Holiday Purchases

So, I didn’t buy any books on holiday this year….

…of COURSE I am lying to you. I bought fourteen. Most of these came from Bristol, where my brother lives – and thus before we started the holiday proper, I suppose. Books for Amnesty on Gloucester Road in Bristol is something of a treasure trove – I recommend you get there if you can. They even had a half-price sale on whilst I was there, so my books came to an average of less than a pound. A sale at a charity shop does feel a bit odd, but… well, at least I bought a lot.

Diary of Virginia Woolf vol.2

For years I’ve had volumes 1, 3, 4 and 5 – all bought just as I came across them – but I’d never found vol.2 before. Nice to have a complete set now!

Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamund Lehmann

One of these days, I will actually *read* a book by Ms. Lehmann. One day, one day. And I get more and more choices…

Robinson by Muriel Spark

This was her second novel, and will be the second reworking of Robinson Crusoe that I read, after Foe by J.M. Coetzee – having not actually read Mr. Defoe’s book, I might miss something…

Self-Control by Mary Brunton

I read 1.5 novels by Brunton a few years ago, but they were from the library – and I never finished the second half of this one. Brunton is mentioned in Jane Austen’s diary (with some irony) and she’s much more fun than her serious sounding titles appear.

In My Own Time by Nina Bawden

I’ve never actually read anything by Ms. Bawden – although I’ve got a couple of hers, including the wonderfully-titled Tortoise by Candlelight – but she sounds interesting.

The Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton

I keep amassing Sartons, and must read The Magnificent Spinster soon, which came courtesy of Rachel/Book Snob. I picked up this one because I thought I’d seen it reviewed on a blog somewhere… but I can’t find the link anywhere.

And then I got another couple of books in a fun boutiquey little bookshop/cafe – the name of which, sadly, I can’t remember.

The Mighty and Their Fall by Ivy Compton-Burnett

I bought this because it was the nice Virago Modern Classics edition, intending to give away the duplicate – but then it turned out that I didn’t actually have it in the first place! Her titles are all so similar that it’s impossible to remember. I’m feeling ICB-withdrawal, so might head onto this soon. I read one a year, maybe, and it feels like longer than that since I last had an Ivy moment.

Curriculum Vitae by Muriel Spark

This is described as ‘a volume of autobiography’, whatever that means – I hadn’t realised this existed until I saw it mentioned by Frances. So, stumbling across it for 50p was rather serendipitous!

And on into Shropshire – these came from Much Wenlock and Clun. So, despite venturing into Wales, I bought nary a book there. To be fair to our Welsh cousins (and, incidentally, I do have Welsh cousins) I didn’t go to any bookshops whilst there.

Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl

I loved Virginia, which I read earlier this year, and was happy to stumble across another novel by Grondhal tucked under a bookshelf in Wenlock Books.

Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford

This nice Penguin edition adds to my Mitford-mania…

Treasure Hunt by Molly Keane

I bought this partly to stock up on more Keanes to read, and partly because I loved the cover.

Women Against Men by Storm Jameson

I’ve been meaning to read Jameson for ages – maybe this one will be my first?

My Next Bride by Kay Boyle

And where better to finish off my haul than a book I bought simply because it was a cheap Virago Modern Classic? Nice rationale, Simon…