Sep. 29th, 2021

osprey_archer: (books)
What I’ve Just Finished Reading

Ludo and the Star Horse, which I loved! All I knew about the book when I began was that it was a mid-twentieth century children’s fantasy written by Mary Stewart, and I loved the process of discovering what it was about, but in case you want a bit more detail, ExpandSpoilers )

At long last I have FINISHED Antony Beevor’s Stalingrad! Discovered that many of the German POWs remained in prison camps (possibly even more awful than the usual run of Soviet prison camps: apparently in the POW camps, cannibalism was rife) until 1955. Keeping POWs for a decade after the war seems excessive.

Newbery Honor book this week: Mavis Jukes’ Like Jake and Me, a sweet but forgettable story about a young boy who likes ballet bonding with his tough manly stepfather when it turns out the stepfather is afraid of spiders.

What I’m Reading Now

[personal profile] regshoe is hosting a Flight of the Heron readalong - two chapters a week, although this week is just the Prologue - and as the books is available as a free ebook, I couldn’t resist joining in, even though I did literally just read it. Never too soon to revisit the slashy Jacobites!

I’ve also begun rereading William Dean Howells’ The Coast of Bohemia, about girl art students in New York in the 1890s, which I read years ago and inexplicably never posted about. This book is a trip and a half and also an amazing resource, and I still remember Cornelia and Charmian’s friendship fondly.

"Well, I hope you're not conventional! Nobody's conventional here."

"I don't believe I'm conventional enough to hurt," said Cornelia.

"You have humor, too," said Miss Maybough, thoughtfully, as if she had been mentally cataloguing her characteristics. "You'll be popular."

Cornelia stared at her and turned to her drawing.

"But you're proud," said the other, "I can see that. I adore pride. It must have been your pride that fascinated me at the first glance. Do you mind my being fascinated with you?"

Cornelia wanted to laugh; at the same time she wondered what new kind of crazy person she had got with; this was hardly one of the art-students that went wild from overwork. Miss Maybough kept on without waiting to be answered: "I haven't got a bit of pride, myself. I could just let you walk over me. How does it feel to be proud? What are you proud for?"


What I Plan to Read Next

I will probably not actually be reading this next, but now that I’ve remembered how much I enjoy Mary Stewart’s fantasy, I’m really excited to read her Merlin Chronicles someday.

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