Paul Auster is my absolute favourite author. Five years ago I hosted my first Paul Auster Reading Week, and since his death last year, I decided to host another. However, timing it to coincide with…

Annabookbel

01.02.2025

Six Degrees of Separation: Les Liaisons Dangereuses – AnnaBookBel

First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks …

Annabookbel

30.01.2025

Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson – blogtour – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Ian Giles The start of a new series of Scandi-crime novels written by a seasoned hand augurs well. Norwegian, Ørjan Karlsson, has written a host of other crime novels and thrillers an…

Annabookbel

28.01.2025

The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada – #JanuaryInJapan – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Cat Anderson Normally it’s rare for me to manage to fit in a Japanese book for #JanuaryInJapan hosted by Tony’s Reading List, but not having totally focused on Nordic fare…

Annabookbel

26.01.2025

One Billion Years to the End of the World by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Antonina W. Bouis I managed to fit in a post for #VintageSciFiMonth this January in my third encounter with the Strugatsky brothers, after the completely lovable and madcap Monday sta…

Annabookbel

24.01.2025

The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey – blogtour. – AnnaBookBel

The genus corvus, which includes rooks, crows, ravens, jays, jackdaws, choughs and magpies in its ranks is commonly believed to have the most intelligent of birds, and this is a novel about one suc…

Annabookbel

24.01.2025

The Less Unkind by Rosaria Giorgi – AnnaBookBel

I am delighted to be leading off the blog tour for Rosaria Giorgi’s debut novel – a thriller set in Italy in Denmark involving art theft! Italy and art are two of my favourite things, a…

Annabookbel

21.01.2025

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – blogtour – AnnaBookBel

It’s my turn today on the Random Things blog tour for this intriguing crime novel. But first, I’m sending very best wishes to Anne of Random Things who I know is very unwell at the mome…

Annabookbel

19.01.2025

Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench – AnnaBookBel

With Brendan O’Hea What a treat this book was from first page to last. I finished reading it on Boxing Day, and it went straight into my 2024 Books of the Year list. It is written with Brenda…

Annabookbel

15.01.2025

Echoes of Eco II: Foucault’s Pendulum – Parts 2 & 3 – AnnaBookBel

For my introductory thoughts as I began re-reading Foucault’s Pendulum, click here. We ended the short first part of the novel with Casuabon hiding in the periscope chamber, waiting for a mys…

Annabookbel

13.01.2025

Nightingale & Co by Charlotte Printz – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Marina Sofia I am delighted to be leading off Corylus Books’ latest blog tour for their first German novel in translation, and Marina Sofia’s first published translation f…

Annabookbel

09.01.2025

Two reviews – Complete Opposites – Nunez and Miller – AnnaBookBel

The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez I’m so glad to have fitted this novel in at the end of the year as it elbowed its way into my best of list. Written in much the same vein as The Friend and What Are …

Annabookbel

08.01.2025

Human Being: Reclaim 12 Vital Skills We’re Losing to Technology by Graham Lee – AnnaBookBel

This is one of the ones that got away in my 2024 reviewing. I read this book ages ago, but never got around to reviewing it for some reason which is shocking, for it is fascinating. Each of the twe…

Annabookbel

06.01.2025

Talking Header Images – AnnaBookBel

One last fun post before School starts; I do have book reviews scheduled – honest! I was looking at my header images on the blog, and wondering if I should update them… Obviously, they&…

Annabookbel

06.01.2025

Echoes of Eco II: Foucault’s Pendulum – Introductory thoughts – AnnaBookBel

My original plan for this readalong was to polish the book off in about 3 chunks in January. But, having started it this morning, having read the first short section of just 18 pages (in my old Pic…

Annabookbel

04.01.2025

Watchlist: Year End 2024 – AnnaBookBel

Just some ramblings about what I’ve watched lately on the small screen… Christmas Viewing & New Year viewing: Apart from (still, after all these years) loving Eastenders and the yea…

Annabookbel

04.01.2025

Six Degrees of Separation: Orbital – AnnaBookBel

First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks a starting…

Annabookbel

02.01.2025

Reading Plans & Resolutions 2025 – AnnaBookBel

Happy New Year to you all! It’s traditional to set out one’s stall with reading plans for the year ahead. I was aiming to keep them as fluid as possible, yet have managed to sign up for…

Annabookbel

31.12.2024

Review of the Year #3, 2024 – Books of the Year! – AnnaBookBel

It’s finally time for me to share my favourite books of the year with you. It’s always a difficult decision and, as so often happens, the last two books I finished, but have yet to revi…

