… of the bookish kind, of course…
Yes, there have been more arrivals at the Ramblings (although I have squeezed several volumes out in Happy Mail and donations). Mainly these have been review copies (as anyone who follows me on social media might have spotted), but I have to admit to a few little purchases…
So let’s share those first… And entirely to blame is the Backlisted Podcast which recently focused on Daniel Defoe’s “A Journal of the Plague Year“. I’d been considering reading this for a while – it somehow kept slipping onto my radar – and the podcast finished me off. After a Twitter discussion of which version was best to get, I somehow ended up with two…. Which will I read first? Who know, but I now own *two* Norton Critical Editions (my first was the Adrienne Rich collection I bought a while back)! 😀
The next incomings are from charity shop and local Waterstones (who were having a sale).
A Dawkins for £1 is not going to stay in the charity shop when I’m about. And I have no idea what Fellinesque is (except I have a nagging feeling I might have read about it somewhere – if it was on your blog please tell me in the comments!) It sounds a bit weird, has the French Revolution in it (obvs with a guillotine on the front…) and was also £1. Worth a punt, methinks…
As for review books, the first arrived during the week and I was *so* excited about it, as I’ve been waiting to cover it for Shiny New Books:
I’ve read several of the titles put out in Columbia University Press’s Russian Library imprint, but I was particularly keen on reading this. Khodasevich is a poet I discovered fairly recently, and this book is about Russian writers from the early part of the 20th century. Can’t wait!!
And yesterday two more lovelies popped through the letterbox (well, actually, were handed to me by the postie, who is probably getting a bit fed up with carting large heavy book packages to the door – these were particularly weighty…)
The one on the left is just gorgeous – a glossy colour picture illustrated book all about Virginia Woolf‘s houses. I’ve had a quick flick and it looks amazing! And interestingly on the right (because of Woolf’s interest in the Carlyles) is Thomas’s French Revolution history. A bit of a chunkster, but I’m desperate to read that too. I went to Carlyle’s house with my BFF J and it was surprisingly dark and small…
As I was grumping on Twitter this morning, it’s a little alarming when your review books form their own, separate Mount TBR. Self-inflicted wound I know, first world problem and all that.
However, I shall hopefully spend some time later on today sitting surrounded by a pile of books, flicking through them, reading bits and seeing which one hooks me the most. Yes, spoiled for choice…. 😉
May 12, 2019 @ 15:13:53
Lovely hauls Kaggsy! I have the Defoe and I’ve been meaning to read it for ages – I’ll be interested to hear what you make of it & I’ll try and dig out my copy too.
The Carlyle is very tempting but such a chunkster – my hat is off to you for tackling it.
My TBR also has various sub-piles, as you say, a nice problem to have 🙂
May 12, 2019 @ 15:37:31
I’m glad I’m not alone in the sub-piles. Doesn’t make it any easier to choose, though! Maybe the Defoe yet, though I need to see where my mood takes me today… ;D
May 12, 2019 @ 18:49:56
Lovely, I get worried by review copies as we were discussing earlier. Oh but the Virginia Woolf houses book, that looks fabulous.
Enjoy your books.
May 12, 2019 @ 19:44:27
I’m trying not to fret, because that won’t help… And yes, the Woolf one is beautiful – I do feel like diving straight into that one! 😀
May 12, 2019 @ 19:09:38
I just finished 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire the other day and now also wish to read Defoe’s Journal of a Plague Year….and Pepys’s Diary.
May 12, 2019 @ 19:41:45
I reckon Pepys might take a bit of stamina!! ;D
May 12, 2019 @ 19:41:28
Defoe was only five when the plague hit London, so “A Journal of the Plague Year“ relies on imagination and other peoples’ accounts rather than his memory.
May 15, 2019 @ 11:28:57
LOl, yes I wasn’t going to take it as a history! The Backlisted podcast is worth checking out if you’re interested in the book!
May 12, 2019 @ 21:25:56
You have acquired a really interesting bunch of books. Richard Dawkins is always interesting. I have also had A Journal of the Plague Year on my on my radar for a long time.
Spending a day surrounded by books is always a good thing to do.
May 13, 2019 @ 06:37:49
It is! Just handling the books and having a browse in them, deciding what to read next is always lovely! Simple pleasures… 📚📚📚
May 13, 2019 @ 00:30:14
It looks like you have plenty to keep you occupied. Will be interested to hear about the plague years.🤠🐧
May 13, 2019 @ 06:36:19
Yeah, I’m not going to run out of reading any time soon, am I?? 🤣🤣
May 13, 2019 @ 13:01:03
I haven’t read any Dawkins more recent than The Selfish Gene (which is ancient). Interested to hear what you think about The Greatest Show on Earth.
May 13, 2019 @ 13:51:31
I’ve only dipped into bits and bobs, so I’m looking forward to exploring more – I anticipate a fairly bracing read! 😀
May 13, 2019 @ 13:53:31
Oh gosh, Virginia Woolf at Home is a must have! Is it a follow-up to Virginia Woolf’s Garden? I loved that.
May 13, 2019 @ 14:21:21
TBH I don’t know – the publishers and authors are different, but Cecil Woolf is involved in both. This one certainly looks glorious (I thought you might be interested…) and I might have to search out the Garden book myself… ;D
May 13, 2019 @ 15:20:45
I see “Lost Time” on your TBR pile. Am enjoying that one now very much! My TBR pile is on a side table because it got too big for a shelf…….Looks a bit like yours. 😍
May 13, 2019 @ 15:49:16
Yes, I’ve read that one – absolutely marvellous book – it’s only still on the pile because I have another couple of Czapski books keeping it company! 😀
May 28, 2019 @ 07:14:54
I’ve wondered about “Journal of a Plague Year” for a long time, but never looked into it. Thanks for mentioning Backlisted. It’s new to me and I loved the episode about Defoe’s Plague book! Added to my TBR.
May 28, 2019 @ 12:23:43
Backlisted is great, isn’t it? Looking forward to the Defoe myself!