Due to being off my feet for the last few months with COVID-19, I’ve been doing a lot of reading. I set myself a Good Reads challenge of 52 books for 2020, I’m already on book 62!
No matter how bad life gets, I can always lose myself in a book. For that reason I thought I’d bring back the Sunday Book Nook posts and share some of the books I’m reading.
This week I’ve been reading The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than You Can Buy by Cait Flanders and John Connolly’s first book in the Charlie Parker series, Every Dead Thing.
The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
I saw this on fellow author, Rachel Burton’s IG a few weeks ago. The title resonated with me. I’ve been buying lots of ‘stuff’ online during lockdown, especially planning stuff, hoping it would make me productive. I look at all that stuff now and admit I probably don’t need half of it. What a waste! So the book title spoke to me. I want to start buying less.
I picked this book up on Kindle for £1.49 and it was one of my best purchases in a while. The book charts Flanders’ ‘no-spend’ journey, but also how she kicked other addictive habits. I won’t spoil it for you, but it really made me look at my own spending habits. I’ve read things like the No-Spend Year before, but that ethos always seemed too extreme for me. Flanders’ book offers a gentler no spend plan – no spending on things like magazines, clothing and books. She could buy things that needed replacing – for example if something broke or was beyond repair.
The book was a quick read and helped me get back into reading first thing in the morning instead of scrolling through social media. I’ve even implemented some of the mindful spending tips – I’ve cancelled my unnecessary subscriptions and am asking myself if I really NEED something when I buy it (for example I been agonising over purchasing a new kettle!). There are some parts of the book, especially the parts dealing with alcohol addiction, that I skimmed over, but overall this was a great read.
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Every Dead Thing by John Connolly (Charlie Parker Book 1)
I’m going to admit I have a literary crush on John Connolly. I met him in Leeds a few years ago and was totally star struck. To me the man is a writing god! I picked up a copy of Every Dead Thing in Waterstones in 1999, went home and read the book over the next few days, curled up on the sofa under a blanket drinking copious amounts of tea (ahhh, such a happy memory).
The book drew me in completely. The characters are complex and memorable (shout out to all the Louis and Angel fans!). Charlie Parker, the main character of the series, has been with me since 1999 and will always be in my top five favourite fictional characters. The story is dark and the book weaves stories within stories. If you like gritty crime thrillers with gory serial killers, you’ll love Every Dead Thing.
John Connolly is releasing his newest book in the series, The Dirty South (which I think is book 18) in August so I wanted to go back to where it all started. I hope to be curled up on the sofa drinking tea again in a few weeks time. Can’t wait!
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What I’m planning to read over the coming weeks
I’m planning on reading The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter – another one of my favourite crime authors (actually I’m starting it today). I’m also re-reading the Dark Hunter paranormal romance series by Sherrilyn Kenyon starting with Fantasy Lover. This was the book that got me back into romance just over 15 years ago, and what made me want to pursue writing professionally. I might not re-read the whole series, but I’m going to go back and read at least the first 10 books.
August is a big month for new releases as the new John Connolly is out and so is the new Laurell K Hamilton book – Sucker Punch. I think this one is book 27 in the series. Another new release is from J.R. Ward in her Black-dagger Brotherhood series. I’m definitely a series reader!
What are you reading? Any recommendations for me to add to my wishlist?
Happy reading!
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