I've received several presents from friends and have put them all under the tree for Christmas day (that's tomorrow!).
But today I received a parcel from Edinburgh, which is where my friend Helen Vincent lives and works. Helen is also one of I-Shan's godmothers.
Helen's parcel contained books that were not wrapped so I have decided to enjoy them as early Christmas presents. What a lovely hoard! There are books for me, and for the children too.
Here's the list:
1. The Players and the Rebels by Antonia Forest
Until now I only owned a photocopy of this book. This means a re-read.
2. Celebrating Antonia Forest - a collection of essays about the Author and her work
AF is my favourite GO author so I'm reading this tonight!
3. The Marlows and their Maker by Anne Heazlewood
Ditto
4. The Magician's Boy by Susan Cooper
5. The Small Pleasures of Life by Philippe Delerm
a "meditation of life's small pleasures", including a banana split, the smell of apples, and the motorway at night.
6. Eleanor Farjeon's Book: Stories-Verses-Plays, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
Farjeon and Ardizzone! This alone would have made me a very happy bunny.
7. Goblin Island by Elsie J. Oxenham
Oxenham's very first novel.
8. The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by E. H. Shepard
I once had a picture book version of this book, but it wasn't illustrated by Shepard. A good book for Ekath.
9. Night Monkey, Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lucy Richards
I-Shan will love this.
10. The Seventh Tide by Joan Lennon
"A teenage shape-shifter called Eo. A boy from the 6th century called Adam. A girl from the 20th century called Jay." It's a signed copy. Elesh should like this time-travel adventure-quest.
11. Orders to Poach by Olivia Fitzroy
In Helen's words, a "story of terribly poor aristocrats who while away the summer killing deer".
12. Summer's Ending by Helen McClelland
This one takes the reader "from colonial Malay to Scotland, via a brilliantly-portrayed convent school in Southern England". Wow, Malaya and a convent school. I'll have to start it tonight as well!
The book right on top of the pile came from Penguin Books, for review: Words & Pictures: Writers, Artists and a Peculiarly British Tradition, by Jenny Uglow. Can't wait!
Thank you, Helen! (And thank you, Penguin Books too.) You've made my day and my Christmas!
P.S. I'm currenty reading The Mozart Season by Virginia Euwer Wolff and I don't want it to end. Really, really adore the story and the characters. I want it to be the first of a series of 10 books, but, sadly, it's not.
P.P.S. Christmas music: Not specifically Christmassy, but I'm enjoying Mischa Maisky [left] playing Bach (cello sonata Nos 1-3) and Vivaldi (cello concerto in A minor and cello concerto in B minor).
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