Short Stories, Irish literature, Classics, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Literary Fiction, The Japanese Novel, Post Colonial Asian Fiction, The Legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and quality Historical Novels are Among my Interests








Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Reading Life Review March 2016





My blogging activity slowed down a bit in March but my reading did not.  In March of 2015 I did 40 posts, this year I did 14.  As of today my blog has had 3,954,587 page views.  There are 2847 posts on the blog.

The top visiting countries of visitor residency are the USA, the Philippines, India, Russia, and Japan.
 The most read posts are, as normal, on short stories by authors from the Philippines. 


Nonfiction

I read two nonfiction works in March.

1.  The Tears of the Rajas Mutiny, Money and Marriage in India 1805 to 1905 by Ferdinand Mount.  Highly recommended for those into Indian or British Colonial history.

2.  Daphne du Maurier and Her Sisters by Jane Dunn. Very well done biography


Novels  


The Pendragon Legend by Antal Szerb. Interesting work

I read three novels by Somerset Maugham, The Magician, Liza of Lambeth and The Moon and Six Pence.  I have a collection of fifteen of his novels and will read more eventually.

I also read and greatly enjoyed The Purple Hibicus by Chimamanda Adiche.  I will, I hope, read her two other novels this year.





I read several short stories this month.  Some I posted on, some I did not.  I read a number of short stories by Hortense Callisher, by Daphne du Maurier, and Alan Sillitoe.  


1.  "Kiss Me Again Stranger" by Daphne du Maurier 1952




2.  "Pictures" by Katherine Mansfield 

3.   "The Easter Egg" by Saki, 1911, not one of his best works 

4.  "The Little Photographer" by Daphne du Maurier. 1952,  Very well done suspenseful story. First rate 

5.  "Monte Verità." By Daphne du Maurier 1952.  A very gothic atmospheric story about an ancient cult deep in the mountains. 

6.  "The Apple Tree" by Daphne du Maurier. One of her most loved stories



7.  "Heartburn" by Hortense Calisher .  Kind of amusing 

8.  "The Night Club in the Woods" by Hortense Calisher. Very intriguing and moving work

9.  "The Hollow Boy" by Hortense Calisher set among NYC Jewish immigrants

10.  "The Woman Who was Everybody" by Hortense Calisher, second reading, a reading life story, very moving 


12.  "If 11. You Don't Want to Live, I can't Help You" by Hortense Calisher

12. "A Wreath for Miss Toten" by Hortense Calisher

13. "Time, Gentlemen" by Hortense Calisher 

14. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leo Tolstoy. 1886

15  "If You Don't  Want to Live, I Can't Help You" by Hortense Calisher 

16   "Time, Gentlemen!" By  Hortense Calisher 

17.   "May-Ry" by Hortense Calisher 

18  "The Coreopsis Kid" by Hortense Calisher 

19. "The Aliens" by Carson McCullers". Very interesting 

20.  "Mumu" by Ivan Turgenev 1868

21.  "Four French Hens, Three Calling Birds" by Lorrie Moore. 1998

22.   "Fire" by Ethel Rohan

23.   "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" by Alan Sillitoe 1959

24.    "Uncle Ernest" by Alan Sillitoe

25.  "The Match" by Alan Sillitoe 

 26.  "Mr Raynor, The School Teacher" by Alan Sillitoe

27.  "The Downfall of Frank Butler" by Alan Sillitoe 

Irish Short Story Month Year Six

I read for four works by Colum McCann from his latest book, 13 Ways of Looking

Review Policy/Guest Posts


I look at every book I am sent.  If I have directly told you I will post on your work, then I will, on my schedule.  

I am open to relevant guests posts 

To my fellow book bloggers, the greatest readers in the world, keep blogging!  

Mel u


4 comments:

Suko said...

Wow! This is quite an impressive review of March (even if you didn't post as much as last March). You certainly love to read, and share that generously with others. Great job, Mel!

Tamara said...

Congratulations Mel on your page views and I'm pretty impressed with your reading and posts this year... last years stats were just monumental!! I'll never read as much variety or as much as you, but your reviews always give me a good sense of whats out there. Keep up the amazing blogging. Tim is right, its inspirational visiting your blog.

Mel u said...

Suko, thanks very much.

Mel u said...

R. T. (Tim). I try to read a short story a day. Among my favorites are Flannery O'Connor, Eudora Welfy, Frank O'Connor, the great Indian writer R, K. Narayan, Katherine Mansfield, James Joyce among many. thanks for your kind remarks. Given your interest in 19th century American literature I urge you to check out Constance Fenimore Woolson. Her stories on the reconstruction south are wonderful.