In Which I Take Stock of My Reading Pile

As so often happens when I can't quite settle on one book to read, I find that I end up reading way too many at the same time and still check titles out from the library.

Here is a sampling of a few that are crowding my tabletops right now.

Beside my reading chair:

Emma by Alexander McCall Smith - This is the book I pick up at two in the morning when I wander down my hallway to the living room knowing sleep has deserted me for a while. It is the modern retelling of the Jane Austen classic. I am sort of familiar with the basic premise. (I saw the movie.) Anyway, I love AMS and being in his company in the middle of the night is soothing.

(If you haven't read my account of meeting Mr. McCall Smith, you can do so here.)

Plum Pie by P.G. Wodehouse - This is a collection of short stories or it may be selections from a few of his books, but in any case, I am always happy to be in Mr. W's world. This is also a good one to pick up in the case of insomnia. In between the stories, he writes short (undated) commentaries on what is going on in the news of the day under the title Our Man in America. One is an item from a small town in North Carolina about the theft of 25 church pews and the pulpit. He wonders how the thieves plan to fence these hot pews. In another, he bemoans the discontinuation of the autumn Woolly Bear Hunt in which specimens of the caterpillar of that name were collected and examined in an effort to predict the mildness or severity of the coming winter. 

When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning - Although I don't belong to a book club, a friend's group is reading this and he thought I would be interested in it. I am, but I have barely read past the introduction. It has to do with the free books sent to American troops during World War II. There were 120 million small paperback books - known as Armed Services Editions - printed for the reading enjoyment of soldiers and sailors. I wrote about a similar book, As You Were that was edited by Alexander Woollcott. It was one of my best used book discoveries ever! (You can read about that here.) My friend has invited me to attend the club's meeting and bring my vintage find. A sort of Show and Tell.

Beside my bed:

Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart - I remember reading Mary Stewart's suspenseful books in high school. Her novels seem to be making a comeback. This was her first and has all the characteristics that I remember: a young woman in a perilous situation not of her making, terrific place descriptions, and excellent prose. I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy her sensory details - the song of the cicadas of an evening, the aroma of a morning cup of coffee, the glint of light on the river - and not rush along to find out what happens next. 

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - This is my second reading of this classic comic novel. It's difficult to describe the events and meanderings that go on here but basically three fellows take off on a holiday in a boat up the River Thames. There is also a dog. You will just have to read it to get the full effect of this wonderful adventure published in 1889. It is as fresh and lively as ever.

Anything interesting on your reading tables? Are you enjoying one book or, like me, many? 

Bits and Bobs Left Behind

Things left behind in used books can be irritating or entertaining. Reader notes scribbled in the margins and underlined passages often contribute to the 'irritating' label in my opinion. 

On the other hand, in the entertaining realm are the bits and bobs and other ephemera abandoned by previous readers. Items I have found include credit card receipts, business cards, actual bookmarks (always welcome), newspaper articles, dried flowers, and in the following case, quite a surprise.

To wit:

At the Locust Grove Used Book Sale in March 2015, I paid a hefty one dollar for a paperback edition of P.G.Wodehouse's The Cat-Nappers. This is a tale of Bertie Wooster's attempt to get away from London for a quiet visit to the country but, because this is Wodehouse, his stay becomes just the opposite. It is the last novel featuring Jeeves and Wooster - one character with the brains and one with an uncanny way of getting caught up in delightful dilemmas.

Anyway, during a recent bout with insomnia, I pulled The Cat-Nappers from a stack on the bookshelf - you can see right away how far behind I am with my TBR pile - and settled in to immerse myself in the wonderful world of Bertie Wooster and his faithful valet. Nothing like a little laughter to raise one's spirits at 3 o'clock in the morning. Before I opened to the first page, I casually flipped through the book and a small piece of paper fell into my lap. 

It was the stub from an United Airline boarding pass. When I read the name of the person on the ticket I discovered it was someone I knew. I was not close friends with this woman but we had met quite a few times and had several mutual acquaintances. She was from a prominent family in Louisville and contributed much to the community. She died in late 2013. I guess that is how her book came to be in the used book sale a year and a half later.

I studied the stub further. Her flight was from Chicago/O'Hare to Louisville and the date of the flight was March 27 - my birthday! Although there was no year noted, I did some investigating and discovered that the United logo printed on the stub was in use from 1974-1993. 

Her seat was in the non-smoking section and more detective work revealed that the airlines went totally non-smoking on short flights in 1990. This narrowed even further the possible year of her flight. As the edition of The Cat-Nappers in hand had a publication date of 1975, I could only deduce that the flight took place between then and 1990.

