Lunch Hour Haul

Thank you for yesterday, you're all very lovely. The blogosphere really is precious to me - so much more than people who don't blog or read blogs could imagine.

As a reward for your kindness, I'm going to show you some more books that I bought... yes, more. Last Friday I popped out to a couple of charity shops during my lunch break, and bought eight books. Well, actually I bought nine, but one of them was for a friend. So that's normal, right? Oh, what the heck, all the money went to charity.


Strange Meeting - Susan Hill
The Bird of Night - Susan Hill
I'm ever more impressed by Hill's novellas, and have heard great things about Strange Meeting. In my head it was a ghost story; I'm happy to see it isn't. The blurb for The Bird of Night enticed me, that I remember - what the blurb said, I have completely forgotten.

One Thing Leading to Another - Sylvia Townsend Warner
I think I might have a few of these stories collected elsewhere, but was tempted by this book in case there were some I *didn't* have... and, I confess it, for that cover.

The Thinking Reed - Rebecca West
I wanted to get a Virago, seeing as it was Virago Reading Week, and this one called out to be. All I know about it is what cropped up in my research a while ago - the Book Society Newsletter said: "However, there is very much besides intellection here. There is that precious quality of making a special vividness and new reality out of familiar scenes; there is feeling, deep, though restrained; there is clever character-drawing; there is satire; there is a central idea and plan in the book; and there is the pleasure for the reader of being taken up into the interior of the book’s world through the medium of Miss West’s lucid and intimate style."

Voices at Play - Muriel Spark
A collection of plays and stories by Spark for the BBC.

Love of Seven Dolls - Paul Gallico
Somehow I still haven't read any Gallico, but this one definitely intrigued me. Seems somewhat creepy, but in the way I can cope with, and thus enjoy.

Theatre - W. Somerset Maugham
Another author I feel I ought to have read, and haven't - since I'm currently enjoying a couple of theatrical autobiographies, this could be a logical next step.

All Quiet on the Orient Express - Magnus Mills
Have read, borrowed from Annabel (Gaskella) - MUST write about soon and, more importantly, return to her!

As always - comments, thoughts? Have you read any of these?