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The Sunday Salon: BEA and chunksters

I’m rather jealous of those of you that are going to BEA—but I have work, so going is out of the question. I miss the days when BEA was held on the weekend and I lived in New York. I went once a few years ago, before I started blogging and when I did an internship with a literary agent. It was all very overwhelming, but a lot of fun.

I’ve been really into reading chunksters lately, for some reason. This week I finished No Angel, by Penny Vincenzi, the first in a trilogy set in early-2oth century England. The author is rather fond of the “in the nick of time” school of writing (as in, Celia and Oliver are all about to go on the Titanic, but one of the kids gets sick… and nobody tells Celia... but then the son does... just in the nick of time). Still, it was a very easy read. Currently I’m reading some more historical fiction: Legacy, by Susan Kay, a novel about Elizabeth I. It’s excellent. I don’t know what it is about chunskters, but I’ve really been gravitating towards them. There’s something about a really long saga that seems so appealing at this time. Ever had a craving for a certain type of book at a certain time?

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Marg said…
I am jealous of everyone going to BEA too, but I can't justify a trip to another country for a bookish event. Doesn't stop me contemplating it though. Instead I am participating in Armchair BEA.

Did you get an ARC of Legacy? I can't wait for that book to come out, but I didn't see where it was offered up by Sourcebooks. Maybe I just missed it.
May 23, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Danielle said…
I read that Penny Vincenzi trilogy years ago and loved it! Granted it's not high art, but it was such an absorbing read I would literally get off the bus and keep reading as I was walking home! At the moment I am more in a mood for shorter reads. I think (hate to say) that the Edith Pargeter novel we're reading has drained me a little! I'm also more in the mood for any books set after 1900. But I do often like long epic sorts of reads now and again!
May 23, 2010 at 5:31 PM
Ash said…
I'm jealous of the BEAers too, hoping I can do it next time around!
May 23, 2010 at 6:24 PM
Bookfool said…
I guess I'm the only person who isn't envious of BEA participants. I could afford the ticket and the time, but we've just started taking real family vacations and I'd rather do that -- go somewhere cool and, hopefully, uncrowded.

I read No Angel a few years ago. That "nick of time" business actually annoyed me, so I opted not to continue with the series, but I enjoyed it. Just not as much as I'd hoped.
May 25, 2010 at 1:20 PM
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