A few years ago, I was in an online book discussion group, and one of the members used to write posts about where her books had taken her each month. That person now has a blog called Musings of a Bookish Kitty, and has graciously allowed me to use her idea. I think it's a fun way to pay attention to one's reading, and I'm finding it particularly interesting in this year of reading just my own books.January took me once to the Scottish Borders, with O. Douglas, and the rest of the month was spent in England: the Yorkshire Dales with Peter Robinson, twice in a Cotswold village with Miss Read, London with Winifred Watson and Virginia Woolf, and a Suffolk village with Sheila Radley. The time span was sixty years during the twentieth century from the 1920s through the 1980s.
What a great idea. I had never really thought about books in that way, where they take us. Our library book group is reading Cheating at Canasta, short stories by William Trevor so I will be taken to my beloved country.
ReplyDeleteOh, Cait, canasta!! I played this with my mom growing up, and have been thinking of trying to play again. I love that game, though I remember my little hands hurting from holding so many cards. :<) I haven't read any Trevor, but I have a feeling he is depressing. Is that right??
ReplyDeleteI wish to go to Scotland, England, and all those wonderful places you've visited this month. Right now I'm in the shires of England, Montana, all of the globe (with some short stories)!!
ReplyDeleteOh, Staci I must come over and see what you are reading. and what are 'shires'? Berkshire? others?
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! I love the map of the UK. In January I was actually in the Scottish Borders, the Yorkshire Dales and the Cotswolds as they are all on our route to our son's house in West Lothian. They are all such beautiful places as is Suffolk, where we went for a short break last May. As for my reading I've been in Cornwall, Lancashire, London, the Scottish Highlands, Paris and a village in the middle of France, Athens and Sparta - not bad, eh?
ReplyDeleteNan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely shot of the deer in the snow at the top of your blog. Just love that! Love your book group idea, too!
Also wanted to let you know that you've been "tagged." If you want to play, please visit:
http://everydaywomanusa.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/tag-youre-it/
Happy Feb. 1st!
Ruth
What a super idea!
ReplyDeleteMargaret, you just get in your car and actually see all these places! It is a miracle to me, honestly. I can't imagine what it must be like.
ReplyDeleteEveryday Woman, thanks, and I'll be over to see!
Scriptor Senex, I always so enjoyed her posts when she wrapped up her 'traveling' at the end of each month. She said she's been thinking of doing it on her blog.
Hey buddy! I just awarded you with the "Your Blog if Fabulous" tag. That means that I love your blog (and especially your new header picture!) and that if you want to play along (which you don't have to) you name 5 of your addictions and then pass the award on to 5 other blogs.
ReplyDeleteThat's a clever idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good idea. Not surprised that Wendy came up with it.
ReplyDeleteI've been to upstate New York, early 19th century Bath in England, late 19th century London and Vienna, first half 20th century England, early 20th century Enid, Oklahoma, summer in the Eastern Provinces of Canada, and all across the US seeing Mount Olympus, the Underworld and Camp Half Blood with some teenagers. Right now I am in Paris and surrounding countryside during the German occupation. I'm exhausted just thinking about all of it.
I do have Unforgetable, Unforgotten by Anna Buchan. I didn't know her pen name! That's good to know in used books shops.
ReplyDeleteBonnie
I started the year in New York, then off to the Hebrides, Kentucky, The Camarge region of France, Washington, via Hawaii, N.Y.C,Chicago and Kenya (yes, re-read Obama's Dreams. London and now Yorkshire. Interesting charting it all, thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDeleteCarole
I've loved reading all your book traveling destinations. Thank you so much for sharing them. It is so much fun to keep track in this way. Hope you can find more Buchan, Bonnie. Thank you, Laura. I'll be over tomorrow to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI love your post, Nan, especially the addition of the map. It sounds like you visited some wonderful places this past month!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wendy, and many thanks for both the idea, and for letting me use it!
ReplyDeleteThat particular map really leapt off the page at me. I downloaded it yesterday for a genalogy project.
ReplyDeleteJanuary reading took me to Georgia, Yorkshire, England, Shetland Islands,
Sturbridge, MA, and round about Wales.
Morning's Minion, that's pretty amazing considering all the maps we had to choose from! I enjoyed reading where your books took you.
ReplyDeleteMy other comment didn't take! I'm teaching John Buchan and his Greenmantle right now so I'm very
ReplyDeletethankful to know his sister's
pen name! That blessed me Nan!
Bonnie
That's terrific, Bonnie. I love that you are teaching Buchan. There's a society in case you might be interested- http://www.johnbuchansociety.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteWHat a good idea this is, glad you enjoyed your English tour!
ReplyDeleteI love this literary travelogue! I may use it with my month-end summary.
ReplyDeleteLove your new header, my dear. Makes me shiver, though. :)
Thank YOU! The first spy novelist!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed you know his writing.
Very impressive life too.
Must be very cold with those icicles!
Bonnie
Sarah, I sure did, and after a visit to NYC, I'm back 'across the pond' with J.B. Priestly on his tour of England in 1933!
ReplyDeleteLes, I hope you do! I'll look forward to your monthly travels. I hope Wendy begins to do it again, too. Maybe it will catch on among all those who write about books!
Bonnie, I looked back in my book journal and I read The Thirty-nine Steps in October 2001, and gave it an A-. Then I started Greenmantle and didn't finish. I wrote: "I just couldn't get into it. I don't care for Germans-in-the-war stories. Mean, etc. Just not for me." Not many details are there? :<) I'll be interested to see how you like it.