What Book is on Your Nightstand?

The new year has arrived and one of my goals for 2015 is to make more time for reading and writing. One of the best sources for book suggestions, as well as literary inspiration, is the The New York Times Book Review. Do you read it every Sunday? Well, if you do then you probably read the column By the Book. Each week a writer is interviewed and asked questions about literature and the literary life.

I love reading the answers to questions such as: What book is on your nightstand? What book made you want to write? If you could meet any writer, dead or alive, who would it be? What is your favorite literary genre? How do you organize your personal library? What books do you find yourself returning to again and again?  

I can't tell you how many times I've torn out this section of the Book Review to save for future use. It is filled with great book recommendations as well as illuminating insights into the writer's life. For example, I read Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield after Sylvia Nasar recommended it as one of her favorite comic novels. And she was right! I read Goerge Eliot's Middlemarch after Anna Quindlen called it her favorite book of all time. And I agreed with her that it is truly a great book. I loved J.K. Rowling's answer to the question: If you could be any character from literature, who would it be? She answered "Elizabeth Bennett, naturally." I felt as if I knew her a little bit better and we were kindred spirits. No matter what the topic, I am always inspired by the passion that these writers have for books.

 I was swept away by John Irving's answer to the question "What book changed your life?"

"Great Expectations. I was fifteen. It made me want to be able to write a novel like that. It was very visual -- I saw everything, exactly -- and the characters were more vivid than any I had heretofore met on the page. I had only met characters like that onstage, and not just in any play -- mainly in Shakespeare. Fully rendered characters, but also mysterious. I loved the secrets in Dickens -- the contrasting foreshadowing, but not of everything.You both saw what was coming and you didn't. Hardy had that effect on me, too, but when I was older. And Melville, but also when I was older."

His answer made sense and its infectious enthusiasm about great writing made me want to sit down immediately and try to write a novel! 

In a stroke of genius, the editor of this column decided to collect 65 of the best interviews and publish them together in a book that is aptly named By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review. I got it for Christmas and have spent the last week happily browsing its pages. It was fun to ask myself some of these questions. Here are three which were easy to answer:

1. What book is on your nightstand?

There are three right now: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Summer in February by Jonathan Smith, and The Ambassadors by Henry James

2. What is your favorite book of all time?

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

3. Are you a rereader? What books do you find yourself returning to?

Yes, I am a rereader. The three books I find myself returning to again and again are Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, Howards End by E.M. Forster, and The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. These books never fail to take me to that cozy place I sometimes crave and always make me feel good.

 I would love to know your answers to these questions.

If you are a passionate reader and an aspiring writer, get this book. You will love it!

Haven

"I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve"

-- Charles de Montesquieu

I love books and continue to prefer them over electronic devices even though they sometimes threaten to take over my house! In fact, my very first blog post four years ago was about the beauty of books. In my opinion, nothing makes a room warmer than a personal collection of books. I love how they bring color, pattern and texture to a room. And they tell us so much about the collector. Recently, after returning from a trip to England and new books arriving daily, I realized it was time to edit the books in my study to make room for the new ones. The goal was to be able to put my hand on whatever title I needed without too much trouble. My system of organization was pretty relaxed with the only rule being to group all books by the same author together. Other than that, I hoped to arrange them in an attractive way to highlight the beauty of the books. Since every book "counts" in this room (no forgettable books here), I should be able to find what I want easily. The topic of this collection would be favorite authors, as well as some new ones from the trip to England. This room would contain literary novels and biographies, mostly English, and very much my "old friends."

 Virginia Woolf and Bloomsbury would be front and center. These are the diaries I found in London. I have been reading Virginia Woolf's books for many years and finding these beautiful editions of her diaries was a highlight of my trip. Seeing her lighthouse in St. Ives was also pretty special!

 Books on her as well as her circle of friends take up a few shelves

 I have been collecting books on the Bloomsbury Group for about 35 years now!

Next were some groupings of favorite authors. I loved getting the Nancy Mitfords and Katherine Mansfields together.

