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I will probably try to pick up Murder At The Fitzwilliam and The House On Vesper Sands, they sound like fun. By the way have you read The Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt?

Yes they are safe as houses in there. There was simply no room back in the house, every bookshelf is already full.

I see you have got Convenience Store Woman behind you now! Congratulations too on your upcoming new house. Will you have more space for books, or will you be ditching some you have read?

Did you think I had them about right? Did you feel the same about the last book being much more female?

Since I moved back all my own books are in 32 litre plastic tubs anyway in my shed. There are no shelves for them in the house.

Great article ! I don't fit into any of those tribes though! And yet I thought my way would be one of the most natural and obvious - I arrange them according to size! Because sometimes you have a small shelf which can only take the old size paperback (I am talking the ones from 50s, 60s, 70s) , then all the newer larger standard paperbacks of the same size on another shelf, and then hardbacks, then at the bottom you usually have a deep shelf for those big coffee table hardbacks , right?

Tehanu 4/5 Ursula K. Le Guin This book follows on directly from events in The Farthest Shore, but luckily I don't have to allude to any of that, because this book ploughs a different furrow. Out of the four, this book is notably by far the most female book. The main characters are all women, their interactions and relationships are examined. The men are either ignorant (ie they don't listen ) or they have lost their powers and are enfeebled, or are simply bad. Through the characters the author discusses much the basic differences between men and women. As far as the world of Earthsea is concerned, we learn that Male and Female magic is different and comes from a different source; women's magical power seems to be innate to them, while men have to learn it and give up something big in exchange. Despite this, only men are taught the high magic of Sorcerers, there has never been a female Sorcerer. (Much like every woman can cook but only men get to be a Michelin chef. ) It was a very satisfying book and everything went full circle and wrapped up pretty well. I have heard there are two more Earthsea books, but it feels like these characters have done their bit, so perhaps their stories have finished?

The Farthest Shore 4/5 Ursula K. Le Guin Book number three is different again. Time has jumped forward a lot of years. There have been some changes in the world since the events of The Tombs Of Atuan, but now something has happened, something very bad, emanating from somewhere on the edge of the world in the far West . It is spreading outwards and Eastwards slowly like a plague . A young prince is sent to Roke by his father to offer his services. But the council of the arch wizards of Roke are undecided of what action to take, or whether to take any at all; safe in their island where magic is strong they hope it may sort itself out. The Archmage Sparrowhawk disagrees; something must be done . He suspects it is no pure accident that the prince is the one who came to warn them. But although brave, the boy is young and untried: will he be up to the task? In this one we learn a lot more about the ancient dragons and their power. Plot wise, there is a sub-plot which I saw the ending of from about a quarter of the way in, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.

The Tombs Of Atuan 4/5 Ursula K. Le Guin The second book of the Earthsea series. The titular tombs are mentioned a couple of times in the first book, but at first there seems no connection at all with the main character of that book, in her unhurried style the author tells the story of a completely new person to the same small level of detail. Which confused me no end, I wondered if Ged would not show up at all and maybe all four books were each based around a different character? But Le Guin knows what she is doing and this story is as rich and enjoyable as the first. We find in this story that there are different forces in the world, the Wizards of Roke are not all powerful. The first book reminded me a bit of Jack Vance's Dying Earth series ; this one did even more so. I think it was that the use of magic is very structured. It is well thought out, there are rules and logic to it.

