Tag: john buchan

Buchan of the Month – 2018 Reading Challenge

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Buchan of the Month

John Buchan (1875 – 1940) was an author, poet, lawyer, publisher, journalist, war correspondent, Member of Parliament, University Chancellor, keen angler and family man. He was ennobled and, as Lord Tweedsmuir, became Governor-General of Canada. In this role, he signed Canada’s entry into the Second World War. Nowadays he is probably best known – maybe only known – as the author of The Thirty-Nine Steps. However, he wrote so much more that is worth reading: fiction, poetry, short stories, biographies, memoirs and history. In his lifetime, he published over 100 books.

You can find out more about John Buchan, his life and literary output by visiting The John Buchan Society website.

I’m going to devote 2018 to reading (and in many cases, re-reading) twelve of John Buchan’s books: a different book each month. You can find my reading schedule below and I would love it if other followers of this blog were to join me. You do not have to read every book or follow my schedule although it would be great if you did so that we can compare notes on our reading experience month by month.

My intention is to post an article introducing each book at the start of each month (no spoilers!) and then publish my review of the book at the end of the month. Simply comment on my review post with a link to your own review on your blog or on Goodreads.   If you don’t have a blog, then just put your thoughts about the book in a comment.

If you like the idea of this reading challenge, leave a comment at the bottom of this post to say you’re participating.  Alternatively, simply wish me luck. If you share your participation or your reviews on Twitter, please use the hashtag #ReadJB2018.

If you need any further gentle persuasion, click here to read my Top Ten Recommendations For People Who Think They Don’t Like John Buchan

Reading Schedule

January: The Power House – an early adventure story introducing the character, Sir Edward Leithen

February: John MacNab – a light-hearted story about a poaching challenge

March: Mr. Standfast – Richard Hannay’s third outing with influences from Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress

April: Greenmantle – another adventure for Richard Hannay set in WWI

May: A Lost Lady of Old Years – historical romance set during the Jacobite Revolution

June: The Half-Hearted – a novel with the themes of commitment and duty

July: The Watcher by the Threshold – a short story collection

August: Huntingtower – adventure set in Scotland introducing the character, retired grocer Dickson McCunn

September: Castle Gay – a second outing for Dickson McCunn

October: Witch Wood – historical fiction set in 17th Century Scotland

November: Memory Hold-The-Door – Buchan’s memoir, reportedly one of John F. Kennedy’s favourite books

December: Sick Heart River – Buchan’s elegiac last novel, published posthumously

 

 

 

The Classics Club Spin #16

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The Classics ClubHow time flies because it’s time for another Classics Club spin!

I’ve been making very little progress with my Classics Club List of late because I keep getting tempted by new releases and blog tours. So this is a great opportunity to focus on it and at least get one book from the list read before the end of the year!

The rules (courtesy of The Classics Club) are simple:

  • Go to your blog
  • Pick twenty books that you’ve got left to read from your Classics Club List
  • Try to challenge yourself: list five you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can’t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favourite author, re-reads, ancients – whatever you choose)
  • Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog before Friday, November 17th
  • That morning (17th November), we’ll announce a number from 1-20. Go to the list of twenty books you posted, and select the book that corresponds to the number we announce
  • The challenge is to read that book by December 31st, even if it’s an icky one you dread reading! (Not fair not listing any scary ones!)

So without further ado, here’s my spin list. My Classics Club List focused on women writers – with a few books by John Buchan thrown in for good measure. For my spin list, I’ve chosen mainly books I already own so there’s no excuse not to read whatever is selected!

  1. The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
  2. The Power House by John Buchan
  3. The Watcher by the Threshold by John Buchan
  4. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
  5. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
  6. The Price of Salt (Carol) by Patricia Highsmith
  7. The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby
  8. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  9. Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
  10. Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann
  11. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
  12. The Bell by Iris Murdoch
  13. Katherine by Anya Seton
  14. Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
  15. The Flowers of Adonis by Rosemary Sutcliff
  16. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
  17. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Armin
  18. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
  19. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
  20. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

What would you be hoping for, or dreading, if you had my list? (Personally, I’m just hoping for a short one!)