Sunday, January 6, 2013

A Year of Reading

Several of the bloggers I read have posted a list of all the books they read during the last year.  I have not done this yet but thought it was a good idea - someone might see a book on my list they would like to read.  Reading has been a joy for me since childhood.  When I lived in Paris my mother would take me along the quays of the Seine where the "bouquinistes" (bookstall owners) sell second-hand or rare books as shown in the vintage postcard above.  We always found a book for my mom or for me.  Now they have branched into selling posters, prints and postcards, too.

Les Bouquinistes a Paris by George Lapchine, Russian 1885-1950

My books were my friends as I did not have any siblings nor a large family.  If I was the first in my class my mother would buy me three books.  If I placed from second to the fifth it was one book and nothing after that.  I liked  the series called "Bibliotheque Verte" or "Rose" or "Rouge et Or."  They were series of books for children called Green Library, Pink, or Red and Gold and new volumes came out every month.

I would expedite my home work so I could read my books.

Reading by Lilla Cabot Perry, American 1848-1933
I am not good at making lists - I try, but I forget to keep them up.  I read many books from the local Library, too.  This year I read about 60 - 65 books or so.  I cannot go to sleep without reading first, even if it is very late.  The first book I finished last year was Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.  I had purchased the original 1945 edition at an estate sale for $1! I buy most of my books second-hand.
My last book of the year was Mad World - Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead by Paula Byrne.  Please click on the collage above twice to read the titles better.  Often I read a book then read more books in the same style or subject.  For example after watching the series Downton Abbey on television I read Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon.  This started me reading books on the "Gilded Age" like When the Astors Owned New York by Justin Kaplan and Glimpses of Long Island's North Shore by Richard Panchyk.
Personnages by Jean Beraud, French 1849-1936
At the Library I saw a book which stated that if you missed Downton Abbey you should read Daisy Goodwin's The American Heiress, so I did.  I also read what happened "downstairs" with the book Rose, My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison.
Then we visited our daughter and family near Nashville.  While there I read two books that were on her shelf: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua and Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman - two stimulating ways to bring up children. 
If there is a bookshelf in a home - it attracts me like a magnet, for sure.
Girl Reading by Elizabeth Baron, American, contemporary
When we came back home we decided to visit the Titanic Exhibition in Atlanta.  We did and I wrote a post about it here. But before we went I read a book about the sinking of the Titanic which I already had on my shelves called A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.  I also went to the Library and borrowed ten more books on the subject, as you can see below.
I can be a bit obsessive when I am interested in a subject.  I'll try to read everything I can find.  Once I read a book by Virginia Woolf - I liked it so much that I hunted all the second-hand bookstores, library sales, flea markets and then online to get the whole collection of her writings.  I also bought the books written by her husband Leonard Woolf.  Then I read several biographies on her, her sister, and the Bloomsbury Circle.  I have two large bags or more on all this.  
When I go to book sales I always try to find books written in French as they are expensive to buy here.  Mostly the books are those that are required in French classes and are underlined, etc., but I can find some nice old books sometimes.  This year I read the French books below.
The books above I bought in France, though, when I was there in May 2011 and I bought some more that are on my shelf now when we were in Nice in October 2012.  I buy paperbacks as they are lighter in my suitcase.  After reading several books by Colette I also read the literary biography on her, below, by Julia Kristeva, and
another biography "Colette" by Allan Massie.
Gerald and Sara Murphy featured in the book above by Amanda Vaill called "Everybody was so Young" is about the "lost generation" of expatriate Americans in France between the two wars which included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, and Dorothy Parker.  The Murphys' were friends to them all.  They had some nice observations to make.  My husband had given me Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, shown below
and this started me to read a whole collection of books about that time frame in Paris.  I loved it.  Books like Charmed Circle, Gertrude Stein and Company by James R. Mellow - which at 626 pages took me a little longer to read - really made me feel part of the circle.  Actually because of this book we went to New York last May to see an exhibit on Gertrude Stein's collection of paintings.
Shakespeare & Company by Sylvia Beach was also outstanding for bringing out the characters of those she knew - like James Joyce, Sherwood Anderson and all the writers, artists and musicians who came to her bookstore.  I could imagine being there at the time, meeting them in a cafe in Paris.
Then I was planning a trip to Venice.  I found out that an American mystery writer called Donna Leon, a former English teacher overseas, had written some good books based in Venice.  Luckily my Library had a large supply of them.  I think I read fifteen of them in the course of 5 weeks or so.  It really brought the atmosphere to me.  Of course I also read articles and guide books on the subject.
Donna Leon loves Venice, and it shows, but she is realistic about it - showing the many problems like pollution and overt commercialism.  
Venezia by Rubens Santoro, Italian, 1859-1942
This lead me to read a book about the Venice tourist problem.  It is called Venice The Tourist Maze (A cultural critique of the World's Most Touristed City) by Robert C. Davis and Garry R. Marvin.  Tourists have certainly been in Venice for centuries!
I also found more Don Blanding poetry books as shown above.  Chris Bohjalian's The Sandcastle Girls was a gift.  It is an historical love story happening during the Armenian Genocide.  That explained to me why some of my father's cousins, who were orphans, had been in orphanages in Aleppo, Syria.  So I turned to my Library to find more books on the subject.
Romance by Mihay Bodo, Hungarian, contemporary
I did find a couple more of books with Armenia as a background.
Adam Bagdasarian's Forgotten Fire was inspired by his great-uncle's experience who had to surmount terrible hardship to survive.  The Last Day of the War is a novel which is set close to World War I.  A Jewish girl falls in love with an Armenian-American soldier and finds him in Europe.  It is an entertaining novel.  All the books shown on my post can be found and described at Amazon.  I also like to read mysteries.  Below are a few of the mysteries I read.
I have a large collection of Agatha Christie's mysteries in my bookshelves and will read several each year - still have many to go through.  I don't know what is better in the world than reading a good mystery with a cat near you.
Sunday Aftenoorn by Bruce Bingham, American, contemporary
I was forgetting to mention the great find from the last University Women book sale.  It is a French book which was a best seller, in English is was titled The Elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.  I found it in the original French L'Elegance du Herisson - and for 50 cents it was a steal!

