Yes, I bought some more books

Maybe I need to return to the ban on book buying, because I’ve been on a bit of a spree recently. But I also made space for a new bookcase (bookcase still to be bought), so maybe it’s all fine? Anywhere, here’s a bunch of books I bought recently…

I was in Portsmouth last week for a training course, and I had time after it finished to pop to a nearby bookshop. It was very crowded and very reasonably priced. Curiously most of their older fiction seemed to be in ‘pocket sized’ editions, albeit for people with enormous pockets. And I bought a small handful of interesting looking books.

Proud Heaven by Ethel Mannin

Anybody who’s read much about middlebrow novels in the interwar period has probably seen Mannin’s name pop up, but I have very little idea about what her novels are actually like. This is the second of hers on my shelves, so I must give her a proper go sometime soon.

Thin Ice by Compton Mackenzie

OK, I won’t buy any more Mackenzie until I read some of the ones I have. He says.

My Favourite Books by Robert Blatchford

I couldn’t resist a book about books, even if this one is published so early in the century that it’s unlikely to coincide with my favourite books.

The Lack of the Fairfaxes by Katharine Tynan

I’m sure I’ve seen Tynan’s name around. I can’t remember where, but this looked fun – and has a name in the title, so I might even read it under Project Names.

Just those four in Portsmouth – but I was meeting a friend in Woodstock for lunch today, and there’s a lovely little independent bookshop there. So I had a browse, and bought a couple of things that have on my wishlist for a long time, because I like to support independent bookshops. I’m altruistic like that. The third of these came from a charity bookshop in Woodstock.

The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr

This has been getting great reviews, and anything that can make me a better writer can’t hurt. Though, having recently finished writing a novel, I’m hoping this won’t make me have massive re-thinks about structure…

Ghosting by Jennie Erdal

Slightly Foxed often send me their lovely Editions as review copies, so I thought I’d offset that by buying one for myself – which is a memoir of ghostwriting. Fascinating, no?

I For One by J.B. Priestley

A few years back, Priestley’s essay collection Delight was republished – and it was a delight. This collection of essays appears to be things that he wants to complain about – which could well end up being equally fun.