I went for quite a while without buying any of my allotted 24 books under Project 24. And then, dear reader, the dam burst. I couldn’t stop buying. Three of these four were online, and one was from a local bookshop – and, unusually for me, three of these are new books. (There’s also another new book, I guess my 23rd for the year, on its way to me from America – because the US cover is so much nicer than the 24th.)
Here are the four books I bought, and why…
Spring Always Comes by Elizabeth Cambridge
As I said, most of these really came because I was missing book buying. They wouldn’t necessarily have found their way to my shelves with any urgency if it weren’t for me jonesing for buying some books. But Spring Always Comes is the exception. I loved Hostages to Fortune by Elizabeth Cambridge – the one Persephone reprinted – and have read it a few times since 2004, when I first delved in. It’s a domestic novel par excellence – but other Cambridge novels are quite tricky to find. And ever since I read Barb’s 10/10 review of Spring Always Comes, I’ve wanted to get hold of this. And finally a copy turned up online! And now it is MINE.
The Crime of Sheila McGough by Janet Malcolm
Whenever my Malcolm pile gets low, I panic and buy another. And I’m running out. She is just so brilliant. This is her, presumably unusual, take on a investigation into a lawyer who has imprisoned for a crime she says she hasn’t committed.
The First To Die At The End by Adam Silvera
I’m at least two decades older than this book’s audience, but I thought his teen novel They Both Die At The End was really good – the conceit is that, on the day you will die, you get a phone call telling you it will happen. And what a brilliant title! This is a prequel, but I think it’s about two entirely different people.
Ducks by Kate Beaton
Ducks seems to be getting a lot of rave reviews, and I’ve downloaded the One Bright Book episode on it to listen to when I’ve read it. It was on my radar because I follow the author on Twitter, and loved her Hark, A Vagrant cartoon blog for years. She has such an incisive, fun look at literary and historical culture. Ducks is something completely different – a graphic memoir on working in oil sands. I bought a copy for my friend’s birthday and then went back to the bookshop and bought a copy for myself, because it sounded so up my street.
I’ll let you know what the other book is when it arrives – partly because it was my most impulsey of impulse buys and I don’t actually recall the author or the title. What will my final book of the year be?? I was doing really well and now I only have one precious purchase to last me for almost a month…
10/10 for the Elizabeth Cambridge is a pretty irresistible endorsement from Barb. I had no memory of her review but, looking at the comments, was clearly intrigued by it back in 2018 and I love Hostages to Fortune. I’ll look forward to hearing what you think of this!
As for Ducks, it’s superb and deserves every word of praise that is being heaped upon it. I lived in Alberta for several years, overlapping Beaton’s time in the oil sands, and the culture she describes definitely leaked out of the camps into the cities.
I’ve started it now, and it’s really something special, isn’t it?
Nice! I know exactly what you mean about missing book shopping…
There’s nothing quite like it!
All those books sound interesting! What is Project 24, please?
It’s a self-imposed book buying restriction – I can only buy 24 books in a year. For space reasons, and to read more of my unread books!
Added a few to my “future books to buy”.. I’ve never heard of these authors so I’ll be happy hunting 🎄
Excellent! Some will be easier than others
Ooh I do envy you that Elizabeth Cambridge. I thought Hostages to Fortune was great. Nice purchases.
She is so good!
A very interesting and eclectic new book pile. I am especially jealous of the Elizabeth Cambridge, even more so after reading the review. Your comment ‘now it is mine’ sounds suitably triumphantly joyful!
It felt it! Her novels aren’t easier to come across, so it felt particularly exciting.
I’m thinking about making Project 24 my own for 2023, or perhaps for marketing purpose, I should only buy 23? The Crime of Sheila McGough by Janet Malcolm has been on my TBR for years… and I haven’t bought it (… yet?)
You’ve still done really well!
Came upon your blog via Jacquiwine, and after what you wrote about “Spring Always Comes,” I requested the book through our interlibrary loan system. Just started reading the book, but so far I really like it. The copy I have was published in 1938. The pages are thick and soft, and some of them are torn.