“So by the time we toured the Parsonage, we were both wheezing and feeling very appropriately like a Bronte sibling on the brink of expiration.” I’m sorry, but this just made me burst out laughing:)
I now must read The Truants, which I hadn’t heard of before. I second The Dutch House, and absolutely all those films - I just rewatched You’ve Got Mail, and it was delicious.
Honestly, I laugh at the memory of it. It was meant to be a romantic surprise but there we were - awake all night for all the wrong reasons, wheezing in sync, church bell tolling as if counting down to our final hour. The next day I kept telling my now-husband (when I could catch my breath) how uncanny it was: I really did feel just like a sickly Bronte sister. Minus the genius, obvs.
Oh I love most of these, and the ones I’m not familiar with I shall make sure I read soon!
And thank you for the clip of THE best adaptation of Persuasion (IMO).. I love Anne’s desperate run around the crescent and Rupert Penry-Jones is a perfect Captain Wentworth!
And that little tear running down Anne’s cheek.. absolute perfection! Sally Hawkins is sublime ❤️
I don't listen to audiobooks very often - this is down to lack of opportunity rather than desire. But I do squeeze in the odd one whilst doing housework! I need a much bigger house - maybe an estate - to tackle the next one I really want to listen to: Barbra Streisand reading her autobiography.
Yes, I can only listen to audiobooks while doing the most boring chores or out walking. Adding Barbra Streisand to my list. Also want to hear Meryl Streep read another Ann Patchett: Tom Lake.
I loved Dutch House, The Remains of the Day and Rebecca. Also, I've recently 'met' Barbara Pym, having read Excellent Women and No Fond Return of Love in the last several months. I will see if my library has Crampton Hodnet. It sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing these.
Barbara Pym is a wonder. It’s also worth reserving Paula Byrne’s terrific biography, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym. Her life reads like one of her novels. She was quite the gal.
Cannot wait for autumn if only because I’ll be done with my draft and have time to read lovely books and go out having autumn fun (until my edits arrive 🥴)
It took me two attempts, I must confess. It’s a big beast of a book with bigger ideas. I compelled myself to keep going as it’s not my normal type of book and I sometimes need to push myself out of my comfort zone. Ended up finding it fascinating and mind-enlarging. Alas, not Obama large: (HOW did he read so many books and run the country??) xx
Do. My friends mock me for my consistent 3-star book reviews but I was so blown away by that one that it got all the stars and at least two people were so surprised they went and bought it immediately 😂 (3 or 4 stars to me is quite good. I think people perceive them differently)
To be frank, Christopher, I will take pretty much any of them! I loved Susan Sarandon as Marmee. I confess to a soft spot for the 1949 version as it’s the one I grew up watching. I watched it so often, the VHS tape died a death. It’s probably one of the weakest adaptations but…nostalgia.
Loved this list! Added more than a few to my Libby TBR tag. (Thank goodness for libraries).
I'm in full back-to-school mode after almost a decade away so my autumn reading this year looks more like academic reading lists (legal principles of sustainability, anyone?) and less like rom-coms. That said, I'm still managing to squeeze in a few leisure reads, and I'm most of the way through Emma Orchard's *rollicking* What The Lady Wants.
“So by the time we toured the Parsonage, we were both wheezing and feeling very appropriately like a Bronte sibling on the brink of expiration.” I’m sorry, but this just made me burst out laughing:)
I now must read The Truants, which I hadn’t heard of before. I second The Dutch House, and absolutely all those films - I just rewatched You’ve Got Mail, and it was delicious.
Honestly, I laugh at the memory of it. It was meant to be a romantic surprise but there we were - awake all night for all the wrong reasons, wheezing in sync, church bell tolling as if counting down to our final hour. The next day I kept telling my now-husband (when I could catch my breath) how uncanny it was: I really did feel just like a sickly Bronte sister. Minus the genius, obvs.
Oh I love most of these, and the ones I’m not familiar with I shall make sure I read soon!
