Hello! How’s your July been? I’ve read a lot this month, but it’s been all galleys so nothing that I can write about here (yet). I finished two books last weekend and will finish two by this weekend’s end as well. I’m well on my way to having read 10 galleys that I can talk about at my “Fabulous Fall Reads” presentation in September. If all goes to plan I won’t be scrambling to read anything in the week leading up to the event and can focus all my efforts on preparing my booktalks and the Powerpoint. Whew!
I’m going to Colorado again mid-August and want to take books with me that I have no obligation to read. Books that I can read just because I want to. So, I’ve been buying books online and at Half-Price books, hoarding them for the trip. I ordered 3 Poirot novels after loving The Murder of Roger Ackroyd a few months ago. Then I found a copy of Night and Day by Virginia Woolf at Half-Price Books (HPB) — not the most attractive copy but I couldn’t pass it up. On the same visit to HPB I decided to buy Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. I read it many years ago when I think I was probably too young to “get” it so I’m curious to see what I’ll think of it now.
A few weeks later I found To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey. I know nothing about it, but I do like Tey’s mysteries so I tossed it in my basket. Also in my basket went My American by Stella Gibbons. My local HPB has carried lots of Gibbons’s novels through the years and I always buy them yet haven’t read any of them yet. I want to remedy that this year. On top of the Tey and the Gibson went The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace which I remembered Jane liking years ago when she was at her previous blog.
Lastly, the mailman recently delivered Queen Victoria in her Letters and Journals where it sat in my baking metal mailbox until I rescued it into the air conditioned comfort of my home.
I probably won’t take all of these to Colorado but a few of them will make the trip. I also want to take a few Viragos and Persephones to read since August is All August/All Viirago (with Persephones included). I’ve already started The Fortnight in September for this event and LOVE it. I also want to read a Holtby, Comyns and Laski during the month. I’m giddy just thinking about it!
But I forgot — I do have one book I’m obligated to read in August and that is Silas Marner for book club. I should probably start on that one soon.
What are your August reading plans? Have you bought any books lately that you are super excited about?
A Certain Fondness 
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