I purchased Cheerful Weather for the Wedding while out with other bloggers and book-tubers when we visited the lovely Persephone shop on Lamb's Conduit Street in London, and it is the first Persephone I have ever actually read, despite having admired their books for some time. I would encourage a visit to the shop if… Continue reading Meeting Persephone Books: Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey
Tag: 20th Century
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (1951)
I had never read anything by Shirley Jackson before this, and I don't know what it was specifically that made me choose this book, Hangsaman, over her others. Possibly because it was just not the one that everyone has been talking about recently (that would be We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which honestly… Continue reading Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (1951)
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Nietzsche’s sister, the Nazis, and Nueva Germania
I came across Forgotten Fatherland in the Recommendations section of GoodReads (surprisingly good!), and it instantly appealed to me, partly because it just sounded so weird that I needed to find out more about it. Essentially it is the story of Elisabeth Nietzsche, sister of the more famous Friedrich. I didn’t really know that much… Continue reading Nietzsche’s sister, the Nazis, and Nueva Germania
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Tracks by Robyn Davidson
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
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The Blue Tattoo by Margot Mifflin (2009)
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)
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Sweet Francoise
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
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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I was always ‘one of those people’ who had not read To Kill A Mockingbird, and people’s amazement and indignation at this did nothing but annoy me. It did not make me want to read the book, despite it looking like something I would really enjoy. It was only the recent announcement of the discovery… Continue reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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Julius by Daphne du Maurier
Having only read Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, and some short stories, I was eager to branch out into the less obvious novels of Daphne du Maurier. For years I have found her and her work fascinating, and always tell other people they should read her - and yet Julius is only the third novel of… Continue reading Julius by Daphne du Maurier
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Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (Part of the Capote Readathon)
Like most people, I think, I saw the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's before I read the book. The film itself is so famous, so remembered for the iconic images of Audrey Hepburn with her pearls, and her sunglasses, and her cigarette in its holder, that I think sometimes the details of the story… Continue reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (Part of the Capote Readathon)
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The Collector by John Fowles
What makes a book a 'classic'? What makes it last, what makes publishers choose to reprint it for years? Popularity is certainly a huge factor; but what about 'cult classics' or those that are a little under the radar? Take for instance The Collector by John Fowles - what made Vintage reprint it in 2004… Continue reading The Collector by John Fowles
These Little Words 