Claire’s Corner

Posted on | February 26, 2010 | 50 Comments

When India Knight posted about the new Nancy Mitford editions published next week by Penguin (Fig Tree Press) I was apoplectic with excitement. The covers are cute and quirky and I covet them. Now, hold onto your jaws people, I have a confession to make … I haven’t read any Nancy Mitford yet. To be honest, I haven’t read any of the Mitfords (the other sisters do seem to be overshadowed a little by Nancy) but this is the year that I will finally do so, along with Barbara Pym and Iris Murdoch; it will be the year for reading great English women writers who have fallen out of fashion some. I know that Nancy and I are going to become firm friends; I loved her blink-or-you-will miss it cameo in The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice and so many of you love her and have told me that I will too. I have a feeling, however, that these editions may help some. Have a look at the forthcoming titles (March 4th in the UK); her most famous ones are there as well as Don’t Tell Alfred and a re-published early novel, Wigs on the Green, which Time Out describes as “Intoxicating… Middlemarch high on champagne and Viagra”. I wonder whether my birthday next month will bring me these? If not, I know what I’ll be wishing for when I blow out the candles.

This week’s Claire’s Corner has turned into (almost) a weekend miscellany as opposed to a midweek one but I hope that it will blend nicely into my next order of the day, which also has to do with birthdays…

I had high hopes for this weekend because somehow I got it into my head that the 28th was my first blog birthday. The 28th is playing havoc with my memory (it may have something to do with there being a family baby due then); yesterday I was convinced my stepfather’s birthday was on Sunday also but it’s actually a day earlier and just as well I was prepared. As it is, my blog birthday has been and gone last Saturday! On the 20th of February 2009 I posted for the first time about the film adaptation of Persephone Books‘ Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and three days later -a post that also saw the influence of Persephone Books- saw my first comment by the very lovely Simon T of Stuck in a Book. Serendipitously, Simon’s was a blog that I had read for months before I began my own and I never commented until I had my own space. I came to Simon through this post by Danielle of A Work in Progess which I discovered when googling the Virago Modern Classics 30th Birthday editions (it’s all about birthdays, isn’t it?!) This post by Danielle led me into the blogosphere and it also brought Persephone Books to my attention for the second time; I promptly bought Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winnifred Watson and that brings us back full circle to my first blog post a number of months later (the post I found was an old one and I then proceeded to read all of their archives and bookmarked their blogs). So, a big thank you to Simon and Danielle.

Now, to celebrate my bloggiversary -almost a week late or not- I would like to offer one lucky reader a book of their choice but not any book, one that I have either blogged about in the past (you can find a list of books reviewed under my Books Reviewed tab) or that I have recommended to you personally. My only other condition is that the book is available from The Book Depository and you can enter by commenting with your choice between now and Friday 12th March 12pm GMT when I will draw the winner.

Speaking of my first commenter, Simon, please visit this post if you are a UK book blogger interested in a meet-up in May. I’ll be there and I’m looking forward to meeting Simon again as well as some other familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Comments

50 Responses to “Claire’s Corner”

Verity
February 26th, 2010 @ 12:50 pm

How exciting Claire! Congratulations!! I don’t think I found your blog until May or June last year but I’ve been reading it ever since and it has been fun to meet up – I doubt we would have met without our blogs.

I would love to enter your draw and would love Haunting of Hill House if I won as I loved the other Shirley Jackson that I read (and found out about from your blog!)

PS: Not sold on the new Mitford editions at all I’m afraid. I like the original orange Penguin ones and also the silver ones. I’m not sure which ones I have.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
February 26th, 2010 @ 12:51 pm

Congratulations on your first bloggiversary! Your blog has made amazing improvements in the last year and is now one of the best in the world (in my humble opinion) I look forward to sharing many more blogging years with you.

Don’t enter me into the draw – I have enough books already! I’m happy just to borrow the ones you have LOL!

