literary hoohah
I first read Shirley Jackson a few years ago, and saw this biography advertised shortly after - and immediately wanted to read it. Even before I'd read Jackson's work I was intrigued by her and her life, and of course a biography is the perfect way to explore that. If you've ever read any of… Continue reading Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin (2016)
I'm back! As you may have seen on my Instagram, I was recently on holiday (again) and so everything was a bit quiet... but I'm now back and ready to get back into blogging. I am right at the end of Emma by Jane Austen, so I will be writing about that soon, as well… Continue reading Half-year review: best books of 2018 so far!
I bought my copy of Jane Austen at Home while on holiday in Devon, when I ran out of reading material (first time in my life that I only packed one book, silly me). I ended up reading it mostly after the holiday, but starting it in picturesque Devon only added to my joy at… Continue reading Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley (2017)
I honestly didn’t know much about Joan Leigh Fermor when I asked for this book for Christmas last year, but I knew a little about her travel writer husband Paddy, and the blurb intrigued me. I decided to take the book in holiday with me to Devon, where I read it in two days, mostly… Continue reading Joan: The Remarkable Life of Joan Leigh Fermor by Simon Fenwick (2017)
I discovered this book through the wonder that is GoodReads recommendations, which are surprisingly good at times. I have found a number of unknown-to-me books this way that I ended up loving. I've been on a non-fiction kick recently, and have always loved reading unusual or off-beat memoirs, especially by women. The Bridesmaid's Daughter has… Continue reading The Bridesmaid’s Daughter by Nyna Giles (2018)
I'm sure you have now heard about WWW Wednesday (even I know about it), but to recap, this is what it entails - you must post about three books: What you most recently finished reading What you are currently reading What you will read next Here are mine! What I recently finished reading: Young and… Continue reading WWW Wednesday, 19th April 2017
I read a biography of Byron when I was about 17 or 18, having been introduced to him by a teacher. I fell in love with his life story, the drama and romance, the scandal, and of course the poetry. I automatically took his side in the break with his wife Annabella (which happened as… Continue reading The Elusive Ada Lovelace
I think we can all agree that a mythology has grown around Sylvia Plath and her husband Ted Hughes. Both her writing and her short life were undoubtedly remarkable, but it is also the fact of Hughes' control over what was published or not published after her death that has gained notoriety and drawn endless… Continue reading Can We Agree On No More Sylvia Plath Biographies?
This book came to me entirely by chance when I saw it was up for grabs from the publisher Gallic Books on Twitter. I had heard of Helena Rubinstein at some point, not sure where, but my first memory of hearing her name was in an episode of Sex and the City when the girls… Continue reading Helena Rubinstein: The Woman Who Invented Beauty by Michele Fitoussi
Deadlines are generally a good thing but when it comes to this book it's a good thing that I didn't have one. I bought it of my own volition and read it, and thought about it for a long time, and attended a Q&A with the author, and only now am I about ready to… Continue reading Mad Girl’s Love Song: Sylvia Plath and Life Before Ted by Andrew Wilson
