Tuesday, 1 September 2026

The Books That I Read in August

 

I do love a book with it's own bookmark ribbon.  😄



I found this book very 'bitty', Chris jumps from timeline to timeline over his early years and I didn't enjoy this side of it at all.  I didn't read it all fully and gave up completely about two thirds of the way in.  It could have been so much better.

Donated



While I do like Miguel's books I am being a bit ruthless in the ones that I am keeping.  I no longer find myself needing to have or to keep every book that a person I like reading or cooking from writes.

Donated


I have all of Jack's books and regularly make things from them, but I had two copies of this book.  This copy is one of the original 'crowdfunded' editions so I have kept this and donated the other hardbacked copy that came out afterwards.

Kept the original, and Donated this one.



While some of the recipes in this book seemed really good, reading it again six years after I originally bought it I decided that some were just so basic they could barely be considered a recipe.

For instance, take a bag of mixed leaves and top with a flaked cooked salmon portion and pour over a little lemon juice as a dressing.  To me this is an idea not a recipe.

Donated



This wasn't a bad book by any means, but it was quite meat heavy and it was big. I don't eat meat and I am still on a mission to cut down on my big books and whittle down my cookbook collection.

So, it was Donated.


I was lucky enough to find this book on the £1 charity book table in Booths.  I love the show and watch it religiously every week, so to be able to 'play' the game myself was really good.  I did quite well ...in everything except The Wall.

Donated ... back to where it came from for someone else to enjoy.

Thinking On My Feet by Kate Humble

My final book of the month and finished just yesterday, was this one year diary of Kate Humble's walks, both local to her in this country and overseas when she travelled for work engagements.  It was a really good read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

But I would never have read it again, so it was Donated.


All in all a good month of reading with more cookbooks than usual as I am trying to whittle down my collection so that I don't clutter up my soon-to-be new kitchen. 😄

I do find myself in a position these days to be able to be quite ruthless with the books that I keep.  Maybe I am simply becoming a book reader, and not always a reader and collector.  They can on occasion be two entirely different but compatible hobbies.

Which are you?


Sue xx



16 comments:

  1. I found a beautiful hardback copy of VCMs FFCL QZ BK for £1 on the Lidl Charity table the other day. Read it, then put it away safely for a Christmas gift for a family member who is equally addicted to the show. Like you I am being more ruthless about books. One in means one out...

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    1. This will make a wonderful Christmas present. 😀

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  2. Luckily books downloaded onto my kindle, mostly 99p ones, don't take up any space on my shelves...although I enjoy reading real books too. I'm trying to reduce the number of books we have around the house

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    1. I do have books on my phone, moved across from when I sold my Kindle, but I never read them. I love the physicality of holding the book that I'm reading and turning actual pages. I would only go down so far in reducing my book numbers, I could never live in a home with no books at all like a few people in our family do. 🙂

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  3. I read one really good book this month -Lessons in Chemistry--and it will be discussed at our readers’ group tomorrow. My favourite book of the year so far and hope I can pick up one or two others when I’m in the library for the group. Catriona

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    1. I had to look this one up as I hadn't heard anything about it. It sounds absolutely fascinating and all the reviews say it's very well written. I'll watch out for it on my travels. 😀

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  4. I am both. We have far too many books and keep on trying to reduce them without much luck although we did donate two to the charity shop this week which is a.miracle. Regards Sue H

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    1. I find it slightly easier to let my books go now. No more 'I'll keep it just in case' thoughts in my head ... well less of them anyway. 😄

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  5. I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry but I read it online from the library but like you I prefer reading an actual book so I wish I had read it in its book form

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    1. There is definitely something missing from the joy of reading when you read on any gadget isn't there. 🤔

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  6. Well done on the whittling down. I've just started. Just one cook book going so far. I'm going through them and scanning recipes that I like. Most of them have one or two things that I make and that's normally it, so there's no reason to keep them except I'm used to them being on the shelves. I've got to get more ruthless.....

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    1. It's definitely much slower to whittle down than it is to collect. 😄

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  7. I fear I probably come into the book hoarder category. My parents couldn't afford books when I was growing up. I had them from the library or as Christmas presents, and this has made me lust for books all my life, and collect several different genres. I will never be cured!

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    1. We were exactly the same growing up. I went to the library weekly or fortnightly with my Dad, and I always asked for books for Christmas and birthday. I doubt that I will ever be cured either, but I am getting better. 😀 Downsizing living space has definitely helped.

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  8. Books? Collecting Books? No idea what you mean!!

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