My book taste picture....

Simon at Stuck in a Book, who is the source of many good ideas, has had me wracking my brain for at least two days. His challenge for those who choose to accept it is to find an image which sums up one’s reading taste. If possible, we are to avoid including a picture of a book or a specific character.

After a considerable amount of rumination, I settled upon the wonderful From up the Rise by Stanley Spencer. This painting forms part of Spencer’s Church House project in which he imagined a series of biblical scenes in his home village of Cookham. This painting reflects my preference for twentieth century literature with ancient themes, English settings, an emphasis on character and a profound feeling for the oddness of everyday life. It is domestic but it is not narrow. It features the ordinary but of course concerns the extremely extraordinary. It is very human but not at all mundane. The villagers in the picture are about to witness Christ’s first miracle at the marriage at Cana. I am an interested sceptic when it comes to religion, but I do like a bit of magic – so here it is, and not a cup cake in sight.

Do you have a picture that sums up your reading? If you do let’s see....