Book recs

Now I know that this is my third post, and so you haven’t had a chance to thoroughly assess my reading preferences yet. However, I have a £20 book token and want you to tell me how I should spend it.

I’m open to any genre – especially Y.A, fantasy, literary fiction and biography. I tend to read a lot of 19th C novels, books with an LGBT slant, and anything from or about the 1920s. I’m fussy about my poetry, but I’ll try anything once. Love short stories – I’ve been meaning to invest in Katherine Mansfield’s, so maybe that should go on my list. Don’t suggest anything about the bloody Mitfords, though, because I’ve been on a glut lately and can probably recite their entire histories. Which isn’t difficult in the case of Unity – was born into crazy family, became a Nazi, tried to shoot self in head and failed, sparked rumours of carrying Hitler’s love-child, died on remote Scottish island. Unity actually gets a little sympathy from me, since she was obviously a bit messed up – Diana deserved everything she got, quite frankly. I got their collected letters from Daddy and I’m loving them, but after that, Nancy et al and me are taking a break.

I’m thinking of Libba Bray, since I haven’t read any of the Great and Terrible Beauty series, and something by Cecil Castellucci if I can find her books in the UK. However, I am absolutely desperate for recommendations since all I have with me is non-fiction and I’ve OD’d on that lately. Since I’m working on a Y.A project right now, that’s what I’m leaning towards. Although I wanted to read Mrs Woolf and the Servants, which would probably Improve My Mind a little more. Failing that, maybe Edith Wharton, Evelyen Waugh, or P.G Wodehouse for some frivolity.

 Expect a post on the Mitford’s letters, one on Germaine Greer’s Shakespeare’s Wife, and one on Nigella Express, since they were my Christmas haul.

Off to watch Ballet Shoes now, and although I can’t remember much about the original book, I have an urge to re-read Noel Streatfeild.