An end of week recap
Following a regular 21-day review, the Welsh Government announced that as of 1st June, people from one household will be permitted to meet outdoors with people from one other household (while remaining a minimum of two metres apart) – however, ‘stay local’ (within five miles of our homes) is the order of the day. The lockdown laws are easing at different rates in each of the UK’s four nations, often confusing people and adding to the general impression of a great bumbling coronashambles. Not that these changes make much difference to me because my partner is classed as ‘extremely clinically vulnerable’, which, under current rules mean she is quarantined indefinitely, and I have opted to do the same in case I pass on any nasties.
This morning, as every morning, I prepared breakfast, drank a gallon of strong tea, listened to a podcast as I worked-out (if it can so be described) on my antwacky Wii, checked out the Guardian Daily app on my phone for some sensible news and dipped into Letters From Tove. I don’t foresee much changing in the short term but today the sun is shining, a pale yellow Brimstone has alighted on my windowsill and the dogs are basking in the heat. All could so easily be well with the world. One day, perhaps, this will be true – but I fear it will take far more than the elimination of a virus to become a reality.
As ever, this is a weekly post in which I summarise books read, reviewed and currently on my TBR shelf. In addition to a variety of literary titbits, I look ahead to forthcoming features, see what’s on the nightstand and keep readers abreast of various book-related happenings.
PAUSE FOR A POD >>
* Lie Back and Listen *
Here I recommend engaging podcasts and other digital recordings I’ve come across during the week. Hopefully you too will enjoy them.
A poem from Faber this week. Emily Berry reads from the landmark edition of The Complete Poems by Emily Dickinson – a poet whose boundless vision resonates ever more powerfully today. Berry’s own collection of poems, Stranger, Baby (shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection), has been widely celebrated for its intelligent and boldly inventive meditations on loss and grief. >> Poem of the Week: ‘[We grow accustomed to the Dark–]’ by Emily Dickinson >>
CHATTERBOOKS >>
* The Mysteries of Udolpho Readalong *
“This read along is easy, flexible and […] rather amusing”, says Cleo from Classical Carousel of the challenge she has set herself to read and blog about Ann Radcliffe’s 1794 Gothic romance. She hopes others may wish to join the event, which will run from 1st June to 31st August 2020 and, perhaps, post their thoughts on the novel. She issues a request for others to jump aboard the “Udolpho train for this rather wild ride into the overly dramatic”. Her “guess is that you won’t be disappointed”. Please head over to The Mysteries of Udolpho Read-Along to see her proposed or “mock” schedule.
* Lit Crit Blogflash *
I’m going to share with you five of my favourite literary posts from around the blogosphere. There are so many talented writers posting high-quality book features and reviews, it’s difficult to limit the list to only these few – all of them published over the last week or two:
The Birdwatcher – Jeanne Griggs of Necromancy Never Pays describes William Shaw’s 2016 mystery novel as “full of suspense, red herrings” and “the one crime novel you want to read this year.”
Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing – Online Launch Coming Up – Sandra van Lente from Literary Field Kaleidoscope reveals details of a “joint project” which she is undertaking with “Dr Anamik Saha at Goldsmiths, University of London”. She hopes to discover how “books by writers of colour are published and how the structures of the field empower or hinder writers of colour.” The report will be released towards the end of June. She suggests you “stay tuned” for further details.
Review: The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage – Diana at Thoughts on Papyrus feels Thomas Savage’s “underappreciated” 1967 western novel “deserves more recognition than it has received so far”. While the “drama is handled strangely”, its “intense character study of Phil Burbank” instils an “unforgettable sense of unease” into this “tale of a quiet American town”.
Melissa Albert, The Hazel Wood (2018) – Albert’s fantasy novel is “intriguing” and “at times darkly wonderful”, but it is “marred by the conclusion, which [feels] underdeveloped”, according to Ola G of Re-enchantment Of The World. It is, however, “a formidable – and admirable – debut”.
A Trapdoor: Rereading Carol Shields (Small Ceremonies) – Marcie at Buried In Print is “taking [her] time” rereading Small Ceremonies, Carol Shields’ first novel published in 1976. She was, it seems, “beckoned back to [the late Canadian author’s] tender and matter-of-fact way of telling stories” by the “Covid-19 lockdown”.
