Tuesday 1 March 2011

February Roundup

Reading (1884) - Julius LeBlanc Stewart

Well, February has not lived up to my hopes of reading a fair amount of books.   I managed to finish only three - perhaps the shorter month has something to do with it?  Instead, I seem to have a number of books on the go.

I have Pickwick Papers on my bedside table to dip into at a leisurely pace.  I've covered the first three chapters and am enjoying the company of the Pickwickians and Dickens' descriptions of Rochester.

I am part way through my first re-reading of E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia, brought on by a fit of nostalgia after posting about the lovely Wordsworth and Vintage editions published this year.

I have yet to complete the last Virago book that I started during Virago Reading Week, Pirates at Play, and I'm currently reading and savouring High Wages, which I started during Persephone Reading Weekend.

I don't think I've juggled so many fiction books at once before - at least not for pleasure!  Looking to March, I hope to tackle a few of the challenges that I signed up for.  I have my next Lord Peter Wimsey lined up and I hope to make a sizeable dent in Pickwick Papers.  Then there's the Edith Wharton to look forward to, an Ellis Peters (for the Cornflower Book Group) and hopefully room for something fun and frivolous.  How has the shortest month of the year fared for you?

The books:

1. Mrs Ames - E. F. Benson
2. Bones in the Belfry - Suzette A. Hill
3. Cheerful Weather for the Wedding - Julia Strachey

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well at least having so many books on the go in February means you'll have completed that many more books in March!

Karen K. said...

Which Edith Wharton are you reading? I love her. My favorites so far are Ethan Frome and House of Mirth. So tragic but so wonderful at the same time.

Darlene said...

February has been a fabulous book month for me. I read my first full-length Bowen, To the North, and it blew me away. Had a read-along with some friends, new and old, of William. Dove into some Whipple for PRW and won a copy of Mapp & Lucia from you!

How you manage several books at once I don't know, I'm such a monogamous reader.

Anonymous said...

Reading more books at once and more books in general has been the consequence of starting to blog about books for me. I hope you have a good March :)

Anonymous said...

I did quite well for February - think it might have had something to do with re reading a couple of childrens books.

If I have too many books on the go I can get a bit bogged down with it and then end up not wanting to read any of them.

I love reading everyone's roundup posts.

Anonymous said...

Like you I've had several on the go at once. Mapp and Lucia, Pickwick Papers and High Wages are all such fabulous choices though.

Unknown said...

I say you still did good! Finishing 3 is better than finishing 0!

Joan Hunter Dunn said...

I'd hoped you were a Rochester lady... I'm originally from Canterbury... After PRW I've decided that High Wages will be the next Persephone I read.

Anonymous said...

This is my first visit, I think, Rochester Reader, and I must say your blog is so attractive it makes me want to read on ...
Mapp & Lucia are wonderful. I have the two complete series on video and perhaps one day I will up-date these to DVDs. They are a delight. Of course, you will know that Tilling is based on Rye and we once stayed in a B&B (sadly, no longer a B&B) which was reputedly Grebe, where Lucia stayed (not Mallards, where Mapp lived.)
The Persephone I'm currently reading: Miss Buncle's Book.
Margaret P

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Cristina, its so good to see you back! I do however seem to have missed many excellent posts.

I'm off to look at all things Persephone in your previous posts!

Jeanne
x

Cristina (Rochester Reader) said...

My apologies for not replying sooner... I seem to have missed these comments on my radar for some reason :-(

Thank you for all your lovely comments!

Karen: I should be reading 'The Age of Innocence' soon and I'm looking forward to it as I've heard such good things.

Joan: I love Canterbury and used to visit at least once a month when I was in Kent. 'High Wages' is such a lovely read - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Margaret: Hello Margaret and welcome! Thank you for your kind comments. I love Rye and I've searched for Grebe a couple of times without success. Where is it exactly? Such a shame that it is no longer a B&B but how wonderful that you stayed there!
I thought 'Miss Buncle' was such a cosy, feel-good read.

Jeanne: Thank you!