The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

I had high hopes for this book, as the story sounds really cute, but the book failed to deliver.

The queen of England starts reading and neglecting her duties because of it.

Cute. Right?

In concept, yes, but I found the book to be boring. The first half was great, but just fizzled out at the end.

But now I am going to sound really silly. I found some intersting quotes from the book that could lead to good book discussion topics.

"...wonder my ma'am needed a travelling library when she had several of the stationary kind of her own..."

I'd love to have a private library, but then I would miss out on the excitement of waiting for books I order to come in to the library or being happy because I don't need to order a book because my library has it! I've already got my dream private library mapped out in my head, but I think my heart will always be with public libraries.

"had Her Majesty gone for another duff read...a novice reader that she was she might have been put off reading for good..."

I am definitely put off by boring books. If I am reading a boring book, I will stop or give it a few more chapters to get better. My patience is very thin with boring books.

"Pass the time?" said the Queen. "Books are not about passing the time. They're about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, Sir Kevin, one just wishes one had more of it."

"One recipe for happiness is to have no sense of entitlement."

B-