Tuesday 18 August 2015

Beautiful New Books

This is an amalgamation of birthday books, airport shopping and a trip to buy books for someone else that resulted in me buying four for myself too.
Good times.


Quite the stack, eh? Doesn't that just do your book-loving heart good? 
Ah sure lookit, I know. Don't judge a book by its cover and all that but some of these are just strokeably beautiful. 


Himself and I were in Chapters on Parnell St buying books for someone else and it was there that I was introduced to some truly stunning editions. Himself told me he actually buys most of my book gifts in there which makes sense now- he always gets me the most gorgeous tomes and I never knew where they all came from until now! 

I've read Fahrenheit 451 and loved it but that was on audio so I didn't hesitate when I spotted this stunning hardback cover for €9.99! 
I haven't read Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit but I've been meaning to for a while now and this glorious edition was only €4.99. 
I've read most of Ira Levin's books (he also wrote The Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby, for example) and Sliver looks like another brilliant read. This was again, only €4.99.


I gave in and bought Go Set A Watchman after I found it reduced online. I've been reluctant about this one..I read To Kill A Mockingbird as a fourteen year old and it helped shape my brain for the better and having read the reviews of this, a prequel that Harper Lee apparently never intended to publish, well, you can understand my misgivings. Regardless, I have to know for myself! 

Jaws was also a nostalgia-driven purchase and again from Chapters. Jaws has always been one of my most loved films so when I spotted this hardback for €4.99, I had to get it. I've read it since- review coming soon!

I haven't read a Nick Hornby book in years but picked this up on offer in the airport (it was buy one get another half price but I'm not even showing you the other book as it was pretty awful). I haven't read Funny Girl yet but I've heard good things.


These last six were all birthday presents. I know, I'm super jammy. 

My Mum gave me The Crafty Minx at Home, which is packed with frankly drool-worthy photos for how to turn your living space into a vintage, floral heaven. Inside there's over fifty handmade and upcycled projects to help you beautify your home. This is very much my style and I've already earmarked several different ideas to try.

All Things Sweet is the latest baking book from Rachel Allen and a gift from my sister. Although I generally never watch Rachel on tv, I do love her books and this is now the second of hers to happily take up residence on my cookbook shelf. 
Highlights that I'll be trying include; Apple Crumble Ice-Cream, Double Chocolate Mousse Cake, Poached Peaches with Raspberry Sorbet and Ballymaloe Vanilla Fudge (himself's favourite!)


Another from my sister is Secret Dublin, An Unusual Guide. This is such a cool little book. It takes Dublin and divides it into areas and from there, all the little odd places and things that you might not have even known or heard about before. Even from just a brief perusal of it, I've realised how many brilliant things there are to see and do that I was completely unaware of, even in my own locality. 
Our plan is to take it section by section and get as much ticked off as we can!

My mum also gave me this book from Carol Ann Duffy. The Other Country is her third collection of poetry. I've never read anything from her before but I'm looking forward to this one- it's been far too long since I read any poetry. 


My lovely sister-in-law and her boyfriend gave me the Joss Whedon, Geek King of the Universe biography for my birthday and I genuinely may have squealed when I opened this. I've been a big Buffy fan since I was a teenager; all of those Whedon-isms have helped shape my sense of humour and my own pop culture references and I've always been interested in Whedon's feminist perspective and unique writing style so I'm very excited about reading this!

Lastly, my sister (I know, I have very generous family) also gave me A Passion For Birth by Sheila Kitzinger; a natural birth activist and author of loads of books on pregnancy and childbirth. This book follows her life from early childhood with the influence of a feminist mother to her pioneering work campaigning for women's rights and improvement in the maternity services. As I'm working in that area of healthcare myself and I'm also a feminist, this is pretty much the ideal book for me. Kitzinger is a fascinating woman and her life story looks like quite the read. 


And that's my big beautiful book haul! I may have bought a few (ahem) on kindle also so I'll probably do a post on that too. 
Tell me, have you bought any lovely new books lately?
Let me know in the comments!
XX

4 comments:

  1. It does my heart good when I see hauls like this! Beautiful books, I need to go to Chapters, I do fear if I went with my husband that I'd be left there... I haven't read any of these, love the look of the Joss Whedon one and the Secret Dublin! Your people know you well :)

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  2. Great selection! I want to read the new Nick Hornby and Harper Lee of course!
    http://ladiesandcroissants.blogspot.fr/

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  3. Tottering off to buy yet more from Amazon....need the Sheila Kitzinger one. As if I wasn't bad enough buying your makeup recommendations ;)

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    1. Oohh I Need (not want) the Secret Dublin too.

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