I don't know if all the books I read in 2012 are mentioned in this post - I thought it would be nicer to show them in pictures than making a list.  But here we are in a New Year with a lot of new book reading opportunities....
Reading by Kay Ritter, American, Contemporary

Here are several quotations I like as an ending - 

I am a part of everything that I have read - Theodore Roosevelt

A house without a book is like a room without windows - Heinrich Mann

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket - Chinese Proverb

Once you learn to read, you will be free forever - Frederick Douglass 
 
Stories by Deborah Dewitt-Marchant, Dutch-American born in 1956

55 comments:

Nadezda said...

Great post! You have read so many books, now it's rarity, because of movies, TV, games, computer, etc.. I've read 'Downtown Abbey' after I watched the film, i liked it. I love all Agatha Cristy's mysteries and have collection of her books, translated into Russian of course.
Thank you for sharing!

Cloudia said...

You are a true Reader. This wonderful post speaks to the great joy of a life of the mind. Imagine my humble joy to see my Hawaii novel among your treasures!
Aloha

Pierre BOYER said...

J'aime beaucoup les bouquinistes sur les quais de la Seine...
Belle journée,

Pierre

GaynorB said...

A varied and interesting selection of reading matter, s beautifully illustated.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I too love to read. Great post and I love the first two pictures of France.

Have you tried Good Reads? It's an app and my husband has been thoroughly enjoying it. It keeps track of what you've read and you can make notes on it as well.
Sam

Mary said...

My dear M, this is such an amazing story of your books and love of them - I didn't want the post to end as I read through this morning with my first coffee of the day! You put so much of yourself into the story of your book collection, and many wonderful details of the stories themselves - see so many books here I want to read. You must have such an awesome 'library' in your home - where do you keep them all? We have so much in common when it comes to reading - and travel too of course!!

