Monday, December 23, 2013

Postal Reading Challenge 2014: My List

As I'm hosting the Postal Reading Challenge, I thought that I should really create a list of possible reads that I'm interested in picking up next year. Hopefully some of these will inspire other readers as well.

So that this list won't interfere with the original sign up post, I'm sharing it here on its own. These are just a few of the titles that I'd like to search out next year.


1. Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life / Nina Stibbe

This new book is made up of letters from Nina to her sister at a time when she was nannying for a family who had lots of literary pals -- sounds really fun, especially after reading this review at Pickle Me This.

2. Letters of a Portuguese Nun / Mariana Alcoforado

A classic and one I am really in the mood to reread. I first read this in university, and the only commentary I could find on it was in French, so my French got a bit better ;)

3. Letters of a Portuguese Nun: uncovering the mystery behind a 17th Century forbidden love / Myriam Cyr

But that leads to this book, fairly new, a study of the controversy behind the original letters (who really wrote them?)

4. Sabine's Notebook & The Golden Mean & The Gryphon / Nick Bantock

I reread the first volume of this artbook series this year, and need to read the next ones shortly.

5. Dear Enemy / Jean Webster

This is a follow up to Daddy Long Legs which I read many years ago and enjoyed then. Haven't read this one.

6. A Woman of Independent Means / Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey

It's a Virago. No more needs to be said...

13 comments:

  1. Fun list! I am currently reading a nonfiction book you might like, To the Letter by Simon Garfield. It's a breezy sort of history of letter writing. Very enjoyable so far.

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    1. Argh, forgot to add that one to the list! It looks really fun. I loved Garfield's earlier book on the discovery of aniline dyes, Mauve, so hope I'll like this one too -- the subject matter can't be beat!

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  2. Have you read Charlotte Gray's book about the history of Canada through letters?

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    1. Thanks for the reminder -- I haven't, and really should, considering my interest in letters & in Canadian history!

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  3. Oh, I have Dear Enemy (which came in my Daddy Long Legs books). Perhaps will read it soon. And you will like Love, Nina! I was thinking I should let you know about it.

    Merry Christmas!

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    1. You convinced me to get myself a copy by reviewing it yourself :) Sounds great.

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  4. I'm taking note because I need some good suggestions :)

    I do love the Griffin & Sabine books. Aren't those wonderful.

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    1. There will be good suggestions via other people's reading all year too - one of the best things about challenges :)

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  5. Letters From a Portuguese Nun is part of what Madeleine L'Engle's book, The Love Letters, centers around. (Probably you know this already.) That novel is one of my favorite books of hers; now I need to find a copy of Letters From...

    I have Love, Nina, too, and when I read the first few pages I immediately loved it. We'll talk, shall we, when we're done?

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    1. Just had it sent to my Kindle. THANKS for the link! xoxo

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    2. Madeleine L'Engle's book is where I first heard of these letters :) Then I had to read them for myself. Enjoy!!

      I'll be getting my hands on Love, Nina asap, so yes indeed, will be looking forward to other thoughts on it!

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  6. I loved A Woman of Independent Means--that is a book I would happily reread! I am going to try and read a few books of letters next year--didn't do very well with it this year, though I did very much enjoy Letters from Constance (also a Virago). Have a really lovely Holiday Melwyk!

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    1. Thank you! I'd like to read Letters from Constance as well -- there are so many wonderful Viragos that I have yet to get to!

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