Sherlock Holmes has nothing on me.

Of course, all this is just an amusing - to me - anecdote of what surprises books can hold in addition to the stories printed in their pages.

Have you discovered any interesting items between the pages of your books? Or perhaps you have inadvertently left something of your own behind for the next owner to discover. Please, do tell.

Locust Grove Spring Used Book Sale 2015

I kept telling myself I wasn't going to go shopping at the semi-annual used book sale sponsored by Locust Grove Historic Home last weekend. I haven't even read all the books I bought at the Summer Sale. Well, you can guess how that conversation ended. 

I broke down on Sunday and went (I blame it on cabin fever due to the snow) and it turns out everything was half price which only made the selection more enticing. 

Here are my finds:

Coronation Summer by Angela Thirkell

There were quite a few Thirkell's this time. I don't believe I have seen any on offer at previous sales. I bought this one because I love the cover. The coronation in the title is that of Queen Victoria in 1838 and is the story of a young girl's trip to London to witness the festivities.

**

The Beside 'Guardian': Number 8

On the last Grand Southern Literary Tour I scored several Beside 'Guardian' books from the 1970s and '80s. This much earlier volume includes articles from 1958-59 and has a forward and selections from Alistair Cooke which meant that I absolutely had to have it.

**

Hunting Season by Andrea Camilleri

Once again, I was attracted by a colorful cover. This is a mystery story that takes place in Italy. How could I go wrong?

The author writes the popular Inspector Montalbano series (Full Disclosure: none of which I have read). 

**

Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper

by Harriet Scott Chessman

This novel paints a portrait of American artist Mary Cassatt from the view of her sister (and model) Lydia. There are five color portraits of Lydia reproduced here. Even if I don't read the book, just think how lovely it will be sitting on my bedside table or at my desk.

** 

The Cat-Nappers by P.G. Wodehouse

Wodehouse! Need I explain?

**

St. Augustine, Florida - October 22, 2013

Second Read Books
St. Augustine, Florida

If I had a dollar for every time the name of Flagler is mentioned in St. Augustine, I would be a wealthy woman. Henry Flagler (1830-1913) put the city on the map in 1888 by building an elegant winter resort for the rich and bringing the railroad to the town so they could get here. He wanted his hotel to rival any of New York City's poshest hotels. He had the money to do it.

Today, this Spanish-Moorish building formerly known as the Ponce de Leon Hotel with its courtyard fountain and gardens, is Flagler College, a private, four-year liberal arts school. It opened in 1968. Twenty-five hundred students are enrolled.

The one-hour tour was led by Dan, a student of the college. We saw a lot of mosiac tiles in the entrance rotunda; painted ceilings and Tiffany stained-glass windows in the formal dining room (which is now the student dining hall); and velvet covered furniture, paintings, fireplaces, and eleven crystal chandeliers in the formal parlor where the ladies of that day gathered to chat in their bustles and feathered hats.

The day was very hot and humid. After walking around a bit, we found two bookstores and made our purchases. We were melting. We headed back to the B&B for a siesta.

I am happy with my purchases:

Second Read Books:
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James, a Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice mystery.

Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings about her experiences in the Florida hamlet of Cross Creek, where she lived for thirteen years. I was very happy and surprised to find this one especially after discovering Ms. Rawlings' connection with St. Augustine yesterday.

Anastasia Books:
Jeeves and the Tie That Binds by P.G. Wodehouse, always a delight.

As We Were by E.F. Benson, a memoir of Victorian and Edwardian England. Mr. Benson is the author of the humorous Mapp and Lucia books.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, a lovely edition published by the Everyman's Library Children's Classics. It has color illustrations by Sibyl Tawse.

Tomorrow we leave Mr. Flagler's town and move up the coast to Savannah and more literary exploits.

In Which The Professor Pays a Visit

I had quite a literary visit yesterday with my neighbor The Professor. I have mentioned him before...he is in his eighties, is a retired university professor of philosophy, has a house full of books (even though he has sold his 'libraries' twice), and is always seen in a freshly pressed Oxford cloth shirt and tie. I am sometimes the grateful recipient of his well-thumbed 
New York Times Book Review and American Scholar journals.

He is most erudite and is very likely my smartest acquaintance.