* Irresistible Items *
Umpteen fascinating articles appeared on my bookdar last week. I generally make a point of tweeting my favourite finds (or adding them to my Facebook group page), but in case you missed anything, here are a handful of interesting snippets:
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The London Magazine: Interview | Rosanna Amaka on The Book of Echoes and Brixton in the 1980s – Briony Willis talks to “Rosanna Amaka, born to African and Caribbean parents” – an author who “began writing her debut novel twenty years ago to give voice to the Brixton community in which she grew up”.
The Critic: My first Carr – “A S H Smyth discovers a true English literary eccentric”: JL Carr, born in May 1912.
Literary Hub: Women Who Did What They Wanted: A Reading List – C.W. Gortner is “addicted to women who break the rules”.
The Calvert Journal: A bookshop in every village: how the late Soviets animated Moldovan rural life with books – “Between 1970 and 1990, 1,500 bookshops opened in Moldovan villages”, writes Paula Erizanu. “Now they are almost all abandoned, turned into grocery shops, storage spaces, or sheep barns.”
Aeon: On gibberish – “Babies babble, medieval rustics sing ‘trolly-lolly’, and jazz exults in bebop. What does all this wordplay mean for language?” asks Jenni Nuttall.
The Journal i.e.: Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t spoiled the plot for independent bookshops – Bookstores in Ireland seem to be surviving the coronavirus crisis.
Book Marks: Téa Obreht on Ishiguro, Beloved, and The Master and Margarita– Thirteen rapid-fire recommendations from the author of Inland.
The Michigan Daily: Quarantine and comfort in ‘Moominvalley’ – “Many unexpected developments have happened over the course of the past several months”, says Tate Lafrenier – but no more so than her “new-found love for a family of furry hippo-like trolls.”
Quill & Quire: Winnipeg artist Cliff Eyland remembered for his card-sized library paintings – “Winnipeg-based artist, curator, and professor Cliff Eyland’s paintings may be small – the size of a 3″ x 5″ library card, to be exact – but their effect is monumental”, says Sue Carter.
The New York Times: Larry Kramer, Playwright and Outspoken AIDS Activist, Dies at 84 – Daniel Lewis recalls: “He sought to shock [the USA] into dealing with AIDS as a public-health emergency and foresaw that it could kill millions regardless of sexual orientation.”
London Review of Books: Maigret’s Room – “Nobody is sure how many books Georges Simenon wrote”, says John Lanchester. Even he “himself didn’t know, indeed he couldn’t remember all of them.”
Five Dials: ‘Climate change is us. The sixth extinction is us. We are at the heart of all of these issues.’ – Julian Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places, on “the state of the world”.
Gal-Dem: Prepare to cackle, weep, and live for the British PoC authors up for the Jhalak Prize – Leah Cowan “devoured these six incredible essential 2020 books and [provides here] a like-for-like low down on what to read afterwards”.
The Irish Times: Shortlists for €30,000 Dalkey Literary Awards revealed – “Dalkey Book Festival cancelled but prizes recognise Irish writing is having a moment”.
The New Criterion: Another look at “The History Man” – Steve Morris on Malcom Bradbury and his novel of choices.
New Welsh Review: Channelling Marilynne: Translation as Possession, Envy And Belonging – Gwen Davies interviews herself about her new translation of Caryl Lewis’ novel, recently published as The Jeweller.
The Guardian: Like Christmas: New Zealand’s post-Covid books boom – “Booksellers report huge growth of interest in New Zealand literature and an uptick in sales after lockdown lifted”, finds Eleanor Ainge Roy.
The Economic Times: Writer Joyce Carol Oates wins France’s $218,000 Cino del Duca World Prize – “The prize is often seen as a stepping stone to the Nobel.”
Public Books: Public Picks 2020 – “Each year around this time [PB dispatches its readers] into summer with a thoughtfully curated list of titles appearing over the past 12 months”.
Vogue: 7 Literary Classics From ‘Normal People’ Worth Adding To Your Reading List – Timothy Harrison with “a list of all of the key novels, plays, and poetry that make a cameo in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestseller.”
Russian Art + Culture: Loud Words – Chekov, the Doctor with a Gun – Chekov believed the writer should “not making false promises to the reader”, finds Anton Sanatov.
The Sydney Morning Herald: A burning question about how to deal with writers’ final wishes – “Should Max Brod have burned Franz Kafka’s manuscripts, as the novelist asked?” wonders Jane Sullivan.
