Stuck-in-a-Book's Weekend Miscellany

Something new I thought I'd kick off here - at the weekend I'll pick three or four things I've noticed in the week beforehand, and point you in their direction. It'll usually be other bloggers or blog posts which I've enjoyed, but will also include books I've spotted or snippets of information I've been emailed.

1) First off, Libby Cone's novel War on the Margins was published on Thursday by Duckworth. She sent me a copy ages ago, but sadly I've not got to it - but it's definitely the right territory for Stuck-in-a-Book, based as it is in wartime Guernsey. All of us loved Mary Ann Shaffer's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, didn't we? Lynne at dovegreyreader wrote about War on the Margins here, in its self-published incarnation. Isn't it great when a self-publisher manages to get published in the conventional way as well? Libby sent me a very sweet email asking me to mention that the book was now out, suggesting I say the following: "She's barmy! She's driving me nuts! I haven't been able to read it; read it for yourselves, for goodness' sake, so she'll leave me alone!" But I will read it one day, Libby, I will... see if you can beat me to it.


2) There are quite a few things that readers of Siab agree on, more or less - two of them are that reading is great, and that Virago Modern Classics are wonderful, when they appear in their dark-green covers. Witness the Virago collage I made a while ago:


Well, Verity (of The B Files, see left-hand column) has set up a subsidiary blog, Verity's Virago Venture, documenting her attempt to read as many of the VMCs as possible. I can't remember how many there are, but it's A LOT. Go along and see her progress - authors/books already covered include Barbara Comyn's Sisters By A River (which I wrote about in April) and the works of Antonia White.


3) I'm a little in love with Lisa's blog A Bloomsbury Life, which has (I quote) "sporadic posts about style, travel, food, literature, gardens, eccentrics and their foibles." It's a quirky riot of colour, very stylishly so, and is a simply beautiful place to be. Most adored post recently is this one, in which Lisa compares the photographs taken on her travels with objects and designs around her home - how the one has influenced the other. For example, below - she has drawn connections between the beautiful saris she saw, and the way she shelves her books... beautiful. Do go and read the whole post, with lots of great photographs.