Thanks for thoughts on Miss Read – they seem to be overwhelmingly positive, so I shall have to un-neglect this author! I always had her down as quite bad romance, but that was based on the covers seen in my local library – I was rather taken with the covers on the ones I bought. So I might read on and make my judgement on something more literary… the two which I have to sample are Miss Clare Remembers and Gossip from Thrush Green, which seem to be from vaguely the beginning and end of Miss Read’s writing career respectively.
These were called comfort reads by a few of you – we were chatting about comfort reads at Book Group last week, and two people there didn’t really understand the concept, and thought they’d probably never re-read a book… gosh! I don’t re-read much (though have done more this year than usual) but some comfort reads are essential for me.
What else did I buy? Against my better judgement, a book by Jeremy Paxman, who irritates me a great deal – but The English was mentioned so often with fondness in Kate Fox’s excellent Watching the English (my thoughts on it here), and seems to attempt a similar thing. Hopefully his writing isn’t anything like his presenting/reporting… But it’s non-fiction, so that will please Our Vicar (Dad, I’ve read 28 non-fiction books this year! Proud of me?) Also related to one of my 50 Books… is David Garnett’s Aspects of Love: I was in the book shop and toying with spending £3 on a secondhand copy, then saw that there was another copy a few books away for £1.50. I love it when that happens. And I bought it, and read quite a lot of it on the train home – not up to Lady Into Fox, and rather hurried… I daresay I’ll write about it soon.
And to finish with, Richard Yates’ excellent novel Revolutionary Road – we had a class on this on Friday, and I read a library copy, so am delighted to have a copy of it myself. Will doubtless blog about Revolutionary Road soon too – I’ve been finishing so many books recently that I’ll be able to fill days and days with them! Then again, sometimes there are so many that I forget… I never did blog about Passage to India, and now I can’t remember much about it. So I’d better get onto these soon…
But for now, bed. With Miss Buncle’s Book, the latest Persephone title.
I’ve read all the Miss Read books and love them, they are among my very favourites. Miss Clare Remembers is one of her best, enjoy!
Niki
Very proud indeed – I suspect that you will not be so proud of your dear old dad – as far as I can remember I’ve only read one book of fiction all the way through this year, so far. “Snow falling on Cedars” by David Guterson. I have watched a few and listened to even more – but I know that in the real literary world that doesn’t count. (On the other hand I certainly can’t match your non-fiction reading either).
No mention of the kind benefactor who gave you the new Persephone? how rude!
i read Revolutionary Road this year and loved it. the film is out with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (first reunion since Titanic- please dont let this put you off, look at the trailer on youtube)
If you are into more Yates then Borders has got all his books on 3 for 2 at the moment!
lge