It's time for another Bookshelf Travelling for Insane Times post which is being hosted by Judith at Reader in the Wilderness.
The idea is to share your bookshelves with other bloggers. Any aspect you like:
1. Home.
2. Books in the home.
3. Touring books in the home.
4. Books organized or not organized on shelves, in bookcases, in stacks, or heaped in a helter-skelter fashion on any surface, including the floor, the top of the piano, etc.
5. Talking about books and reading experiences from the past, present, or future.
Whatever you fancy as long as you have fun.
Well, I think this might be our 10th. week of doing this. How cool is that? I never imagined we'd be going on this long with no end in sight.
So today my shelf consists of two piles. (Click for a bigger view.) Not random as is usually my wont, but specific.
The pile on the left is a few books I picked out at the beginning of the year for the European Reading challenge.
From the bottom, the countries covered are, Spain, Romania, Denmark (Greenland in fact), The Netherlands, France, the UK, Cyprus, Italy and Norway.
Two of these will have to come off the pile as I just read something else for France and am in the middle of another book for Italy. But no matter, they will be read at some point I'm sure. That's the joy for me of making piles, they're ideas not commandments set in stone.
The pile on the left consists mainly, as is obvious, of vintage crime books published by the BLCC. Oh how I love these old fashioned crime yarns, so beautifully written and gorgeously presented with stunning covers.
Here's a better look at two of these:
The pile represents several of my favourite vintage crime authors: Freeman Wills Crofts, E.C.R Lorac, Michael Gilbert, George Bellairs and two I haven't read before, Anthony Berkeley and John G. Brandon. Hours of wonderful entertainment lie within the covers of this pile and I'm in no hurry to gobble them up too quickly.
Happy reading and stay safe.
15 comments:
Cath, your header picture is just beautiful! I love it!
Hi Cath,
Are there rules on the European Reading Challenge which say that you can only list one book per country, or is more likely the case that there are just so many countries to cover, that you wouldn't have time to read more than one book for each?
I really want to become involved with reading the BLCC collection, however I seem to have got myself involved with something of a 'revolving door' scenario when it comes to Blog Tours and Review Requests and I just don't have the time to pick and choose any more!
I have gone from thinking of closing down Fiction Books altogether, to having to schedule posts weeks and even months ahead, so that I don't double book dates, or miss someone out. I really think I 'need my bumps read', but at least it all keeps me occupied during lockdown and I'll have to play things by ear when the new normal is established!
Loving this week's shelf and I hope that you get some great reading from your selection :)
Yvonne
xx
I'm a little jealous of all those British Library Crime Classis sitting on that shelf. I love those mysteries! :)
You are changing your Header a lot!lol..
It seems you are already set for the remainder of the year! I could never read a book just because it was in a certain country... or because it's a travel book.. I choose my books by what the story is about. But I rarely, if ever, hear you say you didn't enjoy what you read. You are amazing... I am glad we are "related" lol
Kay: Thank you. It's a photo I took while walking along the North Cornwall coast several years ago.
Yvonne: Yes, I think you can only read one book for each country, although sometimes I would like to count two.
It's not long ago that you were concerned that you had no blog tours lined up because the publishers seemed to have gone into lockdown too. I'm so pleased that it's all sorted and you have plenty lined up. It can get a bit crazy but I'm sure the authors appreciate the work you put in on their behalf.
Lark: Pity we're not neighbours I could pass loads of the BLCC books on to you when I've finished with them.
Pat: Yeah, I suddenly have a background where I can use some of my scenic photos from over the years so I'm having a lot of fun!
I think my armchair travelling addiction means I read slightly differently to you at times (not always). I wouldn't read a book 'only' because it's set in a certain country but it does influence my choice sometimes. If I'm not enjoying a book I stop reading it, that's why I nearly always enjoy what I read... I'm too old to slog through books I hate. LOL
What a gorgeous, jaw-dropping header photo, Cath! Please do tell the location.
I'm taking additional notes on the British Crime Series titles. I'm so glad you enjoyed so many of them. Good to note.
And the Norwegian book sounds fascinating. I looked that one up. I actually have more to say, but I'm fading this evening. We had high temps of 82 degrees F today, which is ridiculous, considering that less than 2 weeks ago we had not emerged from winter, not one little bit, and had on May 9th several inches of snow, blustery winter winds, etc. Our spring has been less than two weeks long, and I don't like that one bit. The wildflowers appear and disappear within several days. Ugh. You know how I complain about this sort of thing!
