To be entirely honest, this post is something of a filler 😊 as I know already I won’t have chance to write a second full book review this week.
However, books have come into my life!
I have tried to be really good at not acquiring too many books of late, and wasn’t doing too badly, until a few weeks ago, when things started to explode. Of course, regular readers will know that this year I am reading far less than I used to. Which is exactly why I was trying to be sensible – but… well new books are great.
Such is my fickle reading mood, that some of these books have already been read, far in advance of others I have had years, two of them have even been reviewed already.
This post also gives me chance to acknowledge with thanks the people who are so often partly responsible for my horrendous tbr.
So, working from the bottom of the picture up:
Apricot Sky by Ruby Ferguson – reissued by Dean Street Press was entirely the fault of a Twitter conversation I found myself part of, I can’t remember the context, but such was the enthusiasm of a couple of people, I had to buy it.
Concerning My Daughter by Kin Hye-Jin translated from the Korean by Jamie Chang, I think I will save it for Women in Translation month. Passed on to me by my friend Meg.
O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker, I absolutely had to buy this one following Jacqui’s very persuasive review of it. It sounds right up my street.
Mrs Mohr Goes missing by Maryla Szymiczkowa translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. One of the books I have already read, it’s a very entertaining mystery about a woman who begins investigating murders at a retirement home run by nuns. Passed on to me by my friend Sian.
A Well Full of Leaves by Elizabeth Myers, a new Persephone book I got from Liz for my birthday, which I have already read and reviewed.
Aviary by Deirdre McNamer – on my phone I have a not too extensive list of books which I must buy soon, the rest of the books I might want to buy, I keep in my head, so that I keep my buying to a sensible level. So, when I got book vouchers for my birthday, I quickly bought four off my list. I can’t even remember where I heard about Aviary, but I assume it was someone’s review. It looks beautifully written.
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – having so enjoyed The Mercies, I had to snap this novel up by the same author. Another interesting looking historical novel set in 16th century Strasbourg.
Enbury Heath by Stella Gibbons – reissued by Vintage, I have several Stella Gibbons already tbr, but I have seen this recommended as being especially good. I have read several of her novels over the years, one even making my list of the year in 2021.
A Sunday in Ville-d’Avray by Dominique Barbéris translated from the French by John Cullen, another book I bought on the strength of a review by Jacqui, she inspires so many of my choices, I am happy to say.
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller, I haven’t read anything by this author yet, but I have certainly meant to. Jacqui very kindly sent me her copy of this, again her review was very persuasive.
Always Gardenia by Betsy Hanson – I have connected with the author of this book on Facebook, we met in some of those lovely FB booky groups. Betsy offered to send me her novel which is set around an English department of an American university.
Green for Danger by Christianna Brand and The Edinburgh Mystery edited by Martin Edwards have just been sent to me by the British Library. Full disclosure, I have lots of these mysteries unread, I think I am sent more than I read. I must do better.
On my Kindle I have bought:
The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas translated from French by Frank Wynne, another I have already read and reviewed, it was an excellent book group choice.
The Braid by Laetitia Colombani translated from French by Louise Rogers Lalaurie – is my next book group read. Three women, each in different countries, facing great change, and find their lives intertwined.
So, there we are, a nice little pile, I think. Have you read any of these? Which would you pick up next?
What a gorgeous stack Ali! The only one I’ve read is O Caledonia which I really enjoyed, I hope you do too.
I am looking forward to O Caledonia, I think it will be just my thing.
So many interesting titles–Mrs Mohr is one I’d love to pick up (I don’t think I’ve read any Polish translations before), and both the British Library Crime Classics of course. The Dance Tree sounds really intriguing in its historical setting, as does Concerning My Daughter in its themes. Hope they all turn out as good as they sound.
Mrs Mohr… is good. I have read one or two Polish writers before. I liked the wry humour in this one.
I have Olga Tokarczuk on my radar as well as far as Polish Lit is concerned. Glad to hear Mrs Mohr has a humour thread
I’m very keen to red O Caledonia too!
It does sound great.
Apricot Sky is so lovely !
So I hear, looking forward to it.
Unsettled Ground is a favourite of mine and Jacqui’s review of A Sunday… convinced me to add it to my TBR list. Lots to talk about in The Braid. Happy reading!
Unsettled Ground does look great, glad you rate it highly. I probably saw it on your blog too. Hopefully The Braid will be another good book group choice.
The Braid sounds interesting and of course the Persephone (hooray!). A lovely pile of good things. I think I’ve read Apricot Sky myself … yes, I have, and really enjoyed it, so I hope you do, too!
Really enjoyed that Persephone thank you. I don’t think I had remembered you reading Aprocot Sky.
I read it last summer as I’d had a review copy from DSP. Probably when you were busy trying to move etc!
Unsettled Ground was so good! I have Apricot Sky on my Kindle. Several of these sound good, but I really like the sound of Mrs Mohr and Dance Tree. Enjoy all your new books.
Thank you. The Dance Tree does sound interesting, so might read it soon.
I think you’ll like The Dance Tree – it’s set during such an interesting period of history. I preferred The Mercies, but enjoyed both books.
Yes, the historical setting really appeals. The Mercies was really very good, probably hard to follow it up.
Lots of lovely incomings, Ali! I have been sent both of those BL Crime Classics and I’m very tempted to start the Edinburgh one soon!!
Ah yes I knew the Edinburgh one would appeal to you.
Now that’s a pile of tempting books! I do recommend the Mrs. Mohr series, I’ve read the two that have been translated and published here (and posted about them), and enjoyed both. Now I’m looking forward to the next one to see how her character continues to develop!
I definitely want to read the other Mrs Mohr book now, I hadn’t realised there were two before, so thank you for alerting me to that.
It’s so lovely to see this post, Ali, and thank you so much for the acknowledgements, that’s very kind of you. Likewise, your wonderfully engaging reviews have been such a good influence on the quality of my reading over the years, albeit rather damaging to my wallet! You’ve introduced me to so many fabulous female authors (e.g. Barbara Pym, Barbara Comyns and Rosamund Lehmann), many of whom now among my favourites.
I think you’ll adore O Caledonia, which has shades of Comyns, Dodie Smith and Shirley Jackson in the mix. It couldn’t be more ‘you’ if it tried to! Unsettled Ground is a bit of as heartbreaker but not without some hopeful notes, just to balance the sadness. I came away from it feeling rather angry at the certain aspects of our society, and I suspect these failings will also resonate with you. And the Barberis is a beautiful, enigmatic late summer read – a good one for WIT Month perhaps. Enjoy!
It’s lovely to pass on our enthusiastic for favourite authors, I think all of us who blog about books like that element.
Both O Caledonia and Unsettled Ground are books I am hoping to read quite soon. The Barberis would be good for #WITmonth.
I have the two BL Crime Classics books which sound great. Hope you enjoy them all.
Thank you, the BLCC books are always tempting reads.
I haven’t read any of these and can see my tbr list growing, they all look great, enjoy!
Thank you, they do all look good.
Nice haul! I too have a pile of unread Stella Gibbons reissues by Vintage, but not that one. I’m hoping to read My American this summer. I’ll have to add Enbury Heath to my to-read list.
I haven’t read My American either, hope you enjoy it.
Amazing list! I am particularly looking forward to read The Dance Tree because I am very interested in the Dancing Plague phenomenon that occurred in the Middle Ages and there is still no conclusive explanation for it. I recall I liked Claire Fuller’s novel Bitter Orange, but I also felt like I read the story many times before and perhaps I wanted a little more originality, so I am still not persuaded to pick up Unsettled Ground.