What a wonderful batch of recommendations! I read Three Men in a Boat last month and it made me laugh out loud so many times (2 words: canned pineapple), it’s truly such a fun book. Absolutely perfect for spring! Thank you for sharing 😊
Oh the canned pineapple! In the introduction to my edition I read that literary types at the time were divided into those willing to eat and write about tinned food and those who thought it abhorrent (inc TS Eliot) and I feel like that's a metaphor for serious versus less serious fiction and how we view it...
Lovely list, some choices I will consider reading, and there are a few I've read.
Have you read anything else by Ishiguro? The first book of his I read was An Artist of the Floating World, and I think it's my favourite of his. The Remains of the Day would be a close second.
I keep flip-flopping on which fiction to read next, it'll either be The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O'Farrell) or A Heart So White (Javier Marias). Not sure either is a classic 'spring read', but no matter.
I've read those exact two Ishiguro's - probably because you recommended them 😂 I really enjoyed both but Artist is considerably more obscure. I included it in the index here because of the regret / retirement / reconciliation themes. I definitely need to get to more O'Farrell myself - think I'll be treating myself to her new release Land come June
Oh my, such a lovely and inspiring list of books to read in spring! I wish I had time to read them all. Some I have already read and liked, so I find your recommendations trustworthy. Happy spring!
I’ve read quite a few and can recommend Greengates and also Tristan Gooley. He did a talk locally and we all came away looking for all sorts of things we hadn’t known about before.
I think I know Enchanted April by heart too. Just an exquisite read.
I read Val McDermid’s Winter so I will now read Michael Morpurgo’s Spring, especially as we are so near to Dartmoor. Incidentally the butler in The Remains of the Day travels across Dartmoor and through our nearest market town.
See how many connections you’ve awoken!
One suggestion for your list …In Pursuit of Spring by Edward Thomas. In March 1913 Edward sets off on his bike to ride from London to the Somerset coast after a particularly depressing winter. It’s possible to read day by day in tandem ( see what I did there!) with his journey and his observations are a wonderful precursor to the poet he would become. These are the days before the war when every village had an inn where you could spend the night. The Little Toller edition has the added bonus of Edward’s original photographs too.
This was a really nice read and felt so appropriate! Spring does feel like a restless and stressful time when it should be more about appreciating the changing season and getting ready for what is ahead! I’m more inspired to read Middlemarch and Thomas Hardy now, thank you!
What a wonderful batch of recommendations! I read Three Men in a Boat last month and it made me laugh out loud so many times (2 words: canned pineapple), it’s truly such a fun book. Absolutely perfect for spring! Thank you for sharing 😊
Oh the canned pineapple! In the introduction to my edition I read that literary types at the time were divided into those willing to eat and write about tinned food and those who thought it abhorrent (inc TS Eliot) and I feel like that's a metaphor for serious versus less serious fiction and how we view it...
Omg! That’s incredible— an essay just waiting to be written! Tin or not to tin…
Lovely list, some choices I will consider reading, and there are a few I've read.
Have you read anything else by Ishiguro? The first book of his I read was An Artist of the Floating World, and I think it's my favourite of his. The Remains of the Day would be a close second.
I keep flip-flopping on which fiction to read next, it'll either be The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O'Farrell) or A Heart So White (Javier Marias). Not sure either is a classic 'spring read', but no matter.
I've read those exact two Ishiguro's - probably because you recommended them 😂 I really enjoyed both but Artist is considerably more obscure. I included it in the index here because of the regret / retirement / reconciliation themes. I definitely need to get to more O'Farrell myself - think I'll be treating myself to her new release Land come June
Oh my, such a lovely and inspiring list of books to read in spring! I wish I had time to read them all. Some I have already read and liked, so I find your recommendations trustworthy. Happy spring!
Thank you Nancy! I hope you find time for one or two x
Lovely choices, thank you!
I’ve read quite a few and can recommend Greengates and also Tristan Gooley. He did a talk locally and we all came away looking for all sorts of things we hadn’t known about before.
I think I know Enchanted April by heart too. Just an exquisite read.
I read Val McDermid’s Winter so I will now read Michael Morpurgo’s Spring, especially as we are so near to Dartmoor. Incidentally the butler in The Remains of the Day travels across Dartmoor and through our nearest market town.
See how many connections you’ve awoken!
One suggestion for your list …In Pursuit of Spring by Edward Thomas. In March 1913 Edward sets off on his bike to ride from London to the Somerset coast after a particularly depressing winter. It’s possible to read day by day in tandem ( see what I did there!) with his journey and his observations are a wonderful precursor to the poet he would become. These are the days before the war when every village had an inn where you could spend the night. The Little Toller edition has the added bonus of Edward’s original photographs too.
This was a really nice read and felt so appropriate! Spring does feel like a restless and stressful time when it should be more about appreciating the changing season and getting ready for what is ahead! I’m more inspired to read Middlemarch and Thomas Hardy now, thank you!
THANK YOU ANNA - fixed