Poem of the week

Hysteria

As she laughed I was aware of becoming involved
in her laughter and being part of it, until her
teeth were only accidental stars with a talent
for squad-drill. I was drawn in by short gasps,
inhaled at each momentary recovery, lost finally
in the dark caverns of her throat, bruised by
the ripple of unseen muscles. An elderly waiter
with trembling hands was hurriedly spreading
a pink and white checked cloth over the rusty
green iron table, saying: "If the lady and
gentleman wish to take their tea in the garden,
if the lady and gentleman wish to take their
tea in the garden ..." I decided that if the
shaking of her breasts could be stopped, some of
the fragments of the afternoon might be collected,
and I concentrated my attention with careful
subtlety to this end.

T.S. Eliot

Oh! It's the 8th January already! Sorry about my long absence, but I've not been doing a lot of reading this past few weeks, and I'm having a bit of a battle deciding which route I'm going to travel on my reading journey this year.

Having spent the better part of last year reading new books and mainly fiction, I'm wondering if I should continue in this way, or break out and read nothing but biography for the next few months. No, that doesn't really appeal.

I will say this though. I am not buying anymore books until Easter. Yes, my brain is already scoffing at this idea, but seriously I can neither afford, nor do I need, to buy more books. I have enough to last for many, many years!

So - where will I be taking you this year? Well, I've already promised you a wander round Yugoslavia with Rebecca West, and on top of that I thought we might visit some classics, and go back into history to spend some time with Kings and princes. Also, I have caught Mitfordmania, and will be indulging this with letters from Debo, Decca, Nancy and all the rest. Pictures might be more forthcoming too, as I got a lovely digital camera for Christmas!

So, at the moment, I am reading 'The Book Thief' for book club, which I love, and I'm dipping into 'In Tearing Haste' which conjures bright pictures of life as described by Patrick Leigh Fermor and Deborah Devonshire. I think I shall have to create a reading list, so I don't lose my way over the next few months. Expect lots of classics - actually I think as today is the anniversary of the birth of Wilkie Collins (1824) I should dig out 'The Woman in White'!

Happy reading everyone!!!