Saturday 6 October 2012

Charity Shop Book Haul

I love book hunting in charity shops.  I went for a browse this morning and came away with five books, all in good condition, for just under £8.  My haul:

Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne.
When family tragedy strikes, Alice Fonseka, a dreamy, artistic child with a Singhalese mother and a Tamil father, leaves the beautiful island of Sri Lanka.  Unable to bear the injustice of what has happened, her family heads for England.  There, in the cold, urban landscape of London, Alice grows up, with all that this means: struggles, a home in London - and a blossoming of the art through which she expresses herself.  But there is much she cannot find.  Understanding.  Peace.  Lasting love.  Then on the clear summer morning of July 7, 2005, violence crosses her path again.... (from the back cover).

Why I got it: I enjoy books that deal with the Immigrant experience in London.  I've heard good things about Roma Tearne and this is the first book I've seen that addresses the London Bombings.


The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
In 1949 four Chinese women drawn together by the shadow of their past begin meeting in San Francisco to play mah-jong, invest in stocks, eat dim-sim and "say" stories.  They call their gathering the Joy Luck Club.  Nearly 40 years later, one of the members has died, and her daughter has come to take her place, only to learn of her mother's lifelong wish and the tragic way it came true.   The revelation of this secret unleashes an urgent need in the women to reach back and remember (from Goodreads)

Why I got it: It's been on my radar for years.  I have vague memories of enjoying The Kitchen God's Wife as a teenager.


 The Dark Clue by James Wilson
...A brilliant recreation of the Victorian suspense novel, as the characters from Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, Walter Hartright and Marian Halcombe, are involved in another dramatic and dangerous investigation, this time emanating from the heart of respectable London society....takes us into Victorian England in all its staggering extremes of poverty and wealth, of slums and stately homes, of public morality and private vice, in an unforgettable tale of suspense (from the back cover)

Why I got it: This was a random find, I didn't even know this book existed until today.  But I love Wilkie Collins and Marian and Victorian England and sensational novels, so I'm all over this one!


Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier
On a bitter November evening, young Mary Yellan journeys across the rainswept moors to Jamaica Inn in honour of her mother's dying request. When she arrives, the warning of the coachman begins to echo in her memory, for her aunt Patience cowers before hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn. Terrified of the inn's brooding power, Mary gradually finds herself ensnared in the dark schemes being enacted behind its crumbling walls -- and tempted to love a man she dares not trust. (from Goodreads)

Why I got it:  Surely this book needs to introduction!  Despite the fact that I haven't read Rebecca yet, I saw a glowing review of this earlier in the week and seeing what looked like an untouched copy for £1.99 was too much for me to resist.  It is the perfect time of the year to read gothic tales.


Pirates! by Celia Rees
Nancy Kington, a wealthy merchant's daughter living in Bristol, England in the early 1700's, is sometimes lonely but enjoys the privileges her father's business brings. Minerva Sharpe is a penniless slave's daughter living and working on the Kington's Jamaican plantation. These two young women, united through a set of extraordinary circumstances including a brutal murder, an arranged marriage, and set of ruby earrings, find themselves sailing the high seas in search of love, adventure and freedom—as pirates! (from Goodreads)

Why I got it: I don't read much YA but I love Celia Rees, especially Witch Child.  This sounds like a fun adventure story.


Have you read any of these books?  If so, what did you think?


23 comments:

  1. For just 8 pounds you did really well, Sam! A new copy of Jamaica Inn for less than 2 is amazing. The Dark Clue doesn't get very high ratings, I wonder what you'll think of it. I loved The Joy Luck Club, and it deserves a re-read sometime soon... Of Roma Tearne's books, I've only read The Swimmer and I felt a bit divided over it.

    I hope you'll enjoy your fabulous haul :)

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    1. Charity shop book shopping is one of my favourite things to do! I think The Dark Clue will either be awful or amazing, probably nothing in between. I hope I enjoy this Roma Tearne more than you enjoyed The Swimmer :)

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  2. Nice! New books for you and the money to charity? Bonus! Out of those I've only read The Joy Luck Club, loved it :)

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    1. I know, it's a win-win situation :)
      I've heard lots of good things about The Joy Luck Club, can't wait to start it.

