One of my favourite meme’s (I have to say I have a love hate relationship with meme’s – in part because I have no idea what meme stands for) that I have ever come across was the lovely Simon of Stuck in a Book’s ‘One Book, Two Book, Three Book, Four Book… & Five’ which was so brilliant I had to join in with it at the time. I just love having a nosey into what is going on in the book bit of everyone’s lives and this does prove a fascinating snap shot. So as he has done it again I simply had to join in, so here is mine…
The Book I’m Currently Reading…
As it is Halloween tomorrow and I absolutely love all things ghostly, I am tucking into a book described as ‘The Turn of the Screw reworked by Edgar Allan Poe’ and so far ‘Florence & Giles’ by John Harding is proving to be much more of a hit with me than ‘The Turn of The Screw’ was which sadly left me severely wanting. I am really enjoying the secretive book devouring thread that has been going on so far, bookish and ghostly – delightful. Let’s hope it keeps going so well, and also scares me.
The Last Book I Finished…
Another ghost story and one that did just what it should… scared me silly. Michelle Paver’s ‘Dark Matter’ took me from my old homeland of foggy Tooting in the late 1930’s we follow Jack Miller on a voyage to the barren, icy and dark expanse of the arctic and get embroiled in a genuinely terrifying tale. The hairs on my back stood on end and everything. Gavin and I have been reading this as an accidental first ‘joint read’ for The Readers which leads me to…
The Next Book I Want To Read…
This was the hardest to pick as I am trying to read in the most whimish was possible, however there is a book I do want to be dipping in and out of alot. ‘In Other Worlds; SF and The Human Imagination’ is a collection of the wonderful Margaret Atwood’s essays which covers the ‘sci-fi vs. speculative fiction debate’ along with superhero’s and Victorian otherlands. Gav and I are reading this as our next joint read as it seems the perfect book for us to discuss with our tastes. Me being a ‘lit-head’ and he being an ‘alien loving supernatural fantasist’ (ha, I can’t wait for him to spy that comment!)
The Last Book I Bought…
Is for a new book group I have started in central Manchester with my lovely American ‘buddy’ Joe. We have called ourselves the ‘Bearded Book Lovers’ as so far all the members are men and we all have beards. Will be interesting to see how this progresses as we have two lovely ladies who want to join. Hmmm. Anyway I have heard lots of good things about ‘The Slaves of Solitude’ by Patrick Hamilton and loved the sound of ‘The Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house’ as the central place in a story set in wartime England in a small town on the Thames. It was also in Fopp for just £2 so I bought in bulk for everyone, not just me.
The Last Book I Was Given…
Was from my fellow ‘Bearded Book Lovers’ co-founder Joe who, like me, has a passion for all things M.C. Beaton and had spotted this title he had never heard of. Well I had never heard of this one off either and was frankly rather jealous, yet kindly I now have my very own copy of ‘The Skeleton in the Closet’ to read, it has a rather Halloween perfect title doesn’t it?
Well, that is me done. I have noticed that all the covers, bar the last one, are rather dreary and a bit grey, oh dear! Random. Moving on… Who else is joining in, or have you already? Do leave a link to yours in the comments below if you have done this, and if you haven’t do have a go and let me know afterwards. I am so nosey this is right up my street.
Savidge Reads 
I joined in. It is a good meme because you know you are not committing yourself week in week out which puts me off blogs which are full of memes.
Anyway I digress, I am intrigued by the M.C. Beaton and look forward to hearing what you say in the meantime here is mine http://josbookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/one-book-two-book-three-book-four-and-five-2/
Thanks for the link to yours I shall pop and have a look in a mo!
I’l be on the look out for that Mrs Beaton 😉 I read Forence and Giles last week and I loved it! I wasn’t scared by Dark Matter but the writing was beautiful!
I had never heard of this MC Beaton till Joe pointed it out. My thoughts on Florence and Giles will be up soon. Saying no more.
I loved the arctic in Dark Matter in fact I’m a little arctic obsessed at the mo.
I was so scared by Dark Matter that I had to stop reading it and never did finish it. I hope you will love The Slaves of Solitude — ceratinly one of my best reads for 2011. I also did this meme: http://harrietdevine.typepad.com/harriet_devines_blog/2011/10/one-book-two-book-three-book-fourand-five-again.html
Thanks for your list Harriet I shall pop and see it shortly. I saw you and Simon rave about The Slaves of Solitude and it’s your recommendations that I suggested it, well actually I forced it upon them.
You must finish Dark Matter it’s worth being petrified of.
Like Harriet, The Slaves of Solitude is one of my best reads this year – in fact, probably the best. Can’t wait to see what you think of it! (Got to say, I paid a bit more to get the NYRB edition, as the grey one was so gloomy!)
Haha the grey one is quite gloomy yes. Mind you at £2 and as a book club group buy it seemed a good way to start. Also, as I mentioned to Harriet, yours and her thoughts made me choose it!
ohhhhh I’m looking forward to reading Dark Matter. I love a good ghost story and I’m going to read it I think over Christmas.
It is a brilliant ghost story, does just what a good ghost story should do.
I’m glad you’re enjoying Florence and Giles. I really liked Florence’s unusual narrative voice. And I love ghost stories, so will have to look out for Dark Matter! Here’s my own meme post:
http://shereadsnovels.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/one-book-two-book-three-book-four-and-five/
Thanks for the link to your meme Helen I shall pop and have a look shortly.
great list simon ,a nice me me ,all the best stu
I hope you will have a go at this one Stu’
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