WWW Wednesday 18-9-19

I’m going to give this weekly meme a try in the hope that I’ll get into posting more regularly, even if it is likely to be mostly about books for the moment.  (What’s not to like about books?)

IMG_1384-0WWW Wednesday is currently hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.  Each week there are three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

 

 

What are you currently reading? I’m currently reading Bone China by Laura Purcell.  Partly set in an atmospheric old house on the cliffs in Cornwall, this is a gothic tale filled with past sins, faery myths, madness, misdeeds and of course the bone china of the title.  I’m reading this book through The Pigeonhole and the final stave (instalment) is released tomorrow and I can’t wait!

What did you recently finish reading? I recently finished another book based in Cornwall – The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.  Ray and her husband, Moth, have a series of terrible experiences which leave them homeless and almost hopeless.  With nothing ahead of them but Moth’s debilitating and degenerative illness, they embark on walking the full 630 miles of the South West Coastal Path.  (They would have walked past Morvoren House from Bone China if it existed!)  The book is particularly meaningful for me because of my own love of the area but it’s a moving and beautiful book for anyone.

What do you think you’ll read next? I’m looking forward to starting Over Sea, Under Stone, the first in the children’s classic fantasy series ‘The Dark is Rising’ by Susan Cooper.  This also happens to be set in Cornwall.  I don’t only read books with a Cornish setting – honestly!

 

 

53 thoughts on “WWW Wednesday 18-9-19”

  1. Nothing wrong with writing about books – the next best thing to reading is… reading about reading!! I loved The Salt Path too – very moving and evocative. I don’t know the area as well as you do, but its still nice to read about a familiar place, isn’t it.

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    1. I’m with you there, Liz: reading about reading, writing about reading… all good 🤗
      (I am saving your Orkney posts for when circumstances mean I can properly enjoy them. I imagine there are some wonderful books from that area too.)

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      1. Any writer would be inspired by these incredible islands, Sandra, just as they are in your beautiful part of the country. Aren’t we lucky to have access to such work, to enhance our enjoyment of these places we love so much.

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  3. I’m reading Bone China too, although I’m only halfway through at the moment. I’m also planning to read The Dark is Rising soon, having enjoyed Over Sea, Under Stone earlier this year. Cornwall is always a beautiful and atmospheric setting, I think.

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    1. I’ll be keen to hear your thoughts on Bone China when you’ve finished it, Helen. I hope to read at least those first two in the Susan Cooper series in the next few weeks.

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    1. Bone China is great, Andrea, full of atmosphere but not so scary that I’m reading between my fingers 😁 The Salt Path is such a beautiful book. A triumph of the human spirit.

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  6. I’ve read (twice) Susan Howatch’s epic Penmarric, set in Cornwall. My only other exposure to Cornwall is the current Poldark series. I’d love to visit the area in person some time. I’m always glad to read your posts. Since you were kind enough a while back to tell me about the problem with posting a comment to my reading blog, I’m happy to report that the problem has now been fixed.

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    1. That’s great news, Mary, to hear that the problem has been fixed. I shall be over to comment very soon 🤗 I plan to read Howatch’s Cornwall books eventually and I am determined to re-read the early Poldarks and then crack on with the rest in the series. All in good time!

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        1. Well, now I’m wondering, Mary, and I think I’ve misled you. Sorry! Penmarric is a huge book and divided into volumes as I recall. Maybe I’m reimagining that as a series. But if either of us do find some more of her work set in Cornwall, I’m sure we’ll let the other know!

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  7. Happy to see this post from you, I have been missing your posts lately! I have often considered to download The Salt Path, it sounds like my kind of book. Also, at some point I want to do a stretch of the South West Coastal Path. I have walked stretches of the South East coast, which was lovely, but from photos, the South West Coastal Path looks even more amazing.

