Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "new-books"

New for old is a catchphrase from Aladdin of course but is this something that is appropriate for book lovers?

After all I love old books.

I love new books.

I just love books!

I think it is good to have a balance of old favourites. These are my comfort reads when I need that.

I also like to read new books, especially from contemporary writers. It is good to know what is being put out there now.

One handy side benefit to making writer friends is this does help ensure you do get plenty of contemporary reading in.

I take great pleasure from the fact I have shelves which are packed full of fab books written by people I’ve come to know and count as friends. I always look forward to adding to my shelves in that regard.

I can’t wait to get back to book events so I can pick up those books signed by said friends in person.

Naturally I’m looking forward to being able to hold some book events of my own in due course.

So have I got books on my Christmas list?

What do you think?!

One lovely thing about going to events, as I've done this week, is exploring the book stalls and bringing home a new book or several! (Naturally I hope to sell some of mine too!).

It is great being able to go to events again. I missed this so much in 2020. And I know I will be picking up a very good read indeed when I go to the book stalls.

I've yet to go back to bookshops again but that will only be a matter of time! I may get to do so as part of my travels as there is a Foyles bookshop at London Waterloo. I think a lot will depend on how much I spend at the book stalls first!

The downside is every time I pick up new books like this, it reminds me I should sort my bookshelves out! I guess into every reader's and writer's life a little rain must fall!

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you received lots of lovely books for Christmas.

Am currently working my way through the latest Richard Osman one and a couple of flash fiction collections, and am loving them all. The To Be Read pile shows no sign of going down much though I think that is how it should be!

So with a new year ahead of us are there new books you’re looking forward to? Are there new authors you discovered in 2021 whose works you really enjoyed?

A new year gives us the chance to try new books and writers new to us and I hope to do plenty of that over the next twelve months.

I like to mix up classic and contemporary reading and going to book events, whether I take part in them myself or not, gives me plenty of opportunity to boost my contemporary To Be Read pile!

What matters is enjoying plenty of stories. And I must admit I have finally got to watch the latest Bond film No Time to Die. I thought the storyline there was excellent.

However you take your stories “in”, whether you read them, watch them, listen to them, or do a mixture, as long as the tale grips you, you are on to a winner. And I was gripped by this one.

As ever with any great story, the characters make it work. They are the story.

Well, this had to be the topic for my final Goodreads post for 2023. I’ve had a great reading (and writing) year. Hope you have too.

Delighted with my Christmas book presents. Am reading three of them together - as you do. They’re a great mix too - one is crime, one is history non-fiction, and the other is biography (the late great Terry Pratchett’s A Life In Footnotes). Loving all three books so far. Hope to review later.

So for the new year, what would I like which is book related?

Naturally, I would like to discover authors new to me this year. I often find going to writing events is a fabulous way to do this. I also like using the Kindle to try out authors new to me. If I like what I’ve read, I may well then go on to buy other books from that author in paperback.

Naturally also, I will be on the look out for new books by authors I already love reading. On a personal note, I’m keeping my fingers crossed my own third book will be out in 2024 but will keep you posted on that one.

I do hope 2024 gives us all plenty of excellent reading material. To fellow writers out there, may your pens/laptops etc be blessed by inspiration! We always need stories.

Happy New (Reading and Writing) Year!

I hope you received (and gave) plenty of book related presents over Christmas.

I was delighted to receive a flash fiction related book and am enjoying reading that at the moment.

There is something so special about receiving new books. But I also love the joys of revisiting old favourites. Books are for life!

I took in a lot of my favourite Christmas stories via films - Hogfather, A Christmas Carol (the definitive version by The Muppets, of course!), and The Polar Express. I never get tired of these.

A major joy of a new books is in discovering an unknown world (regardless of what genre it is) and getting to know characters new to you.

The joy of old favourites is knowing these already but enjoying these things all over again. I never tire of that either!

I hope the New Year brings you plenty of opportunities to enjoy your old favourite books and to discover many new to you.

Happy reading for 2025!

I expect, like me, you have a good mixture of books on your shelves. I have new books, old books, classics, contemporaries, and, what is especially nice, books written by friends of mine (and signed for me too). I treasure them all.

I have books inherited from my late mother, who was a tremendous reader and encouraged me so much here.

I have my own collections of books. The first series I went for, as an adult, was the Odhams Agatha Christie collection. Lovely red and gold hardback books. Fabulous stories, as you know.

Prior to that I collected the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton as these used to be on sale at my local newsagent, back in the days when many of those had a reasonable book selection you could buy. I miss those days!

A new edition of the series had been brought out to tie in with Southern TV’s adaptation of the series for their Sunday teatime slot. That only stopped when Southern lost their franchise. (A big mistake but there you go and at least it got me reading the books!).

I do believe it is a great idea to have a health “reading diet” and for me that has always included contemporary as well as classic books.

A great story is a great story whenever it came out after all.