Above is a photograph of the books that I was lucky enough to get at Christmas.
Glasgow Interiors by Helen Kendrick is a book which I had actually just borrowed from the library and I had been thinking how nice it would be to actually own a copy of it, so I was thrilled when I got it as a present.
The Fringes of Edinburgh by John Geddie is an old travel guide from 1941, it has lots of drawings and painted illustrations in it. I suppose we are living on the fringes of Edinburgh but this book mentions lots of places I have never been to, I hope to go and visit some of them.
The Water Babies has 24 plates in colour by Harry G Theaker. I have a thing for lovely childrens books and illustrations so when I saw this in a secondhand bookshop not long before Christmas I asked Jack to get it for me and give it to me on the big day. I do believe in getting what you want and not leaving it up to luck! If you’re interested you can see some of the illustrations here. I think it was published around 1930.
Lost Empires by J.B. Priestley. I like Priestley’s writing but I haven’t read anything of his for ages, this one was first published in 1965.
The last two are from the British Library Crime Classics series – Quick Curtain by Alan Melville and Resorting to Murder which is a collection of short stories. I’ve already read Quick Curtain and enjoyed it, but I bought another couple of books in this series at the weekend – no, there’s no chance of me ever catching up with my TBR pile!
What a wonderful, colorful, and eclectic collection of gifts! I’ve never read J.B. Priestley. I’ve heard of him, of course, but I must look him up and read all about him. I covet The Water Babies. Not only that, it makes me realize I haven’t had a proper tromp through the rare and used bookstores in the area for a very long time.
Judith
Judith,
I hope you still have some secondhand bookshops in your part of the world, they are getting quite thin on the ground here, such a shame as I love going around them. You just never know what treasures you might turn up in them.
That edtion of The Water Babies looks and absolute gem. I love collecting childrens books too.
Karen White,
The Water Babies is a lovely book. I collect much more modern books too, and particular illustrators.