While I try not to buy books from my wishlist during Christmas and birthday season, with friends like mine and an indie bookshop on the high street it’s inevitable that books will happen. As I came home with a BookCrossing Secret Santa parcel to open in the week that has some suspiciously oblong packages, and knowing I have at least two books under the no-tree-because-we-can’t-get-at-the-bit-where-it’s-stored, I thought I should do a quick round-up of what’s come in so far this month.
I was in The Heath Bookshop buying book and Bookshop tokens for Christmas presents and spotted a tempting half-price sale, where I picked up Michael Cashman’s (of Eastenders and MEP fame) memoir, “One of Them”. Rude not to, right? I got home and John Preston’s bestseller “Watford Forever” had arrived, kindly sent by the author (my name’s in the acknowledgements for a small role I had in the book). I went to Brian Bilston’s The Heath Bookshop event for his new poetry book “And So This Christmas” (review here).
In The Works to look for paper washi tape (failed: only found it with glitter on which defeats the green purpose; it is a small branch, though), I found three novels, Bolu Babalola’s “Honey & Spice” (enemies have to pull together to make a radio show work; can’t remember where I heard about this one, tell me if it was you!) and Taj McCoy’s “Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell” and “Zora Books her Happy Ever After” (plus size Black women winning hearts as chefs and bookshop owners respectively; the later I spotted on Life of a Female Bibliophile’s blog), These three look fun and hopefully buying them helps The Works to keep up the representation of Black writers.
Then the customary winter parcel of ARCs arrived from Bookish Beck: four books I’ve raved about wanting to read when I’ve read her reviews. Daniel Schreiber’s “Alone” is a reflection on solitary living and the importance of friendship; Florence Hazrat’s “An Admirable Point” is a history of the exclamation mark; Sarah Thomas’ “The Raven’s Nest” looks at life in the West of Iceland and has had praise from Cal Flyn and Robert Macfarlane; and Lev Parikian’s “Taking Flight” looks at the story of life on the wing. Finally, I went to a brilliant The Heath Bookshop event with Kit de Waal in conversation with Cold War Steve and far from the edgy and sarcastic commentator I thought he was, he was such a lovely man that I bought his 2024 Annual, full of his amazing collages and with essays by de Waal, Stewart Lee and more.
I could hardly have not got any of those: do tell me about any first-part-of-December book confessions you might need to share!
Wendy
Dec 17, 2023 @ 12:27:26
Looks like some interesting books for the month! My bookfession is taking a break in my planned reading to pick up Liz Cheney’s new book that came available at the library. It was worth the read, for sure.
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Liz Dexter
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:52:46
That’s fine – plans are there to be broken, right?!
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mallikabooks15
Dec 17, 2023 @ 14:16:36
A wonderful haul, Liz. Hope you enjoy them all!
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Liz Dexter
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:53:22
I hope to, and to get to them reasonably soon!
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Sarah
Dec 17, 2023 @ 15:56:08
Thanks for sharing these. I like your regarding December book purchases as requiring confession; from October to December seems to be a particularly difficult time to resist bookish temptations with all the new books being published ready for Christmas. I also identify with your ‘no-tree-because- we- can’t- get -at -where- it’s stored’, we haven’t got a Christmas tree this year either for similar reasons!
As usual, I have made a note of several of the books you have highlighted and hope to get my paws on them to read next year. I am particularly drawn to Daniel Schreiber’s ‘Alone’ (have you read Sara Maitland ‘How to be Alone’ ? I enjoyed that at the beginning of the year), ‘An Admirable Point’ and the book by my namesake (!), Sarah Thomas.
I hope you enjoy them all and look forward to reading your reviews in due course.
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Liz Dexter
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:54:38
No, I haven’t read the Sara Maitland but will watch out for it. And yes, it’s both the time to resist because people are buying you things and the time to see all the lovely things, terribly tempting!
