Saturday, October 19, 2013

My Vacation in Books!

So I ended up bringing home about 14 books. I had two shipped back because the bookstore offered free shipping but hauled the rest in my bags. Most of them are small paperbacks so that wasn't too much of a problem, and I did think to leave room when I was packing!

Deirdre Madden's Time Present and Time Past, about a Dublin family. "When Fintan Buckley develops an interest in old autochrome photographs, strange things start to happen." I bought it at Manor Books in Malahide.

Francesca Duranti's The House on Moon Lake. I loved her book Happy Ending and I've heard this is even better. From Little Shop of Books in Howth.

Arimathea by Frank McGuinness. "In the nineteen forties an Italian painter comes to work in remote Donegal. Nothing and no-one is the same afterwards..." This book was a staff pick at a couple of different stores in Ireland. I finally picked it up at Kenny's in Galway.

Gene Kerrigan's new crime novel Dark Times in the City, from No Alibis in Belfast. It turns out I already had the Europa version, but what the heck. They were so nice to be me at No Alibis, I have no regrets.

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle. I know I could get this easily in the U.S. but I loved the Ennis Bookshop too much to leave empty-handed.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, by Jonas Jonasson. When I saw the American cover I realized I'd seen it around before but never noticed it till it was staff-picked at the Waterstone's near St. Paul's in London.

I Hate Martin Amis et al. by Peter Barry. This came from a gift shop that also sold books called Volte Face on a quiet London side street.

Your Mixtape Unravels My Heart, by Maire T. Robinson, from the Winding Stair in Dublin. Just looked neat.

Malarky, by Anakana Schofield. "A philandering husband. A son lost to war. A woman on the brink." A black Irish comedy I couldn't resist. I forget where I bought it.

Three books from the Persephone shop in London: It's Hard to be Hip Over Thirty, by Judith Viorst; The World that Was Ours, by Hilda Bernstein; Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson. I could have packed up that entire store though!

The People's Manifesto, by Mark Thomas, from Bookmarks in London. This book is a collection of ways members of the British public would like to change its government, as presented by a comedian who traveled the country soliciting suggestions. This may be the best thing I found!

I visited a friend in Killarney who gave me As Music and Splendour by Kate O'Brien. Thanks Marcella! I loved it.

That's it! My husband out-bought me with piles of Terry Pratchett books and some rare Douglas Adams and Doctor Who stuff, too. But we both had a blast! In case you're wondering if all we did was book-shop, I can assure you we found enough time for regular sight-seeing too. Just ask my broken-in clogs!

5 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

I was wondering how you managed going to all those stores and getting your purchases back into your bags! That is always my problem when I travel. The Kerrigan is exciting!

bermudaonion said...

When I'm flying, I generally don't buy too many books because I don't want to bring them back. I did bring one back from the UK but saved most of my extra room for crystal and china.

JoAnn said...

What a great haul! I'm impressed you got out of Persephone with just 3 books...on my last trip I bought 6 books and one of those grey burlap totes :)

Alexia561 said...

I've been known to leave clothes and toiletries behind in order to fit all of my book purchases in my suitcase, so well done! :)

Anna said...

Great finds! Of course you had to plan for extra book space in the luggage! ;)
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