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Bookish. Publisher at Louise Walters Books. Reader, writer, and editor.

Sunday 3 January 2016

My Reading Year 2015

A bit late, but here's the list of the books I've read in the past year. Last December I wrote a post about the books I'd read in 2014. That year I read 32 books, which I thought was quite a lot. This year I managed 39 which I'm astounded by. It's been a busy year for the whole family. Since August we've been going through the process of buying and selling our house. Just before Christmas we moved and now we are busy decorating, drilling holes, putting down carpets... you name it! I've found a gorgeous corner in our living room for some of my books (ignore the pile of Mrs Sinclair foreign editions on the floor!):



Here's what I read in 2015, all fiction unless otherwise stated:

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
The Small Hand by Susan Hill
The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively (a wonderful re-read!)
The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore
The Restoration of Otto Laird by Nigel Packer
The Followers by Rebecca Wait
Rumer Godden: A Storyteller's Life by Anne Chisholm (biography)
How to Make a Friend by Fleur Smethwick
Kingfishers Catch Fire by Rumer Godden
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller




Song of the Seamaid by Rebecca Mascull
Academy Street by Mary Costello
Ammonites and Leaping Fish by Penelope Lively (memoir)
Because it is Bitter and Because it is My Heart by Joyce Carol Oates
Passing On by Penelope Lively
The Black Madonna of Derby by Joanna Czechowska
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (another wonderful re-read)
Close Range by Annie Proulx (short stories)
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler (about writing)
Summertime by Vanessa Lafaye
The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan
Dear Life by Alice Munro (short stories)
Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder (about writing)
Story by Robert McKee (about writing)
The Other Me by Saskia Sarginson
The Definitive Guide to Screen Writing by Syd Field (about writing)
Into the Woods by John Yorke (about writing)
Four Screenplays by Syd Field (about writing)
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy (the third re-read this year)
The Summer of Secrets by Sarah Jasmon
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Honeydew by Edith Pearlman (short stories)
Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush by Graeme Thomson (biography)
Heat Lightning by Helen Hull

That's 39 books, 7 more than last year, I have no idea how I managed it! Perhaps it's because I haven't been writing as much this year... or I've read in bed far too late far too many nights. Once again I've read many more women writers than men.

I've also been working on this all year, finally finishing it in October;


It's a quilt for my daughter. When she opened it on Christmas Day we both cried. Some of the fabrics were from her childhood frocks and some of the patches were made in the 1970s by my grandmother, but never worked by her into a project. It was a pleasure to use them in this quilt.


Wishing everybody a happy year of reading in 2016 
xx













5 comments:

  1. I am in a book club and we are meeting tomorrow at 1 PM over lunch to discuss your book. I truly enjoyed your book here in Texas and I'm thankful for Debbie for suggesting this book for our club. My goal every year is to try to read five books. I used to love reading books when I was younger but now with television and life it's hard so your book was very fresh and very well written. I had a hard time putting it down.

    I went to London last summer on a girls trip and enjoyed reading parts about your book where it reminded me when I was in London and rode the tube. Thanks again and happy new year!

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    1. Hello, thanks so much for getting in touch. I'm thrilled your reading group has been reading Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase. Do let me know what everybody thought of it... all constructive comments welcome. It's always good to know what works and what doesn't. Please pass on my good wishes to your book club.

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  2. Gosh, you've been busy! Thanks for all the book recommendations!

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  3. Hi Louise, As an avid reader and author of my own book review blog, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase. As a result of my blog, I've been asked to start a book club for senior citizens. I reviewed your book last September and the response was very favorable. So...it was an easy choice for the first selection! I'm hoping the rich characters and emotional story will resonate as much with the group as it did with me. Looking forward to reading your next book! Elaine Lolli

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  4. Hi Elaine, how fabulous, thank you so much for picking Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase. I hope your book club enjoy it. If the group have any questions please pass them on and I'll try to answer. Thanks again! x

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