I’m rather pleased to say that my last three reads are actually books that I’d previously started but never finished.

The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin – I didn’t think I’d read much of this book but a bookmark still in it tells me I had actually gotten almost 100 pages into it!  However upon re-reading it I couldn’t remember anything about it at all!  On the other hand in the re-read I couldn’t understand why I didn’t finish it first time around!  I have the second book in the series on my shelf just waiting to be picked up.

My second read – previously I had only read a chapter or two of this book.  On the other hand, I’d seen the series, the film, and listened to the audiobook – so it really was time to pick up the book and read the words for myself.  Yes I’m referring to the first in the Karla Trilogy – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré!  

The series and the film follow each other fairly closely.  The book was written in 1974 and the series was made in 1979 so period was in keeping with the book.  There was one or two small changes made – locations – that when it came to the film they too, kept the places changed – I’m not sure I understand why.  On the other hand I did enjoy the book and Alec Guinness was Smiley for me the whole way through.

Finally, I got my hands on a copy of A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr

This had come to my attention last year (or was it the year before?)  I couldn’t find it anywhere so in the end I ordered it in the library.  Unfortunately for me the mood had passed by the time I’d gotten it.  It’s a short read – 85 pages and I only got about 28 pages into it when I had to return it.  So when I saw that Penguin had just released it as a Modern Classic this summer, I knew I had to get my hands on it and try it again.  Now one habit of mine is to find out how many pages are in a book and figure out where the half way mark is.  When I did that here I spotted that the story was signed off as such, as if it were a letter.  So that was how I read it – as a letter.  I devoured it which I’m rather pleased with as I’m a slow reader.  I loved it – I loved that warm summer – slightly struggled with the phonetic accent but that wasn’t the stumbling block that it possibly was last time.

Now I think my next read will be a new purchase but I’m still not entirely sure which.