Literary Hub: Your 2020 Summer Books Preview – “Recommendations from Lit Hub staff and contributors”.
JSTOR Daily: The Timeless Art of the Bookcase Flex – “Flaunting a massive collection of books did not start with work-from-home videoconferences”, says Farah Mohammed.
The New York Review of Books: A Novel Way to Think About Literary Categories – Tim Parks wonders why we “categorize novels? Fantasy, Chick Lit, Crime, Romance, Literary, Gothic, Feminist…”
BookForum: For Goodness’ Sake – Lauren Oyler on the “self-conscious drama of morality in contemporary fiction”.
Esquire: The Best History Books To Help You Escape What’s Happening Right Now – “Rebellions, revolutions, and what the Victorians actually did with vibrators”.
The Hedgehog Review: Our Mindless and Our Damned – “Vampire and zombie stories are stories of a new mass folklore”, says Antón Barba-Kay. “But they have dreamt themselves into us for specific reasons.”
The New York Times: Visit These Science-Fiction Worlds to Make Sense of Our Own – Amal El-Mohtar recommends science fiction books that help us make sense of our current reality.
Book Institute Poland: Bedside table #44. Marta Kwaśnicka: We need to read selflessly – “Marta Kwaśnicka, writer, critic, and editor, the winner of this year’s Marek Nowakowski Award, talks about reading for pleasure and pleasure from reading”.
Chicago Review of Books: 8 Thrilling Horror Stories You Can Read Online Right Now – “Michael Welch shares eight horror stories you can read online”.
Spine: Shreya Gupta on Illustrating a Timeless Classic: Little Women – Vyki Hendy talks to Shreya Gupta about “her process for illustrating the 150th Anniversary edition of Little Women.”
Words Without Borders: The Watchlist: May 2020 – Tobias Carroll shares a handful of recently released or forthcoming titles in translation that especially excite him.
Fine Books & Collections: Book Review: Death of a Typographer – “There are many novels about bookshops, rather fewer about collectors of rare books, and almost none about book design”, says Alex Johnson.
The American Scholar: Radical Elegies – “At a time when many of us are cut off from the natural world,” Jonathan Bate believes “Wordsworth seems more essential than ever”.
Arablit Quarterly: Tunisian Novelist and Essayist Albert Memmi Dies at 99 – The Tunisian novelist and essayist Albert Memmi died in Paris on 22nd May aged 99.
The Guardian: The Australian book you’ve finally got time for: On the Beach by Nevil Shute – “For Mammoth author Chris Flynn, Shute’s apocalypse novel is a dynamite isolation read”.
Tablet: The Philip Roth Archive – “A fan’s obsessive rummage through the letters and papers of the writer who died two years ago […] reveals a playful, funny, brilliant man”, finds Jesse Tisch.
Get Literary: Must-Reads to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – In honour of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, GL rounds-up “contemporary fiction page-turners to help you celebrate”.
Nikkei Asian Review: Gangnam-style library in Seoul sells $25 getaway for book lovers – “Sojeonseolim bills itself as a reading room, cafe and concert hall”.
Open Culture: J.K. Rowling Is Publishing Her New Children’s Novel The Ickabog Free Online, One Chapter Per Day – Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling has announced she will release a new standalone fairy tale called The Ickabog, finds Colin Marshall.
The City: NYC Public Libraries Mull Grab-and-Go Book Pickup Service – Reuven Blau reports: “The New York Public Library is working on a plan to launch grab-and-go services for books and other materials — even as it’s buying more e-books…”
Stack: “What is literature for? What can we offer now?” – Kitty Drake takes a look at Berlin Quarterly, a European review of culture.
World Literature Today: Full Circle Bookstore: A Palace of Minds – “In January, [Oklahoma City’s] Full Circle Bookstore was named one of five finalists for Publishers Weekly’s Bookstore of the Year. Palestinian photographer Yousef Khanfar [pays] tribute.”
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FINALLY >>
If there is something you would particularly like to see on Winding Up the Week or if you have any suggestions, questions or comments for Book Jotter in general, please drop me a line or comment below. I would be delighted to hear from you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I wish you a week bountiful in books and rich in reading.
