This week we're answering a listener question about how much our reading informs our sense of a place. In this case, what are the American classics we read, and how did America IRL differ from the country we read about? Plus the usual bookish blether!–– What We’re Currently Reading ––HollyDisclaimer by Renée Knight | http://amzn.to/2cM7Gm7Conversion by Katherine Howe | http://amzn.to/2cMaak5NicolaSons & Daughters of Ease & Plenty by Ramona Ausubel | http://amzn.to/2cDZKr2The Long-Winded Lady by Maeve Brennan | http://amzn.to/2dHtazUWhere Am I Now? by Mara Wilson | http://amzn.to/2dHtE9oNegroland by Margo Jefferson | http://amzn.to/2cQqWS6–– Books We Recently Acquired ––NicolaHow to Travel Without Seeing by Andres Neuman | http://amzn.to/2dqNmHQI’ll Tell You in Person by Chloe Caldwell | http://amzn.to/2dqP7EVFrom the library:Black Wave by Michelle Tea (The UK edition is out from And Other Stories on 9 February 2017: http://www.andotherstories.org/book/black-wave/) | http://amzn.to/2dHtsqrThe Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward | http://amzn.to/2dHsBpMHollyHold Back the Stars by Katie Khan | http://amzn.to/2dqOnje–– Melissa’s Question ––So Nicola is living in America now and I've always been curious what impression the British form of America through literature. Perhaps I should explain. I grew up reading the Chronicles of Narnia, Swallows and Amazons, The Secret Garden, Ballet Shoes, Sherlock Holmes, A Christmas Carol, Jane Austen, and Bertie Wooster. So while I've been to England (and Scotland!) and, in my head, I know that along with all the misty country estates and beautiful lakes you've also got blocks of 1960s post-blitz housing, blinding lighted billboards in Picadilly Circus opposite the lovely old fountain, and modern architecture and McDonalds (sorry about that) built slap up against Victorian row houses and medieval churches, in my imagination the old stuff in the books somehow wins out.My question, then, is: what American books are considered classics in Great Britain, that shaped your ideas of America? Do you find the reality to be rather different? Follow Melissa on Twitter | http://twitter.com/takeabookalong–– Follow us! ––You can subscribe to Bookish Blether on SoundCloud, iTunes and Stitcher, or your podcast app of choice.Love our podcast? Leave us a review and share it with a friend!Twitter: http://twitter.com/BookishBlether
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