I like to recommend books that I think people might not have heard of before so I present to you:
Tuesday’s With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I remember looking at this book when it was recommended to me and thinking “This doesn’t look like my kind of book.” But it’s such a delicate story, all the more touching for the fact that it’s based on reality, not fiction, that tells the tale of Mitch’s reconnection with his favourite college professor whose acceptance of a disease that robbed him of everything he loved changes everything. It’s powerful, and beautifully written.
Jasper Fforde is becoming more popular in the UK (I know Mike and Ellie have read some of his stuff and I’m hoping to turn Q on to him too) – an old, old friend recommended this to me and leant me his copy so I could devour it straight away, and devour it I did. Funny, based on books, intriguing – Jasper Fforde knows how to spin a good yarn. The Eyre Affair is the first in the series, altho they’re definitely all worth checking out.
The prize for this goes straight to JD Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye. I did not understand the hype around this book. I’ve read it twice, once when I was a teenager and again last year, wondering if my tastes had matured. Either they hadn’t or it was still a book that I didn’t understand and didn’t enjoy.
The only thing I even remotely liked about it was the cover of the copy that I owned (above). Stripes? Yes please. I should have kept it shut and just stared at the cover, it would have been an entirely more pleasant experience for me.
Oof. I was hoping for a nice easy question to start with but no, apparently we’re going in all guns blazing with favourite book of all time. Given how many books I’ve read in my life time it’s incredibly hard to narrow it down to one. So I’m not going to. Instead, I present to you my top three choices (in no particular order):
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Microserfs by Douglas Coupland and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffennegger. These are the top three books that I can read over, and over again – slipping into the stories like the warmest pair of pyjamas and never feeling bored even tho I know what’s coming and why. Altho the other book I read by Alice Sebold in no way held me in the same way and I am fearful of reading anything else by Audrey Niffenegger, Douglas Coupland is one of my favourite authors of all time.
These choices might not be to everyone’s tastes and you can mock me if you want for being sterotypical and cliché with my choices, that’s okay. They’re stil my favourites, and that’s okay with me.
I found this post by So Many Books So Little Time after reading a comment she’d posted on Ellie’s blog and thought it was right up my street so I’m shamelessly stealing it 
I’ll start it tomorrow. As usual, I’m going to use the ’30 day time span’ as a suggestion, not a rule!
Day 1 – Your favourite book of all time
Day 2 – Your least favourite book of all time
Day 3 – Your favourite book to recommend to friends
Day 4 – A book you lent out once, never got back and miss
Day 5 – A book that you’ve read the most times
Day 6 – A book you either couldn’t finish or struggled to.
Day 7 – A book that reminds you of somewhere
Day 8 – The book you can quote best
Day 9 – A book you read when you feel down
Day 10 – A book you’ve always meant to have read and never got round to
Day 11 – Your favourite book that has been made into a film
Day 12 – A book you think should be made into a film
Day 13 – A book that disturbed you
Day 14 – An author of a book you just don’t get
Day 15 – A book where you wish you were one of the characters
Day 16 – A book that is a guilty pleasure
Day 17 – The most over hyped book you have ever read
Day 18 – A book you have that belongs to someone else
Day 19 – The most romantic book you have ever read
Day 20 – The saddest or most emotive book you have read
Day 21 – The book that made you look at life in a different way
Day 22 – A book you wish was real life
Day 23 – Your favourite book by a non-British author
Day 24 – Your favourite book as a child
Day 25 – Your favourite book of last year
Day 26 – A book you honestly read in one sitting
Day 27 – Your favourite non-fiction book
Day 28 – Your favourite autobiographical book
Day 29 – Your favourite series of books
Day 30 – The book by your bed right now
- soft tissues
- being ahead of target
- libraries that let you check the books out yourself
- the warmth of putting on a jumper when the air is chilly
- reading blogs about cooking and feeling inspired to try new things.
Dear Weekends,
Thanks for existing. Thanks for not making me work during you - I’m feeling under the weather today and two days off is exactly what I need before I have to come back to work and sit at this desk again. I don’t care what weather you provide so long as I can be horizontal for your entire duration, if I choose.
Love Sarah
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See other Friday Thanks here or visit the original inspiration for the project here.
