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The longlist for the Baileys prize was announced on International Women's Day, and seeing as I try every single year to read the longlist, I thought I would try again this year. I try, you see, and never ever succeed. A couple of years because Home City library system only had a third of the books and I didn't have any spare money, a couple of years because Home City library system did have all the books, but I was an idiot and put them allllll on my hold list at the same time which meant they all came in at around the same time, and I just caffled under the pressure. And last year I failed because whilst it might seem like a nice distraction, it turns out my brain just wanted to inhale childhood favourites.
But! This year! I'm putting the list here for accountability. And yes, I get to cheat a little because I've already read Kate Atkinson's A God in Ruins twice and whilst I loved it, it is also long and I didn't read it that long ago.
Kate Atkinson, God in Ruins - READ
Shirley Barrett, Rush Oh!
Cynthia Bond, Ruby
Geraldine Brooks, The Secret Chord – IN HOME CITY LIBRARY
Becky Chambers, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – READ - 25/03/206
( Mini Review! )
Jackie Copleton, A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding – READ - 22/03/2016
( Mini Review! )
Rachel Elliot, Whispering Through A Megaphone – READ - 10/03/2016
( Mini review! )
Anne Enright, The Green Road – READ - 12/04/2016
( Mini Review! )
Petina Gappah, The Book of Memory
Vesna Goldsworthy, Gorsky – READ - ~16/04/2016
( Mini Review! )
Clio Gray, The Anatomist’s Dream - READ - 02/04/2016
( Mini Review! )
Melissa Harrison, At Hawthorn Time - READ - 06/04/2016
( Mini Review! )
Attica Locke, Pleasantville – READ - 14/03/2016
( Mini Review! )
Lisa McInerney, The Glorious Heresies - READ - 18/03/2016
( Mini Review! )
Elizabeth McKenzie, The Portable Veblen – IN HOME CITY LIBRARY
Sara Novic, Girl At War - READ - 28.03.2016.
( Mini Review! )
Julia Rochester, The House on the Edge of the World – IN HOME CITY LIBRARY
Hannah Rothschild, The Improbability of Love – IN HOME CITY LIBRARY
Elizabeth Strout, My Name is Lucy Barton – IN HOME CITY LIBRARY
Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life – IN HOME CITY LIBRARY
Holiday Cards!
Dec. 4th, 2020 04:21 pmI am super behind on the organisation for this, this year (oh, 2020 the year of "I'm so sorry for the delay") but, if you would like a holiday card from me, please do fill in this google form. If you don't want to use the form you can e-mail me: liseusester (@) gmail (.) com or drop a reply in the comments - I'll leave them screened.
REMINDER OF THE RULES (hah, rules!):
- I do this because I love doing it. I don't expect a card in return.
- I will send cards anywhere in the world.
- I just really like sending these - WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE INTERACTED EVER. Please link this around if you want to / think you know people who could do with a card!
- I will address cards to your fandom name if you want, or to your legal name, or to any other name you want me to use. Unless it's going to land me in prison, just saying.
- Even if I have sent you one before, or you've sent me something before, please please give me your address - I have a horrendous ability to lose them. Look on the bright side, I'm never going to turn up unannounced. I won't be able to remember where you live.
REMINDER OF THE RULES (hah, rules!):
- I do this because I love doing it. I don't expect a card in return.
- I will send cards anywhere in the world.
- I just really like sending these - WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE INTERACTED EVER. Please link this around if you want to / think you know people who could do with a card!
- I will address cards to your fandom name if you want, or to your legal name, or to any other name you want me to use. Unless it's going to land me in prison, just saying.
- Even if I have sent you one before, or you've sent me something before, please please give me your address - I have a horrendous ability to lose them. Look on the bright side, I'm never going to turn up unannounced. I won't be able to remember where you live.
1. Made biscuits from scratch?
Assuming this means American biscuits, no. I have, in fact, never eaten an American biscuit. I'm not averse to the concept, but they're not in frequent supply in Home City and its environs.
2. Fried fresh okra?
No, I can't seem to develop a taste for okra although mostly because the slime factor puts me off.
3. Made sourdough bread?
Yes, but not frequently. This has not been my lockdown project.
4. Fried chicken?
Yes, but I prefer breading it and cooking it in the oven. Purely from a clean up perspective.
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch?
Yes. I've never bought one of the jarred ones and a basic sauce for spaghetti (although I prefer linguine or tagliatelle) was one of the first things my mother taught me how to cook.
6. Made any kind of yeast bread?
Yes, one loaf basically every week.
7. Baked a cake from scratch?
Yes, plenty of times although not particularly in the last couple of years.
8. Made icing from scratch?
Yes.
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg?
Yes, but only once. I wasn't enthralled.
10. Made chili from scratch?
Yes, but not frequently.
11. Made a meatloaf?
No, and the concept doesn't appeal.
12. Made scalloped potatoes?
Having googled and read other people's answers, this seems to mean gratin, so yes. I adore gratin but it's a tad too faffy to be done particularly frequently but gratin dauphinois is usually on my Christmas dinner table.
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch?
Yes, a thousand times. I love macaroni cheese and make it approximately once a month.
14. Made a jello salad?
No, and for that I am fervently thankful.
15. Made peanut brittle?
No
16. Made fudge?
Yes. Falls under 'not really worth the clean up' for me.
17. Made cookies from scratch?
Yes
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans?
Yes, but not frequently.
19. Cooked a pot of greens?
No
20. Made cornbread from scratch?
No
21. Made a pie dough from scratch?
Yes. I will happily make shortcrust and hot-water pastry. If a recipe calls for rough-puff, puff, or filo, I am headed straight for the Jus-Rol.
22. Cooked a whole turkey?
No. We didn't do turkey at Christmas when I was growing up because no one liked it.
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them?
Well, I've topped and tailed them with a knife and then cooked them.
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch?
Yes.
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for?
Cooking solo, maybe five? Cooking with someone else, 20 (The PSF used to do catering for dinner parties).
26. Poached an egg?
Yes, but I have those silicone cup things because I can't be bothered to try and get the hang of doing it without. I am struck by the desire for a poached egg approximately once a year.
27. Made pancakes from scratch?
Yes.
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them?
Yes
29. Made fresh pasta?
Once. It was not a success but I will try again at some point.
30. Made croissants from scratch?
Yes, once. Definitely in the camp of 'not worth the effort, just buy them' for me.
31. Made tuna salad?
Yes, but not often. I like tinned tuna but I prefer it in tuna mayonnaise sandwich and I like fresh tuna with vegetables.
32. Fried fish?
In a pan, yes. Deep fried, no.
33. Made baked beans?
No, I don't like them all that much.
34. Made ice cream from scratch?
No.
35. Made jam or jelly?
I definitely helped make it as a child but have never done it solo.
36. Zested an orange or lemon?
Yes
37. Made grits from scratch?
No. Like biscuits I have never eaten grits.
38. Made an omelette?
Yes
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher?
Yes. We didn't have one when I was a child. We got one when I was about 9, I think - and it might have been because it was in the house we bought. Then as a student I didn't have one, and I don't have one now. People occasionally ask why not and then I draw a diagram of my kitchen and laugh (it's a teensy galley kitchen).
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper?
Yes, but not for a few years.
Assuming this means American biscuits, no. I have, in fact, never eaten an American biscuit. I'm not averse to the concept, but they're not in frequent supply in Home City and its environs.
2. Fried fresh okra?
No, I can't seem to develop a taste for okra although mostly because the slime factor puts me off.
3. Made sourdough bread?
Yes, but not frequently. This has not been my lockdown project.
4. Fried chicken?
Yes, but I prefer breading it and cooking it in the oven. Purely from a clean up perspective.
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch?
Yes. I've never bought one of the jarred ones and a basic sauce for spaghetti (although I prefer linguine or tagliatelle) was one of the first things my mother taught me how to cook.
6. Made any kind of yeast bread?
Yes, one loaf basically every week.
7. Baked a cake from scratch?
Yes, plenty of times although not particularly in the last couple of years.
8. Made icing from scratch?
Yes.
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg?
Yes, but only once. I wasn't enthralled.
10. Made chili from scratch?
Yes, but not frequently.
11. Made a meatloaf?
No, and the concept doesn't appeal.
12. Made scalloped potatoes?
Having googled and read other people's answers, this seems to mean gratin, so yes. I adore gratin but it's a tad too faffy to be done particularly frequently but gratin dauphinois is usually on my Christmas dinner table.
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch?
Yes, a thousand times. I love macaroni cheese and make it approximately once a month.
14. Made a jello salad?
No, and for that I am fervently thankful.
15. Made peanut brittle?
No
16. Made fudge?
Yes. Falls under 'not really worth the clean up' for me.
17. Made cookies from scratch?
Yes
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans?
Yes, but not frequently.
19. Cooked a pot of greens?
No
20. Made cornbread from scratch?
No
21. Made a pie dough from scratch?
Yes. I will happily make shortcrust and hot-water pastry. If a recipe calls for rough-puff, puff, or filo, I am headed straight for the Jus-Rol.
22. Cooked a whole turkey?
No. We didn't do turkey at Christmas when I was growing up because no one liked it.
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them?
Well, I've topped and tailed them with a knife and then cooked them.
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch?
Yes.
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for?
Cooking solo, maybe five? Cooking with someone else, 20 (The PSF used to do catering for dinner parties).
26. Poached an egg?
Yes, but I have those silicone cup things because I can't be bothered to try and get the hang of doing it without. I am struck by the desire for a poached egg approximately once a year.
27. Made pancakes from scratch?
Yes.
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them?
Yes
29. Made fresh pasta?
Once. It was not a success but I will try again at some point.
30. Made croissants from scratch?
Yes, once. Definitely in the camp of 'not worth the effort, just buy them' for me.
31. Made tuna salad?
Yes, but not often. I like tinned tuna but I prefer it in tuna mayonnaise sandwich and I like fresh tuna with vegetables.
32. Fried fish?
In a pan, yes. Deep fried, no.
33. Made baked beans?
No, I don't like them all that much.
34. Made ice cream from scratch?
No.
35. Made jam or jelly?
I definitely helped make it as a child but have never done it solo.
36. Zested an orange or lemon?
Yes
37. Made grits from scratch?
No. Like biscuits I have never eaten grits.
38. Made an omelette?
Yes
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher?
Yes. We didn't have one when I was a child. We got one when I was about 9, I think - and it might have been because it was in the house we bought. Then as a student I didn't have one, and I don't have one now. People occasionally ask why not and then I draw a diagram of my kitchen and laugh (it's a teensy galley kitchen).
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper?
Yes, but not for a few years.
• What are you currently reading?
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.
I really love Tyler's prose. It is somehow sparse and economical and at the same time possessing a lovely wry and familial character. A Spool of Blue Thread is the story of the Whitshank family through the generations and of their house through the same.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Freedom & Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust.
