Froggles's Bookclub discussion

So what are you currently reading?

(Or trying to read? Am I the only one finding it difficult to focus these days?)

Thanks for creating this bookish retreat, Froggles! Yes, I feel the same way...it seems like my mind is all over the place and I'm having trouble focusing long enough to finish reading a page or even a paragraph. Right now, what I really need when I curl up with a book is a feeling of comfort, so I'm reading the books of beloved authors who are kindred spirits of mine, authors who make me feel safe.

At the moment, I'm reading "Affairs at Thrush Green" by Miss Read; it's so lovely. Other favorite authors I'll probably hang out with soon: Agatha Christie, Elizabeth von Arnim, Dorothy Whipple, James Herriott, L.M. Montgomery, Charlotte Bronte, A.A. Milne, P.G. Wodehouse, Mary Stewart, Alexander McCall Smith.

And what are you currently reading, Froggles? :)

Hey, Freya & Rebekah! Thank you for joining me. I've missed you. :o)

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble concentrating. The anxiety of worrying about vulnerable loved ones and the economic uncertainty are keeping me from sleeping properly and letting me read for only a few minutes at a time before my mind wanders.

I'm a multi-reader at the best of times, but I currently have about fifty books that I've started but am too distracted to really get my teeth into.

Rebekah, all of the authors you mentioned are favourites of mine as well. All except Dorothy Whipple, whose books I would like to read, but haven't as of yet.

I recently completed an online course on the Tudors and was looking forward to reading Hilary Mantel's last installment of her Thomas Cromwell trilogy, 'The Mirror and the Light', but the task of reading that thick tome is too daunting at the moment.

I also had the intention of trying to read the longlist for this year's Women's Prize, and started reading 'Queenie', but again found I was unable to give it the attention it deserved, though I was enjoying it and am sure to return to it.

I find myself also dipping into old favourites for comfort, things like Agatha Christie's mysteries, and even some children's books.

I've been reading some Enid Blyton, whose books are dismissed as being the equivilent of literary pap, but I suspect that was intentional, given they were written during WWII for evacuated children who were anxious about being away from parents, who may have been fighting or casualties of the war. So the bland food and order of the boarding school, etc, seem exactly the prescription for jangled nerves.

Freya, I've heard that 'Sweet Bean Paste' is good, and wonder if you think the same? I recently read another book by a Japanese author, 'Convenience Store Woman', which I found weird and frustrating in parts, but compelling and well written.

I've also read 'The Time Traveler's Wife', and enjoyed it.

I enjoyed Convenience Store Woman too.

I've also found it easier to go for favourite authors and would agree with all those on Rebekah's list apart from Mary Stewart, who I've yet to read. I only have one unread Dorothy Whipple in the house at the moment, They Knew Mr. Knight, so I'll probably pick that up soon. I'm reading A Table Near the Band which is a collection of short stories for adults by A.A. Milne.
I'm also reading Confusion the third in the Cazalet chronicles. I'm finding this one does hold my attention. I'm also planning on picking up something by Elizabeth Fair, perhaps The Mingham Air. She writes gently humourous stories of village life, much like Miss Read, and these seem to work for me at the mo.

I hear you about the anxiety, Freya.

I wake every morning from dreams that may have some odd things happening in them, but at least everyone is interacting with each other normally, to the crashing realization that we're still in the midst of this crisis. I find that it helps to remind myself that another day means we're one day closer to a vaccine.

I hear you too about TTTW. There were a few things about that book that unsettled me, starting with Clare being a minor when she first meets Henry.

As for Convenience Store Woman, I wanted to shake the woman for allowing herself to be taken in by that misogyynistic parasite, but apart from that I enjoyed the book and its glimpse into Japanese culture.

Tania, I read what I thought was the complete Cazalet Chronicle many years ago, and then recently learned that Elizabeth Jane Howard wrote a fifth volume to the series. So now I'll have to reread them, as I don't remember enough about them to be able to pick the thread up where I left off.

It's interesting to me that you should mention this series, because I find my mind returning to it a lot lately. I think it's because the series is largely about a family riding out WWII at home, which of course has parallels with our current situation.

Actually, I can't think of anything else in human experience from which we can draw inspiration for how to get through this thing than WWII. Can you?

When I was in England last, I bought the Persephone edition of Vere Hodgson's wartime diary, 'Few Eggs and No Oranges', which I have taken down from the shelf to dip into for this reason.

If you've never read Mary Stewart, you're in for a treat.

Her Merlin trilogy is a delight. It has a light touch with a lovely emphasis on the natural world. In my mind it conjures up watercolour images instead of bright glaring colours, if that makes any sense?

She's also written many novels of romantic suspense that are in a similar vein to Daphne du Maurier. 'The Moon Spinners' set in then contemporary Greece, but drawing on ancient myth, is my favourite of these that I've read thus far.

And 'Thornyhold' is one of my all-time favourite books. It's about a young woman who inherits her aunt's little Georgian house, along with her aunt's reputation for being a witch. I find this book to be the perfect antidote to stress and have returned to it time and again.

Thank you, I think I will try and get to Thornyhold soon, it is one of those books I have been meaning to read for years.

I completely agree about Keiko, it made me wonder a bit about why I liked the book so much, I felt it should have annoyed me. My brother lives in Japan, so I think partly because it reminded me so much of being there, I was supposed to go there tomorrow, fortunately, I hadn't booked the flights as I was waiting to see how all this panned out.

I totally agree about WW2, I keep comparing their lives to things happening now. At least this will be of much shorter duration. I would love to read Few Eggs and No Oranges: The Diaries of Vere Hodgson 1940-45, I will get around to it eventually.

