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#twentiethcenturyfiction
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willaful
Patricia Brent, Spinster | Herbert Jenkins
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Perhaps the original fake engagement romance? In WWI London, Patricia is mortified to overhear fellow boardinghouse “guests“ gossip about her lonely state, and invents a date with a fiance. When she's followed to the “date,“ she spies a likely man in uniform and begs him to help her out.

The romance that follows is chock full of gender essentialism and not that interesting, but there are some fascinating and funny portraits of the time. cont.

willaful My favorite scene is a bombing, which brings out the best--and worst--in the boardinghouse residents. One man hilariously tries to display cool by lighting cigarettes, which he completely loses track of. I also liked the resolution, in which Patricia is shown that the studied indifference and unsentimentality practiced by the bright young things of the age is cutting them off from the chance of happiness. A soft pick, worth a read. (edited) 3d
29 likes1 comment
quote
willaful
Patricia Brent, Spinster | Herbert Jenkins

Your aunt's sense of duty is the most offensive sense I have ever encountered.

blurb
willaful
Patricia Brent, Spinster | Herbert Jenkins

“Oh, Patricia! why will you persist in being a cold douche!“

Took me a second to realize he meant a cold shower. 😂

LeahBergen 😆😆 At least he didn‘t call her a “cold douche bag”! I have this waiting on my shelves. 6d
willaful @LeahBergen It's fun in its old-fashioned way. 6d
TheBookgeekFrau 🤣🤣 6d
18 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
rabbitprincess
Treasure Hunt | Molly Keane
Pickpick

I nearly gave up on this in the first few pages because of the wildly descriptive beginning. Then I read this was adapted from a play by Keane, so I was able to see that as the stage directions for Act 1, Scene 1. And then the action started. The love triangle was not for me, but I very much liked Aunt Anna Rose.

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Kitta
Midwinter | John Buchan
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#midwintersolace #litsolace

Brooklyn botanic garden does a Lightscape winter walk at night for a couple months every year. I love going and getting some hot chocolate (with baileys!) and wandering the exhibits.

I‘m a member and like doing walks around there any season tbh, it‘s so close to my apartment.

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

Lesliereadsalot So beautiful! 3mo
TheBookHippie Gorgeous!!!! 3mo
Chrissyreadit I am now 100% homesick. 3mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 3mo
30 likes4 comments
review
peanutnine
The Hotel: A Novel | Elizabeth Bowen
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Mehso-so

Read this in September with the #hashtagbrigade
While the conversations we had discussing it were entertaining, the novel itself was a bit bland. All of the characters were pretty unlikeable and it was hard to sympathize with them

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The_Penniless_Author
The Pornographer | John McGahern
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Pickpick

A deceptively sophisticated book about unrequited love, self-sacrifice, and the seemingly impossible task of trying to be true to oneself while doing right by others and becoming part of a community. The protagonist is a smut writer dealing with the impending death of a beloved aunt on the one hand and birth of an unwanted child on the other. Full of fantastic dialogue and insightful observations that feel wholly organic, never forced or tacked-on

32 likes2 stack adds
review
AnneCecilie
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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Pickpick

I just love the way Pym describes characters and her writing.

At a book sale Leonora Eyre meets Humphrey and James Boyce, uncle and nephew. They get entangled in each others lives, while we also meets other people close to them.

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AnneCecilie
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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The first part of this sentence reminds me of the first sentence in Pride and Prejudice

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PaperbackPirate
Broke Heart Blues | Joyce Carol Oates
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Chipping away at this book, hoping I can review it in time.
Taken secretly by my dh today while waiting for the food to come.

I‘m trying, team #Flerken!

#HauntedShelf