It was an abnormally cool August day. I was sitting on my front porch in the late afternoon engrossed in So Big by Edna Ferber when I was greeted by The Professor's cheery hello. He was standing at my gate - he was on his way back from the barbershop - and was in good spirits as usual. I invited him up and we visited for 45 minutes.

In addition to a rousing report on a recent dinner party he attended with a few of his former university colleagues, our conversation ran along these lines:

Jane Austen; the Jane Austen Festival; A Jane Austen Education (which we have both read) and Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things (which neither of us has read) ; book clubs; Edna Ferber; Dr. Samuel Johnson's dislike of music (with supporting quotes); The Magic Mountain; Arthur, a mutual friend, long dead, who for years ran one of the first local bookstores; Vanity Fair; P.G. Wodehouse; a surviving independent bookstore and one that has gone away; Florence, Italy; and, the Harvard Classics.

The Professor is like ten book blogs rolled into one! A fine ending to a fine day, wouldn't you say?

Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit by P.G. Wodehouse

Oh, that Bertie Wooster. 

I just finished Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit (1954) by P.G. Wodehouse. I do believe it is one of the only full-length novels that I have read starring the feckless Wooster and his man, the shimmering Jeeves. Mostly I have made their

acquaintance through short stories. 

I recently wrote about watching all four seasons of Jeeves and Wooster with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, and of course I could only see and hear them in my mind's eye as I read this comic tale. That only added to my enjoyment.

The trouble, and there is always trouble when Bertie is about, begins with Bertie growing a moustache to the disappointment and disgust of Jeeves. The action moves from London to Aunt Dahlia's stately home, Brinkley Court, and involves pearl necklaces, side whiskers, disappearing ladders, a restorative concoction invented by Jeeves, a cosh, a bout of dyspepsia, engagements made and broken, and more cliff-hangers than can be counted. 

Just as Bertie gets out of one jam, another presents itself which is where the fun is. How will B.W. work his way out of this corner!

Odd as it may sound, a book with the unlikely title The Mystery of the Pink Crayfish and its author play a part in this romp. Of course, Jeeves is on hand to smooth Bertie's bumpy way. Bertie eventually sees the light regarding said moustache to which Jeeves, with just the tiniest raising of an eyebrow, can only reply:

"Thank you very much, sir."

Ta Da!

Here are the books I bought at The Village Bookstore on my recent travels to America's Heartland:

Founding Brothers (2000) by Joseph J. Ellis 
I sometimes get excited about reading books on American history. Mr. Ellis is coming to the library this month to speak so I was glad to find one of his books and hope to get it read in time to hear him. This book takes a look at seven of the guys who got America going: Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison. All in 250 pages. Not extended biographies but a look at telling events involving each. First up - The Duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit (1954) by P.G. Wodehouse
I don't even need to explain this selection. I love Wodehouse!

Nights of Rain and Stars (2004)  by Maeve Binchy
I have not read anything by this popular author so I will give this one a try. It is a nice clean hardcover copy. The story takes place on a Greek island and involves travelers to and residents of a small village there.

The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian (2005) by Phil Doran
This was actually on my ToBeRead List and I was thrilled to find a hardcover edition. The sort of real-life tale I enjoy - Hollywood sitcom writer and producer pulls up stakes and moves to Tuscany. 

The Vintage Caper (2009) by Peter Mayle
I have been wanting to read one of Peter Mayle's mysteries. I read earlier this year one of his real-life accounts of his life in Provence. This crime novel involves a wine heist and knowing Mr. Mayle it will be a delight. A nice hardcover edition.

The Witch of Exmoor (1996) by Margaret Drabble
Another author I have not read and I was glad to find this hardcover edition. The story has to do with Frieda, an author and thinker who has run away from home and hearth and lives in a hotel by the sea in Exmoor. She sounds like a woman I would like to get to know. 

At this rate, I will need to ask for an extension to summer if I am to get all my reading done. Who, pray tell, is in charge of that?

A Bag from a Book Sale

Oh joy. Another book sale. This one for the benefit of a local historic home. The home has two book sales a year and I certainly benefited from going to one last August (here).

I was quite restrained in my buying. I bought four hardback books. I must have picked up and put down many more but I try to zero in on the hardcovers and choose ones that I feel I will want to keep.

Here is the loot:

Great Detectives: A Century of the Best Mysteries from England and America (1984) edited by David Willis McCullough. 

Here in a whopping 725 pages are two novels, a novella, and fourteen short stories by some of my favorite mystery writers - Christie, Stout, Westlake and Chandler. The novels include The Chill by Ross MacDonald and Death Notes by Ruth Rendell.  This should keep me 'guessing' for quite a while.