And thank you for the clip of THE best adaptation of Persuasion (IMO).. I love Anne’s desperate run around the crescent and Rupert Penry-Jones is a perfect Captain Wentworth!
And that little tear running down Anne’s cheek.. absolute perfection! Sally Hawkins is sublime ❤️
Confession: I’ve NEVER read any Barbara Pym… I’ve no idea why. On my list
Thanks for these suggestions. Somehow I didn’t think you listened to audio books but you are right, Tom Hanks reading The Dutch House is unbeatable.
I don't listen to audiobooks very often - this is down to lack of opportunity rather than desire. But I do squeeze in the odd one whilst doing housework! I need a much bigger house - maybe an estate - to tackle the next one I really want to listen to: Barbra Streisand reading her autobiography.
Yes, I can only listen to audiobooks while doing the most boring chores or out walking. Adding Barbra Streisand to my list. Also want to hear Meryl Streep read another Ann Patchett: Tom Lake.
I loved Dutch House, The Remains of the Day and Rebecca. Also, I've recently 'met' Barbara Pym, having read Excellent Women and No Fond Return of Love in the last several months. I will see if my library has Crampton Hodnet. It sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing these.
Barbara Pym is a wonder. It’s also worth reserving Paula Byrne’s terrific biography, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym. Her life reads like one of her novels. She was quite the gal.
Thanks... I'll consider that biography.
Gorgeous list. I just need a blanket, a mug of tea and this pile of books X
Hang on, I’m coming to join you! Xx
Cannot wait for autumn if only because I’ll be done with my draft and have time to read lovely books and go out having autumn fun (until my edits arrive 🥴)
I could not get on with the overstory. I do love Barbara Pym though and I intend to re-read the Night circus soon
It took me two attempts, I must confess. It’s a big beast of a book with bigger ideas. I compelled myself to keep going as it’s not my normal type of book and I sometimes need to push myself out of my comfort zone. Ended up finding it fascinating and mind-enlarging. Alas, not Obama large: (HOW did he read so many books and run the country??) xx
I think he doesn’t sleep 🤷♀️ Did you read North Woods by Daniel Mason? That was a book about trees I could really enjoy
That is on (one of 😬) my TBR piles. Will bump it up.
Do. My friends mock me for my consistent 3-star book reviews but I was so blown away by that one that it got all the stars and at least two people were so surprised they went and bought it immediately 😂 (3 or 4 stars to me is quite good. I think people perceive them differently)
AGREE. Social media is littered with 5 star reviews. So much so, I question the motives...
I don't actually do star ratings - maybe I should?!
I don’t think you should! Stick with a bit of nuance 🥰
Thank you for reminding me of this version of Persuasion! I've also added The Truants to my TBR - it sounds fantastic
It found me at JUST the right time. I really enjoyed it.
Have yet to see Greta's version but the 1994 LITTLE WOMEN is ☆☆☆☆.
To be frank, Christopher, I will take pretty much any of them! I loved Susan Sarandon as Marmee. I confess to a soft spot for the 1949 version as it’s the one I grew up watching. I watched it so often, the VHS tape died a death. It’s probably one of the weakest adaptations but…nostalgia.
Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! It’s suddenly fall here too in Germany and we need some literary comfort.
I hope you, too, get the promised mini heatwave which keeps being dangled in front of our noses this week…
Loved this list! Added more than a few to my Libby TBR tag. (Thank goodness for libraries).
I'm in full back-to-school mode after almost a decade away so my autumn reading this year looks more like academic reading lists (legal principles of sustainability, anyone?) and less like rom-coms. That said, I'm still managing to squeeze in a few leisure reads, and I'm most of the way through Emma Orchard's *rollicking* What The Lady Wants.
Now that legal principles of sustainability sounds an absolute banger...
More seriously, I'm googling What The Lady Wants IMMEDIATELY.
Genuinely, I'm loving it. (What I'm enjoying less is the fresher's flu! I didn't sign up for this bit!!!)
Oh noooo. Poor you! I have the back-to-school cold which mostly involves a fetchingly (ahem) red nose. Hope you feel better soon.