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August Folly by Angela Thirkell
Angela Thirkell wrote a number of county chronicles–1930s/40s English country life from the upper classes perspective. They’re a bit snobby, but they’re also charming with a thread of sly humour. In many ways, the books repeat each other with themes of youth, unreasonable romances, tangled love affairs, social-political genteel bickering, but that’s part of their…
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Ghost at Work by Carolyn Hart
I started reading the Annie Darling series by Carolyn Hart many years ago. As it went on and on, I admit I lost interest. But Hart is a good writer, so I included the first book in her latest series on my Christmas reading list, and I’m glad I did. Bailey Ruth is a heavenly…
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Progress
Sometimes when I look around our chaotic, dangerous, unjust world I’m inclined to doubt the value of progress. It seems from the Economist’s Christmas special that I’m not alone. However, there’s an important point lurking in their article, one which throws me back to high school economics classes. There are only two ways to increase…
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Hobgoblin
Having introduced an hobgoblin into my novel, I’m a bit at a loss for what to do with it. He is part of the protections around the Jekylls’ London house and loyal to the family in his own way, but does he advance the story? do I really want (well, I want, do I need)…
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The Need for Roots by Simone Weil
The price is astonishing on this Amazon link, but there are paperback copies. Maybe there are even electronic ones. In reading The Need for Roots by Simone Weil (my copy was translated by Arthur Wills) I treated it as a springboard for my own thoughts. Usually, I refrain from marking books–dog ears drive me nuts–but…