Books I Read in January

Total: 14 books.

Tuesdays With Morrie (Mitch Albom)
Words Words Words (David Crystal)
Stories We Could Tell (Tony Parsons)
Where Rainbows End (Cecelia Ahern)
The Pedant in the Kitchen (Julian Barnes)
The Colour of Magic (Terry Pratchett)
Marshmallows For Breakfast (Dorothy Koomson)
Insatiable: The Erotic Adventures of a French Girl in Spain (Valerie Tasso)
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers (Xiaolu Guo)
Everyone Worth Knowing (Lauren Weisberger)
So Many Books (Gabriel Zaird)
The Timewaster Diaries (Robin Cooper)
Bed Rest (Sarah Bilston)
Confessions of a Failed Grown-Up (Stephanie Calman)

Easily my book of the month, Tuesdays With Morrie is a something everyone should read. I bought this from the charity shop with Where Rainbows End and read it in a few hours on the 29th. It's a lovely book full of simple wisdom. I shall keep this book and recommend it to everyone, ever.

I've been trying to explore the non-fiction sections of the library, Words Words Words is the fourth book I've finished from my expeditions out of fiction and cookery (after The Pedant in the Kitchen, Insatiable and So Many Books) so I seem to be doing OK. I enjoyed reading this book, not quite as much as I thought I might when I picked it up but still rather a lot. It's a very easy to read book about the nature of words. I probably wouldn't read it again but only because it's made so many recommendations for related others.

Stories We Could Tell is my least favourite Tony Parsons novel. Having really enjoyed his previous books I bought this one from the charity shop on campus and started reading it straight away. Having mostly lost interest, the book was eventually finished almost a week later on the 27th. I listed this on BookMooch before I'd finished and eventually swapped with arwen1 (UK) for The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic. Wouldn't read it again but I do like his other books.

Bought in a lunchtime from the charity shop on campus Where Rainbows End was another of those books by an author I've read before. My opinions of Cecelia Ahern's previous books have been pretty varied, I quite liked PS. I Love You but hated A Place Called Here. Fortunately I didn't hate this book. A nice easy read, finished on 26th - the the day after I bought it. It's now available for mooching.

The Pedant in the Kitchen caught my attention when browsing the recipe books in Lancaster Libary. I've read England, England by Julian Barnes and have been intending to read a couple of his others so thought I'd give this a try. I read this in several short bursts finishing on the 16th. A pleasant, amusing, short book that would no doubt strike a chord with anyone who isn't quite the masterchef.

I have finally started on the great plan to read all Discworld novels in order. I've read some of these before (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Mort, Eric... maybe others) but have now started from the beginning with The Colour of Magic. I mooched this from Edward Maxwell (USA) and read it over a weekend in Derbyshire finishing on the 14th.

I mooched Marshmallows For Breakfast from Suze S (UK) after reading My Best Friend's Girl. Read in a day on the 12th, this wasn't too bad. Bit closer to the generic chick-lit model than her last but still pretty good as these things go. Given to natzini (UK) through BookMooch.

Insatiable: The Erotic Adventures of a French Girl in Spain (09/01) was just another trashy library read. Following on in the likes of Belle de Jour and Call Me Elizabeth. I can't see me reading this again.

Bought as part of a Waterstones (Liverpool) three for two offer, I initially quite liked A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers (04/01) but somehow this book lost something as it went on. Given to oanh (UK) through BookMooch.

Having read The Devil Wears Prada, I was curious about Everyone Worth Knowing so when I spotted in the library I thought I'd borrow this. I think I read this in a day on the 4th. I don't think it was nearly as good as The Devil Wears Prada but it was OK, unlikely to read it again I think.

Borrowed from Lancaster library, So Many Books (03/01) is a short critique of the book's role in the present day. It's pleasantly brief which is probably a good thing given the conclusions drawn about the great cost of reading. Some people seem to really like this book but I really wasn't that fussed. Some interesting facts and argument but I'd be unlikely to make great effort to read this again.

Another library book, I read most of The Timewaster Diaries on the 2nd when I borrowed it but finished it off the day after. It was very easy to read but not especially deep, there's nothing in it to enjoy save the fact that you don't have to work to read it. Wouldn't ever want to read it again :)

Bed Rest (02/01) and Confessions of a Failed Grown-up (01/01) were both chick-lit library books. Neither is especially hard to read, but they're nice light books if you like that kinda thing/need some mindless moments. I seem to be having more mindless reads than ever at the moment. Not the most inspiring books to start the new year with and I'm unlikely to read them again.