I had kept notes on books that I had read. So there was ready-made material to start with. The notes had been written for my eyes only and in an informal style, sometimes with crude comments. Some of this rawness I have kept in the version on the blog. I added the photos to make the blogs look personal and friendly. At first I included two books in each blog. Any connection between the two is coincidental (or 'Freudian')
I usually summarise the plot, but sometimes sparsely, and give the space to other criteria such as the motivation for choosing a particular book. Enjoyment of one book by an author leading to choosing more by the same author is one of the strongest reasons for choice. Patrick O'Brian wrote a series of 20 using the same main characters, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Anticipation of the next one to be published was part of the reading pleasure.
Association with a particular place is another motivator. It led me to read a book set mainly in Deauville, Normandy in an area where I had spent some pleasant holidays. (See the review of Fairness now if you wish). Other factors may be a recommendation by someone who knows you well, family or friend. There are many such reviewed in the blog. One example; my son led me to read American authors such as James Lee Burke.
Another reason is of course a book's reduced price. What other motivators to read a particular book are there? I hope readers will suggest some more.
I invite you to contribute your own reviews in your own style to the blog. Why not send me something? Please give the publisher and the year of publication for clear identification, and add a mark out of ten to measure your enjoyment with ten as 'the perfect read' (Not so many in a lifetime; for an avid reader maybe one a year)
Send your reviews to me at powell.hall@me.com
Please see below about making comments on the blog....they would be appreciated.
My other blogs are about living on the Costa Blanca
At home on the Costa Blanca (2008) http://benihomeinthesun.blogspot.com
A Life on the Costa Blanca (2009) http://costablancahomeinthesun.blogspot.com/
Home from home on the Costa Blanca (2010) http://costablancahomeinthesun.blogspot.com/
All of these blogs are works in progress - checking back I find solecisms, ineptitude, lack of clarity as well as proof-reading errors - which I then correct. I would be glad, though, if you notice something in the text that needs attention, please e-mail me at
powell.hall@me.com
I would also be glad for any comments made on the blog pages. To write it there you have to have a Google Account which is easy to arrange for yourself by typing Google Account into Google Search and following the links. It is free of any charge and offers an email address, and roughly the equivalent of Microsoft Office also without charge. All of your documents are stored on line and so you will not lose data if your computer crashes!
