I’ve not been writing my blog or reading many others’ blogs whilst I’ve been away, so there is a lot to catch up with. I’m now behind again with writing about the books I’ve read, and I’ve bought more books whilst I was away – more about those another time. To get  me back in the swing of writing again I thought I’d start with this post – not too difficult and I thought it was interesting when I saw it on Cathy’s blog and then on Kerrie’s.

Cathy recently wrote about the last 20 books she read and identified their origins. Thanks go to Cathy for the image.

My books come from a number of sources, some I buy new either from bookshops or online and some are secondhand, either from secondhand bookshops, library sales, or charity shops for example. Some books come from Book Crossing, and some I borrow from family and friends. A few are review copies either direct from the publisher or author and some are via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers’  Program.

I aim to write a review for every book that I read. Sometimes the review is brief, just notes, but I write whether or not it appealed to me and why. Most of my reviews are favourable because if I find a book doesn’t appeal I don’t finish it and I don’t think it’s fair to write about a book when I haven’t read it in full.

So, here are the last 20 books I’ve read, and where I acquired them. (Clicking on the highlighted titles takes you to my posts on the books).

1. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather –  library book

2. The Spare Room by Helen Garner – LibraryThing Early Reviewers’ Program

3. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin – borrowed from my son

4. Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon – library book

5.  Beachcombing by Maggie Dana – review copy from the author

6. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie – library book

7. A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell – library book

8. The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine – library book

9. Jane Austen: a Life by Claire Tomalin – a “Giveaway” book from Of Books and Bicycles

10. When the Lights Went Out by Andy Beckett – LibraryThing Early Reviewers’ Program

11. Good Evening Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes – bought from Waterstones bookshop

12. The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie – library book

13. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown – bought but can’t remember where from

14. Company of Liars by Karen Maitland – bought from Waterstones Bookshop

15. The Gardens of the Dead by William Brodrick – library book

16. Hide & Seek by Ian Rankin – borrowed from my son

17. Turbulence by Giles Foden – LibraryThing Early Reviewers’ Program

18. The Sixth Wife by Suzannah Dunn – bought from Waterstones bookshop

19. Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin – borrowed from my son

20. Strange Affair by Peter Robinson – library book

I was quite surprised to see so many review books in the last 20 I’ve read – this is unusual for me, but I did have a run of luck with “snagging” books on LibraryThing recently, which I don’t suppose will continue. The three books I borrowed from my son were in a omnibus volume of Ian Rankin’s early Rebus books. I’m aiming to read them in the order he wrote them.

Eight of the books are library books, which is about average for me. I like to read those along with my own books.

There are three books I’ve not yet written about – one is Angels and Demons was a re-read as I recently saw the film and wanted to compare it with the book. I found there were many changes, some of which I remembered as I watched the film. The last two on the list I finished reading last week – reviews to follow soon (I hope).