I'll probably check in later today, but I hope to spend a nice lazy morning/afternoon just reading and relaxing (which means no computer--but will catch up on blog reading this weekend!). I'm not sure whether I'll concentrate on just one book or dip into as many (or as few) as I feel. The nice thing about days like these is there is no set plan and I will read whatever at whim. I was already contemplating what to read last night when I pulled out some books for a photo (hence the darkness outside my window). Sometimes even the anticipation is nice! So, I'm off to read...
Update: I really do need more days like this. I unabashedly dipped into my stack of books. It was like visiting so many good friends and hearing their 'news' (or stories). It's so warm today that after lunch I even drowsed off for a while. I think I was lazier than my cats (if that's even possible). By the way, the Persephone book you see peeking out of the stack is not a new book, it's Greenery Street, which I've been reading for a while. I think I'm going to make it a priority from here on out and finish it. It's a lovely story and a perfect one for a lazy day like this. I also started Jude Morgan's An Accomplished Woman, which is set in the Regency period and seems to be a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Nobody can top Jane herself, but it seems to be a fun read nonetheless.
I didn't mean to start Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract, but I couldn't stop reading after I picked it up to get a little taste for the story. I've read a handful of her books now, and it's early days with this story, but I think it may end up being my favorite so far. It somehow seems a more 'mature' story than some of the others I've read (which is not to say I haven't loved the others, but this one feels different). Recently I picked C.J. Sansom's Winter in Madrid back up (I hadn't set it aside purposely, I just got sidetracked), and I read more today. Happily my fervor for the story has not waned a bit. I know this one has gotten mixed reviews, but I'm really enjoying it. And I also read a few chapters of Nicola Upson's An Expert in Murder, which I am also really enjoying. It's set in my favorite period--the 1930s and features Josephine Tey as not only herself, an author, but a sleuth as well. I don't always like books where real people are dropped in as main characters, but in this case I really don't mind. I've only read one of Tey's novels (liked it very much), but I don't know anything about her personal life. I don't know what's factual or not, but I like the characters so much, and the period detail is wonderful that I am completely drawn in so far. Also, it's set in London's West End ( I don't know much about the theater, but I like this sort of education), which is all new to me and has opened up a world that I find fascinating.
The perfect way to spend a day off. In case you're curious about the books I mentioned, there are links to them in my right sidebar.