When I was on holiday recently I took a trip to Treasure Chest Books in Felixstowe, Suffolk – one of my all-time favourite bookshops, though I’ve only been there three times, each time about ten years apart. It initially looks like one little room, and then it just goes on and on in a warren of increasingly exciting rooms. There’s a great range of stock, very reasonably priced – and even two shelves of Persephone Books! I had almost all of them already, of course, but came away with a couple. The first photo is the pile I bought there – the second photo is a smaller pile that came from various places.
Defy the Wilderness by Lynne Reid Banks
I do have a couple of unread books by Lynne Reid Banks on my shelves, but my abiding love for The L-Shaped Room trilogy means I will always pick up more by her. The books she set abroad haven’t dated brilliantly, but I’m happy to keep trying.
A Bookshop in Algiers by Kaouther Adimi
I should have mentioned this one during the recent Tea or Books? discussion of novels set in bookshops – because I bought this one entirely on the strength of the word ‘bookshop’ in the title.
The Fell by Sarah Moss
Summerwater by Sarah Moss
So many podcasters and bloggers and others have mentioned Sarah Moss as someone I should be reading. It was great to find these two cheaply, and maybe I can finally start disentangling the various literary Sarahs in my head.
Dance and Skylark by John Moore
I’ve read one or two of Moore’s autobiographies set around Bredon Hill (where I grew up), but haven’t read any of his fiction yet. I did mostly buy this one because of its beautiful dustjacket, but I’m also intrigued by the contents.
Paper Lives by Compton Mackenzie
I keep telling myself that I have to read more of the unread Mackenzies on my shelves before I buy more, and thus I keep lying to myself.
Moonraker by F. Tennyson Jesse
Unrelated to the Bond movie, this is a little story of pirates? I’m not sure if it’s for children or not, but always happy to stumble across more by the brilliant FTJ. I believe it was a Virago Modern Classic at some point, but not one I’ve ever seen in the wild.
A Lady and Her Husband by Amber Reeves
Emmeline by Judith Rossner
The two Persephones I didn’t have are both quite recently published ones, I think, though published initially about a hundred years apart. They’re also not Persephones that I’ve seen many people mention… anybody read these?
Next To Nature, Art by Penelope Lively
I probably don’t need more Livelys since I have several unread, but I couldn’t leave this one behind because it is signed by the author. When I got home, I also spotted that it is from the library of Jill Paton-Walsh, so maybe given to her by Lively?
And these books came online, from a charity shop, and from a remainder shop.
The Castle on the Hill by Elizabeth Goudge
After loving The Bird in the Tree, I’m keen to read more Goudge. She turns up in charity shops a lot, and that’s where I found this delightful edition. I’m told it’s a bit more grim than some of her other works…
Humiliation by Wayne Koestenbaum
Found and Lost by Alison Leslie Gold
A remainder shop in Bristol had quite a few Notting Hill Editions, and these were the two that really drew me in.
Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott
I’m very excited by this reprint – the first McNally Editions book that I’ve bought from their eclectic list. Ursula Parrott is someone I’ve wanted to try for a long time but she’s not been easy to find – so thank goodness this one is now available. I’ll let their description tell you more.
When in French by Lauren Collins
As soon as I read Beth’s Instagram post about When in French, I had to have a copy – it sounds so very up my street. Click the link and you’ll see why!
I haven’t started any of these books yet, though would happily dive into any of them. Have you read any, and where would you start?