All my grand Christmas reading plans by the wayside, I am going from one Miss Read to the next. I can't help myself...she seems to be all that I am in the mood for. Yesterday I finished Storm in the Village and now my biggest dilemma on the reading horizon is whether to see what happens to Miss Clare in Miss Clare Remembers or should I stop delaying gratification and pick up No Holly for Miss Quinn. I have a feeling I will know exactly which one once I step up to the bookcase to shelf Storm in the Village.
I am coming up on the one year mark for Book Psmith and my thoughts have been turning to the second year. My reading and blogging will both be moving toward a leisurely pace as I look forward to taking my reading to another, deeper level. Last year with all the joining of challenges, I was reading and taking notes but not really allowing myself to experience the books to the degree that I wished...for I always had an eye toward time. I am so thankful for those challenges for they gave me some direction when I first started blogging but now I am ready to go in the direction that was my original intent which was more of a journalling approach toward my reading rather than proper book reviewing. A lot of thoughts and impressions will end up in my personal records and mostly what will make it to the blog are bits and pieces that made me think and want to seek out the opinions of others, books that I want to gush about or rail against, and other points of a more general bookish nature.
And in that vein comes the curiosity part that I alluded to in the title. Curioser number one: After finding a Folio Society edition of Wodehouse's short stories, I have been debating whether or not to join. The books are absolutely gorgeous (an example is this edition of Exellent Women I have been coveting) and a real joy to read and one of the joining offers I am having
a difficult time ignoring (a breathtaking two sets of Beatrix Potter's completetales) but oh the cost...anywhere from $39 to $59 for the average book (I am completely flabbergasted by the editions that reach the astronomical price of hundreds of dollars) with a joining commitment to buy four. For the time being, I am saying no due largely to the used editions I have been finding for sale through the internet for a fraction of the price. But I am curious to know if anyone out there has had or currently does hold a membership and what your experience has been.
Curioser number two arises from an incident in Storm in the Village that got me thinking about setting out reads for overnight guests..."I had put out a vase of my choicest roses on the bedside table, and spent some time in deciding on a variety of books. After much thought I had selected Country Things by Alison Utley, The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield, Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, an anthology of modern verse, and one of Basil Bradley's novels bearing a reclining Regency beauty on its dust jacket." I have never thought of setting out specific reads for guests. My shelves are open to their perusal and they are free to read anything that may take their fancy but as a general rule if the guest is a reader they have already seen to their own books whilst packing and if they are non-readers are more likely to watch television than pick up any volume I might suggest. Still I thought it a lovely gesture and winced when Miss Read's guest dismissed the books as 'juvenilia' and went on to outline her boring and self-pitying bedtime routine. So I am curious to know if bookloving hosts put thought and time into setting out a few beloved tomes for the enjoyment of their guests.
p.s. My youngest and I just spent the last fifteen minutes running from windows to doors to see the falling snow...which has decided it...No Holly for Miss Quinn is next!
10 comments:
Well you can't go wrong with any of those Miss Read - they're all Christmassy in spirit! I'm picking up the one that was published this autumn and hesitating to start it.
It's written by Miss Read's editor, but based on her ideas and sadly has got mainly negative reviews, BUT I really don't care I'd just like to know a little bit more of the story!
I do tend to put some bedside reading in the guest room that I choose especially for the visitor, I must confess, and I love folio books too though haven't been a member for years. Apart from the price, they take up so much room on my full to overflowing shelves! Donna
Lovely post Stacy! My two bookcases are in the spare room so guests are welcome to browse to their hearts content.
We've not had a single snowflake here...but it's coming soon.
ramblingfancy - Please do let me know if you like the book. I had read that she was retired but I do hope she has been working on further memoirs. Do you tailor the books you choose to the visitor's tastes or choose books that you love? I would be curious to know some of the titles. Books to have a way of overtaking the shelves:)
Darlene - Your comment made me think of the flip side...being the guest. I love seeing what others have on their shelves and it sounds like your guest room would be ideal for a book lover. The snow has ended. So beautiful I had to take a walk even though it was after nine pm. Are you looking forward to it? I think I was most excited knowing it was coming and knowing I wouldn't be going out.
Miss Read is addictive. I remember that choosing books for the guest room passage well - I would do that if we had a spare room!
You make me really want to try Miss Read. Do you have to start with the first book in the series?
Oh, I love that edition of Excellent Women...it's beautiful!
verity - That Miss Crabbe! The contrast between her and Miss Read makes for great reading.
The Literary Stew - I would definitely read the books in order...although I will be reading Village Christmas out of order. But the books do build on one another, so it might be confusing not to read them in order. Try as I might, I can't stop thinking about that Excellent Women. It may be my downfall:)
I imagine she's not writing herself. She must be 96 now (born 1913 I think?) so perhaps no longer wants to make that sort of sustained effort? What I sincerely hope is that after all the years of pleasure she has given me, she is in no pain and happy in her old age. I can't hand on heart say I'd recommend the latest, but I'm just so glad to meet the Thrush Green characters again, I don't regret buying it. The early ones are definitely the best though.
Books definitely decided by visitor. An elderly gentleman, for instance, got: Le Carre's Call for the Dead, Household's Rogue Male, Mount's Cold Cream, Wodehouse's Aunts Aren't Gentlemen and Broster's Flight of the Heron. He borrowed one to take home so hopefully a success!
ramblingfancy - I am so new to Miss Read but I wish the same for her happiness. I can see why you would want to read the latest book and I look forward to meeting all the characters of Thrush Green in the future. Your visitor has very good reading taste:)
I like your ideas for continuing your book blog. Been thinking myself that only doing reviews of books is becoming a little samey. Am also finding it too much to review every book in depth so am definitely moving away from that. Nice post.
Cath - Thank you. Maybe it's the new year coming up that is causing us to rethink:) It did seem like reviewing every book was becoming too much and have liked not doing it. I hope you find the balance that suits you best.
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