Anyway, I've just read, and thoroughly enjoyed, The Paris Wife. If you've not read it I think you would enjoy - it's Hadley's story, Ernest Hemingway's first (and definitely best) wife during their years in Paris.......such a decadent time.

I feel that you, like me, have not given in to an e-reader! Thought perhaps I would succumb for the Antarctica trip - I leave on Wed. - as I need to take several books for all those days at sea - but no, after listening to several disgruntled people at the local Barnes & Noble complaining about their Nooks, I said no way, I'll take the real books which love so much!!

The old postcards and paintings are beautiful - 'Reading' by Kate Ritter just has to be you!

Thank you so much for sharing your book collection dear. I'll 'see you' here when I return early Feb. - may not be able to blog from Antarctica unfortunately but will be snapping pics of course to show later!

Happiest New Year to you and your family. Are you off any any trips this year, France perhaps?

Warm hugs - Mary

DJan said...

Such a wonderful post, and very unique, just like you! I read but nowhere near as much as you do. I also go on tangents of sorts, like you, and when I find a book I love I read everything the author wrote. The Elegance of the Hedgehog was one I read this year and had forgotten until you mentioned it. I loved it, although when I mentioned it to a friend, she read it and didn't enjoy it like I did. Thank you for the wonderful journey through your year's reading! :-)

Perpetua said...

Once upon a time my list of books read would have been as long and varied as yours, Vagabonde, but sadly I read fewer books and also very much more slowly nowadays.

This was an enchanting post, both words and images. Are you an exceptionally fast reader? If not, i can't see how you have time for much else....:-)

David said...

Vagabonde, Your blogsite is always so well done...elegant even! Your reading choices interesting but the one that jumped off the page for me was Anthony Bourdain's book, The Nasty Bits. I like Bourdain just because he's very upfront and clear about who he is but I was a little surprised that you'd read his book... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Vagabonde said...

Nadezda – Welcome to my blog. Today is the start of the 3rd season of Downton Abbey – I won’t miss it. Thanks for commenting.

Cloudia – I enjoyed reading your book very much – it gave me a better understanding of Hawaii. Thanks for the comment.

Pierre Boyer and GaynorB – Merci and thank you for stopping by.

Sam@My Carolina Kitchen – I don’t have apps as I don’t have a cell phone that I use right now. My daughter has Good Reads but I don’t. Thanks for coming here today.

Mary – Yes I read The Paris Wife – I liked the book but not her. My daughter gave me a Kindle for Christmas. I am starting to use it when we travel, but the feel of a book is a great pleasure. Have a wonderful trip.

DJan – I always enjoy reading your comments and I have also enjoyed your book reviews.

Perpetua – Yes, I am a very fast reader. I worked at it. I used to come to work ½ hour early to read all the news on my computer – from the US, the UK and France, so I had to read very fast and I did that for years. I also watch hardly any television. Downton Abbey was the last series I watched in 2012 and it stopped early in the year. I don’t get on Facebook or other social media and have no cell phone – I am just old fashioned and like reading books (until 2 am…) Thanks for the visit.

Vagabonde said...

David - Anthony Bourdain has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I read Kitchen Confidential and No Reservations: Around the World on an empty stomach. I received his cookbook Les Halles’ Cookbook several years ago as well. I like his cooking and traveling philosophy. On my mother’s side in France they are also Bourdains’ so I feel that he is like family. Thanks for the comment.

Wendy said...

What a beautiful post. It is so difficult to find real book lovers. I, too, read an author or a topic and then comb the library for books by that author or on that subject.

I belong to several book clubs, and I have been hired by county libraries as well as by the New York State Council for the Humanities to lead book discussions, and these I enjoy tremendously. I want to discuss WHY a book is worth reading and HOW the author works his/her magic.

We will dvr Downton Abbey tonight so we can watch it comfortably at our leisure. What a wonderful program.

I am so glad I found your blog!

Amanda said...

