Themed Read April 2022: Names in Titles

Welcome to our April 2022 Themed Read.

This thread is going up a little early to give everyone who wants to join in the chance to have their books lined up and ready to read.

Our theme this month is NAMES IN TITLES

When I scanned my own shelves I thought that this category would offer some excellent books and a good choice, but it was only when I began to work on the list that I realised quite how many eligible books there were.

Here is another very long list!

Mr Fortune’s Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner (#2)
Lolly Willowes or the Loving Huntsman by Sylvia Townsend Warner (#390)

Letty Fox: Her Luck by Christina Stead (#4)
Cotters’ England by Christina Stead (#37)
Miss Herbert by Christina Stead (#97)

The Beth Book by Sarah Grand (#20)

My Antonia by Willa Cather (#22)
Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather (#182)
Sapphira and the Slave Girl by Willa Cather (#237)
Alexander’s Bridge by Willa Cather (#339)

Mary Olivier: A Life by May Sinclair (#25)
The Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair (#26)

Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells (#29)

Diana of the Crossways by George Meredith (#30)

Harriet Hume by Rebecca West (#34)

The Third Miss Symons by F.M. Mayor (#36)

Maurice Guest by Henry Handel Richardson (#49)

Virginia by Ellen Glasgow (#62)

Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker (#67)

The Quest for Christa T. by Christa Wolf (#75)

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (#83)
Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (#135)
At Mrs Lippincote’s by Elizabeth Taylor (#278)
Hester Lilly and Other Stories by Elizabeth Taylor (#350)
Mossy Trotter by Elizabeth Taylor (#633)

Fraulein Schmidt and Mr Anstruther by Elizabeth von Arnim (#101)
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim (#102)
Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim (#173)
The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rugen by Elizabeth von Arnim (#360)
Mr Skeffington by Elizabeth von Arnim (#391)

Deborah by Esther Kreitman (#108)

Joanna Godden by Sheila Kaye-Smith (#115)
Susan Spray by Sheila Kaye-Smith (#116)

Mary Lavelle by Kate O'Brien (#139)

Miss Mole by E.H. Young (#140)
The Misses Mallett by E.H. Young (#141)
Jenny Wren by E.H. Young (#177)
William by E.H. Young (#292)
Celia by E.H. Young (#332)

Madame de Treymes by Edith Wharton (#146)
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (#365)

Hester by Mrs Oliphant (#152)
Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs Oliphant (#300)
Phoebe Junior by Mrs Oliphant (#310)

Aurora Floyd by Mary E. Braddon (#153)
Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary E. Braddon (#186)

Belinda by Rhoda Broughton (#154)

Marcella by Mrs Humphrey Ward (#155)

Poor Caroline by Winifred Holtby (#192)

Mary O’Grady by Mary Lavin (#209)

Some Everyday Folk and Dawn by Miles Franklin (#211)

Cecilia by Fanny Burney (#213)

The Three Miss Kings by Ada Cambridge (#244)

Liana by Martha Gellhorn (#248)

Fenny by Lettice Cooper (#264)

Olivia by Dorothy Strachey (#268)

The Brontës Went to Woolworths by Rachel Ferguson (#279)

Aleta Day by Francis Marion Beynon (#288)

Cousin Rosamund by Rebecca West (#303)

Blue Skies & Jack and Jill by Helen Hodgman (#309)

Brother Jacob by George Eliot (#312)

Cassandra by Christa Wolf (#315)

Cullum by E. Arnot Robertson (#322)

Mrs Miniver by Jan Struther (#329)

Dust Falls on Eugene Schlumberger & Toddler on the Run by Shena Mackay (#336)

Zoe by Geraldine Jewsbury (#340)

Emma by Jane Austen (#341)

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (#359)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (#364)
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (#365)
Hackenfeller’s Ape by Brigid Brophy (#370)

