May books

[callmemadam]

June already, though you’d hardly know it from the temperature. Where did May go? Why have I read so few books? Questions, questions, flooding into the mind of the concerned young person today (© F. Zappa).

Thyme Out, Katie Fforde. A business growing exotic salads, a feisty old woman friend and an ex-husband appearing out of the blue. What will happen to Perdita? Guess! Very enjoyable.

The Unfortunates, Laurie Graham. Already reviewed and my Book of the Month.

The Shop on Blossom Street, Debbie Macomber. Not impressed.

Flora’s Lot, Katie Fforde. See above and post on subject.

Case Histories, Kate Atkinson. Gripping and I now have One Good Turn waiting to be read.

The Princess Diaries Sixsational, Meg Cabot. I love these books for the language but Hello. Meg Cabot has fully stolen from Adrian Mole again.

The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame. This is the one I have to review for Blog a Penguin Classic. Every time you read it it’s a different experience. This is strange, because what one most looks for in a re-read is to repeat the same enjoyable experience over and over.

The Life of a Provincial Lady (E M Delafield), Violet Powell. So of course I had to read
The Diary of a Provincial Lady, E M Delafield yet again.

Still ploughing through Hermione Lee’s biography of Virginia Woolf. About time I cracked this one.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Wind in the Willows reminds me of my schooldays. Ah happy thoughts. When I was 10 years old, we did Toad of Toad Hall as the Junior School play.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I remember a group of actors performing Toad of Toad Hall for us at Infant School.

[(Anonymous)]

When we did it I loved the costumes and the fun of the part where the weasels overan Toad Hall. It is one of the few plays in which I enjoyed acting.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That's the part I remembered best as a child, I loved Ratty running round saying 'Here's a pistol for the mole...' etc.

May Books

[(Anonymous)]

Katie Fforde's latest, Wedding Season, arrived on my desk this morning. Now, whilst I love Katie's books, I don't particularly like weddings as a subject for books (even though I enjoyed the one about a wedding penned by Adele Geras.) So, it will be interesting to see whether I enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed Katie's previous 13 books!
Current reading is Judith Lennox's Before the Storm. I've come late to Ms Lennox, don't know why I've not read her before and now I have I find her novels most enjoyable, similar in many ways to Rosamunde Pilcher at her best.
Provincial Lady? Ooh, that's an all-time favourite, as are Mrs Miniver (Jan Struther) and 84 Charing Cross Road (Helene Hanff) and One Fine Day (Mollie Panter Downes.)

Re: May Books

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I think I could enjoy a wedding book (also liked the Adèle Geras one) if there's plenty of detail about clothes, flowers and so on. I love all three of the last books you mention but I've never heard of Judith Lennox, so thank you! another author to look out for.

Re: May Books

[(Anonymous)]

If you like Rosamunde Pilcher and, perhaps to a lesser extent Marcia Willett (her characters are all of a certain millieu, silver spoon and all that ...) then you would enjoy Lennox. Have you read Sarah Challis? I love her books and can't wait for another to be available. I am enjoying this latest Lennox, and on the strength of that and Writing on Glass, I shall order more of her novels. I'm in the 'saga reading' mood at the moment, after a spate of crime novels. And I'm dipping into Elspeth Thompson's Urban Gardener (her columns for the Sunday Telegraph compiled) as well.

Re: May Books

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I've never read any of those authors! Perhaps I should give them a go.

I used to enjoy reading Elspeth Thompson's gardening articles but after a while I got irritated by how much richer she is than I am and how much easier it is to garden as she does (two homes) in those circumstances.

Re: May Books

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, I can see how that would irritate (her being richer and having two homes ...) I've not yet read very much of Urban Gardener and have just taken delivery of A Tale of Two Gardens, so I hope I don't get fed up with them too quickly. If I do, there's always www.readitswapit.co.uk !!!

Re: May Books

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

:-)