Such a lovely post! It is so wonderful to find a good book and enjoy it to the last bit. I read a lot last year, going from one book to the next and then I started "Lolita". I am half way through and it is taking me forever to finish it. Not for me, obviously!
What would be your favorite 5 books, if it is possible as I am sure you have many favorites?

Vagabonde said...

Wendy – I am pleased you found my blog, too. It must give you a lot of pleasure to be involved in all your book programs. Thanks for coming here today.

Vicki Lane said...

What a wonderful post, Vagabonde! I am eager to read many of the books you've mentioned. And I quite agree with your passion for exploring a subject and reading more and more about it.

And thank you for choosing such delectable illustrations ! Happy reading in 2013!

joyce said...

Gosh, I'd love to go through your library!! I think making a list of books read this year is my task of the year, I like it!

Vagabonde said...

Nadege – you asked me a tough question – which are my 5 favorite books. I like so many of them. Some are obscure and old – the books I like provide me to travel to distant lands, or distant times or different ways of thinking. I don’t have a list and I cannot limit my favorites to five. Here are several, in author alpha order: “Vagabond’s House” by Dan Blanding – because of his lovely poetry. “The Book of Small” by Emily Carr, a Canadian from BC. “A Diary from Dixie” by Mary Boykin Chesnut because I learned a lot about women and the Civil War. “Voyage d’une Parisienne a Lhassa” by Alexandra David-Neel, a Buddhist who went there alone – I read many more of her books and went to visit her home, in Digne, France. “Out of Africa” by Isak Dinesen which started me to read many books on Africa (hundreds) and I also visited her home in Denmark. “Lettres et Journaliers” by Isabelle Eberhardt a French vagabond woman who traveled in Algeria in late 1800s. “Letters from Egypt” by Lady Lucie Duff Gordon, a traveler in the 1860s. “The Flame Trees of Thika – Memories of an African childhood” by Elspeth Huxley who moved to Africa with her parents in 1913 (and I started a correspondence with her.) “Travels and Research in S. Africa” by David Livingstone (1869 edition.) “The Veil and the Male Elite” by Fatima Mernissi, a Moroccan sociologist who explains women’s rights in Islam. “The Scramble for Africa” by Thomas Pakenham with the history of colonialism in Africa and its sad consequences. “The Last Time in Saw Paris” by Paul Eliot. “African Saga” by Mirella Ricciardi. “Les Alumettes Suedoises” by Robert Sabatier. “Round the Bend” by Nevil Shute. “The home life of Henry W. Longfellow (reminiscences of visits in 1880-82) by Blanche R. Tucker (1882 edit.) “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf. So you see, quite an eclectic list.

Down by the sea said...

I share your love of books, and also can't go to sleep without reading and read about a book a week. My love of books was passed on form my Dad.

I also try to find books that are based on where I am visiting it adds so much to my trip seeing it through other eyes.

The pictures you have used to illustrate your post are lovely and add an extra special element.
Sarah x

Jeanne said...

I totally love your blog post and all of your photos/paintings of readers. I am also an avid reader, but sort of sad, don't have as many real "books " because of my electonic reader. I have read all of my life and just love it. how do people survive who do not read. Such a lovely posting, and happy 2013 to you!

Jeanne said...

Also absolutely love your paris paintings! Brought me right back there! Have a lovely painting that I bought from one of these charming little booths!

Thérèse said...

Wow! I am impressed by this post and by the numbers of books read in a year! Charmed Circle by James R. Mellow has retained my attention as well as a few other ones.
Et bien l'evocation des livres de la bibliotheque rose, verte et rouge...
Le club des cinq, les malheurs de Sophie etc... :-)

Bookfool said...

Wow, what a wonderful post! I love all the photos. I pass on a lot of my books, these days, so I could never possibly gather so many of them to photograph at the end of the year. It was lovely seeing the actual covers.

You've already seen my list, so you know we read quite a few of the same titles (The Paris Wife, A Moveable Feast, Rose). There were many I acquired, this year, that you have already read -- often for the same reasons -- and some you read this year are old favorites (Brideshead Revisited). I'm scratching down titles.

