Friday 12 January 2018

Making it off the Tsundoku - my random reads of 2017 by Addy Farmer

Bear with me because this post began with a trip to IKEA; it's the new one in Sheffield in case you're interested and it's great. It's got all that Swedish stuff with brilliant unpronounceable names that you know will be Very Useful, like, KVISTBRO - a lovely storage table and HÄFTIGT - a fridge freezer actually. My personal favourite is SMÖRBOLL which is a delicious looking duvet cover. Then as we sipped our GLOGGE and got into the spirit of all things Nordic, I settled back and thought of the Danish word for cosy comfort, Hygge.


What a wonderful word. It's one of the many extraordinary words from LOST IN TRANSLATION . From Hygge to another word but this time it's Japanese - Tsundoko


Ring any bells? I wonder why there isn't an English word for it: reading pile is so ... boring.


For the start of the year, I thought I'd share some of the reads from 2017 by looking back over my Amazon account (yep - I love Prime) and see which ones (mostly) made if off my Tsundoku.

Don't panic - it's mostly pictures.

January

Well, it looks like my first purchase of 2017 was a Fitbit. This was promptly appropriated by my youngest son. Anyway that was not a book.

THE NATURAL NAVIGATOR by Tristan Gooley. This gorgeous and instructive book combined my love of Being Outside with my interest in folkore - it did not fail to please.



February

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC: DISCWORLD NOVEL 2 by Terry Pratchett

I think I panicked that I was missing out hugely by not reading any Pratchett. I picked it up, read a bit, put it down again. Probably partly because I failed to order Discworld novel 1, this book remains part of my Tsundoko.




March

Well, it's not often I get to read TWO brilliant spooky in one month. So here they are - Michele Paver's THIN AIR



and the always excellent, Jonathan Stroud with his latest Lockwood and Co adventure, THE EMPTY GRAVE (I love these books).



April

HERE BE DRAGONS by Sarah Mussi. This book breathes FIRE. Wales, mountains, ancient stories and crackling dialogue. I'm waiting impatiently for Book 3, Sarah. Write faster, thankyou.


May

101 Ways to Amaze & Entertain: Amazing Magic & Hilarious Jokes to Try on Your Friends & Family
Oh yes, in order to go deep into my latest WIP, I was gonna learn magic tricks! Turns out I'm really bad at them but it's not the fault of this instructive book


June

BABY ALIENS GOT MY TEACHER! by Pamela Butchart. Oh, how I love my research! Such a fun series of books from Butchart!


July

LETTERS FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE by Emma Carroll. Always a thoughtful delight, Emma Carroll has outdone herself with this historical mystery.



August

YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO TO WITCH SCHOOL! by Em Lynas. Like witches? Like funny stuff and magic? Me too. Then you'll LOVE this one.



September

A GIRL CALLED OWL by Amy Wilson. A striking story; it's got that deep call of the ancient woodland which stirs my soul. Oh yes. 


October

THORNHILL
by Pam Smy. Such an unusual ghost story told in pictures and diary text. And the ending ... shiver.


November

THIS IS A POEM THAT HEALS FISH by Jean-Pierre Simeon. Beautiful book about love; simple and elegant. It should be on every school book shelf.


December

100 HUGS by Chris Riddell. What can I say? I bought this book 5 times for Christmas presents. I feel warm just looking at the cover.


I hope you enjoyed my look back at some of reads from 2017. So many books and so little time but so much treasure to come.


8 comments :

  1. Thanks for the mention, Addy. Don't give up on Pratchet though. Try the Tiffany Aching series and the witchy ones with Nanny Ogg. Hilarious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anything with a character called Nanny Ogg has got to be worth reading.

      Delete
  2. Lockwood - me too!!! Can’t believe it’s over!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Waaaaa! But I suppose we wouldn't want to see them get old and lose their special powers ... sob

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  3. What a wonderful post! *whispers* I'm afraid the same thing happened to me re Pratchett! Happy New year ... May next year's Tsundoku be glorious and tall!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I actually prefer Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart's Edge Chronicles which are hugely funny and for 10 year olds which may explain a lot. Happy new year and have a happy tsundoko!

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  4. You had the last Lockwood on your Tsundoku pile several months before it was published???
    's unfair.

    About Pratchett: Yes, read all his children's books. And of the adult fiction read from the back, and try his last few ones. The earlier ones probably won't be to everybody's liking.

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  5. Did I? I suspect that was more to do with the order date than when I actually got my mitts on the book itself. And was probably not to do with having some exclusive access to Jonathan Stroud's pre-published books *sniffs sadly*. More Pratchett fans! I must give him a Proper Go. Thanks, Bookwitch

    ReplyDelete

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