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

[owl]

Oh, you liked Sophy!

(I have a Greasemonkey script that chooses a random icon whenever I post, and by serendipity it chose 'Heyer' this time!)

The new Arrow books editions have less blush-making covers—sort of random Regency art, but they also bear no relation to the contents.

[owl]

Btw, I am jediowl in a new guise, not a random user.

[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.

[coughingbear]

The Grand Sophy is one of my favourite heroines, so I'm always delighted to hear about someone else falling for her. And am very jealous that you still have all the rest of Georgette Heyer's books to read for the first time.

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

I ADORE THE GRAND SOPHY. It's probably one of my favourite Heyers and I'm obsessed with pretty much all of them!

I saw you'd read it and got all anxious at the thought you might not have liked it and then all pleased that you did. Hurray!

[pisica.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend The Nether World as a follow-up Gissing. It's on Project Gutenberg, and Oxford World's Classics reprinted it.

[anglaisepaon.livejournal.com]

Yay! for The Grand Sophy! That book always makes me want to get a monkey and name him Jacko.

[ex-humanfema327.livejournal.com]

i put a book on bookcrossing! or something.
do you use one of those sites where you record what you've been reading?

[hunningham.livejournal.com]

How nice to be reading Heyer for the first time, and to be secure in the knowledge that there are lots more. I found them when I was about sixteen and, tho' still loved, all sense of discovery has long gone.