willoyd

Mrs Dalloway was my first experience of Virginia Woolf (encouraged into it after watching The Hours). It took me a couple of goes too. I do agree, I think you're making laife harder for yourself by trying to read something else at the same time - she requires all my energies - I struggle to even read some of her fiction during termtime as even that is too distracting! Same here! I recently bought the complete letters (all six volumes!!) through ebay, and, as I said last time, am gradually collecting her essays. I don't think a writer has quite grabbed me like this before, certainly since discovering Jane Austen as a teenager (whose work I still adore). As Janet said, it's probably not the place to go into this too much (at least by me - you can write what you like in your blog!), but OH and I have just got back from an extended cycling tour through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. We didn't see any of the overprotectiveness there that we so often see here. Indeed, the numbers of youngsters out on their bikes in the Netherlands was really refreshing. So much of British society is tied up in this, including our infrastructure (of course it's safer for children in the Netherlands - we hardly ever needed to ride on the roads!). One of the things I push with my (Year 5) class is reading for sheer pleasure, with emphasis on reading time, opportunities to tell the rest of the class what we are reading, what we enjoy reading etc etc. It doesn't work for all children, but every year there are one or two non-readers who are turned on by the end of the year. The boys especially always seem to be a bit amazed that a man actually enjoys reading, and fiction at that (although I do read a lot of non-fiction too!). The problem here, though, is that reading is taught at far too early an age to those who aren't ready......

Thank you. It's great to hear of someone else who enjoys her writing - I'm already looking forward to your review, as that's one I've yet to read.

Day 2: A book I've read three times I don't think I've read any adult book three times. A few twice, but none three times. So this has to be a children's book, and then it could be any one of a dozen or more. But I'm going to choose Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling is so often associated with all things Empire, Raj etc etc, and he was according to my grandmother, who knew him, a very funny/odd sort of person (she wouldn't or couldn't elucidate more!). I suppose this is somewhat in the same sort of mould, harking back to some sort of mythical England, but as a child I just adored the stories, rereading them rather more than three times, and they were a significant factor in my developing a love of history. Kipling was certainly an outstanding story writer, especially short stories. The sequel, Rewards and Fairies was equally well loved and equally heavily read.

Day 1: My favourite book from last year. I think it has to be The Years by Virginia Woolf. I read this soon after rereading Mrs Dalloway, during which some sort of penny dropped, and I found myself absolutely loving every word. I found it fascinating how Woolf could evoke so much through actually writing so little: it's a family saga, yet each scene until the final party (which occupies a quarter to a third of the book) is almost just a snapshot, and the snapshots are often taken years apart. Yet it's so easy to fill in the gaps, whilst those snapshots are so vivid. Woolf is not a light read (!), demanding concentration, but she is thoroughly rewarding. One to be reread soon, but not at bedtime!

I said on Poppy's 30-day challenge thread, that I'd give the challenge a go myself when I got back from holiday, so will start it today. For my easy reference, the questions are: Day 01 – Best book you read last year Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times Day 03 – Your favourite series Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series Day 05 – A book that makes you happy Day 06 – A book that makes you sad Day 07 – Most underrated book Day 08 – Most overrated book Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving Day 10 – Favourite classic book Day 11 – A book you hated Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore Day 13 – Your favourite writer Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer Day 15 – Favourite male character Day 16 – Favourite female character Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book Day 18 – A book that disappointed you Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie Day 20 – Favourite romance book Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood Day 22 – Favourite book you own Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending Day 28 – Favourite title Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