NB In this feature, ‘winding up’ refers to the act of concluding something and should not be confused with the British expression: ‘wind-up’ – an age-old pastime of ‘winding-up’ friends and family by teasing or playing pranks on them. If you would like to know more about this expression, there’s an excellent description on Urban Dictionary.
Categories: Winding Up the Week
Absolutely agree with Diana about The Power of the Dog. Extraordinarily powerful novel. I also enjoyed Marcie’s post on Carol Shields in which she tells us that a sentence in Shields’ Republic of Love was the inspiration behind her blog’s name. It’s one of my own favourites and so I was doubly pleased to hear that!
Many thanks, Susan. Two excellent posts! 😃
Thank you for the link-up! These are such interesting articles – all of them. I am not sure how to feel about Rowling publishing a new children’s book, but I am very glad that bookstores in Ireland are surviving the Coronavirus pandemic.
You’re very welcome, Diana. I agree, the thought of a new children’s book from JKR makes me feel a little edgy – especially as it has no connection with the world of HP. I will definitely read it, though! 😃
Like you, I’m choosing to isolate because I live with a vulnerable person (my mother). I definitely won’t be following the advice from BoJo and his cronies – coronashambles sounds about right! Also like you, the other day a yellow Brimstone landed just outside where I was sitting, which was a joy 🙂 Hope you both stay well Paula, and thank you for all the lovely links to explore!
How do you feel about the lifting of some of the restrictions for vulnerable people, Madame B? I can’t help but think it’s purely a political decision and would prefer to listen to the scientists’ advice. Anyhow, it’s great to hear you’re taking good care of your mum. I haven’t seen my ma since lockdown started as she lives quite a distance away. She and my step dad were coping very well until he tripped over a Tesco delivery crate (his eyesight is dodgy) and smashed his kneecap. He required surgery and a couple of nights in hospital, so we were really concerned he might pick up the virus but, three weeks on all seems well. He’s hobbling about with something resembling scaffolding up his leg but fairly scoots about with his Zimmer frame.
I’m so pleased you received a visitation from a Brimstone – they’re far less common than once they were. You’re obviously growing something tasty in your pots.
Thank you so much, as ever, for your kind remarks. Hope you enjoy the links. 😊
Yes, totally agree Paula – I think the decision’s been made for political and economic reasons and not for public safety, so we’ll still be isolating.
Your poor step-dad! What a thing to happen, especially at such a time. It’s good to hear he’s recovering well.
Wishing you many more butterfly visitations 🙂
I loved hearing about your daily routine. It sounds lovely. We have gotten quite settled here, as well, with our routines. But things are starting to open up here, and we will soon be pushed back into life again. I wonder what it will be like.
Enjoy your days! 🙂
Thank you, Naomi. 😊 The thought of returning to normality is quite scary, though I think in the UK it will be some time before we go back to many of our old ways – possibly it will never be quite the same again.
I think, if anything, I’ve become even more of an introvert. I didn’t think it was possible!
Great links Paula – off to check out Moldovan bookshops!
Even though lockdown has been eased (for no good reason I can see) by our so-called Government, my routine is similar to yours and I’m intending to continue working at home as long as possible. At least there are plenty of cultural things to keep us distracted. Take care and stay safe!
Many thanks, Kaggsy. Oh absolutely, I could never wholly trust Government advice. Having a daily routine definitely helps and, as you say, there are plenty of cultural goings-on in spite of it all. Please ensure you keep those hatches securely battened until you feel safe doing otherwise! 🤗
Thanks for the link to my review of The Birdwatcher (copies are easier to get across the pond).
I particularly enjoyed the one about bookshops in Moldova and I always like the SF book recommendations; I hadn’t heard of The Docile before.
It’s a pleasure, Jeanne. 😊
Wonderful, as always, Paula! I’m passing a few of these links on to others I know, who will be interested, as well!
Thank you so much, Becky for your kind words and also for sharing my wind-up with others. Much appreciated. 😊
If I wasn’t already planning to read The Castle of Otranto and also tackle Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance I’d be attracted by the Udolpho readalong. However…
I think you are being sensible about staying isolated, for the reasons you give — I fear this crisis will extend at least until the end of the year and even into 2021, and we’ve barely done a quarter of a year so far. Not a promising scenario.
I know, Chris, there are only so many reading events in which it is possible to participate (I’ve hardly joined any this year).
