December reads –

I wanted to post a quick round up of what I read in December before I finally post my top reads of 2012.

December has been another good reading month for me, although I had thought I might read more books because I woud be on holiday for the last part of the month. That hasn’t been the case, but no matter. At the time of writing this post, I am actually still reading the last book on the list High Rising, but will finish that in time for New Year I am sure.  Anyone glancing back at November’s round up post (can’t imagaine anyone bothering) will see that there were books I had planned on reading this month that I haven’t got around to, possibly due in part by Little Women which I got distracted by – and hadn’t originally been on the pile for December.

The list for December then was:

124 At Mrs Lippincote’s (1945) Elizabeth Taylor (F)
125 Park Life (2012) Katharine D’Souza (F)
126 William, an Englishman (1920) Cicely Hamilton (F)
127 Blaming (1976) Elizabeth Taylor (F)
128 The Starboard Sea (2012) Amber Dermont (F)
129 The Rector and The Doctor’s Family (1863) Mrs Oliphant (F)
130 An Inventory of Heaven (2012) Jane Feaver (F)
131 Little women (1868) Louisa May Alcott (F)
132 Jenny Wren (1932) E H Young (F)
133 Thomas Hardy (1928) Thomas and Florence Hardy (NF)
134 High Rising (1933) Angela Thirkell (F)

Bringing the total number of books read in 2012 to 134. More about this in my next post – when I will be rounding my reading year up and choosing my favourites. I will post that tomorrow – New Year’s Eve.

Special mentions for this month

William, an Englishman by Cicely Hamilton, a Persphone book, though I read a badly edited free ebook. Powerful story of Mr and Mrs Everyman in WW1.

The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont – which I was sent by the publisher – an excellent debut novel, a new edition of which is out soon.

Little Women – what can I say – utterly wonderful, loved every single word.

High Rising by Angela Thirkell – which I am currently reading and loving, and if I have time later will just sit and devour the rest – so glad Virago have re-issued the first two of this almost forgotten series.

 

 

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December reads

I read a lot this month for me – 13 – but only one non fiction – I was on holiday from work for 2 weeks and so that helped.

117 All My Days (1988) Kathleen Dayus (NF)
118 His Last Bow (1917) Arthur Conan Doyle (F)
119 The Man who disappeared (2010) Clare Morrall (F)
120 Poor Caroline (1931) Winifred Holtby (F)
121 Altered States (1996) Anita Brookner (F)
122 Practical Magic (1996) Alice Hoffman (F)
123 Agatha Raisin: there goes the bride (2009) M C Beaton (F)
124 Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm (1940) Stella Gibbons (F)
125 Ten Days Of Christmas (1950) G B Stern (F)
126 The House of Silk (2011) Anthony Horowitz (F)
127 Death comes to Pemberley (2011) P D James (F)
128 Season of secrets (2010) Sally Nicholls (F)
129 Murder at Mansfield Park (2010) – Lynn Sherherd (F)

Special mention this month should go to:

*Poor Croline – Winifred Holtby – a wonderful writer and a book I thoroughly enjoyed every word of.
*Altered States – Anita Brookner – beautiful and poignant as ever
*Ten days of Christmas – G B Stern – a wonderful find – which I loved reading over Christmas
*The House of Silk – Anthony Horowitz – a superb Holmes and Watson novel – could hardly put it down.

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December reads

Quite a good month this month – being on holiday from work for 2 weeks helped though. A real mixture, and some great reads among them.

114 Innocence	Penelope Fitzgerald  (F)
115 Agatha Raisin and the haunted House	M C Beaton (F)
116 The Big Over Easy	Jasper Fforde (F)
117 Wessex Tales	Thomas Hardy (F)
118 At Mrs Lippincote’s	Elizabeth Taylor (F)
119 The House of the Mosque	Kader Abdolah (F)
120 The Anniversary Man	R J Ellory (F)
121 A Common Life	Jan Karon (F)
122 A Highland Christmas	M C Beaton (F)
123 Strangers	Anita Brookner (F)
124 Crowner’s Quest	Bernard Knight (F)
125 Hons and Rebels	Jessica Mitford (NF)

Special mention must go to:

The wessex tales – Thomas Hardy – I love Hardy’s world, and these stories were a real treat after quite  gap since I last read aThomas Hardy book.

At Mrs Lippincote’s- Elizabeth Tyalor – a really underated Englsih novelist, a novel that is beautifully written, and full of realisitc domestic drama.

The House of the Mosque – Kader Adbolah – beautiful book set in Iran in the 1960′s/1970′s  hard to put down family drama.

Hons and Rebels – Jessica Mitford – a brilliant memoir- and like any book about any of the Mitfords really fascinating.

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December reads

December reads

120 Dusty Answer Rosamund Lehmann      F
121 Oh my Stars Lorna Landvik                F
122 Agatha Raisin and the walkers of Dembley M. C Beaton   F
123 City of Lies R J Ellory                         F
124 The vanishing act of Esme Lennox Maggie O’Farrell    F
125 Up the Country Emily Eden         N F
126 There were no Windows Norah Hoult     F
127 Hercule Poirot’s Christmas Agatha Christie  F
128 The Other Queen Philippa Gregory   F
129 The Uncommon Reader Alan Bennett    F
!30 The Country Child Alison Uttley  F
131 The Inn at the edge of the world Alice Thomas Ellis F
132 The other Elizabeth Taylor Nicola Beauman  NF

So that’s it my total for the year
 
Total books 132

Fiction  103

Non Fiction  29

 and actually only 9 fewer than 2008.

 

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December reads

130 Girl in a Blue Dress	Gaynor Arnold
131 Dead man’s Folly	Agatha Christie
132 After You’d Gone	Maggie O’Farrell
133 Virginia Woolf	Nigel Nicolson
134 Never  far from Nowhere	Andrea Levy
135 The Pirate’s daughter	Margaret Cezair Thompson
136 The Gathering	Anne Enright
137 The Blank Wall	Elisabath Sanxay Holding
138 Christmas Holiday	W Somerset Maugham
139 Love in a Cold Climate	Nancy Mitford
140 The White Tiger	Aravind Adiga
141 Silence of the Grave	Arnaldur Indridason

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