Wednesday, April 18, 2007

It's not them, it's me.

I have three books going right now, and they are just not satisfying me. It's not that they are not good books, but they are just not grabbing me. Perhaps none of them are the book I am meant to be reading at this moment. It occurs to me that this ties right in to my last post, so is my lack of literary inspiration carrying over to the kitchen? Or vice-versa? Who knows. Maybe it's the season of my life right now. I really feel I need to pick up that book that's just a good story, that grabs and engages me and then I'll be out of this funk.

I would like to wish a warm welcome to the following, all of which have arrived lately from paperbackswap, bookmooch, and abebooks. Paperback swap has over 1.1 million books available - check them out if you're in the US.

Period Piece by Gwen Raverat - This is, I believe, a memoir. She happens to be Charles Darwin's granddaughter.

A Literature of Their Own by Elaine Showalter - I understand this book has influenced Virago quite a bit.

Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson - Thanks to Elaine at Random Jottings who wrote so eloquently about this author.

The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West - This was on my wishlist.

An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork by Etty Hillesum - Persephone publishes this, but this copy is a very nice trade paperback that has photographs.

4 (yeah!) Virago Modern Classics

Crossriggs by Jane & Mary Findlater - My first copy has very bad water damage.

At Mrs Lippincote's by Elizabeth Taylor - One of my very favorite VMC covers.

Open the Door! by Catherine Carswell

Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann - I've had The Weather in the Streets for a while and wanted to read this first. It has been difficult to locate, especially in this 1985 edition.

5 comments:

Matt said...

I sometimes find I'm unable to get into a book and I really have no idea why. I think you're right on when you say that they might not be the book you're meant to be reading at this moment. It's just that way sometimes.

StuckInABook said...

Thanks for stopping by StuckInABook - I see you've been trying to choose the next read too! Well, I have most of these on my shelves, looking sadly unread - so can't recommend what's actually INSIDE any of them... but think I might turn to The Fountain Overflows... *need* to read it. But then you'll want to read the sequel (is that Return of the Soldier??)

Cornflower said...

I found Period Piece hilarious and delightful - hope you like it as much.

nutmeg said...

Hi Tara. Thanks for visiting me earlier. I have just been reading over some of your posts. I really like your content!

I missed out on the same Etty Hillesum book on an ebay auction late last year and was very disappointed as it was out of print at the time. I've since checked at the Persephone website and it is back in print, so it is in line to be ordered!

I do want to read an Elizabeth Taylor but really don't know where to start and I have Rosamund Lehmann's Dusty Answer in my TBR pile.

I may not mention it much on my blog but I also enjoy doing cross stitch but it has come a very long last place since my girls were born. I WILL get back to one day :-)

Tara said...

Matt - Thanks for commiserating with me.

Stuckinabook- Thank you for stopping by! Thanks for the tip - I'm not sure if Return of the Soldier is the sequel- but if it is I'm in luck as I have a copy on its way from paperbackswap.com

Karen - Happy to hear you liked Period Piece, I'm looking forward to it.

Nutmeg - Thanks for visiting! I've actually collected many Elizabeth Taylor's over the past few months and think I might start with At Mrs Lippincote's as it is her first novel. Dusty Answer is on my 'need to own' list. I did cross stich for a while when I was in college- it was a big stress reliever for me. Embroidery is kind of the same for me and I don't have to read a pattern which is nice.