My mum likes books. She’s at least partly to blame for the way I am. The benefit of this is that it means I can use my parents’ house like a library, and everything she owns I like to think I can claim part-ownership of. It works both ways, but she has more room for books than I do, so…

With this in mind, here’s ten books that I’ve used this privilege to either steal or reserve.

Lion by Saroo Brierly

You can read my Book Spotlight post about this book here. Spoiler alert: I loved it.

All The Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr

I finished reading this yesterday, after several days of nearly missing my stop on the train on the way home from work. ATLWCS switches between the two characters and two points in the war without ever being disconcerting or confusing, and it’s so heart-wrenchingly pure, underscored by the awfulness of the war. It doesn’t have a word out of place. Beautiful book.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman

You can read what I thought of Eleanor Oliphant here.

Knots and Crosses – Ian Rankin

Few things bring me shame quite like the fact that I’ve never read an Ian Rankin book. He was born 15 miles from where I live, for god sake! My fiance bumped into him coming out of Tesco in Edinburgh! Maw, please shove this book into my grubby hand next time I come round.

Never Let Me Go

I mentioned this in last week’s TTT post. I picked it up thinking “Huh, I’ve heard so many people talk about this book, I might as well read it” and then realised very quickly that I HAD at some point read it, but I had retained absolutely nothing except the bare minimum, enough for the whole experience to be entirely deja-vu. Another surreal layer to a surreal book.

Northern Lights – Phillip Pullman

My friend Roisin had the 10/10 idea of starting a book club for the MtG UKISA judge community and this is the first book we’re reading. I am delighted, since I haven’t read any of the His Dark Materials series.

Yes, you read that correctly. Please do not cast me out into the darkness.

This is what I’m currently reading, and I understand than the book is much better than the film (Golden Compass remains one of the most disappointing cinema experiences I have ever had)

The Snow Child

I swear down every time I drift towards the bookshelves my mum as good as breaks into song over how much she loves this book. I feel like I’m morally obligated to read it, if only to stop her gently weeping every time I admit I haven’t yet.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I’m sure I read this years ago, but I remember nothing of it.

Sunset Song – Lewis Grassic Gibbon

I’m on a binge of anything Scottish at the moment, half inspired by my job and half by Outlander. My mum’s owned XXXX Scot’s Quair for about as long as I can remember and she’s been telling me it’s gorgeous for as long as I can remember, but Scottish history was so cripplingly dull in school (WHY did they do that, what an injustice) that I never fancied it. Now that I’m in the mindset to read it I’m going to pinch it.

The Cider House Rules – John Irvine

I’ve been meaning to read this for years. ONE DAY MOTHER. ONE DAY.

*

Have you read these? Should I break down the door to my parents’ house right now? TELL ME.