If you like political history and a fantasy element and want to meet an imagined Friedrich Engels whilst enjoying the epistolary genre, this is probably the book for you? This was a comfort re-read for me. Engels's father owned factories in Salford, and Engels lived in Manchester for years. For my father, who was born and grew up in Salford, this is very exciting and I grew up on tales of Engels and Marx (my father admits freely to having drunk in the pubs that Engels and Marx drank in purely because they did so) and Manchester. Also I took my lj strapline "an houri in sensible stays" from this book.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.
I really love Tyler's prose. It is somehow sparse and economical and at the same time possessing a lovely wry and familial character. A Spool of Blue Thread is the story of the Whitshank family through the generations and of their house through the same.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Freedom & Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust.
If you like political history and a fantasy element and want to meet an imagined Friedrich Engels whilst enjoying the epistolary genre, this is probably the book for you? This was a comfort re-read for me. Engels's father owned factories in Salford, and Engels lived in Manchester for years. For my father, who was born and grew up in Salford, this is very exciting and I grew up on tales of Engels and Marx (my father admits freely to having drunk in the pubs that Engels and Marx drank in purely because they did so) and Manchester. Also I took my lj strapline "an houri in sensible stays" from this book.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
• What are you currently reading?
Freedom & Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust.
Entirely a comfort re-read.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
I said that having some time off work would mean this got progress made! And progress was made! This is, for me, exactly as good as the previous ones and an utter delight to read. I do think there is a sense of re-adjustment that has to be made, particularly if you like me, re-read Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies in anticipation, for the presence of Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves in the narrative. Jane is polite and considered and you can't help but feel intensely relieved for Anne of Cleves who gets to retire to the countryside, head and income intact. They're just not quite the sparring partner that Anne Boleyn was. And, as ever, you know how the book has to end, the joy is in the getting there.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
I read the first three quarters of this in giant, greedy, gulps and then rationed out the last quarter because I didn't want it to end. If you can get over the secondhand embarrassment induced by over-dramatic teenagers in the first chapter (it turns out that my ability to cope with over-dramatic teenagers dropped off a cliff when I stopped being one) this is a glorious book. It covers such a lot! The importance of art, coercive relationships, gender and identity, sexual identity, political identity, the legacies of slavery! And manages, incredibly, to do this without a) feeling a little like a textbook or b) anything feeling extraneous.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
Freedom & Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust.
Entirely a comfort re-read.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
I said that having some time off work would mean this got progress made! And progress was made! This is, for me, exactly as good as the previous ones and an utter delight to read. I do think there is a sense of re-adjustment that has to be made, particularly if you like me, re-read Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies in anticipation, for the presence of Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves in the narrative. Jane is polite and considered and you can't help but feel intensely relieved for Anne of Cleves who gets to retire to the countryside, head and income intact. They're just not quite the sparring partner that Anne Boleyn was. And, as ever, you know how the book has to end, the joy is in the getting there.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
I read the first three quarters of this in giant, greedy, gulps and then rationed out the last quarter because I didn't want it to end. If you can get over the secondhand embarrassment induced by over-dramatic teenagers in the first chapter (it turns out that my ability to cope with over-dramatic teenagers dropped off a cliff when I stopped being one) this is a glorious book. It covers such a lot! The importance of art, coercive relationships, gender and identity, sexual identity, political identity, the legacies of slavery! And manages, incredibly, to do this without a) feeling a little like a textbook or b) anything feeling extraneous.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
• What are you currently reading?
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. This has hit a sort of standstill mostly because it's a very large hardback and quite difficult to read when a cat is desperate to be on your lap, and because it's not exactly suited to sleepy evening/nighttime reading. But, I have next week off on annual leave and thus progress! will! be! made!
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
Evaristo's novel tells the story of twelve interconnected characters, most of whom are black, British women. Their lives all overlap somehow, whether through a childhood connection, or a family relationship, or being in the same theatre audience. I'm only on the second chapter, so full thoughts to come! But, it's a very gripping page-turner of a read.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
If you fancy laughing and crying at a novel which is all about race, gender, existing in London, being angry at gentrification, and trying to get and be better, I'd recommend picking this one up! It's a comic delight!
Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, Book 1 by Mark Lawrence.
This was a gift from a friend, A., who shares the exact same weakness for sprawling epic fantasy novels, ideally with some sort of school or academy in them, as I do. Predictably I adored this. I am forever here for the stories of girls who are sent to Magic School to learn how to poison people, fight their way out of (and let's be real, into) trouble. Add in a soupçon of fairly well-done world building and political intrigue. And then drop in the fact that the school is in fact a convent. There was nothing about this that I was not predisposed to love.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. This has hit a sort of standstill mostly because it's a very large hardback and quite difficult to read when a cat is desperate to be on your lap, and because it's not exactly suited to sleepy evening/nighttime reading. But, I have next week off on annual leave and thus progress! will! be! made!
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
Evaristo's novel tells the story of twelve interconnected characters, most of whom are black, British women. Their lives all overlap somehow, whether through a childhood connection, or a family relationship, or being in the same theatre audience. I'm only on the second chapter, so full thoughts to come! But, it's a very gripping page-turner of a read.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
If you fancy laughing and crying at a novel which is all about race, gender, existing in London, being angry at gentrification, and trying to get and be better, I'd recommend picking this one up! It's a comic delight!
Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, Book 1 by Mark Lawrence.
This was a gift from a friend, A., who shares the exact same weakness for sprawling epic fantasy novels, ideally with some sort of school or academy in them, as I do. Predictably I adored this. I am forever here for the stories of girls who are sent to Magic School to learn how to poison people, fight their way out of (and let's be real, into) trouble. Add in a soupçon of fairly well-done world building and political intrigue. And then drop in the fact that the school is in fact a convent. There was nothing about this that I was not predisposed to love.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
• What are you currently reading?