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Jinjer
Dec 17, 2023 @ 18:30:20
“no-tree-because-we-can’t-get-at-the-bit-where-it’s-stored” — Hahahahahaha!!!
Sounds like you’ve already got a great haul and we’re only half-way through the month!
I wish had waited until December to go on my Amazon German Lit book-buying spree, but the titles came up in November and there was no holding me back.
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Liz Dexter
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:55:21
Sometimes you just have to buy things, right? In case they disappear and don’t come back …
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Warren
Dec 17, 2023 @ 20:18:34
younger, I would by records (vinyl) by the cover…I bought a lot….now it seems books?…..finally finished bright young women (liked it, not so much the finish)…now into something called the Club..not sure I like ti so far, and the women of the post is to follow….which is weird, it’s unusual for me to read non-fiction. I guess trying to expand myself?
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Liz Dexter
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:56:20
As you’ve probably realised, I’m a big non-fiction fan, but all sorts of things can stretch our horizons and it’s good to do so. I try not to judge books by their cover but still do sometimes!
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Brona's Books
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:12:26
I’ve been strong so far, re myself, but I’ve been buying books for everyone for Christmas, so getting my fix that way 😀
I hope your renovation is finished soon!
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Liz Dexter
Dec 17, 2023 @ 21:57:24
I have bought a few for other people, esp for our BookCrossing not-so-secret Santa, but more for me. Book tokens and The Heath Bookshop tokens for friends. And thank you. Just some replacement kitchen floor tiles to go and some retouching of paint for us to do.
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Dec 18, 2023 @ 12:58:35
Some interesting arrivals there Liz – Cold War Steve is so spot on, isn’t he? I had been reasonably restrained but have a December birthday so there were some incomings – mainly Dickens! – which I will try to share in a post after Christmas!
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Sarah
Dec 18, 2023 @ 17:06:43
Just wanted to wish you a Happy belated Birthday! Glad to hear you had some books as presents too!
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Dec 18, 2023 @ 17:50:58
Thanks Sarah! Yes, some lovely books which I will share in a post after Christmas!!
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Liz Dexter
Dec 18, 2023 @ 21:12:25
Oh yes, happy birthday! CWS is a bit near the bone for me but he was just SO LOVELY in person and his whole thing a sort of cottage industry, so it had to be done!
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Dec 19, 2023 @ 10:20:48
Thank you! And yes, he’s quite harsh in his analysis but unfortunately quite accurate I think.
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Paul at Halfman, Halfbook
Dec 19, 2023 @ 19:38:58
Belated happy birthday, Kaggsy
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Dec 19, 2023 @ 19:55:51
Thanks Paul!
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FictionFan
Dec 18, 2023 @ 16:03:31
“I could hardly have not got any of those” Haha, the self-justification of the true addict! 😉
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Liz Dexter
Dec 18, 2023 @ 21:13:19
Fraid so!
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Paul at Halfman, Halfbook
Dec 19, 2023 @ 19:39:12
The Raven’s Nest is excellent
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Liz Dexter
Dec 20, 2023 @ 10:14:35
Yes, I can’t wait to read that. And won’t have to wait more than a year if my New Project comes good!
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heavenali
Dec 20, 2023 @ 12:11:00
What a lovely collection of incomings! And all before our secret Santa opening, Christmas and birthday! The books will be piling up.
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Liz Dexter
Dec 21, 2023 @ 21:58:43
I know, it’s a bit shocking, isn’t it!
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Book review – Nikesh Shukla and Sammy Jones (eds.) – “Rife” | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
Dec 29, 2023 @ 07:52:03
State of the TBR January 2024 and new reading challenge for the year!
Jan 01, 2024 @ 21:42:43
Life of a Female Bibliophile
Jan 02, 2024 @ 22:28:58
Yay! You got Taj MccCoy’s novels. I hope you enjoy them!
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Liz Dexter
Jan 03, 2024 @ 09:41:27
I’m looking forward to reading them!
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