A Reflection of my Thoughts this Year

Courtesy of http://www.wordle.net/

Christmas List 2008

Making a list... Checking it twice...

On Christmas Day I'll find out if I've been naughty or nice...

I'm constantly looking for new books to read and the ever growing stack by the bed still contains some of last year's as yet unread gifted books - however that won't stop me from wanting more now, will it?

Dreams from my Father: A story of race and inheritance & The audacity of hope: thoughts on reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama - I was very excited about this election, more than I have been about any UK election since I was a student and Labour got into power (I was gutted at the time, but was confused about my own thoughts on politics and this was the first election that I was eligible to vote in). It was interesting to watch as an observer how Obama was able to turn a tide and become the first Black American President - I got up at 4AM to watch it happen and felt very proud to witness this moment in time. I really want to read these books because he is a man that you feel like you want to know.


Gary Rhodes 365 - I love a good cookbook and have quite a collection, I like the 365 days of the year concept of this one.





Blink: The power of thinking without thinking and Outliers: The story of success by Malcolm Gladwell - I liked the zeitgeistiness of The Tipping Point and so would like to see how Gladwell's thinking has developed since I first read some of his work.








One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell - I'm a big Sex & The City fan and got all of Bushnell's other books last Christmas from my very thoughtful other half - I didn't even ask for them either!






Alice in Wonderland Box Set by Lewis Carroll, with illustrations by Helen Oxenbury - I like the modern illustrations that Oxenbury has done to complement the original text. I'm collecting copies of books I loved as a child - you might say I'm nesting...


Tea with Mr Rochester by Frances Towers - the Persephone edition - After enjoying my last Persephone book, I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to another.






Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - sometimes I can't believe the classics I haven't read yet, and other times it fills me with excitement to know that I still have so much to look forward to.





Any of the Manga Shakespeare series - (other than Hamlet & Romeo & Juliet, which I already own and love), the illustrations are so brilliantly executed and directed towards a modern audience and such an obvious combination of form - why didn't I think of it?

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis - Another childhood favourite, I re-read these so many times, and may yet uncover them if I search in the cupboards at my parents house this Christmas. Still - it'd be nice to have the boxed set anyway.


The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - I saw this recommended by another blogger and thought I would enjoy it. It does seem to be out of print, but I'd quite like an old copy to try it out.


The Writers Handbook 2009 - 2009 is going to be the year that I start writing again and I want to be quite disciplined about it. I always have the best intentions, but work tends to dominate alot of my time - the new year's resolution will be about dedicating some time to writing. I'll let you know what happens!