I wonder if I have my reading mojo back? Yes, I think maybe I have. Halfway through May and I have three books under my belt. Not heaps, but not too bad either.
First up is a reread for me, I think I've only read this once, back in my late teens, but I'm not sure about that. The thing is, the movies of The Lord of the Rings are so familiar that I mix them up in my head with the books. Anyway, my first book of May was a reread of The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.
This needs very little introduction. There's a special ring. Bilbo the Hobbit took it off Gollum in The Hobbit, and brought it home to The Shire with him. When you put the ring on it renders you invisible but it's far more dangerous than that. So powerful in fact that Sauron, the dark lord of the wizards, is searching for it. Dark forces are on the move and Frodo, Bilbo's nephew, is now tasked with getting the ring to Mordor where it can be destroyed. The first part of the story covers the journey from The Shire to the river Aduin. Many adventures are here included and I had forgotten most of them, despite being quite familiar with the movie. The book was huge fun, a lot more readable than I had remembered, I was sure it was a more difficult read, but it simply wasn't. What it was though, was a lot creepier than I remembered, very much full of suspense and edge of your seat moments. Really pleased that I reread it after all this time and, although I wasn't sure if I would, I'm now pretty sure I'll continue on and reread The Two Towers, probably in the autumn.
After that, or rather, alongside it, I read Bookish by Lucy Mangan. This is the author's second book about the joy of reading, and what's it's like to be so bookish that it matters more than anything else. I thought that was an interesting thing and, having thought about it, I realise that I'm not quite as addicted as that. Yes, I like to read every day, and I'm constantly buying new books (although 'that' is arguably a different hobby), but I don't think I'm quite on the author's level of obsessiveness. 'But' an interesting look at the books the author loved once she got into adulthood and I like that she is in no way a book snob; all bookish life his here within the pages of this book.
Next was a standalone book by P.G. Wodehouse, The Girl in Blue.
The plot of this is very complicated, although it doesn't seem quite that bad while you're reading it. Jerry is engaged to Vera, a gold-digger who won't marry him until he forces his uncle to release his trust money. Doing jury service he meets Jane, and falls head over heels in love. His uncle sends him off to Mellingham Hall, the family pile, to find a missing miniature, only someone else is also looking for it. And Jane is also there, she's suddenly become an heiress and Jerry feels awkward as he himself does not want to appear to be a gold-digger. There's a lot more going on than this and it's all huge fun. And Wodehouse of course had one of the funniest turns of phrase in the English language, I was constantly laughing a lot as I do love an author who knows how to play with words (Terry Pratchett is another such one). This is a standalone, nothing to do with Jeeves and Wooster or Blandings but, to be honest, it is of that ilk, with loads of eccentric family members, misunderstandings and madness and whatnot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will look at more of Wodehouse's standalones amd maybe revisit Jeeves and Wooster. I also have Wodehouse's book of golfing short stories which I started but didn't get very far with, so I must return to that.
My current read is this:
Murder in the Moor was apparently the only book Thomas Kindon wrote and he's a mystery in himself as apparently no one knows who he was. He's called the moor 'Dukesmoor', but it's very clearly Dartmoor in Devon, which is fun as I know it. The plot involves a detective inspector on a walking holiday and a dead body beside a pool. Fantastic sense of place so I'm enjoying it very much so far.
I hope you're all having a good reading month, finding lots of good books to read and keeping well.
20 comments:
That 3rd one with the mystery author sounds very familiar - but I've not read it. I'll try and remember what book it sounds like
Someone came to my home earlier this week and noticed that there was no TV. She asked what I did without a TV. I told her I read, a lot. She seemed to find that strange.
Cath, nice to hear what you've been reading. It's been a long, long time since I read the Lord of the Rings book. My husband introduced me to Tolkien and his works, which he read as a teenager. Anyway, I might think about reading them again. I loved the movies. Hope you have a nice week to come!
I like this one so much more than the other two books that I have probably read it twice as many times. I love Aragorn and the visit to Lothlorien. I wonder if a modern editor would have bullied Tolkien into adding more female characters? The first time I read it, I thought Merry was a female hobbit and all the pronounds indicating he was male must be typos! I couldn't ask my mother because she had suggested I wait until I was older to read them. I kept it in my desk at school and the sneaky teacher showed my parents on Parent-Teacher Night so I was busted.
