010 I Mostly Read . . .

Further meanderings about my reading habits . . .

Finished:

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams (December 2010) - inspired by the recent TV adaptation - really long time since I read these and had forgotten how good they were.

Son of a Witch, the sequel to Wicked, by Gregory Maguire (November 2010) - also rather odd - didn't work as well as the first book to my mind, Lir was less of a compelling character than Elphaba. Might just borrow the other books in the series from the library!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (2nd November 2010) - devoured over the course of a train journey and an evening - full of charm, poignancy, humour and life. Loved it!

Wicked by Gregory Maguire (September / October 2010) - not quite what I expected - kind of politicised if anybody knows what I mean - but rather good.

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (August 2010) - hugely enjoyable as ever, didn't hold together as well as his best, but still made me laugh!

Ash by Malinda Lo (July 2010) - a magical retelling of Cinderella but where the girl gets the girl . . .

Tregaron's Daughter by Madeleine Brent (July 2010) - been acquiring these secondhand as well, don't think you can get them in-print. Madeleine Brent is the gothic historical romance alter ego of one my all-time favourite authors, Peter O'Donnell (the man behind Modesty Blaise). A cracking good read!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (July 2010) - picked a copy up secondhand from Oxfam - really good read, although I think all the hype had led me to expect more somehow . . .

The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff (June 2010) - enjoyable fantasy romp, but think I preferred her 'Keeper' books.

Changes by Jim Butcher (June 2010) - the latest Dresden Files book pulled me back into the world of fantasy. Got it from the local library in hardback, then re-read its predecessor Turncoat while my other half read it first. Perhaps the best Dresden thus far - and with a real cliffhanger ending . . .

Didn't Finish!:

Started reading Malcolm Pryce's slightly surreal (if you've lived in Aberystwyth!) comic 'noir' thrillers, starting with Aberystwyth Mon Amour. Got about a quarter of a way in, but then things got really busy at work, and I went into crossword at bedtime mode. Have since found other offerings more attractive but will come back to these.

After a bit of a fiction-fest, did return briefly to the soap-opera style proclivities of the Tudors. However, stalled a little on a rather flowery piece on The Six Wives of Henry VIII by a frenchman, Paul Rival - may have to read it a chapter at a time in due course!

Finished:

Robin McKinley's Sunshine (mid-April 2010) - I really really enjoyed this - quite upset that there is no sequel (and according to a rather tetchy blog entry from the author not likely to be either).

Terry Pratchett / Jacqueline Simpson - The Folklore of Discworld (early April 2010) - an interesting read, and a must for any Pratchett fan.

Gail Carriger's Soulless (29-31 March 2010) - another book I didn't want to put down - described as a comedy of manners set in a Victorian London full of vampires, dirigibles and tea. Someone else likened it to Georgette Heyer and I can see some similarities - hugely enjoyable anyway - will be ordering more!

Charles de Lint's latest The Mystery of Grace (26-28 March 2010) - couldn't help reading this one almost as soon as Amazon deigned to deliver it - didn't take me more than a couple of days, and in times gone by I'd probably just have sat down and read it cover to cover. Shortish, but oh so personable - just what the de Lint fan ordered - loved it!

Lacey Baldwin Smith's 1961 offering A Tudor Tragedy: The Life and Times of Catherine Howard. Not a bad offering - and a good read (March 2010).

David Starkey's Henry: Virtuous Prince (February - March 2010), which was ok, but didn't really engage me in the same way as Fraser's writing. Was glad to finish it . . .

A re-reading of Antonia Fraser's The Six Wives of Henry VIII (January 2010) as the precursor to lots more Tudor biography . . . a really good read.

Sea Ice

The last couple of days have been bright and cold - so cold that ice could be seen at the edges of the sea, and today the shallower bit of the harbour basin (with the tide out) was completed iced over.

It's been great weather for a walk along the prom / up Constitution Hill though - needed  to wrap up warm to start with, but by the end of the walk had thawed out* and enjoyed some fantastic views.

*Probably something to do with the 'hilly' bit!

Coast and Cathedral

Had a few days off this week, and luckily the weather did actually improve after the weekend - in fact most of the week it has been bright and cold, making for some lovely views along the coast . . .


Also managed a couple of days away in Cardiff, where we took in the sights of Llandaff Cathedral, and its rather frosty graveyard - alongside the shops and curry houses of course!

Got back to a rather cold house - but it's been nice to see some sunshine . . .

Fade to Grey

Well the new year has certainly started with a splash - a miserable grey wet puddley kind of splash.

December had a bright and crisp feel to it:

Alright, the snow was a little annoying if you wanted to get anwhere, but it made for some lovely views, especially when compared with what has followed since . . .




The last few days have been particularly wet - with flooded roads, and heavy grey skies.

Hoping for better this week, especially as we have a few days off - with any luck the Met Office has got it right and we'll see some sunshine!