So that was May! A strange mix of my fiftieth birthday (which was a joy) and a horrible chest infection. Being ill for the last ten days has meant extra reading time though – and looking down the list of things I read, it was a pretty good month.
The month started really well with Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty, my second try at Welty which was much more successful. A slow, evocative read with a stunning sense of place.
The Hothouse by the East River by Muriel Spark for #ReadingMuriel2018 was a strange surreal little book, but one I really enjoyed. Set in New York in the late 60s/early 70s it really shows Spark’s inventiveness.
Having loved the Durrell TV series, I was eager to read Whatever happened to Margo by Margaret Durrell, it underwhelmed a little to be honest, and certainly it lacks the humorous brilliance of Gerald Durrell’s books, but it was entertaining enough.
The Cat’s Cradle Book by Sylvia Townsend Warner is a gorgeous little collection of unusual stories, telling us the traditional stories passed on by adult cats to their kittens. Perhaps only STW could write in such a way, and make it work like she does.
I always enjoy finding a new to me author, and Ellen Foster, Kaye Gibbons’ debut novel was my first by an author I knew nothing about. I have another of her books to look forward to and a couple of commenters filled me in about her and her other books.
The Honours Board by Patricia Hansford Johnson is a school set book for adults, and I know there are a lot of readers who enjoy those. This is another excellent novel from PHJ, who deftly weaves together the various stories of the men and women who live and work at an English preparatory school.
Writers as Readers the anthology of VMC introductions is a book I am sure I shall return to again, a wonderful collection of VMC voices I very much enjoyed dipping in and out.
My fifth book from the Asymptote book club was Brother in Ice by Alicia Kopf one of several books I still have to review. It is a book I wasn’t sure I would like, but I did. It is a difficult book to describe, genre defying, it is part novel, part travelogue part research notes. Using stories of polar exploration, it is also the coming of age story of a young woman concerned about her older autistic brother.
Book two of the MaddAddam trilogy The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood kept me fabulous company as my chest infection really hit. The story in this book runs parallel to that of the one in Oryx and Crake, and in it we see again Atwood’s astonishing imagination.
Next, I read The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens for Shiny new books Golden Booker celebration, so the review will most likely appear there first – though not for a few weeks. I loved it, isn’t it wonderful when a book you have had tbr for an absolute age turn out to be so brilliant you wonder why it took you so long?
On a whim really, I chose to read My Wife Melissa by Frances Durbridge on my kindle – one of a number of Bello books I splurged out on a couple of years ago. I quite enjoyed it – though it did seem to be over almost as soon as it had begun. The story itself is entertaining, but for me there is nothing in the way of character development or setting description to lift it above the ordinary.
Yesterday afternoon I finished Tory Heaven by Marghanita Laski, which I only began on Wednesday evening. The mini Persephone readathon begins today, so despite having other things waiting to review, I shall review out of order and try and get this one reviewed by the end of the weekend. It is a sharply observed satire and a scathing indictment on the social hierarchy of the class system.
As well as all the above, I have read some of Grace Paley’s short stories in the new VMC edition of the Collected Stories. More about that in the coming weeks, as I continue to dip in and out.
Looking ahead to June…
I have just started The Carlyles At Home by Thea Holm – Persephone book 32 – it is about the lives of Jane and Thomas Carlyle when they lived at Cheyne row, Chelsea. I may stray away from my ACOB to read another Persephone book this weekend too, I shall see how I feel and what time I have. I shall of course continue with those Grace Paley stories and I am looking forward to The Takeover by Muriel Spark for #ReadingMuriel2018.
Whatever you’re reading in June I hope you enjoy it, and as always I would love to know about the best things you read during May.
heavenali 
Just read FANFARE FOR TIN TRUMPETS by Margery Sharp.About to start IAN AND FELICITY by Denis Mackail.
I am out of library books so am reading books bought this year.Never pays to keep them unread for too long.
I hope you enjoy Ian and Felicity.
