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Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

1.Yard work
2. Tagged book. A great pick of the #NYRBbookclub
3.Jennifer Jason Leigh
Thanks for tag @TheSpineView
#wonderouswednesday

Eggs

TheSpineView You're welcome! 🌞😊😘 4y

Eggs 💗💗 Jennifer Jason Leigh 💗💗 4y

Leftcoastzen @Eggs right?! Sometimes wacky but wonderful. 4y

47 likes3 comments

merelybookish

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

One upside to slogging through War & Peace earlier in the year is it makes every week feel like a good reading week!
Read
📗Hons and Rebels
🎧Know My Name
Current
📗Underground Railroad
🎧Hamnet
Ongoing
📗 The Revolution Starts at Home
📗 Titus Andronicus (that cover sums up my feelings perfectly) #shakespearereadalong
Bailed
🎧 Listen, Slowly (I live with three self-absorbed kids. I can't listen to another one.)
#bookreport @Cinfhen

Cinfhen Hehehehe 😁😁I‘m really curious about

Hamnet

merelybookish @Cinfhen I like it so far however I'm starting to notice the plot. And that can be a problem for me 4y

Cinfhen Uh oh 😬 hope it doesn‘t disappoint 4y

Cathythoughts Nice reading week 👍🏻 I want to read the tagged book & Hamnet &. Know My Name ... (edited) 4y

62 likes4 comments

merelybookish

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

pick

A PSA: Avoid buying cheap used copies online. 🤦
The book may have fallen apart, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment. The Mitfords are fascinating, and Jessica's clear-eyed insider description of her family and elopement had me hooked. I'm sorry I missed the #nyrbbookclub discussion but glad I read it nonetheless. Just wish I had a nicer copy! @vivastory @Reviewsbylola

vivastory Buying pre-owned books online can always be a bit risky, especially if the seller is less than honest about the condition. 😬 Glad to hear you still managed to squeeze a good read out of it, despite the shape of the book! 4y

Texreader Oh my gosh!! 4y

Reviewsbylola I‘m glad you made it through! I probably would have been too annoyed. 4y

67 likes3 comments

Billypar

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

pick

#nyrbbookclub
Jessica Mitford's memoir is full of contradictions that make it hard to classify. She comes from wealth but struggles to make ends meet with her young husband after abdicating family security. There were so many brilliant comedic moments, yet the build-up to WW2 constantly threatens and two of her sisters support the Nazis. Her family is crazy, but her writing is a sober chronicle of her misadventures with the driest wit 👇

Billypar With so many extraordinary episodes, the clear-headed, rational tone really worked for me- it was the eye in the center of a hurricane. The comic descriptions were so well -timed and intricate in their phrasing that I was laughing in spite of the bleakness of the build-up to the war. I enjoyed everything about this: I was disappointed to finish it after the discussion but loved reading everyone's thoughts! @Reviewsbylola @vivastory 4y

vivastory What a thoughtful review! I agree about the comic descriptions. I found myself laughing several times. Hope you can join us in August! 4y

LeahBergen Wonderful review! I highly recommend reading Nancy Mitford‘s The Pursuit of Love after this. Jessica said her sister‘s earlier novel paved the way for her own writing about her family (and it‘s hilarious and poignant, too). 😊 4y

See All 18 Comments

erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve not read but you‘ve written a fabulous review. Makes me want to read it. 👍 4y

Tanisha_A This is a brilliant review, I feel like reading it. 🙂 4y

Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻✨I see I have it stacked already 4y

RohitSawant Terrific review! Stacking! 4y

batsy Wonderfully put! I agree completely. 4y

Billypar @vivastory Thanks! I definitely wasn't expecting it to be funny given the subject matter, but I'm also new to the Mitford's. Looking forward to August's pick! 4y

Billypar @LeahBergen Thanks! I stacked Pursuit of Love - I'm interested in seeing how closely the fictionalized Mitford's correspond with the descriptions in this one. 4y

Billypar Thanks @erzascarletbookgasm @Tanisha_A @Cathythoughts @rohit-sawant ! This is probably not one I would have picked up on my own but I'm glad I did. 4y

Billypar @batsy Thanks! This was one of my favorite nyrb's - I didn't know anything about the Mitford's previously. 4y

Leftcoastzen Love your review!Her voice , her tone! I read her American Way of Death years ago ,same wonderful voice. I keep wanting to capture what it is.Her directness ,deft description of subtle things in life ,and giving the reader credit that they are intelligent enough to get it. 4y

Reviewsbylola Fantastic review and I love the picture! 4y

Billypar @Leftcoastzen It's so true - I had a hard time describing what I liked about her voice specifically. I don't think 'intricate' is quite right because it's also very economic, but she can somehow get across these wry and complex observations in very few words. 4y

Billypar @Reviewsbylola Thanks! I enjoyed looking at the family photos - the public image is very much at odds with what we witness in the memoir. 4y

Suet624 Wow. I wish I had loved the book as much as you did. I kept thinking the material was interesting but I couldn‘t get past her family‘s wealth and approval of the Nazis. 4y

Billypar @Suet624 I did think it was fascinating how Jessica acquired her political convictions in spite of the influences of her parents and sisters. 4y

51 likes1 stack add18 comments

sisilia

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

pick

3⭐️ I enjoyed the start (crazy chilhood!) and the end (an elegy for Esmond) of this autobio; but I couldn‘t stand the middle part where she highlighted how ignorant and reckless these upper-class youngsters were. “No one had ever explained to me that you had to pay for electricity” because she thought that “electricity is an Act of God”? 🙄

46 likes

Suet624

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

so-so

I‘ve been puzzled over my reaction to this book. My fellow NYRB readers gave it many thumbs up. Mitford offers an interesting view of her family and her own early years. Much of it normally would have been right up my alley: eccentric family, fascists vs communists, English vs. US approach to life, love. For me, though, it was a very flat retelling with no emotion presented despite some very obvious reasons to be emotional! All surface, no depth.

51 likes

merelybookish

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

My book club/buddy reading this summer has been lagging! 🙈 Time to do some catch-up!