I have a slightly lame confession to make, so please bear with me and try not to laugh directly in my face as I work up the nerve to tell you all that…
I have an audition for The X-Factor.
Tomorrow. At 8am. Well, they say 8am but what they really mean is: We’ve told everyone to come at 8am, you might be there for a while.
“Due to the number of people auditioning, the process will take all day and can possibly continue into the evening. Please prepare for a long day.”
Before you ask: Yes, I can sing. Enough that I hopefully won’t get booed out or put through as one of the truly awful people. (Oh god..)
No, I don’t think I’m going to win it. I mostly applied because I wanted to see what the actual process was like vs. what you see on TV, because I like to sing and I figured I at least might be able to get a hug from Dermot O’Leary* if I fail miserably.
The audition email is full of so many lolz that I actually snorted whilst reading it at one point. There are lots of things in bold, in capitals, with exclamation marks:
THIS IS YOUR FIRST STEP TO STARDOM!
THIS AUDITION COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER!
Right. They are also telling me, laughably;
“Remember you need to stand out from the crowd. Rehearse, dress as the pop star you want to be – we are looking for the next big thing!”
You heard them. Dress as the pop star you want to be.
Are you serious? I’m going to wear my jeans and a t shirt and you can fucking like it, Cowell.** I’m not interested in being the next big thing, I just want to see what happens when the cameras are off. & also to get a handful of O’Leary before the security guards kick me out, if possible. Is that too much to ask?
I’m still not entirely sure that I’m actually going to go. Do I want to drag myself out of bed pre-7am just to make a tit of myself in front of a few thousand people? Chances are slim. I promise that if I do go, however, I will do my best and try not to trip over my own feet on my way to the stage. After that, all bets are off.
.
.
*who is in my laminated top 5 so Q can’t get mad if I accidentally squeeze his bum during said hug.
** I obviously will not be singing in front of Simon Cowell at this point. It’ll be some production lackey, if I’m lucky.
Dear Natural Greek Yoghurt,
Thanks for making all of my food this week taste extra nice without making me feel bad for eating you. Your help to keep me on track is much appreciated.
Love Sarah.
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See other Friday Thanks here or visit the original inspiration for the project here.
Read in March: 10
19. NEW: Maskerade – Terry Pratchett
20. NEW: Beauty & The Beast – Marie Le Prince De Beaumont
21. NEW: Soul Identity – Denis Batchelder
22. NEW: When Darkness Falls – James Grippando
23. NEW: The Ask & The Answer – Patrick Ness
24. NEW: The Secret Life Of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
25. NEW: The Case of the Missing Boyfriend – Nick Alexander
26. NEW: Player One – Douglas Coupland
27. NEW: Diary of a Nobody – George Grossmith
28. NEW: The Babysitters Club: The Truth About Stacey – Ann M Martin*
Favourite book read this month:
I really enjoyed When Darkness Falls and The Ask & The Answer, the former being by a new author that I’d now like to read more of and the latter by someone I was also introduced to via a free book on the Kindle. This is what I love about the Kindle the most – it’s opened up a whole host of new authors that I perhaps might not have found in my local library. When Darkness Falls is a crime/lawyer/detective type model. If you like Dennis Lehane and Robert Crais you will probably enjoy James Grippando.
The Ask & The Answer by Patrick Ness is the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy (with a free prequel available on the Kindle) similiar in vain to Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights, which I love. A little bit darker (and slightly more uncomfortable to read) it’s clear that Patrick Ness has a little refining to do before he reaches the heights of Phillip Pullman but a good set of books to read none the less.
Least favourite book read this month:
I didn’t really hate any of the books this month, which is always a nice bonus. I was a little disappointed in Player One – it wasn’t my favourite Douglas Coupland book. It felt a little rushed and almost one dimensional, an almalgamation of a few of his previous books. Still okay and perfectly readable, but not great.
In other news I think I only have one or two Terry Prachett books left to read now, which is nice. I’ve reserved them at my local library (which is only a minute’s walk from my door, heavenly). Once I get those done I can knock off #57 from my 101 in 1001, finally!
Stats:
I read: 10 new books in March and zero re-reads, bring my life list wish of reading 1000 new books up to: 28/1000.
*I’ve put this one as new because I don’t remember reading it when I was younger.