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  3. I'm so happy for you! :) I love Joy Luck Club and have a copy from the charity shop too. You are in for a treat for Jamaica Inn, I love it. I have seen Brixton Beach so many times on various charity shops but refrain from buying. I thought I probably could read it from the library. Enjoy your loot Sam! Look forward to hear what you think about them.

    p/s: Yes Jennifer, isn't it great to get books and donate to charity as well? Only in the UK!

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    1. The two you mention are the two I am most looking forward to read. I hope I enjoy Brixton Beach too, I have seen it at my library but couldn't resist buying a copy.

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  4. Love charity shop book shopping, here lifeline also hold a big book fair twice a year. They take over a large venue and you can buy bags of books for only a few dollars. I used to find lots of bargins but the sale earlier this year I didn't really find much, I still drop into their shops and pick up the occasional bargain though.
    Celia Rees was a favourite with my daughter and Pirates was the first book of hers she read. Brixton Beach sounds interesting. Happy reading!

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    1. The book fairs sound great, I would probably spend a fortune and buy more books than I have space for!
      I think Celia Rees is underrated as an author.

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  5. Nothing like bringing home a pile of book bargains! I've also looked at Brixton Beach several times at the library but so far haven't borrowed it. The only one I've read is Jamaica Inn which is great.

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    1. I hope I enjoy Brixton Beach, I'm always fascinated by stories that deal with the immigrant experience so hopefully I will like it. I'm looking forward to Jamaica Inn :)

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  6. Wow.. that's pretty awesome! I didn't know that The Dark Clue existed. I'm interested to see what you think. I just attempted Death Comes to Pemberley and it's been horrible, so TWIW characters in another suspense novel would either be great or a flop like DCTP. You must share!

    And I've wanted to read The Joy Luck Club forever but forgot about it until I saw you listed it here. Sounds so good!

    Great finds :)

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    1. Beth, I think The Dark Clue will be awesome or awful with nothing in between. I'm hoping it's awesome, because I loved Woman in White so much! I plan to reread Woman in White for the classics club, so I'll probably save Dark Clue for after that. I will stay away from Death Comes to Pemberley!

      I really enjoyed Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan and have been meaning to read Joy Luck Club for years.

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  7. What a bargain collection - nice to know you're giving books a second life and helping people at the same time isn't it. I hope you enjoy Jamaica Inn. I loved Rebecca and will have to indulge in another du Maurier title soon I think.

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    1. I shouldn't have bought Jamaica Inn really as I haven't read Rebecca yet, but I'm pretty confident I will love both novels :P

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  8. Book sale finds are the best- I love both the cover of Brixton Beach and your description of it - sounds like a wonderful read. I have read several duMaurier books and love her writing (though some of it more than others) but have never gotten to Jamaica Inn, look forward to your thoughts on it!

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    1. The cover of Brixton Beach is a great one. Apparently Bone China by the same author is supposed to be very good?

      I have Jamaica Inn and Rebecca to read now, can't wait to start!

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  9. Wow, you definitely seem to have hit the jackpot! "The Joy Luck Club" has always been on my radar, too - should definitely read it soon.
    And I had no idea "The Dark Clue" existed either! Marian's a great character, isn't she? Walter was a bit of a flop with me but Marian more than made up for that.
    I'd never even heard of Roma Tearne before reading your post, but now I'm definitely intrigued, so thanks!

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    1. My town is amazing for finding great books in charity shops. I think people in general must read a lot and then donate as there's a good selection of old and new books and stock seems to turn over quickly.
      I loved Marian, that's the reason I bought Dark Clue - hope it lives up to expectations!

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  10. This sounds like an interesting group of books! I read Joy Luck Club years ago and loved it. I want to check out Celia Rees. I've never heard of the other ones. You might be interested in Drood, which is a novel with Dickens and Wilkie Collins as characters - I haven't read it yet but it's on my list. Although I have mixed feelings about books that pick up classic books' characters...

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  11. I used to teach English to a group of older Taiwanese women. I dubbed them the Joy Luck Club. I've never read the novel and I suspect they had very little in common with the characters in the book. Still, I enjoyed calling them that.

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  12. The Joy Luck Club is one of my all-time faves. Hope you love it as much as I do. Happy reading!

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  13. Pirates! sounds great. I don't read a lot of YA, but that one piques my interest.

    I'm glad you found such a great bunch of books. Going to one of those shops is a little bit like going on an excellent treasure hunt. :)

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  14. I've added The Dark Clue to my wish list and I think you're right that it's either amazing or very awful. I hope you read it soon so I will know if I should remove it from the wish list or actually read it! :-)

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