- The Leopard - not my usual thing, but recommended by a book group friend who said it's stayed with her for weeks since she read it.
- The Odd Women - bought because of an intriguing review, and because Darlene is about to start reading it.
- Perfect Lives - my book group choice for December.
- To the North - I've been looking for it for ages because I loved The Last September so much, and have read most of her other stuff. This review prompted me to look again, and I'm really looking forward to it.
Showing posts with label book buying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book buying. Show all posts
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Ten books I've bought but not yet read
Here goes
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
No-one expects the French inquisition
On holiday in the Tarn last week, 29C kept me sitting in the shade from the moment I came in from the morning's baguette-foraging until about 4pm. While the others played by the pool, I kept my pale skin safe and my geeky brain entertained with some local history.
This area of the south-west of France was full of the Cathar heresy during C13 and into C14, people who rejected the Catholic church and opted instead to be 'good Christians'. I really enjoyed The Perfect Heresy, which sets the early C13 sieges and massacres in the context of wider history - the state of the Catholic church and competing popes setting up across Europe; rival powers with claims on the land (including the English King, the local Count of Foix and the tiny kingdom of France) and changes in society and technology. It's a compelling and vivid read, showing us how human the individuals were. And the descriptions of medieval sieges and burnings were truly horrendous.
And then I read Montaillou, which is a classic. Emmanuel La Roy Ladurie drew on the detailed records of the C14 Inquisition's interviews and interrogations of the population of this tiny village. It's a magnificent work of scholarship, with astounding levels of detail about the most minor aspects of life. My gripe is that it's a dated book - it reads like an academic study, taking different aspects of life thematically and marshalling the evidence for each section. I think a more modern history would have invested more focus in the stories of the families - it could still have kept different chapters to focus on different aspects of rural medieval life but would have been more plot and character-driven and so a more engaging read.
Both books came from Daunts - I love the way they arrange history and fiction by country, with the travel books. I'm not into the Dan Brown-type stuff on Cathars etc, and didn't manage to find any 'quality' fiction to read while there, so I'd welcome any other suggestions of books to read - whether about the area or more fiction set in medieval Europe.
This area of the south-west of France was full of the Cathar heresy during C13 and into C14, people who rejected the Catholic church and opted instead to be 'good Christians'. I really enjoyed The Perfect Heresy, which sets the early C13 sieges and massacres in the context of wider history - the state of the Catholic church and competing popes setting up across Europe; rival powers with claims on the land (including the English King, the local Count of Foix and the tiny kingdom of France) and changes in society and technology. It's a compelling and vivid read, showing us how human the individuals were. And the descriptions of medieval sieges and burnings were truly horrendous.
And then I read Montaillou, which is a classic. Emmanuel La Roy Ladurie drew on the detailed records of the C14 Inquisition's interviews and interrogations of the population of this tiny village. It's a magnificent work of scholarship, with astounding levels of detail about the most minor aspects of life. My gripe is that it's a dated book - it reads like an academic study, taking different aspects of life thematically and marshalling the evidence for each section. I think a more modern history would have invested more focus in the stories of the families - it could still have kept different chapters to focus on different aspects of rural medieval life but would have been more plot and character-driven and so a more engaging read.
Both books came from Daunts - I love the way they arrange history and fiction by country, with the travel books. I'm not into the Dan Brown-type stuff on Cathars etc, and didn't manage to find any 'quality' fiction to read while there, so I'd welcome any other suggestions of books to read - whether about the area or more fiction set in medieval Europe.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Getting back into the game
I've not posted anything in ages, though I have been skulking round plenty of other blogs and adding the odd comment (or planning to, which I'll try to catch up on this weekend). No real reason, other than sunshine and real world fun.
Anyway, I'm starting back again with a couple of fancy adverts I saw and thought others might fancy too.
Firstly, Virago Modern Classics have some new books out in gorgeous fabric-wrapped hardcover. I've not heard of most of them before, but I bought quite a few of the last lot based on attractiveness and a quick browse - and discovered some books and authors that I really really enjoyed. So I'm definitely going to look out for these and read a few pages.
Secondly, special deals on Persephone (see below) - buy three books and choose a free volume of short stories between now and the end of the month. Woo. Methinks my mum's birthday present's pretty much wrapped up now.
| Summer Reading Offer Dear Persephone Reader, ‘This funny, intelligent, deceptively low-key collection is long overdue’ wrote the Guardian last Saturday about the new audiobook version of our short story collection Good Evening, Mrs Craven read by Lucy Scott. So we thought we would give a boost to some of our other short story collections that do not get so much attention. If you buy three Persephone books as normal we will send you, completely free of charge, a copy of one of the following collections: Tell It to a Stranger (No. 15), The Montana Stories (No. 25), Minnie’s Room (No. 34), Tea with Mr Rochester (No. 44), The Casino (No. 48), The Woman Novelist and Other Stories (No. 64) or The Closed Door and Other Stories (No. 74). Just write in the Additional Information box (below Shipping Information) which book you would like. Please note: this offer is valid from July 7th-31st and can only be used once. Some people are unaccountably reluctant to read short stories. This is their chance to overcome that reluctance for ever! Best wishes from all at Persephone Books |
Thursday, 3 February 2011
How to browse a bookshop
So, lesson one happened earlier this week - and my lovely pupil didn't buy anything but did pronounce herself very happy and said she'd found it quite exciting (?!?)
What did we do?
1) Homework in advance - I suggested she should read the weekend papers for a couple of weeks, obviously focussing on the review section. I'm an Observer reader by habit, she tends to the Times and I think (but haven't checked) that whatever paper you normally read, it's likely that their review section will reflect your tastes.
2) Getting to the bookshop - we went for the big Waterstones on Piccadilly. I know it's obvious and corporate, but it's big with lots of choice and open late into the evening, which seems far more civilised than late-night opening by other shops. And 15 mins walk from work, which is also good.
3) Let the browsing commence - so we mooched, floor-by-floor. Ground floor not so good - it's more like a WHSmith with all sorts of random tat; but 1st floor upwards is brilliant.
We talked about how important book covers are (massively, and I think helpfully - but I'm not such a fan of every book by an author having the same design of cover) and about how you choose what to pick up. I love beautiful books - the Virago classics hardbacks with beautiful covers spurred me to buy loads that I wouldn't have picked up otherwise. But I won't even touch pastel-covered chick lit, and have a fairly strong prejudice against books that have the author's name (or a sword) embossed in silver or gold on the cover.
What did we do?
1) Homework in advance - I suggested she should read the weekend papers for a couple of weeks, obviously focussing on the review section. I'm an Observer reader by habit, she tends to the Times and I think (but haven't checked) that whatever paper you normally read, it's likely that their review section will reflect your tastes.
2) Getting to the bookshop - we went for the big Waterstones on Piccadilly. I know it's obvious and corporate, but it's big with lots of choice and open late into the evening, which seems far more civilised than late-night opening by other shops. And 15 mins walk from work, which is also good.
3) Let the browsing commence - so we mooched, floor-by-floor. Ground floor not so good - it's more like a WHSmith with all sorts of random tat; but 1st floor upwards is brilliant.
We talked about how important book covers are (massively, and I think helpfully - but I'm not such a fan of every book by an author having the same design of cover) and about how you choose what to pick up. I love beautiful books - the Virago classics hardbacks with beautiful covers spurred me to buy loads that I wouldn't have picked up otherwise. But I won't even touch pastel-covered chick lit, and have a fairly strong prejudice against books that have the author's name (or a sword) embossed in silver or gold on the cover.
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