All

Pile o’ Books

StuckinaBook All 11 Comments

Have been feeling a little guilty of late, the number of books which have been flooding into Regent Street with my name on the package. True, quite a few of these have been review books, but most have not… In an attempt to assuage said guilt, I’m going to share the books with you all. Sort of. Yes, a picture isn’t quite a substitute for the real thing, but if it makes me feel better…


There they are, in all their glory. That’s not even the lot, actually, but enough for one post. Let me talk you through the books I’ve bought recently – then you can tell me what you think!

Starting at the bottom…
Charlotte : The True Story of Scandal and Spectacle in Georgian London by Kathryn Shevelow
Couldn’t resist this in Blackwells, as it was on offer – a nice, chunky hardback all about an actress who masqueraded as a man to get into the Georgian theatre scene. Flicked through and saw the name Eliza Haywood, which sold it to me.

Family Life 1939-1945 by Katharine Moore
I really enjoyed her letters with Joyce Grenfell, ‘An Invisible Friendship’, and consequently bought her book about Maiden Aunts in literature. This was another one which intrigued, and might well offer an interesting perspective on wartime. Appears to be a sort of diary format.

The Closed Door and other stories by Dorothy Whipple
One of the latest Persephone Books, and short stories by a favourite Persephone author – shall be reading and reviewing this one as soon as I can.

The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns
After loving the surreal talents of Ms. Comyns in ‘Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead’ enough to get it into my 50 Books…, got this one through ebay. Looks great – a sort of fantasy about the effects of a tree on those around it, and how good turns to bad… more surrealism, please!

Fanny Hill by John Cleland
Probably not suitable fare for my bookshelves, but there’s a television adaptation on soon, and I thought I might end up watching it, and so should read the book first. Plus I’ve read far too much 21st Century literature this year; I need to dive back into the past. Perhaps at the end of the year I’ll see how much I’ve read from different periods… something for you all to look forward to.

The Lady in the Van – Alan Bennett
Tiny, but sounds amusing – and after ‘The Uncommon Reader’ I’m hungry for more of Bennett’s inimitable musings and wit.

The Rape of the Lock – Alexander Pope
Sometimes I impress myself with my sophistication… (!) A Hesperus book, so I couldn’t resist, and one I definitely *should* have read during my degree. The world is filled with books I *should* have read during my degree…

Kenilworth by Walter Scott
Look, there’s another! Not read any Scott, which is shameful. Must find out what the fuss is about.

Sun City by Tove Jansson
Fast becoming one of my favourite authors! Have finished ‘Fair Play’ and will talk about it soon. This translation doesn’t appear to be available anywhere in England, so was shipped from US (thanks OVW for your credit card…) and it’s got a beautiful cover. Set in America rather than Scandanavia, which does remove one of the things I liked best about Jansson – the descriptions of her exquisite surroundings – but I daresay it’ll still be wonderful! Plus, I’ve only read on translator’s translations of Jansson, so shall have to discover whether or not her appeal is the same through the pen of another scribe.

But a lifetime burning in every moment

StuckinaBook All , 11 Comments

Every now and then a book comes along which makes you think “wow”, and prevents the normal day-to-day activities taking place without a constant desire to be reading said book. It leads one to read whilst walking to work, often quite perilously, and sneak a copy under the desk in the library. This week such a book reared its head.

Back in one of my earliest posts, I asked people to suggest novels or plays with twins in – as a twin myself, it’s something I find endlessly interesting. Partly because the topic is fascinating, partly because I like discovering how accurate authors are in portraying twinship. Twinhood? Twinicity? Of course I can only compare to my own experience, so it’s not the most objective test. But it keeps me off the streets.

Anyway. A novel nobody mentioned back then was Linda Gillard’s A Lifetime Burning, but it is probably the most convincing portrayal of being a twin that I have ever read. Even more so than The Comedy of Errors. Then again, Topsy and Tim presented rather more verisimilitude than old Billybob. I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot of Gillard’s novel, for three reasons. Firstly, it will ruin genuine shocks and surprises which enhance the reading no end and add richness to the writing; secondly, Linda has said that she doesn’t really do plots – more characters to whom things happen; thirdly, it would sound ridiculous. I don’t mean that as a criticism at all – but a synopsis of the novel would make you think “wow, what a crazy amount of things happen to this family”, whereas reading the novel makes you think “Wow!”