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
This is a delight of a comic novel set in London, about characters who work in publishing and live in terrible flatshares. It's also a novel about trauma and families, and about race and racism, about gentrification and the commodification of public space.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Ghost Factory by Jenny McCartney.
This novel was going so well! And then it sort of fell over a bit and a character sort of did a thing that was entirely baffling and unbelievable but it did pick itself up and redeem itself by the end.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Evelyn Hugo is a movie star, a 50s knockout bombshell, with seven husbands to her name and a story to tell. But she'll only tell it to Monique. Thus the novel follows Evelyn through the husbands and her career and the things she's done to get where she is, and the things she's proud of and what she regrets. There's a couple of good twists in there and it's very well-written. Apparently it's had quite a lot of hype? I got it from my book subscription box, so I don't know. I can see why there would be, but I don't think I'm entirely convinced.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
This is a delight of a comic novel set in London, about characters who work in publishing and live in terrible flatshares. It's also a novel about trauma and families, and about race and racism, about gentrification and the commodification of public space.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Ghost Factory by Jenny McCartney.
This novel was going so well! And then it sort of fell over a bit and a character sort of did a thing that was entirely baffling and unbelievable but it did pick itself up and redeem itself by the end.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Evelyn Hugo is a movie star, a 50s knockout bombshell, with seven husbands to her name and a story to tell. But she'll only tell it to Monique. Thus the novel follows Evelyn through the husbands and her career and the things she's done to get where she is, and the things she's proud of and what she regrets. There's a couple of good twists in there and it's very well-written. Apparently it's had quite a lot of hype? I got it from my book subscription box, so I don't know. I can see why there would be, but I don't think I'm entirely convinced.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
• What are you currently reading?
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
The Ghost Factory by Jenny McCartney.
McCartney's debut novel is set in Belfast, mainly in the mid-90s, centring on the friendship between Jacky and Titch. I'm only a couple of chapters in but I am enjoying McCartney's wry phrasing which provides slightly unexpected hoots of laughter.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Every time I read this I am delighted anew by the wrangling over whose responsibility the gates are. Oh bureaucracy!
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Re-reading this always reminds me of when a friend read it for the first time and text me to say "you know, I always sort of thought people were joking about the dog collar".
Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers.
There are mothers-in-law and mothers-in-law and whilst I have no desire for one in any way, you could do worse than the Dowager Duchess of Denver. If nothing else you could have great fun rolling the title around in your mouth when referring to her.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
The Ghost Factory by Jenny McCartney.
McCartney's debut novel is set in Belfast, mainly in the mid-90s, centring on the friendship between Jacky and Titch. I'm only a couple of chapters in but I am enjoying McCartney's wry phrasing which provides slightly unexpected hoots of laughter.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Every time I read this I am delighted anew by the wrangling over whose responsibility the gates are. Oh bureaucracy!
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Re-reading this always reminds me of when a friend read it for the first time and text me to say "you know, I always sort of thought people were joking about the dog collar".
Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers.
There are mothers-in-law and mothers-in-law and whilst I have no desire for one in any way, you could do worse than the Dowager Duchess of Denver. If nothing else you could have great fun rolling the title around in your mouth when referring to her.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
*shrug*!
• What are you currently reading?
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
I think I can probably attribute most of my fondness for Jane Seymour (and Thomas Seymour despite his ~everything) to Margaret Irwin's Queen Elizabeth trilogy, and Mantel is just building on that for me.
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Bell ringing! Snow! Hot buttered muffins! (These books always make me so hungry.)
• What did you recently finish reading?
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers.
It is a Sign Of The Times that this mostly made me want to be able to get on a train and go to A Place, Any Place.
Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers.
It is indeed important to clarify what type of wine one should be aiming for when choosing clothing by colour. I love this one with all its code-breaking and equine behaviour intrigue.
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers.
This is one of my favourite Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries despite never quite feeling that the Bright Young Things element works. I just love the world of Pym's Publicity Ltd. and the exploits of Death Bredon. Plus who could help but adore Miss Meteyard. And it's always fun when Helen turns up and is, inevitably, irritated.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Gaudy Night comes next in the Sayers re-read and that is always a delight. Other than that, *shrug* as ever.
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
I think I can probably attribute most of my fondness for Jane Seymour (and Thomas Seymour despite his ~everything) to Margaret Irwin's Queen Elizabeth trilogy, and Mantel is just building on that for me.
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Bell ringing! Snow! Hot buttered muffins! (These books always make me so hungry.)
• What did you recently finish reading?
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers.
It is a Sign Of The Times that this mostly made me want to be able to get on a train and go to A Place, Any Place.
Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers.
It is indeed important to clarify what type of wine one should be aiming for when choosing clothing by colour. I love this one with all its code-breaking and equine behaviour intrigue.
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers.
This is one of my favourite Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries despite never quite feeling that the Bright Young Things element works. I just love the world of Pym's Publicity Ltd. and the exploits of Death Bredon. Plus who could help but adore Miss Meteyard. And it's always fun when Helen turns up and is, inevitably, irritated.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Gaudy Night comes next in the Sayers re-read and that is always a delight. Other than that, *shrug* as ever.
• What are you currently reading?
Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel.
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L Sayers.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Angels and Men by Catherine Fox.
Slightly frustrating in the sense that a lot of it could have been resolved by people just having a conversation! The reasons for people not having the conversations are made clear, but ... still mildly frustrating.
Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles.
Well this was a delight! Intrigue! Spies! Deceit! Used bookshops!
Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers.