#nyrbbookclub @vivastory @Reviewsbylola
#shakespearereadalong @Graywacke

Graywacke Life and all that? Hoping you‘re enjoying. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke Yes life. Got away this weekend. Nice to have a change of scene. I did finish and added my thoughts to the thread. 😬 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish that‘s a really nice reason. Appreciated you note of sanity over there. 🙂 4y

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merelybookish @Graywacke Haha. Thanks. Who know you were all such gluttons for gore. 😆 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish I know! 😂 4y

batsy @merelybookish @Graywacke 🙈😂 4y

merelybookish @batsy You too? 😛 4y

batsy @merelybookish *guilty nod* 4y

Graywacke @batsy 🤣🤣🤣 4y

Reviewsbylola I hope you enjoy it! 4y

merelybookish @Reviewsbylola Thanks! Enjoying so far. 4y

67 likes11 comments

The Duchess of Windsor: Memoirs of a Friend

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Question No. 5 #nyrbbookclub

@vivastory @GatheringBooks @sprainedbrain @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @emilyhaldi @youneverarrived @MicheleinPhilly @mklong @Suet624 @merelybookish @saresmoore @batsy @BarbaraBB @Liz_M @Theaelizabet

Theaelizabet That quote from Nancy is intriguing. She was largely out of the house during Jessica's upbringing and I've no real sense of her relationship with the rest of them. There was a new biography of the sisters published recently. I'd love to read it for an in-depth understanding of that family.

And I'm still in Jessica's world, so I guess I'm drawn to her. Who wouldn't admire someone that chose to move from “Hon“ to “Rebel.“ 4y

Reviewsbylola Yes, I‘ve always been drawn to Decca. Her book The American Way of Death Revisited had such an impact on me. And I love Nancy‘s fiction, as well as Nancy‘s acerbic wit in general. @Theaelizabet 4y

vivastory @Theaelizabet @reviewsbylola I posted a link to a recent video interview with Laura Thompson if you're interested 4y

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Theaelizabet @vivastory I'd love to watch that, thanks! @Reviewsbylola I've yet to read Nancy's novels, but believe I will soon do so. In fact, I think I may fall down a “Mitford hole“ for a bit. 4y

vivastory This was my first experience with the Mitfords & I'm planning on checking out more. I def want to read “American Way of Death“ & “Love in a Cold Climate“ has been on my TBR forever 4y

Theaelizabet @vivastory Don't miss Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking, which came out in 1979. That was my first exposure to her. 4y

LeahBergen @Theaelizabet And Poison Penmanship is an NYRB. 😄 @vivastory 4y

Theaelizabet @LeahBergen I didn't know that!! I need that edition, too, don't you think? 😁 4y

LeahBergen I find myself most enamoured with whichever Mitford I‘m currently reading about. 😆😆 Nancy and Decca are obvious faves and Debo pretty much singlehandedly returned Chatsworth to its former glory (while writing little articles about chickens for her local newspapers 😆). Nancy nicknamed her “Nine” because she said that was her mental age. 😂 4y

LeahBergen @Theaelizabet Most definitely! 😆 4y

vivastory @LeahBergen That nickname 😂 I was totally unaware that Poison Penmanship is a NYRB. Thanks for the tip! 4y

Theaelizabet @LeahBergen “Nancy nicknamed her “Nine“ because she said that was her mental age.“ Oh my gosh...this family!!! I'm definitely going to have to read more about all of them! 4y

Reviewsbylola Ahahahahahahahaha that nickname is so Nancy. @LeahBergen She would be a tough sister to get along with I think, but I just love her! (edited) 4y

Reviewsbylola I def will have to get that NYRB! @Theaelizabet @LeahBergen 4y

Reviewsbylola The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate are both must reads. I actually bought Folio editions of both recently that I found used. @vivastory 4y

vivastory @Reviewsbylola Nice! I dream of finding a bookstore well stocked with gently owned Folios. I should start browsing ebay. My obsession on there recently have been the Powell's Indiespensable slipcase editions. 4y

Reviewsbylola @viva story I usually have good luck on Abe Books if I‘m looking for a specific Folio. I‘m trying to talk myself out of buying the Folio edition of this book thanks to @LeahBergen 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 4y

LeahBergen You neeeed it. 😆 4y

LeahBergen @vivastory Modern Library also has a nice little 2-in-1 volume. 4y

vivastory @LeahBergen Thanks for the tip! I'll probably get that volume. 4y

GatheringBooks This is a great question. I connected with absolutely no one; this is such an alien reality, and reminded me oh-so-starkly of the snooty, condescending British colleague I used to have, who shoots down students and colleagues alike with double-edged words that she feels nobody is able to get, peppered with “dears” and poisonous smiles, that everything about her just made more sense after reading this memoir. 4y

Reviewsbylola Hahaha I have a sister that lives in London and I love her British friends but I can so see what you mean. They‘re really into double edged words over there. 😆 @GatheringBooks 4y

Liz_M @GatheringBooks Agreed. I find the family magnetic -- on the surface charming and attractive, but if you think about their attitudes applied in reality, it's repulsive. 4y

Suet624 Like @gatheringbooks I found none of them appealing. I feel a bit out of touch with others here who want to read more about them. :)))) I'm happy to have finished the book and be done with that family. Most of them represent many things I abhor. 4y

Suet624 @vivastory I have several years worth of those slipcase editions. I had no idea people were selling them on ebay. 4y

vivastory @Suet624 Yep! So far I've received the Boyne and the Hustvedt. I should receive Gabe Habash's in a few days. 4y

Suet624 @vivastory I wish I could still afford ordering that subscription package. 4y

vivastory @Suet624 If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost? I've thought of subscribing before, but the boxes were always sold out when I looked 4y

Suet624 @vivastory $45 for each box. A box came about every 6 to 8 weeks. 4y

vivastory @Suet624 That is a lot. If I did sign up I'd cancel botm. 4y

vivastory @Suet624 So I just looked at Powell's site and I did a thing...😬😂 4y

Suet624 @vivastory oh I‘m so happy for you! You‘re going to really enjoy it. And I‘m very happy for Powell‘s too. 4y

vivastory @Suet624 I really shouldn't have, but I have really been saving a ton of money since lockdown by not being able to go anywhere. Plus, I really do love their slipcases & all of the selections have been books that have sounded interesting. 4y

Suet624 @vivastory they used to include really cool items in the boxes. Powell‘s swag was particularly fun. 4y

