Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.
Lots of books (and audiobooks) on the go here!
The Ugly One by Hermione Ranfurly – childhood memoir by Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly. I can’t decide if I’m reading this in or out of order. Covering the years 1913 to 1939, it was published four years after Ranfurly’s wartime memoir, To War with Whitaker (which was recently reprinted by Bello). Either way, I’m excited to read it (and, eventually, To War with Whitaker, too).
Switzerland for Beginners by George Mikes – Mikes made a career of writing humourous books about different countries. As I am always up for this sort of book (humourous and offensive generalizations about national characteristics are one of my favourite things), I couldn’t resist ordering this by ILL. It’s sure to get me even more excited than I already am about my upcoming trip to Switzerland in August.
Mothering Sunday by Noel Streatfeild – why not? I know nothing about this one.
Love Lessons by Joan Wyndham – After years of seeing Jenny zealously trying to convince other bloggers to read this, I’ve finally picked it up.
Swiss Sonata by Gwethalyn Graham – Having adored Graham’s second novel, Earth and High Heaven, when I read it in 2011, I’d been looking forward to reading this, her first book. I read it immediately after picking it up from the library and, despite the promising Swiss setting, was deeply unimpressed.
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan – A memoir in which the author looks back on how her experiences as a twenty-something working in Australia as a nanny for two motherless children changed the way she viewed her own mother. Perfect blend of humour and, by the end, tears.
Some pretty books to look at:
In Search of Paradise by Penelope Hobhouse
London Sketchbook by Marcus Binney, illustrated by Graham Byfield
Private Gardens of London by Arabella Lennox-Boyd
Some audiobooks to listen to:
Miss Mackenzie by Anthony Trollope (BBC Dramatization) – so, so good. Hattie Morahan is wonderful as Margaret Mackenzie.
Which Brings Me to You by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott
Camilla by Madeleine L’Engle
What did you pick up this week?
The Captive Reader 
I bought The Ugly One on the strength of having read To War with Whittaker, but it’s still unread on the shelf … I really don’t think it matters in this instance in which order you read these two books.
I have picked up: An Appetite for Violets by Martine Bailey; Invisible by Christine Poulson; and Pictures at an Exhibition by Camilla MacPherson. Oh, and a lovely neat hardback copy of Catherine Gaskin’s 1960s novel, Edge of Glass.
This proved a little easier to get hold of via ILL than To War with Whittaker but thanks to Bello, I’m hoping to read that soon as well!
I’m reading High Rising and Towers of Trebizond. I just started the latter but what an unusual opening line 🙂
Delightful choices! Enjoy.
Yessssssss! Oh you will love Love Lessons. I swear it is a delight. Nobody could dislike it. I put it on the bedside table when my friend was visiting recently, and when she left she asked if she could borrow it and mail it back to me.
Oh, Jenny. Jenny, Jenny, Jenny. How to say this? I finished reading Love Lessons last night and I loathed it. I kept hoping a bomb would be dropped on Joan and all her friends – the vile Rupert in particular – and though I logically knew, as Joan lived to a decent age, this would not happen, that did not stop me from hoping.
They all look good. Enjoy!
Thanks, Linda!
Whatever you do, don’t miss To War With Whitaker. I’ve read both, and it was definitely my favorite of the two. Do people have lives like Hermione’s anymore?
In Search of Paradise looks marvelous!
I’ll try not to miss it! My library doesn’t have a copy but Bello has priced the ebook so reasonably that I suspect I’ll be buying it before too long.
Hermione Ranfurly = best name ever!!
Agreed!
Such a coincidence…I’ve just scheduled Friday’s Literary Feast post and the quote is from writings by Joan Wyndham! Love the cover on Streatfeild’s book too!
Isn’t the cover lovely? I should quite like a blue coat like that.
Great loot! I was pleased with my loot this week, too. Although I was rather disgusted with the library for not having so many of the books I looked for, even on interlibrary loan. Grr.
I’ve been stumping my library’s ILL department lately, too: of my last ten requests, they’ve had to decline 7 of them since they couldn’t find them anywhere in the country.
Oh, where can I get my hands on Switzerland for Beginners? With my Swiss husband (and in-laws), I NEED this book.
There’s a distinct lack of books about Switzerland, isn’t there? There are used copies floating about, so good luck tracking one down!
Where are you located? And where is the library that you frequent? I’m not familiar with any of these books, and wonder what genre(s) are involved.
I’m in the States and don’t recognize these books nor authors.
I’m wondering if I’m in a different universe.
I’m in Canada – not too far away and definitely not in a different universe!
These books look so delicious. Any one would keep me company.:)
Glad you like! I’m excited about all of them, too.
Reblogged this on Books Make Me Happy and commented:
I like all of these books. Want to reread the post at some point.
Are most of these books by British or Canadian authors? I’m trying to figure out why I just don’t know about them. Of course, I read mysteries mostly, but do venture out into other fiction sometimes.
Unfortunately, what I mostly see is what is listed in the New York Times Book Review or on library or bookstore shelves (the latter rarely as close by bookstores closed).
Graham is the only Canadian author I picked up this week. Corrigan is an American but the rest are mostly British. Corrigan’s book was published this year but the rest are all older, which might make them difficult to find.
Ah, they’re mostly books by British authors. I don’t really read that genre nor do I even see these books. What’s on the NYT best seller list are mainly U.S.-written and published tomes, with J.K. Rowling/Richard Galbraith and a few others being the exceptions.
I am not comfortable reading about the wealthy and privileged, but reading about regular individuals and families is fine with me.