August reads

I had originally planned that during August I would be reading just Virago Modern Classics. Needless to say this didn’t happen. I did get distracted by other things – for various reasons. As I work in a school, August is a wonderful time for me – because I just get so much reading time, so I always read far more in August than many other months (April and December are often quite good too). This August has been fabulous – I did read a good number of VMC’s aswell as two Persephone books and three non-fiction. Fifteen book completed and one that I got about half way through and didn’t finish (the first so far this year).

 
79 In a Summer Season (1961) Elizabeth Taylor (F)
80 Devoted Ladies (1934) Molly Keane (F)
81 Our Spoons Came from Woolworths (1950) Barbara Comyns (F)
- Losing Battles (1970) DNF Eudora Welty (F)
82 Greenbanks (1932) Dorothy Whipple (F)
83 Why be happy when you could be normal (2012) Jeanette Winterson (NF)
84 The Return of the Soldier (1918) Rebecca West (F)
85 Vera (1920) Elizabeth Von Arnim (F)
86 The Maul and the Pear Tree (1971) PD James & TA Critchely (NF)
87 Bliss & other stories (1920) Katherine Mansfield (F)
88 The Soul of Kindness (1964) Elizabeth Taylor (F)
89 The Other Elizabeth Taylor (2009) Nicola Beauman (NF)
90 Devil by the Sea (1976) Nina Bawden (F)
91 William (1925) E H Young (F)
92 The Lighthouse (2012) Alison Moore (F)
93 The New House (1936) Lettice Cooper (F)

I have also read several of the short stories in Virago’s newly published Complete Short Stories.

 

 This is where I usually pick out 3 or 4 books for special mention. Goodness what to pick this time?I have spent such a lot of time reading and thinking about Elizabeth Taylor this month in preparation for my month of Blog hosting A Soul of Kindness, that these books immediately spring to mind. I just love her work and so enjoyed re-reading that biography.

 

In addition the books I read while on holiday in my beloved Teignmouth (pictured above) on my kindle were also marvelous – in particular The Return of the soldier by Rebecca West and Vera by Elizabeth Von Arnim.

 

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August Reads

75 Started Early, took my dog (2010) Kate Atkinson (F)
76 Last Train to Liguria (2009) Christine Dwyer Hickey (F)
77 Howards End is on the landing (2010) Susan Hill (NF)
78 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) Agatha Christie (F)
79 Dark Fire (2007) C J Sansome (F)
80 Mennonite in a little black dress (2011) Rhoda Janzen (NF)
81 The Ballad and the Source (1944) Rosamond Lehmann (F)
82 Blood on the Tongue (2002) Stephen Booth (F)
83 Ella Minnow Pea (2002) Mark Dunn (F)
84 White Ladies (1935) Francis Brett Young (F)
85 The Misses Mallet (1922) E H Young (F)
86 The Game (2004) Laurie R King (F)
87 Three Men in a Boat (1889) Jerome K Jerome (F)

Thirteen books read during August. I have been on holiday from work the whole month and so that is why it is a little higher than usual. 8 of them read on kindle, but only 2 non fiction. I am still not  wanting to read non fiction very much – and when it comes to books – if I really don't fancy reading it – I often don't.

Some excellent reads this month, and also a nice variety. Hard to pick just 3 or 4 for special mention but…

1. Last Train to Liguria – Christine Dwyer Hickey – for sheer readability.

2 The Ballad and the Source – Rosamond Lehmann – I love Rosamond Lehmann and this complex ambitious novel is a work of some brilliance.

3 White Ladies – Francis Brett Young – a fabulous old fashioned read, by a sadly forgotten out of print Black Country author.

4 The Misses Mallet – E H Young – recently discovered this 1920's/1930's author and have become a huge fan.

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August reads

74 The Virgin’s Lover    Philippa Gregory (F)
75 Never the Bride     Paul Magrs (F)
76 The Help     Kathryn Stockett (F)
77 Golden Afternoon    M M Kaye  (NF)
78 Oystercatchers    Susan Fletcher (F)
79 The Excursion Train    Edward Marston (F)
80 The Widow’s Tale    Mick Jackson (F)
81 The Princes in the Tower    Alison Weir (NF)
82 The Needle’s Eye    Margaret Drabble (F)
83 The Eyre Affair    Jasper Fforde (F)
84 Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell    M C Beaton (F)

An interesting range of things this month. Special mention must go to:
 The Help by Kathryn Stockett – marvelous novel, I would recommend again and again.
Golden Afternoon by M M Kaye – 2nd part of her wonderful autobiography a must for anyone who like reading about India and the Raj.
and
The Widow’s Tale, Mick Jackson – very good and often funny novel about a woman coming to terms with her husband’s death.
Must also mention the Eyre Affair – a novel right outside my comfort zone – which I prehaps didn’t expect to  like much – but I did.

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August Reads

80 Don’t tell Alfred	Nancy Mitford F
81 Welcome to the great Mysterious	Lorna Landvik F
82 Cutwork	Monica Ferris F
83 Eleanor of Aquitaine	Alison Weir NF
84 A Closed Eye	Anita Brookner F
85 Dr Bradley Remembers	Francis Brett Young F
86 Off with his head	Ngaio Marsh F
87 The Goldsmith’s Wife	Jean Plaidy F
88 The Mango Season	Amulya Malladi F
89 The Ugly One	Hermione Ranfurly NF
90. Rookery Blues	Jon Hassler F
91 Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of death	M C Beaton F
92 Deep Sea	Francis Brett Young F
93 In a Summer Season	Elizabeth Taylor F

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August reads

87 The Italian Girl Iris Murdoch
88 Sacred Games Vikram chandra
89 Digging to America Anne Tyler
90 A Man about the House Francis Brett Young
91 The Savage Garden Mark Mills
92 Journey from the land of No Roya Hakakian
93 A few Green Leaves Barbara Pym
94 The Constant Princess Philippa Gregory
95 The Shuttle Frances Hodgson Burnett
96 Red River Lalita Tademy
97 Raj Gita Mehta

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Aug reads

August is usually the month when I read loads more than I usually do – this time I think I am only just over my average.

87 A Thousand Splendid Suns Khalid Hosseini
88 The Mitford Girls Mary Lovell
89 The Vine of Desire Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
90 Homeland and other stories Barbara Kingsolver
91 Quartet in Autumn Barbara Pym
92 Half of a yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
93 Miss Ranskill Comes Home Barbara Euphon Todd
94 The House at Riverton Kate Morton
95 Love over Scotland Alexander McCall Smith
96 The Gift of Rain Tan Twan Eng
97 A Severed Head Iris Murdoch
98 Wife Bharati Mukherjee

and just over half of When They Lay Bare – Andrew Greig – won’t finish today cos will be watching BB final – Brian to win!!!

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