Leftcoastzen Decca of course, she wanted to fight in Spain , she ran away ! She resisted expectations of her family. 4y

batsy I have great fondness for Decca, of course. For the reasons @Leftcoastzen mentioned. It seemed like she struggled intensely with fitting in with her family. Her prose style may seem cool and lacking heat/emotion in 2020 because we live in an era where oversharing is the norm, but her actions in leaving them behind to fight for the politics she believed in speaks louder than words, I think... 4y

batsy @Theaelizabet I feel like Nancy was quite distant or removed from what was going on so I didn't get a handle on her, as well. But it does suggest that maybe Nancy too needed her distance from this family. I do love the two Love novels of hers I've read, so I think she's a remarkable writer. I can understand why Decca might have found her a bit too icy or cruel, or perhaps intimidating. 4y

mklong @batsy I think you nailed it with intimidating. Even from the intro, Decca notes that the only sister‘s opinion who she really wanted was Nancy‘s. Throughout, it seems there are times she wants to reach out to Nancy or her “what a set” but is afraid they won‘t take her seriously. 4y

batsy @mklong Yes, I think the age difference lends itself to that. There's a 15-year gap between myself and my oldest brother and growing up I did see him as a distant, intimidating figure! Not anymore I don't think 😆 4y

rubyslippersreads @Reviewsbylola I found used Folio editions of those on eBay, so will have to move them up the TBR list. 4y

rubyslippersreads I think I‘ll need to read more about the sisters before I can decide if I feel close to any of them (if then). I‘m fascinated, but I‘m not sure that translates into quite liking any of them. Well, maybe Pamela wanting to be a horse. 😄 4y

rubyslippersreads @Liz_M @GatheringBooks Magnetic but repulsive is a good description. 😏 4y

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen In browsing Amazon, I see that Diana wrote a biography of the Duchess of Windsor. 😳

40 likes43 comments

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Question No. 4 #nyrbbookclub

@vivastory @GatheringBooks @sprainedbrain @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @emilyhaldi @youneverarrived @MicheleinPhilly @mklong @Suet624 @merelybookish @saresmoore @batsy @BarbaraBB @Liz_M @Theaelizabet

Theaelizabet I've thought about this book for days. I think this book was her chance to say good bye to Esmond and to leave something of him to the world. It's about her family only to the extent that it helps the reader understand the world she was fleeing and sets the stage for her relationship with him. It's largely unsentimental (who puts their husband's death in a footnote?!), almost journalistic, in fact, until that last paragraph. This book gutted me. 4y

vivastory @Theaelizabet Well said. I agree. It was only 3 years later that she published American Way of Death, so I think journalistic is a good way to describe it. Very lively journalism. 4y

LeahBergen I‘m with @Theaelizabet here. This book is dedicated to the Donk (her daughter with Esmond) even though she went on to remarry an American civil rights lawyer and have two more sons. I see it as a journalistic ‘love letter‘ (if you will) to her lost husband and a poignant record left for their daughter. 4y

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Reviewsbylola I think journalistic makes great sense too, given her writing style in general. And Esmond‘s death as a footnote makes a lot of sense when you consider she was mostly interested in focusing on their life together. @Theaelizabet @vivastory @LeahBergen 4y

GatheringBooks @Theaelizabet totally agree. I think more than a family portrait, this is a love story. The last few pages, with the naïveté, vulnerability, and hijinks - I managed to connect to Mitford somewhat, allowing me to suspend my judgments and distaste, and just witness her heart being broken, and be with her as she shared her love for Esmond in a guileless, matter-of-fact manner. It was the last few chapters that saved the entire narrative for me. 4y

GatheringBooks @LeahBergen ooh love this tidbit of information. She sure is attracted to strong-willed men who are advocates for the marginalized. 4y

Liz_M Sorry, but I might need to rant a bit -- couldn't decide if it was more appropriate in question 4 or 5. I have many issues with how Nancy & Jessica depict their upbringing and their privilege. But I think what grates on me the most is how Jessica denigrates herself and seems to delight in portraying herself as stupid and useless. At least Cher/Clueless and Elle/Legally Blonde are satire. I really hope she moved beyond needing that safety screen. 4y

Suet624 @Theaelizabet I know, right???? A footnote!!! I hadn't read Hitchens' piece because I didn't want to know the story before I read it. His death came as a shock to me. All the time I've grown to know him through the book and then bam.
4y

Suet624 I have a complicated relationship with this book. I disliked the first half intensely. The privilege of these people was difficult for me. Once she left home it started to become more interesting. However, I learned more about Jessica through Wikipedia than I did through this book. I felt very removed from her because she was so emotionless. It was a very dry recounting of her life with very little emotion. (cont..)
(edited) 4y

Suet624 The person who interested me the most was her husband and she just drop kicked him right out of the book. Her sister is unsuccessful in a suicide attempt and there is no emotion shown. I'm glad I read about what Jessica ended up doing because it's clear she cared about people but I would not know that from reading this book. 4y

Reviewsbylola I think it‘s definitely indicative of both her British aristocratic upbringing as well as her journalistic background that this book is so devoid of emotion. @Suet624 4y

batsy @Theaelizabet @LeahBergen I agree, completely. It resonated with me what Hitchens said in his intro about it being a kind of love letter to Esmond. She did grow up as a person with him by her side. 4y

rubyslippersreads @batsy @Theaelizabet @LeahBergen @Suet624 I also waited to read the Hitchens intro, but a love letter to Esmond seems a perfect description. 4y

26 likes13 comments

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Question No. 3 #nyrbbookclub

@vivastory @GatheringBooks @sprainedbrain @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @emilyhaldi @youneverarrived @MicheleinPhilly @mklong @Suet624 @merelybookish @saresmoore @batsy @BarbaraBB @Liz_M @Theaelizabet

Theaelizabet I'm not really sure that I know the answer to any of these questions, but she absolutely left me with some sympathy for Boud and none for Diana. Interesting. 4y

Reviewsbylola I thought it was interesting that she said she was closest to Unity, and yet Unity shooting herself in the face was just a mere mention. Almost as if Unity had died to her years before. And I agree, it‘s hard to find sympathy with someone so integral to the Nazi regime, and yet there‘s something about Unity that makes her such a tragic figure that‘s not present with Diana. @Theaelizabet 4y

Theaelizabet @Reviewsbylola “Almost as if Unity had died to her years before.“ So true! This entire question may send me back to book to chart the answer. Thanks! 4y

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Reviewsbylola Decca almost seemed to view her entire family that way once she ran away. She strikes me as a very unsentimental person, or maybe just extremely private with her feelings. Any difficult partings in the book were very sparingly written about. @Theaelizabet 4y

LeahBergen Unity is such a tragic figure. She never recovered (the bullet was never removed) and then she died just a few years later. 4y

Reviewsbylola She really was. Maybe she‘s easier to sympathize with because she felt the need to put a gun to her face for Hitler and died such an untimely death. @LeahBergen 4y

LeahBergen And she was portrayed as such a big, gallumphing naughty schoolgirl who could drive away any governess. 😆 4y

