An A to Z of Interesting Possibilities ….

| Jane @ Stumbling Beyond Eden Rock

…. and one or two other things.

2016-03-13

A is for AEONIUM. I’ve entered a challenge to knit 12 hats in 12 months. 3 are knitted, 2 are in progress, and I think this will be the next one that I’ll cast on.

B is for BROODING OVER THE BRONTES.I have ‘The Bronte Cabinet’ lined up to read with Girl with her Head in a Book next month, and I’ve been meaning to re-read ‘Wuthering Heights’ for a while now.

C is for CLUNY BROWN is one of TEN Margery Sharp novels to be reissued by Open Road Media next month.

D is for DOD PROCTER is one of my favourite local artists, so I was very pleased to spot a book about her floral art in the library.

E is for ELIZABETH GOUDGE. I was delighted to find out that Lory will be hosting a celebration of her work next month. I have several novels I could read, and a book of short stories.

F is for FAME. The weather was windy but the tide was very low when I took Briar down to the beach one day last week. On our way back home we met a photographer from our local paper and he asked if he could take Briar’s picture for a piece about animals out in all weather.

G is for GRAHAM. I put this in when I started drafting this post and now I can’t remember why. Maybe it will come back to me ….

H is for HOCKING. Many of Mary Hocking’s books were reissued last month and Ali is hosting a week to celebrate her work next month. I have my copy of ‘Good Daughters’ sitting on my bedside table, ready to be read.

I is for THE IMPROBABILITY OF LOVE by Hannah Rothschild in the only book I’ve read from the longlist for this year’s Baileys Women’s Prize for fiction.

J is for JANET McNEILL. I was very pleased to spot a copy of ‘The Maiden Dinosaur’  when we were in Truro last week and I popped in to my favourite second-hand bookshop,

K is for KRISTIN VESTGARD. When I spotted an interesting young artist from Scandanvia I didn’t expect to learn that she had studied in Cornwall and that she would be having an exhibition in a local gallery in the autumn.

L is for LIBRARY. It’s open again and I’m very happy!

M is for MARGARET KENNEDY. As April is looking rather crowded I plan to have Margaret Kennedy Day on the day she left this life – 31st July – rather than her April birthday. More details will follow ….

N is for THE 1938 CLUB. Another reason to read good books next month – I have two titles by favourite authors lined up.

O is for OUIDA. I’ve been meaning to try her books for ages, an,d when I found Miriam reading one of them in the last part of ‘Pilgrimage’ I read, I took it as a sign that it was time.

P is for PRAWNS. We tried miso brown rice & broccoli salad with fiery prawns for the first time last Sunday, and I’m pleased to report that we both loved it.

Q is for QUALM on a triple word score after picking up the Q is the second round and not seeing a U until the game was nearly over. I’ve had a good start in our latest ‘birthday-to-birthday’ Scrabble tournament, but it still has a long way to go.

R is for RHODA BROUGTON. I brought a 1950s paperback copy of  ‘Not Wisely but Too Well’ home from  that Truro bookshop too.

S is for SEVEN SWANS by Rose Polenzani. The latest addition to the soundtrack to my life.

T is for THE TUNNEL by Dorothy Richardson. I’m loving the ‘Pilgrimage’ sequence of novels, this is the next book I have to read, and I plan to start reading very soon.

U is for UNDER THE TABLE. Briar used to spend her evenings in the bay window but lately she has relocated to her basket, and she moves under the dining table for short spells before going back to her bed again. We have yet to work out why ….

V is for VIRAGO. ‘The House on Clewe Street’ by Mary Lavin is my book in progress and it has led me to another book. I found it when I looked at the list of other Irish VMCs at the back of the book. It was listing as forthcoming but it never came and I had never heard of the title or the author. I couldn’t find out much but what I found I liked, and so I ordered a reasonably priced copy.

W is for WILD HEART by Starling. Another recent addition to my life’s soundtrack.

X is for EXPOSURE by Helen Dunmore. I’m in twenty-third place in the library queue for a copy, waiting none to patiently.

Y is for YOU KNOW THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS COMING when the bin by the steps to the promenade opposite our house comes back from wherever it goes for the winter.

Z is for ZOE OLDENBOURG. I have a copy of ‘The World is not Enough’ but when I spotted a very pretty, and much more portable, Penguin copy of the same translation I had to pick it up.

34 thoughts on “An A to Z of Interesting Possibilities ….”