As well as books by E.M. Forster, Elizabeth Von Arnim, and E.M. Delafield. Though it seems that I have many editions of just one title by Delafield, The Diary of a Provincial Lady. This charming book about the life of an ordinary woman living in an English village during the 1930's is laugh-out-loud funny. Go here to read more. I discovered this gem a few years ago and apparently can't resist buying attractive editions.

My beloved Barbara Pym --  I think I've read every one of these

And some lovely Persephone editions -- oh, there's another "Diary of a Provincial Lady"!

Elizabeth Bowen is next to books on reading and writing. This accidental combination makes sense since Bowen's writing is some of the most beautiful and memorable writing you'll ever read. Go here to read more.

My Jane Austen books

Next were the books purchased in London, Cornwall, Devon and the Cotswolds. The goal was to keep all those together so I could have them at my fingertips to remind me of my trip. I have been slowly making my way through them.

So far I have read A Cornish Affair and Ross Poldark. They are both fun, escapist books and they took me back to Cornwall. Ross Poldark is an old-fashioned, swashbuckling tale that I loved and would put under the category of "guilty pleasure."

Some highlights --

This one came highly recommended by one of my readers and I can't wait to read it!

Summer in February is about an Edwardian artistic community set in Cornwall. I am reading this  now and enjoying it. It was made into a film starring Dan Stevens which I may now have to rent.

This one is about a young woman who flees her wedding and hides out in Cornwall doing research on a grand old home and garden. Naturally she is seduced by the beauty of the place as well as the scion of the family who owns the house. A good old-fashioned love story.

I learned about Cider With Rosie while in the Cotswolds. A best-selling (six million copies) nostalgic memoir of finding love during a summer in the Cotswolds, it was published 100 years ago.

Another laugh-out-loud classic of English comedy, also set in the Cotswolds

A collection of recipes from Cornwall and Devon that I found in a bookstore in St. Ives

The third installment of the Old Filth trilogy by Jane Gardam. Go here to read an excellent article about her in the New Yorker magazine.

I found three books by Angela Thirkell -- they are impossible to find here -- at a little book store in the Cotswolds village of Stow-on-the-Wold.

And this book on Beatrix Potter's gardening life, found at Kew Gardens bookstore, was hard to resist.

********

A room filled with books is such an inviting sight. I am looking forward to spending some happy hours this winter in my study curled up with a favorite book and a cup of tea!

Sweet Somethings

Are you looking for the perfect little something to give your literary friends? You know, the ones with their noses in a book? You might describe them as having a romantic sensibility. They are the ones who  want to dress like a Nancy Mitford heroine or read poetry while walking in the English countryside. They would rather be on the misty English moors than sitting poolside. They see the romance and nostalgia in a garden and feel the magic of an old manor house. Whenever Scottish tartans and tweeds show up on the runways, they feel validated. They swoon over discovering an old edition by Colette and are always inviting you to author signings. Maybe you need a birthday present, hostess gift or just a little something to say you care. Here are some recent discoveries I have made. They are some very special "sweet somethings" I received for my birthday, as well as some other little treasures I have discovered while traveling this summer.

Well-Read Women, Portraits of Fiction's Most Beloved Heroines by Samantha Hahn

Nora Ephron said, "Above all, be the heroine of your life." Here is a book that will inspire you to do just that. Clarissa Dalloway, Dorothea Brooke, and Nancy Drew are some of the literary heroines that are brought to life in beautiful watercolor portraits by the artist Samantha Hahn. Along side each illustration is an inspiring quote. These great women in literature have resided in our imaginations forever and this book reminds us why.

From The Desk of Jane Austen, 100 Postcards

One hundred postcards, each with a different quote by Jane Austen. Other than their obvious purpose, they would also make great party favors. It would be fun to put one of these at each place setting for your next book club meeting. They would inspire some fascinating conversation!

