Calendar Corner (9): World Book Day

Today is World Book Day, and I thought it would be good to mention the books on my recent/current reading list. I have piles of books beside my different chairs in the house, so I have a number on the go at once.



Books on my desk:

• The Cinder Path by Andrew Motion (Faber). I bought this sparkling new collection with a birthday book token, and have been delighted with the range of subjects and styles. Two poems that come immediately to mind are 'Raven' (a sonnet) and 'The Grave of Rupert Brooke' (which is on the Greek island of Skyros. [POETRY]
  
• The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary by Gilliver, Marshall and Weiner (OUP). A fascinating read for those who want to distinguish their 'mathom' (or 'stash' in scrapbooking speak) from their 'mithril' (the name of a particular precious metal). [LANGUAGE]

Books on my bedside cabinet:

• A Century of Poetry Review edited by Fiona Sampson (Carcanet) - a treasure trove of pieces published in 'Poetry Review' over the last 100 years. [POETRY]
  
• Notes from Walnut Tree Farm by Roger Deakin (Penguin) - a rural diary. [NATURE MEMOIR]
  
• Getting into Poetry by Paul Hyland (Bloodaxe) - a useful guide to the poetry scene [POETRY]
  
• The Secret Mandarin by Sara Sheridan (Avon/Harper Collins) - I became really engrossed in this extraordinary 19th century story about an obsessive plant collector in China, accompanied by his actress sister-in-law. [FICTION]

Books on my coffee table:

• A Shepherd looks at the Twenty-Third Psalm by Philip Keller (Zondervan). I bought this aboard the Logos Hope when it was moored in Cardiff last year, on the recommendation of a relative who works in the field of agriculture. More than 1/5 million copies have sold since publication. [DEVOTIONAL]
  
• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. As a left-handed person who has just begun some classes in oil painting, this seemed the book for me! [PRACTICAL ART THEORY]

I wonder what you are dipping into at the moment. Happy reading!