Saturday, January 12, 2013

Essays from the Stacks

It has been a busy week that has left no room for extended reading time. I haven't even kept up with my 'daily' books. So, I was pleased to finally make a trip to the library this afternoon to pick up a book on hold. 



Happily, I now have a copy of Moranthology by Caitlin Moran, a collection of her columns from the Times of London. Back in the day, before the newspaper put up its paywall, I used to read her funny essays on line for free. Thanks to a stellar review by Simon at Stuck-in-a-Book (here), I was reminded of Ms. Moran and immediately put my name in the pot at the library. 

Since I was going to be there, I checked over my TBR list and added these two to my stash:



Counting My Chickens... and Other Home Thoughts (2001) by The Duchess of Devonshire. Deborah, or Debo, is the youngest of the Mitford siblings - Nancy, Pamela, Tom, Diana, Unity, and Jessica. (What a family.) I have read this before and it is most entertaining. Just three sections: Diaries, Chatsworth, and Books and Company. Bonus: There is a lovely photo of Chatsworth on the back cover to stare at if my eyes grow weary of words.



In Fact: Essays on Writers and Writing (2001) by Thomas Mallon. Mr. Mallon is a novelist and essayist and my first introduction to him came through A Book of One's Own: People and Their Diaries (1995). In Fact is a collection of essays written for his column in GQ and for other publications. With sections on Working Writers, Off the Shelf, and On the Fringe, it looks to be quite amusing. 

Now, where shall I start?

6 comments:

  1. A very nice selection to keep you busy this weekend! I've just finished Moranthology (very entertaining), Debo is always good, and In Fact sounds interesting. I suppose the real beauty of essays is that, no matter where you start, you needn't remain there but can jump from book to book as the mood takes you.

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    1. I read quite a bit of Ms. Moran yesterday. Her profile on Keith Richards was brilliant. I think today I will see what Debo has to say and from there go wherever my whimsy takes me.

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  2. Yours is the third blog where Moranthology has come up today. I have placed it squarely onto my TBR list, and will try to get to it soon. (Actually, I see Claire's comment above and hers was one of the blogs). Counting My Çhickens is a favorite of mine. Did you read her most recent biography? You must.

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    1. I started her biography "Wait for Me" but got bogged down. My fault, not hers. I will give it another try. Thanks for the reminder.

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    2. Oops, I mean autobiography!

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  3. Actually, I wrote biography and it should have been autobiography. Sigh. At any rate, her story can be picked up and put down and still be good. Enjoy.

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