October books.

A mixed bag of reading this month, including a couple of books by favourite American authors. Both Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Strout write about the emotions and confusions of the everyday, the lives of 'unrecorded' people. Their characters are entirely credible, their actions, or inactions understood. Anne Tyler's Liam Pennywell is one such person, a blundering, inept sort of man who wanders into a clearly unsuitable relationship that had me saying, oh, no!

Elizabeth Stout's, 'Tell Me Everything' had me completely in it's thrall. It is a meandering story, dotted with characters that I have met before in her earlier novels. The ending is a beautiful heart breaker. It is a handsome hardback book, sent to me as a present from a friend. I told her that I was reading it slowly because I didn't want it to end and when I did get to the end I wanted to start all over again.

A book club choice up for discussion was "Monsters'. A very thin, disappointing read which I think must have stemmed from her studies as a student and was totally undiserving of the praise on it's cover..

Autumn reading.

The library provides the books for their reading groups and this is good as it stops an accumulation of books that I shall never read again. The downside is that many of the library offerings are not what I would describe as literature! Once read they are instantly forgotten. I took a photo of the recent 'Hope to Die' that we have discussed but can't now recall the foggiest thing about it!

Today we are going to discuss, 'Old Baggage'. I like the cover and the story rolls along nicely enough.

The author clearly enjoys period detail. It is a gentle read with what I felt was a rather unlikely ending. I have seen a screen adaptation of one of her novels which I enjoyed, 'Their Finest' which is set in war time Britain. It will be interesting to find out what the other readers think of it. While in Yorkshire I read a trio of Irish novels. The Dales group discussed 'Old God's Time' by Sebastian Barry. I found some of the signalling very heavy handed. When you are told that the main character is a skilled sniper and then learn that a shot gun is in place in the flat above him you know pretty well how it is going to turn out! Up for discussion next is 'The Bee Sting' and it comes heaped with praise all over the cover.

No praise from me. I found it corny in the extreme with wildly over-drawn 'Oirish' characters. I re-read, to restore my faith in Irish writing, the sublime 'Brooklyn' by Colm Tóibín, whose characters you can believe in and care about. Now I'm waiting to sink into the follow-up of Ellis' life. I would love it to be happy but I fear not! Earlier in the year our group read 'Siblings'.

I had great hopes for this novel, set in East Germany in 1960, a time when I was very alert to the world about me. I was expecting more insight than the novel provided and found the behaviour of the central character nothing more than that of an indulged adolescent.

Recent reads.

I used to enjoy and respect Margaret Atwood's work, both her novels and her poetry. As her writing has become ever more dystopian my enthusiasm for her writing has waned and this book I positively disliked. It felt manipulative and sour in tone. I missed the reading group meeting so I don't know what the other members thought of it.

Another book group offering, this time by an author that is new to me. Quite a distinctive style, I shall have to read more of his work to find out is it is particular to this novel or is his regular pattern of writing. I enjoyed it.

I was lucky enough to be in Yorkshire for a meeting of the Dale's book group which meets in the village pub. I had thought that the choice of book was linked to the recent D-Day commemorations but that was not the case. Edgar, who choose the book, had first read it at the age of eighteen when he was a schoolboy about to embark on what was then compulsary national service. What an astonishing and moving book. I knew the story, having seen the equally impressive film of the book. Imagine having read this book after the First World War and then having to go and fight in the second! (I was delighted to learn that Remarque had escaped those horrors and gone to live in America, complete with a Hollywood wife!)

Re-reading

I haven't posted my reading for a long while and this autumn one of the book groups that I'm in picked books for discussion that I'd already read. At first I was disappointed, there are so many books that I'm waiting to read. The first re-read was 'My Cousin Rachel' by Daphne du Maurier. I hadn't read this for many years but remembered the story clearly. Because of this I read the introduction first, something I usually do at the end of a book as they so often give the plot away. This introduction made all the difference to my reading of the story, pointing out that we only hear the thoughts of Philip, a twenty-four year old with very limited knwledge of the opposite sex. It caused me to question everything that I was being told. At the meeting, an all women group, when asked if we thought Rachel was guilty, everyone said,'YES!' The second re-read was Edith Wharton's, 'House of Mirth.'

Once again, I hadn't read this book for many years but could recall the story clearly. I've also seen the film with Gillian Anderson in the lead role. I think both film and book are superb. Knowing the ending gave me time to appreciate the quality of the writing. There are places where it cuts like a knife. This edition has an interesting afterward by Hermione Lee.

Sadly I won't be able to attend the Yorkshire book group who will be discussing a favourite book of mine, one I've read a number of times., 'A Month in the Country.' I first bought the paperback, then saw the film, and eventually treated myself to a Folio hardback edition.

This is a very gentle, warm-hearted book with an undertow of sadness. Is it a novella? I don't know at what point a short book tips over into being a novel rather than a novella. The author has written a foreward that gives us the background and mood of his story.

I love the ending, it captures my own emotions about people and places that I've loved.

A musical weekend

Good weather and outdoor events don't always coincide in Blighty, but, for once, the long-planned mini festival at the hotel in our hamlet was a glorious blue sky event. A temporary bell tent town had been erected for the overnighters. We sauntered up the road with friends in good time for the main stage events. Our blokes settled themselves on a hay bale with their drinks and prepared to enjoy Sister Sledge.

Hats were definitely the order of the day, unless, of course, you had an umbrella! It is always fascinating to see what festival-goers wear; lots of floaty dresses, short shorts and retro jeans! After Sister Sledge it was Jools Holland and friends on the centre stage. What a joy!

Not everyone was dancing!

It was such a happy event. Sunday morning promised another glorious day. Good, we had been invited to a party at Teãn's. Her husband, Alex, heads the 'After Hours' band and they were going to be playing in the garden for their friends. Their home is beside the Bristol Channel and it is fascinating to watch the variety of craft moving up and down; tug boats with huge transporters in tow, a flutter of small sailing boats having a Sunday afternoon race and individual boats. The music must have sounded lovely for them as it floated over the water.

Some were eager to find a bit of shade.