OK, eighteen years is not really that distant but it certainly feels that way.
Are you ready for another trip into my reading past? Then let’s go!
It’s December 2004. The comedy film Meet the Fockers is released. Band Aid 20’s version of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ is number one in the UK music chart for three weeks. On Boxing Day there is a devastating tsunami caused by earthquakes in the Indian Ocean, claiming an estimated 227,898 lives.
And somewhere a 16-year-old bookworm is reading…
It by Stephen King (1986): I think this novel is responsible for the general perception that clowns are creepy. I never found them especially funny or scary until I saw the TV series and read the book.
Three of Diamonds by Anthony Horowitz (2004): As I said in the first episode of my time travels, I’m a Horowitz fan. This book is a collection of three shorter stories featuring the Diamond Brothers detectives: The Blurred Man, The French Confection and I Know What You Did Last Wednesday.
The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag by Robert Rankin (1998). Rankin’s books are, shall we say, somewhat eccentric. And also hilarious. This one features the recurring characters of detective Lazlo Woodbine and Barry the Time Sprout. The plots are never that coherent but that’s sort of the point… I think.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (2003): At the time, this was the latest book in the Harry Potter series and I would’ve been reading it again while waiting for the sixth instalment, The Half-Blood Prince (2005).
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1936): I’ve read many of Daphne’s works. This is one of her most famous but it’s not a favourite with me. I prefer her novels set in contemporary times, rather than historical settings.
The Eternal Enemy by Christopher Pike (1993): I was a fan of Pike, the 90s master of teen horror. I don’t remember this one at all, so here’s the blurb: ‘Rela sets her VCR to tape a movie she plans to show at a party, but instead of the movie she gets tomorrow’s news. Soon Rela is regularly recording next week’s news, even what is to happen in the far future. It’s fun, until she sees herself on the news, and learns that there is no future for her.’
The Highest Form of Killing by Malcolm Rose (1990): This YA thriller was about a deadly chemical weapon being developed by the Ministry of Defence.
Mondays Are Red by Nicola Morgan (2002): I still have this tense YA novel but haven’t read it in years. It’s an unusual story about a boy who after waking up from a coma finds he has synaesthesia.
Let’s go back to the future. Phew, that was quite a journey! I hope you enjoyed the trip.
Do you have a reading diary? If you can remember what you were reading 16 years ago without any prompts I’m seriously impressed! I only know I was reading The Lord of the Rings and Terry Pratchett because I stole them off my boyfriend at the time and that relationship was fairly short lived. Like you I was also reading Harry Potter plus Stephen King (but not IT, too scary ?). Also a load of business textbooks because I was at uni ?
Uh no, my memory is not as good as that 😀
I record what I read in my diary and also for convenience it’s all on a spreadsheet dating back to 2001.
I didn’t record textbooks etc, and not the books I DNFed either.
It’s a good resource because I can check if I’ve read something before 🙂
Wow! That’s an impressive archive! ?
This is such a fun idea for a post! I loved seeing your past reads from 2004!
Thank you Jennifer! It’s really fun to write 🙂
And I have plenty of material for lots more posts…
I ruddy loved Christopher Pike! This is making me want to do a re-read of some of his books!!
Yes indeed… I still have 4 of his books – Remember Me (which is one of the best), The Starlight Crystal, Sati and Magic Fire. Those last 3 are weird sci fi rather than horror though 🙂
I think Monster and The Witch were always the ones that stuck with me. There’s also another about a writer who witnesses a murder (I think?) I feel like I need to revisit!!
This is so cool! How great that you are able to look back at the books you were into back then and you still remember them today!
Thanks! 🙂
I have a good memory for books and whether I liked them or not. I only wish I’d recorded my reading from even earlier on 😉
Really interesting to see what you were reading back in December 2004 – some great books there, too! I was only 8 back then, the only thing I can remember doing vividly during that month was watching The Incredibles at the cinema 🙂 🙂
Oh dear I feel old now 😉
I haven’t seen The Incredibles. I suppose I wasn’t interested in new animated films any more by then.
I was definitely rereading order of the phoenix at the same time 😉 And I wasn’t as excited by jamaica inn either. Fun post!
Thank you 🙂
It was fun to write.
This is so cool, I love it. Ya, I was a huge Christopher Pike fan, I haven’t read any of his books lately though. I’m a huge Stephen King reader, I’ve read It a few times?
Thanks! 🙂
I think Pike’s books are generally out of print now, except for maybe the vampire ones.
It’s several years since I read any Stephen King books. Maybe I will pick them up again at some point.
Yeah, a lot of his 90s books especially are out of print. But I haven’t read him in ages anyway. Stephen King on the other hand is a constant read for me?