This weekend I'm going to have my own personal mini-readathon. I've got two interlibrary loan books due back at my library early next week and I don't want to return them only half read. I admit I am probably far too quick to borrow and return regular library books without being discerning enough about exactly what I want to read, but I don't feel too terribly awful to return books unread. ILL requests are another story, however, since they come from a different library system than my own and in some cases were sent from halfway across the country. As so many people had a hand in getting the book to me I do try to read every book I request.
On the agenda this weekend? I'll easily finish Lucie Whitehouse's The Bed I Made, which is a psychological thriller that has been a wonderful distraction for my gym workouts this past week. It's easy reading, nothing nightmarish, but an interesting look inside the mind of a woman who chooses the wrong man to become involved with. It's written in first person, which I really like, but I sometimes wonder just how reliable a narrator is. I think Kate is being pretty straightforward, but I do wonder occasionally about some of the things that are going on inside her head at times. I'm down to the last hundred pages and think I've nearly reached that point of no return where I have to keep going until I get to that last page.
They Knew Mr. Knight is my third Dorothy Whipple this year. It was a slow starter for me, but I'm glad I persevered as it's getting really good. More family drama, which Whipple seems to be so good at, and a look at gender roles and expectations. The Blakes are a middle class family who are getting by but want to better themselves, and along comes financier Mr. Knight to help them. Probably help them along the road to ruin, but we shall see. Her novels seem to revolve around one main family unit with subplots touching on extended family and friends. This is a fairly hefty book--close to 500 pages and I am only a fourth of the way in, so I will have my work cut out for me this weekend.
Luckily I've had the day off today to pass reading for as much of the time as I can. I may not have time for other books, but as I'll be finishing a couple of books the tiniest bit of thought has already gone into what I might pick up next. I was thinking a little historical fiction might be nice--going back in time a little farther than usual and I came up with Susanna Kearsley's Mariana. I read and thoroughly enjoyed Sophia's Secret last year at about this time, so another of Kearsley's novels feels about right at the moment. This story revolves around a house called Greywethers and has parallel plots set in both contemporary times and the sixteenth century. First things first, though, as I finish reading my ILLs.
In case I get bored I also have The Postman Always Rings Twice to watch. I figure I've read the book and listened to the audio story, so I might as well round things out by watching the film. I opted for the older B&W 1946 version. I'm never at a loss for books to read or to choose from, but I never seem to know what to order from Netflix each week. I rarely see new movies anymore. I've been thinking I should just go back and start watching classic films--my knowledge of them is even spottier than classic novels! Do you have any favorites--not to be missed films? Contemporary or classics--I'm willing to try either.