Happy New Year

Apart from two or three pre-timed posts, I haven't written on this blog for about 10 days, owing to my right arm being incapacitated after an operation. As I managed to make the Christmas dinner more or less completely left-handed yesterday, I thought I could run to a blog post today to wish everyone a very happy, if belated, Christmas and a wonderful new year. I spend my blogless phase reading several books and drafting reviews of them in my head. I also decided to clean the Augean stables and embark on my "to be read" shelf - as a result of which I now have a pile of 20 books that I did not finish - I soldiered on to page 100 or beyond in each case, but decided that I would not continue after that point. My confidence wobbled a little (had I gone off reading?), but I did note from the Amazon slips in the books that they date back to 2004 in some cases. My reading choices have become much more refined (in one sense of the word, anyway) since I discovered RSS and blog book reviews 4 years ago.
However, by Christmas morning I had not finished a book for some days, so I was very pleased to receive not one but every book on my list. A kind daughter has taken a picture of my spoils so I can show them to you:

I'm not sure how easy it is to see these selections, but other than the Thesaurus and the book by Nicci Gerrard I have my blogger and internet friends to thank for these books. I have started one already, as the very eagle-eyed will be able to tell by spotting the bookmark.

I hope that you, too, received some good reading material, and indeed if necessary other gifts, for Christmas (or alternative celebration). I look forward to hearing about which books you received, if so, and what you think of them when you have read them.

I think that is all that I can manage to write for now, so farewell for the time being; I'll try to post again briefly tomorrow.

Comments

[Dave Lull]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your family, Maxine, and to my fellow readers of your blog. I haven't done much reading so far in this holiday; I've been too busy shoveling and throwing snow, and then, old man that I am, recovering from that activity. As you might guess, I don't have many crime novels in my to be read pile; in fact, I have only one by Ken Bruen (The Dramatist, the third Jack Taylor novel), who's recently become a favorite of mine, based on the reading of the first two Jack Taylor novels. I hope your arm heals quickly and well, and not just because I, like all of your readers, miss hearing from you.

Best,
Dave

[Margot Kinberg]

Maxine - So sorry to hear about your operation; may your healing be quick and uneventful. Thanks so much for the good wishes, too. I wish you and yours a safe and prosperous New Year and I do hope that you enjoyed Christmas : ).

[Bernadette]

Hope your arm improves quickly but until it does you'll hopefully have loads of willing helpers around the house and clearly lots of great books to read - I hope you finish and enjoy them all (well maybe not the thesaurus, that would be a tough read cover to cover).

In my continuing quest to reduce my TBR pile to something more manageable I put the word out that I didn't want to receive books, except for Peter Temple's TRUTH which I did receive and haven't had a chance to start yet but will do soon. I also scored a voucher for audible.com which is where I get my audio books from and as I'm listening to more and more books these days that gift won't go astray.

Have a great New Year and heal up quickly

[Jenny]

Yes, best wishes for speedy recovery, sounds like a real nuisance!

[bookwitch]

Well done, for a leftie!

[Frank Wilson]

Dear Maxine,
Rest up, take it easy, and get well. I hope you enjoyed Christmas much as possible under the circumstances and that you have a wonderful and healthy new year.

[crimeficreader]

Wishing you a speedy recovery, Maxine. And all the best to you and your family in 2010. A one handed Christmas dinner preparation is a remarkable achievement!

[Rus Bowden]

Hi Maxine,

Not bad for typing with your toes. Sounds like you've been making good with your down time.

Get better soon, and have a great 2010.

Yours,
Rus

[Debra Hamel]

I had no idea you'd had an operation! I hope you'll not be left-handed for too long.

Even though you weren't able to finish those 20 books, I bet it feels great to get them off the TBR shelves. I should do that kind of read-through sometime soon and clear away a lot of older stuff.

Can't wait for your review of the Thesaurus!

[Maxine]

Thanks so much everyone for your very kind wishes. How lovely to hear from you all.
The Thesaurus - well, I've had my existing one for more than 10 years and when it did not provide "addle" I realised I needed to update. (This new one does contain "addle" but not in the rotten egg sense, which I find strange as to my mind this is the first definition of addle, before confused (etc).) It is interesing what you learn from reading a thesaurus or dictionary: once I open one that is usually it for half an hour as I "surf" from lead to lead.

[Martin Edwards]

Hope you are soon fully recovered - best wishes to you and your family for 2010, and thanks for the great blog.

[Kerrie]

I have a couple of those books on my pile too Maxine. Hope your right arm shows a speedy improvement. In the meantime then, do a lot of left handed page turning!

[Barbara]

Be well. Read lots (holding the book with your left hand?) and best wishes for the new year.

[Dorte H]

I am looking forward to your review of no two (which I have read long time ago) and no 7 (The Reunion) which is on my TBR - and I have great expectations to it.