March and April wrap-ups are missing and, because I am that kind of person, they will stay that way. They already feel too far behind. I read seven books during those two months. I also started and decided to give up on an eighth, Cosmo Cosmolino by Helen Garner. The writing was gorgeous, peppered with gems, but the characters didn't sit well with me at all, and so I've retired it for now. I may pick it up again, but I may just leave it by the wayside, for some other casual peruser of my bookshelves to fall into, and let it never again be seen by me.

I am currently reading a lot of books, none of which are in English. I'm finally making good progress with Cornelia Funke's Tintenherz, which is great. I'm not quite sure when it happened, but it felt like whatever was blocking my comprehension finally gave way and so now I don't dread having to pick it up again. I am also reading Eld. I'd been putting it off, because I didn't have the third book and I didn't want to have to wait too long before being able to finish the series. But I started anyway, a couple of weeks ago, and this weekend I found the third book, Nyckeln, just sitting on the shelf in Foyles. Yay! So now there is nothing stopping me from plowing my way through to the end of the book... except that I accidentally read it already and spoilered myself. Oh, dear.

On that same trip to Foyles, I also picked up Odinsbarn by Siri Pettersen in Swedish translation. I had seen it everywhere during my last visit but decided not to buy it because... well, I don't really know why. At any rate, my decision cost me dearly. I had to special order it, and only the hardback was available. It is gorgeous though, and really interesting, two things which go a long, long way to making me feel better about the price.

Of these three, two are group reads (Tintenherz and Odinsbarn). Eld is the only one I've been reading alone, and so it's the first I'll finish. I anticipate finishing it next week or the week after, although I may go the way of Cirkeln with it and end up reading three parts in something like two days. Who knows, who knows?

All of this foreign language reading is making me really anxious to read something in English. I'm not really feeling much like picking up one of my 'currently reading' books, although I really want to. I'm tempted to make a choice of one of the many new books I've gotten this year, instead. Don't try this at home is asserting itself as a sensible choice, above the others, but I'm still hesitant. I started Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons last night, and wasn't completely convinced. I could see how it might start to wear a little thin on me after a while.


In non-reading-but-certainly-bookish news, I have started volunteering with an Oxfam bookshop. I've only done three shifts, but I'm loving it already. It's a good thing I have no money left, or I would have spent it all in there. As it stands, I've already bought three or four books from there. I also found a gorgeous edition of Alice in Wonderland as illustrated by Mervyn Peake. It would look great on my shelves, next to all the others*

At the end of this week, I'll be going to France where I hope to spend what little money I have remaining on a copy of Terrienne by Jean-Claude Mourlevat. In an ideal world, I'd also get my hands on Martin Page's Je suis un dragon which we all know I've been wanting since the start of time**, but so it goes, sometimes. I feel like I'd enjoy Terrienne more. Let's hope it lives up to expectations (if I manage to buy it at all).

Finally, the last great love of my life... knitting! I've been knitting my aunt a pair of socks since I finished my own at the start of March. Or rather, I've been knitting my aunt a sock since I finished my own at the start of March. First it was too small in diameter. So, I ripped it all out, and started again. Still too small. Ripped out, started again. Then way too big. Ripped, restarted. Then I realised that I would run out of yarn before I got to the toe. And again... but I finally managed it this weekend, and managed to knit the sock from start to finish in three days. I started yesterday on sock number two, and hoped to have it finished before seeing my aunt tomorrow but that is not looking so likely. Apparently, five days of near-solid knitting causes finger pain like no other. Who knew? I've had to rest my fingers for tonight, but they should be up and rearing to go by tomorrow.

And so I conclude this post. No real wrap up, but I think I got pretty much everything in at any rate.

Happy reading and swift knitting!
Little Newman

P.S.! I also bought and finished reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone last month, after a fashion. I wasn't a huge fan of the Madrigal memories, and it was pretty clear what happened so I skipped that chunk and went back to the present day instead. I don't think I missed anything, but felt I should at least read that bit before reviewing it here.

*That is, if I could get it to fit. My three small shelves are already looking snugly packed, and that doesn't include the seven or so books that make up my bedside 'currently reading' pile...
**Lit. January last year