One of the extra nice things about not working and moving to a slow paced life is that I’ve found some additional reading time. Not working in the evenings mean that if I’m not blogging and there’s nothing interesting on TV (which seems to be often) then I can read. I’m not exhausted when I do go to bed, so I read for a while then. But best yet as the girls play outside (when it’s not raining) I can sit at the dining table with a cup of tea, watch them play and get a few pages read. It has been wonderful, I didn’t realise just how much I had missed reading.
So here’s what I’ve been reading lately and what my thoughts on them.
1. 
Broken by Isla Evans
Compelling, but also terrifying. I read the whole book in less than three days and in that time I think my blood pressure would have been scarily high. It’s about a violent relationship so would not be for everyone. Evans has written a sequel which I’m going to get from the library next time because I just HAVE to know what happened to the main character.
2. 
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
“Trouble with mice is you always kill ’em. ”
I love Steinbeck and this was no exception. This one is very short and can easily be knocked off in a day or two. As with all Steinbeck’s the prose is breathtaking and the characters touching. Of Mice and Men, as I’m sure you all know, has a heartbreaking ending and as with other Steibeck’s (The Grapes of Wrath included) he portrays post WWI America with such (depressing at time) vividness.
3. 
The Bronze Horseman – Paullina Simons
“There are some battles, no matter how much you don’t want to fight them, that you just have to fight. That are worth giving your life for.”
I liked this one, but I’ve read others by this author that I’ve enjoyed more. It is set in Russia during the Second World War and is essentially a love story. I find Simons overly wording in parts (in all her novels) and thought this could have been about a third shorter at least. It is quite repetitive and I found myself skimming over parts to get through it quicker.
4. 
Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
‘A straight nose is a great help if one wishes to look serious’
Love, love. This (another short one) book is one of the funniest I’ve ever read. The characters are all quirky, odd and take themselves completely seriously, Flora Post especially. Gibbons writing is stunning and the laughs come quickly and often.
I’ve got some good ones sitting on my beside table now too. A new(ish) Australian novel, an Elliott Pearlman and a Jefferey Eugenides, so no doubt there will be another post soon. Until then, what are you reading or have read recently? What should I add to the ‘to-read’ pile?
The New Good Life 