- 6 of the Mrs. Polifax books by Dorothy Gilman
- the whole of Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy
- 3 Tana French books (two of which I read while watching Dublin Murders and that was probably a bad idea because I was so confused)
- 8 in the British Library's series of reprints of vintage mysteries
Some were books I feel like I should have read a long time ago: I loved Willa Cather's The Song of the Lark and I think of it often. I cracked through nine books in a two week beach vacation - starting, aptly, with Pamela Paul's My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues.
Other notable books read include these that I'd read again:
- The Library Book (Susan Orlean)
- Someone At A Distance (Dorothy Whipple)
- The Nutmeg Tree (Margery Sharp)
- Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret (Craig Brown)
- Uncommon Type (Tom Hanks)
The last book I read in 2019 was The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. It's the first in a series wherein Mary Russell befriends Sherlock Holmes and becomes his collaborator. My friend Teresa had sent me the first three just before Christmas. Teresa's sent me books before - she sent me all 12 of the Robin Paige mysteries a few years ago.
And what I love about reading the books from Teresa is that she is a die-hard editor: every book that she has passed along to me has at least a few edits (in pencil - only in pencil). She fixes typos. She edits out unnecessary words.
She replaces infelicitous words.
And in A Monstrous Regiment of Women, the 2nd Mary Russell book, which I have just finished, she added page numbers.
It's like finding Easter eggs.
Recently, someone created a Facebook group of OG bloggers - people who'd attended one or more BlogHer conferences back in the day. Reading those posts is an exercise in a lovely sort of nostalgia, even though I was so tangentially attached - there, but not "in". Teresa never went to BlogHer, but I'd never have met Teresa but for the blogging community. There are so many people - mostly women - that are good friends to this day, who have made my life immeasurably richer, who I'd never have met otherwise. I am so grateful for that, even though the platform is not what it was and there's far less reading and writing of blogs going on. Nevertheless, I persist.
HA you can take the editor out of the editing job but you can never take the editing job out of the editor! I haven't marked up books other than in my head but I have been awfully tempted to send a few notes of suggestion to authors. Good to see what you've been reading.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am so glad you do! The friendships I made through blogging are so treasured. xo. Also, you have read some of my favorites lately.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm really a fan of Laurie R. King and her Mary Russell series!
ReplyDeleteAlso, you're a real friend, even if we have not yet met in person.
xoxo
Ha! I love the editing! What is your Goodreads username? I try to read about 60 books a year and am on Goodreads quite a bit. I'd love to be friends there.
ReplyDeleteYou are one of my greatest blogging treasures.
ReplyDeleteDitto! Have now bought the Dorothy Whipple!🐈
ReplyDeleteBack atcha, girlie.
ReplyDeleteTeresa
p.s. Let me know when ya need the next three.
I got the first Mary Russell book in galley form when I worked at the audio publisher and was smitten. Our reading year sounds quite similar - also, I think if you go to Stats in Goodreads you can get a breakdown in subject matter, but maybe that's only if you've categorized the books yourself already. I feel the same way about the BlogHer group - I think I'll probably leave soon, but it's been interesting.
ReplyDeleteI both edit and send notes to particularly egregious writers. My bad. Always wanted to go to Blogher, but never made it. Sigh. I love the on line friends that I have made peripherally to it, even so. Um, edit.
ReplyDeleteI read an awful lot, but find myself putting off reading the ones I have to read for Book Club. When I was a teenager, I always was dilatory on the homework and I think this is another iteration of the same thing.
Am investigating your recces.Thanks a lot.
I'm also a big fan of the Mary Russell series! Years ago I wrote about some of the later ones, but I read the first few pre-blogging.
ReplyDelete"There but not 'in"
ReplyDeleteThat's so precisely how I have always felt.
I read ALL of Mrs. Pollifax as well and have even listened to the two I couldn't get except on Audible, multiple times. She charms me and dare I say, I even kind of want to be her.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about that 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, though I suspect my view of her is colored significantly by Helena Bonham Carter's brilliant portrayal. Your Goodreads review was so different from Beth's (also of the old bloggy days), that I suspect I have to read it.
I'm currently tackling Ulysses with a book club of people who will be reading it in Danish. That oughta be interesting...I will be reading the original, which is difficult enough.
Oh, and I love people who write in books too - my mom had the whole "The Cat Who..." series of mysteries featuring a smart pair of Siamese cats - and they are full of such editing. Me, I don't mind writing in pen, even in library books! Mostly because the marginalia and underlining were the best part of the books at the Regenstein Library at the U of C when I was there. I consider it to be a conversation with future readers.