The bookshop which featured in Stuck-in-a-Book's Oxford tour in June 2007, Waterfield's, is closing this September. It's been there all through my time in Oxford - indeed, it's been there for eleven years, and in Oxford for three times that - but sadly is closing its doors. I must say the stock hasn't changed much in the five years I've known it, but I pop in for a browse now and then. You never know when authors you've scanned over a dozen times will suddenly ring a buying bell. Anyway, they currently have a closing down sale, and so I went to see what I could find... which resulted in:
Katherine Mansfield: The Memories of L.M. - which is by 'L.M.', real name Ida Baker. I only know of this figure from Mansfield biographical material; she was a desperately loyal friend whom Katherine Mansfield seems to have treated shamefully. I've got a feeling this will be at bit nauseatingly worshipping of KM... but I'm nauseatingly worshipful of her writing, so perhaps I shan't notice.
For Sylvia - Valentine Ackland - Sylvia Townsend Warner's companion/lover/friend. I've only just realised how similar these two books are...
By Way of Introduction - AA Milne - I do already have this, but it was quite cheap... It's a collection of AA Milne's later essays, mostly introductions to his own and others' works.
It's always worth popping into Oxford's ludicrously good value £2 shop. Everything £2 each, and it's not jam-packed with tatty remainders and celebrity 'auto'biographies, but actually really good quality stuff. Especially good on biography, but also lots of fiction, art, politics, history, poetry etc. etc. And fast turnover. I rarely come away empty handed, and last week was no exception...
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro - this was fortuitous, because my book group is reading this novel this month. My first Ishiguro, and I'm looking forward to it.
Where Three Roads Meet - Sally Vickers - I've still never read anything by Vickers, despite now having three of her novels. This is such a beautiful hardback copy, and it's about Freud, so I was sold.
The Folded Leaf - William Maxwell - this
was definitely serendipitous, as I went hoping to find some Maxwell...... and I've gone a bit of a Maxwell spree over the past week, whilst thinking about my post for yesterday on They Came Like Swallows. I've also bought The Chateaux and So Long, See You Tomorrow. Very excited about The Chateaux - it sounds mysterious and intriguing, though it is looooong. For me.
Just one more to finish off the list: The World My Wilderness - Rose Macaulay was going cheap in Oxfam, so I thought... why not?
Thoughts very welcome, everyone! Ones you've read, ones you want to read..?
Oh, and cake recipe coming soon. It was very simple, not really any surprises, but it's also delicious... so I'll be sharing before too long.
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