FREDERICK PHILIP GROVE – A Search For America

Acquired via Freecycle for BookCrossing 03 May 2006

Really interesting novel?/memoir? set in 1890s-1920s America, where a young man who has lost his fortune comes to make a name for himself, and ends up mixed up in scams, a book salesman, a hobo and a labourer. Fascinating, if on the long side, and the afterword then casts doubt on the veracity of the whole thing.

Very enjoyable but glad I’ve finally got through it after a good few days of fairly solid reading!

J. G. SIME – Sister Woman

Acquired via Freecycle for BookCrossing 03 May 2006

An excellent book of short stories, based around women’s experience, and especially immigrant and working women’s experience, in Canada in the early part of the 20th century. A good feminist sensibility and an ear for accent and an eye for detail make these fascinating, educational and a very good read.

Offering on a bookring once a couple of my current rings come back into the fold!

COLIN THUBRON – Among the Russians

Acquired via Freecycle for BookCrossing 03 May 2006

This was slow, difficult, hard to get through, and a bit depressing, rather like his subject, Russia in the 1980s. I normally love travel writing but, especially for its small size, foundt this really hard going.

Well I seem to know so much about everybody else…

Create your own friendquiz here

IQ test (from Elhamisabel)

ELIZABETH FROSTICK & LUCY HARLAND – Take Heart: People, History & Change in Birmingham’s Heartlands

Bought 01 May 2006 – Kings Heath Church fete

Slightly battered history of Nechells etc with lots of oral history for the 20th century. Quite well written. Not an area I know well, but adds to my local history collection nicely.

ANNE RIVERS SIDDONS – King’s Oak

Acquired via BookCrossing 22 Apr 2006 – BookRelay

Hm. I do like this author and was pleased to discover her a year or so ago. But as I read more and more of her books, some of them do seem too sunk into the Southern Gothic theme and a bit overblown and turgid. A bit like her descriptions of the South, so it kind of makes sense. I found this a lot to wade through and wasn’t really that engaged with the story – but I didn’t know I was going to feel like this when I requested it on the relay, of course!

I’m going to release this – perhaps at the Salcey Forest OBCZ as it has a nature title and is about a forest!

DAVID LODGE – Ginger, You’re Barmy

Acquired via Freecycle for BookCrossing purposes 03 May 2006

A good novel about the joys and horrors of National Service. Semi-autobiographical, the interesting afterword explains that Lodge split his own experiences and attitudes between the main two male characters. A real feel for the drabness and limitations of life in postwar England, and a thumping good read, too.

GEORGE MIKES – How To Be An Alien

Acquired via BookCrossing 20 Jul 2006 – Bilbi’s Entente Cordiale challenge

A very amusing book about how to infiltrate English society as a “foreigner”. I read this when we were babysitting at our German neighbours’ house yesterday. Oops – when they came in, I tried to hide it. “Oh – we’ve got this book – very funny!”. Phew!

As requested, I will be leaving this in the Hudsons OBCZ tomorrow.

DOUGLAS V. JONES – Round About the Rotunda

Bought 01 May 2006 – Kings Heath Church fete

One of those small-publisher local history autobiographies, so as usual sometimes badly written and patchy, but very interesting on the local info and great pictures.