Books Read In 2017, and Books Currently Being Read

A Good Read by George Bernard O'Neill

In 2017 I didn't read as many books as I would have liked to, and  there were also various ones (not mentioned here) that were browsed through or begun but abandoned to be read at another time because I'm a moody and sometimes fickle reader!   Many of them were mysteries. All of them are very good, and I do tend to have the problem of having so many enticing treasures to read that it's hard to settle, which is why there are usually several on the go at the same time. 
I've never posted my reading lists before, but here is my 2017 list:

The Shadow Guests by Joan Aiken 1980
She Fell Among Thieves by Dornford Yates 1935
Unicorn: Myth and Reality by Rudiger Robert Beer
Thornyhold by Mary Stewart (yet again) 1988
The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley 2011
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley 2011    
The Man Behind The Glass by Greg Howes 2014
The Hound Of Death and Other Stories by Agatha Christie 1933
The Lothian Run by Mollie Hunter 1970
Empty Pocket Blues:  The Life and Music of Clive Palmer by Grahame Hood 2008
The Stones of Green Knowe by Lucy Boston 1976
Robin Hood by J.C. Holt
Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry Volume 1
The Mabinogion, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest (not finished)
The Silver Bough by F. Marion McNeill 1956
The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude 1935
Appleby's Answer by Michael Innes 1973
Adele and Co. by Dornford Yates 1931
The Club Of Queer Trades by G.K. Chesterton 1905
The Crime At Black Dudley by Margery Allingham 1929
Look To The Lady by Margery Allingham 1931
The Book Without Words:  A Fable Of Medieval Magic by Avi 2005
The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb 1993
Headlong Hall by Thomas Love Peacock 1816

Due to the pastime of researching books (when I really should just be reading from what I already have), I did add quite a large number of books to my library in 2017, and there's nothing wrong with that! I sold a few books and traded some as well.  Some of the kinds of arrivals include ones on the Pre-Raphaelites, mysteries, Scottish books, Irish books,  antique books, and Victoriana.  In December, via booksellers with very good and very cheaply priced books, I ordered a great bunch of Medieval history books that look fascinating, and have started on one of those (though already had plenty of other Medieval history books yet to read, but you have to get them when you find them...).  I was also given some books for Christmas that I'd selected, which included more Lady Gregory books and a big hardcover tome of delightful-looking stories by Washington Irving.

Along with previously wanting more books by Dornford Yates and John Buchan, last year I discovered that I need many of G.K. Chesterton's books; along with being a highly entertaining writer, he was a very wise man.

Finished books so far this year are: The Maidenswell Folly by Greg Howes, and The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. 

Currently reading:

Visions & Beliefs In The West of Ireland by Lady Gregory  (gathered superstitions and folklore)

Medievalism:  The Middle Ages In Modern England by Michael Alexander  (about the Medieval revivals in literature, architecture, etc...)

The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins

Drawn From Life by William Thackeray

Mystery On The Moors (Sons of the Wolf) by Barbara Michaels (vintage Gothic suspense)

It's tempting to set up a reading plan for the year, but that doesn't tend to work well for me, as interests can shift around and it can make it feel more of a chore to tie oneself down to only read from a list, no matter how wonderful a list it may be.  But there are a few I particularly want to read this year, including certain ones by Robert Louis Stevenson, John Buchan, Sir Walter Scott, and William Harrison Ainsworth; so have assembled a small list of a few titles, but leaving the majority of the reading to whatever I feel like. It would be good to pick up the pace a bit too, and get through more books this year (I'm a fast reader, but deliberately slow down to fully absorb stories, and generally read in somewhat short spaces of time).  I'm also continuing on with my own writing, and have various ideas in progress which I intend to get on with, along with my music and painting too; and also would like to be more frequent with my blog posts here if interest is shown, comments are very welcome.

What are you reading?  Do you make reading plans?

A Lovely Reading Spot: A Vintage Laura Ashley Ad

 
A lovely vintage Laura Ashley ad with a girl amongst a great nest of fabulous cushions in lovely prints.

Reading Plans Going Awry

I am usually off on one tangent or another, suddenly becoming mildly obsessed with a particular subject and wanting to read what I can find on it and usually buying several books on the subject.  But reading plans can change as swiftly as they come, a moody or changeable reader (or one with too many interests, like myself) can find themselves abandoning the settled plan and instead of diligently setting forth on an in-depth study of say, Medieval architecture, Arthurian legends, or the Pre-Raphaelites or whatever; one can end up reading something quite different and often much less intellectual. 
I've recently read of other readers lately who have tried to stick with a reading plan and ended up leaving it.  I suppose when we set ourselves a reading list to follow, it becomes a bit like a task and we don't like to feel tied down to forcing ourselves to read something, especially when that changeableness comes on.  

The summer before last, I wanted to dip my toe into British archaeology, make a light study of chalk hill figures, stone circles, and continue reading more folklore and country books.  This all tied in with some paintings I was doing and an idea for a music project.  I had previously read John Aubrey's Natural History of Wiltshire and Stuart Piggott's books on William Stukeley and Antiquaries and other books over time. This was the stack of books I meant to read:

 

I even bought some more books to go along with these, but apart from the West Country folklore books,  I didn't get very far and ended up reading very different books.   This year one plan of mine was to read about the bohemian Bloomsbury set, particularly Vanessa Bell, who I think was an extremely interesting artistic woman.  This is my collection of Bloomsbury and related titles, which I will go into in more depth at a later time:

 

 

 

I had previously read 'Bloomsbury At Home' by Pamela Todd, and last summer the utterly wonderful 'Romantic Moderns' by Alexandra Harris; but apart from browsing through the other books, I haven't even begun to read them!  Most of my reading time this year has been in vintage fiction, and I've been getting through a lot more books this year than normal.  But now at this time I am reading the wonderful 'Albion: A Guide To Legendary Britain' by Jennifer Westwood, which fits in with that earlier list, but I confess that I feel guilty that I have not been reading history as much as I should and feel a poor scholar for not having more discipline in continuing my personal studies of history; medieval history being a great interest to me.  When I constantly see those shelves of books, so many of them still to read, I feel I've been too lazy.  I get very excited over history books and one of my favourite bookish things to do is to explore the bibliographic sources in the back of books, which is very interesting and can set you off onto lots of other, older books on a subject.  

 

So I am striving to be more scholarly in my reading, and while I don't promise to follow a set plan, I do intend to carry on with being more disciplined in getting a certain amount of history reading in.  It has been fun to just wander and read lots of fun books too though (like vintage Puffins), and I will still do that.

 I would be interested to hear of others and their view on reading plans, so do please comment.

 

(By the way, do visit my companion Music blog over here:

http://folkrockmusicalbox.blogspot.com/

for some good music featured, if you like that sort of thing)

A Perfect Place To Read

 

To me, this delightfully cosy room would be a perfect place to settle in for a long read.
From 'The Country Diary Book Of Decorating, English Country Style,' by Sydney A. Sykes