GatheringBooks At their core, they are both impressionable, strong-willed, decisive, unyielding individuals. They love each other fiercely but also have gone so far apart in their ideals that in the end they are unable to recognize each other even while there is still shared history & affection. I see this kind of divide between me and my closest friends with the political situation in my home country, the Philippines, and it threatens 40 years of friendship. 4y

Reviewsbylola That aspect of Unity really surprised me. I guess I‘ve always viewed her as very meek. I have no idea why that is! Clearly I was wrong. @LeahBergen 4y

Liz_M @GatheringBooks well said! 4y

Liz_M I was a bit confounded with all of the familial relationships. As children, Diana was Decca's favorite sister and Boud was her biggest rival. Perhaps as they grew up, she was able to respect Boud's constancy -- that she was the same strong-willed person (and rival) as a child and adult, while Jessica felt that Diana betrayed her- turning from an alley into an enemy. 4y

Suet624 @Reviewsbylola I wondered too about how she wrote about her sisters. She seemingly glossed over some very important parts of her sisters' lives. Then I began to wonder if it was the British in her that was showing. Stiff upper lip and all. 4y

Suet624 I felt no sympathy for any of the sisters involved in the Nazi regime. I'm not sure that Milford helped me with that at all. I have to wonder if her future life's work was an effort to make up for her family's abysmal track record. 4y

Reviewsbylola There are still so many unanswered questions in that regard—I need to dive into another Mitford biography to really understand the complexity of the siblings and their relationships with one another. @Suet624 4y

rubyslippersreads From what little I‘d read about the Mitfords before this, I thought Diana was the only one involved with the Nazis. It seems to me that Diana was able to keep some control over her life (although she went to prison), whereas Unity couldn‘t. 4y

rubyslippersreads @Suet624 It‘s too bad Decca wasn‘t brave enough to carry out her assassination plan. 4y

rubyslippersreads Also, has anyone else read the novel Decca said was about Boud?

Wigs on the Green

Suet624 @rubyslippersreads divine retribution 🥴 4y

28 likes18 comments

Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate: Two Novels (1994)

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Question No. 2 #nyrbbookclub

@vivastory @GatheringBooks @sprainedbrain @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @emilyhaldi @youneverarrived @MicheleinPhilly @mklong @Suet624 @merelybookish @saresmoore @batsy @BarbaraBB @Liz_M @Theaelizabet

Theaelizabet So saith the Fascist. From Hitchens's intro: “Do you ever hear from Diana?“ I once inquired of Decca. “We sort of bowed to each other from a great distance at dear Nancy's funeral,“ she replied glacially, “but apart from that it's been absolute non-speakers ever since Munich.“ This is not a family you want to mess with, though having read Jessica's journalism, I'm willing to believe her account.
4y

Reviewsbylola It‘s wild to me how closely the sisters grew up, how vastly different their political stances became as adults, and thus how distant they became. It‘s so sad, but I have to agree that I‘m not sure I could have a close relationship with a fascist sibling. @Theaelizabet 4y

vivastory @Reviewsbylola I completely agree. 4y

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Theaelizabet @Reviewsbylola “...not sure I could have a close relationship with a fascist sibling.“ Right?! 4y

LeahBergen I really didn‘t find Decca‘s portraits of her parents any worse than how they were portrayed in Nancy‘s fiction. 4y

Reviewsbylola Totally agree. Diana seems to have a bone to pick with Decca and thus willing to find fault with anything Decca did or said. @LeahBergen 4y

LeahBergen Those fascists and those communists just can‘t get along. 😆 4y

GatheringBooks @Theaelizabet good point & while i have not read any of nancy‘s fiction, I tend to agree with @LeahBergen that the portrayal did not seem unduly negative. If anything, her fondness for her family shone through with the fact that she can make fun of them and still get away with it; there seems to be a lot of affection, but also a kind of longing for something different in her growing up years. Writing seems to be her way of making meaning of this. 4y

Leftcoastzen I haven‘t read Diana , probably should , I thought Deccas description of her parents showed fondness but pointed out their odd qualities. 4y

Liz_M Given how well aligned Jessica's book is to Nancy's tagged novels, I am inclined disagree with Diana's criticism.

(edited) 4y

Suet624 @Theaelizabet That was exactly my thought but you said it better: “so saith the Fascist“. 4y

Suet624 I thought Decca's description of her parents was tame. More than that, I was surprised how she could write so unemotionally about her sister's love for Hitler and her other sister getting married with Goebbels at the wedding. And then Boud's final actions. Good Lord. What a mess! I thought my siblings were bad! She has me beat. 4y

Reviewsbylola I was also surprised at how unemotional Decca was about it. I would assume it would be devastating to be such an insular family that was so close and then everyone just went their own ways. However Decca truly felt about the division from her family, she didn‘t seem overly sentimental about it in the book. @Suet624 4y

batsy @Suet624 @Suet624 Same! 4y

batsy @Suet624 @Reviewsbylola I felt like Decca kept to her journalistic mode, and maybe that stiff upper lip, to write a memoir that was like reportage. But you get glimpses of emotion towards the end. It's very different from contemporary memoirs where the author's thoughts and emotions are front and centre. 4y

batsy It's interesting how siblings can see their parents differently; when they narrate stories from the past, it takes on a different meaning depending on who's doing the telling. I think a fascist might view her aristocratic parents differently from her leftist sister. I'm inclined to believe Decca that her parents were grotesque (although she refrained from overt hostility imo) & as @LeahBergen said, seems apiece with how Nancy fictionalised them. 4y

mklong Yeah not surprising that we all disagree with the Fascist! While Decca does write with warmth and humor about her parents, I think a lot of that humor is perhaps making light in adulthood, things that weren‘t nearly so light when she was a child 4y

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen Which I can‘t wait to read more of. 4y

27 likes18 comments

The Man who Loved Children

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Question No. 1 #nyrbbookclub

@vivastory @GatheringBooks @sprainedbrain @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @emilyhaldi @youneverarrived @MicheleinPhilly @mklong @Suet624 @merelybookish @saresmoore @batsy @BarbaraBB @Liz_M @Theaelizabet

vivastory Her experience of class didn't particularly resonate with me, but I found it interesting to read about. 4y

Theaelizabet @vivastory Agreed. The British class system, to the extent that I can wrap my mind around it, is always a puzzle to me. 4y

vivastory @Theaelizabet It's a diff experience from Americans, but I think it's terribly disingenuous when I hear people (usually politicians & talking heads) say that class doesn't exist in America. Usually people who say that have enough money that they don't have to worry about class 😂 4y

