Let’s talk about Austen and Dickens!

Two posts in one day! I am outdoing myself. But I had to mention a writer’s website that I came across today via a link on the Jane Austen Centre newsletter. Due to the all-consuming effort to finish the first book of my family history series I usually I don’t have time to give such emails more than a glance. One of the links ‘Let’s talk about Jane Austen’ caught my eye and brought me ultimately to one of the most interesting writer’s website I have seen.

The website is Books and Things run by a young writer Katie Lumsden who describes herself as a  ‘writer, blogger, vlogger (?), booktuber and until recently…played Kitty Bennett at the JAC.’ She writes professional engaging reviews about the staggering number of books she reads. She also gives talks about books, writing and writers on her booktube channel.

The JAC link was to a booktube talk about Jane Austen: Let’s talk about Jane Austen. I viewed it twice. When she mentioned she had done a similar talk on Charles Dickens, Let’s talk about Charles Dickens, I viewed that, too. Dickens and Austen are my favourite authors – together with Evelyn Waugh. The talks were given with an infectious enthusiasm. I really enjoyed them.

Books and Things is well worth the attention, especially for young writers.

 

Duncan McLaren’s Evelyn Waugh tours

I have been so engaged in finishing the first book of my family history series that I have neglected the blogging for just about the whole year. I have a backlog of Duncan McLaren’s highly entertaining Evelyn Waugh tours to post. No Waugh aficionado should miss the entertainment and information in the Waugh tours. In order of reception:

Evelyn Waugh and Lord Berners

Evelyn in Appeldore

Evelyn and Alistair’s Grand Tour

Duncan’s book on Evelyn Waugh EVELYN! RHAPSODY FOR AND OBSESSIVE LOVE was published this year (available here and here). It is in the same eccentric style of his book on Enid Blyton LOOKING FOR ENID. Both are thoroughly enjoyable and a must for lovers Waugh and Blyton. I intend to write a review of the Waugh book after I have published Prison Hulk to Redemption.