The book review that isn't really a book review
I used to devour a fair few books a week and was a regular at the local library (by the way, does anyone remember the mobile library that used to call round? I've just had a major flashback to the one that called to the end of my Nana's road in St Annes. Aaahh nostalgia.) but there are less and less books coming into the house now mainly because I spend far too much time online. I've got a pile of books on my table that I keep meaning to read but if I could... just... put... down... the... laptop... BUT NO!! The pull of my internet life is too strong. How sad is that?
Back in July, when we went to Tunisia for our family holiday, I made a conscious effort to cut myself off completely from Facebook, Twitter, the blog - everything. And what was really noticeable was that I read more. I took four books with me and finished those within the first week or so, so had to delve into the 'Book Swap Box' available to all holidaymakers. But not having the luxury of browsing shelves and shelves of new books or dipping into friend's recommendations, I tended to choose a book based on the cover or by reading the first paragraph to see if it caught my attention. It was an interesting experiment. I found two books - and enjoyed them - that I would probably have never bought in the first place.
Leading on from this I heard that Tesco Books were trying a new tact in promotion - grouping books according to how they make you feel when you read them. Not by genre or alphabetically but more like "books to carry you away" or "books to make you think and talk". Tesco sent me a book of my choice from the "books to turn your heart in somersaults" section. I purposefully picked an author I had never read before - Dorothy Koomson - and her book, The Ice Cream Girls.
So does the Tesco Books theory work? First of all, I chose this book because the cover image was in the style of many chicklit books that I've read in the past and I couldn't work out how chicklit was going to make my tummy flip. I thought the story started slowly but it did give you a chance to get to know the main female characters and how a certain event in their lives changes them and their families completely. There are also early hints of how twisted and sadistic the main male character is but the build-up is appropriate and adds to the suspense. The flashbacks to the 1980s are more than relevant to me as I was the same age as the girls at that time. Maybe that helped me to relate to the story even more? I sort of guessed the end but enjoyed the extra twist too.
This method of choosing new reads has introduced me to an author that I have never read before - but I will definitely be reading again - and I'm interested in trying more of their suggestions in the other categories. Maybe I need to put the laptop down more and get back into reading. Or invest in a Kindle. *adds "Kindle" to the ever-growing 40th Birthday Present List*
Back in July, when we went to Tunisia for our family holiday, I made a conscious effort to cut myself off completely from Facebook, Twitter, the blog - everything. And what was really noticeable was that I read more. I took four books with me and finished those within the first week or so, so had to delve into the 'Book Swap Box' available to all holidaymakers. But not having the luxury of browsing shelves and shelves of new books or dipping into friend's recommendations, I tended to choose a book based on the cover or by reading the first paragraph to see if it caught my attention. It was an interesting experiment. I found two books - and enjoyed them - that I would probably have never bought in the first place.
Leading on from this I heard that Tesco Books were trying a new tact in promotion - grouping books according to how they make you feel when you read them. Not by genre or alphabetically but more like "books to carry you away" or "books to make you think and talk". Tesco sent me a book of my choice from the "books to turn your heart in somersaults" section. I purposefully picked an author I had never read before - Dorothy Koomson - and her book, The Ice Cream Girls.
So does the Tesco Books theory work? First of all, I chose this book because the cover image was in the style of many chicklit books that I've read in the past and I couldn't work out how chicklit was going to make my tummy flip. I thought the story started slowly but it did give you a chance to get to know the main female characters and how a certain event in their lives changes them and their families completely. There are also early hints of how twisted and sadistic the main male character is but the build-up is appropriate and adds to the suspense. The flashbacks to the 1980s are more than relevant to me as I was the same age as the girls at that time. Maybe that helped me to relate to the story even more? I sort of guessed the end but enjoyed the extra twist too.
This method of choosing new reads has introduced me to an author that I have never read before - but I will definitely be reading again - and I'm interested in trying more of their suggestions in the other categories. Maybe I need to put the laptop down more and get back into reading. Or invest in a Kindle. *adds "Kindle" to the ever-growing 40th Birthday Present List*