I finished A Book A Day In May today with O Caledonia (1991) by Elspeth Baker. Rachel and I will be pitting it against The Sundial by Shirley Jackson in the next episode of Tea or Books?, so I won’t jump the gun by reviewing it today.
But hurrah for finishing A Book A Day In May – and in rather lovely circumstances, as I took O Caledonia to Blenheim Palace and read pretty much the whole thing in the sunshine, overlooking the lake. It’s only half an hour from my house and I have a year’s membership, meaning I can pop in without feeling I need to explore every corner each time.
I’ve done this reading project, or variants on it, for four or five years now – and it was really fun this year. Last year, with my eyes still quite bad many months after Covid, I did struggle on certain days – so I was really thankful to be able to do so much reading without any deleterious impact on my eyes, even during the peak of hay fever.
This May, it didn’t even feel like I was struggling to fit it in. Some judicious audiobooks and starting books ahead of schedule definitely helped. And, yes, there have been some duds along the way (which Madame Bibi seemed to avoid in her similar project – almost all seemed to be winners) but there were wonderful successes too.
In order of reading them, here are my favourites:
Blue Postcards by Douglas Bruton
The Odd Woman and the City by Vivian Gornick
The Trouble With Sunbathers by Magnus Mills
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
Congrats! I can only do this with short stories – I did it last year with Japanese short stories
A great book on which to finish your project, and I’m delighted to see The Odd Woman and the City in your list of favourites! Magnus Mills has been on my radar for ages, so I really ought to give him a try. I’ve heard nothing but good things.
Big congratulations Simon! I have enjoyed reading all your reviews – even the duds, which are very helpful in steering me away from books I might otherwise have added to my towering tbr. I adored Blue Postcards too; I do now have The Odd Woman in the City in my own pile and Magnus Mills is now another author my ignorance of which to date I have resolved to rectify.
Looking forward to tea or books.
Congratulations Simon! I really enjoyed O Caledonia, I hope you did too.
Bruton was definitely one of my highlights of the month as well.
I had two duds – which isn’t bad going – and hurriedly had to squeeze in other books as I only post on books I enjoy on the blog. It did feel pressured at times but I enjoyed it!
We did it!
Congratulations Simon – what an achievement! And so glad you liked the Bruton and the Auster!
Congratulations! What an achievement. I’m so glad your eyes are doing so much better. Really enjoyed your reviews so thank you for sharing them with us!
Well done on managing a book a day, most impressive!
Will you allow yourself some sort of bookish reward for having kept to your own promise for the whole month? (Not buying books, I know you’re “on a program” for that. lol But some other kind of bookish treat maybe.
That sounds like a perfect scene for your last-of-May reading. And I can relate to the joys of a membership; I used to have one for the Royal Ontario Museum, and I just loved going there, with a book, so I could look at a few things in whatever wing took my fancy that day, then settle with my book in an area that the book seemed to suit, and what an absolute pleasure. Especially lovely on a rainy day when it was quiet. Not the case, perhaps, for your lakeview though.