My friend Elaine, met through the LibraryThing Virago Group, was coming to the UK again from her home in Chicago. The Virago Group didn’t seem to have had a meetup for a while. So, with Elaine being in Stratford and Stratford being full of bookshops and tea shops, it seemed too good an opportunity to waste. I had accepted a while ago that it’s not a bad thing to buy lots of books, but I was a bit worried about today, given my recent Christmas haul and Birthday haul, and I already knew from a trip to Stratford two years ago that Elaine is a very good “enabler” (sorry for the rather grainy pic in that post, but you get the idea. To be fair, she just took me to the shops and pointed things out. She’s very good at that!)
So, Ali and I got the train to Stratford, meeting new real-life but familiar online chum Genny on the train. We arrived in Stratford to meet Elaine, Julie, Claire and Luci, all arrived safely from London, Oxford and, well, Stratford for the week. We started off with a coffee at the White Swan (thanks again, Elaine, for the coffee, and Luci for the wonderful pile of books to pick through!), we definitely went to that cafe in the antiques centre (does it have a name?) for lunch, and I’m sure we went to the Shakespeare Hospice Shop and Oxfam, and some other places, too. It all blurs a bit.
Anyway, I came home with these …
Charlotte Mendelson – “Almost English” – I read her “When we Were Bad” back in 2011 and really enjoyed it, this is a proof copy of her new one (thanks, Luci).
Dorothy Sheridan – “Wartime Women” – a Mass Observation book about women in WWII – what’s not to like? I do still count myself a MO participant, although I’m lagging woefully in returning my responses to them (thanks, again, Luci).
Victor Skipp – “The Making of Victorian Birmingham” – how can I resist a book about the history of my city?
Mary Webb – “The House in Dorner Forest” – I am a big Mary Webb fan now, so pleased to find a nice Virago Green.
Rachel Hewitt – “Map of a Nation” – the history of the Ordnance Survey. How did I not already have this one?
Gwen Raverat – “Period Piece” – her childhood memoir, plus charming illustrations.
Rosie Swale-Pope – “Just a Little Run Around the World” – her memoir of running thousands and thousands of miles – I’ve been vaguely looking out for this for ages.
Antonia White – “Frost in May” – the first Virago Modern Classic; of course I have it anyway, but this is for some young friends of mine.
After another cuppa at the station, it was time to wend our weary et ceteras. I’ve now put all of these and my birthday books on my TBR shelf, and was slightly horrified to find that this …
… represents just my acquisitions from Christmas onwards. Oops. I’d better slow down (and up the reading) for a bit, hadn’t I. I think this represents something of a record, even for me. You will be able to see the full TBR on 1 February; all I can say is that you won’t see many of these behind the front layer when I’ve done that!
Have you read any of my new ones? Had any splurges yourselves …?
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 26, 2014 @ 11:35:47
Gosh – lovely finds Liz, and it sounds like you had a wonderful day out. I wish my TBR was as small as yours – last night I started trying to work out how many of the books on my shelves I had read, and how many I hadn’t and then I got alarmed and stopped……. :s
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Liz at Libro
Jan 26, 2014 @ 14:33:21
Oh, that makes me feel a bit better (sends you two more to add to the pile oops). And it was a nice day out and all good books. I have A Plan, too, that involves a bit less telly (there’s not much anyway) and making sure I get a good reading session in every day.
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 26, 2014 @ 14:42:00
Bearing in mind what you’re kindly sending me, I really don’t mind the pile getting bigger…. 😉 Fortunately, I don’t watch much telly (just the occasional documentary) so I do get reading time every day. The Internet is more of a time-thief for me…..
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anewlookthrougholdeyes
Jan 26, 2014 @ 12:57:39
Sounds like a good day and interesting purchases. I have heard Victor Skipp talk and he has a really thorough knowledge and appreciation of Birmingam. I don’t want to add to your worries but your blog inspired me to look through my bookshelves for Birmingham books and would be very happy for you to have them to add to your collection. One or two quite old and interesting. Just a thought!
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Liz at Libro
Jan 26, 2014 @ 14:33:57
Oh, thank you – I’m always interested in Birmingham books, though I do have a few already. Would love to take a look though!
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skiourophile (@skiourophile)
Jan 26, 2014 @ 13:33:11
I have acquisition envy – what treats! Period Piece is a wonderful book – truly charming.
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Liz at Libro
Jan 26, 2014 @ 14:34:32
That’s a nice concept, acquisition envy! I like it! I am looking forward to Period Piece in particular. When I get to it. In about July …
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Alex
Jan 26, 2014 @ 14:35:28
I love ‘Period Piece’ and think you will as well, but I gave up halfway through ‘Almost English’ because I just didn’t care about either of the main characters – actually I wanted to give both of them a good shake which is probably worse. The cafe in the antique centre doesn’t have a name, but you missed the best one which IMHO is Fourteas in Sheep Street. At some point we must have afternoon tea there.
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Liz at Libro
Jan 26, 2014 @ 17:21:34
Oh, interesting, I will watch out for that with it. I’ve read two of her others, so that would be a shame. I like Hathaways, too!
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Ste J
Jan 26, 2014 @ 16:00:50
With Map of a Nation get ready for a dry read, quite fascinating but it didn’t do it for me sadly…I believe it was originally a PhD thesis or something of the kind, there are fascinating insights in it though.
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Liz at Libro
Jan 26, 2014 @ 17:33:46
Thanks for the warning! I’ll read it in conjunction with something more jolly when it comes to it!
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Fleur in her World
Jan 26, 2014 @ 22:53:59
Well, all I can add is that if the TBR does explode you will have a lovely time among the debris.
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Liz at Libro
Jan 27, 2014 @ 09:33:51
You know, that is very true!
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Samantha
Jan 27, 2014 @ 03:25:23
Oh, I love Mary Webb, and haven’t come across this one. Please do let us know what you think – I’m eager to hear whether I should find a copy for myself!
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Liz at Libro
Jan 27, 2014 @ 09:35:38
I will review it when I read it – unfortunately that might be a while, as I have a policy of reading my books in order of acquisition! You can use the search box at the top right and find all my other Webb reviews in the meantime, though!
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