Victober Wrap-Up

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

You got through plenty. Best wishes and happy reading.

[@meghanthestorygirl4581]

I loved hearing your thoughts on Our Mutual Friend. I've never heard that perspective before so I enjoyed that!

[@freshparchment]

Thanks! I've been a bit worried that my judgment was too hasty.

[@amy8458]

Hi Heather, I appreciated your honesty. I've mentioned my Classics page cap 600 to you so The Struggles of Brown Jones and Robinson is going on my TBR. I'll read the Trollope standalones that you and Gina recommend. My Victober read was The Semi Detached House by Emily Eden which I enjoyed and four stared. Her other book The Semi Attached Couple's on my TBR too. My Oct favorites were cozier and MG fantasy, Rewitched , The House with Chicken Legs and The Lost Child of Lytchford.

[@freshparchment]

Excellent! I'm looking forward to reading the Semi-Detached House and Semi-Attached Couple at some point.

[@barbarahelgaker390]

I enjoyed a Trollope stand alone called the Three Clerks about corruption in the Civil Service and read/ listened to the wonderful Timothy West on Doctor Thorne. I also read the group novel, the Doctor's Wife, watched Lady Windermere's Fan and read The Woman in White and Three Men in a Boat. Oh and Scenes From Clerical Life to fit Kate's challenge of something revolving around religion - so all in all a great month!

[@freshparchment]

Ooh, I need to get to Scenes from Clerical Life now. And I'll add The Three Clerks to my list, too - it sounds great!

[@isabellemenez5704]

I only read The haunted hotel among those but wasn't thrilled either. In Victober, I read The woman in white (loved), Trollope's Framely parsonage and Miss MacKenzie (loved) and Oliver Twist (liked, but not loved). I have Trollope's complete works on my tablet, so I have quite a long way to go 😁

[@freshparchment]

Nice! I'll get to reading some on ebook, but I've been quite lucky in finding a lot of physical copies so far. I felt the same about Oliver Twist, too - it was OK (perhaps spoiled by watching Oliver! in chorus class at 9 years old).

[@kathleencraine7335]

I read He Knew He was Right years ago and I cannot forget it--it is so powerful. I can imagine that listening to Our Mutual Friend on a first read would be very confusing. You may want to watch the BBC TV production with Keeley Hawes and David Morrissey (as Bradley Headstone--fantastic performance), which might clear up some of the confusion. Also Dickens went out of his way to present Mr Riah as a positive Jewish character, and I'm sorry you didn't feel that on your reading. I found both Our Mutual Friend & He Knew He was Right on DVD through my library system.

[@freshparchment]

Dickens did give Mr. Riah great moments, but the refusal of Fledgeby to change his attitude really rankled me (especially given the current rise in anti-Semitism). That sort of stubborn racism really got to me. I do love Keeley Hawes and David Morrissey, but I may wait a bit before seeking out the adaptation to let my opinions and emotions settle.

[@sarahel19]

I completely understand that you did not feel very invested in the short Trollope, because I felt the same with the Warden: it's too short and we don't have time to get into the story. I'm so glad you enjoyed He knew he was right, which I remember as a very strong Trollope with many interesting characters. I had a good Victober. Among other things, I finally read Agnes Grey and really enjoyed Doctor Wortle's School by Trollope.

[@freshparchment]

Very nice! Yet another Trollope I want to try - I hear great things. When I finish the Palliser novels, I'll probably listen to Doctor Wortle.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I read two books for Victober, but only finished one, The Woman in White. I'm still reading The Framley Parsonage. I loved The Woman in White and am enjoying Framley Parsonage, The rest of my reading was spooky with one exception of my last book, though I finished it November 1. It's hard to pick a favorite, because it was a really good month and I enjoyed all my reads. October 1. Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill 2. The Woman in White by: Wilkie Collins 3. The SpellBook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo 4. Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow 5. The Tall Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe 6. The Omen by David Seltzer 7. John Adams by David McCullough

[@freshparchment]

Nice! I liked The Woman in White, too. I've always meant to read a David McCullough, but I've always ended up being too intimidated (I don't care too much about American history. Hamilton's the only reason that I read a Ron Chernow book, either).

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

@@freshparchment Yeah, if you're not a American history fan it might not interest you. I think that's the only thing McCullough writes. What history topic interests you?

[@freshparchment]

@@jackiesliterarycorner Some biographies, British/European history...

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I would like to read of that history. I have some but not a lot. What do you recommend?

[@freshparchment]

@@jackiesliterarycorner For starters, watch my nonfiction bookshelf tours or any of my nonfiction recommendations with my mother.