Books you got for Christmas

Mansfield Park. I went on a Jane Austen spree in 2024 and that was the only one I hadn't read. Almost finished it now.

Finding the Edge - the James Anderson autobiography. (Cricketer) from Dh think I shall be mostly looking at the cover....

Just coming back to say that the Ghosts book is fab! If you're a fan of the series, I highly recommend.

Nearly half way through We Solve Murders. I think, like The Thursday Murder Club, it'll take me a while to warm to the characters, but enjoying it so far.

I haven’t read any of my presents yet. I got Butter (as a pp has mentioned), the third Strike book (I know I am way behind, and also have the whole TV series to watch!) and the latest Michael Palin diaries. I also bought myself A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson to read over Christmas, and I am still just about half way through now, but am enjoying it.

The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg, non-fiction about Christmas-themed folklore.
Diva by Daisy Goodwin, as everyone knows I've been obsessed with Maria Callas since I was in my teens.

Oddly I only got two books this year: Orbital (almost everyone I know got it too!) plus Felicity Cloake’s One more Croissant for the Road, which I'd never heard of.

Bought a few more today with a voucher I got for Christmas I swear I was like a child in a toyshop!

I read The Wedding People by Alison Espach earlier this month and it was one of the best books ive read in a while.

Anymore book suggestions to add to my birthday list in April?

I got three books of my Persephone wishlist including a Dorothy Whipple and Sylvia Townsend Warner.

Eighteen - A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives by Alice Loxton (joint present with H)
Sounds and Furies: the love-hate relationship between women and slang by Jonathan Green
Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson
My year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh
Kindred by Octavia E Butler

The first one neither of us had heard of so good call from H's sibling; the JW I was always going to want to read; the rest I'd seen recommended on here.

I also got a couple of puzzle books from S1 and his partner. It's a sudoku-type puzzle but based on our niche hobby, and I've been studiously avoiding them for ages because I'm not sure I have the brain power😂ah well. They also managed to find the DVD of Soul Music which practically counts (it includes a joke that isn't in the book) so I've forgiven them.

Place marking for more book suggestions.

I've got Orbital by Samantha Harvey, wot won the booker prize.
Plus a few others that I asked for.

I got The Wren The Wren by Anne Enright, and All the Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd Barlow - looking forward to both

@Peridot1

I love Finan too, and Sihtric, both fantastic characters, Young Ragnar too.

I'm Scottish, but have Danish ancestry, and my dad's family were all seamen, going back to the Danish sailor who jumped ship in the early 19th century, settled in NE Scotland, married a local girl and took her name, also the name of the area.

Maybe that accounts for the Viking obsession, which starts I think with loving Noggin The Nog, away back in very early childhood!

@BebbanburgIsMine - it does sound like a bit of an obsession all right! But a fairly harmless one I’d say! I must read the books. I love a bit of Uhtred. And loved Finan.

Might have to rewatch at some stage.

@Peridot1

I am a huge fan of The Last Kingdom!

Best thing that's ever been on tv, and the books are brilliant too. I've actually lost count of how many times I've watched it. I watch it all the time on Netflix, and I have the boxset of all five series, and Seven Kings Must Die. I was lucky enough to go to Bamburgh last year, to see the exhibition, and just spend time at Bebbanburg. It was a huge thing for me to do, and it felt amazing!

I also have quite a lot of other Last Kingdom merchandise, a lot of which DD has bought me for Christmases and birthdays. I'm in a few TLK Groups on Facebook, and have Jeppe Beck Laureson (Haesten) as a fb friend.

Another thing that makes TLK so special is the true friendship and camaraderie the cast have with each other. They're also have fantastic interaction with all the fans, which is really lovely.

It's true to say I'm a bit obsessed with TLK!

Destiny Is All ⚔️⚔️

Philippa Gregory. The Taming of the Queen.

The Child behind the wire. (I think that's what it was called) Mum bought it from Auschwitz. Probably seems odd to anyone else, but it's a special interest topic of mine.

I also got a signed copy of The Weight of What Was by Pip Landers-Lett, sent from the author as a thank you.

And the Lego bookcase set. Which isn't a book really.

@BebbanburgIsMine - are you a fan of The Last Kingdom? We loved that.

Thanks for the info on the order of what to watch. I’ll give it ago.

I live in a village where Henry VIII is supposed to have first met Katherine of Aragon. She apparently was taken here after she landed in England rather than straight to London. I find it all fascinating. I’m Irish so we learnt more about Irish history (and how horrible the English were!) although we did learn some English history.

@Peridot1

I'm not a fan of the Tudor (Upstarts) but I have seen all three drama series mentioned.

You need to watch The White Queen first, it's about Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, ending with the Battle of Bosworth.

The White Princess is next, concerning their eldest child, Elizabeth of York and her marriage to Henry VII.

The last in the trilogy is The Spanish Princess, about Katherine of Aragon and her marriage to the utter b***d that was Henry VIII.

They're enjoyable to watch, but my real interest is in the Saxon, Viking and early medieval eras.

I got my 9 year old DS The 1000 year old Boy. Earlier this year I also got him a beautiful hard back set of The Wild Robot trilogy just before it was released in the cinemas. He was hooked and read all 3 in quick succession.

My daughter got me Rick Astley's autobiography and i also received a Waterstones voucher from my mother in law so i have been on the website today and bought a couple of Holly Jackson books in the sale that i have had my eye on!

Today I also got We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

I asked for and got The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller. It is set in the long, harsh winter of 1962/3. I was a baby at the time, born in October 1962, and that winter has taken on a mythical quality for me as my parents talked about it often. How they walked me for miles on frozen rivers in my pram, etc.
It is fabulously well written and I am really enjoying it.