Anonymous said...

My country school had a book case but only three books. I don't remember when I began reading books but have never stopped. I don't like fiction at all. I figure if I am going to waste time it won't be on reading books. I love non-fiction and history. I buy books and have two or more coming in all the time. Usually from Amazon or Grand. I just finished Little Ice Age and another, Cro-Magnon. I think Global Warming is a reality and I know people will be killing each other over a drink of water. It happened in the Little Ice Age. Anthony Bourdain has a TV series or or about cooking and I see he has just got another one about being there -- I suppose his travels. I liked to watch him. I liked A Team of Rival about my cousin and have read, I think, most of the books written about him. I gave away box loads of books over the years but nowadays the library will no longer accept books that have only been read once. I guess they want the taxpayer money more than they do books.

Frances said...

Vagabonde, as you know, I also have loved reading since early childhood, and find that one book sometimes leads many others along similar topics.

Since I rely on library borrowing for most of my reading, I don't think I could now actually come up with a listing of titles of all the books I read during 2012...there must have been hundreds! I quite enjoyed seeing your list though, and the accompanying pictures were perfect!

I have just finished Ian McEwan's Sweet Tooth, am now reading Henning Mankell's The Shadow Girls, and will soon turn to Hedrick Smith's Who Stole the American Dream. There's a bit of variety in that trio!

xo

Vagabonde said...

Down by the Sea, Jeanne, Therese, Bookfool and Honest Abe – thanks for stopping by and sharing my love of books.

Frances – The titles you mention sound like interesting reads. I also borrow many books from the Library but I take pictures of them, most of the time before I return them, and list them on a document – but don’t always remember to do it, though. Thanks for commenting.

Patricia said...

Lovely post Vagabonde and so many books. I do envy you. The one thing I'm so looking forward to when I finish my studying this year (if I pass) is to start "normal reading" again. I just can't wait.
Patricia x

Anonymous said...

✿ ❊ ✿ ❊ ✿ ❊ ✿
Coucou Chère Vagabonde !!!!
Merci pour toutes ces photos et images ... c'est beau !!!
J'aime les livres alors aujourd'hui sur ton blog je suis ravie !!!!
GROS BISOUS ensoleillés de Thaïlande et bonne continuation ! :)
✿ ❊ ✿ ❊ ✿ ❊ ✿

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

I love to read and often read two books at the same time alternating after a few chapters. I love The Elegance of the Hedgehog and read it in English. I usually read two books in French each year (minimum) but sometimes it is slow going (Le Parfum). This past year I read both history and historical novels about WWII in Europe; Paris in the 19th century.

Early in the year I read Unbroken. I really should make a list year by year, or even better get that app!

Right now I am reading the unabridged (translation) of Hugo's Les Miserables and love every detail.

What a great post on books and reading. I agree that the best reading ever is with a cat in your lap or snuggled up next to you.

Enjoy a wonderful 2013 and let us know often yr reading list.

Bises,
Genie

Anonymous said...

Très joli choix, dans ces illustrations!
J'aime beaucoup.

Sciarada said...

Ciao Vagabonde, I get to call you sister reading books manage to live many lives in our own and it's beautiful!
Happy day and happy reading!

stardust said...

What an intensively written post about your intensive and extensive reading and love of books. I was a book worm in my childhood, too, but that’s a shame that my time with books gradually decreased. I like it when my heart soars into another world. Recently I like to share a book with my 2-year-old girl on my lap. She also likes to read aloud by herself with a child language. The quotes are so ture to which the image perfectly fits.

Yoko

Ginnie Hart said...

You are over-the-top amazing, Vagabonde, and I don't even know where to begin. I'm just sitting here with my jaw on the floor....

✿France✿ said...

Je viens te souhaiter une belle soirée
A bientôt

Pondside said...