I agree with your comments re. the crisis. The virus won’t simply disappear overnight, however much we wish it would. I worry the Government are bringing us out of the lockdown far too quickly and I fear we may experience a second spike. So many of us have been ultra cautious up to now, and it seems to me that Boris and Dominic (or Big Doris and Demonic as I’m wont to call them) are taking huge risks with people’s lives in order to get the economy moving. To my mind, it isn’t worth the danger either to ourselves or our loved-ones if we fall into one of the ‘vulnerable’ groups. 😕
So glad to read that you are staying well and being careful.
Where I live, restrictions are going to slowly ease. I would feel better though if everyone consistently wore their masks!
We’ve had a lot of contradictory advice about face masks, but everyone seems to agree that it helps prevent the wearer from passing the virus on to others, which to me seems like a very good reason to don some sort of protective covering over our mouths and noses.
Take care and thank you, Joyce. 😊
Thanks, Paula. I look forward to your recap every week even if I cannot quite understand how you do it! Such a big undertaking.
What a great butterfly spot- I may have confused a brimstone with a clouded yellow on one occasion. It is so hard going the new abnormal, but maybe we are becoming closer observers of the world around us. Once again, you have shared some fascinating links- Jonathan Bate has put Wordsworth back in his post-revolutionary context and he recently made some compelling radio on the subject to promote his book (it makes good listening if you want to think outside of the current moment, including a contribution from the poet Alice Oswald).
Thank you, John. Glad you enjoyed the links.
Re. yellow butterflies. It’s a mistake easily made. The Brimstone is quite large with distinctive pale yellow leaf-shaped wings, whereas a Clouded Yellow is more of a golden yellow and seems far less ungainly in flight. It’s always a delight to see either.
I will search online for a recording of the JB prog.
I’m sorry to have been so quiet lately. I will try to catch up. I am going through a sad time with my dear old Mum, and don’t have much time for other stuff.
Some great articles here, as ever, and I have bookmarked a few for later.
I too loved hearing about your morning routine.
No worries, Sue. It’s very good to see you but I’m sorry to hear you’re having a sad time with your mum. A big virtual hug is heading your way from North Wales. 🤗
Many thanks for your comments. Don’t I lead an exciting life! 😂
thanks Paula. I feel the hugs.
Right now, your life sounds lovely and calm 😀
We’re still bunkering down in Melbourne – I feel a bit nervous about restrictions being lifted too quickly and another wave of infections 🙁
Thanks for the link to the article about books mentioned in Normal People (it’s the starter book for next week’s Six Degrees of Separation, so I might use the article as my inspiration).
Oh good, I’m so pleased the Normal People link proved useful. Stay safe, Kate. 😊
I love your Wind-up and your routine (I’m currently sitting with my first cup of tea with the pot full for the next and the next cup). But I think you are making me a bit lazy. I have started to rely on you finding all this important bookish stuff for me and then just spendIng a large part of my Sunday following the links! But really can’t thank you enough for the effort you make.
I am starting the Mysteries of Udolpho today and looking forward to following everyone’s progress with that. Thanks Paula. Look after yourself and your lovely family and those butterflies.
Great to see you, Penelope. I’m delighted to learn you’re a fellow tea drinker – I can’t function in the morning until I’ve had my fix! 😂
If you enjoy the links in my weekly wind-up and it saves you scouring the internet for interesting features, then my job is done. Hopefully you will have a little more time to read.
Thank you so much for your encouraging comments and continued support. Good luck with the Mysteries of Udolpho and take good care of yourself and your loved-ones, too. 🤗🦋
I loved your Wind-Up — so many interesting links! I totally agree with Melissa about The Hazel Wood; it really does have a type of dark fascination, especially in the first half, but left me ultimately unsatisfied & I probably won’t bother with the sequel. The article on JL Carr was great — I’ve been meaning to read his Month in the Country for quite some time now but had no idea of Carr’s very interesting background. And the reading of the Dickinson poem definitely filled a need — she’s one of those poets that I’m just beginning to really pay attention to.
