Hello, lovely readers,
Spring term is in full blast, so I haven’t been able to write to you lately. There are some great books I read in May and would like to review here, and next week we have some posts about our Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz Readalong! Summer is on its way and, as usual, I have some more reading projects to share with you.
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20 Books of Summer
The challenge is hosted by Cathy over at the 746 Books blog. She has set herself a challenge to read 20 books between June , 1st and September, 5th this year. Anyone can join in. You are free to choose your reading goals to 10 / 15 / 20 books, as fits your summer reading plans.
Here is my list:
- Harriet Said
…, by Beryl Bainbridge ✓
- The Forgotten Smile, by Margaret Kennedy ✓
- Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ✓
- Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert; ✓
- Orlando, by Virginia Woolf ✓
- Vinegar Girl, by Anne Tyler ✓
- Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte ✓
- Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys ✓
- Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley ✓
- Angel, by Elizabeth Taylor ✓
- The Bell, by Iris Murdoch;
- Frost in May, by Antonia White ✓
- Her, by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) ✓
- Mariana, by Monica Dickens;
- The Simple Truth, by Elizabeth Hardwick ✓
- Modern Lovers, by Emma Straub ✓
- The World My Wilderness, by Rose Macaulay ✓
- Someone at a Distance, by Dorothy Whipple;
- The Pure and the Impure, by Colette ✓
- Free choice! 😉 [UPDATE 07/07/2016] The Girls, by Emma Cline ✓
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Jean Rhys Reading Week
Hosted by JacquiWine and Lonesome Reader, the Jean Rhys Reading Week will take place from September12th-18th this year. I’ll be reading Wide Sargasso Sea (from my Classics Club list).
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Frankenstein Read-Along
The Readalong is hosted by Dolce Bellezza and Nonsuch Book. The idea is to read and review the book until June, 16th. The book is on my Classics Club list, and I am looking forward to reading it!
That’s all for now, I guess. What are your reading projects for Summer? Do tell me about them.
Yours truly,
J.
the [blank] garden 
Delighted you’ll be taking part Juliana! I love, love your list. Such great choices and a free one is always a good idea!
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Thank you for hosting the challenge, Cathy! 🙂
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I’m going to do 20 books of summer but last year I was such a fickle reader I nearly failed. So I’ve chosen thirty books from which I will read twenty. 😊😊
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That’s a good strategy, Ali! I am looking forward to reading your list! I failed miserably with 20 Books of Summer last year, so if I manage to read at least 10 books of my list, I’ll be happy 😛
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I so enjoyed Harriet Said, and love Madame Bovary and Jane Eyre. You’ll have such a good time with those three, I’m sure.
Looking forward to Frankenstein with you and the others; I reread Frances’ post which reasoned that we should read it in June as that was when the idea was conceived between Mary Shelley and her friends to write a horror story.
Also, I’ve been meaning to read Wide Sargasso Sea forever and so will relish the chance with you for Jacqui’s event.
What fun we’ll have this summer!
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Summer will last forever this time, I guess… 😛 I will love to read Wide Sargasso Sea along with you, Bellezza! 🙂
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What a great selection of books! Jane Eyre is a favourite, as is the Bovary, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy those two. Bainbridge has been on my radar for quite a while, and I’ve just finished my first, An Awfully Big Adventure – a very impressive book. Looking forward to seeing what you think of Elizabeth Taylor’s Angel. Funnily enough, I’ve just posted a piece about another of her books, At Mrs Lippincote’s. She fast becoming one of my favourite writers.
Oh. and I’m delighted to hear that you’re planning to join us for the Jean Rhys Reading Week, that’s great news! Wide Sargasso Sea will be a popular one, for sure.
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I am going to take a look at your review of At Mrs. Lippincote’s. I am way behind on my feed lately! Thank you for hosting Jean Rhys Reading Week, Jacqui! I am looking forward to it 🙂
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I’m doing 20 Books of Summer, too. Your list is lovely and I look forward to your reading of Murdoch’s The Bell, as I’m finishing my research project on that book over the summer! I will be publishing my list when there’s a main post on Cathy’s blog to tether it to – not long now!
