Maryann arrived today...

Is there anything more awesome than a man delivering the newest book in one of your favourite series of books RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR!!!

I recieved my copy of Maryann in Autumn today, ordered from QBD online. It is the eight book in the Tales Form The City Series by Armistead Maupin.

This series of books is so important to me. I read the first about 15 years ago. They tell the story of a group of friends in hip, seventies San Francisco. These hilarious, poignant books follow Michael, Maryann, Brian, Mrs Madgigal and my favouritest favourite Mona Ramsey through the seventies and  into the eighties. The series finished with Sure of You (Book 6) and it seemed the story was over. Then about 3 years ago, we were given the amazing gift of Michael Tolliver Lives. Set in the present Day, Micheal has gone from super cute poster boy for seventies gay San Francisco to a settled middle aged man. Loved it.

I cannot wait to read Maryann in Autumn. I have a conflicted relationship with Maryann and I am interested to see if Maupin attempts to get the reader to forgive her, or if he just seeks to illustrate why she may have made the choices she has.

Lovely Husband, Awesome Teenager and I went to San Francisco in 2008. It was so surreal to be in a city so alien, yet so familiar. I looked for Barbary Lane, but apparently it doesn't exist... How could that be? So, we took a cable car to Lombard Street instead and I pretended Mrs Madgrigal was smoking a doobie somewhere nearby...

BUT this week I also received the latest book for the Circle Book Club. I will be reviewing it for next week's show. It is Cuckoo by Julia Crouch. I have only just started it, but I'm interested.

I was in the middle of The Slap, which I have put down until I have read Cuckoo. Whoah. The Slap is such an Australian novel. In the same way that Peter Carey's Tax Inspector shows a dirty, violent side of the suburbs, The Slap in uncomfortably honest. I understand the hype around this book and I am looking forward to getting back to it.

So, Mayann, I am making you wait until I have finished these two other books. It's so hard! I just wanna grab you and lock myself in a quiet room until we are done!! But I will be good.

x Gillian for Tessie Designs