The four quotations you offered say it all - they really are part of my outlook on life. I think that you and I have something in common in the way we read. Like you, I get going on a theme and need to read whatever I can find. I looked at your books and was surprised at how many I've read. I have books on tables beside any chair I may choose in the house, by the bed, in the cars, on my desk at work, and I always take a book with me into institutions in case I have to wait for a client. I am never, ever lonely or bored with books!

Jeanie said...

Oh, boy! This is way to rich a post for me to cope with! I'm afraid I'll forget all I wanted to say! But, first -- brilliantly illustrated. I loved the bouquinistes (sp) images, which I also enjoyed in Paris. And the painting near the end of the woman and the orange cat reminded me of both of us.

Like you, I was an only child and books were indeed my friends and companion as a child. I can't imagine a world without them. At some point on Chopsticks, I'll do a post on how at my recent party, I "caught" people fascinated at my book shelf!

You have many recommendations that I'm intrigued with. Like you, I find one book that leads to another and another. And give me gilded age through forties any day! So, I'm patiently writing them down and you never know -- they may be on my "best" list next year!

Elephant's Child said...

Thank you so much for your visit. As you can see, I followed you home and I am so glad I did. I am also an obsessional reader, and a lover of cats.
Many of the books in this post I have, others I have read, and yet others you have excited my interest. As the year goes by, I list each book I have read in a side-bar. From time to time I will put up a post about them.
This is such a wonderful post - thank you.

kenju said...

Vagabonde, I love books as much as you do, but I don't get to read as many per year. I just finished "Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver, which I loved. Perhaps you'd enjoy it too. It weaves the story of Monarch butterfly migrations with global warming and the behaviors of local people where the butterflies choose to land one year.

Thanks for the visit and comments!

bayou said...

Salut Vagabonde - where has my comment gone? I sometimes struggle now with the choice of books: in German, in French, in English... there is so much to read, the day is not long enough. And as you, I go first thing through the news in all 'my' countries before starting the day. So it is a late start as I am not reading as fast and often distracted to find out more and then quickly the morning goes by. When my EG moved his stuff from the UK, he brought some more 4000 ! books... I have not yet been able to find out all about that collection but I was so pleased that the entire Dickens collection is leather bound. One single book I found we have in common: Gone with the wind :-)))). I also love all your postcard collection, as always. Such an inspiring post again! Je t'embrasse

Fripouille said...

A sumptuous and elegantly presented post this. It is a feast for the eyes and the intellect.

Modern French literature is having rather a hard time of it right now unfortunately because many authors are still trying to 'do a Zola' and others in a world which sees that as being rather pompous. Trouble is that although they write well they don't have the depth of content so the accusation of 'forme sur le fond' is often heard, even in publishing houses.

All this is partially reflected in the fact that about 45% of all books sold in France today are translations of foreign - mainly English-language - works.

Vagabonde said...

Patricia, Genie-Paris and beyond, Sciarada, Ginnie, Pondside, Jeanie, bayou, thanks for leaving a comment – it really gives more life to my post and I appreciate it.

Stardust – Hi Yoko - It is good that you read with your 2-years old as this will stay with her. My grandsons have many books and the oldest, who goes to kindergarten, can read fluently now. I give them many books and also some French children books. Thanks for the comment.

Nancy, Richard Moisan, France, Merci pour votre visite car c’est toujours un plaisir de vous lire.

Kenju – My husband has many books by Barbara Kingsolver, but not that one. I’ll place it on my list to read. Thanks for the comment.

The Elephant’s Child – welcome to my blog. I hope you will come back whenever you have time. Thank you.

Fripouille - welcome to my blog too. Since I don’t live in France I usually read the old or classic French writers unless I read about someone in an article or a blog. Thanks for the visit.

Putz said...

how in the world could yoou have read so many books when you were actually living, traveling and experiencing in the flesh???????i bought myself a characteriture of myself, drawn on the spot on the seine<<<>the likeness was somewhat exaggerated but it did resemble me<>>><>i never really grew up and i blame paris for that

Miss_Yves said...

