Welcome to #DDMreadingweek

It’s finally come around again, the week when we can celebrate the life and work of Daphne du Maurier – whose birthday (along with mine) falls later this week. 

I’m afraid I might be a bit quieter this week than in previous years, I wasn’t sure at all whether I could even commit to hosting this week. My struggles with blogging continue – fatigue is probably the biggest issue, and I haven’t felt great the last few days (typical!) However, here I am giving it a good go. At the end of this post, I will explain how Liz will be helping to gather all the reviews together in one place. 

I have already read two books in preparation, books I hadn’t read before. First was I’ll Never be Young Again – DDM’s second novel first published in 1932. I then read Myself When Young: the Shaping of a Writer (1977) a very readable memoir based upon the diaries that DDM kept between 1920 and 1932. I will do my very best to review these this week – but I will be honest – it may not happen. I am now re-reading Rebecca (1938), my third reading of it – I decided to read it again, just for the sheer pleasure of it. If there was ever a novel designed to make a reader want to curl up with a hot drink and a blanket then this is it. I am loving it all over again, but I don’t think I will feel the need to write about it.

It’s always great seeing what everyone else decides to read – whether it be novels, short stories, biography or nonfiction. DDM was certainly prolific, and has left us with quite a variety to choose from – there’s pretty much something to suit every mood, I would think. I always rather envy those discovering Rebecca or Jamaica Inn for the first time, though there will be other readers like me, who return happily to an old favourite.  

Whatever you’re reading by or about DDM this week, please let me know, you don’t need to be a blogger to join in, a Tweet using the hashtag #DDMreadingweek is just as good, especially when it comes with a photograph of the edition or reading divice you are curled up with. I’m afraid I have rather given up on Instagram – feel free to post things there, of course, I just won’t see them. 

When it comes to gathering all the reviews that come in during #DDMreadingweek, together, I usually have a dedicated page here on my blog, which I edit throughout the week and the days following, as reviews get put up. Finding them can be an issue so using that hashtag on Twitter really helps. However, this year, I can’t manage that as well, so my lovely friend Liz has stepped in to help. She has created a page on her blog where she will gather all the reviews from blogs and perhaps Goodreads as they come in. You can find the page here but to ensure your post doesn’t get missed, you could pop a link to it in the comments section of the page on Liz’s blog yourself. 

Happy DDMreadingweek everyone who is joining in – whether you’re reading along with us, or cheering from the sidelines, hoping to be inspired for next time.