May 2020: 3rd month of self-isolation

I have just finished reading an inspirational book called The Salt Path by Raynor Winn which describes her journey around the South West coast path together with her terminally ill husband, Moth. It was suggested by another member of one of the Book Clubs that I belong to and I am glad she did. Having spent many holidays in Cornwall with my husband and two children before they grew up, and when I was single, many of the place names were very familiar, especially those of the north Cornwall coast. The writing is lyrical and poetic and their experiences which take them close to the edge of who they are, also have comic moments. One of the few books to be awarded 5 stars on Good Reads! In these lockdown days, we send our comments in to our Group by email and read what everyone else thought. 

After watching all of J K Rowling's Harry Potter films on Sky I attempted the Marvel Cinematic Universe in chronological order but only managed to get through Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man I, Iron Man 2, The Hulk and Thor before I found I couldn't access the next film which would have been the first Avengers film. I suppose as they are based on comics rather than books they are not quite that literary. Grayson Perry, in his fascinating Art Club series, commented in the third episode that fantasy was needed in the current times which is certainly the case in terms of the films I have been watching, if not in the case of the books I have been reading.

I am currently reading The Figure in the Photograph by Kevin Sullivan in order to review it for The Historical Novels Society, so I will let you know what I think when I have finished it. I have been sent the book in pdf format so will be reading it on my computer. I think that the next book club title is The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan Philipp Sendker, so I will have to see whether I have it on my Kindle. I tend to read fiction on my Kindle because I like to be able to alter the font size and to read at night (occasionally) with Paperwhite. Also, as we live in a small-ish cottage, how would I get all those books in here!

I am still regularly updating my Etsy shop which is still closed. I have nearly finished adding the auction lot of books which I acquired last year and will then get on with adding the many postcards and bookmarks which I have. 

This week's walk was a little more ambitious insofar as it was around three miles but it made a pleasant change from being indoors.When we were nearly back home we encountered a swan family consisting of the parents and five or six pretty little cygnets. It was an uplifting sight!

I would also like to mention Slightly Foxed which is a quarterly journal about bookish things and which has an email update from one of the two editors who are both socially distancing, one from Highbury and the other from Devon. Their small London office team are now visiting their office regularly to pack up orders and prepare for mailing. The Editors' Diary is a fascinating insight into other peoples' lives during this unusual time which I think has been the best part - suddenly people seem to know each other a lot better. Subscribers to the journal have access to their digital library of past issues and podcasts. 

A trial issue or subscription is highly recommended.

This week's email includes mention of a Radio Four programme, Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time, the recent edition of which was devoted to the poet, John Clare. The Northamptonshire poet was also the inspiration for artist Carry Ackroyd, who I met at last year's Burford Festival. Her book, Found in the Fields, reveals her artwork alongside the words of Clare in his poems. Another book by this artist, Natures Powers and Spells,  which was published in 2009, continues this theme.

So, that better be all for this episode - I must stop somewhere or it would never be finished.