Holidays are an exception to book-buying bans. Right?

I’ve just been away for a wonderful week in Dorset, staying in a beautiful Georgian mansion with 24 other people. It was the best. It also involved little trips to Bridport and Lyme Regis, and those places have secondhand bookshops. I decided that holidays were exempt from my ban on buying books (that was already, let’s face it, a pretty flimsy ban). And so I bought fourteen books…

The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford
I’ve been keeping my eye out for this book for years. It’s quite easy to get online, but I’d decided to wait to find it in the flesh. Thank you, Bridport charity shop.

The House by the Sea by May Sarton
I’ve got a few unread Sartons on my shelves, but this is a memoir about staying alone in a house by the sea – and that sounds irresistible to me.

Interim by R.C. Hutchinson
R.C.H. is one of those names from the early-to-mid 20th century that I have seen pop up all over the place, but have never read. (Have you?) I liked this little paperback edition, and Interim is hopefully as good a place to start as any.

The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp
Again, I have quite a few Sharps unread, but I’m always happy to add to that number – and was intrigued by this one being a ‘services edition’. I wonder what an exciting life this copy has led?

The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham
There is a definite theme to this haul – of finding books by authors I like, when I already have books by them waiting. I don’t have that many by Cunningham unread (one or two), so… better? Maybe?

The Winged Horse by Pamela Frankau
You may remember that I wrote a blog post asking if book recommendation sites worked – and LibraryThing’s #1 recommendation was The Winged Horse. Where LibraryThing advises, I listen. Thank you Sanctuary Books in Lyme Regis for aiding and abetting.

Carnival by Compton Mackenzie
Look, yes, I have lots of Mackenzie unread. This is another. I will not be judged!

The Women’s Side by Clemence Dane
I didn’t know anything about this – though Dane is another author I have on my shelves unread, and I read a lot about her when I was researching The Book Society. This is a short book about women’s rights in 1926, from education to the vote to ‘sex and the business women’. Sounds so interesting! Totally up my street.

The Man on the Pier by Julia Strachey
I love Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Strachey. This is her only other book, so hopefully it’s just as good.

Lions and Shadows by Christopher Isherwood
I have SO many unread Isherwoods, but I couldn’t put this one back on the shelf once I’d started to flick through it. It’s a fictionalised account of Isherwood’s early writing career, and the literary scene of the 1930s. Fun, no?

Novelists in Interview ed. John Haffenden
This collection of author interviews from 1985 includes people like Angela Carter, Ian McEwan, Iris Murdoch etc. It should be an interesting look at the 1980s literary scene! So many literary scenes.

The Glass of Fashion by Cecil Beaton
The lady in Bridport Old Books was laughingly cross that I was buying this – she has a rule that she leaves everything on the shop floor for a week before buying the books she has her eye on, and I swooped in during that week. It’s a history of fashion in the first half of the 20th century through the eyes of Cecil Beaton, so how could I leave it?

Life Among the English by Rose Macaulay
English Country Houses by Vita Sackville-West

Two slim and rather lovely books by authors I love, in a series called ‘Britain in Pictures’. Er, yes please.

So I’m very happy with this haul, even if it breaking all sorts of self-imposed rules! And now I do need to give proper consideration to where all my new books can fit… or come to the realisation that they can’t.

19 thoughts on “Holidays are an exception to book-buying bans. Right?

  • April 15, 2019 at 10:45 am
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    My daughter would have nabbed the Cecil Beaton too! I remember that Bridport bookshop from my hols at West Bay down the road a few years ago.

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    • April 15, 2019 at 2:34 pm
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      I’m so amazed that Bridport manages to keep two secondhand bookshops going! Very impressive.

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  • April 15, 2019 at 12:30 pm
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    Lucky you, Simon! The Macaulay and Sackville-West books are ones I wouldn’t have been able to resist. I think it’s fair to turn a blind eye to discipline while on holiday, at least when it comes to book buying and calories. Glad you had a wonderful time!

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    • April 15, 2019 at 2:33 pm
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      I certainly did the calories thing too, not gonna lie! And I thought this blog would probably be a safe space to confess ;)

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  • April 15, 2019 at 5:48 pm
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    After reading today’s posting, I went on to AWAD at Wordsmith.org…and both sites today were about the vulnerability of book lovers…at least I felt in good company as I contemplate the unread books in my home…perhaps we could find a word for those waiting-to-be-read-books…after all, we have “pantry” for uneaten food….

    Penny,
    Toronto

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    • April 15, 2019 at 10:27 pm
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      I love this pantry thought – never thought of it that way!

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    • April 15, 2019 at 11:20 pm
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      There is a word for this in Japanese! Tsundoku. It means buying books and letting them pile up.

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  • April 15, 2019 at 8:34 pm
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    Of *course* you have to buy books when you’re on holiday – it would be miserable and ruin your trip if you didn’t! :D Some lovely finds there, Simon – will be interested to hear what you think of the other Julia Strachey book in particular!

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    • April 17, 2019 at 9:25 am
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      I knew I’d come to the right place for reassurance :D

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  • April 15, 2019 at 9:03 pm
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    Ooh, I know not of that Cunningham! We were just saying we have to go back to Malvern because the only time we’ve been there we had to walk past some bookshops!

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    • April 17, 2019 at 9:17 am
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      Oo the Malvern Bookshop is WONDERFUL! You must go back for it.

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  • April 15, 2019 at 9:19 pm
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    You’ve got some interesting books there. I read may starton in my teens and really loved them

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    • April 17, 2019 at 9:26 am
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      I’ve only read a couple, and had a mixed response, but this one looks so interesting.

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  • April 16, 2019 at 4:27 pm
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    What a wonderful haul of books. Of course book buying bans don’t count on holiday. The Winged Horse is excellent, and I am excited on your behalf by the Julia Strachey. I so loved Cheerful Weather for the Wedding which is one of only two Persephone books I have read twice.

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    • April 17, 2019 at 9:16 am
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      I read it twice too – I actually liked it less the second time, so I should stop reading it, but it’s so good!

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  • April 17, 2019 at 1:19 pm
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    I just finished reading The Nutmeg Tree last weekend and I really enjoyed it. Different from Cluny Brown, which was my first Margery Sharp (not counting The Rescuers!), but still, the same sort of charm. I’m trying to decide which of her books to read next!

    And a very definite YES to buying books on holiday — if you don’t, you would probably regret it in the long run!

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  • April 22, 2019 at 1:24 pm
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    But of course. Best excuse ever!
    I haven’t read any of the books you bought, hadn’t even heard of many of the authors, so a great post for me. Thank you.

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  • April 24, 2019 at 8:55 pm
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    Why ban buying books at all? If it is a source of great pleasure to you then just indulge your self. Or are you a long lost relative of john Knox ? :-)

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    • April 25, 2019 at 2:40 pm
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      Space is basically the only reason!

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