The feature image above is the Literary Lizard book shop in Placencia, Belize where I begin my 2024 adventure. It is likely that 2024 will be a momentous year for many reasons, and none more so than reading many and various books. My plan to sail across the Pacific has been postponed until 2025 because of a UK family celebration in June of this year, but I will backpack South America instead and already have a list of books to read along the way. I will also become a septuagenarian in April, and I have chosen twelve books published in 1954 to read one every month of the year.
Lord of the Flies – William Golding, published in 1954.
Chasing Dreamtime: A sea-going hitchhiker’s journey through memory and myth – Neva Sullaway.
Legacy – James Michener, the first of six Michener books I plan to read over the next two years.
The Outlaw Ocean – Ian Urbina, about crime & survival in the last untamed frontier….a very relevant non-fiction book for me to read.
Lucky Jim – Kingsley Amis, published in 1954.
Hotel du Lac – Anita Brookner, the winner of the 1984 Booker Prize.
Pretty Girls – Karin Slaughter, who was on my “authors to read” list.
Bonjour Tristesse – Françoise Sagan, one of the twelve books published in 1954 to read this year.
Maurice and Maralyn: A whale, a shipwreck, a love story – Sophie Elmhirst…a lovely book, and a true story perfectly described in the title.
The House in the Cerulean Sea – Travis Klune.
Sweet Thursday – John Steinbeck, my fourth 1954 published book.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft – Stephen King.
The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey – Salman Rushdie.
Trojan Odyssey – Clive Cussler, an alternative history of the Odyssey largely based in Nicaragua.
Story of O – Pauline Réage, an erotic addition to my 1954 list.
The Details – Ia Genberg, recently shortlisted for the Booker International prize. One common thread throughout this novella is the books that characters in the story are reading, which is how I chose my next book…
The Marsh King’s Daughter – Karen Dionne.
Panama: A Novel – Carlos Ledson Miller, whose book, Belize: A Novel, I read two years ago.
Twelve Angry Men – Reginald Rose, one of my 1954 published books. The play was debuted at the San Francisco Marina Auditorium in 1955, and became internationally famous after the release of the 1957 Hollywood film starring Henry Fonda.
Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier, my 20th book of the year and a fabulous novel.
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde, who was born in Dublin, a perfect location for a Boy’s Weekend in July.
The Feast of July – H. E. Bates, which is one of my list of books published in 1954, and I shall certainly read some more of his work.
84 Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff, as I still have over a week left here in the UK, most of which will be spent in London.
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street – Helene Hanff, which is the sequel and described as a zesty memoir.
I was struggling to read The Mandarins – Simone de Beauvoir, another of my 1954 list of books to read this year, so I have put it down to pick up again later in the year.
The Doors of Perception – Aldous Huxley, another 1954 published book, and my 25th book of the year.
Under Milk Wood – Dylan Thomas, which is a play published in 1954.
Wish You Were Here – Jodi Picoult.
Yoga Happy – Hannah Barrett, is just the yoga text I needed to read, and I will read it again and again.
The Tango Singer – Tomas Eloy Martinez, which is based in Buenos Aires. I finished it on the day I left Buenos Aires and took the ferry to Montevideo.
Motorcycle Diaries – Ernesto Che Guevara, born in Argentina, and my 30th book of the year.
Open Veins of Latin America – Eduardo Galeano, born in Uruguay.
Evita: Life & Images – Honorio Zapiola, which I bought in El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore while visiting Buenos Aires.
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter – Mario Vargas Llosa, which is based in Peru and the author a Peruvian winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The Blunderer – Patricia Highsmith, one of my 1954 book choices.
Baumgartner – Paul Auster, who sadly died earlier this year.
Mary Anne – Daphne du Maurier, which is my 36th and final book of 2024. It is also one of my 1954 books celebrating the year of my 70th birthday.
2 Comments
Hello Sailor
Hello Sailor,
You may have already received that brief comment but here goes with the proper comment.
I am very pleased that we managed two get togethers whilst you were here this year, it was really good to catch up and to celebrate your birthday. The big ones are always worth celebrating several times over.
The year has, of course, run away with itself but it has been a busy one and a good one. I have started climbing again after a period of just talking about it ha ha. A weekend at Portland reminded me that I’d not done anything for far too long so I have now joined The Boardroom in Wimbledon, which is just bouldering – no roped climbing – but it’s very good exercise, and if I go on a Friday morning ( as I have been doing) I have it to myself! The festive social evening earlier this week was fun, meeting a whole bunch of testosterone filled young lads who try the hardest routes and egg each other on! Perfect to watch when my arms are pumped (after doing a few easy routes) ha ha. Most of them have never, and will never, climb outdoors. Funny how this has become such a big indoor activity. Hey ho, good fun though.
I’m also running again after a good 9 months of trying to sort out my knee. An X-ray and MRI scan showed no real damage so I feel secure in running. Did the 10k trail race in Kendal last month in wind, rain, ice and driving wet snow but thoroughly enjoyed it. Planning a half marathon in January……
I’ve had a lot of visitors this year so going away has taken a bit of a back seat but I am going to Japan in February for 2 weeks of skiing and a few days in Tokyo, with my friend Lulu and my nephew (snowboarder) – the 3 of us went 8 years ago and loved it. Chris is a ‘spring weather / nice late lunch’ skier so there’s not a lot of point in him spending a lot of money going to Japan!
I have some festive photos to send but I don’t think I can attach them here so I’ll send by email and I guess you’ll get them sometime when you have good wifi.
It’s been an interesting year for music and theatre, including a couple of visits to the Royal Court in Sloane Square – one to see Giant, starring Michael Lithgow (about Roald Dahl and his views…..) very good show and has now transferred to the West End – ooh there’s fancy for you! Two to see ‘Legends of Them’ about a female reggae star and her story, including the Brixton riots and the death of Cherry Croce (not sure if you remember that) but great music and a very different sort of performance. I love Mamma Mia but I’m done with the rubbish musicals – give me a proper play anytime! It’s also a lovely theatre.
Went to see the Kast off Kinks at the Half Moon in Putney – photo to follow – and the original Kinks drummer (Alan Avery) plays with them. It was fun watching and listening to him performing ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ ha ha.
Love your reading list for the year – the special year – have you finished them all? I’ve read I think 4 on your list – all good stuff. I’m currently reading Colson Whitehead (American writer) “Underground Railroad”. It’s the second of his that I’ve read, gripping stuff. I also bought 3 new books at Birling Gap last weekend – the National Trust place is on the South Downs Way (7 sisters) on the way to Eastbourne and they have a 2nd hand bookshop with a huge range of good stuff:
Runners by Ann Kelley (2013) about a couple of kids on the run…..
A Woman In Berlin by ‘Anonymous’ period 20 April – 22 June 1945
Lost Horizon by James Hilton – first published in 1933. The classic tale of Shangri-La… somewhere in Tibet
All look fascinating reads so will keep you posted
I hope all is going well with your travels, I know you’ve been off trekking in South America – rather envious and it looks like you’ve had a fabulous time.
Next year is going to be busy too, and we’ll be going to see Oasis of course – actually we’re going to Dublin to see the show. I have been to Dublin once but am looking forward to going again.
Anyway on that note I shall sign off and wish you a very merry Christmas in Guatemala ( I think) and I look forward to hearing how 2025 is looking on the ocean waves.
Love from Julie x