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Pickle Me This

February 16, 2011

Light at the end of the tunnel

On Saturday, we are going to England, baggage handler strike notwithstanding, and don’t worry, I have a new spring coat (the Christine trench, in geranium) because the weather is calling for rain. We are going for two weeks! I have never gone on a two week vacation in adulthood– this is a monumental occasion. I am exited about numerous things, and terrified about others (round-abouts!). But mostly at the moment, I am excited about books. I had a bunch of books to read for various reasons in the last two weeks, and then all my Toronto Library holds came in at once, so that reading is about all I’ve been doing this last while. But as soon as I’m finished with my final library book, I am going to read magazines until our departure, because, of course, I have to start every journey with a fresh book. It’s a superstition of mine.

I am going to take Jean Webster’s Daddy Long Legs with me to read, and on a six hour flight with a toddler, my goal is to read at least five pages. Once we’re settled and Harriet is in the care of her grandparents, however, there will be reading time aplenty (fit in around trips out for cream teas). I am also going to read my final Canada Reads Independently book, Lynn Coady’s Play the Monster Blind, and I am bringing an ARC of Timothy Taylor’s new book The Blue Light Project.

Whilst in England, I plan on buying Burley Cross Postbox Theft by Nicola Barker, a novel by Rachel Cusk (but which. Any suggestions? I’ve only read Arlington Park and A Life’s Work), and a very odd book called Felicity and Barbara Pym by Harrison Solow, which isn’t actually British, but oh well. I will probably buy many other books too, especially since we are going to visit the London Review Bookshop (which is also a cake shop).

Once I’m home again, there’s a packed shelf of books I’m looking forward to bringing in the spring with, books that are too big for travel: Allison Pearson’s I Think I Love You, the new PEN Anthology Finding the Words, and Zsuzsi Gartner’s story collection Better Living Through Plastic Explosives. Among others, oh yes. Many, many others.

4 thoughts on “Light at the end of the tunnel”

  1. Rebecca says:

    *Daddy Long Legs*!!! There is some kind of rebirth going on with this book, Nathalie F. was reading it too. A high-level favourite of my youth, read a dozen times, pages are falling out of my copy! Hope you enjoy it, and all the others, and the whole trip–sounds excellent!

  2. m says:

    Yay for England! I hope you’ll be able to post from there. May you have much time to read and drink many, many teas.

    Also, my favourite part of this post is this line: “But mostly at the moment, I am excited about books.” As if this is something completely out of the ordinary for you.

  3. steph says:

    I am so jealous. SO jealous!! England is my favourite place on the planet. I have pined for it every single day since I went for two weeks to Yorkshire in October 2008. Were I not married with a dog I would NEVER have come home. Well. Only to get my things. I totally fell in love with the country, and I came home 10 kilos over from all the books I’d found in charity shops.

    I wish you the best of times, the happiest two weeks, having your cream teas and perambulating the glorious streets.

    PS. Love the cut of your new raincoat. And that Daddy Long Legs book, love the cover! I’ll have to look it up, I’ve never heard of it.

    If you’re going to be in London, why not stop by Persephone Books? http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/

  4. steph says:

    PS. And 84 Charing Cross Road? 🙂

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