I’ve been away from the blog for a while (ahem, five months) and thought I’d dip my toe back in with some book recommendations etc. Those of you who read a certain newspaper will recognise the questions. Also I want to see if I can get to grips with the new wordpress editor which is, let’s be honest, highly unlikely. So off we go with some questions I am asking myself and my apologies if <code;’*&^%$£”> happens.
Q.The book I am currently reading:
Andrew Taylor’s THE ASHES OF LONDON. Historical fiction about the fire of London. He’s very readable. This starts when the fire has already been raging for a few days which is interesting. I was expecting a more disaster movie framework but it works well and I’m enjoying it.
Q. The book that changed your life.
Bit of a grandiose question. Probably ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT by Jeanette Winterson. Daring, funny, original – and she was so young when she wrote it.
Q. The book I wish I’d written.
LITTLE by Edward Carey, writer and illustrator. It’s about Madame Tussaud but so much more than that. It’s brilliant – a story of magnificent, triumphant, survival which given what we are all living through seems timely. Since Covid-19 struck, Edward has been doing a drawing a day on twitter. Well, worth checking out. @EdwardCarey70. His next book is THE SWALLOWED MAN out in November.
Q. A book you’ve read recently that you think is underrated.
ASH BEFORE OAK by Jeremy Cooper is described as fiction. Part nature diary and part chronicle of mental health crisis. Beautiful writing about the natural world. I loved it.
Q. Book I’m ashamed not to have read.
Well, probably everything by George Eliot.
Q. What book do you give as a gift?
LITTLE recently but to be honest I tend to ask people what they want.
Q. The last book that made you laugh?
Abir Mukherjee’s A RISING MAN. Historical crime set in 1920s India. I can’t recommend this series highly enough. This is the first in a series, the fourth, DEATH IN THE EAST, has recently paperbacked. Abir does everything effortlessly – character, dialogue, plot. He’s the real deal. Read him and enjoy.
Q. What’s your earliest reading memory?
That would be Janet and John. There was also the Ladybird Book of Trees and Sam Pig by Alison Uttley.
Q. So what happened with the blogging?
Oh, you know, life … but I’m glad to be back. And could someone tell me how to caption photos now? And could someone tell wordpress to stop telling me I can’t edit my own b****y blog, thanks.
So glad you are back, Sweetie! Colin and I were just wondering where you were. I feel you had a fruitful time away. 💛
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Thank you! Just felt no inclination to blog at all. September seems to have revived it a bit. I was doing a lot of writing during lock down and was hoping a certain thing might result. It didn’t and it was disappointing. The work’s not wasted but I needed a bit of time for hope to seep back in. Hope all well with you and yours xx
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All doing well thank you, Sweetie. It’s a strange time …
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Welcome back Vicky! Out of those books I love Oranges….Fortunately I’ve never stopped using the original original editor so I’m hoping I won’t have to change!
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Thanks Andrea! Usually I never embrace any kind of techy change unless forced but I had a whole load of others forced upon me recently and so felt reckless enough to give it a whirl. It can produce a nicely rounded photo if that’s your thing!
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