Literary memoirs are my favourite: I am halfway through Laure Murat's essay on Proust's In Search of Lost Time, which she realised when she read it aged 20, described her milieu (the French aristocracy), was partly based on members of her family, & is as relevant now as it was then. She walks us through the parallels & is pitiless about their flaws. She was rejected when she came out as lesbian & feels a kinship with Proust, who was gay.
#LGBTQ
pickThis week we begin with a little AI chat before discussing a fantastic novella. In 1977, Lady Caroline Blackwood published, “Great Granny Webster,“ a biting, bleak, hilarious take down of a “great“ house. Full of fantastic characters and brilliant prose this book impressed us both immensely.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aPNVsLpSWcRe8dtlxjedP
pickThis classic follows the love life of Linda Radlett through the eyes of her cousin Fanny. She falls for one man after another, each so different. It reminded me of I Capture the Castle, without the coming-of-age elements. It also had a bit of The Painted Veil thrown in, w/Linda maturing through the novel. There is so much wit & it's delightful. I watched the miniseries & was impressed by how closely it stayed to the playfulness & text of the book.
pickHaving read Pickpocket's Apprentice, the prequel to the John Pickett series made 'In Milady's Chamber' far more enjoyable as it gave me more understanding of the friendship between two of the main characters.
Set in Regency times I would class this as a cosy mystery. It was well written and interesting. With some unexpected moments which kept the flow of the story running at times when it became a little slow I was pleased with my choice of book.
Ok Aussie Secret Santa recipients, where the bloody hell are you? It‘s most definitely Christmas Eve here and I‘ve opened my beautiful #aussiesecretsanta parcel from @Freespirit
Will you look at these gorgeous gifts 👀🎁? Thank you Sally & thank you @CarolynM for organising this year 🙏.
Come on now, it‘s show and tell time…
pickWhile this was a work of historical fiction, American Duchess has endeared Consuelo to me. I want to know more! I think my Fall Quest will be to read as much as I can about her. What a fascinating woman!
Because, sometimes, you just need something light and entertaining!
Tuesday‘s scores at the 📕 swap on the way home from work. I returned the day after with a replacement bag of 📚 for the swap. Had a massive long weekend so needed a 📕 swap blow out! We had been to a friend‘s 50th at a beach further up the coast and many crazy fun times were had. The beach was beautiful. It poured most of one day then the sun came out just in time for the 🥳 night. I danced so hard that night the 🍷 I drank came back out. Opps.
pickWhat a delightful treat this is! Writing that has that easy-breezy lightness of touch that makes your eyes just gobble it up, characters that are hilarious, ludicrous, sometimes hideous, events so ridiculous but also poignant, insightful, devastatingly real - just an utter joy to read! The satire is deliciously arch, the mocking merciless but affectionate & it feels so fresh! Such a rich reading experience - the perfect blend of funny & sad.
I‘m loving this book!
It‘s weird and dark but so funny at times … like a gothic Nancy Mitford. 😆
