Category: Uncategorized
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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles was just shortlisted for the Orange Prize and I couldn’t be more excited.This retelling of the story of Achilles and the Trojan War is one of the most gorgeously written books I’ve read in a while and made me completely engrossed in learning more about Greek mythology and the ancient world.…
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‘Worlds that Sing to You’
“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how…
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4 Outstanding…Memoirs
The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones – I am really fond of reading books about food, chefs and cooking. Judith Jones is a self-taught cook and a long-time editor at Knopf who discovered Julia Child and helped make her a household name in America. In this memoir she talks about her…
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Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Who? Olive Kitteridge, retired school teacher, and various members of her family and citizens of her town. What? A Pulitzer Prize winning novel constructed of 13 stories that depict human struggle, loneliness, loss, grief, broken relationships, disappointment, heartache and rejection, but also hope, connection, support and forgiveness. Where? Crosby, a small coastal town…
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A Bountiful TV Harvest
When season two of Downton Abbey ended a month ago I felt a horrible ache knowing I will have to wait at least a year to find out what happens to the beloved characters. I always say I am not much of a tv watcher, but I am going to admit it for all to hear – I love tv.…
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‘I Like Trees’
“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. I feel as if this tree knows everything I ever think of when I sit here. When I come back to it, I never have to remind it of anything; I begin just where I left…
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Thunder on the Right by Mary Stewart
Last month, I went on a little spending spree and bought five of the new vintage-looking Mary Stewart editions published by Hodder & Stoughton last year. I just love the way these colorful covers look. They do Mary Stewart proud and make her novels a tad more enticing to today’s readers (I hope). Thunder On…
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Is it Spring Where You Are?
“It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves or grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.” – John Galsworthy
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The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding
If ever there was an impulse read, this would be it. I was perusing blogs one Saturday at work about a month ago and came across ‘The 10 Best Neglected Literary Classics’ list in the Guardian. I adore lists like this. I think they are a great source for finding exciting new reads. I…
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The Classics Club {My List}
I don’t want to be left out! So I’m joining the club – the Classics Club. Jillian at A Room of One’s Own is our president. You can see the ‘rules’ of the club here. I’m really very happy to join because I have discovered over the past few months that I do much better…
A Certain Fondness 