Three books read whilst away on holiday (mostly on the Kindle as I've been on the back of a touring bike most of that time - the Kindle was brilliant for that, especially as also had dictionaries and guide books loaded as well). I'm currently finishing off a fourth, (Germania by Simon Winder). Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo *** Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo were a husband and wife team who were amongst the first writers of police procedurals, a 10 book series about a Stockholm detective, Martin Beck. Henning Mankell, amongst others, has acknowledged his debt to them, and they are generally regarded as one of the founders of, or at least precursors to, Scandinavian noir crime fiction. The book itself was a good read - an absolutely classic procedural, with the pace nicely built up to the climax. However, whilst it was probably ground breaking at the time, in the context of what has followed, it doesn't really stand out much beyond that. Worth reading as it is a decent story, and worth reading to see how Wallander (and others!) came about, and worth reading as an end of term switch off (which is what I wanted!), but if you're looking for anything a little bit different, definitely not the book to reach for. In spite of that, I'll almost certainly want to read the rest of the series - there is something about the style (maybe the translation?) that whilst taking a little adjusting to, really appeals to me - a bit stark, lean, matter of fact; I can certainly see where Mankell developed his style from. In the meantime, 3/6 stars for a good, solid read. Voyageurs by Margaret Elphinstone ****** I read The Sea Road earlier this year, and thought it brilliant, so bought this on the back of that. There are many points of similarity - an historical novel where the main protagonist makes a voyage to the Americas to the limits of western exploration. At that point the books start to part company. Voyageurs is a much bigger book than The Sea Road and yet focuses on a shorter time span. Indeed, the plot is simple enough: Quaker and Cumbrian farmer, Mark Greenhow, travels to Canada to look for his sister who has disappeared in the wilds, and goes in search of her. But to leave the summary at that does the book no justice - Elphinstone is brilliant at evoking the time and the place, and 18th century Canada really comes to life, as Greenhow gradually makes his way well beyond his comfort zone and learns a totally different way of life through encounters with other Quakers, settlers, the military, trappers and native Americans, and the wilderness itself. The book is rich with detail and atmosphere, and I found myself completely wrapped up in it from start to finish. I can imagine that if plot is your first love, that this book would drag a bit - the detail of Mark's journeys even struck me as possibly in need of an editor's touch - but if, like me, you are into characters and setting, there is plenty to get your teeth into. Of the two, I'd say that The Sea Road has the edge - just that bit more tightly written - but Margaret Elphinstone is definitely a writer who deserves to be much more widely read. 5 stars out of 6 (but could get promoted at a later date!). Later edit: the more I think about it, the more this book is a six star read. Even months later the book still remains as vivid as ever Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Isle by Diccon Bewes *** From the Amazon review: "Swiss Watching is a revealing journey around Europe's most individual country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, 'Swiss Watching' proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese. This is a picture of the real Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as technology. It's also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians, but can't speak to one another in the same language - and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national stereotypes, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren't Swiss and the trains don't always run exactly on time. My thoughts: I chose this to read whilst cycling through Switzerland. It's a fairly light hearted and sympathetic book written by an English journalist who now lives in Switzerland. I enjoyed it, even though I didn't always appreciate the humour (but then I often don't!), and learned some fascinating stuff from it, which certainly explained and illuminated things I came across whilst touring. It was perhaps a little too ready to eulogise (even though I wish we would take a good long hard look at the way they do some things, and start learning rather than thinking we're better than everybody else), and I would have liked a bit more depth, but as an introduction to the Swiss, as opposed to Switzerland, it was a worthwhile read. 3 stars out of 6.

I'd have to agree about reading him - definitely smaller doses improves the taste! I have to say that whilst I thought the original Eyre Affair was the best, I loved The Big Over Easy, and thought as good as or better than most the Eyre Affair sequels. Just catching up on some thread reading - loved reading through your 30-day challenge in its entirety. I've not read Carnavale yet, but loved The Floating Book - another set in Venice. Quite a meaty read. Unless it's very different in style, I'm surprised that such a high proportion of your group were so anti - you always get some, but only you in favour?!