George Beneath Paper Moon by Nina Bawden (#396)
Anna Apparent by Nina Bawden (#402)
Keeping Henry by Nina Bawden (#682)
Carrie's War by Nina Bawden (#697)

The Orlando Trilogy by Isabel Colegate (#421)

Christina Rossetti by Frances Thomas (#428)

Joanna by Lisa St Aubin de Teran (#429)

Dessa Rose by Sherley Anne Williams (#447)

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons (#450)

John Brown’s Body by A.L. Barker (#458)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (#488)
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (#491)
The Rebecca Notebook by Daphne du Maurier (#500)
Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier (#501)
The du Mauriers by Daphne du Maurier (#503)
Julius by Daphne du Maurier (#506)
Gerald by Daphne du Maurier (#508)
The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte by Daphne du Maurier (#524)

Christine by Madeleine Masson (#522)

Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym (#531)
Harriet Said... by Beryl Bainbridge (#584)
A Weekend with Claude by Beryl Bainbridge (#585)
Sweet William by Beryl Bainbridge (#586)

Emily of New Moon (Children's) by L.M. Montgomery (#591)
Emily Climbs (Childrens') by L.M. Montgomery (#592)
Emily's Quest (Children's) by L.M. Montgomery (#593)
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (#619)
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (#675)
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (#676)
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (#677)
Anne of Window Willows by L.M. Montgomery (#678)
Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (#679)
Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (#680)

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (#602)
Ripley Underground by Patricia Highsmith (#603)
The Boy Who Followed Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (#604)
Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith (#606)
Carol by Patricia Highsmith (#616)
Edith's Diary by Patricia Highsmith (#637)

Aunt Sass - Christmas Stories by P.L. Travers (#631)

Miss Bunting by Angela Thirkell (#668)

What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge (#685)
What Katy Did at School by Susan Coolidge (#686)
What Katy Did Next by Susan Coolidge (#687)

Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott (#706)

The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister by Helena Whitbread (ed) (#707)

Eva's Man by Gayl Jones (#711)

My own plans are to finish Marcella, which I begun in 'One Virago Authors' month and am really liking; to read Maurice Guest, a book I have been meaning to read for a long time; and to read Miss Mole, which has always felt like a glaring omission from my Virago reading history.

I am absolutely, positively, reading Marcella since I didn't get to it in March. I'm not even allowing myself to read the list and be tempted by other titles.

Miss Mole is lovely, Jane. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

P.S. Does this group not have an admin? They have the ability to change thread titles.

Yes, we have admins. Will check this out when my pc is on!

Thank you, Laura. I didn't know that.

>5 BeyondEdenRock: It just might be the most useful feature of the admin role!

Great idea for a theme. I'll take on Brother Jacob.

>6 lauralkeet: >3 lauralkeet: Although I'm an admin, I can't see anywhere logical to change the thread titles - will keep looking!!

OK I have found where to edit the title and have done so! So hopefully everyone will stick to using this thread!! And thanks for preparing the list of titles, Jane - I had grabbed a few Viragos with names from my shelves, but hadn't realised there were quite so many! I will be spoiled for choice again this month!!

>8 kaggsy: I'm glad you found it, Karen. It occurred to me after posting that I didn't actually know how it was done, either, only that the 75 Book Challenge admin has made title changes several times. I'm glad you didn't come asking me for help LOL. I'm an admin for a small group where it hasn't yet been necessary, so this chat inspired me to scurry off and figure it out, and I agree the feature is not easy to find.

>10 lauralkeet: No, I found it right at the bottom of the page! But at least I now know how to do this, if anyone else wants one changed! 😁

As for what I intend to read, I must admit to being attracted by Harriet Hume!

>2 BeyondEdenRock: I read Miss Mole for January (she's an ex-governess) and it was delightful.

