To vote for your favourite books please make your 1st and 2nd choices in the comments box below then, following a count up, I'll post the most popular title on the Purple Coo main site and in Behind the Bike Sheds on Facebook. If you are unable to vote below, please let me know your choice via the Purple Coo main site or via Facebook
A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James
Joyce
One of the great novels of its time, this is
James Joyce’s first book and it traces the religious and intellectual awaking
of Stephen Dedalus, Joyce’s fictional alter ego. The ‘hero’ questions and rebels
against Irish conventional life, in particular the repressive strictures of the
Catholic Church,
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
An amusing high comedy. It’s the 1950s and a
clergyman’s daughter/mild mannered spinster – an excellent woman – manages to
get totally embroiled in the lives of her new neighbours. This book opens up and
lays bare a whole world of vanished manners and repressed desires.
Sarum by Edward Rutherford
A masterpiece epic novel over 1000 pages long, Sarum
traces the turbulent course of British History via five families. In so doing
it covers a rich tapestry of civilization through the ages, from the creation
of Stonehenge to the present day.
The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
At only 140 pages, this book is a jewel. A
young workaholic couple rent a cottage on a large estate near Tokyo and a cat
invites itself to stay. Life suddenly has more promise, more colour and the
couple start to feel much more joy and meaning in their life together. Then
something happens and all is changed.
The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne
A creepy thriller. It’s hard enough coping with
the death in an accident of one identical twin daughter, but when the remaining
twin, Kirstie, claims to her parents that they have mistaken her identity for
that of her sister, Lydia, the couple’s world comes crashing down.
The picture is Regatta at Argenteuil by Claude Monet
The picture is Regatta at Argenteuil by Claude Monet
7 comments:
1The guest cat
now I should put Sarum, but I am not sure I can get through such a big book, even though mum wants me to read it, so instead my 2is Excellent woman
Women I mean
Excellent Women
The Guest Cat
I have never got on with Joyce and it would take me for ever to read Sarum, though the subject attracts.
Sarum sounds too long, though I agree with Withy that it sounds interesting, and of course I've read the Ice Twins so here's my choice:
Excellent Women
The Guest Cat
I'm going for 1. Excellent Women
2. Guest Cat
And thank you to everyone who's let me know their choices, both one here and elsewhere.
I have read several Barbara Pym in the past - indeed, I may have read 'Excellent Women' but I am sure it merits a re-read so that is my first choice.
I might try the James Joyce as my second although I have always found him rather hard going.
Since my move to a smaller house when I got rid of half our books I am re-reading some of what is left. Just read Winifred Foley's books about the Forest of Dean, anyone familiar with these? Perhaps I should have suggested them.
Hi Upstager, many thanks for your vote. To my shame I've never even heard of Winifred Foley or her books about the Forest of Dean. Please do suggest them for our next read.
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