The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

Several years ago, when I was in graduate school, I had a job that involved going to Seattle to coordinate a conference every January. This was not a task I enjoyed--in fact, it's accurate to say that I hated it--but it was a job and it provided me with health insurance while I was in school.

The conference was always held on a weekend and it was two full days. We would start at 7:00 in the morning and go until at least 9:00 PM on Saturday, but on Sunday we'd usually be done at around 5:00. One year, after all the conference events were over, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Elliot Bay Book Company so I could pick up something gentle and soothing that would allow me to unwind on the flight home. I ended up with 84, Charing Cross Road. Shockingly for a book lover I'd never heard of this book before I stumbled on it at Elliot Bay, but it turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. As soon as I got back to my apartment, I sought out a used copy of the sequel, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. For some reason--possibly because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations, or possibly because I wanted to be able to keep looking forward to reading it--it's languished on my TBR shelf. When I was trying to figure out which book I could read quickly for the Books I Should Have Read by Now challenge, this one practically leapt off my shelf.

It's been so long since I read 84, Charing Cross Road that I remembered very little about it other than the fact that I thought it was wonderful. This was probably an advantage because if I'd remembered more, I think I'd have been constantly comparing the two.

As it was, I think Duchess was slightly less charming than 84. It was still a wonderful read and hard to believe it's a journal of Hanff's trip to London because some passages seem almost too good to be true: in one entry, she writes about a failed attempt to go to a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. She says she "would have given a week of [her] life for a ticket," but alas, it is not meant to be. The next day, she receives a letter from an English fan, whom she's never met, inviting her to see the play with some other friends. It's hard to believe this wasn't plotted!

The people Hanff meets, and the way she portrays them in her journal, are charming. An airport employee, the Colonel, offers to meet her at Heathrow to help her through customs and becomes a recurring character throughout the book. At one point he is driving her to visit Stratford, where they will stay overnight.

As we drove, he told me a long-winded story about a window he knows who fell in love with a man and was invited to his villa in Italy, and when she got there she found she had no room of her own, the man actually meant her to share his BEDroom, d'ye see, and Well-I-mean-to-say, aid the Colonel, she wasn't aTALL that sort, and it was a shock to find the Bounder wanted only One Thing. I wondered why he told me the story since he didn't figure in it--and then it dawned on me that it was his tactful way of assuring me he didn't expect me to share his bedroom in Stratford.

This was a short, gentle, easy-to-read book and I think it's worth reading as a follow-up to 84 Charing Cross Road. However, I don't think I'll be in a hurry to read the last book in the trilogy, Q's Legacy.

The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith

In the seventh Isabel Dalhousie installment, Isabel is asked to discreetly investigate the final three candidates for a headmaster position at a private school. The search committee has received an anonymous letter hinting that one of the candidates is hiding an embarrassing secret. In addition to investigating the candidates, Isabel is also asked to uncover the identity of the letter's author.

Of course, in the midst of Isabel's investigations, her relationships with her fiance Jamie, their toddler Charlie, her niece Cat, and Cat's employee Eddie are explored. Her nemeses Professors Lettuce and Dove also have cameos.

I have to admit, when I read these books, I'm far more interested in Isabel's relationships with the other recurring characters than I am with the mystery. In fact, I often skim over the sections dealing with the mysteries to return to the domestic scenes featuring Isabel, Jamie, and Charlie; the scenes at Cat's delicatessen with Cat and Eddie; or Isabel's ruminations about philosophy and human nature. Alexander McCall Smith is surprisingly good at writing women, and there are often passages in his books where I feel twinges of recognition when he describes a theory or observation that I have thought about but haven't been able to crystallize and articulate quite as well.

That being said, this was far from my favorite Isabel Dalhousie book. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't as anxious to pick it up and continue reading as I usually am. There was a subplot about Jamie's relationship with another woman that seemed unlikely, which might partially explain my lukewarm reaction. In general, Isabel seemed to jump to conclusions more often in this book, rather than her usually thoughtful analysis of any problem that confronts her.

Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as its predecessors, I won't stop reading the series. I'm still looking forward to the new installment that will be published this fall.

After a week in DC followed by the most frustrating airport experience I have ever had; and THEN wiping out yesterday while testing out the new clipless pedals on my bike, injuring my elbow, knee, and back; I'm not in the mood to push myself to finish anything even remotely challenging before the end of June. I am in the middle of The Charming Quirks of Others, which is soothing--just what I need--and qualifies as a book I should have read by now. I tend to let my Alexander McCall Smiths pile up because I hate the idea of not having one waiting in the wings, but right now I have about half a dozen waiting in the wings so it's time to start catching up.

So I've not doubt that will be my next Books I Should Have Read by Now Challenge book, followed by something else short and easy that's been sitting on my shelf for awhile (I have no shortage of those). I'm also working through my giant pile of library books; along with The Charming Quirks of Others I'm also working on Mrs. Tim Gets a Job by DE Stevenson--also a soothing read.

If I can get some reviews written, I should have a little more content posted in the next few days. I'm also planning a post about the new-to-me books I picked up at some of my favorite used bookstores in DC.

Citizens of London by Lynne Olson

Citizens of London is the story of three Americans--John Gilbert Winant, the US ambassador to Britain; Averell Harriman, whom Roosevelt appointed to head the Lend-Lease program in London; and Edward R. Murrow, who at the time was the head of CBS News in Europe. Each of them became extremely close to the Churchill family, to the point that they all became romantically involved with a Churchill daughter or daughter-in-law; and each played an important role in the relationship between the US and Britain in the 1940s.

Frankly, I could have done without the emphasis on the romances with the Churchill daughters. Also, I found Winant's and Murrow's stories much more compelling than Harriman's; and based on the way she portrayed each of their stories, I wonder if Lynne Olson didn't feel the same way. However, the book also opened my eyes to the true nature of the relationship between the US and Britain before, during, and immediately following World War II. I had no idea it was so complicated; everything I've read in the past has given me the impression that once the US joined the war, its relationship with Britain was primarily positive and supportive. This was definitely not the case. In hindsight, it does make some sense because the two countries did have completely different experiences during the war. However, I was surprised and disheartened at America's apparent indifference to the suffering of the British people.

As with the US ambassador to Germany in the early days of World War II, I had never given much thought to the US ambassador to Britain. I found Gil Winant to be the most sympathetic character here, with Janet Murrow--though she doesn't get a whole lot of "face time" in this book--as a close second. The book's ending is heartbreaking; I won't go into any further detail, but the immediate aftermath of the war was not entirely joyful, even for the Brits and Americans who played significant roles in the Allied victory.

This book provides a unique perspective on World War II and the relationships between many of the key players. It's an excellent companion to Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts.

I've had some opportunities to spend time at the library lately and have binged on book checkouts. I went from having six books checked out to 31 in the space of about a week and a half. I figure I'm just helping my local library with their circulation stats. Here's the list of books I currently have checked out (no links this time because it's too overwhelming):

• 22 Brittania Road, Amanda Hodgkinson
• Arrogance and Power: The Saga of WOI-TV, Neil E. Harl
• The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, Julia Cameron
• Atlantic: The Biography of an Ocean, Simon Winchester
• The Druggist of Auschwitz: A Documentary Novel, Dieter Schlesak
• Early Novels and Stories, William Maxwell
• Elsie and Mairie Go to War: Two Extraordinary Women on the Western Front, Diane Atkinson
• Franklin & Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship, Jon Meacham
• Georgia: Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places, William Schemmel
• Hector and the Search for Happiness, François Lelord
• House Arrest, Ellen Meeropol
• Hygiene and the Assassin, Amélie Nothomb
• Insiders' Guide to Savannah and Hilton Head, Rich Wittish
• Instrument of Darkness, Imogen Robertson
• The King's Speech, Mark Logue
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Story of Savannah, John Berendt
• Mrs. Tim Flies Home, D.E. Stevenson
• Mrs. Tim Gets a Job, D.E. Stevenson
• Nora, Nora, Anne Rivers Siddons
• One of Our Thursdays is Missing, Jasper Fforde
• Peachtree Road, Anne Rivers Siddons
• The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared, Alice Ozma
• Savannah, Eugenia Price
• Secrets of the White Rose, Stefanie Pintoff
• The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt
• State of Wonder, Ann Pathett
• The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim, Jonathan Coe
• The Tragedy of Arthur, Arthur Phillips
• Travels in Siberia, Ian Frazier
• Under the Harrow, Mark Dunn
• The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy, Bill Carter