I’m coming to Simon’s meet-up. I look forward to seeing you there!
bybee
February 26th, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

I’ve always meant to read the Mitfords and about the Mitfords, but haven’t gotten around to it. Glad about the reprints.
bybee
February 26th, 2010 @ 1:42 pm

I forgot…happy bloggyversary! Getting to that first year is a rush.
Cath
February 26th, 2010 @ 2:18 pm

Happy blog anniversary! I don’t know why but I thought you’d been blogging a lot longer than a year.

Would love to be included in your draw. If I win I would like The Hunger Games please. And thank you for this kind gesture.
Mae
February 26th, 2010 @ 2:22 pm

A big congratulations for your first bloggiversary. I’m surprised that it’s only the first because you seem so established! I love reading your posts and your blog was a great find for me. Here’s to your love for books and bookish things.

I read Nancy Mitford last year (Love in a Cold Climate) and loved it. It has very biting british humour. I have to say though, the new covers don’t really appeal to me. It’s a little too girlish. I prefer the white penguins.

And I would love to enter your draw to win Shades of Grey. I love my Jasper Fforde.
Sakura
February 26th, 2010 @ 2:24 pm

Happy first birthday Paperback Reader! And I too thought you’d been blogging for much longer than a year. Please enter me into the draw for Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey. I’m hoping to make it to the UK blogger’s meet-up, so I’ll finally get to meet you and everyone else.
Bloomsbury Bell
February 26th, 2010 @ 3:23 pm

I cannot believe you haven’t read any Nancy Mitford! Oh what an exciting reading year you have ahead – Love in a Cold Climate and The Pursuit of Love are two of my all time favourite books. Don’t Tell Alfred is enjoyable but the other two are amazing.
I am so excited about the new editions.
Steph
February 26th, 2010 @ 3:41 pm

Happy belated bloggiversary, Claire! I always look forward to your posts, as I find our book tastes are similar, and you have such an engaging writing style!

I’d love it if you’d enter me for Lady Rose & Mrs Memmary. I feel like since you’re the one who introduced me to Persephones that it’s only right that I ask for one should I win!
Stujallen
February 26th, 2010 @ 5:51 pm

well done on your year blogging always enjoy your post ,give me a lot ideas for books to read
ra
February 26th, 2010 @ 5:58 pm

I look forward to reading about your thoughts on Nancy’s novels – so do read one quickly – they don’t take very long at all. You should also try to read Letters Between Six Sisters at some point – it’s interesting and great fun.
JoAnn
February 26th, 2010 @ 6:06 pm

Happy Anniversary, Claire! Congratulations on a fabulous year! I’m so glad found you last spring (I think)… you’ve become a regular stop on my morning spin around the blogosphere. They Were Sisters is the book I’d most like to win, and I promise to take Persephone Reading Week into account before finalizing any travel plans this year
Mystica
February 26th, 2010 @ 6:06 pm

I came to your blog just a few days ago and have been checking daily as I find it very interesting. Congratulations on your blogoversary and many, many more to come.
I would appreciate very much getting the book
The Diary of a Provincial Lady by Delafield or Silent on the Moor by Deanna Rayburn. Thank you for your generosity
Nymeth
February 26th, 2010 @ 6:53 pm

Happy, happy bloggiversary, Claire! You’ve been a huge influence on my reading over the past year, so naturally I’m very very glad you joined the blogging world. If I’m the lucky winner, I’d love a copy of Bog Child, because as you know I collect Carnegie winners!
selena
February 26th, 2010 @ 6:57 pm

Congratulations on your bloggaversary. Those are always so exciting! I hope you have many more to come, since I love your reading your thoughts on books (: As for the giveaway, I’d love to throw my hat in for Lady Rose & Mrs. Memmary. I can’t wait to try a Persephone!
Karoline
February 26th, 2010 @ 7:45 pm

Congratulations on your first year of blogging Claire
Eva
February 26th, 2010 @ 8:35 pm

Happy blogiversary! I watched the adaptation of Love in a Cold Climate last month & really loved it, so now I want to read some Nancy Mitford too. And I really want to read that big anthology of letters one day, when I have a bit of a background and can appreciate it!
Michelle (su[shu])
February 26th, 2010 @ 9:18 pm

Congrats on the blog birthday! It’s funny isn’t it, how the blogosphere works. One thing links to another, and before you know it, you have your own blog, and people are commenting, and maybe your blog was the one to kick another blogger into starting their own space!

