In an attempt to get back into reading, I have decided to go back and read my favourite books.
My childhood favourite – The Dark is Rising – is a series of five books, where The Old Ones fight The Dark in a series of challenges, with many references to the legend of King Arthur. The books are set in modern times (roughly around the 1970s) and follow a bunch of kids in Cornwall, Wales and the Thames Valley.
These books are just so easy and comforting to read. They are undoubtedly childrens’ books, a lot more basic than Harry Potter, but they do cleverly explore concepts related to good versus evil.
Her last two books, Life After Life and A God in Ruins are undoubtedly her best. Set in the UK around the Second World War, they really immerse you in that time period. In these books, she explores themes such as regret and choice, and part of the pleasure in reading these books is pondering these themes as you go along.
I didn’t like Rachel Joyce‘s latest book. I couldn’t finish it.
However her books about Harold Fry and Miss Queenie Hennessy are amongst my absolute favourites. From the moment Harold set off for a walk, I was absolutely hooked. I can’t wait to read these again.
David Mitchell is an author who when he gets it right, I absolutely love his work, but I do find him a bit hit and miss. Probably this is due to him being more experimental with his writing topics and techniques than other similarly successful authors.
The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas are both masterful reads, that leave you stunned at the end.
Each Alan Bradley book about Flavia de Luce is a joy. Some are better than others but they never disappoint.
I love Nancy Mitford’s books. Flavia also lives in a rundown mansion in the English countryside during the same period of time, but she is a much more satisfactory heroine, concerned with solving murders rather than marrying well.
For some reason the story of King Henry VIII fascinates me. So part of the reason I loved Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel was because they told this well known story in such a different way.
I was bereft when I finshed Wolf Hall.
Actually, of all the books in this list, these are perhaps the ones I am least likely to reread as they are quite a hard slog, but I am still tempted to try.