In between projects, I’ve been reading a lot, lately. Despite the fact I lived with my nose in a book when I was younger, it always feels very decadent now to spend a day with a comfortable chair and a good novel – but sometimes it just needs to be done! Do you ever think back on the books you read years ago and find you only have the sketchiest memories of the details? I’ve been lucky enough to be selected as a World Book Night ‘giver’ this year (one of thousands of people across the country – & I believe in other countries, too, this year – giving away free copies of books in order to ‘spread the joy and love of reading’), and the book I chose to give was Small Island by Andrea Levy. I read it and really enjoyed it probably 5 or 6 years ago, and of the available titles, it was definitely the one that spoke to me. But I realised that I only had the vaguest recollection of the actual plot, which isn’t really the best way of convincing somebody else they also want to read that book… I’m currently re-reading Small Island, and relieved to say I am enjoying it just as much second time around!
With this in mind, I have just added a brand new TangleClub freebie: the Bookalog! Maybe you have a journal where you keep track of the books you read, maybe a spreadsheet, maybe a blog, or maybe you just rely on your memory (all I will say about that is, I hope your memory is better than mine! 😉 ). Whatever your preference, the Bookalog is designed to supplement rather than replace your preferred method of record-keeping. Simply print & fold the mini-zine ‘blank’ – maybe use as a makeshift bookmark (I don’t know about you, but I always lose nice bookmarks & end up using business cards or till receipts, instead) or just stuff a couple into your purse or handbag. Then when you finish a book, wherever you might be, you can jot down a few notes to keep everything fresh in your mind until you have chance to update whatever other system you might use. You can, of course, use the Bookalogs as a record system in their own right, but if you read a lot, be warned that this may soon become impractical! 😉
The Bookalog includes spaces for:
- your name!
- an index of titles
- dates read
- a log of your thoughts about 3 books
- space to add doodles or pictures or extra notes
- books similar in style/theme
- ratings
- books added to your wishlist
(Please note, if you are not currently a TangleClub member but you wish to partake of the TangleClub freebie goodness, membership is available here, or is FREE with any purchase of £5 or more from the TangleStore!)
In the meantime – have you read any good books lately? These are my favourite reads from the last month:
Ella Minnow Pea by Matt Dunn
A clever & enjoyable fable set on an island where an overzealous council bans more and more letters from daily usage as a historic monument begins to decay. If you enjoy word puzzles, this is a really fun read, but more importantly, it’s a good story, too!
The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki
A career conman reflects on his life as old age catches up with him, in this surprisingly touching portrait of a charming egomaniac and the lives he has touched. This story could easily have produced a caricature but instead revealed a very perceptive look at human nature.
War Crimes for the Home by Liz Jensen
In this sharply witty tale, Gloria looks back on life with her sister during the war, and discovers why certain memories are more reluctant to re-surface than others. I was relieved that the ‘twist’ (evident that it would be coming from early on in the story) was slightly different than I had imagined.
With reference to 
tanglecrafts.wordpress.com 