Last Christmas, my family showered me with Angela Thirkell books. This year, they turned to the always reliable Persephone Books (correctly understanding that, with 90% of my wish list devoted to Persephone titles, I might be interested in increasing my collection) and the results were incredibly generous. In total, I have seven new Persephone books:
Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll
Patience by John Coates
High Wages by Dorothy Whipple
Princes in the Land by Joanna Cannan
Fidelity by Susan Glaspell
The New House by Lettice Cooper
Hetty Dorval by Ethel Wilson
Of these, I am probably most excited to read The New House but, unsurprisingly, they are all very appealing. I was lucky enough to be given some other books as well, including Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper, which sounds wonderful.
Though I am obviously excited about my presents, the best part of Christmas (Eve, in our case) is getting to sit around the living room with the rest of the family, enjoying each other’s company and some truly excellent baked goods. Whenever I read those newspaper advice columns about people dreading the holidays and time spent with relatives, I am thankful for my own friendly family. It is truly a delight to spend five or six hours together.
Since Christmas morning is a non-event in our house, my mother and I sat down today and watched episodes two through six of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries (we watched episode one a few days ago). Curled up by the fire and with the rain coming down outside, it was the perfect way to spend the morning, our sighs over Darcy and Elizabeth interrupted only by breaks for tea, oranges, and Christmas cookies.
Now, I’m hoping to spend an hour or two finishing Sylvester before we must prepare to head off to Christmas dinner with my brother’s girlfriend’s family. Our families get on very well and it is always fun to see them. It should be the perfect end to a wonderful day!
The Captive Reader 
I read The New House when it was a Virago (before it was a Persephone). And The Kitchen Essays is wonderful. Your Christmas, and your family, both sound lovely!
That sounds lovely like a lovely Christmas, and i do envy your pile of Persephones – I don’t recoginize most of the titles. I didn’t get any books, but I did get a book card, which is the next best thing.
What a lovely day and all those books. I didn’t get any new books but I think it is only b/c I have so many TBR books in the house already and noone wants to add to my pile. It is quite funny. Would love to see the Pride and Prejudice series again. Have only seen bits and pieces of it and never from start to finish at one season. Will have to get it through my dvd rental place. All the best for a wonderful 2013 and will look forward to hearing about your new reads. Pam
Oh, bliss! The books and P&P. Like you, I am very grateful for my family – some of my friends complain about having to spend time with theirs, whereas I am at my happiest when the four of us are together. My Christmas Day was great fun – and involved two naps, which I feel oddly proud about. And now we’re off, away from internet, til the end of the year…
Merry Christmas, Claire! Thank you for all the pleasure you have given me this year. I’m so glad you got such lovely books this year–your family knows you! I got Heyer’s Sylvester, coincidentally, and also Book 2 of Guy Gavriel Kay’s Sarantine Mosaic (I guess my sister-in-law didn’t see Book 1…), so I’m hoping I can find at least half an hour between cooking one meal and the next to read under the tree. And I love that six-hour version of P&P!! I’ve started it, thinking I’ll just watch an hour or two, and watched all the way to the end on a few occasions…
I am so jealous about the Persephones. I was just telling my husband that I wish I could buy them all. I also wish they had a shop in NYC. I’m going to start buying them three at a time but I don’t know where to start. I’ve only just discovered them.
What a lovely Christmas! I have to admit I’m a little jealous – I didn’t receive any books – but then, my family isn’t terribly bookish. Your new books look wonderful (and so do the baked goods!) I haven’t read any of those titles, and eagerly await your reviews.
What a wonderful Christmas – and lots of good loot! We had a great day here — I, too, am very glad to be with family. Happy New Year!
It sounds a delightful Christmas. I watched the same P & P a couple of years ago on Christmas Day and it was the perfect film for the day.
Sounds like a really lovely day! Merry Christmas a little tardy–hopefully the celebrations will continue through the new year. What a fantastic stack of books–I didn’t get a single book this year, but I did get a few gift cards that I will put to good use. I read Hetty Dorval not too long ago and loved it. Enjoy your books, those yummy-looking treats and spending time with your family!
What a wonderful family you have to give you sch great books. I only got two — not Persephones — but had a lovely day with my family.
A lovely clutch of Persephones there. Bodes well for the new year. 🙂
Ohh, what a lovely pile of presents. None of the titles sound familiar, but the one that appeals to me is ‘Kitchen Essays’. The joke here is that I am not the least bit interested in the act of cooking, but for some reason enjoy reading how others do it!
As to treats, I have enough sugar-filled goodies left to fuel a rocket ship to Jupiter.
Glad you had such a wonderful holiday. Happy New Year.
Merry Christmas, Claire – your day sounds lovely and I am so envious of that wonderful pile of Persephones.
That sounds like a perfect Christmas. I’ve only read one of those Persephones – Princes in the Land. I hope you enjoy them all!
You lucky woman! Sounds like a perfect day and watching back to back episodes of Pride and Prejudice is sheer bliss. Enjoy the rest of the holiday…and those books, Claire!