Somewhat of a comfort re-read and as delightfully comforting as ever.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Well, Bring Up The Bodies is going to take a little while, and I'm doing a Sayers re-read so probably Have His Carcase. And I placed an order with my favourite little local bookshop so have Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams waiting for me.
Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel.
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L Sayers.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Angels and Men by Catherine Fox.
Slightly frustrating in the sense that a lot of it could have been resolved by people just having a conversation! The reasons for people not having the conversations are made clear, but ... still mildly frustrating.
Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles.
Well this was a delight! Intrigue! Spies! Deceit! Used bookshops!
Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers.
Somewhat of a comfort re-read and as delightfully comforting as ever.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Well, Bring Up The Bodies is going to take a little while, and I'm doing a Sayers re-read so probably Have His Carcase. And I placed an order with my favourite little local bookshop so have Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams waiting for me.
• What are you currently reading?
Angels and Men by Catherine Fox.
Mostly I find myself delighted by how prickly Mara is.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Acts and Omissions, Unseen Things Above, and Realms of Glory (Lindchester Chronicles, 1-3) by Catherine Fox.
I described this to J. when we Skyped as being like Anthony Trollope crossed with Joanna Trollope and she responded with "well, that sounds like exactly your thing". To which, dear reader, I can only cop that yes, yes it is. The intricacies of the CoE continue to baffle and bemuse (I was dragged up Catholic) but I do love catty, snipy, characters, and the geography of a cathedral town will always be incredibly familiar to me.
Love for the Lost by Catherine Fox.
I remain unconvinced by the need to render dialogue phonetically - as a general point in any and all books. Isobel irked me up to a certain point and then I found myself less irked and more worried.
The Benefits of Passion by Catherine Fox.
If I had to spend time in the same room with someone who giggles as much as Annie does, I'd go spare. But some of the giggling is deserved.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
Ugh still so good.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel.
Angels and Men by Catherine Fox.
Mostly I find myself delighted by how prickly Mara is.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Acts and Omissions, Unseen Things Above, and Realms of Glory (Lindchester Chronicles, 1-3) by Catherine Fox.
I described this to J. when we Skyped as being like Anthony Trollope crossed with Joanna Trollope and she responded with "well, that sounds like exactly your thing". To which, dear reader, I can only cop that yes, yes it is. The intricacies of the CoE continue to baffle and bemuse (I was dragged up Catholic) but I do love catty, snipy, characters, and the geography of a cathedral town will always be incredibly familiar to me.
Love for the Lost by Catherine Fox.
I remain unconvinced by the need to render dialogue phonetically - as a general point in any and all books. Isobel irked me up to a certain point and then I found myself less irked and more worried.
The Benefits of Passion by Catherine Fox.
If I had to spend time in the same room with someone who giggles as much as Annie does, I'd go spare. But some of the giggling is deserved.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
Ugh still so good.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel.
• What are you currently reading?
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
Still struck anew by just how good this is.
Acts and Omissions (Lindchester Chronicles 1) by Catherine Fox.
I might not be a member of the correct church for all of the references to strike me, but by heavens do I live in exactly the sort of place that the descriptions of churches and suburbs feel very immediate.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Lifelode by Jo Walton.
Overall this was a delightful domestic fantasy with some incredibly intriguing worldbuilding. The word 'sweetmate' did rather ping my 'ack, treacly!' reaction, but on the scale of 'neologisms committed to print by fantasy authors' it is very low. I did think the denouement was a littttttle over the top for the rest of the book, but a very enjoyable read!
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
Still struck anew by just how good this is.
Acts and Omissions (Lindchester Chronicles 1) by Catherine Fox.
I might not be a member of the correct church for all of the references to strike me, but by heavens do I live in exactly the sort of place that the descriptions of churches and suburbs feel very immediate.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Lifelode by Jo Walton.
Overall this was a delightful domestic fantasy with some incredibly intriguing worldbuilding. The word 'sweetmate' did rather ping my 'ack, treacly!' reaction, but on the scale of 'neologisms committed to print by fantasy authors' it is very low. I did think the denouement was a littttttle over the top for the rest of the book, but a very enjoyable read!
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
• What are you currently reading?
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
This is a re-read - I want to re-read this and then Bring Up The Bodies before making a start on The Mirror and the Light. As ever I am struck by just how good this book is.
Lifelode by Jo Walton.
I'm only a few pages in but so far I'm enjoying it!
• What did you recently finish reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude).
Yes, you read that correctly. I have, after doing the slowest re-read ever, finally finished re-reading Anna Karenina. I sat outside on Saturday and fully enjoyed collapsing back into it.
The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher.
This was a delight! A heartbreaking delight but oh Fisher's prose is so good.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
This is a re-read - I want to re-read this and then Bring Up The Bodies before making a start on The Mirror and the Light. As ever I am struck by just how good this book is.
Lifelode by Jo Walton.
I'm only a few pages in but so far I'm enjoying it!
• What did you recently finish reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude).
Yes, you read that correctly. I have, after doing the slowest re-read ever, finally finished re-reading Anna Karenina. I sat outside on Saturday and fully enjoyed collapsing back into it.
The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher.
This was a delight! A heartbreaking delight but oh Fisher's prose is so good.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher.
I am given to understand that MFK Fisher is famous in American food writing but has not really reached general acclaim on this side of the pond. Based on The Gastronomical Me this is a great shame! I am absolutely adoring this. I've catalogued it in my reading spreadsheet as memoir but it's more like a collection of personal essays? beautifully written personal essays, with a lot of wonderful, arch, ironic, and also deeply deeply truthful, writing about food. It is making me exceptionally hungry. But, luckily, hungry for things that I would not be able to get hold of particularly easily in regular times let alone now.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
This was a really good read and my one quibble is that it all wrapped up a little too neatly for me? There are a lot of echoes of trauma and the ramifications of The Event but something about the ending felt a little too pat for me? But, overall it was enjoyable.
