I opened a new post from Bookish Beck‘s book-based blog. She’d taken up a challenge, which she’d read about here. I’m hoping at least one of you may pick it up too and give it a go (I’m looking at you, Sandra...)
The idea is to take the list of twenty themes and find a book on your bookshelves that contains (either on the cover or in the title) an example in each category. You must have a separate book for all 20, be as creative as you want and do it within five minutes (or maybe a bit longer if you have too many books on too many overcrowded shelves, and you photograph them on the way). The original challenge also contains the initials TBR, and it only later occurred to me that of course this means To Be Read. So I’ve failed at the first hurdle, as I’ve read thirteen of my list. Tough.
Food: Like Water for Chocolate: Laura Esquivel. I still haven’t read this. Put it on the TBR pile.
Transport: Stranger on a Train: Jenny Diski. Am I going to read this? You tell me.
Weapon: Where Poppies Blow: John Lewis Stempel Not a weapon in the title or on the cover. I think we can agree there were weapons involved in WWI. This is a wonderful book putting the Great War in an entirely new context.
Animal: A Tiger in the Sand: Mark Cocker. I love this man’s writing. So I’ve enjoyed these essays.
Number: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: James Shapiro. Scholarly, readable social history.
Something you read. The Seabird’s Cry: Adam Nicolson. There’s a reason for choosing this. My friend Penny gave me this. My friend Penny introduced me to Becky’s blog. Perfect. This is a wonderful book: nature writing at its best.
Body of water: Caught by the river. A good anthology for dipping into.
Product of fire: Rumi, the fire of love: Natal Tajerdod. TBR. 
Royalty: Prince of the Clouds: Gianni Riolta. I can’t remember if I’ve read this. So I guess I haven’t.
Architecture: Invisible Cities: Italo Calvino. This wasn’t an easy read. But it was short and stimulating.
An item of clothing: Woman in White: Wilkie Collins. It’s not an item of clothing. But it is clothing. And in my case, another TBR classic.
Family member: Daughter of Fortune: Isabel Allende. How come I haven’t read this yet?
Time of day: How to stop time: Matt Haig. A weird (in a good way!) and original time-travelling yarn.
Music: Music and Silence: Rose Tremain. I haven’t read this for years. I know I enjoyed it.
Paranormal being: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams. What would I have come up with if I hadn’t found this book that Tom must have left behind, all those years ago? We used to listen on the radio together.
Occupation: The Shepherd’s Life: James Rebanks. A shepherd from a family whose occupation it’s been for generations. This shepherd has been to Oxford. He works for UNESCO. A realistic and illuminating look at the realities of rural life in Cumbria.
Season: Hawthorn Time: Melissa Harrison. A good story, with believable characters, with the countryside coming in at top spot.
Colour: The Red Notebook: Antoine Laurain. A vairy Frainch little mystery.
Celestial body: Paradise: Toni Morrison. An eloquent, poetic though quite difficult book, read a long time ago now.
Something that grows: The Tulip: Anna Pavord. Though not a tulip fan, I like Anna Pavord’s writing. Fascinating stuff.
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
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