I´m getting either better or worse with my library loot, I´m not sure which yet. I finally thought of using the university library for fun books as well as research. And they´ve actually got a few Persephone classics but in other editions. And they´ve got lots of other great books but I´m trying to pace myself.
I´ve only got two books out of the uni library but I´m going to the other library later today to return some books. I´m doing the library loot post now because I´m hoping that it´ll convince me not to check out more books. Call me an optimist! 🙂
So here are the two (!) books I looted this week:
I got Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham, which was published in 1933, for Nymeth´s 1930s challenge (it runs for another month and you only have to read one book, so go sign up if you haven´t!). I´m very curious about his one, as Allingham is supposed to be one of the British queens of crime (although Agatha Christie is my reigning queen of crime!). I know, another crime book, this blog is getting very predictible and boring!
I recently read my first Nancy Mitford book, Love in a Cold Climate, and completely fell for Mitford´s wit and humour. And then I found The Letters of Nancy Mitford & Evelyn Waugh at my uni library. I´ve taken a quick look, and their letters seem to be amazing, can´t wait to read this one.
What did you loot this week?
If You Can Read This 
The Letters of Nancy Mitford & Evelyn Waugh sounds great, I can’t wait to see your review. I loved my first Waugh and am looking forward to reading more by him. I might have to try some Mitford!
I haven´t read a lot of Waugh, I´m sure I´ll move them up the tbr after reading The Letters 🙂 And you really have to try Nancy Mitford, I loved Love in a Cold Climate (gushing review´s coming up 😉 ).
I loved The Loved One. Heh. Haven’t read anything else yet but bought a whole stack, I loved it that much!
Hehe, that one sounds great! 🙂 I liked his travel book The Label it´s called I think. And I really enjoyed Decline and Fall. Just as well I´m not going to the library for another week or I´d get all his books immediately 😀
Hmmm a travel book, I don’t have that one. I’ll read a few of the ones I have and then possibly check that out!
I think I got it used for about 50 cents. Otherwise I´d probably read Decline and Fall first 🙂
It´s subtitled a mediterranean journal.
Oh, and I just found The loved one on my shelf. Does it mean I have too many books if I don´t know that I own them? 😉
Definitely not. Because I can’t remember if Decline and Fall was in the stack I got or not and can’t wait to get home tomorrow to find out 😉
Hehe, alright then 🙂 Hope you find it in your stack!
Me too, thanks for the recommendation!
I second Amy’s comment in that I’m looking forward to your review of The Letters..
Very brave of you to post this now so as to convince yourself not to get any more books 😉
Iris, it was a a naive idea. I already caved and got 4 more books from the library 😀
I´m very excited for The Letters as well, I´m sure I can recommend it.
I’m reading a Ngaio Marsh biography for the Classics Circuit Golden Age of Crime Fiction tour – a fascinating glimpse into the world of the Queens of crime.
Nancy Mitford sounds great!
Enjoy your loot!
Sounds like a fascinating biography, enjoy! 🙂 I´ve been meaning to check out Marsh´s mysteries but my library doesn´t have any.
It looks like you read such interesting books! I didn’t know there was a 1930s challenge, that sounds like fun!
Thanks, Melissa! I hope you´ll join the challenge, it´s sure to be lots of fun and you´ll get great recs for books from the 30s 🙂
Interesting ‘library loot’! Margery Alligham’s book seems to be quite interesting. The 1930s seem to have been a great time for women detective fiction writers. Looking forward to reading your review of Alligham’s book. I saw a book recently called ‘Talking about Detective Fiction’ by P.D.James which is James’ take on the history of British detective fiction. Maybe you might want to have a look at it 🙂
I have read one book by Evelyn Waugh before called ‘Decline and Fall’ and liked it. I have also read a few short stories by him. This letter collection of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh looks quite interesting. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
Thanks for the recommendation, that book sounds really great!
Allingham and Ngaio Marsh are the other two queens of crime, besides Christie and Sayers, maybe you´ll enjoy them as well.
I also liked Decline and Fall 🙂 I´m really curious about The Letters.
I haven’t read any of Allingham’s and Ngaio Marsh’s books. I will add these two writers to my ‘TBR’ list. Thanks for the recommendation 🙂
Oooh – I’m very curious about the Allingham book! My secret plan for this challenge was to get lots of recommendations foe 1930’s books, and it’s totally working 😉
Hehe, sneaky! ;)But I´m excited about the recs as well 🙂
I’d love to read “Sweet Danger” by Margery Allingham… the cover is beautiful, too!
I wish my edition had this great cover! Have you read any of the other 3 quenns of crime yet? Other than Agatha Christie that is?
Do you mean Dorothy Sayers and P. D. James? I love “An Unsuitable Job for a Woman” by P.D. James although it is not considered to be her best book as it is a typical whodunnit and it does not criticize society as much as her other books do. I have read some of those books, too, but “An Unsuitable Job for a Woman” remains my favorite.
I´ve never tried P.D. James, always thought her works were thrillers 😀 I´ll look for the book you mentioned.
Apparently the other queens of British crime are (were) Margery Allingham, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.
Have you ever tried reading JD Robb?? AKA that would be Nora Roberts but none romance galore. As JD Robb she writes on murder cases set in the distant future with a very complex heroine Eve Dallas. I embarked on the series with Naked in Death and have not looked back since. See if the library has it. Also definitely see if they have Calvino’s If on a winter’s night a traveller. Be forewarned the reviews come from 2 extremes: love or hate it reaction. I loved it.
I’ll be posting my Mailbox Monday soon. All the books were from local garage sales / church bazaars. Trust me if it’s next to free I BUY IT! IF NOT LIBRARY HERE I COME… PSS they called wanting Beautiful Creatures back! OOPS will have to give it back today! Ughhhh.. They’re sending out an APB on me now… PK Reeves alert….
Later Bina B!
PK out 🙂
Sounds promising, I´ll look out for Robb 🙂
And I really need to read some Calvino, feel like the last person to do so.
Your post was great, I envy you your great book pile 🙂