literary hoohah
Identity is a theme, or issue, that I think becomes part of all autobiography or memoir; to write about oneself it to write about who you are and why. This is certainly the case with the wonderful Tracks by Robyn Davidson. She not only writes about her own experience – it is a singular, personal… Continue reading Tracks by Robyn Davidson
I’d had this on my reading list for a while, and when I decided to sack off TBR 20 (we all knew it was coming - more in another blog post to come) I went to Waterstones in Oxford, and this was one the three books I bought (three! Such a delight. Lots of points… Continue reading Witches: James I and the English Witch Hunts by Tracy Borman
Well this was an odd one. Purchased on a whim (something I do quite rarely these days) and never before heard about, I decided to take a chance with Hideous Creatures. And boy was it taking a chance. The premise is relatively simple: ‘youngest son of an illustrious line’ Arthur Hallingham flees from scandal in… Continue reading Hideous Creatures by S. E. Lister
I came across The Blue Tattoo by chance, when author Peggy Riley tweeted about it (so long ago that I'm afraid I can't find the original tweet). As soon as I heard about it I knew I wanted to read it. It was unlike anything I had ever read before, but it instantly appealed to… Continue reading The Blue Tattoo by Margot Mifflin (2009)
The Ladies of the House has had a lot of hype around it, and is a big new title for Picador (a publisher I've found to be reliably quite good). The cover alone intrigued me when I saw it shared over and over on Twitter, and I had to get in on the action and… Continue reading The Ladies of the House by Molly McGrann
I don't remember the impetus behind my finally buying a copy of Bonjour Tristesse, but I'm glad I did. Honestly it sat on my shelf for a long time - there are too many new books! - but deciding to do TBR20 made me pick it up again. I have a beautiful PMC edition whose… Continue reading Sweet Francoise
My cousin and I used to write letters to each other when we were about seven. I have always exchanged letters with my aunt who lives in Austria. I have written to my old teachers. But I don't write as many letters as I used to - too little time, too easy to write an… Continue reading A Love Letter to… Letters
Today is all about the solar eclipse - but it’s also about happiness. Today is the International Day of Happiness, which I think is really cool and important. Happiness is often something we take for granted, and I very much like that a day is dedicated to it. It’s a chance to think about what… Continue reading International Happiness Day
Spring is (kind of) in the air, and I at least am starting to long for the warmer weather, no need for a big coat, sun shining down… and what better way to embrace the new (slightly) warmer weather with an appropriate book? Yes, it has the wrong season in the title, but Summer Crossing… Continue reading Top 5 Books for Spring!
How is your GoodReads challenge going this year? Mine is not going well. I've read three books and am apparently five books behind schedule. You know why? A Song of Ice and Fire. I've been reading A Clash of Kings for what feels like a year, and I'm only just over halfway through. There was… Continue reading An Update (That Inevitably Includes ASOIAF)
These Little Words 