So this post is really for my own reference, a place where I can list the prompts I want to attempt for Carl's Venture Forth summer reading programme and the books I actually end up reading.
Some of his prompts I would like to fulfil:
A gift that was given to me: Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield
A 2020 book purchase: Crossed Skis - Carol Carnac
A used bookstore find
A story that I have read before: Arabella - Georgette Heyer
A social media recommended book: The Village - Marghanita Laski
A recommendation from my husband
A non-fiction book: The Nine of Us - Jean Kennedy Smith
A checkout from the library: The Farm at the Edge of the World - Sarah Vaughan
So those are a few of Carl's prompts, but he encourages us to add a few of our own so these are mine:
A book set somewhere I have never been but would like to visit: Summer at the Lake - Erica James
A book connected to one of the world wars: To War With Whitaker - Hermione Ranfurly
A book of short stories
A book where travelling is heavily involved: The White Road Westwards - 'BB'
A book set in Cornwall
A book connected with the sea
A book about forests, woods, trees
A biography or autobiography: Jack: A Life Like No Other - Geoffrey Perret
A classic
A few possibilities:
I suspect somehow that not all of these categories will be filled in the two months available. There are, after all, 18 of them. But we'll see. The main thing is how much fun it will be trying.
12 comments:
A Walk in the Woods by Bryson would work !
It would, Pat, and I do want to read it again at some stage but I don't own it and am trying to get books off the tbr mountain. LOL!
Could I suggest Bob Calder's Ghost Trees for the trees category? I have just finished it and it is really wonderful.
Rosemary: Thanks for your recommendation. I just checked the book on Goodreads (I think it's Bob 'Gilbert' isn't it?) and it sounds wonderful, just my kind of thing. I'll add it to my 'possible' list. Thanks again.
I like your plans. Fun!
Deb: Thanks. I think we all need a bit of extra fun at the moment.
I like the prompts you added. I thought about including a prompt for a travel book and one for Cornwall because I have a book by Burley that I want to read. And I still may do that. The travel book would be harder for me although I have started Palin's Around the World in 80 Days. My husband recently bought and read his book about Korea.
Nice challenge, Cath.
I thought of you the other night when we were watching the Cornwall episode of "Walking Through History" with Tony Robinson. Naturally, it focused on the regions close historic ties to piracy, but I enjoyed it most for the beautiful scenery. It's a well-filmed series. Have you watched it? I know someone mentioned it in a blog a few weeks ago, but it may have been Nan and not you.
Hi Cath,
I really like your new re-design and new header photo--very nice!
When I saw one of your possible books for the trees, nature category, I thought to myself, "Cath would love Woodswoman." For me, a person who has a deep love of good nature writing and outdoor adventure writing, I think this selection can't be beat. I ate it up and was so inspired! And, oh gosh, come to think of it, I've got to read it again.
Why? I'm exploring nature writing from all angles right now, going back to favorite nature writers and exploring new ones, and I've encountered a certain amount of vague, listless nature writing. I'm trying to read good nature writing to inspire me to improve my own nature writing, but I've recently encountered a couple of supposedly good nature writers who have inspired me negatively. Vague metaphors, incongruous metaphors, insipid writing--help! These writers have driven me back to nature writing that has inspired me in the past. Henry David Thoreau, absolutely! And lots of nature writing by women. I'm in an exploratory phase. I love Hal Borland's and Bernd Heinrich's writing, the former writing about the wildest area of Connecticut (northwest corner) and Heinrich in northern Maine (not coastal).
I know there are loads of great UK nature writers, though I'm sorry to say that at this moment, I don't have one that comes to mind. Yikes. Must improve that situation.
Tracy: I slanted my own prompts towards what I enjoy reading, hopefully that's not cheating! LOL! I watched Michael Palin's TV series about Korea and it was very good but didn't make me want to rush out and buy the book.
Sam: Yes, I watch everything Tony Robinson does, he's an excellent presenter of history docs and travel shows. Very down to earth and funny. It wasn't me that mentioned it though, could have been Nan though I didn't see it if it was.
Judith: Thank you. It's a long story but basically I had to redo my blog after a fiasco when I tried the 'New Blogger'. I now see what the problem was but it took me an hour and half of extreme frustration to work it out, during which a few handfuls of hair were lost. The end result was that I changed the theme completely and the photo.
Like you I love good nature writing. I think we probably all like different things when it comes to that though so I'm loathe to recommend my favourites but will do so anyway as they're very popular with others, not just me. Robert MacFarlane is a wonderful writer, the late Roger Deakin also. A chap called Tom Cox wrote a super book last year called 21st. Century Yokel, which I absolutely loved. I think they're more but my mind has gone blank. I'm going to read Woodswoman soon, either for Venture Forth or not, it doesn't matter, I know I will love it.
I really like your list of prompts. And no, not cheating at all. I certainly wasn't trying to push myself out of my comfort zone with my prompts...that would make it feel more like school, not like summer break!
I like the idea of a book connected with the sea. I love bodies of water and really wished I lived right close to one so I could hear that sound every morning and every night. Maybe one day.
Carl: Thank you, it was fun thinking a few new ones. Exactly, fun is what's required at the moment and lots of it.
I love reading about the sea so I have quite a few options for that one, in fact the book I'm reading at the moment could, at a push, cover that prompt but will probably use to it cover your library one.
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