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A blog about old, out-of-print, and overlooked books

A Whole Other Story

A blog about old, out-of-print, and overlooked books

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Welcome!

This face belongs to me, Ceri. The one on the left. When I am not drinking tea and eating biscuits in a semi-vegetative state, I read books. And buy books. And sell books. And read lots of other stuff about books. And take photos of books.

And sometimes I write about them too. Which is what you’ll find here.

The one on the right is Arlo. He does not read books, and refuses to discuss them with me. So I’m hoping you’ll stick around and chat with me about them instead.

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So, I never got around to posting about my favourite book of 2022. Without a doubt, it was The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns. A veritable feast of gothic macabre which I couldn't help but gorge myself on in one sitting.

17 year old Alice lives with her brutal father in a dingey house in Wandsworth, sometime around 1900. Her life is pretty miserable, and things go from bad to worse when her frail mother dies, leaving Alice alone with her father. But don't worry, the story is elevated (in more ways than one) by the amazing writing, and a touch of magic realism. Alice narrates her sorry tale with a mix of grim resignation and dreamy hopefulness. It is pitch perfect, and just as soon as I'd finished, I wanted to start it again.

If you're a fan of weird, off-kilter books, and want a quick satisfying read, I totally recommend it. Full blog up on the website (link in bio) 😊

@wholeotherstory

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So, I never got around to posting about my favourite book of 2022. Without a doubt, it was The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns. A veritable feast of gothic macabre which I couldn't help but gorge myself on in one sitting. 17 year old Alice lives with her brutal father in a dingey house in Wandsworth, sometime around 1900. Her life is pretty miserable, and things go from bad to worse when her frail mother dies, leaving Alice alone with her father. But don't worry, the story is elevated (in more ways than one) by the amazing writing, and a touch of magic realism. Alice narrates her sorry tale with a mix of grim resignation and dreamy hopefulness. It is pitch perfect, and just as soon as I'd finished, I wanted to start it again. If you're a fan of weird, off-kilter books, and want a quick satisfying read, I totally recommend it. Full blog up on the website (link in bio) 😊

2 days ago

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1/9

Babar in a balloon for #throwbackthursday 😃

I know almost nothing about Babar. He just wasn't a part of my childhood. I know there are tons of books and I do vaguely remember a TV series (I think there were several actually) but I remain rather clueless. He's apparently one of the World's most recognised children's characters, so I sort of feel like I've never done him justice, poor chap. Still, he is a king, and is better dressed than I am, so he can't complain too much.

This image is from Babar's Balloon Trip, a Little Babar Book, published in 1969. It didn't give me much insight into the world of Babar, as it was very short. But I can now kind of understand some of the controversies that Babar has prompted over the years - namely the rather un-PC depiction of African natives. 😬

The author is given as Jean de Brunhoff, so I'm guessing this must be an adaptation from a section of one of the earlier books - possibly the 1932 Travels of Babar. Jean actually only wrote seven books. His son Laurent took over in 1948 and made Babar the global phenomenon he is today.

Was Babar part of your childhood?

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Babar in a balloon for #throwbackthursday 😃 I know almost nothing about Babar. He just wasn't a part of my childhood. I know there are tons of books and I do vaguely remember a TV series (I think there were several actually) but I remain rather clueless. He's apparently one of the World's most recognised children's characters, so I sort of feel like I've never done him justice, poor chap. Still, he is a king, and is better dressed than I am, so he can't complain too much. This image is from Babar's Balloon Trip, a Little Babar Book, published in 1969. It didn't give me much insight into the world of Babar, as it was very short. But I can now kind of understand some of the controversies that Babar has prompted over the years - namely the rather un-PC depiction of African natives. 😬 The author is given as Jean de Brunhoff, so I'm guessing this must be an adaptation from a section of one of the earlier books - possibly the 1932 Travels of Babar. Jean actually only wrote seven books. His son Laurent took over in 1948 and made Babar the global phenomenon he is today. Was Babar part of your childhood?

4 days ago

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2/9

#bornonthisday Virginia Woolf, 1882. I've only read one of her books to date - To the Lighthouse. I picked it up when I was around 19, purely because I liked the cover. I don't remember a single thing about it, but I do remember liking it.

I often think I should read some more of her work - which would you recommend?

@wholeotherstory

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#bornonthisday Virginia Woolf, 1882. I've only read one of her books to date - To the Lighthouse. I picked it up when I was around 19, purely because I liked the cover. I don't remember a single thing about it, but I do remember liking it. I often think I should read some more of her work - which would you recommend?

5 days ago

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3/9

Today's #timeouttuesday was The Penguin New Writing No.4, from 1941.

The New Writing series ran from 1940 to 1950 and there were 40 volumes in total. It featured works by many leading authors including Graham Greene, W.H. Auden and Dylan Thomas, as well as work by lesser known writers, many of whom are now largely forgotten. It also included quite a lot of the work of Rosamond Lehmann; which isn't all that surprising considering it was founded and edited by her brother John.

