Tuesday 23 March 2010

Library loot


Following on from my Lenten post yesterday, I should have mentioned that the library has been augmenting my TBR bookcase quite considerably over the last few weeks. I've indulged in some reservations (85p each, so have to be fairly restrained as the cost can still add up quite a lot), but the most recent batch of books were all chosen from the open shelves.

Of all of my library loot, I was most excited about My driver by Maggie Gee. As I mentioned yesterday, Jackie had recently reviewed it which led me to read its prequel, My cleaner last week, and having enjoyed that so much, I was extremely pleased to be able to get a copy straight away.

I also picked up another Maggie Gee book, Where are the snows, as this sounded extremely interesting from its synopsis on Amazon. I think I intend to read more of Maggie Gee over the coming months as I had only read one of her novels before this week.

I spotted The solitude of prime numbers on the recent books table in Waterstones last week; the title sounded interesting, as did the plot centring around the issues of adolescence. The author Giardano is only 25 and in the middle of a scientific Phd!

I picked up Eva Ibbotsen's The company of swans as it came to my attention when I was thinking about ballet books recently (and I have another post on that subject for you to look forward to next week!)...

...and while I was in the children's library finding that, I spotted a KM Peyton which I hadn't read - Blue skies and gunfire. I love KM Peyton's books, especially the Flambards trilogy, and it looks like this is something in a similar vein, a love story set during the war with a strong female heroine.

Really looking forward to all of these books! Hurrah for libraries!

12 comments:

  1. They make you pay to place holds on books? I would be so destitute if my library did that! I place at least four holds a week with my library.

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  2. My library charges £1 for reservations and I'm up to a personal record of £7 this month! I try think of it as supporting the library though!

    I've just finished The Solitude of Prime Numbers so I will be interested to know what you make of it. It is a nice, light thriller - not at all how I expected it to be.

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  3. That's surprising that you have to pay for hold, I guess I should count myself lucky my library doesn't do that. I love the title for the Solitude of Prime Numbers. It just sounds as if it should be good.

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  4. Lots of I haven't heard of in this week's loot! I loved Eva Ibbotsen as a teenager - A Countess Below Stairs was my favourite, but A Company of Swans was delightful too.

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  5. Flambards! There's a blast from the past!

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  6. We pay 50p per book if we reserve online; it's £1, I think, if you reserve in the library itself. Like Jackie I think of it as supporting my county's libraries as I *assume* the money goes to keeping them going.

    Haven't read any Eva Ibbotson but picked up one of her books in a charity shop some months ago - Journey to the River Sea.

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  7. It's so frustrating paying for holds, especially as I often want items from the library headquarters! It's interesting to hear about the variations between places. I definitely spent at least £10 a month in reservation charges.

    I like the sound of Countess below stairs, so shall have to look out for that...

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  8. I've been using my library a bit lately too - I picked up 7 new reservations today - it feels like present time!! Mine are 90 cents Australian for each book - I always rationalise it by telling myself it is A LOT cheaper than actually buying the book!

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  9. Ahh, but when there is a 1p + £2.75 postage copy on Amazon, it's very little more to own your own copy!!

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  10. I hope you enjoy The Company of Swans, I read a couple of Eva Ibbotson's books last year and really enjoyed them.

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  11. Two books were my library loot today, both were reservations - it's free to reserve books in my local library system, so long as the books are within the county boundaries. Firstly E H Young - Virago Modern Classic of The Misses Mallet, first time this copy had been issued since the late 1980s.

    The other book was also due to reading a book blogger - but sadly I can't recall whose blog it was. Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve.

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  12. Found out whose blog it was where I read about Fortune's Rock and was inspired to make the library reservation - Booksnob.

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