I’m a bit late to the party but I really want to share the book I’m reading anyway because I just love it and think everyone needs to read it! I’m rereading The Bloater by Rosemary Tonks - it’s my second read of it because I finished it recently and started writing a piece on it, so I’ve been reading it again to gather my quotations and gain more depth of understanding. It’s an absolutely beautiful book set in 1960s London and was out of print for years. Penguin only recently brought it back into circulation with an introduction by Stewart Lee. Anyway I am just completely intoxicated by the story and the style of writing, and Tonks herself is completely fascinating as well. I’ve also been reading through the detailed piece of writing Neil Astley (editor of Bloodaxe books) wrote and included in Bedouin of a London Evening, which collects all of her poetry and some essays and short stories. I am completely obsessed with her, and I hope she’s gaining more popularity now that Neil Astley has put so much work into making her more known! The Bloater flits between the three different aspects that are forming the time in a young woman’s life in London, over a short period of time; her job at the BBC where she is working on the creation of an artificial heartbeat; her conversations with her love-tortured and loveable best friend Jenny; and the confusion she is battling with due to her inexplicable attraction to her lodger, an opera singer who she finds repulsive but finds herself inexplicably attracted to him. It’s about the life of a Romantic in 1960s London but is a timeless account and exploration into what it means to so desperately NEED to live a full life with passion. I could write about this for hours but I’ll leave it for my article otherwise I’ll take over the comment section! The point is it’s an absolutely fascinating and genuinely original book with a lot of depth and profoundness. If you haven’t already, I really hope you get to read it at some point and enjoy it! :)
Hahahaha. We’re gonna read it again in a FrizzLit book sometime in the next 5 years (I’d say). If you “lose track” of where you put it, or “forget to finish,” you could always finish it then!
I'll probably sign up for that one! But I have to finish it this time because it's one of the two books we're reading for the book retreat I'm going on in a month. I need to get cracking!
Going to start The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh but have several more at hand in case I end up wanting to switch to a different book. I like options.
Oooh, it's a Dickens night for me! I purposely didn't finish the Great Expectations reading for tomorrow, so I will wrap that up. And then begin my annual re-read of A Christmas Carol. Bliss!!
Niiiiiice. Yeah I wish I had more "Great Expectations" to read tonight, just because it'd be fun to read it by the fire. I got most of my "G.E." reading done while traveling earlier in the week.
I’m a bit late to the party but I really want to share the book I’m reading anyway because I just love it and think everyone needs to read it! I’m rereading The Bloater by Rosemary Tonks - it’s my second read of it because I finished it recently and started writing a piece on it, so I’ve been reading it again to gather my quotations and gain more depth of understanding. It’s an absolutely beautiful book set in 1960s London and was out of print for years. Penguin only recently brought it back into circulation with an introduction by Stewart Lee. Anyway I am just completely intoxicated by the story and the style of writing, and Tonks herself is completely fascinating as well. I’ve also been reading through the detailed piece of writing Neil Astley (editor of Bloodaxe books) wrote and included in Bedouin of a London Evening, which collects all of her poetry and some essays and short stories. I am completely obsessed with her, and I hope she’s gaining more popularity now that Neil Astley has put so much work into making her more known! The Bloater flits between the three different aspects that are forming the time in a young woman’s life in London, over a short period of time; her job at the BBC where she is working on the creation of an artificial heartbeat; her conversations with her love-tortured and loveable best friend Jenny; and the confusion she is battling with due to her inexplicable attraction to her lodger, an opera singer who she finds repulsive but finds herself inexplicably attracted to him. It’s about the life of a Romantic in 1960s London but is a timeless account and exploration into what it means to so desperately NEED to live a full life with passion. I could write about this for hours but I’ll leave it for my article otherwise I’ll take over the comment section! The point is it’s an absolutely fascinating and genuinely original book with a lot of depth and profoundness. If you haven’t already, I really hope you get to read it at some point and enjoy it! :)
Not only have I not read it; I haven't heard of it. Thank you so much for telling me about it!
Still working on Moby Dick. One might ask if I’ve I picked it up since the last Silent Reading Party…
…I will not be taking questions at this time.
Hahahaha. We’re gonna read it again in a FrizzLit book sometime in the next 5 years (I’d say). If you “lose track” of where you put it, or “forget to finish,” you could always finish it then!
I'll probably sign up for that one! But I have to finish it this time because it's one of the two books we're reading for the book retreat I'm going on in a month. I need to get cracking!
May fair winds guide your reading sails!
Going to start The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh but have several more at hand in case I end up wanting to switch to a different book. I like options.
Me too! I ended up reading Raymond Carver, which wasn’t even my backup plan. It’s all about one’s mood in the moment...
Great Expectations!
Yay -- can’t wait to discuss with you
Seattle by Nard Jones because I’ m here.
And The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt
Everyone keeps telling me to read Patrick DeWitt. This is another sign from the universe
The Bee Sting
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize! That's gotta be good.
Great Expectations.
Beware of scary men in the dark. Also cranky sisters!
"Great Expectations," and "The Rebel Angels" by Robertson Davies. Love his books; he is probably my favorite writer.
I’ve always meant to read him. What’s the best one to start with?
Oooh, it's a Dickens night for me! I purposely didn't finish the Great Expectations reading for tomorrow, so I will wrap that up. And then begin my annual re-read of A Christmas Carol. Bliss!!
Niiiiiice. Yeah I wish I had more "Great Expectations" to read tonight, just because it'd be fun to read it by the fire. I got most of my "G.E." reading done while traveling earlier in the week.
It’s a Brenè Brown kind of week “Gifts of Imperfection“
Good choice. She's such a genius with data.
I just got my "Great Expectations" reading done, so I think I'm gonna bring "Molly" by Blake Butler, since everyone's talking about it