Lake District Book Haul

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And from the 1st-8th July I was off venturing in Cumbria- trekking and exploring the Lake District! 

Over the many places we visited, I accumilated quite a variety of books- which I'm about to share with you! 

I bought 8 in total, and a couple you might expect- but a lot you won't! 

I hope you enjoy it. 

~DARLINGTON~

1. A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos #0), by Samantha Shannon 

It was an Anticipated Release at the start of the year (click here for that post) and every, time I've walked into my local Waterstones, there's always been some other book that's been more of a priority. But finally, the book is in my possession and I can devour it! 

I probably should prioritise The Poppy War trilogy first because you know, that trilogy has been on my TBR for forever, but something tells me that I'll be picking this up soon enough. 

(If anyone doesn't know, this is a prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, a multiple POV, epic fantasy standalone that was released in 2019.) 

~CARLISLE~

2. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman 

I have already read and loved this book- finished it just yesterday. A Man Called Ove is just shy of 300 pages, but it had the ability to make me laugh out loud- and then be fighting tears five minutes later. Stinkingly good writing, the pacing changes with a single sentence. I will be bold enough to say that this is my favourite book of the year and that there will definitely be a review to come. 

I will withhold all detail until then. 

3. Birdsong, by Sebastian Faulks 

I attempted this book about a decade a go because it was on the GCSE summer reading list- yes I was the kid that tried to read as much of the suggested reading as I could- which I still wouldn't change today by the way- but I think it was either too large or too outside my usual comfort zone- so I DNF'ed it about 100 pages in. 

But when I came across this in a new/old shared space bookshop in Carlisle (seriously it was like a maze in there) I knew I had to give it another shot. 

Birdsong pans over three generations, Birdsong takes place between the years 1910-1918, telling the tale of Stephen Wraysford as he passes through an affair with Isabelle Azaire and takes the first treachorous steps into the trenches. I don't know any more than that, but I really hope I manage to finish it this time around. 

~CARTMEL~

So, we went to Cartmel for one reason only: to consume the Sticky Toffee Pudding that had put this village on the map (Cartmel was where it originated). But walking in and seeing that there really wasn't much else to do, I saw a sign on the door of a building that was quite obviously a bookshop. The sign said that they were only open on saturdays, but if you wanted entry, just ring the number below. 

Having rang the number, the owner's son was willing to make a 20 minute drive to Cartmel, so I could see the books. Of course I had to buy some. 

4. Nicholas Nickleby, by Charles Dickins 

To be honest, I was hesitant about getting this. I knew absolutely nothing about this, it had been a while since I'd read a classic, much less a Charles Dickins novel, and I don't think I've ever read anything this large. But from what I now know of the story, I'm extremely happy I decided to purchase this. 

The premise reminds me of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations to be honest, so I'm wondering how similar they'll be to this (I'm hoping very much, because I haven't read any)! Maybe they'll be the next books I pick up if I enjoy this one. 

5. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

I had a strong urge to buy this book as soon as I layed eyes on it. Even among the Classic genre dummies like myself, this book is famous. Even I know about the infamous red A painted on Hester Prynne after committing adultery- that she's shamed by the town, forced into isolation- and honestly, that's all I need to know.   

~GRASMERE~

I got these last few books in the Wordsworth Museum, where I learned about William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy, his wife Mary and their many children, while they wrote their, arguably, most well known works in the years between 1799-1808. 

I was most interested in Dorothy's journals of the land, their many walks and experiences- particularly as she was never published, which I really hope is reflected in the fact that I bought three books from that museum. 

6. Lyrical Ballads, by Wordsworth and Coleridge

Okay, there was no way I was going to visit the Wordsworth Museum and not pick up some poetry. I know it's not my forte, I tend to gravitate (pretty much all the time) towards novels, but I'm hoping I'll be able to feel more connection to these, because I've wandered round some of the places that they'll be describing. 

Having read some of his poetry inside the cottage is enough to have me pumped and ready to see the world as the Wordsworth siblings did. 

7. The Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals, by Dorothy Wordsworth

This might just be the book I'm looking forward to reading the most. It isn't William's eyes that I'm reading from- it's his sister's. I'm not quite sure what fascinates me the most, but it definitely won't be long til my eyes are racing down the page. 

According to the Museum, it wasn't so much as William writing the stories himself from scratch, more Dorothy writing his thoughts and words down, and then offering ideas to make it better. I loved the idea that it was more of a collaberative experience than people knew. 

(Can you tell that I really really enjoyed visiting the museum.) 

8. The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth, by Frances Wilson 

This biography by Frances Wilson starts on the day of William and Mary's wedding, the day Dorothy took a fall that put an end to her day long walks. Her journals take you to the year 1803- and this biography takes place for the rest of her time at Dove Cottage, I do believe. 

They tell of the last three decades of her life inside the Cottage, mostly diary entries and the occasional poetry verses- but they're from the POV of a woman who has chosen to leave society to live in a world of William's words, and on her terms. 

Okay! Those are all the books I bought in my week within the Lake District! No doubt it'll take me months to get through them all, as my reading pace is like a snail at the moment, but maybe that means I'll enjoy them all the more? Who knows? 

Anyway, as always, anyone is free to comment what books you might have bought/ received recently! (Or maybe you could say what you thought about these books if you've read them?) 

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely evening and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx