Is it just me, or do you like to think about what you might read next even while you are in the middle of a book? I think part of my pleasure when it comes to reading is the anticipation of the next book. Maybe if I didn't have stacks of unread books I could concentrate more on whatever I have in hand, but most of my thinking--really it's more daydreaming--is done when I am in the middle of some tedious task that doesn't require much concentration. Inevitably my thoughts turn to books.
Lately those thoughts have specifically been on which Viragos I might choose to read for the Virago Reading Week that is being organized. Although it isn't happening until later next month, January is such a dreary month that it is nice to have something good to think about doing. I love Viragos and only managed to read one this year! A paltry number considering how many I have managed to accumulate that sit waiting to be read.
My idea is to read three books during that week, to hopefully set aside whatever else I have on the go and read only Virago titles. They would likely have to be shorter books, but I'm not going to dismiss longer novels as I suspect it will take me longer than one week to finish them all. I've sorted through my piles and these are the books I've pulled out to consider choosing from.
My Next Bride, Kay Boyle - "First published in 1934, this autobiographical novel which lays bare one woman's path to self-discovery, is a poetic and imaginative achievement."
The Birds Fall Down, Rebecca West - "During early revolutionary stirrings in Russia, after an unexpected turn of events, Laura Rowan, the coddled granddaughter of an exiled British nobleman, becomes her grandfather’s sole companion on a fateful train ride. In France, a young revolutionary approaches Laura and her grandfather with information that will turn her world upside down, and their travels become a thrilling journey into the heart of the struggle against Tsarist Russia. In this suspenseful novel, West brings to life a battle between entitled imperials and the passionate, savvy communist revolutionaries who dare to face them."
The Year Before Last, Kay Boyle - "This richly textured novel reveals Kay Boyle's strength as an innovative Modernist writer. Exploring love--and the death of love--it is delicate, precise and lyrical."
Frost in May, Antonia White - This was the first Virago title published and a book I should long ago have read.
The New House, Lettice Cooper - "The New House intricately weaves thoughts of the past and future, with the minutiae of one day's events, creating a complex portrait of one family's life and the games and minupulations they engage in."
Family History, Vita Sackville-West - "In this finely balanced novel the uncertainties of one relationship mirror the wider uncertainties of the 1930s, producing an elegant portrait of a country on the brink of change."
The Gentlewomen, Laura Talbot - "First published in 1952, this is both a disturbing portrait of a single woman, and a perceptive, ironic account of class snobbery, and of life in wartime England."
Love Lessons, Joan Wyndham - "August 1939. As a teenage Catholic virgin, Joan Wyndham spent her days in London's bohemian Chelsea trying to remain pure and unsullied and her nights trying to stay alive. Huddled in the air-raid shelter, she wrote secretly and obsessively in her diary about the strange yet exhilarating times she was living through, sure that this was 'the happiest time of my life'."
Women Against Men, Storm Jameson - "In these three novels, Storm Jameson looks at three women, their relationships to men, and to other women."
Thank Heaven Fasting, E.M. Delafield - "She could never, looking backwards, remember a time when she had not known that a woman's failure or success in life depended entirely upon whether or not she succeeded in getting a husband."
The Edwardians, Vita Sackville-West - "Vita Sackville–West’s brilliant portrait of fashionable English society at the height of the Edwardian age, first published in 1930."
The Dud Avocado, Elaine Dundy - "The Dud Avocado is the story of Sally Jay's rite of passage, a charming and hilarious novel which gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless and inspiring portrait of a woman hell-bent on living."
The Solitary Summer, Elizabeth von Arnim - "This charming companion to the famous Elizabeth and Her German Garden is a witty, lyrical account of a rejuvenating, solitary summer filled with books and Elizabeth's reflections om her beloved garden."
Since I'm on the subject of Virago Press, the inaugural book for the Virago Book Club has been announced. They'll be reading Linda Grant's We Had It So Good, which will be published next month in the UK and in April here in the US. Alas this is all geared more towards UK residents as any giveaways and their 'First Look' program are only for those living in the UK, so I'll just be watching from the sidelines. I already had the Grant book on my wishlist for books coming out in early 2011, so it is serendipitous that it was chosen. I do hope to read along when I can, but I have plenty of the older Viragos with the wonderful green covers to keep me busy in the meantime.