Reading as a cheap hobby

London_1

Hi chums I adore reading and can easily read a book in a day, a day and a half at the moment as I have the builders in doing renovations to our house.DD is at work son-in-law is project managing the builders so I spend a good deal of time in the conservatory feet up with a book in my hand

This morning my local library at Ryde had a book sale, plus jigsaws (another secret vice of mine) so I popped down there , not only to return some books but to see what was on offer

 I bought two jigsaw plus two hardbacks and a paperback for the huge sum of £4.50 thats my treat of the week the hard backs were 'Little Dribbling' by Bill Bryson, great writer and very funny, and the prequel to Ken Follett's trilogy about building the church in the 10th century. He's one of my favourite authors and I love getting my hands on one I've not yet read.I also bought The Revenant as I enjoyed the film hope the book is as good

Last week I discovered another 'new to me' american  writer called John Sandford and looking at the library shelves there were five of his books there, so I came home with the three I bought, plus five I've loaned. That will keep me going for a bit at least.

My late husband said you will read anything even a sauce bottle on a table and he was probably right.

Back in the old days of logging on to 'dial up internet' I used to have AOL and it was always a good wait before you managed to get online, and I'd even have a book by the side of me to read while waiting.
I don't think there is a room in my house, including the loo where there isn't a book to read.

My late Mum taught both myself and my two brothers to read before we went to school, and I've just never stopped. I particularly like history books (I did a history degree) or crime or mystery novels

Not keen on romances (bubble gum writing ) chick lit or bodice rippers.

 Favourite authors are probably Ken Follett, the late great Ruth Rendell  (never read a bad one of hers )Ben Elton is good as well as Jeffery Archer and  Perter May.

 I got bored with Lynda La Plante  too formulaic after you've read one,-a bit like Catherine Cookson- you've read them all.

I read a great book a little while ago called The Lincoln Trail about the Donner Pass missing people, and I picked it up from a charity shop and really liked it, blow me down I saw a book in the library called Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs also connected with the mystery
 I shall start on that tonight. I have a kindle but much prefer an actual book to hold and read and especially if its brand new  

Happy reading chums 

JackieO xx

Coxy11

(waves to JackieO - hope the IOW move has been successful xx)

I've now finished Anne of Green Gables. Enjoyed it but would've struggled with some of the writing even as a young teen I think?? Anyway it's only taken me until 55 yo to read it lol!

Have just started Becoming by Michelle Obama. Loving it already.

Brie

Coxy11 said:

(waves to JackieO - hope the IOW move has been successful xx)

I've now finished Anne of Green Gables. Enjoyed it but would've struggled with some of the writing even as a young teen I think?? Anyway it's only taken me until 55 yo to read it lol!

Have just started Becoming by Michelle Obama. Loving it already.

I think this is one of the reasons books are being edited and dumbed down a bit.  People, I believe, used to write books using whatever language they knew without a concern that the intended audience was 5 or 50.  So while some young readers might have struggled others would have relished the challenge of such a book.  I think back to going ot the library 60 years back and there was the children's section and adults.  No breakdown of books for up to 8, 9 - 11, 12 - 15 etc because kid's books were kid's books.  And adult's books were rarely much more advanced but were sectioned off due to the more mature topic matters rather than a higher tone of language.  

Floss

I read Anne aged around 12 I think. Then again I was a precocious reader, pinching my older brothers' Just William, Biggles, Ivanhoe and Colditz books before leaving primary school!

Brie

Has anyone read "Hear me out" by Armando Ianucci?  Thinking of getting it for the OH as his Christmas book.  I know that Ianucci is wonderfully articulate and OH likes him because of that and this being about musical likes/taste it might be a good match.  But always nice to have opinions.  

Other alternative.....I saw in a book shop a book about the cheeses of France (I think) which looked somewhat scholarly (which is fine).  There was a chapter about grumpy cows so maybe it's not too too serious.  But I can't remember the name and googling is failing me.  Spotted it in a somewhat posh book shop in the Lanes in Brighton - all hardbacks, no paperbacks.  Some stuff signed first additions and a book of pictures of Hockney paintings that cost £3k and would need a dining table rather than a coffee table to display it on (seriously huge).   But back to the point....title might have been Cheeses of France or the history of the world in cheese or something......

Brambling

Do you remember the name of the shop and call them to see if they can help

BookWorm

@Brie Could it have been A Cheesmongers Tour de France by Ned Palmer? He has other cheese books too

Brie

@BookWorm
Thank you !!  That's the one!!!  Will look at his other books too.

A cheese book seems appropriate as the OH has been dipping in and out of a wine book over the last couple of months.  

Any idea about Palmer's writing style?  As tasty as cheese may be the author's writing could make it as palatable as dust.

elsien

Just read the last Pat Barker Troy one, can’t remember the name, I agree with whoever else on here said it wasn’t as good as the first two. 

Brambling

Brie said:

@BookWorm
Thank you !!  That's the one!!!  Will look at his other books too.

A cheese book seems appropriate as the OH has been dipping in and out of a wine book over the last couple of months.  

Any idea about Palmer's writing style?  As tasty as cheese may be the author's writing could make it as palatable as dust.

If you look at the kindle version on amazon it has a sample you can read.  It also as a book for English cheeses