I also love the picture of the Cornwall coast. The weather in Boston has improved (although the electric blanket is still on my bed) so my yearning to be somewhere else is less acute today but armchair travel is always good! I am only a few hours away from Judith but it is usually warmer here.
On my last trip to London I visited the British Library and the shop had a Buy 2 Get 1 free promotion of the British Crime series. Although I am a big fan of those Golden Age of Detection Fiction classics, I didn't recognize the names of any authors and kept picking them up and putting them down, knowing I couldn't buy them all but unable to narrow it down. Finally, as it was the first day of the trip, I decided better to return later on so my luggage wouldn't be too heavy. Of course, I didn't make it back! Some of these books have made it to area libraries, fortunately.
I like that stack of British Library mysteries. I have mine scattered all over and I forget about them. George Bellairs is an author I especially want to try and I do have a couple of his books, I think.
I will look into that book for Romania in the left-hand pile. I am so far behind on doing reviews for that, I don't know whether I will try to add more countries, but there is plenty of time left.
And that is a very nice new header photo. Inviting.
Judith: The location of the photo is the North Cornish coast. It was taken a few years ago on one of my birthdays. We were down there on holiday and spent the day slowly driving up that coast, stopping where we fancied for walks and a Cornish pasty for lunch, looking over the bay in one of the fishing villages. It was an idyllic day.
Sorry to hear you were fading from the heat yesterday, 82 degrees in May is horrible. I would complain too as I hate too much heat. We're in the mid to high 60s today and it's very pleasant. Just planted out the winter greens and my back is muttering loudly about the exertion I'm putting it through...
CLM: So you're in Boston. I'm one of the few people who have been to the USA and not visited Boston! We always flew into Newark and headed west to Pittsburgh to stay with friends until taking off exploring, usually south.
I love your British Library shop story but feel for you not being able to go back. On my one visit there I turned into a crazy person and bought so many books I had difficulty getting them back as we were travelling by coach. (Cars in London are not sensible so people going up tend to go by coach or train.)
Tracy: Thank you... it's a nice 'comfort' stack. LOL
I'll probably read the Romanian book in the autumn. It's WW2 of course and I always try to read books based then in October or November. I mean I read them at other times of the year too but specically try to around Rememberance Day.
Thank you, I'm glad you like the photo. That's Cornwall in May basically.
I think the only one I’ve read on your stacks in the Anne Frank book. I’ve seen others post about the British Library Crime Classics before and have always been impressed by the covers. They are consistently beautiful
Just a quick comment to say I love your header picture too and what a fantastic job you're doing with your reading for the European Reading Challenge!
Those British Library Crime Classics are well-designed and would really look good displayed as a set wouldn't they? Every time I spot a series of books that just cry out to be collected and shelved together, I find it hard to resist the urge. It's probably a good thing that those are not so readily available in this country. LOL
Carl: The Anne Frank is a reread for me. I've read it a couple of times, once in my teens, again in my 30s I think, and I feel like I'm due a reread now I'm in my 60s. It's an important book.
Margaret: I'm pleased you like my new header photo. I've read 5 books for the European Reading challenge and am on my 6th. I've mostly enjoyed everything I've read for it so far.
Sam: Yes, if you had all of the BLCC series of books you would have a fantastic display on the shelf. You don't see them in many shops over here, I tend to buy mine on Amazon or as Kindle books. I have also been given a lot over the years.
Cath, I suppose I should have known that my book-carrying-limitations were not unique. After all, I used to say to my sisters, you only regret the books you don't take or prematurely give away!
Once (although this is really another story) I gave my sister a book to read on the plane that turned out to be a mistake. Although many love it and it was a big bestseller, it has a horrible rape scene that is disturbing. She tried to leave it behind on the plane because she didn't even want to touch it again. Naturally, a flight attendant ran after her into the airport to return it, yet the time I left my laptop in the overhead bin, I practically had to offer my first born child to get back on the plane. And I don't even have a first born!
CLM: I think bookish people are all the same when they go somewhere new, they always check out the bookshops and charity shops first. I went around America from one bookstore to another. My favourite was in Columbus, Ohio, I think it was called The Loft. But I had to check out every Borders I came across and sometimes the motel was close to one so I was in and out of it every day.
Oh goodness, sorry to hear the book upset your sister so much and how typical that they ran after her to return it! And typical too about your laptop. There's a lesson to be learnt here but I'm not sure what it is. LOL
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