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Monday, December 16, 2013

TBR Triple Dog Dare and A Literary Christmas: An Anthology (2013) Kipling & Wodehouse

A resounding yes to the TBR Triple Dog Dare, hosted by James Chester of Ready When You Are, C.B. 2014 will be my first winter participating, though the fourth year for the TDD. I have so many, many books that I'm desperately eager to read. I know many browsers of this blog are already signed up, but I'm passing the word along that James and all the rest of us want more company. So much more fun that way. I was afraid to sign up until I discovered by reading the small print that I can still read a 2014 title or two if I wish. Others of you will learn that you can continue your book group participations and other distractions and still JOIN us. If only I could meet Dakota, James Chester's literary Bassett Hound. Sigh. More than 3,000 miles away. Anyway, as we draw closer to New Year's, I'll post some of the titles I'm hoping to read for the TDD.

Today's Christmas reading found me really digging into a new book for my Christmas Book collection, A Literary Christmas: An Anthology, published by The British Library. Have you seen it in bookstores? At first I was concerned that some of the excerpts from novels or other literary works were very brief, but now that I have perused more thoroughly, I have changed my opinion entirely.

What I read today from A Literary Christmas: (With great pleasure!)
"Christmas in India," a poem by Rudyard Kipling. What a revelation! It's delightfully sardonic and cynical, and renders a view of how India entrapped the middle-class English who sought their fortunes (or livelihoods) there. The poem is probably available elsewhere--do look it up! Not what I expected from the author of Kim, which I endured only because it was a long-in-the-past book groups choice. Later in Kipling's life, he spent a great deal of time in Vermont, a stark contrast to India. P

"Another Christmas Carol," a short story by P.G. Wodehouse. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've never read any Wodehouse, but as a result of the humor in this story, I will be reading him again. Just loved it! Do you know it?

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for giving us a little plug here. I didn't know Wodehouse had a Christmas story. I must get it. We loved Wodehouse at our house.

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  2. I've read quite a lot by Wodehouse but not this one yet. If you ever get a chance you should watch Wodehouse in Exile http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rlwy8. I think you would find it interesting.

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  3. So glad you'll be joining in the fun fun this year, Judith! I look forward to seeing some of the titles in your TBR pile.

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