The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. by Susan Bernofsky)
If you are interested in the conceit of a 'what if' novel, I highly recommend this! There's a great section towards the end where the whims of bureaucracy are made explicit.
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara.
I am conflicted on this one. It is incredibly well written. It is about something very important and deserving of consideration - how do we do science and anthropology respectfully and in beneficial ways (hint: do the exact opposite of all of the characters in the book). And Yanagihara does an astounding job in replicating how the type of characters would think of themselves and how they would write their own stories and how they would elide the truth and rewrite narratives to suit their own ends. But it all came off as feeling a little ... icky somehow. Which I think is the intent behind it; to show how seductive these narratives are and how much leeway we give to people and their interpretations of their selves and their actions. And I might come back to it when my brain is less scattered and see how I react on a re-read.
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman.
Why yes, I did recently watch the Netflix series, how did you guess? The memoir is sufficiently (very!) different to the series that this didn't feel in any way like a rehash of the tv adaptation. It's just as emotionally engaging and harrowing in parts, but there is greater depth and breadth for the intricacies of Feldman's life.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Not a lot happens in this and everything also happens all the time. The novel follows three decades of Gogol's life, born in America to Bengali parents, through school and university and early adult life. There are heartbreaks and small rebellions and love and unhappiness. The prose is beautiful and it's funny and never cloying.
Normal People by Sally Rooney.
This was a re-read to remind myself of how much I loved it, and how nervous I am about the upcoming tv adaptation!
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher.
I am given to understand that MFK Fisher is famous in American food writing but has not really reached general acclaim on this side of the pond. Based on The Gastronomical Me this is a great shame! I am absolutely adoring this. I've catalogued it in my reading spreadsheet as memoir but it's more like a collection of personal essays? beautifully written personal essays, with a lot of wonderful, arch, ironic, and also deeply deeply truthful, writing about food. It is making me exceptionally hungry. But, luckily, hungry for things that I would not be able to get hold of particularly easily in regular times let alone now.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
This was a really good read and my one quibble is that it all wrapped up a little too neatly for me? There are a lot of echoes of trauma and the ramifications of The Event but something about the ending felt a little too pat for me? But, overall it was enjoyable.
The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. by Susan Bernofsky)
If you are interested in the conceit of a 'what if' novel, I highly recommend this! There's a great section towards the end where the whims of bureaucracy are made explicit.
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara.
I am conflicted on this one. It is incredibly well written. It is about something very important and deserving of consideration - how do we do science and anthropology respectfully and in beneficial ways (hint: do the exact opposite of all of the characters in the book). And Yanagihara does an astounding job in replicating how the type of characters would think of themselves and how they would write their own stories and how they would elide the truth and rewrite narratives to suit their own ends. But it all came off as feeling a little ... icky somehow. Which I think is the intent behind it; to show how seductive these narratives are and how much leeway we give to people and their interpretations of their selves and their actions. And I might come back to it when my brain is less scattered and see how I react on a re-read.
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman.
Why yes, I did recently watch the Netflix series, how did you guess? The memoir is sufficiently (very!) different to the series that this didn't feel in any way like a rehash of the tv adaptation. It's just as emotionally engaging and harrowing in parts, but there is greater depth and breadth for the intricacies of Feldman's life.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Not a lot happens in this and everything also happens all the time. The novel follows three decades of Gogol's life, born in America to Bengali parents, through school and university and early adult life. There are heartbreaks and small rebellions and love and unhappiness. The prose is beautiful and it's funny and never cloying.
Normal People by Sally Rooney.
This was a re-read to remind myself of how much I loved it, and how nervous I am about the upcoming tv adaptation!
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
Because this is my bathtime read, it's taking a while to get through what is quite a short novel. It's really good!
The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. by Susan Bernofsky)
This is a 'what if' novel where an event happens and then the novel is what happens then, and what happens if the event doesn't happen, and what happens if another event happens or doesn't happen. It starts in the early 20th century in the Austro-Hungarian provinces and unfolds from there.
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara.
I have read two pages and have no opinion thus far!
• What did you recently finish reading?
Spring by David Szalay.
Largely unforgettable novel about a man and a midlife crisis.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum.
A very good novel about three generations of a Palestinian and then Palestinian-American family where the daughters are trying to find their way, or a way, in the world, or a way out. Huge warnings for violence against women and suicidal thoughts.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
Because this is my bathtime read, it's taking a while to get through what is quite a short novel. It's really good!
The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. by Susan Bernofsky)
This is a 'what if' novel where an event happens and then the novel is what happens then, and what happens if the event doesn't happen, and what happens if another event happens or doesn't happen. It starts in the early 20th century in the Austro-Hungarian provinces and unfolds from there.
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara.
I have read two pages and have no opinion thus far!
• What did you recently finish reading?
Spring by David Szalay.
Largely unforgettable novel about a man and a midlife crisis.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum.
A very good novel about three generations of a Palestinian and then Palestinian-American family where the daughters are trying to find their way, or a way, in the world, or a way out. Huge warnings for violence against women and suicidal thoughts.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
What Are You Reading (Not On A) Wednesday
Apr. 2nd, 2020 10:20 amAnd again, despite working from home - or possibly because of it-, I am unable to remember that Wednesday entails a Reading Wednesday post. In my defence time has ceased to have any meaning. What are days? How does the week work?
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
Still dense and thinky and interesting and just bouncing off my brain.
