I’m finally back from a wonderful Christmas and New Year in England, and after fighting through the obligatory jet lag, as well as other demands, I finally find time to catch you up on things.
The most important being the books I managed to haul back over with me, which is a veritable, eclectic feast of words, split nicely between books to reread and new tomes to explore…
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The Bridge over the Drina- Ivo Andric
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Collapse: How Civilisations – Jared Diamond
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Guns Germs and Steel- Jared Diamond
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The Weirdstone of Brasingamen – Alan Garner
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The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
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Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
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Football Against the Enemy – Simon Kuper
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A Reading Diary – Alberto Manguel
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The Dogs and the Wolves – Irène Némirovksy
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Jezebel – Irène Némirovksy
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All Our Worldly Goods – Irène Némirovksy
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Essays – George Orwell
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Himalaya – Michael Palin
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A Dance to the Music of Time – Anthony Powell (all 12 novels)
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History of Western Philosophy – Bertrand Russell
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The Mysteries of Paris – Eugène Sue
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The Coup – John Updike
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The Essential Rebecca West
Before flying back to Blighty, I specifically decided to bring back at least the first four books of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, so naturally of all the books that I chose from the remainder of my old collection, those were the ones that narrowly missed out to the above.
Still with old memories connected to some books and new things to be experienced in others, I am very happy with my haul, but before I get there I will need to finish an American book Crissy randomly picked me up before we left, William Kennedy’s Ironweed, which so far (albeit less than 50 pages) has me very intrigued.
Glad you had a good visit back in England Ste, you seem to have a satisfying collection of reading there.
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It was heavy to haul around but really worth it! I am excited to get stuck in but before that, I really need to find the time and work out a proper schedule to do so.
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I am glad that you had a wonderful holidays!
Every book is an experience and I am glad that you are enjoying Iron Weed.
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You are always extremely successful in your choice of books, I’m impressed. We have loads for you to experience and I am excited to share them with you. Looking forward to the next holidays already.
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What a lovely list of books you have there. Enjoy reading 🙂
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Thank you, I am eager to get started, the problem is which one to start with.
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You have an eclectic list. I love memoirs too. Peter Mayle is another author I follow. Sadly, around this time last year, he died.
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I’m not familiar with Peter Mayle but will look out for his works. I love variety, it keeps reading so much more interesting to bounce around lots of genres.
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I love how he shared their life in Provence. It made me dream of the place. And I agree, I even read mysteries too but I am partial to historical fiction.
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I like the odd mystery but like you, I spend a lot of time in historical fiction. I think this year I will try for more non fiction though, having said that the year is still young and I am reading a fiction work so who knows where my choices will take me.
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Reading is exploring, right? Good luck 🙂
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Absolutely and what a journey we each take, every book and experience being our unique experience. It’s intoxicating. Happy reading!
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Thanks a lot for the chat Ste J.
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Anytime, Ingat po!
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Thank you, Ingat din 🙂
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That’s a nice list, I have a few of them so I’ll be interested to see what you think of them. And if ever you need someone to recite huge chunks of Wind in the Willows from memory, that’s my party trick (that no one ever asks me to do), as it was the only book I had for a two-week caravan holiday with an auntie when I was a kid, and so it’s stuck firmly in my head forever.
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It’s a good book to be stuck with, I remember reading Wind in the Willows in bed in winter, sweater on, runny nose, bedside lamp on and hot chocolate. Lovely it was.
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Wow, what a haul! I have not thought of reading one of those books.
Hey, I’m glad you are reading them, and I just read Alice in Wonderland.
Well, back to making a new gown! xo 😀
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I will read them so you don’t have to, unless my reviews inspire you of course. I love Alice in Wonderland and the chess theme in Through the Looking Glass. I look forward to the new gowns post when you finish creating!
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TY, Ste j! Be well!
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What I would love to hear you comment upon are the curious and interspersed “bits” and comments and etc. that are phantasmagoric and somewhat hallucinatory in the later sections of “Catch 22.” I hit upon them now and then when I was reading, pieces of non sequitur and discontinuous narrative, and things that didn’t seem to fit right. Just interested to hear what you might say.
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I need to reread Catch 22, it’s been a good six or seven years since I originally enjoyed. I will bump it up the list, although the list changes from week to week, I will do my best to get to it this year at the very least.
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That’s quite an eclectic collection. Happy reading!
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I like to keep things varied, not just for me, but for the reviews too.
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