What was I reading five years ago? Let’s hop back in time and find out!
It’s January 2014. Robbie Williams, Ellie Goulding and Bruce Springsteen top the UK album chart this month. Actor Roger Lloyd-Pack dies, having been well-loved in roles such as Trigger in Only Fools and Horses and Owen in The Vicar of Dibley. The Queen’s New Year Honours List includes writer Anthony Horowitz, actress Angela Lansbury, DJ Pete Tong and singer Katherine Jenkins.
And a twenty-something bookworm is reading…
Bassett by Stella Gibbons (1934): ‘The Tower Guesthouse lies nestled between the beech woods of Buckinghamshire. It is run by the unlikely partnership of balmy Miss Padsoe and young, cockney Miss Baker – divided by class and age, they are determined to dislike each other. Through their tale and the interwoven tribulations of two young lovers, Gibbons’s sparkling novel explores the heart of friendship and what unites us.’ This is one of several enjoyable Stella Gibbons novels I’ve read.
Truth or Dare by Celia Rees (2000): This YA thriller is about aliens, computer games and autism.
Small Island by Andrea Levy (2004): A prizewinning novel exploring the experiences of Jamaicans in Britain during and after the Second World War. I remember liking some aspects of the book but it was much too long. The BBC TV adaptation was good.
Underground England by Stephen Smith (2010): A fun and fascinating journey underneath the country, including ancient burials, secret tunnels, caves and lost towns.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953): This iconic dystopian novel is set in a future, remarkably like the 1950s, except that books are banned and ‘firemen’ burn any they can find.
A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (1873): Not one of Hardy’s famous books, and to be honest not one of his best either. The characters are irritating and the plot doesn’t really hang together. I re-read the book in 2018 just to be sure, then I gave it away.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin (1969): An award-winning science fiction novel set on a planet where people are ambisexual. There’s a lot more to the story, and although the worldbuilding is excellent, I just don’t get on with Le Guin’s writing style.
Heaven Eyes by David Almond (2000): This eccentric YA novel is about some children who escape an orphanage and meet a strange girl called Heaven Eyes who was rescued from the mud by her Grampa.
Let’s go back to the future now.
I hope you enjoyed the trip.
That’s a great idea – I may have a go at this!
Indeed – how far back do your records go?!
Looks like 2005 was when i started keeping a record. I had a paper reading diary then transferred them all to goodreads a few years ago
That’s a good amount of material to look back on 🙂
I may even do 10 years!
I just love this feature so much ?. I wish I’d kept a record of what I’d been reading. At least I’m sort of doing it now ?
Interesting comment on Ursula K LeGuin, I’ve always meant to read some of her work but never quite got round to it. What don’t you like about her writing style?
Thank you! 🙂
I think what I didn’t like about her writing was how serious it all was and I didn’t find it easy to read either. I’d still try another of her books if I got round to it, but I’m not eager.
PS. Thanks for sharing my post on Twitter!
That’s interesting – once I’ve got round to reading some of her work we can compare and contrast!
No probs! ?
This is such a fun idea for a post! ?
Thanks!! It’s fun to write, too 🙂
Wow, hard to believe that 2014 was five years ago already….
This is a really great idea for a post! It’s so cool to be able to look back on the books you read during certain periods of your life 🙂
I know, isn’t time flying?
Thank you – it seems to be quite popular 🙂
I’m glad I kept the records.
I love hopping back in time to see where my priorities were. This was fun.
I have no record whatsoever boohoo!! But what a fun post this is! Love how you ended it haha
Thanks Jee 🙂
Maybe I’ll carry on the series for a whole year if I can, it’s fun indeed.
An eclectic selection!
Thanks! Yes I do read quite a mixture.
Ooh I love Fahrenheit 451!! Shame about pair of blue eyes- although I’ve had similar experiences with Hardy’s lesser known works (he wrote so many books!!) so I totally get it.
Indeed – there’s a reason why some of Hardy’s books are famous and others aren’t.
I have read Fahrenheit 451 a couple of times. It’s frightening isn’t it?