Sunday Salon – 4 November

This has been a week full of medical appointments of one kind or another, all routine but not matter how kind and efficient everyone is it’s all just such a time suck. This is when the app on my phone comes into its own and I can merrily read away without lugging books around with me. Heresy I know but I really only read physical books when I’m at home these days.

Talking about books, I haven’t finished any books since the beginning of November but I’m making good progress with both of the works I’m currently reading:

• Bird Box by Josh Malerman – I’ve had this one for a while but pulled it to the top of the TBR pile so I can read it in advance oft he Sandra Bullock movie which is coming to Netflix (I think) soon; and
• The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen – as if horror wasn’t enough, I decided to treat myself to reading about the five biggest mass-extinctions in the Earth’s history. Keeps me cheerful

In terms of new books, yes I have bought more despite the fact that I was too embarrassed to share last month’s purchases on t’Internet. Some of these were pre-orders so I don’t feel quite so bad about that.

This week’s haul:

• Devices & Desires by Kate Hubbard – an addition to my small but perfectly formed collection of books about Bess of Hardwick
• Henry VIII & the Men Who Made Him by Tracy Borman – written by a former colleague from my PRO days, I can’t resist books about Henry even though I loathe him deeply. This looks especially interesting.
• Titus Awakes by Maeve Gilmore & Mervyn Peake – more about this later in the post
• Man With No Name by Laird Barron – crime meets horror
• Chills by Mary SanGiovanni – horror meets crime
• Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux – French-Canadian novel about an unidentified woman’s body in a mortuary and 12 variations on what her life may have been like. Very interested in this one I must say.

The highlight of this week was the trip the Book God and I took to the British Library on Friday for their Mervyn Peake evening. Marking the 50th anniversary of his death, it was a lively discussion between Liz Jensen, Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell and Fabian Peake, with readings from Gormenghast by Miranda Richardson. A very enjoyable evening with many things to think about. I’ve seen Neil Gaiman live before but not Chris Riddell, who produced the most amazing illustrations on stage while the readings were taking place. It has of course made me want to re-read Gormeghast, and triggered the purchase of the fourth book as mentioned above. Plugging it into my reading plans for nest year which though loose are beginning to take shape. Terrible photo below!

Hope you all have a fabulous reading week!