January has been an enjoyable reading month. A couple of the books were birthday or Christmas gifts, two were inspired by other bloggers reads and one was bought on a whim, purely because of the cover. Though in fact all these book covers are asphetically pleasing in my eyes.
Bookshop Tours Of Britain ~ Louise Boland ( 2020). Whilst our bookshops are sadly closed at the moment, how about browsing through a book that takes the reader on 18 journeys around Britain and its many beautiful independent book stores. This handy guide allows you to plan which parts of the country to visit once lockdown is over, with its indie bookshops in mind. Lots of travel information too and litery snippets. I love this celebration of our indie stores, they really need our support at the moment. A little sad that two lovely book towns that I have visited, Wigtown in Dumfries & Galloway and Sedburgh in Cumbria , weren’t included though. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Wild Life Of The Fox ~ John Lewis – Stemple ( 2020). A slim volume not unlike Adele Brands ‘ The Hidden World Of The Fox’ , packed full of fascinating insights into the life of this mysterious wild creature, who’m we share our countryside and urban landscape with. The author, a prolific nature writer ,starts off by talking about a phone conversation that went on slightly too long, causing him to head out to lock up his chickens that little bit later than usual. Well you can imagine what had happened to the chickens. Yet we can’t help but have a love/hate relationship with the 🦊. And that is explored expertly here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Winter Holiday ~ Arthur Ransome ( 1931). I haven’t actually read any of the other Swallows & Amazon’s books. I assume they are all set in long warm summers. Winter Holiday though is absolutely perfect for this time of year. The frozen lake and surrounding snowy countryside lends itself perfectly to the children’s Arctic Expedition adventures. I love how the adults don’t bat an eyelid at the youngsters playing out from dawn until dusk and how everyone gets their skates on , igloos are built and ice yachts are commondeered. Delightful. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Before The Coffee Gets Cold ~ Toshikazu Kawaguchi (2015). If you could travel back in time to a crossroads moment in your life , would you want to, if you couldn’t change the outcome? In a quiet cafe in Japan , from a particular seat ,it is possible to do just that. As long as you drink your coffee before it gets cold that is. A moving and magical tale. And there is a sequel that I want to read too. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What books did you pick up in January? 📚
sunshine and celandines 
The Bookshop Tour of Britain sounds delightful. I’m really missing bookshops and browsing. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is very poignant in places but hopeful, I just read Tales from the Cafe and it’s similar but explained a bit more about the ghost woman. I’ve been reading a few mysteries, less gruesome and gory than crime, but as Poirot would say good exercise for the little grey cells. ☺️ X
Im missing bookshops too. The Bookshop Tour book has given me lots of ideas for book stores to visit once this is over. Hopefully going to Norfolk in May ( fingers crossed) so will take my book along for inspiration. I am definitely interested in reading the next Coffee book, as I would love to learn more about the 👻. Enjoy your mysteries. X
I like the sound of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, may be one to look for sometime. On Saturday I got Katie Fforde’s A Springtime Affair from Asda – I have a few of hers and they make nice light reading – and this morning sent for Becoming The Supervet, the first of Noel Fitzpatrick’s autobiographies which I’m really looking forward to reading.
Oooh I have never read any of the super vet ones, but I always enjoy watching the shows on telly. I have read a couple of Katie Ffordes. Enjoy. Xx
My reading tends to be poetry or reference books, at the moment it is horticultural, cooking and environmental. Which is odd, coz if I read a novel I always enjoy the process (as long as the book itself is good) but then I gravitate back to factual and reference again…. time to look for something different to read again!
Well I like a bit of both definitely. You are very good at cooking, gardening and caring about the environment, so I don’t blame you for taking inspiration from books. 🙂
I love a good book and a warm coffee…I think they are inseparable as well.
Absolutely 🤗
I love the idea of planning a holiday based on bookshops- I always seek them out where we go, after we have decided where to go. I found it very hard to find any in the States when we were there- greece was good for second hand books left/swapped by tourists. If I find a local author has written a book and its in a small bookshop then I feel obliged to buy it!
I’m very fond of the Arthur Ransome books. All well worth a read.
I do need to read the others….
Well worth the read.
Can’t believe they missed out Wigtown, a whole book town!
I know! Crazy. X
I’ve just ordered the Japanese book—it sounds very interesting. My guilty pleasure book series recently is the Sebastian St Cyr series. It’s such a well researched, if somewhat predictable story, but I really love the series. I order thru my provincial library and get the books somewhat out of order but it doesn’t matter. Likeable characters and great story lines as well as historical facts of that time period.
I shall have to look them up! X
Before the coffee gets cold, sounds interesting. I finally finished Jojo Moyes, The Giver of Stars but I’ve not picked up another books since. Just can’t seem to focus on anything at the moment. Thanks for your suggestions. Hope you are doing ok? x
I’m reading Clare baldings Heroic Animals, which covers 100 of the world’s true tales of brave and incredible animals. It’s good!
I’m doing fine, I hope you are ok? X
Sounds such a wonderful January’s reading. Bookshops and the fox both sound perfect! X
They are both enjoyable reads..x
Interesting few books there. I read When The Coffee Gets Cold at the end of last year. I decided over all that it wasn’t my cup of tea (or coffee!). I love a taste of a translated book usually, enjoy the culture change and quirkiness. However, I felt the characters didn’t have too much depth. I finished it but didn’t enjoy it. My husband, who works for a Japanese company was keen to give it a try, sadly he didn’t get very far at all. So that’s wasn’t a hit for us. As for my January books – I read The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende, The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell and then told myself I should stretch my mind more – read a classic, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Not particularly a satisfying month of books. I tried to enjoy Little Women and hate to say I struggled with this, but I kept willing it to end. Sacrilege some may say! Maybe my head wasn’t in the right place. I will not give up though. I have a book list as long as my arm (or both arms, and both legs!).
I think Little Women is a little hard to read too, but I love the film adaptations. Have you read the Japanese novel Convenience Store Woman? I really enjoyed that. X
Interesting. I thought perhaps it was me just not being used to reading classics for years! I will take a look at Convenience Store Woman, thanks.
I can’t wait to go browsing in book shops again and then have a nice cup of tea in a cafe afterwards, looking at the books I’ve bought. Such are my post-lockdown fantasies! In the meantime I’ve been reading the books I already have in my To Be Read pile. I finished The Foundling by Stacey Halls and Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. I enjoyed both, finding them both brilliant page-turners with sympathetic, well-rounded characters. I’ve also read Rewild Yourself by Simon Barnes which has a lot of tips about nature.
Oh excellent. I think my other halfs Mum has got The Foundling in her book pile, so I might ask to borrow it. I am definitely looking forward to some book shop browsing in the future. X