So, not revealing the main plot points – but suffice it to say that the Dunbar family do not live uneventful lives. The novel focuses on Flora, whose funeral is witnessed in the opening pages, and flits between first and third persons, and many different times throughout her life. She is forceful, hopeful and often quite selfish, but with a disarming self-awareness – and great closeness with twin brother Rory. They are not identical personalities, nor are they wholly disparate (the two usual paths taken with twins in fiction) but rather complementing characters; individuals but intertwined.

Though the novel jumps all over the place, I never found it confusing – rather a path towards illumination and comprehension of the characters, understanding (rather than sanctioning) the way they act. Linda Gillard writes with lyrical intensity, beautiful prose which is powerful without being overly ‘flowery.’ I enjoyed her previous novel Emotional Geology, but this is leagues ahead of it – can’t recommend it enough. The subject matter isn’t uncontroversial, but nothing in A Lifetime Burning is gratuitous – and almost every other modern novelist I’ve read could take a leaf out of Gillard’s book.

Working 9 to 5, What A Way To Make A Livin’…

StuckinaBook All 6 Comments

If you’re not singing Dolly Parton in your head right now, then either a)you’re too young, b)you’re too sophisticated, or c)you’re too sane. Take your pick, otherwise hum along with me…

I’ll confess – yes, I am currently at work. And potentially abusing my internet privileges, though it was positively encouraged by the very nice lady in charge of Circulation, where I am at the moment. Before you get images of cocktail shakers and black tie outfits, this is Circulation firmly without air kisses. Well, I could try to introduce them, but might find myself unemployed. I’m busy checkin’ in and checkin’ out all those books which Science students hoard in their rooms and flick through whilst their test tubes or igneous rocks are busy. It’s quite nice – I get to try out my Happy Smiley Big Fat Beam on everyone, blinding them with joviality – but it turns out I’m the world’s worst person for collecting fines. No careers test ever brought up ‘bailiff’ as a proposed suitable employment option, and there’s a reason. The faintest sign of reluctance to pay, and I’m practically flinging money at them. Oddly enough, it’s the ones with 20p to pay who kick up a fuss – those who owe over £10 are happy to cough up. Strange. Personally, I’d always rather pay a fine – even if I knew I didn’t owe it – than make a scene. How British am I?? See this for more, of course.

What was the point of today’s post… well, just realised I hadn’t posted yesterday, and thought I’d amble through a catch-up of my library activities. Although my first tea-break of the day is coming up soon (since we’re not supposed to drink at our desks – for obvious reasons – we get two half-hour breaks and an hour at lunch. Luxury! And nice reading time) so this may be an abridged version of a catch-up. As I mentioned, I’m now working in Circulation as well as Everything Else – so my days are spent re-shelving, fetching books, checking in and out, dealing with enquiries, a tiny bit of cataloguing (usually editing current holdings info)… so a little bit of everything, nice and eclectic. The thing I do miss most is the opportunity to be creative. It’s that artistic blood in me (thanks Mum…) which can’t quite be content with a 9-5 where I can’t make creative difference to proceedings. So, in long-term plans, do I find a job where creativity in some form or other is at the centre, or one which will allow be enough time to be creative outside of it?? Quandary. Either way I’ll be penniless, so at least I can factor that out of the equation!

Should include something about books to keep you going til next time… Just finished a brilliant, though very uneasy, book – have just started what might well be quite a dull one. Well, dull to me because of my ignorance and apathy in certain areas… but I shall certainly persevere. Will let you into these mysteries sooooon…

Crow Lake

StuckinaBook All , 11 Comments

The camera is behaving slightly better today. Nothing I did, so think it’s just fickle. The focus modes have all been experimented with beforehand, but thanks for the tips, guys!