  1. A lovely list, Jane. I don’t seem to be doing too well with readalongs this year, but I’m hoping to link up with Karen and Simon’s 1938 Club…I just need to check the dates. 🙂

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  2. I love to see what other people are reading but it always culminates in a dilemma – I have a huge list of books to read and I just keep adding to it! I usually have two or three on the go: one downstairs, several by the bed and one to read at the doctor/dentist/hairdresser/on the bus/while I’m waiting for any of my friends to arrive as I’m always early! Exposure by Helen Dunmore – I do like her; The House on Clew Street; and even more Bronte – I have been listening to the Radio 4 Jane Eyre programmes, include The Wide Sargasso Sea and several interesting short stories based on the novel. I’m glad I dropped by! 😉

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    1. This is a very interesting list. Many author’s I know nothing about. My dog goes from basket to floor and back. He gets too warm in his basket and lies on the floor until he cools down then back to the basket. Kind of like sticking your feet out from under the covers at night. Enjoy your n posts, don’t always comment but read all of them.

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      1. I tend to buy the lesser known books and rely on the library for the more mainstream titles. Allen Lane published ‘The House on Clewe Street’ back in the day, so maybe one day you’ll find a copy for your collection.

        I think you’re right, Briar could be cooling down – and stretching after curling up in her bed.

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    1. You’re very welcome – it’s been a while since I read anything of hers and I’m glad to have had the push towards her books. I’d like to read Green Dolphin Country but as I don’ have a copy I’m going to wait to see what the library’s copy is like before I commit. Otherwise I have some short stories, her autobiography and a few novels unread on my own shelves.

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  5. Lovely post Jane! Briar must be very excited to be so famous! I’m looking forward to the 1938 Club – there are so many books to choose from!

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  6. Wonderful list Jane! And congratulations on getting a triple word score on ‘Qualm’ – that’s the kind of joy that can sustain one for months! 🙂

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  7. An interesting list rich in ideas and books. I hope you don’t mind if I come up with an alphabet too. I read a few of the authors you mention (Margaret Kennedy for example), mean to read a couple of the bookS (The Bronte Cabinet), am going to read Janet McNeil’s as a result of one of your blogs. How lucky to live near Truro, Cornwall. And to have a dog to walk and a bookshop to go to.

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  8. Such lovely things on your list! I need to start looking for books from 1938. I know I must have some! And I still have a couple of Margaret Kennedy books, so I can join in her day this year.

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  9. I just reserved a spot to hear the author of The Bronte Cabinet speak about the book. It’s happening in May so I have a bit to wait. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! I need to pick up the book as well. I love object oriented/materialist study, and what a brilliant subject to work through such a lens.

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    1. Oh, how wonderful. The first chapter was lovely and I’m sure I’m going to have a lovely time wandering slowly through the rest of the book. The Branwell family home is very close to be so I’ve always felt a strong connection with the Brontes.

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  10. I came across Ms. Vestgard’s paintings by chance (on Pinterest of all places, maybe?) and am very drawn to them…and to Cluny Brown, and to Margaret Kennedy Day1

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  12. Oh I love these lists! So many great read-alongs coming up…I’m just (ahem) a tad behind in my reading goals. Congrats to Briar!! Will we get to see any of the pics? Would love it!!

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    1. Usually The Cornishman puts all of its pictures online – Briar has been there already with my mother when I was interviewed about her nursing home closure – so there’s every chance. She will look terrible windswept though as she still has her winter coat and she’d been in and out of rock pools and playing on the sand.

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    1. Margaret Kennedy Day will definitely happen. It’s a little too early to post about specifics but it will works in much the same way as Margery Sharp Day – read a book, post about it on the day and I’ll write a thank you letter with all of the links a day or two later.

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  15. I’m glad to hear your library is open again – what would we do without them? I also have Exposure on hold, but I am #1. There’s not much of a demand for Helen Dunmore in my town. And the Brontes have been on my mind too. I just finished the new Claire Harman bio of Charlotte and am currently reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne for my book club. It’s all good stuff!

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  16. Love it! I also thought that about the Ouida, then forgot, so thank you for the reminder! And I am soooooo excited about the Margery Sharps, especially as I was offered two review copies by the publisher and have them loaded to read and review around the publication date *squeal* (I will of course buy all the others anyway).

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  17. Oh, I do enjoy your lists. And I am lusting after that hat. I lost the last one I knitted. Presumably travelling and twisted stitches are just Aran, and I can do Aran. What I can’t do is circular needles!

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