Well, thank GOODNESS January is finally over. I can’t believe it was only a month. I feel like I’ve lived lifetimes in January, and none of them very good. Some of that I will share in due course, and other bits can be swept under the rug (and some is just things like spending a fortune on dentistry, which I suppose is all part of life when it’s impossible to find an NHS dentist). On the brighter side, I’ve read some wonderful books recently, none of which I have yet reviewed.
I hope your year has started better than mine! Though the world is feeling quite a dark, scary place at the moment. I’m largely deciding to go for denial and hiding this time around, as all the anger and sadness didn’t really help me or anybody else last time.
As ever, we can turn for some mild solace to a book, a blog post, and a link:
1.) The blog post – I loved Rohan’s take on one of the more recent British Library Women Writers titles, Lady Living Alone by Norah Lofts. And not just because she says nice things about my afterword!
2.) The link – this is actually another blog post, but I’m including as the link because it feels so much MORE than a blog post. Victoria/LitLove at Tales From The Reading Room has posted the first of (hopefully) a series of personal essays, and it’s simply extraordinarily good. This one looks back at her teen years, and it makes me very much hope a book comes eventually.
3.) The book – the Imperial War Museum emailed me recently about an upcoming reprint that sounds really interesting – J.B. Priestley’s Three Men in New Suits, about men returning from war. It’ll be out in April. They also have a backlist that I know very little about and which looks very interesting. Any recommendations?
I really enjoyed “paid to be safe” and “green hands” from that collection! Looking forward to reading more.
Good to know, thanks Erin!
As a U.S. citizen, I can assure you many of us are also dismayed about the continuing chaos. Books are a balm and a needed distraction/escape. Appreciate your witty, kindly blog more than ever. Wishing you a much-improved year. God bless you.
I’m sorry you’ve had a grim start to the year Simon. Poor you (in monetary and discomfort terms) with the dentistry!
I’m glad that books have provided much needed refuge and solace from the world’s woes. That has certainly been the case for me too. Books really are my therapy (and reading is (at least relatively) cheap!).
Thanks as always for your links. I shall look forward to reading Rohan’s post, hopefully later.
I second your Tales from the Reading Room recommendation; I absolutely loved Victoria’s brilliant and beautiful piece on her not so wild adolescence – utterly authentic, absorbing and inspiring!
I shall put the J B Priestley on my list. I like the sound of that. Hope you have a peaceful weekend. and
Thanks Sarah, I appreciate that. And yes, isn’t Victoria a marvel – we are very lucky to have her in the blogosphere.
I like the sound of the IWM one and will add it to my list. I have finally read (and knocked off the list!) Buisness as Usual. I loved it, it made January much more bearable – thanks for all the recommendations, they are much appreciated.
Oh BAU is perfect for this rubbish time of year. I’m glad it lightened it a bit.
Sorry January was rubbish Simon – it’s not my favourite either. But the IWM releases sound fascinating, particularly the Priestley!
Thanks Karen. Here’s hoping Feb looks up
I hear you on the general awfulness of January this year! But really I’m here just to say thank you so much for your hugely generous and kind words. I appreciate them. And as it happens, I have Lady Living Alone on my wish list without knowing you wrote the Afterword! Well that bumps it up the pile.
Oh brilliant, I do hope you enjoy it! I hope your February looks better than your January x
Interesting the list of war classics I’ve just started watching on YouTube the tv series pathfinders I wonder if it was based on the book from that series I’ve seen a couple of these at my local library as well
Oh interesting, yes
I’ve had my eye on the IWM classics as, miraculously, they are fairly easy to get here (unlike so many British reprints). I’m most intrigued by the titles by women; I’ve seen most of the male authors elsewhere (Sword of Bone is still also in print from Slightly Foxed) but the women’s books are totally new to me.
Oh yes, I read Sword of Bone, which I appreciated much more than I expected to from the rather offputting title. Unsurprisingly, I am also most intrigued by the titles by women!
Thanks for that link to the IWM. A lot of interesting books there. I have just bought Pathfinders by Cecil Lewis.
Excellent! Yes, I haven’t heard much about the series before, but looks fascinating.
Regarding books published by the IWM I read Eight Hours from England by Anthony Quayle’s book about his time serving with the resistance in Yugoslavia which wad fascinating. His .memoir A Time to Speak is also worth a read. It covers his boyhood in Southport to his war service and post-war film and theatre work. He did just about everything.
Oo thanks Linda!