I’ve realised that I haven’t yet blogged about Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, so time to get that sorted out. First, I’ll let you know the little process taken from having no clue who or what Mary Lawson is, to being able to blog about Crow Lake. It goes something like this…

1) In the morning wander through the blogs, it goes something like this – Cornflower, Random Jottings, Dovegreyreader, Bluestalking, Booksplease, Crafty Person, A Work In Progress, Books and Cooks, Janice’s Reading Diary, Angela Young, anyone else for whom I have time. Hadn’t realised until typing that I had such a rigid structure. The ‘anyone else’ is vast and wide and takes many, many minutes – but before that, this is pretty much the daily round-up. I read to find out what my e-friends have been up to, but also largely for book recommendations. To differing degrees, I know I have shared tastes with these bloggers. If Elaine, Lisa or Karen like something, then I’m going to be interested. Crow Lake, however, started it’s Stuck-in-a-Book life as a recommendation on Margaret’s blog – she wrote about it here.

2) Books that REALLY excite me go onto the Blue Bit Of Card. Some bloggers, I know, write down almost every book they see recommended – I’m much more picky. Most books have to rely on luck – it’s sink or swim. If I remember them, then they get read. If not; obviously we’re memorable enough. The Blue Bit Of Card is for when a book looks great, but I don’t trust my memory.


3) Usually I trot off to abebooks or Amazon. Crow Lake, again, is different – I found it on the shelves at Honeypot, a church-linked bookstall/coffee morning/craft-making/gossip that Our Vicar’s Wife organises and I was visiting.

4) Almost finished it on the train home!

So, back to the novel. It takes place on two time periods – Kate Morrison is a lecturer, invited to her nephew’s 18th birthday party, which starts her thinking about her childhood – the other time period. She lives near Crow Lake in the back of beyond with her brothers Matt and Luke, and toddler sister Bo. When their parents are killed in a car crash, they learn to fend for themselves. This novel shows the sacrifices each has to make, and the lasting ramifications of these – and the guilt Kate still feels about having a PhD when Matt had to sacrifice his academic futherment. Along the way their lives become entangled with the mysterious Pye family, haunted by years of hatred and violence within previous generations.

Lawson writes with so many character nuances, and is concerned with subtle issues of empathy, sympathy, unity, hope, hopelessness, courage, foolishness, pride, misunderstanding – it’s all there, as anyone who’s read it must agree. Kate’s reunion with her family, along with the reader’s gradual understanding of their shared childhood, is tautly emotional and very absorbingly written. The ending and the re-analysis of Kate’s feelings demonstrate the most sophisticated writing on Lawson’s part, and a truly complex depiction of family and humanity. There are so many categories this novel could fall in which would have put me off – tragic childhood; Southerners-are-salt-of-the-Earth; violence – but Lawson proves that, though a lot of dross may be written in these areas, they can be used brilliantly. Oh, and a lot of it is very funny too. For instance, Kate and Luke trying to teach Bo nursery rhymes for the first time:

‘What are the main ones?’ (Kate)
‘I don’t know. Teach her the ones you like best.’ (Luke)
I couldn’t think of a single one. ‘I don’t remember any,’ I said.
‘ “Hickory Dickory Dock”,’ Matt said. He was sitting at the kitchen table writing to Aunt Annie.
Self-consciously I said, ‘Say “Hickory Dickory Dock”, Bo’
Bo paused in her work and looked at me suspiciously.
‘She thinks you’ve flipped,’ Matt said, scribbling away.
I tried again. ‘Bo, say “Hickory Dickory Dock”.’
‘Icky Dicky Dock,’ Bo said brusquely. She looked around her, searching for a particular saucepan.
‘Good!’ I said. ‘That’s good, Bo. Now say “The mouse ran up the clock.”‘
‘Dis pan,’ Bo said. She seized the largest pan and started whamming the others into it in order of size. She was pretty good at it, too. She didn’t make many mistakes.
‘She’s ignoring you,’ Matt said in a pause in the din. ‘She’s decided you’re nuts.’
‘Come on, Bo,’ I said. ‘”The mouse ran up the clock.”‘
‘Silly,’ Bo said, sparing a moment to wave a stern finger at me.

