#2017readingchallenge

Books I’ve Read:

My Review....This is a lovely book, lovely in the sense that it is heartfelt. Larry McMurtry's love affair with books is palpable. Reading books about books is a genre totally designed for bibliophiles and don't we just love it! This gently rolling memoir flips randomly through a lifetime of memories about collecting, buying, living and working in the book world. My mind boggles at the number of books in Larry McMurtry's personal library, and it makes me feel better about the number of books I've got cluttering every flat surface of my house! Huge amounts of money are paid by buyers and collectors prepared to pay whatever is necessary to own 'that book ' and books seem to have a beautiful secret life of their own. They drift around and around from one owner to another, sometimes disappearing for years only to resurface and create re-newed interest again in the market of collectibles. Larry McMurtry has indeed led a captivating life surrounded by books, he is not just a reader he needs to live and breath them to soothe his soul - 4 stars.

Book I’ve Read:

My Review....This book is absolutely fabulous! It’s people watching with words, and thanks to my friend Dawn for that description because I'm stealing it and running with it! I've always loved to people watch when I'm out, it's fascinating, but I found this so much better! It's funnier, quite surprising and at times heart breaking. There's a saying - "Everyone has a Story" well this is so true, In this book, the people of New York have opened up their hearts to Brandon Stanton. Their stories are incredibly random and how Brandon gets everyday people, like you and me, to reveal themselves so spontaneously and with such candor is eye opening. Everyone does have a story! This book made me realise, we really shouldn't judge a person by their looks or too quickly - without the full story, we can so easily get those first impressions very wrong. Get it and see for yourself - 5 stars.

I haven’t done any blogging since last week because I had to finish my latest book and now I have, I’d like to rave about it!

Books I’ve Read:

My Review....Here’s a book, a slim volume of a book that hooked me right from the start. Oh how I wish they all did! What our Clive James doesn't know about literature, reading and writing is probably not worth the bother. At times I was a little out of my depth but Clive managed to go easy with this novice and reeled me back in when I got lost, gently taught me new words and delighted me with many a perfectly structured turn of phrase. Mr. James spoke to me as an interested friend and amazed me with a commanding yet easy eloquence. For the first time ever in my reading life I've come across a book that I could happily re-read, immediately, and gain more for the doing of it.....

And I think I will - 5 stars

Books I’ve Read:

My Review....The book title got me in and the book's blurb really hooked me. A year of reading nothing but books from my own shelves. This is exactly what I've been trying to do for two years, with little success! I take my hat of to Susan Hill for sticking to her guns and loved hearing about the books she chose to read and why she chose to read them. For her year of reading she selected 40 books covering poetry, fiction, non fiction, religion, plays and journals. I particularly liked how we were given The List at the end of the book. The author has really thrown down the gauntlet to me, so next year it is, you're on Susan Hill - I accept your challenge! Reading about someone else's love of reading, hearing why they re-read certain books and how they arrange their collection is so much fun if you're a bit of a bibliophile yourself. To quote from the end of the first chapter...."I climbed two flights of elm-wood stairs to the top landing in search of a book, and found myself embarked on a year of travelling through the books of a lifetime." Now that's my kind of travel - 4 stars.