Thursday, 29 April 2010

Persephone Plans




Only three days to go until the start of Persephone Reading Week! I hope you all have piles of Persephone books at the ready - it seems like a lot of people are planning to I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone decides to read...and reading some of my own (and new!) Persephone books.

When we planned the week, I only had three Persephone books left that I hadn't read. But when I checked, I realised that there were a few more that I had neither read nor owned, so I thought that the Reading Week would be a good excuse to get them, and I managed to pick up some second hand copies. And then Persephone brought out their Spring books...so I bought both of those, plus another one to take advantage of the special offer on buying three books from the shop.

They have all now arrived and this is the pile of books that I have to choose from - I intend to read 5 of them during the week.




Still Missing (Beth Gutcheon)
Dimanche and other stories (Irene Nemirovsky)
The Hopkins Manuscript (RC Sherriff)
The expendable man (Dorothy Hughes)
Good things in England (Florence White)
Julian Grenfell (Nicholas Mosley)
The woman novelist and other stories (Diane Gardner)
A new system of domestic cookery (Mrs Rundell)
The gardener's nightcap (Muriel Stuart)
An interrupted life (Etty Hilsum)

I think that these ten books really reflect the range of books published by Persephone - we have cookery, gardening, biography, novels, short stories and letters/diaries. I love the way that their list encompasses such a wide range of genres and thus manages to take my reading outside its usual foci.

(And in case you're interested, I'm now only 10 books short of the complete 88 - all of which I have read but which I hope to add to my collection in due course!)

15 comments:

  1. Can't wait. Will there be an official sign up for those participating? Or do we just read and post away?

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  2. I'm really looking forward to Persephone Reading week - and not just reading my book but everyone else's thoughts on theirs.
    ps Really like reading your blog.

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  3. I had a plan but then, quite incredibly, I found a lesser known Persephone in the library booksale. There are far more calling than I can read in a week, so I'll see where my mood takes me.

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  4. This sounds like a lot of fun. I have a few that I'd love to bump up my TBR pile (including one from you!). Echoing the question above, do I need to sign up, or just join in?

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  5. I'm so excited! Plan on reviewing books I've read in the past but haven't written about yet. I'm also reading To Bed With Grand Music now.

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  6. A New System of Domestic Cookery is a fascinating historical read. I find myself thinking of passages from it as often as any other favourite work of fiction. Looking forward to your thoughts on Good Things in England!

    I'm cheating and have already started Family Roundabout and The New House by Lettice Cooper arrived a couple of days ago.

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  7. Can't believe you nearly have the complete collection. I am so excited for persephone reading week to start that I began reading High Wages today. Looking forward to all the reviews.

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  8. Thomas - no official sign up, just join in, and then post links to your reviews in the comments under the Welcome posts that Claire and I'll will be putting up on our blogs on Monday.

    Joan - thanks for droppping in - I'm glad you'll be joining us.

    Jane - a Persephone, in a library booksale?! Goodness! Which one?

    Kate - no official sign up, just join in, and then post links to your reviews in the comments under the Welcome posts that Claire and I'll will be putting up on our blogs on Monday.

    Mrs B - ooo, I did enjoy To bed...

    Darlene - I started last week with Still missing as I just couldn't resist it. I think I will reread Family Roundabout next week.

    HJElliot - High wages is another wonderful one. I can't believe how many I have either!

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  9. They really are incredibly diverse - more so than I'd realised at first. And wow, you're so close to having them all!

    I confess I've already started one of my books, Good Evening, Mrs Craven, and I'm absolutely loving it so far.

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  10. I'm starting a new library job next week, but still plan to read 'High Wages' and possibly 'A Fortnight in September'.

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  11. Yay! Not long to go now :-) I have a tiny collection of Persephones - most of which I haven't read - so I shall see how the mood takes me.

    I am impressed by your collection. Wow! Only 10 to go to complete the set... and you'll just have to get the diary when it is published :-)

    I'll be putting up a piccie later of my little group of Persephones to get into the swing of things.

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  12. Looking forward to it... Doreen is ready to go!

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  13. Can't wait! Will hopefully start reading my very first Persephone on Sunday. I can only dream about having a collection like you one day. Thanks again for hosting!

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  14. Hello Verity, looking forward to PRW. Will need to get my mitts on a couple from the library though on Tues, I've been waiting to read a Whipple so hopefully there will be one when I go. Can't believe you've read nearly all of them!

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