A pile of books for the New Year!

A little squiz at what I plan on reading first thing this year.



From the top:

Michelle de Kretser on Shirley Hazzard - Anyone who knows me will know that I am a huge fan of Michelle de Kretser, and I can't believe I have waited so long to read this one. I  think in part because I have only ever read one book by Shirley Hazzard, and that was an obscure one about Graham Greene, so I don't feel I know her at all as a writer.  I  trust Michelle's judgement completely, however, and I am pretty certain that once I finish this one I will be reading all of Hazzard's books.

The Memory Pool by Therese Spruhan - I have followed Therese's exquisite portraits of suburban swimming pools on Instagram for a long time, and loved the sound of this book as soon as I heard about it.

The Ecstatic Journey by Sophy Burnham - Back in the days when I worked in a New Age bookshop, Sophy Burnham's angel book was one of our megasellers, and continued to sell strongly for years. This seems like a fascinating and inspiring book, and I look forward to doing a little spiritual work.

God On Your Own by Joseph Dispenza - Following on from the previous theme. I must admit I have had this book for years but now seems exactly the time for me to read it as I unpacked it from a long neglected box of books (we moved house two years ago and I am still  going) and it seemed to call to me. His book  The Way of the Traveler is one I read almost every year and has a permanent place on my bedside table.

Mae West: It Ain't No Sin by Simon Louvish - At the end of this month I am giving a two-hour lecture on Miss West so I am reading this one cover to cover. I have read several books both by Miss West and about her.

Gertrude Lawrence by Sheridan Morley - More research. I have for years given lectures about Noel Coward, and Miss Lawrence is an essential part of his story. I have found that people often come up to me with questions or stories about her, and so I finally decided I would put together a talk about her. It premieres at WEA Sydney on February 21, 2020, and tickets are still available.


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