February Books

[slemslempike]

February
Catherine, Called Birdy - Karen Cushman
Ghost World - Daniel Clowes
Delicate Monster - Storm Jameson
Miss Rivers and Miss Bridges - Geraldine Symons
Global Frequency - Warren Ellis
Cheerful Weather for the Wedding - Julia Strachey
Permanent Rose - Hilary McKay
Morality For Beautiful Girls - Alexander McCall Smith
The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith
Global Frequency: Detonation Radio - Warren Ellis
America (The Book) - Daily Show/Jon Stewart
Batgirl: Year One
Sabine - Tim Kennemore
Nancy, Young Canadian - Phillis Garrard
Every Boy Has One - Meg Cabot
Provincial Daughter - RM Dashwood
'...and that's when it fell off in my hand.' - Louise Rennison
Biddy and Quilla - Evelyn Smith
Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta
The Doings of Hilda - Phillis Garrard
The Full Cupboard of Life - Alexander McCall Smith

So, much more reading done in February. 9 children's books, 4 comics, 7 fiction and 1 non-fiction. They're all first reads too. The worst of the lot was Every Boy Has One, which was dire - irritating and ill-written. The best was probably Saving Francesca, about which I have already waxed as lyrical as I get. Or maybe Permanent Rose. The McCall Smith books were getting a bit tired by the end of the series, I'm not particularly sad that they seem to have come to a close, although I would have liked to know what happened to Mma Makutsi. The whole 'simplicity' was rather grating as well. Next month I want to read more fiction - I'm in the middle of Fidelity by Susan Galspell (a Persephone book) and Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin. The Glaspell is very hard going, but Tales in the City is great.

Comments

[stellanova.livejournal.com]

I first read the Tales of the City books when I was a relatively naive 13 year old, and I think they made me unshockable for a while - nothing now, no matter how extreme, could possibly shock and amaze me as much as reading about glory holes did when I was 13! I was also so naive that when Mrs Madrigal taped joints to their doors, I thought they were joints....of meat. I swear to God. I love those books, though - pure soap opera, but soap of the most entertaining kind. I think they, along with Maurice by EM Forster, also got rid of all my vague pubescent homophobia (which was of the 'but everyone seems to think it's disgusting!' kind rather than anything more vicious). The last few books aren't vaguely as good as the first four, though.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I meant to read a few pages before bed, and suddenly I was about a third of the way through! This is a book I really wish I'd read earlier, I think I'd have loved it when I was a teenager. (I haven't got to glory holes yet!)

[coconutswirl.livejournal.com]

Read or bought? I can't keep up with that no matter which it is. I only finished ONE novel in February - Nabokov's "Pale Fire" and discarded around eight others. However, March is off to a good start: I finished Murukami's "After the Quake" this morning".

And I only bought six books!!!!!

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

It's books read! I don't remember what I bought this month.

Um, I've just checked, and I bought eighteen books this month. But! Since I read 21, that's not bad or anything. Really.

Poor Dear Esme arrived this morning. Would you like to borrow it?

"You really are the limit, Esme," she said. "I don't believe there ever was another girl in the world like you! I don't know what I should do without you."
...
"I don't believe you like to be liked. I've often wanted to kiss you, but you've never wanted to kiss me."
"Kissing's awful rot," said Esme, looking hard into the distance. "Germs and all that," he added.

[coconutswirl.livejournal.com]

Would love to. Then I can mail you some rude Danish candy while I'm at it ;)

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Will post it tomorrow - I think I still have your address from NY postcards, if it's still the same. Otherwise, email me @livejournal.com.

[bouncymonkey.livejournal.com]

Very impressive list! I've not been doing that well this year, as have discovered that while I adore my new mp3 player for the tube, I emphatically cannot read and listen at the same time. So I'm playing with my new gadget at the mo ;)

Oh, I didn't know that the McCall Smith books had come to a close. I've read up to the fourth one I think, but like you, am getting a bit tired of them. I got 'The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom' for Christmas, but haven't got round to reading it yet.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm wrong about that - In the Company of Cheerful Ladies continues the saga, but I don't have that one. I probably won't actively seek it out, but I'd borrow it from someone.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

What was Provincial Daughter like?
And what did you think of Biddy and Quilla? I have just re-read the 3 Shortt stories and am trying to decide whether to re-read all the others while I am at it.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Provincial Daughter was okay - certainly not a patch on Provincial Lady though. It's quite funny, although her attempts to ape her mother's style annoyed me for the first few pages, but mostly it's interesting for a comparison. It's about her experiences as a 50s mother/wife, as PL was about 20s (30s?) mother/wife experiences, and the differences in so short a time are really great. paid help is the most striking, I think.

Biddy and Quilla was good, but not as good as the long family of Shortt. My favourite Evelyn Smith's probably The Small Sixth Form, or maybe Milly in the Fifth. Also very fond of Alison Temple.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

I don't know Alison Temple. Or do you mean the Winifred Darch one? WD is an author I have always wanted to explore further.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Doh - I do mean the Winifred Darch one. WD is very like ES, I think - I can lend you some if you'd like.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

I am having a doh moment too - I thought it was Wednesday today. So you couldn't watch DH tonight.
I would love to borrow some Winifred Darch some time. I am doing a Mapp and Lucia re-read at the mo - do you like E F Benson?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've actually read any - I know that I should, as I think I'd enjoy them.

I'm in Peterborough for Easter, and I'll grab some to send up to you. Are there any in particular you'd like, or shall I just select a few favourites?

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

Oh just select. I have the Lower Fourth and Joan but I think that's the only one (in storage at the mo so I can't check).

Would you like to borrow some E F Benson? I have some here, but some are in storage - I'm sure you would enjoy him.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I think that there are some in the uni library I can get - which would save postage. I will definitely check them out though, I've heard only good things, and you've jogged my memory.

[rosmar.livejournal.com]

I love your monthly book posts. Think I'll steal the idea for mine own . . .

Hurray for the Daily Show book! Hope you enjoyed it; it's a screamingly funny read, IMO.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

They're a good tool for keeping track of what I've been reading, and also for getting me to read more, because I'm a complete show-off with reading, and I like making the posts.

I loved the Daily Show book - so funny, so biting, so informative! I miss the Daily Show.