…

Where Connie Did Next

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Sorry that I didn’t give anyone a last-chance-warning on the draw for Miss Hargreaves, but it has now been made and a winner has been drawn! I hope you know the responsibility which goes alongside having Connie to stay. She’s been in illustrious company – half the list of blogs under ‘people to meet’ have allowed her a brief visit which extended into a lifelong affection. Once in your head, she’ll prove impossible to forget. For those who’ve yet to make even the most cursory acquaintance, let me direct you to my post about her here. For those who’ve yet to meet Connie even cursorily, here’s a quick summary: Norman and his friend Henry are on holiday in Lusk – on a dull day they wander into a church, and have to make conversation with ean even duller verger. On the spur of the moment, Norman says he has a shared acquaintance with the parish’s beloved ex-vicar – and that acquaintance is one Miss Hargreaves. She’s nearly ninety, carries a hip flask, bath and cockatoo with her everywhere, not to mention Sarah the dog. Continuing the joke, they send a letter to her supposed hotel, asking if she’d like to come and stay. When Miss Constance Hargreaves arrives on a train, Norman has some explaining to do, and the strange occurences are just beginning…

Still haven’t got my camera fixed, so just imagine that the draw took place underwater. Patch, being of a fluffy disposition, understandably wouldn’t like to be underwater – so I’m afraid I used a little box instead. It’s quite pretty, but this doesn’t come out at all in the picture.


Congratulations to…


For those without supervision, you’ll have to trust me that the paper says DANIELLE – well done Danielle!! Book-swap ahoy. If you email me your address to simondavidthomas@yahoo.co.uk, then I’ll pop Miss H in the post to you – and I’ll send you my address for the surprise package in return! How exciting! Will, of course, let you all know the book for which Connie has gone a-travelling…

Oh how much more doth beauty beauteous seem

StuckinaBook All 11 Comments

I’ve just come from a domestic little scene in the kitchen, having rustled up caramel shortbread and rock cakes. I love baking, but it doesn’t tend to go entirely smoothly – often because I don’t have the exact ingredients and utensils required, and tend to assume that it won’t make too much of a difference. Today’s caramel shortbread required a shallow baking tin… two candidates stepped forward; a casserole dish and a grill pan. Hmm. Not, as I mentioned, the exact utensils required. In the end I plumped for the correct depth – the grill pan – and realised that this would need rather more shortbread than the recipe stipulated. So far, so good. Made twice the amount, pressed it into an even layer across the greased grill pan (firmly cleaned beforehand, fear not)… and discovered that the grill pan’s handle was non-detachable. I.e. the oven door wouldn’t close. Quickly scooped up the mixture and put it in the, quite small, casserole dish. Which could only really fit the original recipe, not twice the amount, as I’d made. Ho-hum. Despite charitably eating quite a lot of raw mixture, the shortbread filled the dish when cooked, and had to have the top cut out. And somehow it’s not very shortbready – more like a crunchy cake. Good enough. The caramel worked, which is the hardest bit, so I daresay it’ll be edible enough.

ANYWAY, can’t offer a photo as my camera is still very blurry – as exemplified by the blurry pictures today. Karen, at Cornflower, wrote the other day about notebooks and diaires and the beauty to be found there. Completely agree – there is something indefinably gorgeous about a really lovely notebook, because it’s not just beautiful in and of itself – it also speaks of possiblities, potential. My latest notebook, though, is not space for a novel or blueprints for a cathedral etc, but rather 2008’s diary. I blogged about diarising aaages ago, and the past few years I’ve tried to find beautiful books in which to write, rather than the bog standard ones you can get from The Works. Have experimented with dated/undated; lined/blank; white/coloured pages, and have settled upon blank/undated/white as my favourite. My latest has lines, but wait til you see the outside…


That, ladies and gentlemen, is Mr. William Shakespeare’s signature on the front. He missed out the first ‘e’, but we’ll let it slide. The cover of this faux-leather notebook is Shakespeare’s writing of the play ‘Sir Thomas More’ (ok, academics argue that he might not have written the bit commonly attributed to him, but it’s the only way we’re going to get a self-handwritten copy of any of his writing). Had to buy it, really. Stole that picture from Amazon, but will make up for it by letting you know that you can purchase the notebook from them here. From January, I shall be writing my daily ramblings in there, purging out the dull stuff and keeping the best and most bookish for you lot!

So, if you haven’t already commented on Cornflower, and even if you have – do you have this notebook addiction? What is it that links the bookish with notebooks – do we just love books in whatever shape or size they come? And, if you keep a journal, what sort of diary/notebook do you find is best?

Fairly Exciting News

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I don’t think I’ve officially announced my exciting news in regards next year, so I shall dedicate a post to it right now. You were going to get new accompanying photographs, but my camera is currently refusing to focus properly. Usually does this when it’s tired, so have put it to bed (aka ‘charge’) and think about what it’s done. Or rather, not done.

