What I read in 2021
Reading is my absolute favourite thing to do. Whenever I have any spare time, I read. I’d much rather read than watch TV or spend time on the internet. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and I don’t spend as much time reading as I would like, but I certainly read every day, even if it is only for a few minutes some days. A book usually takes me seven to 10 days to read, but I’ve had books I’ve read in three...
Historical fiction for beginners
Until fairly recently, I wouldn’t touch historical fiction with a bargepole. The covers looked boring and I imagined the stories inside to be boring too, not to mention rather heavy. I’ve read a lot of books set in World War II and a few set in World War I, but nothing set earlier than that. I still love a thriller, psychological or otherwise, but there’s only so many stories about missing children or women abused by...
What I read in 2020
Reading is my absolute favourite thing to do. I read whenever I can and will always prioritise it over TV or social media. If I could, I would sit and read all day, every day, with just the occasional run or walk thrown in. But unfortunately life has a way of stopping me – with work and family and chores to deal with. I thought I was going to read a lot less this year, after The Mirror & the Light took me over a month. But...
Feelgood books to get you through self-isolation
We are all going to be seeing a lot more of the insides of our own homes over the coming weeks. Whether you are in total self-isolation or just social distancing, we will all have more time to kill. While killing time, most of us will spend too long thinking and worrying about coronavirus – whether it’s concern for a relative, fears over your job or worries about the impact on the NHS. I think we can all agree that...
What I read in 2019
Reading is pretty much my absolute favourite thing to do. If I’m left to my own devices, I will never switch the TV on, but I will always read. You hear a lot these days about ‘self-care’. I don’t go in for the whole bath and hot chocolate and blanket thing, reading is my self-care. I have a book with me wherever I go, because how would I cope if I was left with nothing to do for five minutes? I read with my...
