March Books

[slemslempike]

Technically a bit early, but I won't finish what I'm reading tonight, as My Idea of Fun by Will Self is not my idea of a comforting bedtime read. I have changed the date to cheat.

March
The Penge Bungalow Murders - John Mortimer
Post Secret book
The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Nancy: The Life of Nancy Astor - Christopher Sykes
The Odd Women - George Gissing
Time and Tide - Edna O'Brien
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

I was sure I'd read more than this, but it seems that I really didn't. I have got about five books that I'm in various stages of though. I appear to be undermining my belief that how many books you read doesn't matter (apart from enabling graphs and tables), but more it's that there was a huge gap between the Post Secret book and the Grand Sophy, and I can't not have read in between then because what else would I have done? But apparently the answer is watch TV, which I enjoyed greatly and don't regret at all. Must relearn how to combine the two activities though.

The John Mortimer I picked up at the Chicklit swap, and was surprised quite how much I enjoyed it. I never remember between times that I do greatly enjoy crime books, and I don't think I've read one from a barrister's point of view rather than a detective before. Rumpole is rather wonderful, and I look forward to reading more.

Oh, The Grand Sophy! I was reading it on the train and kept poking Alice to tell her bits. She pulled a pistol from her muff! Sophy is now my favouritest heroine in all of fiction and I can't believe I haven't read any Georgette Heyer before. I've always been aware of her because she is so attached to girlsownyness, but somehow the jackets in the shop always put me off. I have been a fool. I love Sophy to death. I am going to reread the book as soon as I finish the others I am in the middle of to spur me on.

Nancy Astor had a fascinating life, and I feel a bit awful for not having realised that she was quite an ardent feminist, as I think I just saw 'Conservative' and went all modern on her. However, I would like to read a biography where the author says "as the writer knows" far less often. I also have the Collis biography at home, which I shall attempt at some stage. And reading that will hopefully let me feel all knowledgeable from having read most of the information already.

The Odd Women was brilliant and I intend to read more of him when I can. It was a little odd that the older sisters seemed to disappear for a huge chunk of the book when it appeared that they were going to be central early on, but all the characters were interesting, and Rhoda was very real, and I wish I could have been mentored by her. Time and Tide was sad. I like Edna O'Brien, but her characters make me feel frustrated because I can't go round to their houses and help.

I bought A Tale of Two Cities rather frantically in a bookshop in Istanbul as it was really cheap and I was running low. I don't like Dickens. The writing mostly, although occasionally there is a sentence that I reread with pleasure. He is not for me, though I did really like the atmosphere of revolutionary France.

Comments

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

Hurray! You liked Sophy! This pleases me greatly. And yes, ignore the jackets, as either they have very 60s ideas of Regency hair and make-up (some of the old paperbacks) or twee soft-focus paintings (the annoyingly large recent paperbacks). I quite like the ones with street scenes and little oval miniatures.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I have a 60s paperback, which I rather love for its strange hair. I quite like anachronisms when they are from a different time from now. I shall have to return to Morecambe and get the rest of the stack and luxuriate in them for a time.

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

Stack. Whole stack. *salivates* Not that I can complain, because that happened to me one time in Wellington and now I am all stocked up.