I've just been reading your conversation about Virginia Woolf (I'm just catching up on things on returning from holiday). I do hope you don't mind my butting in, but it rang so many bells with me. I've only recently 'discovered' Virginia Woolf for my self, and have to say I'm completely hooked. Like Frankie, I found her very daunting initially, but have begun to realise that, whilst very demanding (especially of concentration - no bedtime reading here!!), she is an absolutely fabulous writer. I came to her initially via the film 'The Hours' (one of my all time favourites), reading Mrs Dalloway first. Initially I found it difficult to follow, not least because it is so character and setting driven, but reading it a second time I was able to follow threads so much more clearly. That second reading was bout 15 months ago, and have since read The Hours itself (superb!), The Years, Orlando, To The Lighthouse, Mrs Dalloway's Party and some of her essays, along with Hermione Lee's biography. On the latter, I can only confirm what you have heard before Poppy, that it is outstanding - a serious contender for the best biography I've yet read - again very demanding on concentration, but I tend to prefer my books like that. Although there is a chronological structure, it takes a theme at a time, which can take a bit of getting used to, but does actually make aspects and phases of her life easier to trace. It certainly helped me understand the books I've read to date, not least the phenomenal craftmanship that has gone into them. Another point is that Lee is not so black and white about VW's sexual relationships either with Leonard or with her half-brothers. I know that a lot of people reckon that Orlando is her most accessible, and of those I've read I'd probably agree, but I have to say it's the one I enjoyed the least. I think it's because I have so loved immersing myself in her stream of consciousness style, and this is more a 'story'. Of the other three full length novels I've read, I'd be hard pressed to say which was my favourite, but perhaps just marginally To The Lighthouse. However, I do think The Years is very underrated - it is up there with the others in spite of the fact that it is so much less well known, and might even challenge for the number one spot. I love the way she develops the family saga through such small vignettes - so much is said in such a short space. I've got a couple of volumes of her essays, and have started dipping into these. From what little I've read of these and her diaries, she's perhaps even better relatively at this - I've read somewhere that she is one of the great diarists, and I can see why. All in all, as you can see, I'm turning into a bit of a fan - I'd even go so far as to say that she's challenging for the spot as my favourite writer (up to now it's been Jane Austen ever since I was a teenager), but even so, I can see why people find her difficult/daunting/not very readable. A bit of a marmite author, but I do think she's more frightening in the prospect than in the actual reading, as long as one is prepared to slow down and accept the fact that she needs time. On a completely different note, I've also just read your review of Swallows and Amazons. Ransome was the first author I ever collected: I remember in my pre-teens buying hardback copies of his books, dustjacket-less, for 2/6d at a time - hard earned pocket money, lovingly spent. Favourite was a toss up between Secret Water, We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea and Winter Holiday. I've spent many a happy hour exploring the sites which Ransome used for his book, including the island itself - it's all there just as he describes. (Talking of biographies - the Hugh Brogan biography of Arthur Ransome is excellent - much better than the more recent one by Roland Chambers). Incidentally, you're right about it being a different age. I grew up in the 60s and 70s, and it was much more closer to how Ransome describes things in the 30s then than it is to now (although there is, of course, a degree of idealisation!) - I went off camping on my own with friends and younger brothers at 14, caught the train up to London (we lived in Surrey) at 13, etc etc. The present day paranoia over protection and regulation of a child's life is one reason why (in very generalised terms) so many of our children and young people are increasingly so dysfunctional and lacking in self responsibility, in spite of all their street wiseness, something I've seen increasingly, working as a sports coach, uni lecturer and primary teacher. BTW Thanks for some brilliant reviews - I love reading this thread.

Some American authors have substance, some don't. Same with English writers (and other nationalities too). The last American author I read was in November last year, it being Mark Twain, immediately preceded by Donna Leon. Since then have read English, Scottish, Italian, Belgian, Swedish and Anglo-Egyptian authors. I don't think their nationality has had any impact on the quality of their writing.

Very interesting review - thank you Poppy. I've just finished Hermione Lee's biography, and found VW to be absolutely fascinating: so many myths and stories surround her, one or two of which, I gather, originate with Quentin Bell's biography. The Cambridge Intro to VW reckons that the biogs by Bell, Lee and Julia Briggs are the most important ones to read, so I hope to get hold of a copy soon, especially given your review. All three take different approaches, not least in the organisation of their books (Bell almost completely chronological, Lee by topic, and Briggs related to her writing). I can thoroughly recommend the Lee version - one of the best biographies I've ever read, if not THE best: really brings VW to life (her handling of VW's suicide is superb), whilst retaining sufficient objectivity. Like you, I promptly reached for To The Lighthouse - my first ever reading, and was completely blown away. If you go onto Abebooks, you'll find loads of volume 2s for sale (I put in the author - Woolf, and the book title as Mrs Woolf), starting at 62p plus postage. Hope you're successful at finding the second volume.

I rarely, if ever, feel that way about fiction books, although I will often decide I want to reread at a later date. However, I quite often do with non-fiction. The most recent experience of that was with Hermion Lee's biography of Virginia Woolf, where as soon as I finished, I wanted to go back to the start. I restrained myself, but did read the first couple of chapters again.

Is that all? Some time ago I adopted this thought, from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book The Black Swan: The writer Umberto Eco....is the owner of a large personal library (containing thirty thousand books), and separates visitors into two categories: those who react with "Wow!...What a library you have. How many of these books have you read?", and the others - a very small minority - who get the point that a private library is not an ego boosting appendage but a research tool. Read books are far less valuable than unread ones. The library should contain as much of what you don't know as your financial means....allow you to put there. You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an antilibrary. Taleb then goes on to argue that what you don't know is far more important than what you do, and discuss how we handle the unexpected.

