A recent trip to that place that I’m not supposed to be visiting – the library – ended up with me picking up four books that I had requested from them and three books from the for sale shelves. Honestly, there’s no hope for me!
I bought A Lovely Way to Burn by the Scottish author Louise Welsh. This was apparently a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime, but I didn’t hear it.
The news of Andrea Camilleri’s death had just been announced a few days before and although I love watching the TV programme Montalbano which is based on these books I had only read one of them. So two have just joined my TBR list:
A Nest of Vipers and
The Pyramid of Mud
I’ll read one of those ones for the Reading Europe Challenge which I’ve been neglecting.
A trip into the West Port area of Edinburgh ended up with me buying two books by an author who seemed to be haunting me at one point as everywhere I went I saw his books, just as another blogger told me they were worth reading – the books all disappeared! So when I saw a whole load of Dornford Yates books I snapped up a couple of them. I was drawn to the modern paperback reprint first as I like the stylish cover. The Courts of Idleness is supposed to be funny – so fingers crossed because I need a laugh.
The other Dornford Yates book I bought is an old hardback from 1946 called The Stolen March. It was originally given to someone called Joyce from Kenneth in Falmouth, 8 May 1947. I love inscribed books but I never write in my own although I sometimes think I should. What are your thoughts on the matter?
I try not to buy books via the internet but sometimes you have no alternative as the chances of what you’re looking for turning up in a secondhand bookshop are just about nil, so I bit the bullet and bought The Stream That Stood Still and The Tree That Sat Down by Beverley Nichols, part of a woodland fantasy trilogy for young people. The other one I already had is The Mountain of Magic.
Have you read any of these ones?
You’ve reminded me that I have A Lovely Way to Burn on loan from the library – I’ve renewed it twice but haven’t started to read it yet!! I’ve enjoyed other books by Louise Welsh which is why I borrowed it, it’s just that other books keep getting in my way.
Margaret,
I think I’ve only read one Louise Welsh book, but I enjoyed it. I get really annoyed with myself for requesting books from the library, I keep saying I won’t do it then read reviews and there I am on the library website usually around midnight – requesting yet more books!
I never write my name in my books, although I did when I was younger. Like you, though, I enjoy reading inscriptions. I especially enjoy reading gift inscriptions and imagining the circumstances for the gift (Christmas, ‘hope you’re feeling better’, ‘for your trip’, etc.)
Joan,
Snap – unsurprisingly! I still have some books with my maiden name in them, then some with that name as my middle name, but I soon gave that up.
I have not read anything by Louise Welsh although I keep meaning to. I have three books by her but not the one you got, which I think I would like because I like dystopian settings in fiction.
tracybham,
I’ve only read one by her but I liked it. I think apart from this one we only have one other book by her in the house.
I have “The Stolen March” on my shelf, it’s a while since I read it.
A bit different to the “Berry” books, I might like it better on a second reading.
I find inscriptions on books very touching.
I have a couple of books inscribed by my mother to my father when they were engaged, in 1938;
others from beloved family members to my parents;
and numerous books with inscriptions from unknown folks, often for Christmas – because I’ve acquired those ones second-hand I often wonder “what were you *thinking* of, disposing of this!” – anyway, a link with another time.
Then there are the school prizes, for diligence, attendance, needlework – so precious, many well over a hundred years old.
Valerie,
I think a lot of books in secondhand bookshops end up there because there were no children to cherish them – I hope that anyway. But one time when I was browsing in a shop I picked up a copy of Three Men in a Boat just to see how much they were charging for it as it was the same as my copy, and I was amazed to see Jack’s grandfather’s handwriting, name and address in it! It was when he was a student and I suspect someone ‘borrowed’ it and never returned it way back in about 1915. Of course I had to buy it. I also have school prizes for needlework and such from the early 1900s. I found Jack’s granny’s chemistry homework in one of her books. She must have been looking for it and probably got into trouble. I sometimes think I should inscribe books but might have to do it on post it notes and not actually on the book.
Of course you had to buy that book! Pure serendipity.
I’ve had similar things happen.