Library Loans 24 January 2020

Published on by Margaret

I regularly borrow books from the library, although I haven’t written about them for a few months. These are the ones I have on loan at the moment:

Lib loans Jan 2020

The Pure Gold Baby by Margaret Drabble. This novel was on the mobile library van shelves and caught my eye because I’ve enjoyed the other books by her that I’ve read. Anna is a child of special, unknowable qualities. She is happy, always willing to smile at the world around her, but she also presents profound challenges. For her mother Jess, still in her early 20s, her arrival will prove life-transforming.

Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England by Thomas Penn, non-fiction about Henry VII. I reserved this after FictionFan recommended it, describing it as: ‘very detailed but well written and not too academic in tone‘. Hilary Mantel is quoted on the cover: ‘Compelling … Fascinating‘. With two such recommendations how could I resist reading it? So I was delighted to find the library has a copy.

The Last Ragged Breath by Julia Keller, the 4th book in her Bell Elkin’s mystery series set in West Virginia. I haven’t read any of her books before but I was reading about her latest book on Kay’s Reading Life and found this book on the shelves when I went to the library yesterday. Royce Dillard doesn’t remember much about the day his parents-and one hundred and twenty-three other souls-died in the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster. But now Dillard, who lives off the grid with only a passel of dogs for company, is fighting for his life one more time: He’s on trial for murder.

Happy Old Me:How to Live a Long Life and Really Enjoy It by Hunter Davies. This is another book I reserved. Davies is the editor of The John Lennon Letters (which I’m currently reading) and the author of Wainwright: The Biography (which my husband is currently reading and I want to read it too). This is his third autobiographical book, described on the book sleeve as ‘part memoir, part self-help … a moving, uplifting and often amusing account of one year in Hunter Davies’ life, navigating bereavement and finding hope for the future.‘ I’m currently reading it and so far (up to chapter 4) I’m loving it.

I love libraries and have used them all my life (well from the age of 3). At the moment the library service is carrying out a survey about our use of the libraries, how often we borrow books etc, etc  – and especially about our use of the mobile library service, and I fear that cutbacks may follow, so I make sure I use the libraries whilst I still can.

15 thoughts on “Library Loans 24 January 2020”

  1. These look really good, Margaret. I do like the Keller series (I admit I’ve not yet read this one), so I’m hoping you’ll enjoy it. The Penn looks interesting, too. Hope you’ll enjoy them all.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. The Hunter Davies appeals to me. I wonder if it’s the same Hunter Davies whose columns I used to read in newspapers and a stamp magazine…suspect it might be.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I thought it must be him. Thank you so much for the links, I’ll read those in a moment. I’m now wondering if he has any books of his columns available.

        Like

  4. Glad your library had one of Julia Keller’s books, Margaret. I know you don’t mind skipping around in a series at times, so I’m hoping this one will work for you. Good luck with all the books and, yes, I’m a big library lover too.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Oh dear, they closed 16 libraries in Fife, mainly in places that really need a library as there isn’t much there otherwise. It’s such a false economy and I fear that more closures are coming. I hope that you can hang on to your libraries, we had a big campaign against the closures, well supported by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, James Roberston and others but to no avail.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Hahaha! That’s the first – and I expect last – time I’ve ever been paired with Hilary Mantel – I’m thrilled!! 😂 I hope you enjoy it – I’m enjoying his new one about the York kings at the moment.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Thanks for asking – the survey is open for 12 weeks closing on 16th March 2020. The results will be used to inform decisions about future library services. Watch this space …

    Like

Comments are closed.