Saturday, 24 February 2024

Reading The Seasons - SPRING

 I've  had a brilliant idea!  How about Reading The Seasons. Reading as many books as I can  with Spring in their titles during March, April and May, with Summer titles in summer etc etc

All because of one of the books that I picked up earlier in the month off the library 'for sale' shelf.


 I'll add a label and write about the books as I finish (or abandon) them. I could add books written by people whose name is Spring too I guess but that might make too many as there are other books to read each month as well - and  I read all of Howard Spring's books 45 years ago.

I had a search on the library website for others and spotted that ' Across a Waking Land; A 1,000 Mile Walk Through a British Spring' was on the shelves in Stowmarket Library so picked that up the following week.

And these are the others I'm going to reserve from the library to add to the two above.

'The Consolation of Nature; Spring in the time of Coronavirus' by Michael McCarthy
'Absent in the Spring' by Agatha Christie (writing as Mary Westmacott)
'Spring of Hope' by Cora Harrison


I might get fed up with the whole idea but it seemed like a plan at the time.

Anyone else want to join in?

No idea what's happening this weekend, and everywhere is still too wet to do much, but there's Six Nations Rugby on TV and more of the snooker and I ought to walk up the lane and take some photos of the Oak tree for the Following a Tree post. Son might want to borrow my car so they can go 'new' car hunting - haven't heard what's happening yet.

Back Monday.......if there's anything to write about!
Sue

33 comments:

  1. I’m sure you will enjoy the Westmacott book. . I did and am now trying some of her others.
    I have little ‘challenges’ like that. This year I’m trying to place letters A-Z with places. I have A cold death in Amsterdam on order along with The 12.30 from Croydon. Looking for titles is half the fun

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    1. Now that's another clever idea - 2025 perhaps? I thought I'd read some of Christies Westmacott books but no mention of them in my Book Of Books Read so it must have been a very long time ago - or not at all!

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  2. Interesting challenge you've set yourself.

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  3. That’s a great challenge-I’ll look forward to your reviews. I sometimes lend our daughter my car when hers requires emergency treatment at the garage. Catriona

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    1. Son still hasn't heard from insurer if the car is repairable or written off so my car will be lent out all week for school/work. I'll have use of it between 9 and 3 if I fetch it from where DiL works in the village, so it will be OK

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  4. I good idea. Seasons with proper seasonal weather.
    I think we would have run out of books about rain this winter. I re-read the Arthur Ransome books Winter Holiday when there was snow, and We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea, one stormy night when the windows were rattling.

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    1. I'd not read 'We didn't Mean to go to Sea' until just recently. 'Winter Holiday' will be a good one to remember for my winter reading

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  5. I will watch this with interest, I think it's a great idea
    Although most of us have a grumble about the weather, most of the time I'm very glad I was born in the UK with all its seasonal variations.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. If only it would stop raining everything would be OK!

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  6. I want to read a little Westmacott, especially after watching Lucy Worsley's really good three-part series on Agatha Christie. It sounds like a fun reading plan!

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    1. I could have sworn I'd read some Mary Westmacott but now I'm not sure

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  7. Spring Magic, if you like DE Stevenson? I did this for winter several years ago!

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    1. Only if I'm short of ideas as I re-read Spring Magic a couple of years ago

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  8. In the Autumn, will you allow yourself "fall"?

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  9. Great idea, I'm in. I have read one book with spring in the title Spring on the Cornish Isles - The Flower Farm by Phillipa Ashley. I'll have a look to see if I can find some to request from the library.

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    1. Oh good - and hello Hilary - will you start your blog again to record Spring books?

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  10. There used to be a great movie actor named Spring Byington. If anyone wrote her bio, it might fit the plan??

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  11. I have a book called " Face toward the Spring " by Faith Baldwin. It is a book about the authors thoughts and feelings throughout the changing seasons. I kept this book close by during the darkest days of my life as I found great comfort and inspiration from her words. Perhaps not so easy to find in the library system any longer.

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    1. Published 1957 so not in library. Many expensive copies in US!

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  12. May I suggest Spring Magic by D. E. Stevenson, one of my favorite springtime books. One of the Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press reissues, I know your library system has some of those.

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  13. Mary Westmacott is such a familiar author name, but like you I do not recall any of the books. I'd thought they were on my mom's vintage book shelf and I d read as a young teen [voracious reader then and now]. I did not know Westmacott was Agatha Christie! My mother loved Poirot and read/ owned them all--but she was not a fan of Miss Marple. I'll look forward to your Spring Challenge--and the tree, something my mom also did, tho she sketched her tree instead of photos, pre cell/ digital. Fun memories.

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    1. One day I shall work out which Agatha Christie books I have never read, I think there are several

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  14. Oh my Sue...whatever will you think of next! I could do with getting a spring in my step! Good luck in your endeavour!!

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    1. There was a touch of spring in the sun for a while today but only from indoors

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  15. Wonderful idea, and it will give me even more reading ideas. That is if I can find them in Canada.

    God bless.

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  16. We are all yearning for Spring. It is cool and cloudy today. Warmth and sunshine will be very welcomed when it finally arrives.

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  17. An excellent idea. I am impressed by the number of books you read. Too many books too little time

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  18. What an interesting idea! I shall have to raid the bookshelves when I get home and see how many Spring books I have!

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  19. That sounds like a plan, but I'll not join in this time as I'm trying to read the books in the Miranda Mills book club, and I'm already behind. I've not even started February's yet!!

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