Fictitious Dinners by Dinah Fried

This book gives us photographic interpretations of famous meals from contemporary and classic literature. My favorite is the Boeuf en Daube from the dinner party scene in To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Along with a description of the scene from the book, the author tells us that Boeuf en Daube is a classic French stew made with beef braised in wine and herbes de Provence. She also tells us that To the Lighthouse was printed at Hogarth Press, the printing house in London that Woolf owned with her husband, Leonard Woof. And that the original dust jacket was illustrated by her sister, painter Vanessa Bell. You will love all the fascinating tidbits that come with each of these literary meals.

Walking Home, A Poet's Journey by Simon Armitage

 Simon Armitage is an award-winning poet who decided to walk the Pennine Way in England, ending up in the Yorkshire village where he was born. This book tells the story of that journey and explores how the traveling poet fares in the modern world. He walked for nineteen days and covered 256 miles, reading his poetry to those who wanted to listen. Part memoir and part travel guide, this book sounds perfect for the admirer of nature and poetry.

Living Life in Full Bloom by Elizabeth Murray

As a garden lover, I was intrigued by the title of this book. Not usually a fan of self-help books, I thought this one looked promising. The author offers us pathways and daily practices to deepen our passion, creativity and relationships. She divides the book into four personality archetypes -- Gardener, Artist, Lover, and Spirit-Weaver. This book promises to help us find the way to greater creativity and love for life. An invitation to live life "in full bloom" is hard to resist! 

Under The Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

Nancy Horan's new novel tells the passionate love story of the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson  and his American wife, Fanny. Apparently their story was quite an adventure, as exciting as any of Stevenson's own famous tales. He wrote the classics Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. I can't wait to read this new book by Nancy Horan as I know nothing about Robert Louis Stevenson's life. It would be fun to then read one of his books, maybe Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. 

Diary Of A Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield

And finally, one of my favorite books has just been published by Persephone Books. Written in the 1930's, Diary Of A Provincial Lady is a comic masterpiece. Persephone books always come with a bookmark (shown above) that reflects the pattern chosen for each book's endpapers. In this case, the design is taken from the Harper and Brothers, New York cover of 1931. This edition is a beauty! 

Winter Mornings

How was your weekend? Did you watch the Olympics? I watched a little of the skiing and ice skating, but mostly I read. This weekend was cold in Los Angeles, though mild compared to the rest of the country. And yesterday was one of those mornings a little too chilly to take a walk. With the fireplace lit, staying home sounded awfully good. That walk could wait for later. I pulled out the newspapers, magazines, and books I have been meaning to get to and settled in for a nice day at home. The plan was to catch up with all my reading. Don't you love it when you have all day to read? Here are a few things that caught my eye...

From the February, 2014 issue of "Town and Country:" Starting on March 1 Winterthur Museum and Gardens in Delaware is hosting Costumes of Downton Abbey, an exhibition of 40 looks from the show. It includes the dress Lady Mary wore when Matthew proposed. I have never been to Winterthur and would would love to plan a visit to coincide with this exhibition!

And speaking of "Downton," there is a fashion spread in the January issue of "Vogue" featuring Laura Carmichael who plays Lady Edith. Up until this season her clothes were not very remarkable, but she is now wearing some fabulous costumes from the twenties. In real life, she loves fashion and looks beautiful in this photo shoot.

And in the same issue of "Vogue" there is an article on the three very handsome actors who play new characters this season on "Downton." It was fascinating to learn that Julian Ovenden who plays Charlie Blake (on the left), the man who seems to be falling in love with Lady Mary (see last night's episode), is an acclaimed tenor and will be performing at Carnegie Hall with Michael Feinstein on Valentine's Day!

And what about a real-life Dowager Duchess of Grantham? In the March issue of "Town and Country" there is a gorgeous 12-page spread on Deborah Mitford, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire and her granddaughter Stella Tennant. There are some stunning shots of the Dowager's home Chatsworth (a 1000-acre estate in the English countryside) as well as some great shots of her when she was simply Deborah Mitford and of her famous sisters. Have you read her memoir Wait for Me ? It is wonderful.

