So it is that time of year again - papers full of reviews of the year, who has died, who has been born, best films etc etc. Also lots of lists of Books of the Year chosen by the Glitterati Litterati of which I have usually read none, or very few. Ah well it was ever thus....
I have already posted my two lists of Books of the Year and totting up, thanks to the glories of Typepad, it seems that this year I have read 205 books, of which 22 were non-fiction, so round about 10% which I feel needs to be uppped a bit though with non-fiction it is mainly quality not quantity I go for as I invest more reading time in each such book. Not saying that the fiction I have read is not quality but I have had some books through my blog which have not been as good as I feel they could have been.
I am wondering whether to rename this blog Random Crime as it seems that the bulk of my reading is in this genre. I have always loved detective novels, discovered Agatha Christie at aged 11 and that started me off. Ngaio Marsh was another early favourite and then in my teen years I read a lot of spy thrillers, Ian Fleming comes to mind (read Casino Royale all through an algebra lesson right under Mother Assumption's nose and she did not spot me) and lots of other 'caper' novels which abounded at that time. Trying to remember what else I read in my teens which shaped my later reading and a biography of Patrick Bronte started me off on my fascination with all things related to that family, took me off to Haworth and my obsession with their books and other Victorian reading was on its way. Had already started with an early read of David Copperfield and so glad that later on in life I read Mrs Gaskell, George Eliot and then, in my forties, discovered Anthony Trollope.
Anyway, enough wittering. I shall be posting about my Crime Reads in another post. This is mainly to say, once again, how much I have enjoyed posting here on Random for another year, how much I appreciate all your comments and also how very much I appreciate your kind words and wishes when I have been ill or sad or upset. It has been a year of mixed emotions for me. Started with the loss of a lovely uncle, my husband's uncle, who had stood by me and supported me through all the trauma of the breakdown of my marriage when the rest of his family cut me off; in April I lost my darling friend Sue to a cruel and vicious disease and then just last month another friend, Josephine, who I had also known, like Sue, for nearly thirty years. I have yet to really believe that these wonderful people have gone and it takes some getting used to.
But life throws up compensations and this year my darling second grandchild arrived, Beatrice, a sister for Florence and I feel such joy and happiness when I think of them both and realise that they will be in my life from now on, that I become quite overwhelmed and emotional. I find I tend to weep a lot these days and it is usually something happy that triggers if off so I am thankful for that.
Well, before I get too maudlin and shortcircuit my laptop by weeping all over the keyboard, I want to say to all of you that I send you lots of love and best wishes for 2013. You are all wonderful.
Happy New Year!
xxx
