Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye.
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
Why I have it: Featured on the ABC Book Club as a ‘favourite classic’.
Summary: A genre-defining novel (the genre being ‘campus’) – Jim Dixon, academic in the History Department of one of Britain’s ‘newer’ universities, battles the unwelcome advances of fellow lecturer Margaret, survives a madrigal-singing weekend at Professor Welch’s, and resists the desirable girlfriend of Welch’s son.
I’m thinking: Yes (because it opens with a discussion about a recorder solo).
Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub
Why I have it: Probably picked it up because of the 1920s setting.
Summary: 1920, Elsa Emerson flees to Hollywood, is ‘discovered’ and renamed, Laura Lamont. As Laura’s fame grows, so do all the issues that go with it.
I’m thinking: Maybe. I’ll keep it mind for a beach read.
The Song Machine by John Seabrook
Why I have it: No idea although it goes well with a tv series that I’ve been watching, Soundbreaking.
Summary: Author visits hit-makers (the teams that assemble the hook, bridge and chorus to infuriatingly catchy effect).
I’m thinking: Maybe. Lured by the mention of Ace of Bace in the blurb but not sure I want 350+ pages on the topic.
‘Lucky Jim’ is fantastic – happy reading!
The first chapter did make me laugh.
I added Lucky Jim to my TBR list last because of The Book Club as well. That show is like tv-shopping for books. I nearly bought it last week too but they didn’t have it in the bookshop (I got another Book Club recommended book instead).