Recent Acquisitions

Posted on | June 16, 2010 | 24 Comments

My latest acquisitions have been accumulating in a couple of piles over the last few weeks and are a mixture of books bought and sent.

The Viragoes at the top were both one and the other; the stunning lilac edition of Janet Frame short stories was kindly sent by Sophie of Virago (please have a look at the beautiful front cover here). The older Virago (both are Modern Classics) was one I succumbed to online; when Verity and I were shopping together last month, she spied a copy before I arrived and I was most envious as it is a VMC I have been keeping my eyes open for for some time. The first story in Enormous Changes at the Last Minute by Grace Paley, “Wants”, is one I read in the Angela Carter edited, Wayward Girls and Wicked Women and I have been wanting to read more (Verity has posted about the the volume in full).

The Persephones were both a stroke of luck; It’s Hard to be Hip Over Thirty by Judith Viorst was snagged in Oxfam Books on Marylebone High Street for £2 (and kindly bought by my boyfriend) whilst the lovely Elaine of Random Jottings sent me a copy of Alas, Poor Lady by Rachel Ferguson that she was culling and for which she looking for a loving home.

Meike of Peirene Press contacted me to ask if I wished to review the second title her small, independent publishing house has released, Stone in a Landslide by Maria Barbal; after hearing such wonderful things about this press from other bloggers, I acquiesced and also requested the first title, Beside the Sea by Véronique Olmi to find out what all the (presumably deserved) fuss is about!

Katherine of HarperCollins pitched The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman to me last month and at the time the “Little Women on mushrooms” blurb from this book review in The New York Times sounded exactly what I needed and it was. A review of this is forthcoming.

Another of the books from these piles that I have already read is French Milk by Lucy Knisley. I finally caved and bought this graphic travelogue after seeing several reviews around the blogosphere since the beginning of the year and will be adding my thoughts to the mix shortly.

The top four books (well, five, considering the Gallico is a double-header) are the newest titles in The Bloomsbury Group series – don’t they look lovely? The pink and blue will be read swiftly and surely, I promise.

Lastly is a volume of short stories that Vintage Books have been teasing me with for months with another stunningly attractive book cover. Alison, Editor at Vintage Books, suggested Stories to Get You Through the Night to me earlier in the year as it collects short stories by some of my favourite writers -Carter, Mansfield, Woolf, Chopin, Murakami- and had a copy sent to me last week when it was released. I think these are stories that will get me through the day, night and week.

What do you think of my most recent acquisitions?

Comments

24 Responses to “Recent Acquisitions”

tea lady (the glittering burn)
June 16th, 2010 @ 1:32 pm

What a lovely haul! I am currently making my way through Stories To get You Through The Night which is wonderful and I would love to read some more of Janet Frame’s fiction.

The Story Sisters sounds great too. I foresee much happy reading ahead of you!
Darlene
June 16th, 2010 @ 1:49 pm

Stories to get you through the Night was the one which made me go ‘Oooo’! And it warms my heart every time I read of someone sending someone else a book. To me it’s such a complimentary way of saying ‘I was thinking of you’ or that someone has taken the time to get to know your taste in reading material.

Lovely additions to your library…how’s the shelf space?
Tony
June 16th, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

Still very jealous of your ability to be sent dozens of books for free! My efforts so far have resulted in allegedly being placed on a database for Vintage… and not a lot else
Verity
June 16th, 2010 @ 2:14 pm

What a wonderful selection – lucky you! You need a full time job reading that lot!
Novel Insights
June 16th, 2010 @ 2:48 pm

Lovely stash – don’t they look pretty?! I wangled a copy of Beside the Sea which I am SOOO looking forward to after all the good reviews and enjoying Stone in a Landslide. The books are so short I’m sure you’ll be able to squeeze them in
Stujallen
June 16th, 2010 @ 3:05 pm

some great books there I ve just got the two from Peirene books as well ,they look wonderful ,all the best stu
Eva
June 16th, 2010 @ 4:24 pm

I’m curious what you’ll have to say about French Milk…I seem to be in the minority in my underwhelmness for the book. lol Jealous of your luck with those Persephones, but really it’s just karma for all of the promoting you do of the press!

