This week’s big find? Winifred Watson’s 1937 bestseller, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
.
Where has this book been all my life? How had I not read it before? Miss Pettigrew and Flora Poste
would have a great deal to discuss….
After that, it was Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Making of a Marchioness
, which I’d read about in Nancy Mitford’s Love in a Cold Climate
, but never quite realized was Burnett until my college roommate mailed me the book. I wanted to love it, but…. Maybe it was the contrast with Miss Pettigrew. Or maybe it was because I love Sara Crewe
so much. Definitely a fun read, but just missing something.
What have you been reading this week?
rereading The Secret Garden. such a motivational tale…PS( there’s a movie with Amy Adams on Miss Pettigrew Lives for a day)
Lauren, you always introduce me to new authors! I’ve been reading Much Ado About Marriage by Karen Hawkins. She’s a new author to me and let me say my TBR pile is growing!
Almost finished with The Secret Garden, which brings me joy every spring! Also, I’m so excited to be halfway through “Something Light” by an author I didn’t know before: Margery Sharp. She’s a delight, with her word play and sly humor! Reportedly, she wrote of a family she liked that they had reached “a solar pitch of stately jollification”. I’m pretty sure I will be dressing as Margery for Halloween: her photos show a fantastic taste in bangs and eye-wear.
Christine, there are two movies that I know of which were made from Margery Sharpe’s novels. Cluny Brown with Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones and The Notorious Landlady with Jack Lemmon and Kim Novak. They are both delightful and very funny.
thank you SuzanneH, I will look those up!
Just finished reading The Winter Sea and Firebird by Susanna Kearsley. It was interesting to read more about the Jacobites, since the sum total of my knowledge on the subject comes from Crimson Rose. Both are well worth the read!
Loved those books! I read Firebird first, and then went back and read The Shadowy Horses (the boy in this book is the man in Firebird), The Winter Sea, and reread Firebird for the connections. For some reason, I usually hear about books that I start in the wrong order. Anyway, you might enjoy The Shadowy Horses also.
I read Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman in my never ending quest to eat healthier. Since Sunday was Drop Everything and Read Day in honor of Beverly Cleary’s birthday, I took a nostalgic hour with Ramona the Pest. Gosh, I still adore Ramona.
Since my library has never gotten The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla in, I splurged on it. I think Lucien is one of my favorite of your heroes. I finished off the week with Dark Lover by J.R. Ward and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I think the Black Dagger Brotherhood may fill the Cookie Steakhouse spot of campy and entertaining light reading. The Girl on the Train was very good. Not as brilliant as Gone Girl but definitely a fine entry in the unreliable narrator/psychological thriller category.
Arrrghh. I wish we could edit comments. More coffee is needed perhaps to avoid typos! Steakhouse lol.
I read C S Harris: Who Buries the Dead. I love her Sebastian St Cyr series. Then A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear. Her latest Maisie Dobbs book really grabbed me. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Right now I’m in the middle of the latest Jack Haldean mystery by Dolores Gordon Smith: After the Exhibition. It is set in the 1920s and follows our war veteran hero as he solves mysteries with his Scotland Yard pal.
I just finished A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear. Terrific! Now I have to finish Deborah Crombie’s latest (can’t remember the name right now). It is gripping so far.
Have you seen the movie of Miss Pettigrew? If not, try and watch it. Frances McDormand is absolutely KILLER as Miss Pettigrew. It’s so good even my husband liked it.
I finished my uber re-read of all the Mary Robinette Kowal Glamourist Histories which EVERYONE needs to read. Seriously, Regency and Magic awesome. Now I’m quickly reading my book club book Still Life by Louise Penny, which so far, is a very meh mystery with overly stereotypical characters, but it’s starting to get interesting. Then I finally am starting The Other Daughter. I was trying to be good and finish the “must” reads before the “fun” read.
Lynne and I finished reading Who Buries The Dead together and it was fabulous! The Sebastian St Cyr series is one of my favourites and it just keeps getting better and better.
I am currently reading Julie Klassen’s The Girl In The Gatehouse with Betty S. I am so glad that Betty, and many others on this website recommended Julie’s books, I am really enjoying it and will definitely be reading all the others. In between our daily chapter count I am reading some volumes of short stories released by The Mystery Writers Of America. They are very enjoyable and the proceeds go to a charity which is doing something about illiteracy in the US. It is a great idea and I wish somebody would do that here.
I’ll just “ditto” Suzanne’s comment – Who Buries the Dead was great! The series really does keep getting better. And I am almost caught up with Kerry Greenwood’s Miss Fisher mysteries. 20 books in about 4 months. They are truly a pleasure to read and I recommend them to everyone. And the dvd’s as well for series 1 and 2 – really great entertainment.
I read Four Nights With the Duke, the latest by Eloisa James. It is now one of my favorites by her.
Finished A Desperate Fortune by Sussana Kearsley and loved it. Have Winter Sea and The Firebird on my kindle and plan to start them soon. Reading an ARC of a book by Emily Greenwood and am hoping to start The Other Daughter on Sunday.
I finished Tracy Grant’s Vienna Waltz, and am loving this series. Also, as Suzanne mentioned, we are reading Girl in the Gatehouse together, and it is so much fun. I love all of Julie Klassen’s books.
Also, am enjoying the Orchid Affair reread and discussion. How wonderful for those of you lucky enough to get a headstart on The Other Daughter!
Betty, watch out – Tracy’s books are ones you can get hooked on very easily. Kind of like Lauren’s Pink series – you just can’t stop yourself.:)
Yes, Lynne, I have certainly realized that. There are several authors and series I have heard about from this site that I know I will like: Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series, Sebastain St. Cyr, Jacqueline Winspear, and Kerry Greenwood to name just a few. Plus I already have some favorite authors that I follow and devour their books when published. I had purchased all of Tracy’s with a certainty that I would like them, and decided to finally start. Others, I have one book to decide on, but where is the TIME? That is my dilemma. I do appreciate your comments!
We could discuss the time issue until we die. If I don’t read faster I’ll never get all the books I want to read done – even if I live to be 100. Your favorites are some of mine – good call!
Agreed! I am reminded of a sign on the door of our school library: So many books, so little time!
Happy reading!
Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith
Also the Miss Pettigrew Movie is fun!!