I didn’t love the Sharp book to be honest.
Ian and Felicity looks better.
I’ve only read one MacKail so far (Romance to the Rescue) which I really enjoyed- I could see why Wodehouse wished he’d written some of Mackail’s books 🙂
I also have Mackail’s “HAVING FUN, MORE NON STOP STORIES” whicjh looks good.
A belated Happy Birthday, Ali, and I hope you’re beginning to feel better. Chest infections can be very nasty.
Yes, not completely better yet, but on the mend I think.
Belated Many Happy Returns, Ali, and I hope the health improves! You had a good month of reading there. I have been enjoying my Penguin Moderns but I’m also trying to get back into the habit of longer books, as I do keep opting ofr small ones….
Thanks, it is taking its time to be honest but no doubt will get there. I often choose shorter books too, not always deliberately but read a mix in May.
Happy Birthday
Thank you.
Happy belated birthday wishes. Hope you are well in health now. Hope you have fun for the mini Persephone readathon. I have to finish half of Little boy lost as well as start Tory’s Heaven (not for readathon; just by me) and I think it will be great fun
Ooh Little Boy Lost is such a tear jerker – but couldn’t put it down. Tory Heaven was great – enjoy your Persephone reading.
Happy birthday to you! Every month I find books I want to read from your reviews. I’m interested in the Rubens and have the Laski and Writers and Readers to read. I’m also eager to see what you think of the Paley stories. My favorite May read was Willa Cather’s A Lost Lady. I also loved Edith Wharton’s The Reef, Anita Loos’ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, P G Wodehouse’s A Damsel in Distress, and Molly Keane’s Full House. I hope you feel all better soon!
I love Willa Cather and Edith Wharton and have read some great Keane,- can’t remember if I have read Full House or have it tbr – so your reading month sounds fab too.
Happy (belated) Birthday Ali – I do hope you are feeling a bit better x
I think I’m on the mend, but it’s been a bit gruelling.
Happy 50th birthday Ali and I hope you feel better soon, if you don’t already! My favourite read of May was the wonderful The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Happy reading in June 🙂
Thank you, yes The Tenant Wildfell Hall is wonderful.
It was lovely to celebrate your birthday with you, very unlovely to see you so unwell. I’m glad you’ve got in some good reading. I only read 7 books in may but I’ve completed the last large one I was reading at the end of the month now. I had a weird May with my work-life balance all out of kilter – here’s to a more stable June for everyone!
Well the two big books count more anyway really. I think I am on the mend now thankfully too, so yes here’s to a much better month in June.
Happy 50th! And I love the Persephone pic: very nice. As for good May reading, I think my favourite was probably Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex, which was a long book to begin with, and it seemed even longer because I listened to most of it as an audiobook (occasionally dipping into the text proper), but when it was all done, I really missed the family and the characters across the generations. I’m not sure it was perfectly shaped (it just seemed to go on and on) but it was perfectly immersive (so I guess shape doeesn’t matter a bit then).
Thank you. I read Middlesex and remember it as immersive but can remember nothing about the actual story.
I have been meaning to reply to this for days…. I know you had a great birthday and hope you are fully recovered from your chest infection. Horrible things. My modest reading for May was Castle Dor Daphne du Maurier. An interesting finishing of a Quiller Couch novel after his death. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t D du M at her best presumably partly because she was limited by keeping true to his work. Interesting though. Frost in May followed which I found brilluany
Oops. Trying to correct typing posted. Frost in May was brilliantly written and such an insight into that world. Thanks for posting the Guardian article. Lastly Olive Kitteridge which disappointed and depressed me. Must be the only person in the reading world not to like Elizabeth Strout!
Frost in May is brilliant, do try to get the rest of Antonia White’s quartet. (she changes Nanda’s name for Clara Batchelor and these books are often seen as the Clara Bachelor trilogy). I’m sure I have seen other readers not get along with Elizabeth Strout.
Thanks for info on Antonia White’s quartet. I was left wanting more after Frost in May.