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Theaelizabet @vivastory Absolutely! There's definitely a class system here.The British have just had longer to codify theirs. And they seem much more upfront about it. 4y

vivastory @Theaelizabet I think that's exactly it. It's that they're self-aware of their class system. 4y

Reviewsbylola The British class system seems way less caught up in money and more about birthright. It absolutely fascinates me. But I don‘t get the intricacies at all! @vivastory @Theaelizabet 4y

vivastory @Reviewsbylola That's a great point. In the British class system you can have land and property but still be broke. 4y

Leftcoastzen What I liked is obviously the parents were odd enough to encourage their daughters to follow their interests and use their brains, so they were not just interested in deb balls and an appropriate marriage. 4y

Reviewsbylola @vivastory I read a fascinating book about it earlier this year. It focused on British men, who all had titles but had lost all their money, so they would find American heiresses who were after the titles and had their own money to bring along. 😆

To Marry an English Lord

Reviewsbylola The parents definitely seemed very eccentric. And almost hypocritical in the way they raised their daughters. On the one hand they seemed to encourage their daughters being outspoken but then didn‘t think there was any use in actually educating them. @Leftcoastzen 4y

Liz_M I read this book this week and have no memory of the Viola Smythe incident ☹️. Some of the class snobbishness and ability to love and make decisions without consequences is familiar to me. I agree that in the US class is more about money than pedigree. 4y

Liz_M This book (and Nancy's novels) remind me so much of the tagged novel and the differences between the two really highlight how behavior that is "eccentric" in the rich is depicted as neglect/abuse if the family is poor.

Reviewsbylola Oooooh thanks for the rec! I just stacked it. @Liz_M Have you read it @LeahBergen It seems right up your alley. 4y

GatheringBooks It was interesting to read everyone‘s perspectives here about class - esp as it applies in the US. From a non-White, not-US vantage, I find the way class was portrayed fascinating and alienating at the same time. I had to remind myself that this was published in the 60s yet this antiquated codified system of perceiving the world and the affectations of aristocracy and entitlements still apply to this day, and I find that I have no patience for it. (edited) 4y

LeahBergen Who was Viola Smythe again? 4y

LeahBergen I haven‘t read that book @Liz_M @Reviewsbylola . I‘m off to check it out. 😄 4y

Suet624 No recollection at all about Viola Smythe. I imagine maybe it was at the beginning of the book and it took me so long to read it that I've forgotten. :) I appreciate the comments above. I honestly had so much trouble with the class issue that the first half of the book drove me nuts. I have a particular problem with rich people who give their children pet names. The parents were certainly old school - angry father and missing mother. 4y

Reviewsbylola Viola was just a brief mention. A girl at school that Decca befriended but Decca‘s mom would not allow Decca to accept an invitation at Viola‘s house because her family was middle class. @Suet624 @LeahBergen @Liz_M 4y

LeahBergen @Reviewsbylola Oh, that‘s right! I momentarily confused her with the “poor pen pal” who she thought she‘d help by getting her hired on as their maid. Wasn‘t that part uncomfortable???? 😬😬 4y

Suet624 @LeahBergen oh boy, that was sooo awkward. 4y

Leftcoastzen @Reviewsbylola yes , a little free range with the children for sure.And it seems they would have the funds to focus more on the sisters education. 4y

Reviewsbylola Oh lord, yes, the pen pal. Decca‘s heart was certainly in the right place but wow. 🙃 @LeahBergen 4y

batsy @LeahBergen That part made me cringe! 4y

batsy The class system in UK seems super codified by birth, I guess? I liked Decca's honesty towards the ed; her clear eyed assessment about how the leftism of her husband and those of their ilk were probably enabled by their class circumstances. Whereas for those from working class backgrounds, it was literal life or death. 4y

rubyslippersreads @Reviewsbylola @vivastory I read that book after I found out Julian Fellowes used it in his research for Downton Abbey. 4y

rubyslippersreads @Liz_M Another book to add to my TBR list. 4y

25 likes26 comments

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Join us in approximately 40 minutes (1PM EST) for our discussion of Hons & Rebels! #nyrbbookclub

@BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @MicheleinPhilly @GatheringBooks @saresmoore @sisilia @vivastory @Suet624 @Theaelizabet

vivastory 👏🎉📚 4y

Leftcoastzen 👍👏📚 4y

Theaelizabet 👏 👏 👏 4y

See All 6 Comments

LeahBergen Woohoo! 👏🏻👏🏻 4y

Billypar I'm bummed I missed this discussion because this was one of my favorite nyrb's. My reading ground to a halt after a tough week, so I just finished it. Loved reading everyone's thoughts on Decca's family and exploits with her husband! 4y

Reviewsbylola I‘m so glad you enjoyed it!! And that has happened to me countless times. I hope your week improves. ❤️ @Billypar 4y

42 likes6 comments

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

#NYRBBookClub Welcome to the USA!NYC style. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/lpc/downloads/pdf/announcements/Shelton%20Hotel%20Fi...

vivastory Includes a library 📚📚📚 4y

LeahBergen Oh, cool! 4y

39 likes2 comments

batsy

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

pick

This was delightful, witty, probing, & irreverent. I find the Mitfords fascinating & Jessica seems similarly amazed & bemused by her own family. Her own inclination towards socialist politics & her later ruminations about how her beloved sister fell headlong into fascism were touching, & it also leaves her with questions. She has a sharp yet forgiving eye that breathes life into the people she writes about. I grew to love "Decca". #nyrbbookclub

batsy @Reviewsbylola @vivastory 4y

Tanisha_A Lovely photo and review. 🌺 4y

Leftcoastzen Lovely review! 4y

See All 19 Comments

saresmoore Excellent review and I agree completely! 4y

vivastory Stellar review & I love the photo. Looking forward to the discussion! 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Great review 👍 4y

Reviewsbylola So glad you enjoyed it. I‘m completely fascinated by these sisters. 4y

batsy @Tanisha_A @Leftcoastzen @saresmoore @vivastory @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you! 💜 4y

batsy @Reviewsbylola Such a good pick. They are just so incredible to read about. (Living with them might have been another matter 😆) 4y

MemoirsForMe Great review, as always! 👍🏻 4y

CarolynM I completely agree with you about this one. I've just read through all the comments in the group discussion - fascinating to see everyone's views. 4y

batsy @UwannaPublishme Thank you! 4y

batsy @CarolynM Glad we agree :) I was just looking at the discussion and commenting, as well. As always a lively and interesting one! 4y

RohitSawant Fantastic review! Love this pic 💚 4y

Suet624 I feel as if I read a different book than you did. 😂😂 i feel like a grumpy curmudgeon. 4y

rubyslippersreads Great review. I enjoyed the book and plan to dive headfirst into the Mitford “rabbit hole.” 4y

batsy @rohit-sawant Thank you 🙂 4y

batsy @Suet624 Aww, no! They're a lot to take, the Mitfords 😆 4y

batsy @rubyslippersreads Thank you! I want to, as well :) 4y

101 likes5 stack adds19 comments

sisilia

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Just started this for #nyrbbookclub 🙈 Loving it so far!