I’ve just accepted an offer of Stones in a Landslide too! I feel kind of bad about blanketing the blogosphere with reviews, but it sounds so good I couldn’t resist.
Carolyn
June 16th, 2010 @ 4:28 pm

Beautiful books! Henrietta Sees It Through is one I’m definitely looking forward to getting, I’m so happy that so many great old books are being republished.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
June 16th, 2010 @ 6:34 pm

Congratulations on finding a few more Persephones! I really hope that you enjoy the Peirene books – and all your other new ones. great haul!
vivienne
June 16th, 2010 @ 7:49 pm

The Bloomsbury book covers are just so beautiful. I want them for the covers alone. I may have to get the Alice Hoffman one as I am slowly working my way through her books.
kimbofo
June 16th, 2010 @ 8:48 pm

A great mixed bag of stuff there, Claire.
Impressed you are on the Virago *and* Vintage list. They just ignore my emails!

Be interested to hear what you make of the Pereine books. I bought my copies — £25 for three, including the third yet-to-be-published title. I loved Beside the Sea but wasn’t all that convinced by Stone in a Landslide.
Joan Hunter Dunn
June 16th, 2010 @ 9:18 pm

I so want to read Mrs Harris so that’s the book I covet from your selection.
Katherine
June 16th, 2010 @ 10:43 pm

Ooooh, I’m so jealous! I foresee a lot of great reading up ahead for you. I read Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris a couple of years ago, but not ..Goes to New York, so I definitely need to get my hands on this book.
Stephanie
June 16th, 2010 @ 11:08 pm

Wow–you got some great books! French Milk is the only one of the bunch I’ve read. It’s charming.
Amanda R.
June 17th, 2010 @ 12:35 am

That is the most beautiful stack of books EVER! Great picks!
Jenny
June 17th, 2010 @ 1:35 am

The Bloomsburys are ever so pretty, and most charmingly color-coded! I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of them.
Amanda
June 17th, 2010 @ 1:55 am

Yay French Milk! I hope you ended up liking it!
Teresa (Lovely Treez Reads)
June 17th, 2010 @ 10:10 am

Oh lucky you getting The Story Sisters – Alice Hoffman is one of my favourite authors. The Stories to See You Through the Night looks beautiful. I got the original version of Beside the Sea from Amazon, in order to get back into reading in French again. Well done – what a delightful selection of books.
A Bookish Space
June 17th, 2010 @ 11:17 am

What a lovely haul! I have severe book envy – especially for the Bloomsbury Group editions!
Sasha
June 17th, 2010 @ 1:50 pm

This book loot is just amazing, just wow. I’m drooling right now, really.

I’ve read that collection of Grace Paley’s. Love her shorter work. She’s got this quirky worldview that’s not all stifling. I can’t explain that quality of her work, a slightly baffling take on the most mundane of circumstances. I have all of her story collections, but have only read this one.

And Alice Hoffman, coo-coo as she might be sometimes, is an old love of mine. She cemented the book-loving in me, when I was nine.

Those Persephones! I pine for the day they’ll be available in my country.
Simon (Savidge Reads)
June 17th, 2010 @ 4:47 pm

The collection ‘Stories Through The Night’ is wonderful and make you want to stay up 24 hours just to read more. I am going for one or two a day… maybe three (ooh my thoughts on Carter this weekend – just a little late lol).

Cannot wait for the Bloomsbury books, particularily the blue one lol. They look so nice together. I also really want to try Janet Frame, lovely loot.
iliana
June 17th, 2010 @ 9:19 pm

Oh I just love to see pics of books bought

How I wish I could find Persephones at my local used book shop. Enjoy finding a spot on your shelves for your new loot.
claire (kiss a cloud)
June 20th, 2010 @ 6:48 pm

I am a big fan of Grace Paley. That one you have is the only collection of hers I’ve read so far but loved it soo much. Enjoy your loot!
Mark David
June 25th, 2010 @ 8:58 am

I’m envious about Stories To Get You Through The Night! That volume looks lovely! And the list of authors is just so enticing