Have just finished Hermione Lee's monumental biography of Virginia Woolf, and it goes right to the top of the pile as probably the best biog that I've read to date. Lee takes a slightly unusual approach, each chapter concentrating on a theme that is important in Woolf's life at different stages, and as a result I did struggle occasionally with the chronology, not least when she views the same event or person from the different perspectives of each theme. However, that was really a minor issue, compared to the way this approach enabled Lee to get really inside key aspects of Woolf's life, providing a deep insight into the character of this fascinating, complex woman and her works. Woolf has been the subject of many myths, and most if not all of them are fairly conclusively dismantled. Lee writes with enormous sensitivity and, whilst this is no hagiography, is obviously highly sympathetic to her subject. There are some superb biographers around at present, with Claire Tomalin, Lisa Jardine, Jenny Uglow and Peter Ackroyd my personal favourites. Hermione Lee now joins that exclusive band!

I'm relieved about the reading bit - much as I love books, that would be a monumental commitment! That's a good idea; I will do. The questions on your list look really interesting, but I will leave it until second half of August, as I'm due to go away next weekend for three weeks and a bit, cycling in Germany. Will be keeping up with reading on the Kindle though (now, that is when it becomes really useful).

This is an amazing thread Poppy. Only just found it, and have absolutely loved reading through it. I know this may sound thick, but are you actually reading a book a day? If so, how on earth do you find the time? Just to pick up on some of the sub-threads you've started: I read loads of Mary Wesley some years ago, and loved them all. You've reminded me to go back and explore her again - my memory is another who struggles to remember plots in detail, so rereading can be fun! My Family and Other Animals is high on my TBR pile - I dipped into it a couple of weeks ago, and loved what I read. A complete contrast to his brother Lawrence, who frankly is the most pompous, pretentious, writer I've ever tried. I was delighted to see that he comes over that way in Gerald's book - it wasn't just me!! I must give PG Wodehouse another go. I used to love his books in my teens and twenties, but have tried him a couple of times recently, and haven't been able to settle. I remember the Emsworth series being especially good. I agree about the Stephanie Plum books - at least the early ones. I've found the series has gone on a bit long now. I came to To Kill A Mockingbird late: I read it a couple of years ago on the recommendation of my son who did it for GCSEs. He loved it, and so did I - straight into my top half dozen all-time books. Don't leave it too long Sofia! Can only agree about Jane Austen (although I marginally prefer S&S to P&P) too, but have recently discovered Virginia Woolf, who now challenges Jane as my favourite classic writer. I'm intrigued by your comments about Lord of the Flies, not least because it had a similar impact on me. I read it at school too, and absolutely hated it - the one book that I regard as scarring my enjoyment of reading. I couldn't face up to it again for years, but tried it out last year, some 40 years on. Have to admit, I enjoyed it. I think the problem is that it's often thought of as a children's book, and it most certainly is not - it is a novel about children, not for them. But I'm also relieved to read that quite a few others thought/think the same about the book, as for years people have only told me what a brilliant book it was! Can only say I feel the same as you about Joanna Trollope too!! Looking forward to the rest of your thread now.

No, you're not mistaken! I've got The Death Maze on my TBR pile, and I certainly enjoyed this one enough to read more of the series.

It's very easy to lump all the 'classics' together, but, as Hayley points out, the thing that makes them stand out is that they stand the test of time. That doesn't, however, mean that any one reader will, necessarily, like them all. I love quite a lot of classics: Austen, Dickens, Trollope, Gaskell, Hardy, Chaucer etc etc all number amongst my favourites. However, I can't be bothered with Lawrence, Fitzgerald, Defoe, etc. All that a classic means is that they've been marked out as a book that is generally recognised as a great, but need not be felt to be so by any one individual. As for the hundred year rule, I think that's a bit steep, although the implication that one has to wait to see what is regarded as a classic is spot on, and, given how far once prominent writers have slipped off the radar, it does beg the question as to whether one can actually predict who will be a 'classic' author in the future. However, I'd suggest that the likes of Virginia Woolf, writing less than one hundred years ago, are pretty secure as classic authors (and to my mind is one of the greatest). I have a fascinating book called "The Test of Time", published by Waterstones in 1999, where a wide range of people (mainly authors) were asked what their definition of a classic was, what they regarded as their 10 classics for the 21st century were, and what 10 maximum 'classics' did they regard as being mislabelled. Some fairly prominent writers featured in the latter, usually 'lesser' books in their list (e.g. Mansfield Park, Daniel Deronda). Some books featured in both lists (e.g. To The Lighthouse)!