I’d love to be in for the draw, and would choose The Well and the Mine if I’m lucky. Thanks. =)
Simon (Savidge Reads)
February 26th, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

Congrats on the year of blogging its been lovely to read you and then to get to know you all through the joys of blogging.

As for Nancy Mitford I shall simply say… I adore, I do admit.
Claire (The Captive Reader)
February 26th, 2010 @ 11:12 pm

Happy Blogiversary! I’ve only been blogging for a little over a month, but it does seem to go so quickly (and, like you, I was reading Simon’s blogs for months before I started my own, when I finally started commenting).

Nancy Mitford is a delight. Looking forward to hearing what you think of her!
Rochester Reader
February 27th, 2010 @ 1:25 am

Happy Birthday! I’ve been enjoying your blog since discovering it around Persephone Week last year.
I too haven’t read any Nancy Mitford or Barbara Pym yet but I have high hopes for these. I seem to save them for the right moment although I expect I will be reading them soon.
May I be entered into your draw to win ‘Memento Mori’?
Marie
February 27th, 2010 @ 1:58 am

First of all, I’m loving your new blog. Second, CONGRATS on your bloggiversary! Very exciting! And third,yeah- those books look adorable!
Tony
February 27th, 2010 @ 4:43 am

Well done on making it to 365 days – now comes the hard part

I would like to humby suggest Soseki’s ‘I am a Cat’ for the prize draw as I haven’t read any of his work yet.
Tony
February 27th, 2010 @ 4:44 am

Of course, that should read ‘humbly’, not ‘humby’ (why can’t you edit comments?!).
Paperback Reader
February 27th, 2010 @ 2:01 pm

Thank you all for the lovely comments. I have been touched reading them and delighted to have “met” you all through blogging.

There have been some great book choices made so far and I look forward to making the draw.
A Bookish Space
February 27th, 2010 @ 5:16 pm

Contratulations Claire! May I be entered into the draw to win Ladt into Fox.
Jenny
February 27th, 2010 @ 11:11 pm

Happy blogiversary! I’d love to be entered for The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets – such a good title, and I love the books you compare it to!
kiss a cloud
February 28th, 2010 @ 8:06 am

Happy late blogiversary, dear Claire! Happy was the day that I discovered your blog and learned of our shared Toni Morrison love, besides the name! Please enter me for The Bell Jar. Shame on me for never having read Plath before, but that Farber First cover is gorgeous!
Paperback Reader
February 28th, 2010 @ 11:25 am

A Bookish Space, good choice

Jenny, I loved that book and it’s a wonderful title. Another great choice!

Claire, thank you. It was indeed a happy day
The Faber First cover is beautiful.
Nicola
March 1st, 2010 @ 3:00 am

Keep up the blogging, Claire. Thank you for drawing our attention to the new Mitfords. Love the cover and I’ve not read Wigs on the Green.
Paperback Reader
March 1st, 2010 @ 12:02 pm

Thank you, Nicola. I’ll be looking for Wigs on the Green and Don’t Tell Alfred for my birthday; Wigs on the Green is the one that is receiving the most attention, probably because of its previous out-of-print status.
The Book Shelf Project
March 1st, 2010 @ 10:20 pm

Happy birthday! And a big thanks for all your help. xx
mee
March 2nd, 2010 @ 2:38 am

Happy bloggiversary! I knew about The Group by Mary McCarthy and Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter from you and been coveting them ever since, so I would love to be entered for one of the books. Thanks!
Paperback Reader
March 3rd, 2010 @ 12:33 pm

Thanks, Cate, and you are welcome .

