Category: LoveLit

I’m always late to parties…

Es the Book Hoarder1 Comment

Apparently, you can always find me in the kitchen at them, too…

Reading, most likely. Or talking about reading. Or talking about books. Or something I’ve read about books. Or drinking. At parties, that is. Anyway, I digress. I am late to books, shows, movies, authors, and all of these wonderful other things that I didn’t even realise there were parties for – there is always another secret and all that – or, in my case, discovery. I can now add another item to my ‘eventually found it’ list – I have discovered reddit – more than that, I have discovered lots of groups on reddit that talk about the stuff I like to talk about. Like books, and shows and movies and authors.

This latest discovery – the communities, or ‘subs’ of reddit – have proven to be a major distraction with plenty of temptations for driving my ‘to-be-read’ pile of books into the realms of more insanity than is already prevalent in my batshit-crazy-for-books lifestyle, and if that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is!! I found the r/fantasy sub and with that came plenty of recommendations, clubs, readalongs and another absolute gem – the Annual Book Bingo Challenge. The purpose of the book bingo, from what I can gather, is to take you out of your comfort zone, get you reading a wider range of authors and types of fantasy etc. I’m sure you get the idea.

Also, it is ridiculously challenging to actually try to plan for this thing! I trawled through the recs thread and came up with a couple of ideas, but I’ve also typed out the list of bingo square requirements and passed them on to the lovely people who work at my local Waterstones to see what they can come up with by way of ideas. They see me often enough to know if something is or is not in my comfort zone as well as whether I’ll take to something or not, so I figured I’d get their input and see what happens. I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with. There are a couple of books that I have already made decisions about, but the rest will be completely random in terms of the choosing, because they are choosing for me as are the wonderful members of the r/fantasy sub that have recommended some marvellous sounding tales.

As an additional challenge, I’ve decided to journal/blog about this experience 1) because I think it will be really interesting and 2) because I’m totally bonkers! The link to the bingo is now on the bar at the top and I’ll be updating fairly regularly soon. My Malazan Journey is still ongoing, and the bingo will also give me little breaks (that are much needed) from the series. So yeah, back to the bingo…

25 books, 25 different authors, 25 different requirements. From April 1st 2024 to March 31st 2025.

It’s going to be GLORIOUS!!!

Lost… in translation?

Es the Book HoarderLeave a comment

I’m re-watching this iconic series after 20 years. I didn’t much understand it then; I most certainly don’t assume to do so now.

But it’s an amazing series. Still. After all these years. 

Whilst for the original watchers, it was half show, half Internet phenomenon; watching now means so much more.  I am elated for those things I remember,  and awed by the those I do not.

For me, personally,  that is enough.  I am just enamoured by this series as I once was, all those years ago, and I am encouraged and excited that another generation will experience what I and so many others did.

Lost,  the experience.  It’s beyond comparison.  It’s almost unbelievable.

For The Love of Lit

Es the Book HoarderLeave a comment

I’m an avid reader, I always have been. I remember my Dad buying me Enid Blyton books for 50p and devouring them every time he brought them home. I recall Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh; Mallory Towers, Dear Teddy Robinson and Charlotte Sometimes. I am ‘old school.’

I’m an odd reader, in some respects, preferring books to TV or Movies, because books play out like TV shows and Movies in my head. I can’t help it – it’s just how my imagination works. I was born to love literature.

My tastes range from good old fiction; psychological thrillers to crime fiction, classics to poetry, sci-fi to fantasy – especially recently. So this blog is tribute, so to speak, of my recent foray into the fantasy genre, as well as those I’m more familiar with. I’m finding the older I get, the more I develop in my literary adventures and I’m all the better off for it.

Here, you will find my innermost thoughts on various genres, authors and titles, et al. I’m not doing this for anything other than to catalogue my thoughts and feelings, and if you find those interesting, then so be it, and more the merrier to you.

If that is the case, my only hope is that you fall in love with literature, just as I have. I honestly believe it has the power to change lives.