#booksivereadin2020

[houl]

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones . A charming little piece of fantasy, as whimsical as it is heartwarming. I loved the mixing of worlds and the use of the Dunn poem which hides at the centre of the story, surfacing occasionally to remind you of its presence. Everything you could ask for and more to warm you on a cold winters day. 4 out of 5 strips of bacon Book #3 of 2020 #howlsmovingcastle #dianawynnejones #witchofthewaste #wizardhowl #calcifer #howlnothoul #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl (at Wales) https://www.instagram.com/p/B71iO4lBrsG/?igshid=1bulzxxgqhz91

[houl]

The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar published by Hingston & Olsen . The Short Story Advent Calendar is a brilliant idea and the best way to count down the days to Christmas. I adored ‘Must Be Peopled’ in which a grieving man ranks the cuteness of all the babies on his Facebook feed from most adorable to least, ‘Parade for the Dead and Dying’ where another grieving man absconds with the corpse of his secret lover for one last adventure, and ‘The Decade I Kept on Getting Stabbed’ where there’s no grieving man, just one who collects knives and is surprised when he keeps getting stabbed. However, I craved more escapism and less human-drama than the majority of these stories provided. That said, I still woke up every morning excited to see what was next and that is what I needed. #the2020shortstoryadventcalendar #shortstoryadventcalendar #hingstonandolsen #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CJcMXHahdFE/?igshid=ox7q1e6bjep4

[houl]

Coraline by Neil Gaiman . There’s not that much that needs to be said. It’s Coraline. It’s an incredible novel for both kids and adults and, while the other mother lacks the menace she has in the movie, the whole thing still manages to be just unsettling enough in the right parts. Especially the basement scene, that was terrifying. . #coraline #neilgaiman #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CJb15a9hH2e/?igshid=1bye63fqas3mp

[houl]

When We Were Very Young by A.A.Milne . Such a beautiful collection of poems, each as charming and quaint as the one before, and not a Pooh in sight. Ever since I was young I have loved the poem Disobedience, possibly because my lovely neighbour would recite it to me every time I visited, but I’ve not read it for years so it was nice to get a refresher as well as discovering a few new favourites. . #whenwewereveryyoung #aamilne #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CJW305uBzSj/?igshid=52xkonzjb06n

[houl]

Greenglass House by Kate Milford . An easy little read about a hotel for smugglers that finds itself full of some unexpected guests. The central mystery unfolds cleverly, and the use of a Dungeons and Dragons stand-in, ‘Odd Trails’, is a nice way to get the characters to act in ways they might normally not, and explore ideas of identity. The very end felt a little clunky, as if Milford was rushing to finish the last 3 pages, but still a fun novel. . #greenglasshouse #katemilford #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CJW1L8yhFwO/?igshid=1lnvje4cpvu71

[houl]

this census-taker by China Miéville . A young boy runs down the hill from where he lives, crying and filthy, having just seen something terrible. But like many events in the story, we’re never quite certain exactly what exactly it truly was. We are fed bits and pieces, scattered like crumbs, with so much told through implication and absences. This is a truly peculiar and, at times, isolating story, with a muddied start and an unclear ending, yet beautiful and sparse in between. Ultimately, it reads like an experiment in story telling, with Mieville trying to see how much can be said with so little. 3.5 stars . #thiscensustaker #chinamieville #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWxgJJBn7S/?igshid=27n423wwzsn3

[houl]

Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero . These are stories of violence. They’re tales of anger, sadness, despair and, occasionally, love, but beyond all of that, they’re stories of violence. Each short story in this collection captures a twisted depravity and holds it, like a lighter, up against you as you read. . #cockfight #maríafernandaampuero #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CIJkHzwh7nz/?igshid=p2louasubucg

[houl]

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy . There are so few authors out there that can write anywhere close to Cormac McCarthy. He wears his sentences like an old pair of boot, creased and worn thin but loved, and more importantly, put to use. A stunning novel, rich and beautiful. 5 out of 5 shot up hotel rooms. . #nocountryforoldmen #cormacmccarthy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2020 #booksivedrawnin2020 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6HFTXhO1N/?igshid=10q7t1tj1ta97