A Wodehouse Bestiary (1985) edited by D.R. Bensen.

Oh, Mr. Wodehouse. How I do adore thee. A collection of your always witty stories starring your wonderful human characters - Bertie Wooster, Ukridge, Mr. Mulliner - and their trials and tribulations with characters of the animal kingdom - a swan, a snake and your beloved Pekineses. 

Sacre Bleu: A Comedy D'Art (2012) by Christopher Moore.

I had this on my to-be-read list and snatched it up for a dollar. It is part mystery, part history, and all comedy. The time is the fin-de-siecle Paris. The tale concerns baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as they investigate the mystery surrounding Vincent Van Gogh's supposed suicide. Guest stars include Monet, Manet, Renoir and others and includes color photos of their paintings. What fun.

Montaigne Selected Essays (1949) Modern Library Edition.

I love the serendipity of it: Finding this collection just as I was halfway through How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell.

What Jeeves and Wooster Have Taught Me

Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry
as
Bertie Wooster and Jeeves
along with the ubiquitous silver tray.

As a big fan of P.G. Wodehouse, I have been having a great time watching the twenty-three episodes on DVD of Jeeves and Wooster starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. These two actors are priceless and bring much verve and style to Wodehouse's characters of aristocrat Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves.

Here are some things I have learned:

From Jeeves:
1. Serve everything on a silver tray - from a cup of tea to a snifter of brandy.
2. Don't argue with your employer. "Very good sir" goes a long way in keeping the peace.
3. Never stop learning. Jeeves is a big fan of Spinoza and he is a fountain of knowledge on everything from mushrooms to moonshine.
4. When you turn down the bed, a quick smoothing of the sheets and pillow cases with your hand makes for a more restful night. 
5. You get more accomplished if you slow down and make informed decisions. 

From Bertie:
1. Formidable aunts are not to be trifled with.
2. Clever plans will most likely go awry.
3. Staying single and having a valet to care for you is really the best way to live.
4. You can be too good a friend sometimes and get yourself into some very sticky situations trying to help out.
5. Have your morning tea in bed. No need to rush into the day.

What Ho, Jeeves!

Recently I admitted to having a literary crush on Jeeves, the inimitable man's man, and that aristocratic gentleman, Bertie Wooster. What better way to put myself in their company than to watch episodes of Jeeves and Wooster starring Stephen Fry as Jeeves and Hugh Laurie as Bertie.

There were four seasons of the British comedy (1990-1993) made up of 23 episodes all of which I rented from my local, independent video store. I have been laughing all week. 

What a delight. Here is Hugh Laurie before he became the scruffy, misanthrope Dr. House, playing Bertie with just the right stiff upper lip and generous heart. (Like House, Bertie carries a cane only his has a silver handle.) Stephen Fry couldn't be more of a gentleman's gentleman ("As you wish, sir.") forever helping Bertie get out of sticky situations and advising him against sartorial missteps. 

The wittiness of P.G. Wodehouse is all here - the goofy names and nicknames (Bingo, Marmy, and the newt-loving Gussie Fink-Nottle), the antics of the members of The Drones Club, the terror Bertie feels when in the presence of his formidable aunts. The lovers' quarrels, the lovers' makeups. Dogs. Tea. Policemen's helmets. 

And the sets are gorgeous. Beautiful shots of stately homes, Bertie's London apartment, book-filled libraries to die for, roadster trips along narrow roads showing off the English countryside. Some of the action even takes place at Highclere Castle the location for the goings on at Downton Abbey.

Right ho! There is no better place to be in this world than with Jeeves and Wooster. My heart be still.

Blandings Castle is Coming...Eventually

As I sit here enjoying an afternoon cup of English tea and snacking on cheese straws (a Southern delicacy), I want to tell all the P.G. Wodehouse fans that the BBC has begun a six-part series based on the Blandings Castle escapades of befuddled Lord Emsworth; Empress of Blandings, his prize-winning pig; and, Lady Constance, his stern sister.

Timothy Spall plays Lord Emsworth and Jennifer Saunders plays Lady Constance. I don't know who plays the pig.

Mr. Wodehouse is one of my favorite authors and I especially delight in his Blandings Castle books and short stories.

The other day when I discovered this piece of joy, I found a promo clip on the BBC website but now it has disappeared. I wonder why?

Anyway, eventually this show will make its way over to us in America and I will be able to enjoy my tea in the gardens of Blandings. In the meantime, I just may have to re-read the books.