Recent Reading

When I'm not making something tasty in the kitchen or heading out to see something exciting, I can often be found playing on the internet curled up with a good book.

For my birthday I received a number of lovely books which enchanted me in their different ways.  I've already shared with you the joys of the Bristol Community Cookbook but here are a few other treasures I've enjoyed of late.

These are the Walking Dead Graphic novels I got hooked on after opening them... I used to like reading the odd comic as a teenager but I've always prefered novels and thought that graphic novels were just comics with literary aspirations. I was wrong, these are amazing! Some of the plot points can seem a bit obvious whilst others seem like a shot in the darkness, shocking and confusing.  I found these after watching the TV show based on them and there are similarities in the first book but they aren't exactly the same, so don't let that put you off  reading them if you've watched the show.

Another book good book I recieved was from my lovely friend who bought me the Bristol Community Cook Book.

The Adventuress is an early work by Audry Niffenegger, of the Time Travellers Wife fame.  It is a story full of quirky characters, amusing and sometimes sad happenings.  The book is a gorgeous hard back book with a velvet spine and illustrations to carry the story along when words will not do. It is a modern day fairytale for the young at heart.

The last of the books which has caught my imagination recently has been: Abraham Licoln Vampire Hunter.

This book is from the pen of the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame Smith. This book acts in a smilar manner to older vampire tales like Dracula trying to set up the truth of the account before spinning a wild tale but the actual story is more about the life of Abraham Lincoln than vampires. It took me longer to get into this book than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, maybe it's because Seth is getting more mature and sticking to one type of undead foe and no other tricks like ninjas were employed.  However, it could have been because of the historical build up due to the protagonists importance in American history, something I've never given a lot of thought to being not being American.... This isn't a book for historical purists or people looking for a serious read, this has pictures of an axe wielding Abe and vampires in period dress.  The book adds extra drama to an already dramatic life and it becomes gripping as you read of Lincoln's rise to power and turmoil in office. It's definately up there with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I'm currently reading Mythology by Edith Hamilton.  What are you reading?  What have you read recently?