Sunday 5 October 2014

October reading


As usual, I have a couple of books on the go this month.

I'm nearing the end of the second Cazalet book, Marking Time (by Elizabeth Jane Howard). You know the drill by now: social history, family drama, great characters - complete with that stiff upper-lipped Britishness of the era. Marking Time is set during the Second World War so there are plenty of period details and, despite it being a work of fiction, a few surprising facts along the way. Howard is adept at evoking a sense of how life really was during the Thirties and Forties. 

There's a good chance I'll be reserving Confusion (book 3), at the local library. Because although it may seem a little unadventurous to keep plodding through these novels back to back, I'm really enjoying them and that's what counts.

Well, that and the fact that I don't fancy a big gap in between (that would necessitate my familiarising myself again with all those characters and their relationships).

Moving on: my 'treat' book. Rose Petal Jam by Beata Zatorska is the story of a summer spent in Poland. It looks back at Zatorska's family history, Poland's national history and at how life is now lived both in the cities and the countryside.

The photographs are beautiful and there are plenty of recipes to try. If you have read any books by Tessa Kiros (notably Falling Cloudberries), this is a similar type of thing. I'd recommend it - in fact I've also put the follow-up book, Sugared Orange, on my wish list. It details a winter in Poland so promises to be every bit as readable (and pretty).

October's here. I'm typing in a chilly room and am wrapped up in several woolly layers. This blog is currently powered by mugs of hot tea and hazelnut biscuits. It's cold out there. In other words: it's the perfect time of year to be curled up with a good book or two...

Joining in with Laura's The Year in Books.

27 comments:

  1. Rose petal jam and sugared orange sound like my type of book. On my Christmas list I think!

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    1. They are lovely objects to own. I hope you get them :)

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  2. I would really enjoy the Polish books a lot. I will have to see if we have them in the library. It sounds like it's really cold there now, did the weather change quickly? Stay warm.

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    1. Hi Jennifer. It did seem to get cold suddenly. We went from mild and sunny to cold, wet and windy in the space of a day. Summer's well and truly gone. And we have a gas leak so have had to turn it off at the mains. No gas = no heating or hot water!
      Hope you find the cookery books at the library...

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  3. It's been gloriously sunny here and winter seems so far away. I'm working my way through Hotel Alpha (written word) and the Bone Clocks (audio). Stories, the best form of escapism.

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    1. I agree. Burying my head in a book seems to help during difficult times and it's nice to escape somewhere else for a little while.

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  4. Rose Petal Jam sounds exactly the kind of book I love, I shall look out for it. I've not read the Cazalets books, they sound good as well. It's chilly here too, I was quite cold at the park this afternoon. Hot drinks and hazelnut biscuits sound like the way to go. CJ xx

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    1. We're on parkin now! Baking it then wrapping it in paper for FIVE days nearly killed me. It goes against nature not to have a slice of still-warm, freshly-baked cake one it's out of the oven ;)
      S x

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  5. sugared orange is every bit as good as rose petal jam! you'll love it! Perfect for those in the northern hemisphere as the dishes are perfect for that type of cold weather. Alas, here it gets too hot for these dishes and when I really want to make them at christmas time is when its at its hottest here :(

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    1. I must say, I think I'd feel as though everything was turned on its head if we had a hot Christmas. 'Sugared Orange' looks beautiful - and I'm judging a book purely by its cover!

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  6. Glad you are enjoying your books, I like to read a whole series one after the other, especially if they are all published as these are, it is much easier to carry on than try and remember what happened before!! xx

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    1. And I'm not at that slightly anxiety-inducing stage yet, where you realise you've almost reached the end of the series. Not even halfway through yet - it's a good feeling!
      S x

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  7. I like the sound of Rose Petal Jam very much, and think that might be the most perfect title for a book, ever. Falling Cloudberries is actually one of my favourite cookery books to browse through and read, as much as to cook from. Her family heritage is so varied and fascinating! Thanks for the tip. x

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    1. I hope you get to have a look! I do have a weakness for beautiful books, particularly cookbooks. The recipes are almost secondary to the photography...
      S x

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  8. Dammit!!! My comment got lost. I hate it when that happens. I like the sound of Rose Petal Jam. I read cook books like I would a novel.
    As for snuggling up and eating cookies....I am still trying to lose a stone before Xmas. It's hateful.
    Leanne xx

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    1. That happens to me all the time (losing a comment). It makes me swear.
      I too would love to lose a stone by then. Looking back through old photos doesn't help - I definitely look better a stone or so lighter. Maybe we should 'diet buddy' :)
      S x

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  9. loving the idea that your blog is powered by mugs of tea, it's lovely to cosy up with a book when it's cold outside isn't it x

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    1. Yes - and I can't wait until the plumber arrives this afternoon to fix the heating!!!

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  10. Yes, I tend to do that, too, read books in a series one after the other (unless there are millions of them, when you do need to come up for air every now and again). It was cold enough here to have the fire lit yesterday and settle down with the latest book choice but it's much brighter today so a walk is on the cards for this afty. Your hazelnut biscuits do sound yummy.

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    1. They actually go better with coffee than tea but more than one cup and I go a bit hyper... Hope you enjoyed your walk and it wasn't too bracing!

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  11. I think it is much better to read a series back to back it is so much easier to keep track. I read the Cazalet books that way too :)

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    1. I agree - and I'm finding it difficult to put them down. I'll have to keep an eye out for something similar once I've ploughed my way through all five...

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  12. Rose Petal Jam sounds like a beautiful book. I really love cookbooks and have quite a collection. I read them from cover to cover. Does that make me a bit bonkers? In a good way? Please say yes;) Bee xx

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    1. It must make me a bit nuts too - reading them in bed is particularly good but it always makes me feel extremely hungry! x

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  13. I love to read cookery books in bed...(or naywhere actually). I'm enjoying the first Cazalet book....how's it going for you?

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    1. I'm really loving the series. Book three of five, maybe a fifth of the way in... it's great to find a good book but even better when it's part of a set. And even better than that: they're quite hefty so you know you're set for a good run.
      I'm even tempted to watch the TV adaptation but that's always a bit dangerous once you've imagined everything already. Most films and dramas turn out to be a bit disappointing - usually because of the casting. We'll see!

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  14. Oh, Rose Petal Jam sounds wonderful and I think it will be the perfect present for a friend of mine - I love reading cookbooks too!

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