My local library is out of action at the moment as it’s in the middle of major refurbishment. So for the last 15 months or so we’ve had to put up with a tiny library which they have opened in one of the many empty shops in the High Street, it’s not ideal but it’s better than nothing I suppose. But over the last week I’ve managed to visit two bigger libraries in different Fife towns and the selection was better, so I ended up borrowing:
Love All by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Death at the Opera by Gladys Mitchell
The Winter Ground by Catriona McPherson
Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson
The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
I think all of these books or authors have been recommended by other bloggers or commenters, which leads me to wonder how I chose my reading matter before the internet. I’m sure it was Margaret@BooksPlease who pointed me in the direction of Catriona McPherson and Andrew Taylor, but I’ve kicked off with Miss Buncle Married as I enjoyed Miss Buncle’s Book so much.
I also have five books on request so I’ll have to get down to more reading, just at the time when I’m also trying to buff my house and garden up. There aren’t enough hours in the day.
I will be interested in your reviews of Catriona McPherson’s and Andrew Taylor’s books. I have read a bit of Taylor and nothing by McPherson.
TracyK,
I’ll be getting around to them soon. I haven’t read anything by either of them before.
You’re lucky – when Coldstream Library was closed last year we only had a mobile library visiting. The library reopened at the end of January, with fewer opening hours and is now part of a Contact Centre and I think less book space, but when I went last week they had some lovely new books, so I came home with more than I’d intended borrowing – I just hope I can renew them.
It probably was me that mentioned Catriona McPherson’s and Andrew Taylor’s books, but I haven’t read the ones you’ve borrowed. I hope you enjoy them. I’m a fan of Elizabeth Jane Howard too, but haven’t read Love All. I’m looking forward to your reviews.
Margaret,
I suppose Coldstream is a wee place, have you tried the Kelso library, it looks good from the outside anyway. Some of the villages we’ve looked at recently don’t have a library at all, so we strike them off our possible places to move to list. I still feel rich when I take lovely books home from the library. I’ve requested the first two in the McPherson series, hoping they arrive soon as I would rather read them in order if possible. You read The Burry Man I think.
I haven’t tried Kelso library, because I also borrow books from Berwick library and from the Northumberland mobile library that stops just down the road from me once a fortnight! That’s why I’m easily tempted by borrowing books. I’m lucky in living in Northumberland near the Scottish Borders Council area that I can borrow books from both the English and Scottish libraries. Will that change if Scotland is independent…?
Margaret,
It sounds like you have the best of all worlds library-wise! I really don’t think that Scotland is going to vote for independence – unless the Scotland football team win a major tournament just before the referendum!