Danny Champion of the World – Roald Dahl – Reading Challenge Recap

Challenges – Ultimate Book Guide #4/672

Synopsis – Danny lives in a gipsy caravan with his father, the most marvellous and exciting father any boy ever had.
All the land around them belongs to Mr Victor Hazell, a rich snob with a great glistening beery face and tiny piggy eyes. Nobody likes him, not one-little bit.
So one day, Danny and his father concoct a daring plot that will give the old blue-faced baboon Victor Hazell the greatest shock of his life – so long as they don’t get caught …

My Thoughts – I read (or was rather read to) this book back in primary school when I was around 7 or 8. However as it was such a good story it stayed with me for a very long time. This book is about Danny and his Dad and a plot that they hatch together. It’s a fantastic story – one that really captured my imagination as a child and one that I will be reading to my children once they are older. I’m trying to re-read some of my childhood favourites and this will definitely be one that I will be reading again.

Rating – 5/5

Recomendations – The BFG – Roald Dahl (Challenge Book), Rescuing Dad – Pete Johnson (Challege Book), Result! – Neil Arksey.

The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell *Book Review*

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis – In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.

My Thoughts – I downloaded this book as it was on the daily deal and I’d already got this book on my wishlist. This book is basically a year in the life of a man who owns a bookshop in Scotland. I found this book funny, sad, interesting, compelling all in equal measure. As a self-confessed bookworm I could see myself spending lots of money in a shop such as his. I found all of his anecdotes about his various customers and staff really funny.

It has made me think a lot about how I use Amazon though. Currently if I feel like ordering a book I tend to go on Amazon and order it through Amazon Prime. Having read this book I’m going to hunt out some local bookshops to me (I’ve just moved to a new area so not too sure whats about yet!) and browse their shelves more. He also runs The Random Book Club and I’m really tempted to join this too!

We are planning a trip to Scotland and I think that The Bookshop is definitely a place that I want to visit while we are there!

Overall an absolutely fantastic book that I was very sorry that had ended. I could have listened to many more years of this!

Rating – 5/5

October 2018 Reading Wrap Up

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So October has been and gone really quickly! I think for me it was down the fact that I have a new baby so everything has been on a 3 hour sleep,feed, repeat schedule! Because of this I havent really done too much reading this month – I’m trying to get as much sleep as possible if both babies sleep at once as you never know at the minute when the next block will come! We have also moved house so I’ve had all that to deal with too!

I managed to read 2 books this month and listen to one audiobook and while this is not great I don’t think it was too bad with everything that has been going on!

28) Delirium Stories – Lauren Oliver. – This was ok – I had hoped it would fill in the gaps left by the other books in the trilogy but unfortunately it didn’t.

29) Halfheros – Ian W Sainsbury – This was a really enjoyable audiobook, book two of a trilogy and I have the third waiting on my phone to be listened too.

30) The Love Letter – Lucinda Riley – This was a really enjoyable thriller, a genre that I am really getting into at the minute. definitely one I would recommend.

This takes my total books read for the year to 30/52. I don’t think I’m going to achieve my goal of 52 books but if I could hit 40 over the next two months then I would be happy with that!

Currently Reading

In book form I’m currently reading Eve of Man by Tom and Giovanna Fletcher. I am a massive fan of the two authors – I follow them on Instagram and Youtube and I’ve got pretty much all of there books. This book sounds really good – I’m only a little way into it at the minute but it sounds promising!

In audiobook form I’m currently listening to The Murderers Son by Joy Ellis. I Listened to another of the authors books earlier in the year and it was fantastic. This one is just as good – I’ve only got another 2 hours to go on this and its reached a crucial point so I’m really looking forward to going out in the car at the minute so I can finish it!

Books Brought

I brought a lot of books this last month – 18 in total!

• An unsuitable Match – Joannna Trollope
• Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardner – MC Beaton
• Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembly – MC Beaton
• Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist – MC Beaton
• Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wickhadden – MC Beaton
• Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage – MC Beaton
• Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death – MC Beaton
• Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet – MC Beaton
• Does my Bum Look Big in This – Arabella Weir
• The Piemakers – Helen Cresswell
• Incantation – Alice Hoffman
• Peeps – Scott Westerfeld
• The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell (A)
• Me Life Story: Sofa, So Good – Scarlett Moffatt (A)
• Whisky From Small Glasses – Denzil Meyrick (A)
• The Murderers Son – Joy Ellis (A)
• The Child – Fiona Barton (A)
• The Last of the First – Ian W Sainsbury (A)

Reading Challenge Updates

I’ve been working hard getting the lists updated and published – which I have done now! I’ve also been starting to post the books that I have already read and all the information with these. I am really enjoying all of this! These are the posts that I have published over the last month!

• Alex Rider Series
• Asterix Series
• The Borrowers
• The Book Thief
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

All things considered not a bad bookish month! What have you been reading?

 

Ultimate Teen Book Guide 2nd Edition – Reading Challenge

So I’ve already been doing the Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge for a couple of years however I didnt realise that there was an updated version of the book. I’m still going to take part in the original challenge but I need to dig out my original book as most of my books are in boxes still from moving – and probably will do for some time!

Like with the Utimate Book Guide Challenge I’ve been working on the master list for this challenge which can be found HERE.

I’m also going to live by my series reading new mantra – I’ll read the first book in a series but if its not enjoyable for me then I will give up on it – purely because life is too short to be reading books that you dont enjoy – plus this always affects my reading mojo if I’m not enjoying what I’m reading!

According to my list there is 782 books in this challenge and I have read a measley 43 books – which equates to only 5.50% – however there are some amazing books on this challenge that I’m really looking forward to reading!

I’m also going to do some re-cap posts of some of the books that I have read with the reading recommendations etc!

How My Bookish Life Has Changed

I really got back into reading three years ago seriously. Before this, i was a big reader when i was younger, around aged 3+. I still read throughout my teens but not all that much and that was mostly the Harry Potter series again and again. But three years ago it all changed. I wanted to read anything and everything i could get my hands on. So this is how my life has changed.

1. I have a TBR and its massive! I didn’t know what a TBR pile was and i just couldn’t understand how people could collect so many books. Now i have a TBR of currently 377 books and i can now class myself as an avid bookaholic. Its massive and i have no idea how im every going to read all these books.
2. I have a wishlist. Before i started reading seriously i never knew what books i wanted to read. But know my wishlist is about as big as my TBR pile. So many books so little time.
3. I have a kindle. I never ever would have said that i would have got on with a kindle, but now i wouldn’t be without it. It travels everywhere with me and i love that i have a whole library in my handbag.
4. I am part of a big community. I never dreamed at how big the book blogger community would be, but its massive and i love coming across so many like-minded people.
5. I discovered reading challenges I’ve always liked lists, and ive come across some truly lovely book lists. I’ve read some truly wonderful books from these lists that i might not have come across before.
6. I list everything everything i read i list. My TBR i lis. My wish list i list. I’m kind of proud of all these lists and i love the idea of people reading these and enjoying them.
7. I write reviews i know my reviews aren’t so good as others, but i really love them and i enjoy writing them too and i love the comments that people leave too.

So that’s how my life’s changed since becoming part of the community and i love it and wouldn’t change it for the world!

So, how has your life changed?