Mee, with pleasure! My favourite book of last year and one of my favourite books of all-time – good choices!
Anjali
March 8th, 2010 @ 11:17 pm

Congratulations on your blogiversary! I only recently discovered your blog and I’m enjoying trawling through the archives, as it seems like you have excellent taste in books!
I’ve recently started reading Persephone books as well, so would love to be entered for ‘Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary’. Thanks!
Tuesday Teaser, Trivia AND Reminder | Paperback Reader
March 9th, 2010 @ 12:35 pm

[...] there are still a few days left in my blog’s first birthday give-away so please enter here if you haven’t had a chance to [...]
Paperback Reader
March 9th, 2010 @ 1:24 pm

Hi Anjali, thank you for commenting on my blog for the first time; I’m delighted that you are enjoying it.
Persephone books are wonderful and you are duly entered to win one.
Rachel
March 9th, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

Yay congratulations! I must have missed this post! I can’t believe you’ve only been going for a year – you’ve achieved so much in that time! I can’t wait for Wigs on the Green but like Verity I prefer the older covers and won’t be after a matching set. I don’t like the overly girly girly branding, making Mitford look far more frivolous and brainless than she was. Her books are incredibly witty and clever and satirical, and yet she’s been branded like a holiday beach read. Not happy!

No need to put me into the draw but thanks for the offer! I have too many books as it is!
Paperback Reader
March 9th, 2010 @ 3:17 pm

Many thanks, Rachel. I far prefer the new covers to the previous chick-lit branding (if you search for The Pursuit of Love on Amazon then you will immediately see the one I mean). Ugh.
Tracey
March 9th, 2010 @ 8:19 pm

Great blog, love catching up on all your reviews.

Please enter me in draw, Nights at the Circus or The Bell Jar

Thank you
Paperback Reader
March 10th, 2010 @ 10:42 am

Hi Tracey, thank for commenting and entering into my prize draw.
Merenia
March 11th, 2010 @ 9:13 am

Hi Claire,

Thanks for your offer and many more thank you’s for your brilliant blog and superb book reviews. You have set a very high standard. I am also grateful for all the work put in hosting Persephone Week with Verity, last year; it was a real feast as a reader to have all those reviews on Persephone books, from like minded readers.
If I win your draw I would love to have The Crowded Street.
Paperback Reader
March 11th, 2010 @ 10:09 am

Thank you for the lovely words, Merenia. I am very excited about the next Persephone Week and perhaps you will have a copy of The Crowded Street to read during it. I’ll be drawing my bloggiversary prize tomorrow.
Darlene
March 11th, 2010 @ 5:10 pm

Happy Blog Birthday, Claire! How lovely of you to treat the likes of us, with the chance to own a book to celebrate your special event. I would love to take part and my book of choice would have to be a Persephone (of course!) and your favourite, Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary.
Paperback Reader
March 11th, 2010 @ 5:43 pm

Great choice, Darlene
Paperback Reader
March 12th, 2010 @ 11:59 am

***The prize draw is now closed***
Claire’s Corner | Paperback Reader
March 12th, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

[...] you all for celebrating my first blog birthday with me; I appreciated your warm and thoughtful comments. I was also [...]
Simon T
March 12th, 2010 @ 11:50 pm

How did I miss this post?? Happy belated blogiversary, and how nice that I was your first commenter (commentator?!), I didn’t realise that. I’ve so enjoyed your blog over this year, quickly become one of my favourites (and wildly popular with so many others, very deservedly.) I know I’m too late, but I would have chosen The Cat Inside by William Burroughs – someone might be buying me this for Easter, fingers crossed!
Paperback Reader
March 13th, 2010 @ 11:31 am

Thank you, Simon. I appreciate you coming back and commenting – quite the cyclical occurrence and wholly apt. I hope that someone does buy you The Cat Inside for Easter; it is a curious but interesting read.
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March 27th, 2010 @ 5:04 pm

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