I started several of the stories in this volume, but I'm sorry to say none of them really grabbed me. They were all a bit dry and uninspiring. I have a couple more volumes of the series knocking around somewhere, so perhaps I'll have better luck with those.

Have you had some time out to read today?

@wholeotherstory

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Today's #timeouttuesday was The Penguin New Writing No.4, from 1941. The New Writing series ran from 1940 to 1950 and there were 40 volumes in total. It featured works by many leading authors including Graham Greene, W.H. Auden and Dylan Thomas, as well as work by lesser known writers, many of whom are now largely forgotten. It also included quite a lot of the work of Rosamond Lehmann; which isn't all that surprising considering it was founded and edited by her brother John. I started several of the stories in this volume, but I'm sorry to say none of them really grabbed me. They were all a bit dry and uninspiring. I have a couple more volumes of the series knocking around somewhere, so perhaps I'll have better luck with those. Have you had some time out to read today?

6 days ago

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4/9

We interrupt today's workload with a #timeouttuesday consisting of a couple of short stories from Guy De Maupassant's The Mountain Inn 🙂

In the title story, two men head up to a remote mountain in to take care of it while it is snowed in during the winter months. One of them heads out to do a spot of hunting and doesn't return, and the other goes mad. It turned out to be quite an appropriate choice for today, because of the snow flurries outside my window. I found it quite chilling, for it's slow build up of tension and uncertainty - was he hearing the voice of his comrade yelling for help? Or was it just the wind? I think you probably would go mad in that situation, and it did a good job of being believable and mysterious at the same time. Though I really hate the snow, at least I'm unlikely to be snowed in until spring, with only my feverish imaginings for company. So that's a bonus.

Also inspired by today's weather, I read a story called The Umbrella. This one was about a penny pinching woman who refuses to give her husband a decent umbrella. Basically, the one she buys gets spoiled, so she marches down to the insurance company and then gets it recovered with the most expensive fabric she can find at their expense. If that sounds like a bit of a boring story, it was.

This was my first venture into the works of De Maupassant, and on the whole, I wouldn't mind reading a few more of his stories. One of his most famous - 'The Horla' is included in this book, so perhaps I will give that a go before I force myself to get on with the work that I am so diligently putting off...

Hope you have all managed a #timeouttuesday today, and that you aren't snowed in, wherever you are. Have you read any De Maupassant?

@wholeotherstory

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We interrupt today's workload with a #timeouttuesday consisting of a couple of short stories from Guy De Maupassant's The Mountain Inn 🙂 In the title story, two men head up to a remote mountain in to take care of it while it is snowed in during the winter months. One of them heads out to do a spot of hunting and doesn't return, and the other goes mad. It turned out to be quite an appropriate choice for today, because of the snow flurries outside my window. I found it quite chilling, for it's slow build up of tension and uncertainty - was he hearing the voice of his comrade yelling for help? Or was it just the wind? I think you probably would go mad in that situation, and it did a good job of being believable and mysterious at the same time. Though I really hate the snow, at least I'm unlikely to be snowed in until spring, with only my feverish imaginings for company. So that's a bonus. Also inspired by today's weather, I read a story called The Umbrella. This one was about a penny pinching woman who refuses to give her husband a decent umbrella. Basically, the one she buys gets spoiled, so she marches down to the insurance company and then gets it recovered with the most expensive fabric she can find at their expense. If that sounds like a bit of a boring story, it was. This was my first venture into the works of De Maupassant, and on the whole, I wouldn't mind reading a few more of his stories. One of his most famous - 'The Horla' is included in this book, so perhaps I will give that a go before I force myself to get on with the work that I am so diligently putting off... Hope you have all managed a #timeouttuesday today, and that you aren't snowed in, wherever you are. Have you read any De Maupassant?

2 weeks ago

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5/9

Will Howards End ever end? I'm now on chapter 31 of 44 and honestly it feels like I've been reading it since time began.

I really hoped it would be a nice cosy read that I could curl up with in a warm blanket, but in general I have found it quite a cold book. The characters all seem to be lacking in warmth and humour, and the plot drags on like February - there's not much of interest and it's all a bit grey.

Ok, it's not completely without merit. There are a few little nuggets of wisdom and nice turns of phrase. But in general it's like a very sparsely fruited suet pudding - you have to search for the good bits, and the rest is pretty stodgy and heavy going. I really wanted to like it, but there are much more interesting and sweeter books to be devouring.

I'll probably finish it. Eventually. Maybe.

What's the furthest you've ever got to in a book before giving up?

@wholeotherstory

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Will Howards End ever end? I'm now on chapter 31 of 44 and honestly it feels like I've been reading it since time began. I really hoped it would be a nice cosy read that I could curl up with in a warm blanket, but in general I have found it quite a cold book. The characters all seem to be lacking in warmth and humour, and the plot drags on like February - there's not much of interest and it's all a bit grey. Ok, it's not completely without merit. There are a few little nuggets of wisdom and nice turns of phrase. But in general it's like a very sparsely fruited suet pudding - you have to search for the good bits, and the rest is pretty stodgy and heavy going. I really wanted to like it, but there are much more interesting and sweeter books to be devouring. I'll probably finish it. Eventually. Maybe. What's the furthest you've ever got to in a book before giving up?

