World Book Day

[callmemadam]

More of an anti-book day, as this survey shows. Why would anyone pretend to have read 1984? You could read it in an hour.

The thought of having nothing to read fills me with panic, so before I moved house I took a small cardboard box, wrote on it in large black letters ‘Please Leave’ and packed it with books to take with me in the car, just in case.





The Diary of a Nobody, George & Weedon Grossmith
John and Mary Detectives, Grace James
Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
My Man Jeeves, P G Wodehouse
The Pursuit of Love, Nancy Mitford
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Ballet Shoes, Noel Streatfeild
The Summer of the Great Secret, Monica Edwards
The New Testament
Emma, Jane Austen
Middlemarch, George Eliot

All guaranteed to please. I added some books I hadn’t yet read and felt ready for anything. What do you think you’d take?

Comments

[lizarfau.livejournal.com]

When we evacuated (twice!) because of the fires, I didn't take any of my books apart from a copy of Great Expectations, which belonged to my grandad (I kept it so I'd still have something of his if we lost everything) and Five Fall Into Adventure, which Gabe was currently reading. Although I'd have hated to lose my books, when it came down to that 'flight' situation, I figured that they were, mostly, replaceable. I didn't take anything to read even, because I wouldn't have been able to focus on it. Actually, I haven't been able to read anything since this whole thing - now over, thankfully - started.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I think you've been very brave. I know what you mean about not reading. Life is so stressful for me at the moment (though nothing to compare with your situation) that I only read in bed and then just manage a chapter or two.

[lizarfau.livejournal.com]

It's not being brave, really. It's more: this is the situation, it has to be dealt with in this way. It's all been very surreal.

I'm watching Secret Army on DVD to unwind! Hopefully, I'll get back to reading soon.

Is Summer of the Great Secret a Lindsey Thornton one or a Tamsin one? I keep seeing it everywhere and have never read it.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Summer of the Great Secret is the second Tamzin book; just her and Rissa before Meryon and Roger come on the scene. It's not the best but it's my favourite, probably because I read it so often when I was a child.

[(Anonymous)]

Heh. Once you've got your favourite Mitford and your favourite Austen, nothing can go wrong. I'd go for The Pursuit of Love, too, but probably Persuasion for the Austen.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

We all need these little security blankets.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

Lots of my favourites there too - I haven't read any Grace James since I was a child, when I had John and Mary Abroad. I would have put in I Capture the Castle, and Peter's Room too.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I Capture the Castle: yes. Peter's Room: not for me.

I've got some spare John and Mary books. If I knew which box they were in and if I could get into the book chalet which is full of new kitchen, I would offer them to you!

books

[(Anonymous)]

What a great selection of books! Though I haven't heard of either the Monica Edwards or the Grace James - intriguing...
Simon

Re: books

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Monica Edwards was my childhood favourite. She wrote two linked series of books, one set around Rye in Sussex, the other in the Devil's Punchbowl in Surrey. See link on the left to an excellent site dedicated to her books.
Grace James should be much better known! This icon shows some of her books.

[gghost.livejournal.com]

Off the top of my head, I would take 'Possession' (A.S. Byatt), 'Summer Half' and 'Pomfret Towers' (Angela Thirkell), and all of my Wodehouse.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I can't think how Angela Thirkell got left out! But then I had no Heyer or Margery Allingham. It's so hard to choose, isn't it?

Diary of a Nobody

[(Anonymous)]

Diary of a Nobody is one of my fave books of all time. I've read it at least twice. Scriptor Senex is a fan, too.

Re: Diary of a Nobody

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It's one of my top comfort books. I loved the television series a couple of years ago, with Hugh Bonneville. John Betjeman was a great fan of course:
Dear Charles and Carrie, I am sure,
Despite that awkward Sunday dinner,
Your lives were good and more secure
Than ours at cocktail time in Pinner.