56 likes

batsy

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

I've really grown quite fond of Decca.

#nyrbbookclub

LeahBergen Loved this bit. 😆 4y

Cathythoughts I like this thinking.. 👍🏻✨ 4y

Leftcoastzen I love her voice . I read her American way of death years ago , it was incredibly edgy for its time , I read it long after that . When I started to read our book club pick , it was like meeting an old friend. 4y

See All 17 Comments

GingerAntics 🤣😂🤣 4y

CarolynM Have you listened to her episode of Desert Island Discs? She's wonderful and it's such a treat to hear her. 4y

Reviewsbylola @emilyhaldi @Mdargusch and I were discussing this the other day. As in, how it happened that the bill got so large before the found out about it. And I assumed that back then you were just supposed to go pay it in person and didn‘t get a bill delivered to you until it was past due. Pure conjecture on my part but we were all curious about it. 😂 4y

batsy @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts I warmed to her so much. She doesn't reveal her thoughts like in modern memoirs but these witty asides really give you a glimpse of her character! 4y

batsy @Leftcoastzen Yes, her voice is 👌🏽 Thanks for the rec; I'm going to have to look for that book! 4y

batsy @GingerAntics 😁 4y

batsy @CarolynM No, I haven't! Thank you, I'll look it up. 4y

batsy @Reviewsbylola I have the same questions! I was asking myself about when electricity would have become common usage throughout most households and if the idea of a bill for that was still so novel or strange? Or I'm chalking it up to the children of aristocrats really being massively sheltered from the day-to-day practicalities of the modern world... Lol 4y

LeahBergen @batsy Yeah, I totally wanna hang out with her now. 😆 4y

LeahBergen @Reviewsbylola Oh, has your Mom been reading it, too? I miss her on here! 😩 4y

emilyhaldi I loved this part!!!! An "act of God" ??? 4y

batsy @emilyhaldi Proper cracked me up 😂 4y

Rissreads 🤣😂🧡 4y

Reviewsbylola She read it a long time ago. Which we only know because Goodreads tells us it is so. 😆 And I know, I miss her on here too!! @LeahBergen 4y

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Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Cool, Beverly Nichols! Though I read political books I haven‘t read Cry Havoc.I always remember him for his garden books like Down the Garden Path (1932)Cats A.B.C (1960)Green Grows the City (1939)
#NYRBBookClub

LeahBergen Yes, I didn‘t know (or didn‘t remember 😆) that he wrote political books. 4y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen One of my first thoughts was you knew him and have some of his books.I worked with a publisher years ago who reprinted some of them.😀 4y

LeahBergen I actually have a couple of his books (but have yet to read him 😆). 4y

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batsy

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Ah, the allure of the Maiden Aunt!

Jessica Mitford's writing does not disappoint, though I am sat here filled with anxiety about Muv's Good Body theory and how that would hold up in the year of the pandemic 😳

#NYRBbookclub @vivastory @Reviewsbylola

BarbaraBB No NYRB without a maiden heroine 😉 4y

Liz_M @BarbaraBB Ha! Or a problematic young woman.... 4y

batsy @BarbaraBB Ahaha! Yes indeed 😎 4y

See All 14 Comments

Reviewsbylola I was totally thinking about the pandemic aspect too! And just the miracle that none of her kids were horribly maimed or died. 4y

LeahBergen The “bits of bread” thing was horrifying! 😱 4y

Leftcoastzen It‘s so amazing how current events influence our reading, that good body theory freaked me out , & undoing the doctor‘s work after you have paid for it .Those Crazy Brits!😂 4y

heikemarie My sisters and I are all determined to be the maiden aunt but none of us is willing to sacrifice themselves and have kids the others can be an aunt to 😂 4y

batsy @Reviewsbylola I know! I was in a constant state of anxiety. Especially Decca being made to move and use her broken arm within days 😰 4y

batsy @LeahBergen I might have let out a little yell at that! 4y

batsy @Leftcoastzen I'm so glad that (so far) most things worked out in the end for the Good Bodies involved! 4y

batsy @heikemarie Hahaha! My eldest sister has made thar sacrifice so my other sister and I are breathing easy for now 😂 Though I wish I'd worked harder on my own obscure, mysterious Maiden Aunt mythological back story when my nephews and niece were younger... 4y

Leftcoastzen @batsy 😂a bit looney the lot of them.🤪 4y

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen That, plus Decca having her appendix out right there in the nursery. 😳 (edited) 4y

batsy @rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen Debo paying her a pound to hold on to it 🤢 4y

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Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

So in Chapter 3 I had to look this up !🙂Nancy Mitfords friends come out to party & needed this concoction to recover.Waugh and Vile Bodies is mentioned a few pages later. #NYRBBookclub

LeahBergen I looked that up, too! 4y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen with what we read , I‘m a little surprised we didn‘t know already. 😂 4y

batsy I just got here and needed to look it up too, so thanks! 😆 4y

See All 7 Comments

Reviewsbylola Sounds like quite the elixir! 4y

Leftcoastzen @Reviewsbylola 🤪 4y

rubyslippersreads Vile Bodies, as opposed to Muv‘s Good Body Theory. 😏 4y

Leftcoastzen @rubyslippersreads 😂Yes , the Good Body Theory! It‘s a wonder they all grew up. 4y

59 likes7 comments

saresmoore

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

I am about halfway through this month‘s #NYRBBookClub pick and totally captivated by Decca‘s story. She wrote with a pithy journalistic quality, but she was a truly gifted storyteller. This book has been an excellent diversion during these interminable hours of waiting for baby‘s arrival...in self-quarantine...with my mother...

