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Avalon

9/11/2017

I feel like I have been away for a year from this website. Probably because my father and several other people died and I couldn't write anything for a while. And now a year later, I am sitting here writing with a wrist that I broke on Saturday, on the anniversary of Dad's birthday. I am watching the bruising spread up my thumb and hoping very much that it will not need surgery this week, as I go to Madagascar in September to work on a lemur volunteer project for 3 weeks. I am very excited, despite not being a natural camper as I will see lemurs in the wild, as well as a slew of other creatures. And get to draw every day. Between David Attenborough and the cartoon Madagascar, I feel as though I have done some research, although I cannot imagine what this will be like.

I am Reading….

Salonika Burning bi Gail Jones.
This is a wonderful book, She writes beautifully and her work reminds me of Shirley Hazzard.

Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart.
I so enjoyed this book, it was funny. And the characters so exposed. July 2022

Our Shadows by Gail Jones.
This is such a good book. I had just read The Death of Noah Glass by her and both of these are so well written.
June 22

Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker
I loved this book and it felt so modern even though it is 60 years old. Apart from the lack of technology in it, no mobiles, no emails and no computers.
March 22

Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
This has taken me some time and I have another 150 pages to go. It has been a challenging read and I find some of it extremely funny. I will let you know when I have finished it. Read more Austen and Mitford as light relief during this period. As well as other less memorable books. 21.02.21

The Dutch House by Anne Patchett
Such a wonderful book, I loved reading this, a perfect joy.

Olive again by Elizabeth Strout.
Just saying - a fabulous snall book. Olive is such a plausible, flawed character.

Milkman by Anna Burns
I have so loved reading this book. You enter another world where the dial has been moved and you have to tune in and recalibrate to this fine tone. It is wonderful.

The Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
This book is brilliant. I had never heard of him, and thank you to Avalon Library for having him on the shelf. I started with The Spectator Bird, then Crossing to Safety and now this book. I think I have read them in the right order for me. He is no slouch, having won lots of prizes including the Pulitzer. His writing is exquisite.

Nutshell by Ian McEwan
This book is brilliant.

The Fish Can Sing by Halldor Laxness
I had never heard of Halldor Laxness before, but I loved this book, and found it extremely funny. And he did win the Nobel Prize for Literature, so obviously no slouch.

Rereading
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford - hilarious and some of it so clever and finely drawn.

Persuasion by Jane Austen. Again

The Transit of Venus. I reread this book almost every year.

I am not reading
My Brilliant Friend. Have I missed something here?

Avalon

I am Reading….

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