You probably know that I’m currently working in the Bodleian as a Graduate Trainee, with an eye to going to library school and then librarianship. Well, those plans haven’t really changed – only maybe postponed for a bit. I’ve decided to apply to do a Masters at Oxford next year – eep! Twentieth Century English, hopefully with my thesis on domestic/’middlebrow’ fiction between the wars and its thematic and stylistic relation to contemporary highbrow lit. I.e. what did Bloomsbury and Devon think of each other? Excited about it – but of course wanting to apply is a long way off getting a place and, importantly, getting funding. Eep again. But what working in a library has told me, perhaps above everything else, is how much I miss studying! Not that I’m not enjoying myself, of course – only I didn’t realise how much I’d miss it. I knew I’d long for the student lifestyle, but above all it is the academic side that I yearn for… and I’m not just saying that in case my tutor finds this blog! And hopefully a Masters won’t just be my self-indulgence, since it is very helpful if I choose to go into subject librarianship… and who knows, not ruling out the doctorate just yet…

So, those who are sad that they missed Stuck-in-a-Book’s degree (and it was almost over by the time I started this blog)… here’s hoping that the world of Oxford will be seen through your screens come September 2008!

On a rather more mundane note, I’m afraid recent spamming in the comments has meant I’m going to (try to) include the word verification bit on commenting. Sad. I didn’t want to – because it makes it inaccesible for the visually impaired, and I know one visitor is, and it’s just irritating – but had half a dozen spam comments today and it’ll only get worse. Grr!

Christmas BOOKings now being taken

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It’s the 25th, and you know what that means – only two months until Christmas. Yep, usually I’m there with the Grumpy Old Men and complaining that Christmas comes earlier every year, with tinsel going up as soon as the Easter eggs have been melted down for fondue. But I’ll make an exception for books, as it’s not their fault that marketing has to happen in October. Today I’m going to chat about two different Christmas books – very different, actually, but both worth mentioning.
This week, like a couple of other bloggers, I was sent Lynn Brittney’s Christine Kringle, described as a book for children of all ages. All the Gift Bringers from around the world are meeting for the annual Yule Conference, which debates such issues as whether Gift Days should be internationally universalised, or whether women can be become the hereditary Gift Bringer if a Yule family have no male offspring. This is especially important to Christine, daughter of Kriss Kringle, as she has no brothers and wishes to inherit her Yule duty. In the midst of this, the council of Plinkbury, a town in Worcestershire (hurray!) decide to ban Christmas. Off flies Christine and her Japanese and English friends to get Christmas reinstated… An enjoyable book, though not my usual fare, and was delighted to see Worcestershire get in print, as it was my homeland for thirteen years. Can’t work out if Plinkbury is based on a genuine town, though… there certainly isn’t one of that name. Unsurprising, really.
When I started the book, I was a little dubious at all the national stereotypes. You know – Italians in the Mafia; British sullen; Japanese polite and industrious; Americans saving the day. But Brittney melds these characters into a fun plot which keeps you turning the pages. I do have quibbles with the polemics Christine delivers – as a Christian, I didn’t like to see the Christ part of CHRISTmas swept under the carpet so much, quite openly, and I’m too British not to blush at some of the bits about loving ourselves and finding a hero inside every one of us and so forth. But if you’re feeling Christmassy and uncynical, give this one a go.

The second Christmas book I wanted to mention is Jostein Gaarder’s The Christmas Mystery, initially published in 1992. The book is divided into 24, being the first twenty-four days of Decemver – like a big advent calendar, in fact. The central character, a little boy called Joachim, is given a mysterious old advent calendar – each day opened provides a slip of paper and a picture. Through the story on the bits of paper, we follow Elisabet as she wends her way through the shepherds and wisemen as they journey towards Christ’s Nativity – and Joachim’s family try to connect it to the Elisabet who disappeared at Christmas 1948. This is a beautiful book, with mystery and atmosphere and the magic of Christmas without making the festival commercial or saccharine. I read it last year, a chapter a day through advent, and would definitely recommend reading it that way.

Oh, and don’t forget you still have a chance to get Miss Hargreaves!