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    1. Awww thank you, Stargazer 🤗 I hope I can get back into posting again now. The Salt Path is a wonderful book on many levels. How to rise above the most dire circumstances, to make the most of what you are given however difficult. It’s touching and humorous and sad in equal measure but with brilliant writing throughout and the glories of the coastline all the way. I hope you give it a try.

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  9. I loved The Dark Is Rising series when I was a young’un and have been meaning to re-read it since somebody else reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone recently – wish I could remember who! I remember being mystified but enthralled by all the mythology references back then – I may understand them better now, but I’m not sure whether that will make me enjoy the books more or less. Do let us know what you think of it!

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  10. I never seem to find much time to read, perhaps these posts will inspire me, even if its only half an hour in my lunch break! The Salt Path seems like it will be a good read too, so I will add it to my list and see if I get myself reading again 🙂

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    1. I read so much less when I was younger. Children, family, job…. there was never enough time! You might like The Salt Path though because although it arises from the most dreadful circumstances it is ultimately uplifting and crammed full of evocative nature writing.

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    1. I wonder! The isolation perhaps? The scenery, the atmosphere – all inspiration for the writer? (I am still reading The Tree of Man by the way – albeit slowly – and that is inspiring me to pick up more Australian outback books.)

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      2. When I think of Cornwall books I think of The Famous Five and smugglers, and Daphne du Maurier (and smugglers). The place was a huge part of those books.
        Are you enjoying The Tree of Man? I want everyone to love it as much as I did, but know that is not realistic. I think I got that same feeling of belonging with it as you do with stories set in Cornwall.

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        1. It’s going to be a difficult review to write. I am enjoying it overall, but I’m not pulled in as you were. I can’t read too much at once, the writing feels quite dense to me and I have to take it slowly. There are some wonderful passages but quite often I struggle to relate to the characters. And yet… It’s compelling, almost haunting. I shall certainly read to the end and I suspect I’ll miss it when it’s gone 😊

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          2. Possibly, Rose. I’m not from Cornwall so I can’t claim that genuine sense of belonging but I’ve always felt a huge affinity with the area and continue to do so. Did you read FF’s recent post about her response to McIlvanney? I suspect that may come closer to what you felt about ToM. (I’m not sure that I’ve felt that I belonged anywhere. We moved around a lot when I was young and as an adult I’ve never been anywhere for more than 7 years. There remains a secret longing for a place to put down roots – one which embraces me as much as I embrace it 😊)

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    1. The quirks of WordPress! I have the same problem at times. And other times where the like does register but only after the screen has flicked back and forth several times at a very slow pace. Most odd!

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  14. It’s good to have you posting your book posts again Sandra- always such an inspiration. I have Salt Path waiting to be read, so will read that next, I’ve just finished re reading Melissa Harrison- At Hawthorn Time- a beautiful book, so a difficult book to follow, and Salt Path sounds inspiring enough to fill the gap.xxx

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  15. Welcome back Sandra- good to have your inspirational reading blogs with us again. The Salt Path is on my pile of books awaiting the time to read them, and I can see that it will be the perfect selection to follow Melissa Harrison’s beautifully written At Hawthorn Time, which I’ve just re read for Book Group.
    I think there’s something in the Cornish air which inspires writers! xxx

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    1. Pat, I think The Salt Path would be the perfect book to follow At Hawthorn Time. One fiction, the other not, of course, and one couple devoted whilst the other is drifting apart but both sharing some glorious nature passages. Do let me know what you think of the Path 😊 And I will get around to my thought on MH’s books – for what it’s worth, At Hawthorn Time is probably my least favourite. I’ll be thinking of you all next Wednesday 😊

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    1. I loved it, Jessica! A great read for R.I.P XIV! Have you come across The Pigeonhole? It’s new to me but another way to read new releases for free and with an interactive element sometimes – the author engaging as the ‘staves’ (daily instalments) are released.

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  18. So glad you are starting Over Sea, Under Stone. I hope it holds your interest enough to try the entire series. I have one more to go, myself.

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