I have too many books. A lot of them are for work, so they’re obscure academic crime history books that took me ages to track down even though I only needed one chapter. So they stay.
Otherwise, my books live in piles ready to be read and sorted. I grew up poor and had a handful of books of my own and an endless stream of library books until we got into trouble for never returning them and were kinda banned from the library because of the fines my parents couldn’t pay. I rejoined at 16 but I think book insecurity, like the adjacent food insecurity, has made me a bit book hungry.
However, I read them and sort them into useful, amazing or regift/charity. Useful and/or amazing get shelved (somehow, somewhere). Your books live in the kitchen with the Nigellas, where they are most useful and amazing.
I am currently re reading the Rivers of London series!
Aaah - feel most of our books might have been library books as children too? Which makes sense if you’re going through every single Sweet Valley/Babysitter’s Club/Nancy Drew in sight..!
Useful/amazing is a vg benchmark!
That’s v kind on mine in the kitchen! Will look up Rivers of London :)
Oh yes and there is no more voracious reader than the book starved child. One year, in my Christmas stocking, I got ALL the Malory Towers books. I had read the lot by Boxing Day!
Oh yours are a staple, I get my boys to go through them to find food they like will consent to eat!
I’ve reread Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher every year since I was about 14. Currently binge rereading all the Eva Ibbotson romances and then I will go back to Ballet Shoes since I went to see the play with my sisters last weekend.
Oooh I’ve been wanting to see the play! Think I might have missed the run now - agh. Loved Rosamund Pilcher - lots of recs for Eva Ibbotson, must look up! Xx
Love all your favourite books, I really recommend Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, same period as Nancy Mitford and I Capture the Castle, and gives me a similar sense of overwhelming comfort and joy when I read it.
Aaah I love Ballet Shoes! Have been telling my eldest the story but realise that the drama of an audition and loaning necklaces to buy a frock isn’t quite as gripping for a theee year old as the Gruffalo 😂
What stunning bookshelves! We’ve had a good sort out of our shelves this year and many overlaps of re-reads you share. Also include Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles, the Poldark series and my Victoria Hislop and Luncinda Riley’s. All pure comfort ☺️
Well there I was in my head saying RuckMeanie so ROOKMINI will save on any embarrassment when I finally get to meet you. Phew. I love your lai bra reh and will also be pronouncing it like that from now onwards. I thank you for all these new words.
Yes! So creepy! I thought that the newish film ‘Saltburn’ felt really indebted to it, but not many people seemed to connect them, it was all Brideshead when the creepy menace of the intruder trying to take over the house was pure Little Stranger.
Donna Tartt, The Secret History - I must have read it 10 times ; and Lorrie Moore Who Will Run the Frog Hospital. Highly recommend- and love many of your other choices . Thanks for the recipes !!
Aaah yes should have had The Secret History on the list! Did you get on with her other one, the Goldfinch? I love the Frog Hospital title - will look it up!
Ashamed to say that I have not finished The Goldfinch - I must go back to that ! Hope you like the Frog Hospital- it’s really poignant I think and I’ve read it so many times, but I’m possibly alone in thinking that it’s wonderful . It never seems to get a mention anywhere .
Have you read Philippa Gregory's novels on the Tradescant family - Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth? Absolutely fascinating. And - a friend and I found her first novel, Wideacre, in a charity shop a couple of years ago - it's eye wideningly saucy and dark, in a Georgian Flowers In The Attic style (if you can imagine that!).
I have not but they sound like an instant download. Think I did read Wideacre a long time ago but can’t remember anything about it - memory like a sieve - sounds worth rereading though!
You will not regret the Tradescant books. They were such a fascinating and influential family and yet I knew nothing about them until reading the novels. And then you can visit the Tradescant's tomb at the Garden Museum in London.
Firstly, crash mats under high bookshelves is genius. Secondly, reconsider your book cull, rule number 1 is you cannot have too many books. Cannot. I would go into my favourite rereads, but the list is so long, and also I love your idea of checking into a Premier Inn with a stack of them and chocolate, so see you there?!
