The Overhaul #2

Thanks for the positive response to my first Overhaul, where I look back at previous book hauls and see how many I’ve read and how many I’ve kept. It’s a great way to see how things progress on my shelves AND to make me feel bad about myself. What’s not to like?

This time I’m going even further back – nearly a whole decade – and to one of my favourite bookshops for cheap finds, the Amnesty charity shop in Bristol. Plus a few books from Oxford that I piled into the same post.

The Overhaul #2

The original haul post is here.

Date of haul: August 2009

Location: Bristol

Number of books bought: 12

  • Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

I read this in 2016 and I thought it was pretty good, but quite confusing and not at all the ‘haunting novel of a summer of terror and wonder’ that the cover alleged it to be.

  • English Short Stories of Today ed. by E.J. O’Brien

This is the sort of collection I buy and put on my shelves and know I will never read. I have not read it

  • The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch

This one I have read! In 2010, in fact, though sadly I didn’t much like it. Good set pieces but I found some of it quite dull – and a later attempt with The Sea, The Sea has confirmed that I am not a Murdoch fan. It’s not on my shelves anymore.

  • Summer at the Haven by Katharine Moore

Guys, I’m killing it, because I’ve read this one too – in 2009, no less. I didn’t write a review of it, but I remember enjoying this tale of an old people’s home. Not the finest writing in the world, but very enjoyable.

  • Howards End by E.M. Forster

And I’ve read this one! It was the third Forster I’d read, and third time lucky – because I thought it was brilliant, having not really liked the others. You probably know all about it, but here’s my review from 2011.

  • Family Money by Nina Bawden

Ah, this one I haven’t read. After reading A Woman of My Age in 2013, I decided that maybe Bawden wasn’t for me. This is still on my shelves, but it’s a borderline case.

  • Family History by Vita Sackville-West

I’ve read a few more VSWs since 2009, but this is not one of them. One day!

  • The Shutter of Snow by Emily Holmes Coleman

I read this account of madness in 2009, and didn’t get on with it. Very experimental in form, which I found distracting and annoying rather than transformative. I decided not to keep it.

  • Clash by Ellen Wilkinson

I decided to give this to a more receptive home! I might well have enjoyed it, but I felt like it would never quite be the time to find out.

  • Writing Lives: Conversations Between Women Writers

Still waiting! Have I dipped into it? Maybe? Probably not.

  • Among You Taking Notes: the Wartime Diary of Naomi Mitchison

I read this, and found it a bit disappointing. Sometimes diaries really click and sometimes they’re just a bit dull. It went to a charity shop.

  • Behindlings by Nicola Barker

I never got around to this, and it got culled at some point because it’s an enormous copy, and I didn’t think it was justifying all the space it was taking up. Sorry Nicola B!

Total bought: 12

Total still unread on my shelves: 4

Total no longer owned: 5

10 thoughts on “The Overhaul #2

    • May 13, 2019 at 9:25 am
      Permalink

      I remember your v positive review, but it was on a much-wanted list for my Secret Santee at LibraryThing, so I thought they’d get to it sooner than I did!

      Reply
      • May 14, 2019 at 8:09 am
        Permalink

        Ah so your one went to Ali and Kaggsy gave me mine but it’s not her original one. Hooray for Clash. I will be reading my copy in August!

        Also, well done, Simon, good going!

        Reply
        • May 14, 2019 at 4:41 pm
          Permalink

          I think mine went to Jane, if memory serves…
          Thanks!!

          Reply
  • May 13, 2019 at 6:33 pm
    Permalink

    I love these post SImon. I feel vicariously very satisfied with you progress!

    Reply
    • May 14, 2019 at 4:43 pm
      Permalink

      Thanks :D

      Reply
  • May 13, 2019 at 9:13 pm
    Permalink

    I didn’t know about that Amnesty shop. Does it still operate – the website isn’t very clear.

    Reply
    • May 14, 2019 at 4:41 pm
      Permalink

      I think so! It certainly did last year, which was my most recent visit.

      Reply
  • May 14, 2019 at 11:42 pm
    Permalink

    What a great feature! I enjoyed it very much, especially your comment about the short story collection (probably because I have a similar habit). I also share your opinion about Howard’s End (it’s such an incredible book; I’m also a real Forster fan) and am now curious to check out Clash!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *