Posted on by Cathy

Short and Sweet…..

This challenge I set myself of reading books with one word titles has been interesting.
They’ve come from friends, op shops (charity), cruise ships (drop & swap), book clubs, a box in the garage and of course the library.
There’s been some newish releases…..others oldish as in middle of last century. Because it was the title that mattered I’ve read some previously unknown authors.
The content has been very different – like I said I’ve looked at the title not the back of the book
Recent ones have included……

  1. Heaven – Victoria (V.C.) Andrews ……about a young girl who’s mother died, her stepmother died, then her father sold her and the other children, there’s her ‘first love’, life with her ‘new family’ and the quest to find her sisters and brothers as well.
  2. Promise – Tony Cavanaugh…… has a retired Victorian homocide cop solving what seem like young ‘runaway’ murders but are actually ‘snatches’ up in Noosa. Lots of detailed descriptions of the crimes also the thinking and planning by the murderer.
  3. Yesternight – Cat Winters….. set in 1920s, a child psychologist employed by an education dept comes to ‘test’ children in a very small one room school. She actually there under false pretences to interview one of the students who ‘has episodes where she believes she lived a previous life’. As well as the main storyline about the child and reincarnation, it covers social issues such as attitudes to women’s sexuality, feminism, job discrimination, problems of returned servicemen.

All the previous books have been set in modern days and written in language I could understand….no grabbing a dictionary or looking up online needed.
‘The long awaited box’ from the library arrived the other day with another one to go towards the challenge. I’d taken to looking in the catalogue for books beginning with xxxxx and came up with this one for V…….Voss by Patrick White written in 1957, set in 1840s Sydney about a ‘secret passion’ between an explorer and a young women.
Now I don’t shy from a challenge but I think it’s going to be a ‘long’ read, the language is ‘set to the time period’, filled with old fashioned rarely used words and phrases. This is what confronted me on page 1

It was now the young woman’s duty to give some order.  In the end she would perform that duty with authority and distinction, but she did always hesitate at first. She would seldom come out of herself for choice, for she was happiest shut with her own thoughts, and such was the texture of her marble, few people ever guessed at these.

It took me a little while to understand what was meant by the texture of her marble.
First ‘never heard of it before’ phrase I came across was hugger-mugger. Confused- jumbled – muddled.
Which is obviously not that unknown because blow me down if Helen doesn’t use it in her latest post at The Venomous Bead
Yes I’m thinking this book will be read in short bursts in between others 😊.

22 Replies to “Short and Sweet…..”

  1. Nice I have been getting your emails but I am at our RV campground in NB and where it was a short season because of border closures I had a hard time getting a Word Press account. I was using my smart phone and I get facebook but I shall be able to answer your emails the end of September when we move back for the winter. I am home now to do a wash but am going back up tomorrow. Stay well.

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    1. Hello Germaine. It’s good to hear you were able to leave Halifax and have some special time at the campground. This virus has been hard on everyone so having that break will have helped you cope. Look forward to hearing from you once you’re back home

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  2. Having just got into “reading again” – I seem to have a lot of bloggers who are sharing their “books” but this idea of yours to select a book via just the title seems interesting. All my books have to be e-books from my library…so that often cuts down a listing to a easy to manage size.

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    1. I had one or two audio books lined up that fit thrill Cathy – just I couldn’t take the voices so let them go back into circulation. If I don’t like the accent there’s no way I’ll listen. I do have a supply of ebooks just none for this challenge.

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  3. “Voss” is an excellent book. I’m sure you will enjoy the story. It’s a worthy read!

    I’m surprised you were not aware of the “marble” term.. It is an old term.description from years of yore, and, I guess, one…and/or variations thereof… not used much at all anymore…if at all.

    It is an interesting challenge you set for yourself…and one, I am sure you will complete! 🙂

    Take good care. 🙂

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    1. Thanks for your ‘enjoyment guarantee’ Lee. The story is becoming more likeable as each page is turned. Voss certainly is a character- almost a misfit right from the start.

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    1. EC Thanks also for your ‘enjoyment guarantee’ for Voss. It’s not such a slog as I’m getting further into the story.
      These little challenges are just my way of ensuring I actually do settle down to read rather than just saying to myself…..‘ I must read more’

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  5. Huggermugger, now there’s a word I haven’t heard in a very long time.
    Many thanks for leaving your comment on my blog. I am doing well thank you, but on a very long waiting list for a hospital appointment for lung function tests. Maybe a year or more before I am seen 😒

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    1. As long as you’re well (or ad close to well as you can manage JayCee) that’s all that matters. Fingers crossed for a cancellation so you move up the waiting list ladder.
      I’d never heard it before so you’re one up on me 😊

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  6. Aside from his autobiography (Flaws Through the Looking Glass?) I think I have said I can’t read Patrick White’s books. Just too heavy and too complex.

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  7. Hugger mugger was an expression used in our family to mean warm and cosy but a bit crowded- you could call conditions on a tube train as hugger mugger. Interesting. Love your challenge, more fun than reading my way through Europe. Can I just say I love how varied your posts are- so enjoyable.

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    1. Not one used in our house Cathy but that’s alright because discovering it in the book meant the expression would be my ‘learn something new each day’ experience 😊

      It’s been fun and yet difficult finding these one name title books; I’m seventeen down….just nine to go. One I’m reading, 2 here on the shelf waiting, 3 ready for pickup at the library (yes they all arrived from other sites on the same day, 2 on order and just one I’ve no idea about. Z is not going to be an easy find.

      lol on the varied posts….apart from planned posts now and again it’s usually whatever comes into my mind at the time. My mind can be a real jumbley mess – a bit like your interpretation of hugger mugger…..Warm and cozy but a bit crowded

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    1. Not sure how I’d cope if there was no reading material available- go round the bend I think. We have been lucky in having click and collect as well as a courier service available from the library which has kept us going.

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    1. Actually Elizabeth I’ve been doing it all year……have a look at ‘books read’ then read 19/20 and you’ll see how far I’ve come. Just haven’t said much about it, having read 17 there’s only nine to go until the 26 a – z of titles is finished.
      Funny you should mention numerals/numbers because I was think about that as an idea for next year. I did read 1984 many years ago but there nothing to stop me reading it again….is there😊

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