Maybe my next post will have a wriggly baby in it and not my ridiculous belly button?!

vivastory Can't wait to see Clara! Hopefully you have other books to keep you blissfully distracted in the meantime! 4y

saresmoore @vivastory True to my polyandrist reading habits, I have several entertaining reads in progress. I‘ve been saving it, but I think I‘ll start the third Cromwell book soon. Mantel is so brilliant! I‘ve also done more NYTimes crossword puzzles than is probably considered healthy. 😂

The Mirror and the Light

vivastory @saresmoore I have to ask, do you think Mantel will win the Booker again for this one? 4y

See All 26 Comments

saresmoore @vivastory I haven‘t been keeping up with it this year, but my vote is to give her ALL the awards. She makes “historical fiction” look bad because she blows the whole damn genre to bits. 4y

KVanRead Yikes! Good luck!! 🍀💗 4y

KVanRead Can‘t wait to see that baby! 4y

saresmoore @KVanRead Thank you! ♥️ 4y

vivastory @saresmoore I haven't read any of her Cromwell books yet, but I loved Beyond the Black. The MB Longlist is going to be announced one week from tomorrow. Def hope to start Wolf Hall in the next couple of months 4y

Suet624 I‘m do glad you‘re enjoying this book. I am having all sorts of difficulties with it. 4y

saresmoore @vivastory I think you‘ll love it when the time feels right to read it. Her writing is so vivid and uniquely engrossing. 4y

saresmoore @Suet624 A bit heavy-handed on the privilege for you? I think I appreciate her honesty and sense of humor and what seems to be a total lack of sentiment. 4y

Suet624 Yes, way too much privilege. And Hitler. 4y

vivastory @saresmoore I'm looking forward to it, I think when I'm in the mood for a longer book it'll be terrific 4y

JennyM I was thinking of you the other day and wondering if you‘d welcomed your new addition yet. Lovely to see you are keeping well and that bump will be here very soon. Sending lots of love xxx 4y

Megabooks 🤞🏻🤞🏻 baby comes soon!! 4y

MicheleinPhilly Awww Pickle! We‘re dying to meet you already. Come out and play! 4y

paulfrankspencer Humbug ridiculous. 4y

Darklunarose Hoping baby decides to make an entrance soon. 4y

LeahBergen Come on, Clara! 😘😘 4y

Billypar Good luck - hope she doesn't delay much longer! 🤞 4y

MaureenMc 🙏🤞❤️ 4y

marleed I love your belly button! 4y

BarbaraBB 🤞🏽in what week of pregnancy are you know? 😘 4y

batsy I'm looking forward to seeing Clara, too! If she's determined to be a Leo baby then I cannot fault her taste 😁🦁 4y

Reviewsbylola The last few weeks of pregnancy seem to last forever!! Thoughts and prayers for a safe delivery. I‘m glad Decca‘s story is providing a distraction! 4y

Leftcoastzen How exciting! Hope all goes well ! Always a joy. 4y

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Billypar

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

#nyrbbookclub
I was starting to think that Mitford was having a little fun at my expense. Surely the doctor routinely chloroforming her before medical procedures is some kind of jokey elaboration on an actual memory. But I looked it up and apparently this was common practice in early 20th century Britain.

Tanisha_A 😂 ---> 😱 4y

vivastory “the usual“ chloroform-soaked...morbid, indeed. Reminds me of the shoe-fitting fluoroscope that I read of in IT. I thought it was a regional device or maybe even completely fabricated, until a couple of years later when my aunt who grew up in the midwest talked about seeing them when she was shopping for shoes during her childhood & early adolescent years. 4y

saresmoore I thought it was a joke, too! Yikes. 4y

See All 10 Comments

LeahBergen And add Muv‘s special aftercare to that. 😆 4y

Billypar @Tanisha_A My reaction as well! 4y

Billypar @vivastory Oh wow - I never heard of those! So many hazardous innovations before modern safety testing standards. Though maybe we've just swapped a few things with larger risks for a great many things with small accumulative risks? 🤔 4y

Billypar @saresmoore And just the fact that it's also administered with a handkerchief 😦 4y

Billypar @LeahBergen Ha- I know! It's like they compete for the craziest ideas about medicine. I read Muv's response and immediately wanted to post that too, but that's been my impulse on every other page of this 😅 4y

batsy @Tanisha_A Yup, that sums it up! 4y

Reviewsbylola Sounds kind of lovely. 😅 4y

43 likes10 comments

LeahBergen

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

I‘ve only finished the first chapter but I‘m already loving it (as I knew I would. Come on ... it‘s the MITFORDS).

I hope the rest of the #NYRBBookClub is enjoying it as much as I am!

#FolioSociety

mklong I‘m loving it too! 4y

Cathythoughts Sounds great 👍🏻I see I have it stacked already 4y

merelybookish Beautiful edition! I ordered a cheap one online and it is...NOT beautiful. 4y

See All 14 Comments

Billypar I'm enjoying it so much - I love her humor. What a family, lol 4y

saresmoore I am loving it! I might have to track down a Folio of this one. 4y

LeahBergen @mklong Yay! 👏🏻 4y

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts I think you‘ll like it! 4y

LeahBergen @merelybookish Oh, dear. 😆 Well, this one (used) was actually cheaper than the NYRB paperback. It was a lucky find. 4y

LeahBergen @Billypar Aren‘t they bonkers? 😆 4y

LeahBergen @saresmoore This was a cheap find for me so I imagine it wouldn‘t be too hard. 😊 4y

CarolynM Have you heard Jessica's episode of Desert Island Discs? I'm not much for podcasts but that's one I really enjoyed. 4y

LeahBergen @CarolynM No! I‘ll look it up. Thanks! 😘 4y

rubyslippersreads I have this edition too (also an eBay deal). I‘m loving it, but I have to say I‘ve never heard the term Ward in Chancery outside a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. 😊 4y

Reviewsbylola Omg Folio has an edition?! 🤯 May need to treat myself. 4y

93 likes5 stack adds14 comments

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Need to be starting this one for the #NYRBbookclub & have a library loan on Why I‘m no longer talking to White People About Race,plus still reading a Karin Slaughter, an FDR book, & Collapse by Jared Diamond 😱😱😱Too many books!📚📚📚

OriginalCyn620, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

vivastory The eternal struggle 😂 4y

LeahBergen I just started this evening! 4y

Reviewsbylola Enjoy!! 4y

47 likes3 comments

GatheringBooks

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

#BeautifulWords Day 15: The #nemesis of diet is High Tea. Jessica Mitford‘s decidedly-British upbringing as a Debutante and Esteemed Lady of the Court deserves a high tea backdrop. #NYRBBookClub Pick for July.