Sue, yes it sounded a bit familiar to me too but I don't know why, it's not really all that similar to The Hound of the Baskervilles. There is a 'lost on the moor' scene in Dorothy L. Sayers's, Clouds of Witness though, but set in Yorkshire ims... that might be what I'm thinking about.
Hester, mad isn't it, how people these days find reading a lot 'strange'. I wonder when it became abnormal to do that. I find pretty much all of what's on TV nowadays boring, books are far more entertaining.
Kay, yes, it's been a long time since I read the LotRs books too. In fact, I have a feeling that I never did finish the third book, I recall finding the battles tedious... I fancy the movie did a better job of holding my interest. But book 1, The Fellowship of the Ring is superb and seems to be a favourite with a lot of people. You have a good week too.
Constance, I seem always to have liked this book, and the movie of it, best of the three and it seems a lot of people feel that way. I remember falling in love with Aragorn when I first read it as a teen. I loved both Rivendell and Lothlorien, obviously a bit keen on elves. LOL! Yes, I suspect there would've been more women had it been a modern book, witness the plethora of modern fantasy with female lead characters that's around these days. The book is definitely of it's time, just like sci-fi books of that era. Not great to be busted by a teacher for reading is it?
After reading your post, I went in search of Bookish, because I'm very keen on reading it. The price of the e-book is very steep--$19! So that's out. I may be able to get a copy from another library since mine doesn't have it. Will keep an eye out!
I think Tolkien's work is always worth a re-read, Cath, so I'm glad you took the time for that. And I've wanted to read Bookish ever since it came out, and I *still* haven't. Thanks for the nudge about that one. I'm glad that you've had an enjoyable reading month, and that you're getting your mojo back.
Murder in the Moor sounds awesome. I think I would like that one. And I'm glad you've gotten your reading mojo back. I keep DNFing books this month, so I'm not sure if the problem is me or the books. Though I did two books this month that I gave 5 stars. So maybe it's the books. ;D
So far I am not having as good a reading year as I have had in prior years. But I am currently reading Broken Country right now and so far very good. I like the sound of Murder In The Moor and the fact that it was the author's only novel makes me want to read it even more. One book authors often put alot of their heart and soul into their one book.
Hi Judith. I don't know why some British books are so expensive in the US and vice versa, even as ebooks. The price really should not vary 'that' much. I think I got mine as a cheap Kindle offer a while ago. It is very much worth keeping an eye out though.
I agree Margot, and I have reread The Hobbit many times, just not attempted The Lord of the Rings. Bookish is very much worth a look, I do love a book about reading and books. Thank you.
Hi Lark. Murder in the Moor is very good... be aware that it's of its time, 1929, but hopefully you're ok with that. Oh, I think it's the books. Sometimes you do get a string of them that aren't what you're needing to read.
Hi Kathy. I'm the same, not having as good a reading year, this year. But that's ok, I've still read some excellent books, just not heaps of them. Murder in the Moor is very good, but of it's time - 1929 - some attitudes that we don't hold any more. But it has a wonderful sense of place. I think you're right that when an author has only written one book, he or she has probably poured their heart into it.
May is shaping up very nicely, Cath…great start. I’m part of that minority of readers who have never made it through any of the Lord of the Rings books. I tried them when I was in my twenties, and learned pretty quickly that they just weren’t for me. Glad to see that your re-read seems to have worked out so well. I’m curious about the book on reading and books and will have to see if I can find a copy of that someplace. I hope the rest of the month goes well for you.
Thanks, Sam, yes May is turning out to be quite a good reading month. I'm part of that minority too! I read the first two books but didn't make it to the end of the third book when I was in my teens. Maybe this time I'll make it to the end, who knows? LOL!
I have that same problem with mixing up books and their movies. My memory is terrible anyway, so it all just gets mashed up in my mind. Glad I'm not the only one!
I'll have to pick up BOOKISH. Maybe it will help me feel better about my book addiction ;)
Susan, I'm glad it's not just me! And my memory's not wonderful either... I still can't remember whether I have ever read Rebecca. I 'think' I have...
Bookish will make you feel a 'whole' lot better about your book addiction. That said, I have a huge amount of unread books on my Kindle, I might have to live to 220 in order to read them all. LOL!
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