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I am looking forward to reading your list, Liz! Are you going to post something on The Bell? Murdoch is one of my favourite writers 🙂
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Oh, cool! I’m a big fan, I read all her books in order with some friends a good few years ago now (second time for me) and that’s how my research started. I’m intending to (probably self-) publish my research results when it’s all done, as I’m an independent researcher, so I’ll happy send you an e-copy if you see my eventual post about it and let me know.
And my 20 books list is out this morning. Already I’m thinking, “Really, two Whartons?” – ha!
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Do let me know when you publish your research, I’ll definitely want to read it. Now I’ll take a peek at your list! 😉
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Your summer reading list sounds great!
I plan to participate in Jean Rhys Week, too. I plan to track down one of her short story collections for the event. I look forward to hearing what you think of Wide Sargasso Sea.
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I only read Good Morning, Midnight by Rhys, and really liked. So I have high hopes for Wide Sargasso Sea… 🙂
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I’m really looking forward to learning what you think of Sor Juana’s works, too, of course. It will be fun to compare notes. 🙂
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Me, too! Readalongs always bring so much to our own ways of reading a book 🙂
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Loving your list especially as it starts with Harriet Said which I read recently
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Thank you for visiting, Cleopatra! I had read Ali’s review of ‘Harriet said a while ago, and was curious. Are you planning to make a 20 Books of Summer list?
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Yes, my list is going up tomorrow – cheating and doing it in two lots of 10 though 😉
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I’m not going to attempt even a 10 book list this summer but I still love looking at everyone else’s lists and reviews. My ongoing reading project is the Reading New England Challenge – for the summer months I have Nonfiction, Massachusetts and Children’s categories to enjoy. Reading my way through those will keep me quite occupied!
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I’m following your New England Challenge, Lory, your list is fantastic! I find the list of New England poets particularly tempting. Happy Summer reading, and thank you for visiting 🙂
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What an extensive reading list, very impressive!
I’m reading a book from your list – Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert – at the moment. I read it 25 years ago, but remember only fragments, and so the text keeps on surprising me. I actually think I’m enjoying my second encounter with the Fauberts even more than I did my first.
Good luck with your reading!
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Thank you, Sigrun! Madame Bovary was the book chosen by my book club for July. I have read it 15 years ago, and remember nothing! I hope I will also enjoy rereading it… Some books grow with time, right? Happy Summer reading for you, too! 🙂
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I loved Madame Bovary. When the Yahoo French Literature group held a poll and listed our ten favorite books by French authors, Madame Bovary was the only book that was on everyone’s list without exception.
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Thank you, Dagny! It will be interesting to reread the book 🙂
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I read Wide Sargasso Sea earlier this year and thought it was incredible–the language is so gorgeous and the themes are so dark and overwhelming. Hope you enjoy and happy reading!
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Hey, Jaleenajo! Thank you for dropping by! I have high hopes for Wide Sargasso Sea. Good to know you enjoyed it! I’ll reread Jane Eyre, and then I’ll follow it up with Rhy’s book. 🙂
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Ohhhh I went through a Monica Dickens phase in my twenties and loved Mariana.
You may also be interested in knowing that there is a Beryl Bainbridge reading week next week – http://www.annabookbel.net/2016/03/28/bbrw2-beryl-is-back/ – which I’m using to help me get to one of the books on my list too 🙂
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Thank you for coming by, Brona! Mariana will be my first Monica Dickens, and I have high hopes for this author! 🙂 Yes, I’m also taking part on this reading week, and I’ll try to read and review ‘Harriet said’ just for it. What a disturbing book, btw! I had never read any Bainbridge, but now I’ll try to find more books of hers. 🙂
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I have her Titanic story for next week. Came highly rec from a fellow blogger.
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I am very impressed by the loftiness of your choices. Jane Eyre and Madam Bovary would probably do me in. Good luck with your list. Here is mine: My 20+Summer2016Challenge
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Thank you, Anne! I am impressed by how many books you manage do read in a month… 🙂 Good luck with your list, too!
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