Saturday 13 February 2010

This week's acquisitions

I had the most amazing batch of post on Tuesday this week, from the extremely kind Fleur Fisher (do check out her blog which has lots of wonderful reviews and frequently mentions Virago Modern Classics). A few weeks ago she sent me a list of her VMC duplicates and asked if there were any that I would like - silly question! I let her know which ones I was missing, and very soon four packages had arrived containing all of these lovely books. Isn't she amazing?



A note in music (Lehmann)
A crowded street (Holtby)
The ante-room (O'brien)
Mary Lavelle (O'Brien)
Madame de Tremaynes (Wharton)
Indifferent heroes (Hocking)
The age of innocence (Wharton)
The lacquer lady (Tennyson Jesse)
Losing battles (Welty)
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow (Eldershaw)

A few of them I have read already, A crowded street, A note in music and The ante-room; I thought I had read Mary Lavelle, but I hadn't, so that was my first read (review coming up shortly, although I have a bit of a backlog of reviews to post!). Which of these do you recommend? I am most keen to read The Lacquer Lady, having loved A pin to see the peepshow.

I have one little plea to my readers too. Mary Hocking's Indifferent heroes is actually number two in a trilogy, following on from Good daughters which I have been desperate to read for a while. I won't be able to read Indifferent Heroes until I've read Good daughters so I was wondering if anyone had a spare copy they would like to lend or donate to the cause?

I did have another acquisition this week, the latest VMC from Virago, but I'll save writing about that for next week :)

*PS: If you are wondering like I did, how she has so many duplicates, it is a combination of the fact that her fiance is trained to spot VMCs and brings them home, and her inability not to "rescue" Virago books otherwise consigned to pulping. Either way, it's a policy which has been very much to my advantage!

6 comments:

  1. I loved Mary Lavelle, one of my favourite Viragos. You will enjoy it and I'm looking forward to your review. The Age of Innocence is gorgeous, it made my top 10 last year. I've also read the Lacquer Lady but didn't enjoy it. It was very slow for me and I wasn't that interested in the characters....however many people at the VMC group in LT love it.

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  2. Fleur Fisher has a very well-trained fiance ;-)
    Have been wanting to read one of Welty's novels lately. Her short story, Why I Live at the P.O. has gotten me interested in her work. I'll also be reading Age of Innocence sometime this year...love Wharton but haven't read that one.

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  3. Mrs B - i've already read it - it was lovely! ANd the Age of innocence. I'm wondering what I'll make of the Lacquer Lady as I love A pin but didn't enjoyed Moonraker.

    JoAnn - Indeed! Wish mine was that well trained :)

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  4. How generous of Jane! That's so lovely of her.

    I have only read the Holtby and the Wharton; I am so envious that you have a green Wharton!

    Enjoy :).

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  5. Claire - book bloggers are just so kind!

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  6. That's incredibly generous. I haven't read any on the list yet, but, do want to read Age of Innocence, as well as A Note In Music.

    Enjoy the reading:)

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