I love this photo of Stella at Chatsworth. I am pretty sure that is Nancy Mitford in the background.

Several magazines have articles on the new book My Life in Middlemarch. The author Rebecca Mead has written about her lifelong relationship with the novel Middlemarch by George Eliot. It is getting very good reviews and I can't wait to read it. I understand the idea of returning to favorite books over the years. "Howards End," "Mrs. Dalloway" and "Excellent Women" are books I always seem to take down from the bookshelf and revisit. I get something new from them each time. Hmm...I wonder if I can convince my book club to read "Middlemarch"?

Jude Law in "Henry V"

Photo via here

In the "New York Times" Ben Brantley has written a fabulous article about several Shakespeare plays that are on in London right now, all starring leading film actors: Jude Law in "Henry V", David Tennant in "Richard II," and Tom Hiddleston in "Coriolanus." Oh, to be in England...

Orhan Pamuk in Istanbul

Photo via here

In the same issue of the NY Times there is a fascinating article about Istanbul, the home of Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk. Pamuk gave Joshua Hammer, the writer of this article, a personal tour of his beloved city. The text and photos are excellent. Many years ago I read Snow by Pamuk and considered it an accomplishment since the book is a challenging read but very worth it. This travel piece is a keeper...

And from a visit to one of my favorite websites...

My copy of this classic

Persephone Books is issuing a new edition of The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield. The beautiful endpapers (which Persephone Books is famous for) will be based on the original Harper & Brothers New York cover of the book from 1931. Just in time for Valentine's Day, Persephone is making the book available prior to its official April release for two weeks only and is offering it at a discount. Go here to learn more and see the lovely endpapers. And go here to read more about this book.

And, finally, staying home can yield all kinds of discoveries...

A Valentine card I gave my husband years ago. Isn't that quote perfect?

I hope you stayed snug and warm this weekend.

Monday Morning Recap

How was your weekend?  Did you relax after Thanksgiving?  We had the pleasure of celebrating with a dear friend in Sun Valley, Idaho.  We had a delicious dinner on Thanksgiving which was followed by a weekend of hiking, shopping (books and holiday linens) and relaxing.  I had a lot of time for rereading one of my favorite books -- The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford.  I also found myself engrossed in many interesting magazine and newspaper articles over the weekend.  Don't you just love it when you have all day to read?  Here are a few things I read that got my heart racing...

Winvian Hotel in Litchfield Hills, CT

photo via here

For sheer escapism, I was swooning over an article in the Wall Street Journal on "What are the Coziest Hotels in America?"  You will want to check this out and book your next trip!

photo and one below via here

 In the same newspaper there was an article about Grace Coddington, the inspiring artistic director for Vogue Magazine.  I fell in love with her when I saw the film "The September Issue."  Her fashion layouts in Vogue are beautiful and ethereal, and really works of art.  Remember the recent Edith Wharton spread?  If you saw the movie "The September Issue" you got to know her then.  Now there is more -- she has written an autobiography which has just been published.  I cannot wait to read it!     

 Grace Coddington's memoir Grace 

photo via here

In an article in The New York Times, I learned that Martha Stewart is inspiring young entrepreneurs, 20- and 30-somethings, to develop their craft ideas and turn them into a career.  After all this time, she has something to say to the young generation.

photo via here

And at this time of the year there is always news about Charles Dickens.  In an article in The New York Times, we learn about the revival on Broadway of Dickens' unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  This article is filled with fascinating information on Dickens' life and how it is reflected in his unfinished novel.  Did you know that he was on an exhausting book tour and in poor health at the time he was writing it?  He died before finishing at the age of 58.

All of the December issues of my favorite magazines are out, always an occasion.  Lots of great ideas, stories, and inspiration for the holidays.  It's easy to pore over these for hours with a cup of tea.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

I had forgotten the ending.  Don't you love it when an author surprises you and touches your heart at the same time?

And, of course, all of this reading was accompanied by some really good Thanksgiving leftovers!

How was your weekend?