‘Project Names’ is – ironically? – a terrible name for this reading project, but I can’t think what else to call it. I’ll try to avoid calling it anything. Though have now set it up as a tag. I am nothing if not contrary.
I don’t particularly like planning ahead for my reading projects, because it can suck the joy and spontaneity out of reading for me – but I was going through my shelves to find out how many books-with-names-in-the-titles were there, and I couldn’t resist making a list of some books that jumped out at me. As mentioned the other day, I have 145 candidates on my fiction shelves – so lots of options – but these ten were ones I wrote down. Which will doubtless mean I don’t read a word of any of them in 2019, but here they are nonetheless! Any you’ve read? Any I should rush to?
Mariana by Monica Dickens
This was one of the first batch of Persephones published, and has been on my shelves for at least a decade. I’ve read and enjoyed four or five novels by Monica Dickens. At this point it’s kind of ridiculous that I haven’t read this one. (Ditto her Joy and Josephine, for a bonus title.)
Susan and Joanna by Elizabeth Cambridge
I was overjoyed when I found this rare title (in a very tatty edition) for 50p at a jumble sale. In a village called Lower Slaughter, no less. That was 2010 and I still haven’t read it, so get on with it, Simon!
Mr Pye by Mervyn Peake
A birthday present from my friend Clare that looks super interesting and fun – and which has been compared to Miss Hargreaves! (She may get a re-read this year…)
Mr Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
I really like Oyeyemi (most of the time), and I love that she named this after a Barbara Comyns novel – which I have enjoyed. I should probably read this one before her new novels comes out.
Adele and Co by Dornford Yates
Hayley is a big fan of Yates, and possibly gave me this book? I don’t know much about him except that his books are often massed in their dozens in secondhand bookshops.
What Hetty Did by J.L. Carr
I’ve read three Carr novels, and they’ve all been so wildly different from one another that I am very intrigued to know what sort of book this might be.
Miss Linsey and Pa by Stella Gibbons
Another lucky find at a jumble sale, I am slightly discouraged by it being one of the few Gibbons novels that Vintage chose not to reprint… maybe it was TOO good??
A Cup of Tea for Mr Thorgill by Storm Jameson
Not gonna lie, I bought this because I thought the cover was interesting and lovely (and, sorry, slightly blurry). But Jameson is one of those authors I’ve been meaning to try for a very long time. This book doesn’t seem to have the best reception (in the few reviews I can find), but The Hidden River doesn’t have a name in it, so…
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Brian Moore
Quite a few people have been reading this one across the blogosphere lately, often in beautiful NYRB Classics editions that I don’t own. I’m 99% I’ll love it, so let’s find out!
Mr Scobie’s Riddle by Elizabeth Jolley
I bought quite a few Jolley novels a few years ago, on the recommendation of Kim, so this should be the year I finally read her.
I know a lot of those authors, but the only one I’ve read so far is Mariana which I did love, one of my first Persephones (because it comes in the Persephone classics edition which is much easier to find in the U.S.). I also own Judith Hearne, in the beautiful NYRB edition! Which is probably why I bought it. I want to read that one this year also, thank you for reminding me.
I am quite ashamed of my edition of Judith Hearne! Oh well, the content will be great I’m sure.
I hope you do get to the Elizabeth Jolley. I had never read her – had not even heard of her – until Lisa at ANZlitlovers highlighted her. Since then I’ve read – and loved – two of her novellas.
Great to have a recommendation! I have three others waiting by her, so hopefully it’ll be a great success :)
I too have only read Mariana – I love Monica Dickens and I can recommend this one. I recently read The Winds of Heaven and enjoyed it very much, and as a teenager I adored One Pair of Feet and One Pair of Hands so much that I was moved to seek out the Dickens’ family home in Holland Park, just so that I could stand in front of the house and think of Monica.
I’ve also been going through my shelves, and Joy and Josephine leapt out at me too. I think I’ve also got Dear Dr Lily somewhere.
This project is also going to be a marvellous excuse for re-reading early Jilly Coopers – Harriet, Octavia and so on. I like them much more than her later blockbusters.
I adore the One Pair books, though had not got as far as finding the house! Fingers crossed this is as good, though I imagine v different.
Well, the only one I’ve read is the Peake and I would heartily recommend it (though I’m not sure I entirely agree with the comparison…) However, as I adore Peake (and spent some years running the Peake Society back in the day) I am unbelievably biased. The characters are just wonderful (*love* Miss Dredger!) and I ended up fairly obsessed with the idea of Sark for many years! The TV adaptation is quite sweet too!
Oo running the Peake Society, gosh! Well, this endorsement has certainly helped it up the tbr pile.
I love Elizabeth Jolley but of course she was a wonderful Aussie writer. I hope you read Mr Pye because the cover attracts me and I’ll bet it’s whimsical and quirky. 🤠🐧
It has been a while since I read an Australian novel, so it must be time soon. Will report back on Mr Pye before too long!
I loved Mariana , such an important book in my life that I can’t be objective about it – isn’t it interesting that with books you love , whole slabs of text stay with you?
Sue
I have definitely had that with a few books! I’m clearly going to have to read Mariana soon.
The only one I have read is Mariana, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I do have The Lonely passion of Judith Hearne tbr. I would be very keen to read the Elizabeth Cambridge and the Stella Gibbons. I have several Gibbons tbr.
I have SO many unread Gibbons my shelves – I’ve really enjoyed some of the ones I have read, though Cold Comfort Farm is definitely ahead of the pack.
Mariana , by all means!
I love it and have reread it several times.
That is quite the endorsement!
The only one I’ve read of these is Mariana. It was one of my first Persephones and remains one of my favourites so, naturally enough, I vote you start with it!
It’s definitely winning the vote!
I read the Brian Moore book decades ago when I binged on him. I really liked his writing. I very much enjoyed seeing some of your bookshelves.
What a great idea for a reading project! I’m sure you’ll have fun with it. As for the books on your shortlist, it’s Judith Hearne all the way for me – a brilliant yet devastating novel. Just make sure you have something cheerful lined up as a follow-on read. :)
Yours is definitely one of the reviews that catapulted it up the tbr pile!
Mariana is great, Joy and Josephine ever so odd. Have fun – this is cool! Can we use a hashtag if we read any during the year (resisting temptation to look through my TBR RIGHT NOW) ourselves?
Of course! In lieu of anything better, I suppose #ProjectNames it will have to be.
So happy to see some Gibbons here! Hope that’s one of the ones you get around to reading, I’d love to hear your thoughts 😉👍🏼