Annabookbel

29.12.2024

Review of the Year #2 – 2024, It’s Bookstats Time! – AnnaBookBel

I always say this, but this post really is my favourite of the year! The master spreadsheet is still going strong. I love playing with all the data, mining it for nuggets of information that will t…

Annabookbel

27.12.2024

Review of the Year #1 – 2024, A Year of Reading and Blogging – AnnaBookBel

As always, I’m saving my books of the year for the 31st, and you’ll get my book stats (my favourite post) on the 29th, but today as in previous years I’m sharing my blogging highlights, inclu…

Annabookbel

26.12.2024

My Life in Books Read: 2024 – AnnaBookBel

It’s Boxing Day, and to cheer up your post-Christmas Day lethargy, I’m going to start this off on its rounds again… I’ve done different versions of this in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019,…

Annabookbel

23.12.2024

Dear Orson Welles (and other essays) by Mark Cousins – AnnaBookBel

When this thick hardback arrived out of the blue from Irish publisher, The Irish Pages Press, with the most polite review request, I was flattered to be included in this mailing. I’ve been di…

Annabookbel

19.12.2024

Review catch-up: Susanna Clarke, Amy Lord, Daniel Klein – AnnaBookBel

In an effort to clear the decks a little so I can concentrate on my year-end posts, here a three shorter reviews for you today. The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke This is a short story publish…

Annabookbel

18.12.2024

Book Group Report: White Ivy by Susie Yang – AnnaBookBel

Our book group met last week for our traditional December meeting Book Group Christmas Curry, and in between popadoms and mains we managed to discuss this month’s book. White Ivy is the debut…

Annabookbel

16.12.2024

Renard Press Christmas Card Classics – AnnaBookBel

I’ll be back with reviews during the week – it’s been a bit hectic – and I’m doing the finishing touches for our school mag still. For now, I’d like to highlight…

Annabookbel

11.12.2024

The Making of Brio McPride by R.A. Ruegg – AnnaBookBel

Pitched as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time meets Life of Pi and coming with a pledge that 30% of the royalties from the book would go to UK mental health charities, this debut nov…

Annabookbel

08.12.2024

Six Degrees of Separation: Sandwich by Catherine Newman – AnnaBookBel

First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks …

Annabookbel

06.12.2024

Five Feat . . . Duos – AnnaBookBel

In my irregular themed look at old posts (previous posts here), this time I’ve picked Duos as the link. Like the musical duos Simon & Garfunkel and Althea & Donna, all the titles in t…

Annabookbel

01.12.2024

A plan for Jan – Echoes of Eco II – Re-reading Foucault’s Pendulum – AnnaBookBel

Inspired by a recent read which mentioned the Knights Templar in passing, I’ve decided to set myself a little project for January, and you’re all welcome to join in. Back in January 2019…

Annabookbel

29.11.2024

A #NovNov24 read for Norway in November: Doppler by Erlend Loe. – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Don Bartlett and Don Shaw Alerted belatedly to Dolce Bellezza’s Norway in November reading month, I was able to find a novella to fit in, thus fitting #NovNov24 too. Back in 201…

Annabookbel

25.11.2024

The After-Life of Brian by Julian Doyle – blogtour – AnnaBookBel

Before I tell you about what is inside this book, take a look at its cover above. See the irreverent humour in the tagline at the top ‘Spoil Christmas for someone special’, the homage t…

Annabookbel

25.11.2024

2 more novellas for #NovNov24: A ‘Maigret’ by Simenon and a ‘Parker’ by Stark – AnnaBookBel

The Madman of Bergerac by Georges Simenon (No 15) Translated by Ros Schwartz Inspector Maigret is embarking on a holiday, going to the Dordogne to see an old friend and colleague, with a small job …

Annabookbel

22.11.2024

Three to See the King by Magnus Mills, #NovNov24 – AnnaBookBel

Somehow I managed to miss reading Mills’ third novel, published in 2001, before. Time to put that right. Although Mills’ novels are always about work, and usually and specifically, men …

Annabookbel

21.11.2024

Celebrating Alan Garner’s Life of Creativity – AnnaBookBel

This Tuesday, I went to Blackwell’s in Oxford with friend and fellow Garner devotee Fiona to see Alan Garner’s daughter Elizabeth, (also an author of two novels I’ve long meant to…

