It’s been nearly a week since the end of Daphne du Mauier reading week – and I haven’t thanked those of you who joined in, commented on blog posts, etc for your support. It is really appreciated – thank you all. It’s so great to be able to share an enthusiasm with others and to celebrate an author who is loved by many. I definitely discovered I don’t love all her books – after reading I’ll Never Be Young Again (1932) but that’s ok – I suspect I will never read Julius (1933) – after seeing several negative reviews. On the other hand I enjoyed the memoir I read, and absolutely loved my reread of Rebecca (1938) – astounding myself at how much I had forgotten, despite having read it twice before. I was sorry to finish it, and it gave me a massive book hangover, which I rarely get.
As many of you will know I have been struggling for the last year to blog in the way that I used to, I am now glad if I manage one post a week – I often don’t manage even that. I excelled myself therefore, with three posts last week. I may have broken myself with the effort though as I have barely been online since. I am gradually catching up with other people’s blogs, getting a few read every day. I’m sorry I can’t manage to comment on all of them. I get very frustrated with myself – I feel my blog probably gets less engagement than it used to, and that’s entirely due to my lack of enthusiasm and erratic posting. All the more annoying as I have blogged for so long – but I had someone check under the sofa for me, and my mojo is still very much MIA. A couple of busier than average weeks have taken their toll – PIP assessment, birthday celebrations and visitors, a hospital appointment – doesn’t take much to do me in, it seems.
After finishing Rebecca and nursing that book hangover, I decided on a collection of short stories Winter in the Air (1955) by Sylvia Townsend Warner – it was a very slow reading week too as it happens so short stories were perfect. I think there were only one or two stories I had read before in other collections so that was a bonus – and she is such a good writer, I can recommend all her novels and stories. In this collection we meet abandoned wives, a young girl eloping, a murderer, we witness a schoolboy’s encounter in a railway carriage and a woman return to a village decades after she left. It’s a superb collection recently reissued by Faber & Faber. Reading that reminded me that I had read all but one of her novels – The Flint Anchor (1954) is the one I have left to read – I may have bought a copy a couple of years ago, but I can’t remember for sure, so will have to go in search at some point before buying a copy. I know I’m not the only one who forgets what I have.
For my birthday I got the two latest Persephone releases – Two Cheers for Democracy by E M Forster (essays dating from 1925 to 1951) and One Afternoon (1975) by Sian James – thank you Liz. I have quite a pile of unread Persephones now, so I really should make an effort. I also received book tokens which go into the pile of book tokens I received for a retirement gift from work (former work). They are burning a hole in my pocket as the saying goes – but I need to read a few more first, and I am being a very slow reader this month. Feel free to recommend me titles – particularly vintage books that have been reissued or women in translation.
I am currently reading my June book group book The Bandit Queens (2023) by Parini Shroff and enjoying it very much, I may even finish it today. Whatever you’re reading, I hope it’s something marvellous.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
heavenali 
Don’t be too hard on yourself Ali, it’s always great to see a post of yours pop up, but looking after yourself is the main priority. Thanks for hosting DDM Reading Week again, I raced to read The Birds on time and really enjoyed it!
I probably am too hard on myself, it’s born of frustration. So glad you enjoyed The Birds.
I do it too Ali and then try to remember that blogging is a hobby not a job! Still, it shows we care x
Don’t blame yourself for lower number of visitors to the blog – while it may be true that you’ve posted less frequently, I think there are simply too many blogs or other distractions and readers are torn, simply do not have the time to visit or read all they’d like to do.
There are so many blogs, I do find it a struggle keeping up.
Also, I was planning to reread Rebecca, especially since I’m comparing it to The Bird Tribunal, which I’m also skim-rereading for a book club. But I simply ran out of time.
I highly recommend rereading Rebecca, I shall have to look The Bird Tribunal up.
Do hang in there. Books will wait for us if we need to take some time, after all. I didn’t manage to post for DDM Week but I have a copy of The Parasites which I’m keen to get to!