Un billet selon mon coeur!
J'ai des souvenirs de lectures d'enfance en commun avec vous, tout comme des visites de Paris: les bouquinistes,la librairie Shakespeare and Co.
Les romans policiers de Donna Leon ont été adaptés à la télévision: une série que j'ai regardée avec plaisir.
"L'élégance du hérisson " a été un vrai phénomène éditorial, et pourtant, sa lecture n'est pas facile.
J'aime aussi les illustrations de ce billet

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Great list...I'm like you, when I read one subject that I like it tends to lead me to others that relate to the first book I enjoyed.

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Virginia said...

Oh what a wonderful list you've shared. I'm afraid I don't read as much as I should although I see a few in your collection. I tend to read a lot of photography books now, so those are mainly on my beside table.
V

PS Anthony Bourdain was in town recently but I didn't know till too late for tickets.

stadtgarten said...

Merci! Thank you so much for your visits and lovely comments on my blog.
I really love the old postcards you have here on your blog and I will come back.
Amicalement, Monika

Friko said...

Talk about being obsessive! To read every last word by an author and then to start on the books about them that is surely being extremely thorough.

You must be a very fast reader to be able to read that many books as well as travel for a great part of the year, is there time for anything else?

Are you maybe living at twice the speed of everyone else? I am breathless just thinking about it. My reading time has shrunk dramatically sice I started to blog. That’s not good.

Arti said...

Others have lists, you have lists and photos. This is a memorable post, chronicling your reading journey for the year. I've read some of the books you have, love A Moveable Feast and Paris Wife, Brideshead Revisited I listened to Jeremy Irons read, which is excellent. Of course there are the Downton Abbey spin offs. But one book stands out probably one of my favorites of all time: L'Elegance du Herisson. I read it in English of course. It's always gratifying to find a good deal on a good book.

claude said...

Je les ai connus aussi petit fille les bouquinistes des quais de la Seine. Je lisais beaucoup quand j'étais petite, tous les soirs avant de m'endormir. Puis lorsqu'au collège notre prof de français nous a fait étudier "Le Rêve" d'Emile Zola, cela m'a fâché avec la littérature. Je me suis enquiquinée à lire ce livre. Ensuit je me suis penchée sur les livres relatant la seconde guerre mondiale.
En ce moment je lis un livre sur les attentats du 11 septembre.
J'ai quand même lu un autre Zola "la Bâte Humaine, "La Citadelle" de Cronin (j'ai eu du mal à finir le livre) 2 Hemingway "Pour qui sonne le Glas" et "L'Adieu au Armes" et aussi '"Via Mala" de John Knittel.
Je vois que tu es une dévoreuse de livres, moi je préfère écrire.
Bises

Fennie said...

Yes, a great post. You read a lot of books. Loved your pictures and postcards. I am reading the fascinating Richard Burton diaries at the moment. One thing I have noted is how many books he used to read and how quickly. He would read a book in just a few hours - without apparently skimming. A turbo-charged mind.

Emm in London said...

Wow, what an impressive collection of books! Last year I reached a total of 51 books and I was so pleased with myself! I'm trying to slow that down a little bit as I want to read more non-fiction history books and those always take more time. I also can't go to sleep without reading first!

I love your paintings in this post, especially the ones of the bouquinistes. I haven't been to Paris but the prospect of meeting some lovely bouquinistes makes me want to!

This is Belgium said...

great post, I enjoy
I do not read as much as I would like, there is never enough time
I understand how you say you are drawn to books;..
sad to see that bookstores in the US are closing shop!
vive les bouquinistes de la seine !

Snowbrush said...

You read more than I. I've gotten to where it's hard for me to find a book that I really want to finish once I get started, so I often don't. I also tend to browse books--about plants or home improvement projects, for example, that few people would even think of reading cover to cover. You might enjoy googling Virginia Woolf's mother, Julia Jackson. She was know for her beauty and the photographs another Julia, Julian Cameron, took, of her.

Mel u said...

Your blog is a work of art. I have read The Ekegance of the Hedgehog Twice. I love it and also recommend the author's Gourmet a Rhapsody, about a food critic.

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