The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North.
William Abbey, a not very good doctor from England, witnesses the lynching of a Zulu boy in 1884. He sees it happen and he does nothing and as punishment for his inaction he is cursed by the boy's mother. The curse means that the boy will follow him as a shadow and the closer he gets the more truth Abbey sees and is compelled to speak. He can see the truth inside a human's heart. Not the superficial truths they tell themselves but the innate truths of their selves. If the shadow, Langa, gets to him, someone he loves dies. In Abbey's quest to stay alive, find a curse, work out how to live, if he wants to live, he starts to think about the truths of the world. About invasion and colonisation, social equality and equity, what it means to be good and to do good.
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie.
This is Goldie's debut novel, focusing on the lives of some of the residents of a London tower block. Mary, the Filipina nurse, Malachi and Tristan, brothers living together and trying to survive after the death of their mother, Pamela who is essentially jailed other than school and living under the control of her father, and Elvis who has severe learning difficulties but under the Care in the Community scheme is trying to adjust to life with carers. It starts off feeling a little bit like every very enjoyable book about the intertwined narratives of neighbours but a plot twist has just happened! This is the current bathtime read so tomorrow should reveal more.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman.
This is the third instalment in the Invisible Library series. I'm very glad that the colleague I borrowed it from warned me about the spider incident that is in the first bit. If you are a fellow arachnophobe and fancy reading these books, just be aware you might want to do some skim reading for a bit.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
Still dense and thinky and interesting and just bouncing off my brain.
The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North.
William Abbey, a not very good doctor from England, witnesses the lynching of a Zulu boy in 1884. He sees it happen and he does nothing and as punishment for his inaction he is cursed by the boy's mother. The curse means that the boy will follow him as a shadow and the closer he gets the more truth Abbey sees and is compelled to speak. He can see the truth inside a human's heart. Not the superficial truths they tell themselves but the innate truths of their selves. If the shadow, Langa, gets to him, someone he loves dies. In Abbey's quest to stay alive, find a curse, work out how to live, if he wants to live, he starts to think about the truths of the world. About invasion and colonisation, social equality and equity, what it means to be good and to do good.
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie.
This is Goldie's debut novel, focusing on the lives of some of the residents of a London tower block. Mary, the Filipina nurse, Malachi and Tristan, brothers living together and trying to survive after the death of their mother, Pamela who is essentially jailed other than school and living under the control of her father, and Elvis who has severe learning difficulties but under the Care in the Community scheme is trying to adjust to life with carers. It starts off feeling a little bit like every very enjoyable book about the intertwined narratives of neighbours but a plot twist has just happened! This is the current bathtime read so tomorrow should reveal more.
• What did you recently finish reading?
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman.
This is the third instalment in the Invisible Library series. I'm very glad that the colleague I borrowed it from warned me about the spider incident that is in the first bit. If you are a fellow arachnophobe and fancy reading these books, just be aware you might want to do some skim reading for a bit.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
It's quite impressive really that even when I'm a) working from home and b) not at sewing class that I managed to fail to post Reading Wednesday content. So, sliding in a little late, here we are:
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
So far this is really good and really interesting. It is also quite dense and thinky and I don't think my brain is quite up to it right now!
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
'Currently' is here defined as 'read two pages of', ahem.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
It did all the things that I want a Jackson Brodie novel to do. Evil was thwarted, people survived their pasts and some people's lives improved.
84K by Claire North
I'm not sure how convinced I was by some of the denouement - incredible feats of physical action by people who are significantly unwell - but this was a satisfying read if possibly a little too close to the bone because I could see actual life playing out exactly like it in not too many years.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Are you in the mood for a delightful romp around Europe as you follow people on their Grand Tour? Do you like well-meaning but idiotic main characters who are pining for their best friend? Sisters who are irked at their lack of education when their brother has just thrown it all away? Do you think you'd like a nicely quippy set of characters? In the mood for French politics and queer history and the racial dynamics of the eighteenth century? You might like this!
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude)
Yes, still, shut up.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
So far this is really good and really interesting. It is also quite dense and thinky and I don't think my brain is quite up to it right now!
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
'Currently' is here defined as 'read two pages of', ahem.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
It did all the things that I want a Jackson Brodie novel to do. Evil was thwarted, people survived their pasts and some people's lives improved.
84K by Claire North
I'm not sure how convinced I was by some of the denouement - incredible feats of physical action by people who are significantly unwell - but this was a satisfying read if possibly a little too close to the bone because I could see actual life playing out exactly like it in not too many years.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Are you in the mood for a delightful romp around Europe as you follow people on their Grand Tour? Do you like well-meaning but idiotic main characters who are pining for their best friend? Sisters who are irked at their lack of education when their brother has just thrown it all away? Do you think you'd like a nicely quippy set of characters? In the mood for French politics and queer history and the racial dynamics of the eighteenth century? You might like this!
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Shrug!
What Are You Reading Wednesday!
Mar. 18th, 2020 06:10 pmUnsurprisingly my Wednesday evening sewing course has been cancelled due to ... well, I'm sure no one is unsure as to why. So, here is a long overdue update on what I have been reading!
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude).
Yes, still. It's a re-read and I keep reading other things that aren't this. But, seeing as I'm staring down a long period of working from home and social distancing I might eventually finish it.
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson.
This is the latest in the Jackson Brodie series. It is, as ever, my bathtime read.
84K by Claire North.
This is an eerily prescient thriller set in a dystopian future where corporate capitalism rules all. It's very good! It's also very creepy thinking about how close we are to it all coming true!
• What did you recently finish reading?
Expectation by Anna Hope.
