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The Sunday Salon

Another week, come and gone! I spent today in New York City; Friday was my sister’s birthday, and my dad and I drove up to have brunch with her and her boyfriend at one of my favorite restaurants, located near Union Square. A trip to New York couldn’t be complete without sojourns to the enormous Barnes and Noble at Union Square, and the Strand, a few blocks away. I’m newly-obsessed with the reprints put out by New York Review Books Classics, and Barnes and Noble has many, many of them in stock. So I came away with: Cassandra at the Wedding, by Dorothy Baker; The Long Ships, by Frans G. Bengtsson; A House and its Head, by Ivy Compton Burnett; The Vet’s Daughter, by Barbara Comyns; The Towers of Trebizond, by Rose MacAulay; Summer Will Show, by Sylvia Townsend Warner.

My spending at the Strand was slightly less expensive: I picked up The Bookshop, by Penelope Fitzgerald; The Vera Wright Trilogy, by Elizabeth Jolley; and Chronicles of Fairacre, by Miss Read. Then I also found a VMC edition of The Well of Loneliness, and a pristine green (and I do mean pristine, it smells like dust and the pages are tanned a bit, but its obviously never been read) copy of Miss Mole, by EH Young—easily my most exciting find of the day!

I realized recently that, because I was working out first thing in the morning, I wasn’t getting to read as much as I want to (when I get home from work, all I want to do is watch TV, which can’t be good for me!). Now, by going to the gym in the afternoon (ie, when most normal people work out), and getting up early, I’ve found myself getting more reading in. This week alone I finished The Mirage, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton (why oh why haven’t I read this before now?), and a review copy of In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson, popular history about the American Ambassador to Germany in the 1930s, and his daughter. It’s interesting, but a departure from Larson’s other books. So far this month I’ve read more than I read in February and March!

What have you been reading lately?

Comments

Karen K. said…
Wow, what great finds! I'm also constantly on the lookout for the NYRB Classics -- last week I bought The Mountain Lion by Jean Stafford at a huge book sale for only 50 cents (how bad could it be?) and I also got Stoner at the Half-Price Bookstore. I also got another Miss Read novel for 50 cents at the book sale, but it was a Thrush Green. I have a hard time finding the green VMCs in the stores here in Texas but I'll keep looking.
Svea Love said…
Wonderful job on completing all of those books! I have been able to read 3 this week... I wish I could do that all the time!!!

Here is my version of The Sunday Salon: Suddenly Sunday

Have a great week :)
Wow you found a lot! I've been trying not to shop for books until my pile of unread ones is complete - it won't happen, but it has been a while since I've bought a book (I did subscribe to a couple of short story magazines though). I also just want to mellow out and watch tv after work. Thank goodness I have my sister as a roommate and we motivate each other to hit the gym! That would not get done if I went by myself :)
Meghan said…
I just adore The Age of Innocence - I'm so glad you enjoyed it too! I normally read in the morning as well. It helps to wake me up and gets me to feel like I'm doing something I enjoy before I head off to 8 hours of work. I don't watch TV much, but between making dinner, washing up after dinner, and sometimes blogging, I feel like there's no time left.

Meghan @ Medieval Bookworm
joan.kyler said…
I was never able to read before work because I would just call in sick so i could keep reading!! Fortunately, for the last twenty years I've worked with my husband, so I sometimes have a little more latitude. What's he going to do? Fire me? Divorce me? I'll take my chances!

Currently I'm reading Nella Last's War and Murder in Passy. I just picked up Nightingale Wood (Stella Gibbons), The Merchant's House (Kate Ellis), and Drawing Conclusions (Donna Leon) from the library.
Rose said…
I'm amazed at your discipline to exercise in the afternoon - for me it must be first thing because otherwise I'm too good at finding excuses to get out of it. Good reading though - I'm planning a list of my April reading to post in the next few days.

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