A Wizard of Earthsea 4/5 Ursula K. Le Guin I had heard of Le Guin of course, but somehow had only managed to read one of her books before now (The Left Hand Of Darkness) way back when I was a teenager, which I had enjoyed but found markedly different to all the SF I was reading at the time, by authors such as Roger Zelaney, Damon Knight, Samuel Delaney, Jack Vance, Asimov. I put this down to being a female voice, which when I lost myself in the main character made me feel the story events in a totally different way. It was something I kind of wondered at. Fast forward forty plus (cough) years and here thanks to my daughter I have that voice in my head once again. (General overview, no plot spoilers!) This first book is a Bildungsroman and introduces us to both the central character (of all the first four books) and to the fantasy world of Earthsea. Earthsea is a world of perhaps a thousand islands, large and small in a vast archipelago surrounded by navigable seas. The level of technology is in the early iron age I guess although not too much use seems to be made of metal. Wooden sailing ships which trade between islands are the only method of transport. It is a human world, and there are a few different human types and several languages. The default physiology is brown skinned, and the only white skinned people live in the North East Kargish islands. They are a bit aggressive at times. There are also Dragons, (proper fire breathing ones) , an ancient race who mostly keep to themselves. There is also magic. Low level magic is everywhere. Most ships carry a weather maker who can put wind into the sails, and every village has a witch. However, there are only a few hundred proper Sorcerers, who learn their craft at the Institute on Roke, the island of wizards. The boy Ged, a simple goatherd shows early promise and is after some time with a kindly Mage is sent to Roke. He is gifted but not yet wise and early in his training is goaded into doing something truly terrible. I won't say anymore than that. I found the writing style very gentle and unhurried, but never slow; it keeps up a tension. It was satisfying in that as a reader I could see the seeds of conflict brewing, while the characters in the story could not, which kept me reading. We are often told that good writing should "show, not tell" but Le Guin breaks this rule; she is a "teller". Dialogue is used adequately; the characters say what is needful but no more. But it works.

Thanks Willoyd. Oops yes that should have been Peter Ackroyd of course, well spotted.

Thanks Gaia, my new kindle is more than a bit of a mystery to me, I was trying to get to grips with it today. I feel sure I will read the Earthsea books again, there was much to savour in them. Will review on Saturday!

Convenience Store Woman 5/5 Sayaka Murata Another Christmas gift book from my daughter. This was a quick read, about 3 hours, I couldn't put it down. It is weird, wacky and hilarious and slightly disturbing, I can't say any more! Except to urge everyone to go out and buy, borrow or steal this and read it!

I know a few steam train enthusiasts who would be incredibly excited by your description !

Sorry, I am dying to know what goes on in the Erecting Shed

Happy reading Gaia! Thanks for looking in on my blog. I have heard of Death Note, how was it? I like your way of organizing each month into a different post on the first page...sadly the number of books I might read in a year wouldn't justify it Looking on your TBR, and knowing how much you read in sheer volume, there were several books I was surprised that you had never yet read. Good luck with your goals, and saving money! Yes stay away from bookshops if you can, you have a few to be getting on with

Good luck with your 2020 reading, and the self-control!

Have just today finished the first 4 books of the Earthsea saga by Ursula K. Le Guin, which my daughter gave me for Christmas in an Omnibus edition. They were very good, I will review them on Saturday when I have more time!.

Thanks Athena! It's been so long since I had one I am not quite used to it yet, they have changed a little.

Thanks Hayley! Yes kindle books can soon add up.

Open for business!

reserved

PRIORITY reads to finish off! These are books I started in 2019 but for some reason didn't finish! They are cluttering up my spaces and weighing on me: London The Biography Edward Rutherford Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood London The Novel Edward Rutherford The Body Bill Bryson The Incredible Human Journey Alice Roberts

