The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien

Read in hardback.  My copy has a plaque in the front which states that it was awarded to me as a Science Prize in 1981.  Not sure how many times I've read it since then.

I went to see the Peter Jackson movie, and when I got home I was interested to see how faithful to the book the film was, and whether there was enough material to string out to another two films.  I found that the film was fairly true to the book.  You don't get as much of what Bilbo is thinking, since you can't have him voice all his thoughts out loud in a movie, also some of the more whimsical elements have been left out, in favour of action scenes and comedy in the film.  Furthermore I can see that by adding in the action sequences there is easily enough material for episodes 2 and 3.

All in all, I was pleased to revisit an old favourite.  Another version I would recommend is the original Radio 4 dramatisation.  That was the first Hobbit I ever heard, and I do think it stands the test of time.

The Killing, David Hewson

Read on the Kindle, 99p daily deal.

I'd seen the Danish TV series of the Killing 2 and 3, but only the American version of the first series.  Thought it would be fun to read this novelisation of the first Danish series.

The book did not disappoint.  It was sufficiently different from the American series, that I was never sure what was going to happen.

The only weakness I can find, is that because this is TV converted to text you don't get the kind of internal monologue, or what the characters are thinking that you get in a normal book.

Not sure how long this would be if it were a paperback, it felt long on the Kindle with many twists and turns and dead ends, which became characteristic of the series.  Only the ending disappointed as it came out of left field.

The Thread, Victoria Hislop

Read in paperback, borrowed from Mum, think it was one of her book club books.

Follows the story of a group of people, Muslim, Jew and Orthodox, living in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, from 1917 to 2007.

The first and second world wars sweep over the town, there is destruction by fire, forced evacuations, occupation and dictatorship.  At the heart is the love story between the seamstress Katerina and the activist Dimitri.

I've previously read The Island by Victoria Hislop, which I remember enjoying more than this book.

It's very worthy, and no doubt very accurate and very well researched.  It's just a bit dull.

The Last Weekend, by Blake Morrison

Read on the Kindle for Book Club, Sarah C's choice.

We all had to choose our book club books quite a way in advance, and this book was added to the list back in May.  In August, before the time came to read the book, they showed an adaptation on ITV, and I made the mistake of watching the TV show before reading the book.

Whilst a fairly faithful adaptation, the TV series set up the suspense from the start, which in the book develops more subtly as you gradually realise that all is not as it should be, and perhaps the narrator is not altogether reliable.

A very dark book.

Trains and Lovers: The Heart's Journey, by Alexander McCall-Smith

Read on the Kindle, purchased as 99p daily deal.

Four strangers, on the same train journey from Edinburgh to London, share or reflect on their experiences, or in one case their parents' experience, of love.

Beautifully written, as all Alexander McCall-Smith's books are, and a lovely gentle read with no nasty upsets or surprises.

The most perfect book for a train journey.

What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty

Read on the Kindle after purchasing for 99p on Kindle Daily Deal.

Alice Love falls off her step class in 2008 and wakes up thinking it's 1998, she's desperately in love with her husband and expecting their first child.  In reality she is the mother of three children and going through a bitter divorce.

Many similarities to Oh Dear Silvia by Dawn French, where you learn about the protagonist through others' eyes.

Although many of the characters were stereotypes, and the central premise may seem a bit contrived I enjoyed this book greatly.  Alice's confusion never descends into farce, and her emotional state rang true.

Moranthology, Caitlin Moran

Read in hardback, birthday present from Paddy.

Caitlin Moran's book, How to Be a Woman, was my favourite read from last year. So I was eager to read this one when it came out.

This book is a collection of Moran's writings for The Times - including articles, TV reviews, interviews, and reported late night conversations with her long suffering husband.

The subject matter is various and wide ranging, so not as focussed as How to be a Woman. Also some serious articles have been included, so it's not a laugh a minute, although I did snigger out loud in places.

Almost makes me prepared to pay for online subscription to The Times so I can read everything Caitlin writes, but maybe I'll just wait for the next book to come along.