Hello Janakay, it’s good to meet you. Many thanks for your kind remarks. I’m so glad you enjoyed the links. I haven’t read The Hazel Wood but I loved A Month in the Country. I’m also a great admirer of Emily Dickinson’s poetry – I find her a fascinating person, too. Quite mysterious in many ways. 😊
Stay safe and healthy, Paula! Especially in GB it seems really important to make your own routines and decisions, as the leadership is clearly not up to the task…
Great links as always, and thank you for the shout-out! 😊
Thank you, Ola. Much appreciated. 😊
Paula, your routine sounds wonderful. One of the positives of our current situation for me at least is the simplifying of our lives and the opportunity to truly relish those little things which were once so easily passed over. I’m not surprised at your decision to remain safely cocooned; essential for D I’m certain 🙂 My sisters and I have made the decision to increase our support for our parents. They have been in isolation since before official lockdown began and Dad is exhausted trying to cope with his own problems, the house and caring for Mum. My ‘local’ sister is now going in to clean for them – with the utmost care of course, and I am going to spend several days with them soonish to give Dad a complete rest. Which involves me being ultra careful here for the next fortnight and then making the journey from here to Kent in one hit – so no toilet stops! 😨 It’s such a tough call, weighing up the virus risks against their mental health and wellbeing. I agree that it will be quite some time yet before we are out of this: for Mum & Dad it is necessary to take that length of time into account. I hope your mum and stepdad are coping! Take good care 🤗
(Ooops, thanks for all the great links of course! 😆)
It’s so difficult to make plans these days but I’m sure all the complications involved with visiting your parents will be worthwhile when you finally make it over to see them. I bet they’ll be overjoyed to see you, Sandra. 😃
Many thanks for your kind comments. I hope you have a safe journey over to Kent. 🤗
Thanks Paula 🤗 No idea why I left such a long comment – I was obviously having a sharing day! 😂 And no surprise that things have changed again since I wrote it! Thanks again! 😍
I love to hear from you with all your news, Sandra, and I’m sorry it took me so long to respond. I hope all is well and your parents are okay. 🤗
What a lovely collection of links. I don’t think I’ve ever looked into the literature of Tunisia before, let alone attended to the news of a prominent author there. No matter how one works to read widely, there are always corners of the world and of experience that remain to be “discovered”. Also, how funny to think that even Simenon didn’t know exactly how many books he, himself, wrote! LOL
Like others have said, I enjoyed reading about the daily routine and your comments about perceptions of political decisions being made with an emphasis on capitalist economies rather than data-driven decisions that should require a re-examination and adjustment of current priorities. Here, we inhabit the one area of the province which is still viewed as problematic and is still undergoing reopening (at a similar stage to what you’ve described but perhaps with additional retail/food/business reopenings than you’re experiencing), whereas other areas of the province are moving through different stages. But without travel restrictions in-province, so that’s not simple, as many people want access to this city and, then, will return to their homes.
Also, thanks kindly for linking to my Carol Shields rereading project. I’m just taking a breath before moving on with The Box Garden, as BookishBeck has ordered Small Ceremonies and is reading it now. If anyone else wants to join in with The Box Garden – or if you do! – we’ll probably start mid-June-ish.
Thank you, Marcie. I agree, no matter how widely one reads, there are always authors from countries other than your own who will forever remain a mystery. It’s frustrating but at least we’ll never be short of reading materials. 😃
I’m afraid my daily routine is rather dull – but it keeps me sane and my partner safe.
You’re very welcome, it’s always a pleasure to highlight your posts. Carol Shields was a superb novelist and short story writer. Such a shame she went before her time. Have you read anything by Anne Giardini? I know she has written a couple of books but little more than that. Her mother was a hard act to follow!
The only one of hers that I’ve read was the book about her mother’s writing, which was written with a grandson as well, largely based on Shields’ own words and work about the craft. I’ve got the others on my TBR, but just haven’t gotten to them yet.
I loved The Mysteries of Udolpho! I went to the Venice Carnival – when will big crowded carnivals like that be happening again, sigh? – in 2015 and was looking for books which mentioned it. Jane Austen makes fun of it so much in Northanger Abbey that I thought it’d be rubbish/stupid, but I really liked it.
Wow, I bet that was an exciting experience. I visited Venice many years ago but never the Carnival. Sadly, I can’t see crowded events happening in the near future, but you never know. If a successful vaccine is found…
What a great wind-up! I’m always looking for literary podcasts.
Thanks for the shout-out, Paula! I’m immersed in Emily’s drama already! I think I’ll be reading the rest of the Horrid novels at some point if they are half as entertaining as this one.
Thank YOU, Cleo. It’s a pleasure. 😊