Verbosity was very much the nineteenth century style - Eliot, Gaskell, Trollope, Thackeray, none of them are exactly lean and mean. Having said that, Dickens was pretty big on words even by their standards. I find with Dickens (indeed all nineteenth century writers) that you've just got to be prepared to immerse yourself in the books and language and let it wash over you. After all, they were written at a time when reading was increasingly becoming one of the main leisure activities, with no TV or computers to distract. Nor did I, but Bleak House is, for me, the best - one of my all-time top three or four classics.

Amongst fiction books, my favourite so far this year is a toss up between two: To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: The Sea Road by Margaret Elphinstone I'm definitely reading more by both authors! In non-fiction, one stands head and shoulders above the rest, so good it's possibly the best biography I've read so far: Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee.

Assuming weight is no object (we're off cycling for three weeks in 10 days time - thank goodness for the Kindle!): A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel (fiction) The Pursuit of Glory by Tim Blanning (non-fiction) The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf (classic)

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin *** A medieval whodunnit. Enjoyable, light reading, ideal for switching off and not having to think too deeply. Not exactly authentic medieval - the heroine is very 21st century in her thinking, as is some of the language, and there are loads of historical errors. The whodunnit bit wasn't exactly taxing either, but it all provided a pleasant enough wind down in the evenings at a fairly stressful time of year workwise. Fun story telling, but not, as some Amazon reviewers suggest, remotely in the same league as CJ Sansom.

Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee ****** Almost a month since the last book, and that's because it's been a big one! This wasn't just big, it was an absolutely brilliant read - perhaps the best biography I've yet read, and one of the best non-fictions. Huge book (750 packed pages) that demanded close reading, so not one for bedtimes, but it was massively rewarding as a result with the author working really hard to get inside the skin of her subject. Although the book was broadly chronological, the chapters focused on specific themes, which meant there was some overlap. Some reviewers found that difficult, but it was a method which I thoroughly enjoyed. Makes me want to read much more of VW's work! One of those very rare books where within minutes of finishing I wanted to start all over again - there's far too much to take in in one pass. One comment on the publishing side. I started with the paperback, but found it very difficult to read with the small typeface and lines running into the gutter. Swapped to the Kindle, only to find that Penguin had made a complete hash of the formatting and proof reading - and they have the enormous cheek to force Amazon to charge their own prices - complete ripoff. Finally, obtained a second hand (Chatto and Windus) copy of the hardback - by far and away the best read of the lot, and I whipped through it after that.

Over the last year or so, I've developed a real passion for Virginia Woolf's books, but have not found many others who have a similar leaning (although I get the impression it's more the individual you find fascinating than her books, at least as yet?). Have just finished To The Lighthouse, which has gone straight into the short list for book of the year! I've yet to read Flush though. I'd be interested to know what you make of the Quentin Bell biog, as am part way through Hermione Lee's. Thoroughly enjoying it, although I have got a bit lost chronologically on occasions, as she focuses chapters on particular topics or themes rather than on sustaining chronological order. Have been dipping into some of her essays, which have been consistently superb.

Personally, I'd have real problems cutting my books down to that number. I suppose it's all relative. But then, I've had been a bookworm for knocking on 50 years, so that's been a rather longer time to accumulate!

Fascinating thread! I'm especially interested (and comforted) to read that so many people seem to have similar storage problems! Most of our books are in a large bedroom that has been converted to a work room with eight IKEA Billy bookcases around two sides. That accounts for fiction, history, science and the arts. Biographies are in another bookcase on the landing. Travel and natural history is in our bedroom. Essays, journalism, and books about books are in the spare room (not very spare!). Cooking (surprise, surprise) is in the kitchen. Excess paperback fiction is stored in boxes under our desks and beds, but there are still various piles scattered around the house! I've started using a Kindle to try and keep the volume down, which is fine, but like others on here just love the feel of a 'real' book. We do cull occasionally, but have to admit I hate doing so. However, I do have a marriage to maintain, and whilst OH loves reading too, she's not quite as enthusiastic about my squirreling habits!