Persephone Reading Week - A Book Review and Final Thoughts

The last day of the Persephone Reading Week is here...unbelievably. I can't say enough about the phenomenal job Claire and Verity did. They were the perfect hosts and I hope they will hold another week of Persephone reading soon.

I finished Miss Buncles' Book this evening and do wish I had Miss Buncle Married on hand. I suppose I have the sequel to look forward to as well as all the other titles added to my wishlist thanks to many wonderful reviews of other Persephone titles written by other participants in the challenge.

Barbara Buncle has watched her dividends dwindle (if anyone can explain the concept behind dividends I would be so grateful) and must find another source of income. She decides to write a book but because she has 'no imagination', she decides to write about the village she lives in. Once the book is published and read by her neighbors, the drama ensues, and Miss Buncle's quiet life is turned upside down.

I do agree with the Persphone catalogue that describes DE Stevenson's book as "an undemanding, fun and absorbing novel" but it is a also a book that made me think...about the ethical aspect of publishing; how others see us as compared to how we see ourselves; the realities of living in a small town or village; and, how reading, as well as writing books, can influence lives. Stevenson created a world I wanted to crawl into and be a part of. I wanted to put certain characters in their place and befriend others but most of all I wanted to sit in a cozy chair and put my feet up to the fire with a copy of Disturber of the Peace in one hand and a hot cup of tea in another.

This is my first Persephone read and it has been a charming place to begin. Where will it lead? For the time being I have three other Persephone titles on my shelf but soon I will have to place an order and start ticking off titles on my wishlist. Nymeth and Claire shared some of the titles they look forward to reading and I thought I would do the same. Here are my top ten...

Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
Fidelity by Susan Glaspell
The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield-Fisher
Saplings by Noel Streatfeild
Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey
Flush by Virginia Woolf
They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple
Princes in the Land by Joanna Cannan
The Village by Marghanita Laski
Making Conversation by Christine Longford

Thank you again to Claire and Verity for a wonderful reading week.

Persephone Reading Week - Day Two

Well I didn't get any serious reading done until after nine o'clock last night and stayed up until an unwise hour because I didn't want to put down Miss Buncle's Book even for something as necessary as sleep. For the second time in a few weeks, I have been reminded of Clifton Fadiman's essay Pillow Books in which he advises not to choose a book that is too exciting and wonderful nor one that is so slow as to induce sleep. I haven't always completely agreed with this sentiment because I have always loved reading a really great book until the wee hours but I am not as young as I used to be and can no longer get away with three or fours of sleep days on end. Getting up this morning was not fun...but this Persephone read is. I have tabbed it all up because there are so many sentences or paragraphs that make me ponder, laugh, or just revel in its perfection. Here are some that I have particularly enjoyed...

"What fools the public were! They were exactly like sheep...thought Mr. Abbott sleepily...following each other's lead, neglecting one book and buying another just because other people were buying it, although, for the life of you, you couldn't see what the one lacked and the other possessed."

"It will have been deduced from the foregoing that Mr. Abbott was a bachelor - what wife would have allowed her husband to sit up all hours for two nights running reading the manuscript of a novel? None."

"'People fed them,' replied Uncle Mike. 'People don't feed saints nowadays, they ask them why they are not on the dole, and advise them to apply for parish relief.'"

"Sarah turned on the reading lamp and opened the book; quiet fell in the room as she began to read." (I love that moment at the end of the day when it is quiet all around and it is just you and a good book. BP)

The whole of Mrs. Walker, the chapter this last quote was taken from, was delightful. It was the last chapter of the day and a wonderful way to end it.

Persephone Reading Challenge - Day One

Today is the kick off for the Persephone Reading Challenge Week hosted by Paperback Reader and Verity. I finally chose Miss Buncle's Book by DE Stevenson for my first read. Although I haven't gotten very far because after reading the first few pages I had a craving for fresh pastries and took my girls out to get breakfast (we also needed double-sided tape for a bookmark making session...so not a lot of reading happening yet). What a great beginning to the challenge it has been though...two great contests and two inspiring kick off posts. Thank you to Paperback Reader and Verity for hosting. It isn't too late to join in, just click on the image above. Happy reading to all my fellow challengees.

Bon Appetit, DC!

There is something very exciting about being in Washington DC...seeing all the old, beautiful buildings; being in a place that is so full of history; seeing the monuments, the National Mall and the White House; and now...the permanent home of Julia Child's Cambridge kitchen at the Smithsonian. We picked a perfect day to go, as it is Julia's birthday, the weather was doable and the capital didn't seem overly crowded. What was crowded was this wonderful exhibit.
The perimeter around the kitchen displayed photographs, magazine covers, kitchen equipment she used over the years as well as her full collection of books.

The size of her kitchen is pretty much my ideal. There was plenty of counterspace, storage space, room for a huge stove and at the center an inviting family table.

It takes some time to take it all in, all the details from her knives to her cookie sheets to a roll of paper for lists and notes.

But my favorite part was these bookshelves that contained her own cookbooks as well as those by others including the infamous Joy of Cooking...two copies.

My only complaint about the exhibit were the two television screens, one showing one of her many cooking shows and the other an interview. Their placement caused so much congestion, it was difficult to get around and view the kitchen and various displays.

I cannot go to a museum without stopping in the gift shop and this one was awesome. I would estimate that about 25 percent was dedicated to books. They had an extensive display of Julia's books for sale but in the end I couldn't resist this one...

Hometown Appetites: The Story of Clementine Paddleford, the Forgotten Food Writer Who Chronicled How America Ate by Kelly Alexander and Cynthia Harris. The front flap reads, "At the height of her career, Clementine Paddleford was as popular as Julia Child and as respected as James Beard. Today, she's the most important food writer you've never heard of." Too interesting for me to pass up and beautifully made from the deckle cut pages to the sepia-toned scrapbook fashion endpapers.

After bath and story time, my youngest said, "I'll really liked today. Will we go again after we wake up?" She summed up the day perfectly.