Sanditon by Jane Austen, Penguin English Library edition, ISBN 97802414333713, 196pp
Reading Sanditon by Jane Austen sent me off on a week long reading and viewing journey. Firstly, Sanditon is only 12 chapters long (Austen died before finishing this book) which was not long enough for me. I loved what I read and I wanted more!
In 12 chapters a whole host of characters are introduced and already the book sparkled with Austen’s wit. At the heart of the book is Charlotte Heywood – a young woman who lives in a tiny country town with her many brothers and sisters. One day a gentleman and his wife, the Parkers, suffer a carriage mishap and the Heywoods take them in. Continue reading →
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, ISBN 978014199177, 189pp
One of my reading goals for 2019 is to read more classics. Last year I planned to read a huge pile of classics but unfortunately only ended up reading a handful of books in this category. This year I’m determined to read as many of my classics as I can. The Hounds of the Baskervillesby Arthur Conan Doyle is my second classic novel of the year. It features the wonderfully eccentric, brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson. Continue reading →
Happy New Year everyone! In 2018 I read 105 books. I enjoyed reading books across many different genres from YA to historical fiction to romance. In 2019 I want to read more books from my unread shelf. I have so many books that have been waiting patiently for my attention, many of them classics, and this is the year that I want to get stuck into them.
Last year I set myself the challenge of reading 60 books and ended up blowing that goal out of the water. But classics take me a bit more time to read than modern books. For that reason I’m going to set my goal at 70 books this year so I don’t feel too much pressure.
Books that are on my to be read pile in 2019 include:
The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier, ISBN 9781844080892, 372pp
My husband bought me a whole stack of Daphne du Maurier books for my birthday. Over the years I’ve read Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier. But I wanted to read more of her books. The King’s General is set in 17th century Cornwall during the time of the English Civil War. Even though this book is called The King’s General, and he features as a character in the novel, the story is told from the point-of-view of Honor Harris.
When Honor is eighteen she is passionate, beautiful, reckless and the spoiled youngest daughter of a large family. She reminded me a bit of Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind. Honor meets Sir Richard Grenville, a soldier who cares only for fighting and not about the feelings of those around him. Richard is a bit like Rhett Butler, only meaner, and he is dedicated to fighting for his king. He’s really not a likeable person but is a brilliant soldier. When Richard meets Honor something clicks. Her family is against any match between them and sends Honor home. Richard follows her and they meet in secret and eventually become engaged.
But then tragedy strikes days before their wedding and Honor sends Richard away. I won’t tell you what the tragedy is but it’s a good twist and changes Honor’s life forever. It’s rare to find a novel told from the point-of-view of a person in her situation. Continue reading →
