I'm so excited about Persephone Reading Weekend which starts this Friday! I have a lovely stack of dove-grey books I haven't read yet, plus a couple of Persephone Classics and a few books from the library. Altogether I have ten unread Persephones on my owned-and-unread shelf but I've narrowed the week's fiction choices down to six:
- Family Roundabout by Richmal Crompton
- Consequences by E. M. Delafield
- Fidelity by Susan Glaspell
- Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
- Saplings by Noel Streatfeild
- Flush by Virginia Woolf
[I also have three Dorothy Whipples on my TBR shelf, but I'm saving those; I just finished Someone at a Distance and I have to ration the Whipples out! Plus The Winds of Heaven by Monica Dickens but I'm saving that one too. . . I loved Mariana so I'm saving her other book for a comfort read. ]
I also have three possible nonfiction choices, from various libraries:
- A Woman's Place: 1910-1975 by Ruth Adam
- The Carlyles at Home by Thea Hume
- Julian Grenfell by Nicholas Moseley
I'm hoping to read one nonfiction plus at least one fiction, maybe two. I'll also be posting my review of Someone at a Distance . . . and I have two giveaways planned! I'd love some feedback on my possible reads. And what's everyone else reading? I look forward to reading all the blogs and adding lots to my TBR list.
I'm kind of scared of Consequences. It's been sitting on my shelf for months now but I've been putting off reading it because I'm sure it will depress me when I do. Sometimes that is exactly what I'm looking for in a book but not right now. That said, I do hope others end up reading it this weekend so that I can hear more about it! I'm really intrigued by Fidelity, mostly because I haven't read many reviews of it by other bloggers.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you end up reading, enjoy!
Such great choices! I'm sure whatever you choose, you'll not be disappointed. I only have one Persephone so I don't have it as tough as you do - The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
ReplyDeleteCaptive Reader -- I think I bought Consequences because it was by Delafield and I loved Diary of a Provincial Lady. And because I loved the endpapers!
ReplyDeleteAnbolyn -- Making of a Marchioness is an interesting read. Not quite what I expected, but still very good. I still want to read The Shuttle -- hopefully someone will review it next weekend.
Oh what a great selection to choose from! I haven't read any of those but I would be drawn to 'Family Roundabout' as I love Just William and would like to experience her adult novels.
ReplyDeleteI will be starting 'Cheerful Weather for the Wedding' today, followed by 'High Wages' during the week.
Thank you for your generous giveaways! How exciting! I look forward to reading your reviews :-)
I would read A woman's place as it puts the whole of the Persephone sequence really into context, and not many people have reviewed it! And we're looking forward to your giveaways :)
ReplyDeleteCristina -- I'm very tempted by Family Roundabout after the rave review by Thomas at My Porch -- I bought it just because of his posting. However, the Goodreads Persephone group is reading it in May so I may wait a bit. . . it's a tough choice! And I hope you can enter my drawing. There will be a bit of a challenge so check back later. . .
ReplyDeleteVerity -- The Goodreads Persphone group is starting a A Woman's Place so I'm going to the library to pick it up tomorrow. I did peek at The Carlyles last night and it looks really interesting so I may read that one too. And I'm very excited about my giveaways -- one of them will have a little challenge and I've already started working on it.
I would love to see a review of Saplings. I read all the Streatfeild books my library had growing up and, having never heard of her adult books until recently, am really curious to hear what they're like.
ReplyDeleteALL of the choices you have picked are marvellous! I have read and loved all of the fiction and I've read A Woman's Place out of the non fiction, and I thought it was excellent, and like Verity says, it puts everything nicely in context.
ReplyDeleteA book I never see read enough is Fidelity. I read it in my pre blogging days but it stays with me still; Brook Evans is also excellent. Susan Glaspell's writing is breathtaking. I encourage you to give her a try!
Family Roundabout is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMotheretc -- I really want to read Saplings, I only have two unread Persephone classics left. However, it's rather long so I don't know if I can finish it in time. If not this weekend, then soon.
ReplyDeleteBookssnob -- I just got A Woman's Place from the university library in town and I've already started reading it. It's really interesting. I want to finish Fidelity soon too . . . darn it, so many good Persephones left to read!
Thomas -- I bought Family Roundabout because of your review. I think it may be the winner!
Lucky you for having so many choices! I unfortunately read all of my Dorothy Whipples at once, and so I have none left to read for the first time! I recently finished A Woman's Place and loved it.
ReplyDeleteKatherine -- I have been hoarding Persephones (and I got several new ones for Christmas that I've been saving). I am trying out to ration out all the Whipples so I don't finish them too quickly. And did you know Persephone is publishing another Whipple in the fall? It's called Greenbanks and I've heard great things about it.
ReplyDeleteI too hoard my Persephones.
ReplyDeleteOf your pool of potential reads I have read Family Roundabout, Little Boy Lost and Flush and loved them all! I read Flush during the first Persephone Reading Week, however, and I would say that I wish I had read it at another time; Little Boy Lost was the highlight of that first week for me.
Thank you for all your enthusiasm and generosity - looking forward to your participation!
I liked Little Boy lost, but that's the only one on your list that I"ve read. It was sweet. I wish I had more time to read so I could join in!
ReplyDeletePaperback Reader -- why did you wish you had read Flush at another time? Was it Persephone overload?
ReplyDeleteRebecca -- I'm a little apprehensive about Little Boy Lost because I'm really softhearted and I'm afraid it might be really sad. But since you've said it was sweet I am a little more optimistic.
I think it was overload; that first week I read a book a day and Flush was overshadowed by the rest. I'm a huge Woolf fan.
ReplyDelete