The Parasites is very good, hope you think so if you get to it.
Always lovely to see you when you can blog, Ali, and I’m sorry you’ve been having a difficult time of it. Write and read when you can, and short stories are a great idea if your reading is a bit fragmented. That STW collection sounds brilliant!!
Short stories were a good fit after finishing Rebecca. That STW collection is very good.
Always lovely to hear from you when you comment, Ali, but please don’t worry if you can’t. Short stories are a great idea for a spurt of reading when you feel up to it.
Thank you, I probably give myself too much grief over it all.
Good to see your update and I’m glad you enjoyed re-reading Rebecca so much – it’s a candidate for a re-read by me, too, when I get to that project. I have a couple of Persephones too, I’m pondering my 20 Books of Summer pile at the moment and might add them to All Virago (and similar)/All August. I’m looking forward to what you think of The Bandit Queens. I’m reading a slightly odd book from my NetGalley backlog about the women who invented the sports bra and today reviewed Emma and my latest readalong book, finished last night.
I finished The Bandit Queens yesterday, and loved it. Very entertaining with some strong themes too.
I’m always glad to see a post from you Ali, whenever it appears. Don’t pressure yourself 🙂 (I’m also trying to take my own advice as my blogging is so erratic). I’m hoping I might manage a DDM before the end of the month as I was sorry not to join in, but I absolutely enjoyed the DDM posts!
I’m glad you enjoyed seeing the DDM posts. Look forward to seeing which DDM you go for if you do decide to read one.
What a lovely blog. You shouldn’t be hard on yourself and I’m sure you have as many followers as ever. I’m a little scare to reread Rebecca. It made such an impact when I read it years ago I feel that it may not live up to that youthful reaction. I’m finding these days although reading all the time and as much as ever I am very slow to finish each book. That’s frustrating. The piles of books keep growing.
I understand the worry over rereading Rebecca, but I would hope you would love it just the same, although I think we read/see things differently with subsequent reads as we get older. That didn’t stop me inhaling it.
I am glad you were able to enjoy the short stories this week. I am FINALLY into my DDM book. Since the COVID mess I’ve struggled to read (as opposed to listening to audio books which I now devour). I hope to review in a week or so. Please, please, don’t be hard on yourself! Life is more than reading and you give so much to all of us that it is well worth waiting until you are “ready” or “in the mood” to blog. Your posts are great.
Hope you are fully recovered. Glad to hear you are reading your DDM book. Enjoy!
Lovely to see this update from you, Ali. We’re always here for you, however frequently you are able to post. Your thoughts on books and various aspects of your life are always so eloquent, friendly and a pleasure to read…I’m so sorry that you’ve been having a challenging time this year, and I wish there was something practical I could say or do to help, but you’re in my thoughts, for sure.
Rebecca is a wonderful book, and I’m glad you got so much out of another re-read. The sign of a great writer, I think!
Thank you, Jacqui. I think I just get overly frustrated with myself. Rereading Rebecca was such a treat.
It’s great to find your blog – I’m trying to expand my reading back to what it used to be. I’ll enjoy reading you blog for inspiration.
Thank you, welcome. 😊
Your bookshelf looks scrumptious! Reading takes so much time, I cannot imagine how much time and energy you put into writing about what you’ve read. I am inspired to read more Du Maurier and just bought a collection of her short stories.
Thank you 😊
I am glad to inspire your reading, Daphne du Maurier wrote some great novels and I think her short stories are particularly good. Happy reading.
It was great that you and Liz managed DDM week. I think short stories and/or essays are a great way to go when one is tired or busy – easier to pick up and put down.
When I worked in publishing I used to tell people about book tokens in the UK and they didn’t believe me. I still don’t know how they are funded/implemented.
I love book tokens, they don’t expire, well certainly not before I would spend them, and it’s just a perfect gift. I know I will have fun ordering things when I have created a few gaps in my tbr.