This last week, despite being really busy work and life wise, was a good one for me for both reading and blogging. I managed to make it through all the books I had on the go and catch up on some reviews I’ve been wanting to write.  I’m just over three months into my blog now and feel I’ve settled into a routine that works for me and am starting to develop my writing style. One thing I haven’t quite figured out though is how to plan which books I’ll read when – I have a running list but never seem to pick the one at the top…another always seems to be more appealing.

Whilst this isn’t anywhere near the end of the world, as I have just renewed one particular book from the library for the third time, I thought that writing a regular post on what I want to read next might help give me focus.  As I’m actually starting the week with no books on the go because I finished J by Howard Jacobson  last night, this seemed like a good day to start. And, as it’s Monday, I’m linking in with Sheila at Book Journey, who has a weekly post I’ve enjoyed following – It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

So, after a much longer pre-amble than I intended, here are the books on my beside table (or kindle) this week:

The Book: The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

The Blurb: Everyone knows the date of the Battle of Hastings. Far fewer people know what happened next…Set in the three years after the Norman invasion,The Wake tells the story of a fractured band of guerilla fighters who take up arms against the invaders. Carefully hung on the known historical facts about the almost forgotten war of resistance that spread across England in the decade after 1066, it is a story of the brutal shattering of lives, a tale of lost gods and haunted visions, narrated by a man of the Lincolnshire fens bearing witness to the end of his world. Written in what the author describes as ‘a shadow tongue’ – a version of Old English updated so as to be understandable for the modern reader – The Wake renders the inner life of an Anglo-Saxon man with an accuracy and immediacy rare in historical fiction. To enter Buccmaster’s world is to feel powerfully the sheer strangeness of the past.

The Reason: Because I’ve heard so much about it. I downloaded a sample because I was worried about the language but, having read a few reviews saying it needed to be read aloud and finding this works, I’ve decided I don’t need to be worried and am actually looking forward to reading something which feels completely different.

The Book: Us by David Nicholls

The Blurb: Douglas Petersen understands his wife’s need to ‘rediscover herself’ now that their son is leaving home. He just thought they’d be doing their rediscovering together. So when Connie announces that she will be leaving, too, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again. The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed. What could possibly go wrong?

The Reason: I’ve really enjoyed Nicholls’ other books and this one sounds like another winner.

The Book: Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser

The Blurb: The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in seventeenth-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis’s accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women.

The Reason: I know nothing about Louis XIV and saw this book (actually, audiobook) at my library. It seemed a good a place to start as any for finding out more about one of the great characters from history. Plus I have a lot of long work trips ahead of me. I’ve discovered audiobooks are a perfect way to help alleviate the boredom.

And that is it reading wise. I doubt I’ll get them all finished as they aren’t quick reads but should be able to make it through at least the audiobook and The Wake (which I’m starting first). We’ll see how it goes – and if I stick to my plans. What are you reading this week?

Emma