There is a C.S. Lewis quote − ‘You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me’ − that sums up two of my favourite things: books and tea. Just like this first picture of my bookcases at home does.
I bought this tea set
in Beijing last April, when I went there during my honeymoon. You'll also notice
The Penguin History of Modern China
on the shelf next to it. I haven't read this yet. I do like non-fiction and
always think I should be reading more of it. Yet, I tend to find myself putting
it down and reaching for a novel and thinking, ‘I'll read that another time when
I can concentrate on it properly.’
This shelf is quite a
good snapshot of my reading tastes − some classics (1984 and Paradise Lost),
some kids’ books (The Double Life of
Cassiel Roadnight and Boy Meets Boy)
as well as some modern adult fiction (One
Day, Pigeon English and Cat’s Eye).
Margaret Atwood is one
of my favourite writers and Cat's Eye
is one of my favourite books. I first read it when I studied it for my English A-level.
The story of the relationship between Elaine and her best friend/tormentor,
Cordelia, just resonated with me, and I have since read this book about six
times. Writing this makes me want to read it again.
I also love a good
ghost story as you can probably tell from this next picture.
I went to see the play
of The Woman in Black with my English
class when I was in sixth-form.
Oh. My. God.
I have never been so
terrified! I had hold of my best friend’s hand the whole time. At one point she
tried to shake me off, but I wouldn't let go. Finally, she gasped, ‘My rings!
Just let me take my rings off!’ I looked down and saw that I had been holding onto
her so tightly that one of her fingers was bleeding (only a little bit) from
where her ring had dug in. Oops. I bought this book when the film came out a
few years ago. I didn’t see the film, though.
Michelle Paver’s Dark Matter is another terrifically,
terrifying ghost story. Set in the Arctic during the long dark winter, the
environment is as much a part of the haunting as the ghost. *Shivers.*
Most of my favourite
books seem to be the ones I read either as a teenager or in my early twenties.
I read Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials during my first year at Exeter
University and then ended up doing my dissertation on it.
Rainbow Rowell was the
author of 2014 for me. I read everything she'd written in a single month,
starting with Eleanor and Park. The
thing I like about Landline (and, in
fact, about all of Rainbow's books) is her honesty. Her characters are real and
so not always likeable. They jump off the page at you, though, and you can
absolutely imagine going for a coffee or a drink with them. That shows real
skill as a writer. I can't wait for her new book − which is apparently a bit of
a ghost story. If that’s true ... well, I am very excited!
There are also some
books about writing on this shelf. Probably the only non-fiction I actually do
get round to reading. The James Wood book is great. I would recommend it to any
writers among you.
This next shelf shows
my love of detective fiction, from Wilkie Collins through Agatha Christie to
contemporary Swedish noir. I don't like books that are too grisly, which is why
I love Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the puzzle of solving a crime that
fascinates me rather than the gruesome details of a murder! I particularly enjoy
tracking how the author has constructed the novel and so how he or she reveals
the truth behind the mystery.
There are also a couple
of pretty hardbacks on this shelf. I don't buy hardbacks that often, but these
were too pretty not to.
Oh, and the Lonely Planet Guide to Iceland has
sneaked into this picture. We are planning a trip there in the autumn. And
finally, there's a picture of me and the hubby on our wedding day − reading
books, obviously.
A. J.
Grainger lives in London, where she works as a children’s books editor. Her
first novel, Captive, was named ‘One to Watch’ by The Bookseller and was listed as one of The Telegraph’s best YA books of 2015. She is currently working on
a second book. To find out more about A. J. and her writing, or to recommend
her a book, find her on Twitter (@_AJGrainger) and Facebook. Her website is at
www.AJGrainger.com.
About
Captive
Robyn
Knollys-Green is an A-list celebrity, famous for being the daughter of one of
the world's most powerful men. But not even the paparazzi can find her now.
Robyn begins to realise that she is trapped in a complicated web of global
corruption and deceit − and that the strange, melancholy boy who has been
tasked with guarding her might not be an enemy after all... A thrilling,
well-crafted, ever-relevant story from a talented new voice in YA fiction.
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