Someone on twitter recommended this and I can't remember who! I wish I could because I really want to thank them! It's not the most groundbreaking book - it's a novel about three women and their disappointed lives. But there is something very real about their disappointments and how they navigate them. There's a depth of feeling where their everyday trials and torments are concerned and the world they live in feels very real and knowable.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.
This was a very enjoyable thriller. There's a New Year's Eve party! A group of friends who knew each other at university (mostly) and who kind of don't like each other anymore but feel like they have to cling onto the friendships! And then there's a murder! Is it great literature? No. Did it pleasingly fill a train journey? Yes.
Tranny: Confessions of punk rock's most infamous anarchist sellout by Laura Jane Grace, with Dan Ozzi.
This is Laura Jane Grace's (lead singer of Against Me!) autobiography detailing her childhood, the start of the band and then her public transition. Grace and Ozzi are very candid about Grace's own faults and missteps as well as those of others. This is the story of Against Me! as well as Grace and most of the book is in fact about Grace's youth, and the start of the band and the struggle to be successful whilst remaining true to your anarchist politics. I'm not sure how interesting it is if you aren't a fan of Against Me!?
Touch by Claire North
Kepler, the main character, is a ghost entity that can jump into someone's body and take over their consciousness. They've been doing this for hundreds of years and they, according to their own narration, try to take care of their host - physically, also by setting them up for a wealthy life, obtaining a good education, etc. - and the novel opens with their latest host being murdered. This kickstarts a chase across Europe where Kepler tries to find out why, and by who, and what for.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
I've still got The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman waiting, and I've also got a couple of library books to read. And the Women's prize longlist came out! But as always who knows!
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude).
Yes, still. It's a re-read and I keep reading other things that aren't this. But, seeing as I'm staring down a long period of working from home and social distancing I might eventually finish it.
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson.
This is the latest in the Jackson Brodie series. It is, as ever, my bathtime read.
84K by Claire North.
This is an eerily prescient thriller set in a dystopian future where corporate capitalism rules all. It's very good! It's also very creepy thinking about how close we are to it all coming true!
• What did you recently finish reading?
Expectation by Anna Hope.
Someone on twitter recommended this and I can't remember who! I wish I could because I really want to thank them! It's not the most groundbreaking book - it's a novel about three women and their disappointed lives. But there is something very real about their disappointments and how they navigate them. There's a depth of feeling where their everyday trials and torments are concerned and the world they live in feels very real and knowable.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.
This was a very enjoyable thriller. There's a New Year's Eve party! A group of friends who knew each other at university (mostly) and who kind of don't like each other anymore but feel like they have to cling onto the friendships! And then there's a murder! Is it great literature? No. Did it pleasingly fill a train journey? Yes.
Tranny: Confessions of punk rock's most infamous anarchist sellout by Laura Jane Grace, with Dan Ozzi.
This is Laura Jane Grace's (lead singer of Against Me!) autobiography detailing her childhood, the start of the band and then her public transition. Grace and Ozzi are very candid about Grace's own faults and missteps as well as those of others. This is the story of Against Me! as well as Grace and most of the book is in fact about Grace's youth, and the start of the band and the struggle to be successful whilst remaining true to your anarchist politics. I'm not sure how interesting it is if you aren't a fan of Against Me!?
Touch by Claire North
Kepler, the main character, is a ghost entity that can jump into someone's body and take over their consciousness. They've been doing this for hundreds of years and they, according to their own narration, try to take care of their host - physically, also by setting them up for a wealthy life, obtaining a good education, etc. - and the novel opens with their latest host being murdered. This kickstarts a chase across Europe where Kepler tries to find out why, and by who, and what for.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
I've still got The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman waiting, and I've also got a couple of library books to read. And the Women's prize longlist came out! But as always who knows!
... slides in very late with a Reading Wednesday post. I am, however, writing it as if it were Wednesday ...
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude).
The slow pace at which I am reading should not indicate that I am not enjoying this re-read. I am! I love Anna Karenina but life keeps getting in the way.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth (trans. by Charlotte Barslund)
This is a novel all about a family fractured by a secret and the stark difference between how the oldest two children are treated compared to the two youngest. Apparently it became both a bestseller and a literary controversy when it was first published in Norway - how far is something fiction when it draws on personal experience. It's a compelling novel, and I wanted to shake each and every character and yell and storm at all of them. I also wanted Hjorth to maybe, just maybe, reduce her dependence on comma splices. Now, I love a comma splice, but when you have up to 13 in a sentence they start to lose any effect for me.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
I just picked Anna Hope's Expectation up from the library, so I'm assuming that! And a colleague handed over The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman (the third book in the Invisible Library series) so I should read that fairly soon so I can give it back.
• What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (trans. by Louise and Aylmer Maude).
The slow pace at which I am reading should not indicate that I am not enjoying this re-read. I am! I love Anna Karenina but life keeps getting in the way.
• What did you recently finish reading?
Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth (trans. by Charlotte Barslund)
This is a novel all about a family fractured by a secret and the stark difference between how the oldest two children are treated compared to the two youngest. Apparently it became both a bestseller and a literary controversy when it was first published in Norway - how far is something fiction when it draws on personal experience. It's a compelling novel, and I wanted to shake each and every character and yell and storm at all of them. I also wanted Hjorth to maybe, just maybe, reduce her dependence on comma splices. Now, I love a comma splice, but when you have up to 13 in a sentence they start to lose any effect for me.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
I just picked Anna Hope's Expectation up from the library, so I'm assuming that! And a colleague handed over The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman (the third book in the Invisible Library series) so I should read that fairly soon so I can give it back.
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