So many choices--I think I have more on my shelves for this theme than any of the others! I've limited myself to these possibilities:
Jenny Wren, E. H. Young
Poor Caroline, Holtby
Vera, von Arnim
Angel, Elizabeth Taylor

>13 kac522: I have read all of your quartet except Jenny Wren and enjoyed them all for different reasons. And I don't think you can go wrong with E. H. Young.

Another selection of wonderful books - thank you, Jane! The lovely new Virago edition of Miss Mole has been on my bedside table for awhile so this is the perfect time to read her!

I'm going to read Fenny, which has been on my shelf for a long time. A touch of Italian sun will not go amiss at this moment in time.

Still deciding but leaning towards Miss Mole.

I've just read Fenny and loved it so much! We see Italy through the initially naive and enraptured eyes of Ellen, a British schoolteacher who has taken up a post as governess to the 7 year old daughter of a family connection. She falls in love with Italy, with the lifestyle, with her charge - and with the tutor to the son of a neighbouring family. But it is 1933 and as Fenny's story progresses she becomes aware of the rise of Fascism and the blindness to its dangers of the milieu she inhabits. Fenny grows older and wiser throughout the book, becoming resilient and making her own happiness, as well as enabling that of others. This is a lovely character study and a detailed portrayal of Italy before and after WWII.

I think I will read Miss Herbert next.

I'm currently reading Marcella. It's much longer than I'd realized (over 500 pages in a small font), but I'm nearly 100 pages in and really enjoying the story of a young idealistic woman out to change the world (but who, I believe, will eventually be caught up in the influences of the late 1800s land-owning class).

ETA: Claire noted elsewhere that Marcella reminded her of Middlemarch, which I agree with. So if you liked Middlemarch you would probably also enjoy Marcella.

>12 kaggsy: I've been curious about that one. It seems like it made a splash when published -- I'm pretty sure I've come across references to it in more than one novel set in that time.

My next book up is Miss Mole by E.H. Young. I'm looking forward to it.

I've decided on Deborah, which I remember hearing good things about, maybe from a couple people here?

>19 lauralkeet: I took one look at the print size in the Virago edition of Marcella and headed straight to Project Gutenberg to download the book. I agree with you and Claire, but I am having a little break to read Miss Mole and a couple of library books.

Miss Mole is a joy and one of those books that makes me feel a little foolish for not reading it sooner.

>22 surtsey: I loved Deborah, though it is desperately sad. It is, to my way of thinking, exactly the kind of book that Virago should be publishing.

>23 BeyondEdenRock: It's good to know there's an electronic edition out there should the small print do me in.

>20 surtsey: Me too, and I think it's meant to be a bit different in style from her other books. We shall see!!

I read Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym. Jane is a country vicar's wife more likely to quote Marvell than attend the Mothers Union tea, and Prudence works in a London office and has love affairs. The references to vicarage literature amused me, especially Jane's comment:

'I was going to be such a splendid clergyman's wife when I married you, but somehow it hasn't turned out like The Daisy Chain or The Last Chronicles of Barset.'

I finished Miss Mole in bed last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

I've been plugging away at Marcella and while I'm enjoying it and am fully invested in the story, after 300 pages I needed a break. I'm reading a contemporary mystery/crime novel and then I'll get back to Victorian England and the remaining 270 or so pages.

I finished Miss Herbert and found it one of Stead's more readable works. I liked it less than Letty Fox or For love alone, but a lot more than A little tea a little chat and The people with the dogs.

I read Miss Mole by E.H. Young and loved it. An irrepressible character who tells it like it is. Wonderful.

I have finished Lolly Willowes. The first two parts were lovely, the third left me wondering if I have missed something vital. It didn't make sense to me. Is there a connection between witches and willows? I couldn't help wondering because of Willow in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.
I had never heard of the author before, but will definitely look for more.

I read Jenny Wren by E. H. Young. A complicated look at class and marriage, with language that is lovely and thoughtful. I hope to read The Curate's Wife, the companion book, in May.

OOPS. I should have posted my message about the book Mrs Pringle of Fairacre in this thread.