Share - 25 signs you're addicted to books

I saw this shared by Litlovers on facebook, and had to share it here.

I guess I named my blog right after all!  There's only about three signs that don't completely and utterly suit me.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/signs-youre-addicted-to-books-reading

Top Ten Tuesday # 7 - My Bookish Week

I had a week off work last week, so I decided to take a week off the blog too, so other than the posts I'd written ahead of schedule I didn't publish any reviews, or do any of my regular meme's.

Now I'm playing catch up, which is why this weeks Top Ten Tuesday list is being published on a Wednesday.

This week is a Freebie, and I've decided to write about the Bookish things I did in my week off. So here it is:

• As I had lots of free time from work and not having to spend ages thinking of/writing blog posts, I had lots of time to do some actual reading! And for once I didn't get distracted or moaned at. In fact I sometimes got told to go and read a book which made a refreshing change.
• I received my first delivery from The Folio Society. Two large boxes came with all the books I'd picked. It cost way too much money really, but the books I bought were stunning! The first I read from the delivery was Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper. It's the first in The Dark Is Rising sequence and I can't wait to read the next. Review coming soon.
• I have seen lots of recommendations recently for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, so I read that book too. And lo, it was good. Review to follow soon.
• I unfortunately admitted defeat on the Book Club read for May. Touching the Void by Joe Simpson. I had high hopes, but the terminology of climbers and mountains, and that it was a non fiction book proved too hard to swallow I'm afraid. I have confirmed to myself that I am a fiction girl all the way.  Kind of an anti-bookish thing I'm afraid.
• I attended Book Club where most of the other members discussed the book and I listened in nursing my diet cola :-) There were mixed reviews really, on Goodreads one of the group gave it 4 stars, another gave it 1.
• I started June's book club book - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. I read it last year, and wouldn't normally re-read so soon, but it is really a brilliant read, and I'm looking forward to reading it again. I think knowing how it ends and the secrets that are revealed will make it an even more enjoyable re-read.
• I got considerably further through The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I just can't seem to keep going and going with this one. I wish I could because I think it deserves it, but something just makes me keep looking around for something else to read.
• At the book club we chose July's book, which I bought on ebook format. I read the first page as a taster, as yet I'm undecided if it feels like something I'll enjoy. On the theme of other books bought I also received an ebook of The River of No Return which I'd forgotten I'd pre-ordered. I'm looking forward to that one.
• The Folio Society delivery included an extra copy of The Hobbit. It was a free gift with purchase for joining up, and they'd sent me two. When I called they said to keep it.  I've sold the extra copy to a friend whose wife loves Tolkien, The Hobbit is her favourite book, and I know she'll treasure it.  The money will be donated to charity.
• I had to buy another bookshelf from the Swedish Shop to house all more books. The place is no tidier though.  Must read more ebooks!

Friday First Paragraph's # 6

Welcome to another Friday First Paragraph's.

I normally try to bring in a book that I'm about to start, to kind of whet my appetite.  I'm a little bit behind in my reading at the moment, and so this time I thought I'd bring you the first paragraph's of one my favourite books.  Chances are you've read it already, but who knows, maybe this will reach someone who hasn't read it yet, or prompt a re-read of this wonderful book.

It's all pretty good in my opinion and I had a job to know when to cut off, so there's actually quite a bit here.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

DEATH AND CHOCOLATE

First the colours.

Then the humans.

That's usually how I see things.

Or at least, how I try.

HERE IS A SMALL FACT

You are going to die.

I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing in me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can  be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that's only the As. Just don't ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me.

REACTION TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FACT

Does this worry you?

I urge you - don't be afraid.

I'm nothing if not fair.

Of course, an introduction.

A beginning.

Where are my manners?

I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in tiem, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A colour will be perched on my shoulder, I will carry you gently away.

It later goes on to say

It's just a small story really, about, amongst other things:

• a girl
• some words
• an accordionist
• some fanatical Germans
• a Jewish fist-fighter
• and quite a lot of thievery.

Top Ten Tuesday # 6

Welcome to my Top Ten Tuesday list! The Top Ten Tuesday meme originates at The Broke and The Bookish, check out their site for more information.

This weeks Top Ten list is my Top Ten Favourite Book Covers (of books I've read).

Most of my books are in storage at the moment, so I'm kind of limited by my terrible memory, and only those books I've recorded on Goodreads, hence there are a couple on here that are high on my TBR list.  I've spent a few days trying to recall what books tempted me to buy and read, based mostly on their covers. A book cover might play a good part in my selecting a book, but once read it's relegated to the back of my mind for the most part.

Here's what I could come up with;

Not just one book but the entire Thursday Next series - so colourful, and I'm a little bit of a petrolhead, so I love that there's a car on the cover of every book. Does this count as seven books?

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. The cover is nice enough, but I love the unusual shape of the hardback version of the book, it's much more square (squat?) than you'd normally see.  It's one of the books in storage, so I don't have a picture to illustrate I'm afraid.

The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw - I must admit I have not read this one, but I couldn't leave it out of this list. The hardcover version is STUNNING!! Here's a live photo of it, so you can see it's beauty. It's not just the cover that strikes me as gorgeous, I love the silver edged paper. The whole thing is beautiful.


The Universe versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence. I'm sorry, it's another that I haven't read, but the cover reminded me of Corfe Castle, where we would often find ourselves on holiday cracking jokes like "Is that the Castle I see before me?" to which someone else would reply "Of Corfe if is!" Yes, we're easily amused.  Here's a couple of pics so you can see where I'm coming from:



The Teleportation Incident by Ned Baumann, I'm reading this at the moment, and so it kind of fits the brief of this weeks Top Ten. I love the Deco feel of the cover.



The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen, everything you need to know about the story is on the cover... the little girl gazing out to sea from a snow covered island.



The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I just loved this. The lonely figure perched on a pole, the glimpse of a venetian like city across the water and the gilt embossed title with it's sweeping f. I kept stopping to flip back to the cover hoping I might somehow have missed the Elderglass structures that feature so strongly in the book. The sequel 'Republic of Thieves' cover looks fab too, it features some fantastic clothes.



My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier - I bought a special edition hardback cover which I just couldn't resist when I saw it on Amazon.

The Discworld Books by Terry Pratchett. Every one of them. Everything you need to know about the story, all the characters and so on, are all on the covers, and I love that the picture spans the back and front cover as a single picture. Just fab!

Mr Penumbra's Bookstore by Robin Sloan. At first an assault on the eyes, but then you notice the ladder and the books propped up on every surface, and as I have a thing about bookshelves I can't help but like it.

Friday First Paragraph's # 5

Friday's come around again, so it's First Paragraph's time.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce is next months book club read.  I read it last summer and loved it, and I'm quite looking forward to reading it again.

It's one of those books that feels just about OK while you're reading it.  I remember thinking that it wasn't really living up to the hype, but it's pleasant enough, amusing and at times intriguing, but not overly special.  By the end you realise you've had your socks knocked off.  It's wonderful!!  But you do have to read it all, this is not a book to give up on.

Here goes....

1

Harold and the Letter

The letter that would change everything arrived on a Tuesday. It was an ordinary morning in mid-April that smelled of clean washing and grass cuttings. Harold Fry sat at the breakfast table, freshly shaved, in a clean shirt and tie, with a slice of toast that he wasn't eating. He gazed beyond the kitchen window at the clipped lawn, which was spiked in the middle by Maureen's telescopic washing line, and trapped on all three sides by the neighbours' close-board fencing.

'Harold!' called Maureen above the vacuum cleaner. 'Post!'