I also have 17 books on hold. Clearly, I will not actually be able to read all of these in the allotted time. But binges in the library are a lot easier on the checking account than binges in the bookstore! You may also be able to tell from this list that we're planning a trip to Georgia later this year.

I'm still reading two books for the the Books I Should Have Read by Now Challenge: Citizens of London and Evelina. I'm also working on The Reading Promise from my library list and just finished Ralph Keyes' The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear, which I highly recommend to writers and readers who are looking for a reason to appreciate their favorite authors even more.

Library Monday

I've picked up three books from the library this week. I've had a lot going on lately and not much opportunity to hang out at the library and browse, so these are all books I'd reserved:

• The Sisters Brothers: I saw this on a summer reading list somewhere and thought it looked intriguing. It's about a couple of henchmen brothers whose last name is Sisters. From the jacket copy: "It ... beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love."
• The King's Speech: I put this on hold right after we saw the movie. As usually happens when I see a movie that's based on an historical event, my first thought was, "OK, what really happened?" Although I think the movie was reasonably accurate. I guess I'll found out when I read this book!
• The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity: I heard Lisa Genova, one of the best writers I've discovered this year, discuss this on the podcast Authors on Tour podcast. I've sort of implemented the morning pages concept, although I'm sort of easing into the three-page limit by writing one page each day, both to get used to doing it mentally and also to strengthen my hand. I don't do a lot of writing by hand anymore, but I can already see how it would be beneficial to the creative process.

Changes

I've decided to throw in the town on Pickwick for the time being. It's just not doing anything for me. Maybe it's more of a fall/winter book--there are certain books that just don't do much for me in the summer.

I started Evelina last night, another one that's been languishing unread on my shelves for several years, and I'm enjoying the writing style quite a bit more. I'm also about 30 pages into Citizens of London, which is very good so far. I'm learning a lot about the relationship between the US and Britain in the early years of World War II--some surprising stuff! It's a good follow-up to The Invisible Bridge, In the Garden of Beasts, and the other World War II-era things I've been reading lately.

Challenge Update

I've decided to switch Lost Illusions to October because I don't think I can finish it and Pickwick Papers both in June. So here's my revised schedule, all books I own though some I haven't owned for long:

June:
The Pickwick Papers
Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon
Citizens of London

July:
The Great Gatsby
Jitterbug Perfume
Daughter of Time

August:
This Side of Paradise
The Warden
Kristin Lavransdatter (Tiina Nunally translation)


September:
Testament of Youth
The Greater Journey
The Tortoise and the Hare

October:
Lost Illusions
The Blind Assassin
Cassandra at the Wedding

November:
The Name of the Wind
The Long Way Home
Miss Hargreaves

December:
A Game of Thrones
Those Who Save Us
The Shuttle

I think this is a nice mix of fiction and nonfiction, classics and contemporary, fat and slender. I've already started on Pickwick and am enjoying it so far, though it's challenging to keep track of all of the characters at the moment. Hopefully that'll be less problematic as I continue to read!

What I'm Reading

I'm still in a little bit of a reading funk, although I did start Citizens of London and The Pickwick Papers  for the Books I Should Have Read by Now Challenge. I'm also still listening to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, though I haven't made much progress since last Wednesday.

I returned Berlin Noir to the library. I'd finished the first novel of the three in the volume and, while I enjoyed it, decided that I needed a break. I'm sure I'll check it out again sometime in the future to read the next two novels.

Other than that, not much going on reading-wise here. I hope I'll get over it soon. Adam and I did take a nice hour-and-a-half walk tonight, though. The weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed looking at other people's gardens!