All are on my radar to read. I hope to read these books soon. This is my Book haul for this month.

The second lot of my recent book haul has arrived, and I guess this is the more predictable selection of books. However, I loved the covers of all of them.

Yes, I am that shallow. 

The one on top is George Orwell's Decline of the English Murder, it's hard to read in the photo. 

The British Library Crime Classics are three new additions that I hope will be good, or at least entertaining. I've come to the conclusion, supported by tracking and a graph on a spreadsheet, that - as tempting as the price of kindle editions is - I prefer reading books in either tangible format or as audiobooks. 

Since the lockdown, I've really struggled with ebooks - be it my own kindle collection or ebooks through my library. And I'm ok with that. Missing my library as much as I do is a little less palatable.

Anyway, the Woolf also was a pure impulse buy in the hope that this collection would not include essays already contained in The Common Reader. I regret nothing. The book has been produced beautifully and contains articles by Woolf that had previously published anonymously in the Times Literary Supplement. 

Lastly, as I have had not much use for my petrol budget over the last three months, I've spent some more time researching independent bookshops. It's incredibly sad to see that there are not that many. 

I mean I love Blackwell's but they are pretty big. Smaller businesses just are nowhere near as visible as they should be. Apparently, there is one 17 miles away (and the drive there would make for a beautiful day out any day as it is in a gorgeous location), and I have never even heard of it!

Unfortunately, I could not tell from their website if they are currently operating...which is not helping, and their website does not link to their Facebook page... It took more effort than it should to track down whether they are open. :(

What is worse, this seems to be a common scenario with quite a few small independents that I've found. 

Long story short, I've found two new to me independent bookshops that I want to test out, so there is likely going to be another book haul post next week. 

So, erm, yes, a book haul may have happened recently...and the first lot of books has arrived over the last few days.

I mean, it's not that I need books because I am running out any time soon (haha), but ... I've been wanting to read more about and by Ellen Wilkinson ever since reading her The Division Bell Mystery. 

I also needed a paper copy of The Freaks of Mayfair because the audiobook I have of this is horrible and I think E.F. Benson may work better in actual book form here.

Lastly, Based on a True Story is - I think - a contemporary thriller, but I don't actually know much about it (and want to keep it this way). I simply look forward to it because French contemporary thrillers are outwith my usual reading habits. It's an adventure if you like.

There will be a second lot of books at some point. I may have gone a bit wild.

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About a week ago, I had a craving for some new books. Not just new to me books, but new writing recently published, so I had a browse - consciously deciding to look at bricks and mortar booksellers only, because they are probably feeling the impact of the lockdown in sales as much as any of the other high street shops at the moment. 

This morning, the postie dropped off my Blackwell's order: 

I know little to nothing about any of these titles (this is on purpose), and the Miller one may have been an impulse buy ... because look at that cover.

The exception to this is of One, Two, Buckle My Shoe which is a favourite Christie of mine, and which for some reason I didn't actually have a physical copy of.  

Happy Saturday!