The OLD TBR Pile organised! A lot of these were in my Amazon account for the kindle, so they haven't moved for the last three years! Victorian authors, obscure works and classics The Poor Gentleman Hendrick Conscience Two On A Tower The Return Of The Native A Laodician A Pair Of Blue Eyes Jude The Obscure The Woodlanders Far From The Madding Crowd all above by The Mayor of Casterbridge Thomas Hardy Post Haste RM Ballantyne Autobiography Of Anthony Trollope Lady Anna Miss Mackenzie 4 above by Twelve Years A Slave Solomon Northup Letters Of Two Brides Balzac Birds Of Prey Charlotte's Inheritance Run To Earth A Novel The Doctor's Wife Lady Audley's Secret Mary Elizabeth Braddon Little Dorrit Charles Dickens The Mill On The Floss Madame Bovary Tess of The d'urbervilles Lady Susan Thoughts On The Education Of Daughters The Last Man Maria, Or The Wrongs Of Woman Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman The Perpetual Curate Equality Looking Backward 2000-1887 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Picture Of Dorian Grey Oscar Wilde Nicholas Nickleby Charles Dickens The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irvine Shirley Bleak House The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde The Moonstone The Woman In White Ruth The Importance Of Being Earnest Basil Les Miserables Mrs Oliphant Confessions Of An English Opium Eater Thomas De Quincey Testament Of Youth Vera Brittain Books set in Victorian times by modern authors Under A Cloud-Soft Sky The Singing Winds Shelter From The Storm Snow Angels The Road To Samarcand Patrick O'Brian Reference works and 18th-19th century history, social history London The Biography Peter Ackroyd The Dictionary Of London Raj Lawrence James The Age of Revolution 1789-1848 The Age Of Capital 1848-1875 The Age Of Empire 1875-1914 Slavery A New Global History Jeremy Black Balti Britain - Ziauddin Sardar Asians In Britain 400 years of History Rozina Visram Random must reads Nice To See It To See It Nice Brian Viner It's A Small Medium And Outsize World John Taylor Connections Rules For Virgins The Life And Loves Of A She Devil The Passion Of New Eve The Haunted Hotel Ten Interesting Things About Human Behaviour Slave Girl Sarah Forsyth (autobiography) The Man Who Loved Only Numbers Paul Hoffman (biography of Paul Erdos) The White Mists Of Power Kristine Kathryn Rusch I Think I'm OK Undercover: The True Story Of Britain's Secret Police King Solomon's Carpet Barbara Vine Good Behaviour Molly Keane Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood One Day David Nichols Geisha Liza Dalby In The Heart Of The Sea Nathanial Philbrick Spycatcher Peter Wright The Horse Whisperer Nicholas Evans The German Invasion Of Norway Geirr H Haarr Accidents In The Home Tessa Hadley A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry Lord Of The Flies William Golding Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier Untying The Knot Linda Gillard One of Our Thursdays Is Missing, Thursday Next First Among Sequels, Something Rotten, The Well Of Lost Plots, Lost In A Good Book, The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde Life Of Pi - Yann Martel The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson The Terror Round the Bend Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali Nerd Do Well Simon Pegg The Voyage Out Virginia Woolf Renoir My Father Jean Renoir Shopping, Seduction And Mr Selfridge Lindy Woodhead 7 Trips Through Time And Space anthology Night Watch Andrew m Stephenson SF Out Of Time-Five tales of Time Travel Strange Loops The Time Travel Megapack The Martian Way Isaac Asimov The Green Brain Frank Herbert The Steampunk megapack (26 stories) Viridis Lady Of Devices A Steampunk Adventure Steampunk Erotica Best New SF 25 Meeting At Infinity John Brunner

Welcome to my 2020 New Start ! What's new this year is that I have a kindle again after three or four years without one. I plan to re-read many old favourites , get my teeth into several old classics and indulge in the best of new fiction too. Let's get to it! (k) denotes kindle ebook ® denotes book read primarily for research purposes keeping the same simple rating system this year: 1/5: I didn't like it 2/5: It was okay 3/5: I liked it 4/5: I really liked it 5/5: It was amazing! January A Wizard of Earthsea 4/5 The Tombs of Atuan 4/5 The Farthest Shore 4/5 Tehanu 4/5 all by Ursula K Le Guin Convenience Store Woman 5/5 Sayaka Murata February The Butterfly House 2/5 Marcia Preston March April May June July In The Year Of Jubilee George Gissing (re-read) August Now and Then 2/5 William Corlett Our Friend The Charlatan George Gissing (re-read) September Eve's Ransom George Gissing (re-read) October November December