Tania, my husband and I were supposed to return to the UK again this spring, but of course that's been put on hold too.

Returning to books set in WWII, have you read Rosamunde Pilcher's 'The Shellseekers' and 'Coming Home'?

They're two more of my all-time favourite books.

But don't make the mistake of watching any of the telvision adaptations of them, as they're groteque parodies of the books, and are positively cringe inducing.

Freya, I just realized that I forgot to answer your question about the Tudor course.

It was a MOOC offered by the University of Roehampton, which had Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb as one of the instructors.

It was an overview of the entire Tudor dynasty, starting with Henry VII and the Battle of Bosworth, up until the end of Elzabeth's reign, and talked about all sorts of aspects from the Reformation to their continuing impact on our culture today.

The first week and a half I found it hard to focus but then I kind of got into a new normal. I have been planning my garden and I finished up a middle grade I was reading by Daniel Acosta. Excellent book called Iron River. I am now reading a Mary Stewart. (Thunder on the Right) I only have a few left of hers that I have never read then I want to read the ones I read nine or ten years ago. I can't remember them very well. I have some comfort reads on my list also. Louise Penny will be soon and I also want to get back to my Agatha Christie. I also wanted to read a book by J. Barry called The Great Influenza. A little scared to get into that one.

Have a great Easter everyone who celebrates.

There's a lot of love here for Mary Stewart, I must try to get to it.

Froggles, I did read The Shell Seekers many years ago, but I remember nothing about it, except that I did enjoy it. I have read quite a few books written and or set during WW2 recently, one of my favourites was One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes. Just beautiful. It all takes place on one day just after war has ended. I also recently enjoyed The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley and 2 that have recently been republished Nothing to Report and Somewhere in England by Carola Oman a great friend of Georgette Heyer. I think I could enjoy Heyer at the moment too.

Happy Easter everyone.

Welcome, Theresa! Nice to see another Mary Stewart fan among us. :o)

Tania, I have another WWII book by Mollie Panter-Downes, which is a collection of her articles for an American publication called 'London War Notes'. I started it some time ago and was enjoying it, but got sidetracked.

I've also read 'The Camomile Lawn' and enjoyed it, and can recommend Rhys Bowen's books, which are in a similar vein.

I've never heard of Carola Oman, but will look out for her books.

I have quite a collection of Georgette Heyer's regency romances on hand, but am sorry to say I've never got around to reading any of them. If I can gather enough wits to focus, I may give them a try.

Freya, I agree with you about Keiko being autistic. There was something that made her socially awkward and preferring of rigid structures in her life, and left her vulnerable to the abusive jerk.

The course on the Tudors can actually be taken for free, but if you want the certificate at the end of it, you will have to pay. There is an option to pay for just the one course, or an unlimited subscription for a year. If you're interested, you will find it at www.futurelearn.com.

Freya, you're very welcome. :o)

I'm still working my way through the reading list.

Slowly.

I haven't read London War Notes, but I have read Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes which was excellent. It is a collection of short stories she wrote for The New Yorker. they were all written during the war, and all at different stages, so interesting to see how things were progressing. I have My Husband Simon, which I managed to pick up just before the bookshops closed, it came out the day before lockdown started here in the UK.

Hello, all! I just finished reading a powerful novel called The Great Believers, which is set in two time periods and locations: Chicago in the 1980s during the AIDS epidemic there and Paris in 2015. I am trying to read all the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels (a goal I set prior to the lock down) and have started A Death in the Family by James Agee as an audiobook and The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron as an ebook.

Tania, have you read 'Goodnight, Mr. Tom' by Australian author, Michelle Magorian?

It's an award winning novel about a boy from London who is evacuated from London during World War II to live in the country with a kindly man named Mr. Tom. It's intended for middle grade readers, but is a good book for adults too. I loved it.

Welcome, Jane. :o)

Yours is an ambitious project.

I had intended to read the longlist of the Women's Prize this year, but am having difficulty trying to find the necessary mental focus, so I commend you.

Which of the Pulitzer winning books that you have read thus far have you enjoyed the most?

I looked through the Pulitzer Prize list and I haven't read a single one! There are 2 on there that I'd like to read though; Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and Less by Andrew Sean Greer. I'm going to have to wait for the libraries to reopen.
I haven't read Good Night, Mr. Tom but I will look out for it.
I'm currently rereading The Soul of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor.

Tania, Elizabeth Taylor is another author I've been meaning to get to. I bought two of her books on my trip to the UK last summer.

Getting back to Elizabeth Jane Howard, another book of hers that I read and enjoyed was 'The Beautiful Visit'.

'Gilead' is another book currently collecting dust on my shelf.

I was just thinking how much I miss shopping for books, but really I could browse my own bookcases and discover all sorts of gems, many I forgot I had.

I wish there were a way to share pictures here, as I'd love to see everyone else's book collection.

I was missing shopping for books today, as well. I do have several bookcases full of books, most of them boxed up at the moment, but I think buying books and reading books are two separate pleasures.

Tania, I completely agree. :o)

Froggles wrote: "Tania, Elizabeth Taylor is another author I've been meaning to get to. I bought two of her books on my trip to the UK last summer.

Getting back to Elizabeth Jane Howard, another book of hers that ..."

I have now finished both The Soul of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor and My Husband SimonMollie Panter-Downes. Both I found very readable for the time, both I gave 4* to.
Thanks for the Elizabeth Jane Howard rec, I will be looking for something else once I finish the Cazalet Chronicles.