So here we are about to start a brand new year! It’s been a busy December here at For Reading Addicts as we’re sure it has for many of you, but we’ve all grabbed a few chapters where we can and it’s time for our brand new admin reads post.
Our admin reads is a chance for you to get to know us, to find out what we’ve been reading, what we’ve loved and what we’ve not over the last month. Here we are with our favourite and not so favourite reads from December for our January Admin Reads list.
Kath
I picked up Never Let Me Go a couple of weeks ago, I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that! I’d read it in a little over a day and it’s one of my favourite reads this year. Heartbreaking, clever and original, it comes highly recommended by me! I thought I’d read every dystopian trope available, I was wrong.
My second December read is a Christmas Carol and I’m pottering through an old leather bound copy I picked up last year, it always gets me in the mood for the season and is my favourite Christmas story.
And that’s it for my festive reads, I like to watch Doctor Who reruns as we approach Christmas and can currently be found sitting on my sofa with the Doctor every evening!
Jacqui
I’ve been reading Mr Lynch’s Holiday by Catherine O’Flynn, one of the books I received from my birthday “reading spa”. It’s an amusing story set in Spain in a run down complex of empty apartments. Anything that reminds me of better weather during the dark and cold winter is a winner with me.
I’m also a fan of the spoken word and always have an audio book on the go. This month’s listen has been Mr Loverman by Bernadine Evanisto narrated (brilliantly) by James Goode. It’s the story of 74 year old Barrington Walker from Antigua. Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measures, highly recommended.
I’m looking forward to a cosy family Christmas, particularly Boxing Day when they all leave so that I can put my feet up scoff Christmas chocolates and read.
Thom
I’ve been reading The Catcher in the Rye, followed by A Christmas Carol. The Catcher in the Rye is one of those books that makes me notice something different every time I read it. A Christmas Carol reminds me not to be too cynical this time of year.
Rosie
I’m reading The Devil Comes to Dartmoor by Laura Quigley. Thinking it would be a ghostly tale, I was surprised to find it was a more historical account of Mary Howard’s life. She was dubbed the Demon Bride of Devon but it seems she was yet another pawn in the patriarchal game of life- used and abused by the men around her. She may have had many husbands who all died but that was mostly because she kept being married off to ill old men who needed access to her cash. Good times.
Shan
December has been a month of running around trying to cram 24 hours into every twelve so my reading has suffered. I did manage to squish two books in between the wrapping and family visiting and birthdays and whatnot though.
My first book was Isaac Asimov’s Caves of Steel, a kind of Sci fi/ Detective crossover book and the introduction to two of his favourite characters Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw. Set in the future several of our planetary neighbours have been colonised, the Earth is vastly overpopulated and the Caves of Steel are enormous cities covered by steel domes; the whole thing is classic fifties sci fi brilliance and I loved it!
My second read of December was Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Nothing at all like what I expected and a lot darker than I imagined, Jacob is a brilliant protagonist and all the characters are really well rounded. I love the writing style and am about to begin the second in the series.
Happy New Year, all! We hope your 2017 is filled with books galore.
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