Annabookbel

20.11.2024

Nonfiction November Week 4 – Mind Openers – AnnaBookBel

Week 4 is hosted by Rebekah at She Seeks Nonfiction blog. The topic is mind openers, and she asks: One of the greatest things about reading nonfiction is the way it can open your eyes to the world …

Annabookbel

15.11.2024

Nonfiction November Week 3 – Book Pairings – AnnaBookBel

Week 3 of Nonfiction November is the always intriguing Book Pairings topic, hosted by Liz at Adventures in reading, running and working from home. Nothing had occurred to me as suitable pairings th…

Annabookbel

12.11.2024

#NovNov24 – an assortment of Novellas – Morpurgo, Magariel, Schenkel – AnnaBookBel

Book Group Report – War Horse by Michael Morpurgo Just occasionally in our book group, we’ll read a children’s book – usually a classic – and War Horse will surely bec…

Annabookbel

10.11.2024

A Screenplay for #NovNov24 – Dougal and the Blue Cat by Eric Thompson – AnnaBookBel

Reading screenplays is difficult, with fewer clues apart from stage directions to imagine the scene, they often come across as strange and in the case of the first Magic Roundabout movie, completel…

Annabookbel

09.11.2024

Shiny Linkiness – Despentes and Ayoade – AnnaBookBel

I’ve two recent reviews at Shiny to share with you here too. Both are lockdown books, such is the length of the publishing cycle. Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes Translated by Frank Wynne…

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Annabookbel - Books & Literature

Welcome to Paul Auster Reading Week 2025 – AnnaBookBel

Six Degrees of Separation: Les Liaisons Dangereuses – AnnaBookBel

Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson – blogtour – AnnaBookBel

The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada – #JanuaryInJapan – AnnaBookBel

One Billion Years to the End of the World by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky – AnnaBookBel

The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey – blogtour. – AnnaBookBel

The Less Unkind by Rosaria Giorgi – AnnaBookBel

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – blogtour – AnnaBookBel

Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench – AnnaBookBel

Echoes of Eco II: Foucault’s Pendulum – Parts 2 & 3 – AnnaBookBel

Nightingale & Co by Charlotte Printz – AnnaBookBel

Two reviews – Complete Opposites – Nunez and Miller – AnnaBookBel

Human Being: Reclaim 12 Vital Skills We’re Losing to Technology by Graham Lee – AnnaBookBel

Talking Header Images – AnnaBookBel

Echoes of Eco II: Foucault’s Pendulum – Introductory thoughts – AnnaBookBel

Watchlist: Year End 2024 – AnnaBookBel

Six Degrees of Separation: Orbital – AnnaBookBel

Reading Plans & Resolutions 2025 – AnnaBookBel

Review of the Year #3, 2024 – Books of the Year! – AnnaBookBel

Review of the Year #2 – 2024, It’s Bookstats Time! – AnnaBookBel

Review of the Year #1 – 2024, A Year of Reading and Blogging – AnnaBookBel

My Life in Books Read: 2024 – AnnaBookBel

Dear Orson Welles (and other essays) by Mark Cousins – AnnaBookBel

Review catch-up: Susanna Clarke, Amy Lord, Daniel Klein – AnnaBookBel

Book Group Report: White Ivy by Susie Yang – AnnaBookBel

Renard Press Christmas Card Classics – AnnaBookBel

The Making of Brio McPride by R.A. Ruegg – AnnaBookBel

Six Degrees of Separation: Sandwich by Catherine Newman – AnnaBookBel

Five Feat . . . Duos – AnnaBookBel

A plan for Jan – Echoes of Eco II – Re-reading Foucault’s Pendulum – AnnaBookBel

A #NovNov24 read for Norway in November: Doppler by Erlend Loe. – AnnaBookBel

The After-Life of Brian by Julian Doyle – blogtour – AnnaBookBel

2 more novellas for #NovNov24: A ‘Maigret’ by Simenon and a ‘Parker’ by Stark – AnnaBookBel

Three to See the King by Magnus Mills, #NovNov24 – AnnaBookBel

Celebrating Alan Garner’s Life of Creativity – AnnaBookBel

Nonfiction November Week 4 – Mind Openers – AnnaBookBel

Nonfiction November Week 3 – Book Pairings – AnnaBookBel

#NovNov24 – an assortment of Novellas – Morpurgo, Magariel, Schenkel – AnnaBookBel

A Screenplay for #NovNov24 – Dougal and the Blue Cat by Eric Thompson – AnnaBookBel

Shiny Linkiness – Despentes and Ayoade – AnnaBookBel

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