The end of another month in lockdown, and as I am continuing to shield I may not be going anywhere just yet. I hope you all continue to safe, well and as sane as any of us are at the moment.
I have read some brilliant books in May, it was of course Daphne du Maurier reading week earlier in the month, I actually spent two weeks reading her and it was a complete joy. Seeing so many people sharing their enthusiasm for her books was really inspiring. It was also my birthday, I received good lockdown gifts, pyjamas, books, jigsaws, chocolate, and tea. Lockdown birthdays are necessarily quiet, but it was still nice.
I started the month with the first of the books I read in preparation for DDM reading week, The Birds and other stories. There are six long short stories in the collection, each of them fully immersive and of a satisfying length. In these stories, we find ourselves on the English coast, in a remote European mountain village, a sun soaked holiday resort for the wealthy and a rural English landscape. The opening title story is the most memorable of course, absolutely chilling and utterly brilliant.
The Flight of the Falcon was next – a thoroughly interesting and immersive novel with a tremendous sense of place. A young Italian man working as a courier with a tourist company travels back to his hometown, where the past is everywhere. There are simmering resentments, jealousies, and fragile allegiances at the town’s university, though at the heart of the novel there is a mystery about an old woman’s death – and a brother’s obsession.
The Parasites offered yet another kind of narrative from DDM and I started to really see just how varied her writing is. This is a pretty autobiographical novel about three theatrical siblings.
My final book for DDM reading week was The Scapegoat, it’s a novel of doppelgangers – two men meet and swap identities. You may initially have to suspend disbelief, but once you do, this is a fantastic read.
The Skin Chairs by Barbara Comyns was my next read, narrated by ten year old Frances it is classic Comyns. Comyns presents us with an adult world seen through a child’s eyes, several eccentric characters combine with the strange and the macabre.
The first of the books I have still to review is Wave me Goodbye edited by Anne Boston, a wonderful collection of Second World War stories – packed with the kind of writers I love, there were a few stories I was reading for the second time but that was no hardship. Sylvia Townsend Warner, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Pym, Olivia Manning and Jean Rhys are just some of the women writers collected here.
The Murder of my Aunt by Richard Hull from the brilliant British Library was a thoroughly enjoyable golden age mystery, told in a wonderfully arch tone – it is wickedly wry and has a brilliant twist.
On my trusty old kindle, I read The House Opposite by Barbara Noble a Furrowed Middlebrow title from Dean Street Press. It is a brilliant depiction of living through the London blitz. It is a very vivid picture of the times, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
My book group went with my suggestion of Dusty Answer by Rosamond Lehmann for our June read. I first read it just over ten years ago, so it has been a great joy to re-read it. At the time of writing (early Sunday evening) I have less than a hundred pages to go – and I suspect I won’t quite read all of those pages by midnight, but it can still count for May – just.
Plans for June? I don’t really have any. Though I am reminded by the arrival of the Persephone biannually that I haven’t read any Persephone for a while. I have five tbr and four of those are non-fiction – and that is the problem. I read very little non-fiction anyway and have definitely been in even less of a non-fiction mood than usual. Still, I may try one of them. Other than that, I will go where my mood takes me.
What have you been reading in May? I always enjoy hearing about brilliant books I should be looking out for.
Whatever you are reading and whatever you are doing, locked down or venturing nervously out into the world, I hope you stay safe and well.
heavenali 
Wave Me Goodbye sounds wonderful – I’ll look forward to your review. I have 4 Persephone in the TBR so I too was wondering about some of those for June. Like you, I’m shielding (my mother lives with me and is vulnerable) so I’m headed nowhere for now! Stay safe Ali.
Wave me Goodbye is an excellent collection, I highly recommend it. Take care.
I’m glad your reading has helped compensate for shielding, Ali, not to mention all those birthday goodies.
Yes, reading does help in the current situation. I’m only surprised I’m not reading more.
A lovely month of reading and I thoroughly enjoyed my first foray into Daphne du Maurier so thank you again for the encouragement! I read 13 books in May plus the two DNFs, and am part-way through two more, so was really pleased with that.
You did well! So glad you enjoyed your Daphne du Maurier reading.
The Murder of my Aunt sounds really interesting . . . Its going to my TBR right now . BTW I have enjoyed your content very much – especially the Du Maurier Reading Challenge content . .
I really enjoyed The Murder of My Aunt it’s a good fun little mystery. Hope you enjoy it.
That’s a fine month’s worth of reading there, very satisfying indeed. I’m going to have to get a copy of that Virago WW2 anthologies; it sounds ideal for dipping into in between other reads.
Yes, a very satisfying month for books. I think you would enjoy the short stories too.
You remind me that I promised a friend I would read Rosamond Lehman’s Invitation to the Waltz. With all the reading time I have at the moment he will never forgive me if, when lockdown is over and we can get our book group is back together again, I still haven’t read it! I must go searching for a copy. Thank you.
Oh Invitation to the Waltz is absolutely wonderful. I really hope you enjoy it.
Looks like you had a lovely reading month. And some wonderful jigsaws from the pictures I saw on Twitter.
I am really enjoying my jigsaws at the moment. They are so relaxing and diverting.
Sounds like you’ve had a great month of reading Ali – hope it continues!
Thank you, so do I.
Some lovely reading in May, Ali, and I’m glad you are staying safe. The Virago collection of wartime stories sounds excellent! I am continuing to read all over the place, where the mood takes me – I feel I’ve not read enough women lately, but should soon be putting that to rights!
The virago collection is very good indeed. I think reading by mood is definitely the way to go.
Any day now I’m going to get my own review of “The House on the Strand” written . . .
I look forward to your thoughts on The House on the Strand.
I’m sorry (and frustrated) to have missed DDM week this year. Just didn’t have the reading mojo at that point – not even Daphne could tempt me. But I’m looking forward to catching up on everyone’s thoughts and reviews. And Happy belated birthday!
Thank you, and never mind, there’s always next year.
How is your book club meeting – via Zoom I suspect? Ours is and its working surprisingly well.
Yes we meet by Zoom which is working OK as one member has a paid account so we don’t keep getting booted off every 40 minutes.
What would we do without books and puzzles (of varying kinds) to moor us in uneasy times. I’ve just finished rereading Rebecca, inspired by DDM reading week, but I didn’t even begin it until the week was over (Jamaica Inn took all my time and I didn’t want to rush). It was great fun the second time through and, actually, I think I enjoyed it more than I had the first time, maybe partly because I knew what to expect from the characters. Although I had forgotten some very important details, so that was fun!
Yes, I am certainly grateful for my books and puzzles at the moment. So glad you enjoyed your re-read of Rebecca I think re-reading always out things we have forgotten or didn’t fully grasp the first time.
A cosy, quiet birthday at home, with good books and some lovely prezzies sounds pretty nice to be fair. Take care and keep safe, too! 😊
Thank you, yes it was very nice.