OriginalCyn620 ❤️❤️❤️ 4y

Reviewsbylola So perfect! ☕️ 🍰 4y

67 likes2 comments

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

pick

This was a solid pick for me. (😅) I loved the inside glimpse we got into the Mitford family. Decca is no apologist, and seems very straightforward in exposing the flaws in her family. Her favorite sister, Unity, became one of Hitler‘s closest companions, and she makes no excuses for that. I need even more books about them now. #nyrbbookclub

BarbaraBB Sounds intriguing, I‘ll have to start soon! 4y

Reviewsbylola I hope you enjoy it! @BarbaraBB 4y

BookwormM They are fascinating 4y

102 likes1 stack add3 comments

Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Getting a head start on July‘s #nyrbbookclub pick. I usually wait until the 11th hour but it wouldn‘t be right if I was scrambling to finish my own selection. 😆

LeahBergen True. 😆 4y

Reviewsbylola I am the worst when it comes to reading book club books on time. I like to have the material fresh but I often wait just a bit too long. 😆 And NYRB bc I‘m even worse because it‘s not in person. 🤦🏼‍♀️ @LeahBergen 4y

BarbaraBB And how do you like it? 4y

Reviewsbylola Really enjoying it! @BarbaraBB I love the Mitfords so I expected to like it. My intro to them was

Suet624 Starting today. I have a new job and no time to read during the week. 😔 4y

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GatheringBooks

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

#BeautifulWords Day 4: Clearly, I read for #Leisure and I take it seriously. Recent book haul. 📚💕😍

OriginalCyn620, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

OriginalCyn620 Awesome! 4y

56 likes1 comment

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

Sorry for my lack of punctuality! Here are my nominations for #nyrbbookclub.

@vivastory @emilyhaldi @sisilia @MicheleinPhilly @mklong @sprainedbrain @BarbaraBB @youneverarrived @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @saresmoore @batsy @Suet624 @Theaelizabet

sisilia I vote for

See All 21 Comments

merelybookish Can't resist the Mitfords.

GatheringBooks I vote for

Suet624 They all look great. My vote would be

Ride a Cockhorse

batsy Oooh! I'll vote for

vivastory Excellent choices! I'm going with Dud Avocado 4y

saresmoore My vote is for

MicheleinPhilly 🤔My vote is for

Leftcoastzen Oh it‘s so hard to choose, they all look great

mklong I‘ll go with

LeahBergen Oooo! This is the trickiest one yet as I own all three and they‘re all still TBR. 😆😆 Hmmm... I‘ll vote for

BarbaraBB Oooh, my favorite day of the month! I vote for

emilyhaldi I loved Dud Avocado!!! My vote is for

"This is the Zodiac Speaking": Into the Mind of a Serial Killer

Liz_M My vote is for

Ride a Cockhorse

sprainedbrain The Dud Avocado 4y

Reviewsbylola @youneverarrived and @Theaelizabet it‘s neck and neck so you two will be the deciding votes! 4y

Reviewsbylola @vivastory by my count we‘re standing at 7 for Hons & Rebels, 6 for Dud Avocado, and 2 for Cockhorse 4y

vivastory I don't think that they have been active on Litsy recently. If neither one has voted by tomorrow I think we can safely call it for Hons & Rebels. 4y

Reviewsbylola Works for me! @vivastory 4y

56 likes21 comments

Jas16

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

I was supposed to only drop donations off at the Friends of the Library bookstore yesterday but who can say no to a $7 Folio Society edition of a book you have been wanting to read?

kspenmoll 🙌🏻🙌🏻 5y

LeahBergen Nope! You can‘t! ❤️❤️ 5y

DivineDiana No one! 5y

55 likes1 stack add3 comments

Mdargusch

Hons and Rebels | Jessica Mitford

I‘m trying to be more organized with my reading challenges in 2019. This year I‘m marking down the actual prompt for each book instead of throwing the book on the shelf and trying to remember why I put it there. 🤔

Does anyone have a recommendation for a book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title?

JamieArc

Pisces

JamieArc Or anything about the zodiac killer if you‘re into true crime... 6y

Susanita

Tropic of Cancer

See All 32 Comments

Reviewsbylola Very smart. Maybe I need to try this! 6y

Lisaw13 I'm thinking of doing this one - I figured stars count as an astrology term

The Stars Now Unclaimed

Soubhiville Great idea! 6y

KarouBlue It‘s a little literal but

Zodiac

Mdargusch It says “zodiac sign” @jamiearc so I thought maybe the zodiac murders would be cheating? That‘s what I really want to read though. 6y

Mdargusch I love the cover of that book but there aren‘t many reviews. Have you read it? @JamieArc 6y

Mdargusch That sounds spicy! @Susanita 6y

Mdargusch I‘ll check into that one @Lisaw13 6y

Mdargusch Smart @MellieAntoinette - I should probably just search those words on GR and see what comes up. 6y

JamieArc @Mdargusch Pisces? It‘s on my TBR for this year. My understanding is that it is a bit bizarre. Litsy reviews seem to be quite mixed. 6y

JamieArc Check this tag for more Litsy reviews:

The Pisces: A Novel

Mdargusch I feel dumb. I searched under “Pisces” and there weren‘t many reviews. No wonder. 😂 thanks for your guidance @JamieArc 6y

Gina This is about the zodiac killer from the 60s. It got 4☆s on Amazon.

Mdargusch Thanks @Gina that looks like a good one! 6y

Shadowfat Great idea, I might try that! 6y

CarolynM Maybe

Capricornia

emilyhaldi Brilliant!! I need to get as organized as you 🙌🏻 6y

bookishdawg If you like true crime, “Zodiac” by Robert Graysmith is great! 6y

Mdargusch Thanks @bookishdawg because I love true crime! 6y

Mdargusch I like your book suggestion @CarolynM 👍🏼 that‘s definitely a different take on the zodiac. 6y

BarbaraBB

Empire of the Sun

BarbaraBB That‘s the one I‘ve planned to read for the prompt! 6y

Mdargusch Great idea! @BarbaraBB - I‘ve never read that one! There are so many books with star, sun, or moon in the title so that‘s a great direction to go in! 👍🏼 6y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks like a great lineup!!! 6y

Cinfhen Super impressive!!! I‘m reading

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party

Mdargusch Thanks for the idea @Cinfhen 👍🏼 6y

rather_be_reading great idea! 6y

Nute I think that this is a brilliant idea! A great organizational/strategic plan is often the key to success. 6y

Mdargusch I hope! So far it has been very helpful when I pull a book off my shelf because I already have forgotten what prompt it was for. 🤦🏼‍♀️ @Nute 6y

98 likes32 comments