4 weeks ago

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6/9

I've been in two minds about joining in with @footnotes.and.tangents #whiskeyandperserverance readalong. I signed up last year thinking that it would be a great opportunity -a chapter a day of a slightly daunting and very chunky classic seemed managable, and I would be supported by lots of other lovely bookish types 😁

But as December rolled on, I started having second thoughts... I do not have a good track record with daily goals 😬 Some of the many things I have vowed to do daily are learning languages, journaling, flossing my teeth, exercising, yoga, moisturising, meditating, kegels, deleting emails, and calling a family member. And I have failed on every count 😞 Possibly committing to reading a chapter every day is a fool's errand. I'm busy enough as it is.

But somewhere along the line I realised that even if you don't floss your teeth every day, as long as you do it sometimes, it's better than nothing. Sure, I may occasionally have to wade through a groaning inbox of emails, but as long as I clear them out now and again, that's ok. So, I may not be able to stick to a chapter a day, but if I get to the end of the book before next December 31st, I'll call it a win. And if I don't, so what? I once had a book on my bedside table for four years before I finished it. It was still worth it.

I don't really like reading ebooks, but unfortunately all this dithering meant that I left it a little late to order a print copy in time to start yesterday. So ebook it is. Actually, given that it is SUCH a chunky book, having it on my phone might actually help. After all having it to hand when I'm waiting in a queue/sitting on a tram/avoiding work can only encourage me to read it. Perhaps leaving a book on your bedside table isn't always the best way to get it read 🤷

Are you joining the readalong?

@wholeotherstory

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I've been in two minds about joining in with @footnotes.and.tangents #whiskeyandperserverance readalong. I signed up last year thinking that it would be a great opportunity -a chapter a day of a slightly daunting and very chunky classic seemed managable, and I would be supported by lots of other lovely bookish types 😁 But as December rolled on, I started having second thoughts... I do not have a good track record with daily goals 😬 Some of the many things I have vowed to do daily are learning languages, journaling, flossing my teeth, exercising, yoga, moisturising, meditating, kegels, deleting emails, and calling a family member. And I have failed on every count 😞 Possibly committing to reading a chapter every day is a fool's errand. I'm busy enough as it is. But somewhere along the line I realised that even if you don't floss your teeth every day, as long as you do it sometimes, it's better than nothing. Sure, I may occasionally have to wade through a groaning inbox of emails, but as long as I clear them out now and again, that's ok. So, I may not be able to stick to a chapter a day, but if I get to the end of the book before next December 31st, I'll call it a win. And if I don't, so what? I once had a book on my bedside table for four years before I finished it. It was still worth it. I don't really like reading ebooks, but unfortunately all this dithering meant that I left it a little late to order a print copy in time to start yesterday. So ebook it is. Actually, given that it is SUCH a chunky book, having it on my phone might actually help. After all having it to hand when I'm waiting in a queue/sitting on a tram/avoiding work can only encourage me to read it. Perhaps leaving a book on your bedside table isn't always the best way to get it read 🤷 Are you joining the readalong?

4 weeks ago

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7/9

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Advent Giveaway!! The last advent giveaway box is up for grabs 😁 Win yourself a nice mystery festive book and some little treats. You know you want to! To enter just head to the blog and fill out the form. Link in bio 😁👍🏻 Apologies for the lack of posting lately - all the lovely, cosy Christmas reading I planned has largely been abandoned because of writing deadlines, broken washing machines, broken heating, a broken car, bad news and endless Christmas prep. Topped off with an awful cold 😞🤧 I hope your December has been better?! #adventgiveaway #advent #christmasgiveaway #christmasiscoming #decemberblues #bookblogger #bookgiveaway #freebook #vintagebooks #oldbooks #readsomethingold #secondhandbooks #giveawaybooks

1 month ago

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8/9

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Attempting to de-grinch yourself? Try a little holiday cheer with The Story of Holly and Ivy. It's a sweet, short Christmas tale about Christmas wishes coming true. It has: Christmas markets, Christmas trees, orphans, kindhearted childless folk, talking dolls, lost keys, serendipity, and a domineering owl. What more could you want really? Follow the link in bio for the full review 😁 If you need more festive cheer, don't forget to sign up for my advent draw! There's one each advent Sunday until Christmas. Win yourself a mystery Christmas book and some nice little treats to go with it 😁 Just head to the website ⬆️ What Christmas books have been getting you into the festive spirit? #rumergodden #thestoryofhollyandivy #childrensbookillustration #childrensbooks #vintagechildrensbooks #vintagekidsbooks #christmasstory #christmasstories #childrenschristmasbooks #oldbooks #secondhandbooks #festivereads #adventgiveaway #christmasgiveaway

2 months ago

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9/9

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