In just a few days, I’ll be on a plane with the boyfriend heading to Great Britain! First we’ll be in Edinburgh, then north to Inverness, followed by a deathly long train ride to visit some family friends in Sherborne, Dorset. Next we’ll be in St Albans and London. We’ll also be doing a few day trips, including to Bath, Cambridge, and Hastings (ahhh the history nerd in me is thrilled!)
I cannot contain how excited I am! So instead of doing something useful like packing, I created an England/Scotland themed read-list.
First on the list is Hangman Blind, a medieval mystery by Cassandra Clark. It’s about a recently widowed woman who takes the veil and is determined to set up her own house of nuns. On her journey to find the perfect location for it, she comes across a series of gruesome murders. There’s nothing like a little intrigue and murder to peak my excitement- although hopefully my journey through the English countryside will be a little less eventful.
Next is James Boswell’s London Journal. I had a blast reading this for a British history course, so I thought I’d revisit it. James Boswell is a young, rakish gentleman from Edinburgh, who’s off to spend his time and money in London in 1762-63. Luckily for us, he logs every scandalous detail of his adventures in his journal. In London, he fraternizes at the theatre, has intellectual conversations in coffeehouses (where he meets the famous Samuel Johnson), and has the frequent romp in the gardens with a prostitute (he always insists that that time will be the last time… Sure thing, James). Not only is this diary immensely informative of the inner workings of 18th century British high society, but it is also endlessly entertaining. It’s incredibly funny reading the thoughts of James, a conceited but simultaneously self-conscious man who’s just trying to prove himself worthy to British society. His diary will also be quite useful as a guide for my time in London- I intend to rediscover James’ old haunts (those that still remain).
Then I’ll read The Heart of Midlothian, by Sir Walter Scott- a Scottish classic. It’s the seventh book of his Waverley Novels, and opens with the Porteous Riots in Edinburgh, 1736. It follows the life of Jeanie Deans, a woman who desperately tries to save her sister, who is accused of infanticide.
And of course, how can explore the English countryside without reading Jane Austen? There are so many great novels of hers to chose from- I decided on Emma, which is set in a fictional estate in Surrey. It’s about a smart, rich, and officious woman who has no intent of marrying herself, but adores meddling in the love lives of others. While it would make sense to read her novels set in Bath (Northanger Abbey and Persuasion) since that’s one of my destinations, I’ve recently read them. However, I may also reread Northanger Abbey while in Bath- I fell in love with that book while reading it during one of Unputdownables great readalongs, probably because I could relate so strongly to the protagonist, Catherine Morland. Like her, I have a wickedly vivid imagination that often gets the best of me.
Happy readings!