Writer, reader, space nerd
It is a new year (hooray!) and we're still in a pandemic (sigh), but everything is OK because books exist. I managed to read 68 of them in 2021, and there were some real crackers among them - seriously, there were so many, I've had a hard time condensing it down for this blog post.… Continue reading The best books I read in 2021
For several years now, I've wanted to read all the books on the shortlist for a major literary prize before they announce the winner. I've always wanted to be part of the excitement surrounding a literary prize, to follow along with the growing hype and to watch the winner's announcement knowing all the shortlisted books… Continue reading I read the Women’s Prize shortlist
Oh hey, look who's back! That's right, I may not have written anything on here since January, but I'm back now with a mid-year reading check-in. Fortunately, although I haven't been blogging, I have been reading a lot, and so I have plenty to talk about for this tag. (In fact, out of my annual… Continue reading Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag
Last week I did my 2020 reading wrap-up, and I talked about some reading resolutions that I would like to make for 2021. As it turns out, these are just about the only kinds of resolutions I can bear to make this year. After seeing so many lovely plans fall apart in 2020, and having… Continue reading 2021 reading resolutions
It's almost the end of the year, and for me that's always an excuse to look back over what I've read and pick out my favourite books of the year. Also, because I'm a total nerd, I track my reading in a big, detailed spreadsheet (courtesy of Book Riot), and so the end of December… Continue reading 2020 reading wrap-up
Ever since Lockdown 2 started, I've been devouring books. After reading only two books in September and two in October, I finished seven in November - and not just short ones. Station Eleven is more than 300 pages; The Little Stranger is 500. I do normally read quite a lot, but this is ridiculous, bordering… Continue reading I can’t stop reading
Back in February, before Covid chaos properly kicked off in the UK and we could still do things like go to pubs and hug our friends, I had an offer accepted on a flat. After months of house-hunting and several rejected offers, it was incredible to finally be on the path towards buying my own… Continue reading What it feels like to buy a house
This week (27th July to 2nd August) is the FinishAthon - a readathon hosted by book blogger Tea Books and Tazmyn. The idea of this readathon is simple: finish as many of the books you're currently reading as you can! You can keep track of your progress, and other people's, by using the hashtag #FinishAthon… Continue reading #FinishAthon
It seems as though the last few months have affected readers in different ways - some people have found it almost impossible to concentrate on reading, while others have found books a much-needed escape. I found it hard to read for the first few weeks of lockdown, then something clicked (probably my abrupt lack of… Continue reading My favourite books of the year so far
Since lockdown began, the 2011 film Contagion has become one of the most watched films online. This is hardly surprising, given that it's about a global pandemic, but it's also very surprising because who in their right mind would watch a film about that right now, while we're actually living it? Well, apparently I would. I… Continue reading I watched ‘Contagion’ during lockdown so you don’t have to
Clare Diston 