When Susan Hill describes her house it sounds a little like mine - not that mine is a large farmhouse in the Cotswolds, as hers is - full of books, books in every room. And many of them either unread, or not read for many years.
Whilst looking for a book amongst the hundreds Hill realises that there are many that deserve revisiting, or in some cases, visiting for the first time. So she embarks on a year of reading the books that she already owns instead of buying new ones.
I could easily do this with the books in my house, and I've thought it doing so many times - but then I think about what I'd miss! Anyway, this is the reason I liked the idea of this book.
Hill takes you through the books of her childhood, reminises about the authors she's known, the places she's been and the associations that many of the books have for her. She reads popup books, childrens book, novels, non-fiction, biographies and short stories - many of the authors are familar to me, but few of them I've actually read.
Despite the fact that Susan Hill and I are obviously from a different generation of readers, and she has a background steeped in reading (studying English Literature at Kings College), I still found the wander around her house of books interesting.
Although I'm sure she'd be disappointed to find that it didn't tempt me to go in search of many of the books she discusses; I did enjoy the style of the book and found it enjoyable to read. I've never read a Susan Hill book; I believe there are many, I might try one of the crime thrillers........at some point (i've got no shortage of books that need my attention!)
Bought on Green Met.
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