Dare I Try Again? Reading During Recovery

I am getting better day by day and think my real problem is just my own impatience and unrealistic expectation of bouncing back at Kentucky Derby speed……

But while slowly recovering, I’m enjoying reading both old favorites like the books of D.E. Stevenson and O. Douglas (pen name of Anna Buchan, sister of John of The Thirty Nine Steps and Greenmantle fame to say nothing of being Governor General of Canada.)

Several years ago, Stevenson’s youngest son passed on some boxes of his mother’s papers to his niece Penny Kent who discovered when she went through them that there were a few unpublished novels as well as many short pieces written as essays of for short talks. She made an agreement with Greyladies Publishers in Edinburgh to publish them and so far we have had The Fair Miss Fortune, Emily Denistoun, and Portrait of Saskia. This June saw the publication of Jean Erskine’s Secret and should have seen Found in the Attic come out too – a compilation of essays, short pieces, and some family photographs. My copy of Jean Erskine was waiting when I returned from the hospital, but rather maddeningly, the printer went into “administration”(I think this is similar to receivership in the US, at the least) and Found in the Attic had not yet been printed. However it should be coming out very soon. I have that “I can’t wait” feeling and I know I’m not the only one!

I’ve also been reading through some mystery series recommended by a friend in the D.E. Stevenson discussion group – books by Cassandra Chan and a series about a mid-Victorian MP and amateur detective Charles Lennox written by Charles Finch. Both series are good reads, but the Finch books have that extra something, that spark of human sympathy in the main character, not to speak of excellent writing, that make them my favorites. I hope he goes on to write many more!

Sometimes I have been so tired I could only lay on the bed with my hand on a book and no energy to open my eyes, but for me, books are friends and always help, whatever my contact with them.