Friday reads

 

 

    We have a winner in our book bag draw, and that is Martina, so the bag will be on its way to her in Australia soon, and meanwhile thanks again to everyone who entered and listed their travel reads.

    What are you all reading just now?

    I'm in the early pages of Jane Gardam's Crusoe's Daughter (our book group book for September) and it's off to a great start. I'm also dipping into a lovely collection of short essays, Simple Pleasures: Little Things That Make Life Worth Living, and reading my daily poem (today's was A Runnable Stag by John Davidson). And speaking of poetry, sad news this morning of the death of Seamus Heaney; I've posted his Blackberry picking here.

    Back to the book group for a moment, and I have ideas for books for both October and November - I'm still swithering over one of them but hope to be able to post about them early next week so that we can all get ahead if we wish.

    Finally, please come back later for 'book of the day'; I was going to include it here, but I think it deserves a post of its own ....

Comments

[Chris]

Well done Martina!
I'm reading Victoria Hislop's The Thread, to be followed by Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth and Jane Gardam's Crusoe's Daughter.

[Claire]

Lovely that the bag is going to Australia - a little bit of Edinburgh for Martina.
I'm reading Penelope Fitzgerald's The Blue Flower and then looking forward to starting Crusoe's Daughter.

[Susan in TX]

In the spirit of "Greene for Gran," I'm reading Graham Greene's Heart of the Matter, and have a little poetry going on the side myself with a tome of selections from Lord Byron. Just finished Robert K. Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra, and found it a most readable history. Soon up will be Cruesoe's Daughter and a reread of Twain's Prince and the Pauper for my dds' book club selection. You've got my curiosity stirred up with the Oct/Nov selections - always nice to plan ahead. Happy Weekend!

[Belle]

Cornflower, 'Simple Pleasures' is one of the top ten books I wouldn't want to be without. I wrote about it just about a year ago here:

http://bellebookandcandle.blogspot.com/2012/08/simple-pleasures-edited-by-ivo-dawnay.html

The book had to be shipped from England (I saw the listing for it on the National Trust website) and it took forever to get here. Something to do with Homeland Security checking packages from foreign lands. Anyway, it was well worth the wait. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Cornflower]

An interesting selection, Chris.

[Cornflower]

Ah, The Blue Flower - the laundry scene!

[Cornflower]

Thanks, Susan.
I'm not going to manage any Greene for Gran, though I'm there in spirit and think it's a lovely gesture of Simon's.
Your reading sounds very varied and interesting, too, so enjoy your weekend.

[Cornflower]

It's a lovely book, Belle, and one to savour. I like Lucinda Lambton on 'looking up', something I try to do myself, Trevor Grove on walking the dog, John Julius Norwich on playing the piano - so many delights.

[Martina]

What a thrill to win a little piece of the Edinburgh Festival!! Thanks so much Cornflower and thanks too my gracious reader friends!
Am convalescing from minor illness with a wonderful comfort read Gil Hornby's The Hive. Saw this mentioned for Guardian debut list and am very pleased to have immersed myself in this one. Interesting change from current" read as much of the Booker list as possible" project.

[Ann]

I consider myself very lucky, as one of the textbooks this study period is "The Making of a Poem" edited by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland. I have to read a lot of poetry over the next 3 months - a much needed treat!

[Dark Puss]

As you will understand I have very little time for reading on my holidays. However I read another one of the successful "random" borrowings from my local library, so I'll say a few words about it as well as a recommendation that you (or other Cornflower Books readers) might like it.
The premise of Andrey Kurkov's The Milkman in the Night is concerned with post-Soviet Ukraine and the tangled, complex and confused lives of some of its stranger inhabitants. It is funny and yet brutal, we see excess, corruption and gangsterism and yet also the power of love and hope. The cat that, when fed on a magic pharmaceutical, takes on the protection during the night of some of the vulnerable citizens is a quirky and curiously effective aspect. A splendid satire shot through not only with the occasional bullet but also with magical-realism.

[Zs.]

Congratulations to Martina!
I'm reading Gone Rustic by Cecil Roberts and I would ABSOLUTELY recommend it to all Cornflower fans.

[Cornflower]

Get well soon, Martina!

[Cornflower]

Lovely!

[Cornflower]

Many thanks for that, DP, and it certainly sounds an unusual and successful choice. I hope you've had a good break!

[Cornflower]

Thank you, Zs., I've looked it up and it sounds delightful.