While I'm here I want to thank you. I followed you here from Instagram, having never heard of Substack. I'm writing my first novel and have since found the most wonderful community of other writers. It's been huge for me, and I owe you the introduction!
I love the way you write, and always look forward to reading your newsletters. Lovely meeting you here!
I mean maybe they could keep your phone at hotel reception, then there’d be no doomscrolling and just reading and no pile of chores to do, maybe just a couple of naps - the dream!
How exciting on your novel and that’s wonderful you’ve found a lovely writer community on Substack! I would love to write one but fear I lack the discipline / focus - maybe a few months of weekly posting on this will help get into a good habit 😬
That’s so kind on the newsletter & lovely to meet you on here too!
Love your bookshelves, even the spilling out photos! I have a deep love of books as well. My re-reads are Agatha Christie, among others. I still regret getting rid of my vintage paperback collection of Agatha Christie - I had them all. Go easy on culling your collection of books, you may regret it later in life! The Tommy and Tuppence books were my favourites because they were quite nail-biting - N or M especially!!
Aah I love the Tommy & Tuppence books too! Never got into Miss Marple, though not sure why. Advice taken - only real tat heading out the door! (The Game of Thrones series was the first lot out on my first cull several years back - what a relief)
I share your love of the Malai Kofta- made them for the first time last week and they were amazing - looked pretty much like the picture too which I was proud of!
Aah that’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad - we actually used a silicone spatula to scrape the pan clean last night so as to eat the last bit of sauce 😂
I have too many books. A lot of them are for work, so they’re obscure academic crime history books that took me ages to track down even though I only needed one chapter. So they stay.
Otherwise, my books live in piles ready to be read and sorted. I grew up poor and had a handful of books of my own and an endless stream of library books until we got into trouble for never returning them and were kinda banned from the library because of the fines my parents couldn’t pay. I rejoined at 16 but I think book insecurity, like the adjacent food insecurity, has made me a bit book hungry.
However, I read them and sort them into useful, amazing or regift/charity. Useful and/or amazing get shelved (somehow, somewhere). Your books live in the kitchen with the Nigellas, where they are most useful and amazing.
I am currently re reading the Rivers of London series!
Aaah - feel most of our books might have been library books as children too? Which makes sense if you’re going through every single Sweet Valley/Babysitter’s Club/Nancy Drew in sight..!
Useful/amazing is a vg benchmark!
That’s v kind on mine in the kitchen! Will look up Rivers of London :)
Oh yes and there is no more voracious reader than the book starved child. One year, in my Christmas stocking, I got ALL the Malory Towers books. I had read the lot by Boxing Day!
Oh yours are a staple, I get my boys to go through them to find food they like will consent to eat!
I’ve reread Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher every year since I was about 14. Currently binge rereading all the Eva Ibbotson romances and then I will go back to Ballet Shoes since I went to see the play with my sisters last weekend.
I think you’re in luck re: Ballet Shoes, they are bringing it back in the Autumn 🙂
Oooh I’ve been wanting to see the play! Think I might have missed the run now - agh. Loved Rosamund Pilcher - lots of recs for Eva Ibbotson, must look up! Xx
Love all your favourite books, I really recommend Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, same period as Nancy Mitford and I Capture the Castle, and gives me a similar sense of overwhelming comfort and joy when I read it.
I love Cold Comfort Farm! Can’t believe I didn’t include it - agree it’s so comforting to read!
You had me at I Capture The Castle. See also, Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild.
Aaah I love Ballet Shoes! Have been telling my eldest the story but realise that the drama of an audition and loaning necklaces to buy a frock isn’t quite as gripping for a theee year old as the Gruffalo 😂
Well, no…
Me too: both of those!
What stunning bookshelves! We’ve had a good sort out of our shelves this year and many overlaps of re-reads you share. Also include Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles, the Poldark series and my Victoria Hislop and Luncinda Riley’s. All pure comfort ☺️
Aah my mum is a big fan of the Cazalet chronicles! Must get hold of them!
Well there I was in my head saying RuckMeanie so ROOKMINI will save on any embarrassment when I finally get to meet you. Phew. I love your lai bra reh and will also be pronouncing it like that from now onwards. I thank you for all these new words.
Ahaha but I hadn’t said my name out loud to you first IRL, so no shade cast your way!
I read The Little Stranger in one sitting! It is my favourite of her books. It reminded me of Du Maurier and also The Turn of the Screw.
Yes! So creepy! I thought that the newish film ‘Saltburn’ felt really indebted to it, but not many people seemed to connect them, it was all Brideshead when the creepy menace of the intruder trying to take over the house was pure Little Stranger.
Yes. That’s so true
Donna Tartt, The Secret History - I must have read it 10 times ; and Lorrie Moore Who Will Run the Frog Hospital. Highly recommend- and love many of your other choices . Thanks for the recipes !!
Aaah yes should have had The Secret History on the list! Did you get on with her other one, the Goldfinch? I love the Frog Hospital title - will look it up!
Ashamed to say that I have not finished The Goldfinch - I must go back to that ! Hope you like the Frog Hospital- it’s really poignant I think and I’ve read it so many times, but I’m possibly alone in thinking that it’s wonderful . It never seems to get a mention anywhere .
Have you read Philippa Gregory's novels on the Tradescant family - Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth? Absolutely fascinating. And - a friend and I found her first novel, Wideacre, in a charity shop a couple of years ago - it's eye wideningly saucy and dark, in a Georgian Flowers In The Attic style (if you can imagine that!).
I have not but they sound like an instant download. Think I did read Wideacre a long time ago but can’t remember anything about it - memory like a sieve - sounds worth rereading though!
You will not regret the Tradescant books. They were such a fascinating and influential family and yet I knew nothing about them until reading the novels. And then you can visit the Tradescant's tomb at the Garden Museum in London.
Firstly, crash mats under high bookshelves is genius. Secondly, reconsider your book cull, rule number 1 is you cannot have too many books. Cannot. I would go into my favourite rereads, but the list is so long, and also I love your idea of checking into a Premier Inn with a stack of them and chocolate, so see you there?!
While I'm here I want to thank you. I followed you here from Instagram, having never heard of Substack. I'm writing my first novel and have since found the most wonderful community of other writers. It's been huge for me, and I owe you the introduction!
I love the way you write, and always look forward to reading your newsletters. Lovely meeting you here!
I mean maybe they could keep your phone at hotel reception, then there’d be no doomscrolling and just reading and no pile of chores to do, maybe just a couple of naps - the dream!
How exciting on your novel and that’s wonderful you’ve found a lovely writer community on Substack! I would love to write one but fear I lack the discipline / focus - maybe a few months of weekly posting on this will help get into a good habit 😬
That’s so kind on the newsletter & lovely to meet you on here too!
Your first bambino is 3! How has that time just gone! It doesn’t seem like long ago you were on Saturday Kitchen with your pretty pink dress and bump…
I’m looking up the chocolate lady, mmm. Xx
Aha yes gosh that was just before giving birth! Would not have happened 2 weeks before birth #2, no amount of makeup would have helped 😂
Aah you won’t regret it, Octavia is amazing! xx
Love your bookshelves, even the spilling out photos! I have a deep love of books as well. My re-reads are Agatha Christie, among others. I still regret getting rid of my vintage paperback collection of Agatha Christie - I had them all. Go easy on culling your collection of books, you may regret it later in life! The Tommy and Tuppence books were my favourites because they were quite nail-biting - N or M especially!!
Aah I love the Tommy & Tuppence books too! Never got into Miss Marple, though not sure why. Advice taken - only real tat heading out the door! (The Game of Thrones series was the first lot out on my first cull several years back - what a relief)
I share your love of the Malai Kofta- made them for the first time last week and they were amazing - looked pretty much like the picture too which I was proud of!
Aah that’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad - we actually used a silicone spatula to scrape the pan clean last night so as to eat the last bit of sauce 😂