callmemadam | What shall I read?

I’m having a terrible time settling to reading at the moment. I have any number of books around, started but not finished. Being so stressed out by builders means that the highlight of my day is getting into bed with a hot water bottle and a cosy Mrs Malory Mystery; saddo me. The exception is Hopes and Fears by Charlotte M Yonge which is new to me and totally gripping. I revere that lady so much that she deserves another post of her own.

All the books in the picture above came into the house yesterday. Thin Blue Smoke by Doug Worgul I was lucky enough to win in a draw over on the dovegreyreader blog. ‘A novel about music, food and love’; well, two out of three ain’t bad and dovegrey certainly made me want to read it. From the library comes La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith. I heard this on Book at Bedtime, or would have done if I hadn’t regularly dropped off to sleep before the end of each episode. Let’s hope reading it will prove less soporific. I’ve just ordered Tea Time for the Traditionally Built. I was tempted because The Book People have it for £4.99 but adding on their postage charge made it cheaper from Amazon (with Prime). Goody, another parcel will be on its way.
Also from the library is Anna Shepard’s How Green are my Wellies?. I picked this up thinking it would be about gardening but see it actually deals with green matters generally. Hmm. The author writes for The Times and has a green blog. It will have to be very good to please me.

The top three books on the pile also came from the library but I bought them for ten pence each. This is shocking, really; only one of them is in poor enough condition IMO to warrant throwing out. Damsel in Distress is part of The Everyman Wodehouse series and is in just about perfect condition. Donna Leon: some say one thing, some say another. The books are never in the library or in any charity shops so I was happy to risk twenty pence to find out if I will be a Brunetti fan. Although I’m pleased to have the books, I still think it quite wrong that for every new book coming into the library, an old one has to go.

To add to my weekend’s reading pleasure, Folly Magazine arrived today.

lizarfau, First Term at Cotterford is highly recommended!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think it's that time of year when you are betwixt and between ... the days are lengthening and yet you crave comfort reading still, not quite able to slip off the literary rug and cast aside the mug of cocoa. I too would've received Folly magazine today had I not forgotten to send in my subscription, so I must do that forthwith! I didn't know anyone else who read this, and now I do (i.e. yourself!)
I, similarly, have several books started ... Ladies of the Grand Tour by Brian Dolan, a biog of Emily Post, the doyenne of etiquette in Edwardian America, the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year (East of the Sun) and several others, including some new Shire Books. Shire is now owned by Osprey and their books have a bright new livery. I loved the old Shire books, but the new cream livery is exceedingly smart and some of the forthcoming titles are certainly worth investigation: Markets & Marketplaces, the Victorians and Edwardians at Play, The English Pleasure Garden 1660-1860 to name but three.
Margaret Powling

gosh, we have lots of Donna Leon books on our van, and that's tiny compared to the town libraries! Is it because your library doesn't stock them, or are they always out on loan?

I've started reading the Agatha Raisin books on your recommendation: very entertaining!

I think it's because they keep selling them!

Poor you with the builder stress! A Mrs Malory and hot water bottle sound very comforting though. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Donna Leon. I found them fun, but with my usual method of reading them all - very samey and terribly "in" with their themes and perfect home cooking and family life (obviously so unlike my own I must be jealous!). Ordered Tea Time too - such a perfect title! Rest up and feel better!

Thank you: a nice Saturday with gardening has helped. Five weeks and they certainly won't finish this week! Keep telling myself to hang on in there.

My subscription is out of date for Folly, so I haven't seen the review. I'm glad the reviewer liked it! Who is the reviewer, do you know?
I bought a bunch of Armada paperbacks very cheaply yesterday - some Pat Smythes, a Mary Gervaise, plus Monica Edwards's Fire in the Punchbowl - not sure when I'll actually read that one, if ever!!! :-) - and a hardback of her Killer Dog. There was a Famous Five paperback too, which I bought for Gabe.

Sue Sims!

Good finds but I agree that now is not the time to read Fire in the Punchbowl. I was sorry to read that you're still under threat.

I read 'A Damsel in Distress' (the same lovely Overlook Press edition that you have) last month and enjoyed it very much.

I didn't register when I typed my first reply that you have the Everyman edition of the book. Enjoy!

Thank you! Its one I've never read before.

If there's anything I can do to further encourage you to read Thin Blue Smoke, please let me know. I think you'll like it.

Doug Worgul

Hello, and welcome! It's jumped right up the TBR pile:-)

You're most gracious. Especially in light of my blatant self-promotion.

drw

What shall I read?

Reading and FOLLY

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Thin Blue Smoke

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