Whoo! I certainly wouldn't have seen this milestone coming back in January 2015 when I nervously posted my first offering, which was a little welcome before I embarked upon my Top 10 reads of 2014, wondering who in their right mind would read one of the posts or even discover little old http://www.reviewsrevues.com on the internet. It may have taken almost nine and a half years to get here but I've made it into four figures!
Obviously, a huge thanks to anyone who has taken time to read my posts or seek out something that I have recommended. It is that which has kept me going, even when my current laptop continues to hang unresponisively for long periods making a posting which should take only a few minutes last for an entire afternoon.
All the works that have made up my 1000 postings can be found in one of the indexes which I update monthly (what a performance that seems to be, there's something very odd which happens with formatting and I have no idea why). The What I've Been Watching threads have faded as of recent years but they are there (and always amongst my most read posts which does make me wonder why I don't resurrect it. I think it's mainly because we all watch media in a different way now- what's new and fresh to me might seem old hat to you, and vice versa). The 100 posts of my Essential CD Countdown have their own index (remember the CD?) I am really proud still of having got through that even though I finished it 5 years ago, it seemed such a mammoth undertaking. It continues to be said that the CD market is dwindling (it's not in my house) but maybe somewhere in the next 1000 posts I might look at the CDs that have been released over the last few years that also qualify to be considered essential.
Over the last few years it is the book reviews that have increasingly dominated and that is where reviewsrevues.com is directed at now. My Instagram postings @phil.reviews are used to promote this website. To celebrate my 1000th posting I thought I would choose ten of my ultimate favourite books I have read (or re-read) since starting up. That proved too difficult so I narrowed it down to novels which also caused me problems which I'm getting round by putting them into alphabetical order (rather that order of preference which seems to be my default position) and with the acknowledgement that behind this 10 lay probably another 50 who might have on a certain day appeared on this list. I'm also not letting myself include books I really really love which I haven't read since post number 1- hmm, thinks, that might actually encourage me to do a bit of re-reading so titles like "The Grapes Of Wrath" "Jane Eyre" "Bleak House" Barry Unsworth's "Sacred Hunger" and Felice Picano's "Like People In History" would get a look-in next time I compile such a list. I can see that in my first year of blogging I did quite a lot of re-reading, obviously wanting to share my all-time favourites with my new readership, as 50% of this list were last read in that year. Anyway, without further ado here it is for now- 10 favourite novels I've read and reviewed on http://www.reviewsrevues.com
The Heart's Invisible Furies- John Boyne (2017)
Read and reviewed 2017- This is also my most-read book review on the site. I love it that my favourites and most-read overlap with this splendid work.
The Crimson Petal And The White- Michel Faber (2002)
Last read and reviewed 2015- Careful who you recommend this book to, it's steamy!
Swan Song -Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott (2018)
Read and reviewed 2019- To date her only novel, and the recent "Capote Versus The Swans" on Netflix reminded me how great this novelisation of similar events was.
To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee (1960)
Last read and reviewed 2015- I've been reading this every few years since I was 15 and had to read it for my English Lit O Level. The book which confirmed a life-long relationship with reading.
The Book Of Human Skin - Michelle Lovric (2010)
Last read and reviewed 2015- Gloriously dark Venetian/Peruvian set nineteenth century revenge tale.
Atonement - Ian McEwan (2001)
Last read and reviewed 2016- His masterpiece
Krindlekrax- Philip Ridley (1991)
Last read and reviewed 2015- Probably my favourite ever children's fiction. It reads aloud superbly. It proved to be a consistent winner throughout my teaching career and I still love it!
Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart (2020)
Read and reviewed 2021- Ooh look, a Booker Prize-winner on the list.
Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart (2022)
Read and reviewed 2022- No apologies for including this author twice, this is even better than "Shuggie Bain
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (2007) -last read and reviewed 2015- The perfect reading experience?
Last read and reviewed 2015- The perfect reading experience?
So, now it is onward we go to 1001 and beyond! I've got some fruit to eat!
Thanks for reading!
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