The more observant amongst you may have noticed that I posted an empty post with this title yesterday. It seems that Blogger wasn't letting me play, so I ended up with an empty post after spending some time writing and rewriting my post! Grrrr!
So, here goes again.
As I was trying to sort through my published posts to get them a bit more organised (more to come on this I hope) I realised that it had been a while since I last wrote something. Despite my crafting activities continuing, things have been a bit full on and as a result I haven't got around to posting about it. Again, more to come on my latest crafting activities soon.
So, in the meantime, I'm resorting to an old favourite - my reading update. I thought the list might be longer, but it isn't too bad and I enjoyed myself along the way.
Anne Frank's diary - This doesn't really need any explanation. I decided to re-read it after our visit to Amsterdam and the Secret Annexe in November. More on my impressions as I re-read it.
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien (I re-read this before seeing the film. I last read it with my class in my primary school way back when and remember that we based our class assembly on an extract where my friend Alex and I 'played' the sun rising and setting! As a consolation, we got to say the prayers as we hadn't had any lines to say! I'm quite glad I re-read it, if for no other reason than I was able to pick a good time to nip out to the loo during one of the long added sections in the film!)
Wessex Tales - Thomas Hardy (I'm a bit of a TH fan, so it was nice to revisit his works with this collection of short stories)
The Phantom - Jo Nesbø (having joined the Nordic noire band wagon, read the Millennium trilogy and some Wallander books, I thought I'd give this Scandinavian author a go. Didn't really do it for me though)
Heartbreak Hotel - Deborah Moggach (the author of Best Exotic Marigold Hotel sets this story in mid-Wales - quite freaky really, as DH, parents in law and I came up with the idea of something similar set in Wales along with quirky characters after we saw the film - she must be telepathic)
Hanas Gwanas - Bethan Gwanas (BG is a Welsh writer and TV presenter and this is her autobiography. Both hilarious and moving in turn)
Dyddiadur Gbara - Bethan Gwanas (I then went on a bit of a 'Bethan-fest'. This is her diary of two years spent in Nigeria doing VSO after graduating)
Yn ôl i Gbara - Bethan Gwanas (in this volume she revisits Nigeria 20-odd years later and chronicles her impressions/emosions - quite moving)
Byd Bethan - Bethan Gwanas (earlier in her career BG spent time writing a column for a Welsh newspaper and this volume is a selection of those articles)
Mwy o Fyd Bethan - Bethan Gwanas (a further collection of articles written for the newspaper - both volumes are amusing and insightful, depending on her topic at the time)
Ar y Lein Eto Fyth - Bethan Gwanas (During her TV career she has made 3 series following a 'line' around the world. The first followed latitude 55 degrees north, the second went through the poles and this one follows the equator. I love her travel writing and I wish there was more of it in Welsh.)
My name is Red - Orhan Pamuk (in honour of our holiday in Turkey earlier this year I read this historical novel by Turkey's first Nobel prize-winner)
Istanbul - Anthology (again, in honour of our holiday - before the riots! - and a nice way of revisiting a fascinating city after our return)
Death comes to Pemberley - P. D. James (after some fairly serious books, a bit of light relief. I'm a PDJ and Jane Austen fan, so this was a must really)
Life of Pi - Yann Martel (now reading this after being mesmerised by the film, I'll let you know how I get on at some point in the future)
So, what are you reading? Do you have any recommendations for me? Have you read any of the above and if so, what did you make of them? I'd love to hear your comments.
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