I recently discovered gracewithabookinherface on YouTube and I was inspired by one of her videos which was a historical fiction tag. It's been a while since I did a tag so I thought why not make it a book-themed one? Even though I have been reading less of it lately, historical fiction is definitely the genre I own the most of (though not necessarily the genre I have read the most of because frankly I have a lot of unread books). They're arranged chronologically on my shelves from Eleanor of Aquitaine to the post-WWII period covering pretty much everything in between so I figured I might have some interesting answers.

Why do you like to read historical fiction?

The main reason I like to read historical fiction is the educational aspect, as you can learn a huge amount about historical events and how people lived in the past just through the context. I also find that details and broader attitudes tend to stick in my mind more when I absorb them through a story with engaging characters and places rather than just reading the facts for example in a more traditional education setting. I especially love historical fiction that's written from the perspective of more disadvantaged groups including women and more specifically working class women, as I think it's only by reading about the (albeit fictionalised) experiences of those worse off that you come to build up a picture of the broader social system of the time.

What was the first historical fiction book you read?

The first book I remember reading was Bloody Tower: The Diary of Tilly Middleton, London 1553-1559. I distinctly remember getting this out of the library in primary school, so I must have been about 8 or 9 at the time, although I reckon I've read it at least three times since then. It's part of the 'My Story' series, and I can absolutely credit my love for historical fiction later in life to reading this series at a young age. I remember I had a box set of ten or so of these books including Bloody Tower, but some of my favourites were the ones set on the Titanic, in Manchester during the Industrial Revolution, and during the Irish famine. I have several of the old editions which were made to look like real diaries which just added to the authentic character of the stories. As they were written from the point of view of girls my age (or slightly older), they held my attention and utterly drew me into the stories and have really stuck with me years later. When I think of the Great Plague for instance, most of my knowledge comes not from learning about it in school or through the internet but from reading the story of 'Alice Paynton'.

Where do you draw the line for “historical fiction” and contemporary?

I tend to think of anything written recently but set pre-1900s as by definition historical fiction. Anything from 1900-1950 - which obviously covers World War Two - is kind of a grey area for me, but I also take into account the subject matter of the book when classifying something as historical fiction. For instance, if the book just happens to be set in the past, that doesn't automatically make it historical fiction - which is the case for Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, which is set in 18th century France, for example. Also, if the main plot actually relates to key historical events of the time or features fictionalised versions of real historical figures then I'm more likely to classify it as historical fiction.

Have you read a book set in each of these eras? Stack your favorites!

1600’s or before

The earliest historical fiction novel I've read is set in 1137 and I have nearly a metre and a half's worth of shelf between then and 1600 so I have plenty to choose from! Some of my favourites from that era are by Philippa Gregory, so I'm going to say the first of her Plantagenet and Tudor series I ever read, The Other Boleyn Girl, which actually comes ninth in the chronological order of the books.

1700’s

I have relatively little set in the 1700s so I'm going to go with a trusty 'My Story': Transported: The Diary of Elizabeth Harvey, Australia, 1790.

1800’s

The 1800s are a strange time for historical fiction in my opinion because there are also so many contemporary novels from this period (think Dickens and the Brontes, for instance) which compete with our interest so it can seem oddly inauthentic to read historical fiction from this time - after all, why wouldn't we read the real thing? I'm not saying I necessarily agree with that, though. Anyway, my pick for this century is The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon, set in the Crimean War.

1920s-30s

(For some reason this tag skips out a couple of decades but OK.) The 1920s are one of my favourite eras for fashion and all round glamour, so I'm going with a full-on flapper trilogy: Bright Young Things, Beautiful Days and The Lucky Ones by Anna Godbersen. This series is kind of a cross between 'chick flick' and historical fiction as it's highly glamourised and I would say aimed at a younger female audience, but I remember enjoying it immensely. An honourable mention goes to The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters, which is set in 1922 and is about a middle class but relatively impoverished family who are obliged to take in a lodger. It's also the first overtly LGBT fiction I ever read.

1940’s-50’s

There are so many good historical fiction novels from this period, some of which I've spoken about before. My top three would have to be Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wien (which Grace also mentioned I believe) and The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester. The latter I would classify as predominantly mystery but it's set in the 1940s in Bletchley Park so the story is hugely relevant to the intelligence activities which were carried out there during WWII.

1960’s-1970’s or later

As I said above I personally wouldn't classify this period as historical fiction but I suppose I would have to say The Girls by Emma Cline which is about the Manson girls. It's not a topic I know a lot about but I enjoyed the book.

What was the last historical fiction book you read?

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell. Again this is arguably also mystery/horror in addition to historical, but it's the closest thing to historical fiction that I've read recently. I wrote a bit about it in my Waterstones book haul post.

What’s your favorite historical fiction cover?

I really love most of Philippa Gregory's book covers, but to mix it up a bit I'll say Gilt by Katherine Longshore. This cover is so simple but really draws you in, I think it's beautiful. This copy is also signed by the author, and I came across it completely by chance in a bookshop in Toronto with my cousin and just had to buy it.

What’s your favorite historical fiction?

I'm not sure what this question is asking exactly but Grace interpreted it as her favourite historical fiction novel so I'm going to go with the book which had the biggest impact on me, which is probably Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, RMS Titanic, 1912. When I read this at about age 10 it was the first time I'd heard the story of Titanic, and it really stuck with me. Unless they have a personal family story, I think when other people think about the ship they probably associate it most with the characters in the 1997 film, but for me the biggest association has always been the character of Margaret and although she isn't real it was her I thought of when I visited the Titanic museum in Belfast a couple of years ago.

Phew, that was a long one! Well done if you read it right to the end.

Recently when I was in the UK I went into Waterstones and bought a few books that I thought I'd share with you. Usually I can't bring myself to spend upwards of £7 per book (instead I buy them used on Amazon or at secondhand sales) but this time was different as I had a book token that I received from my Dad as a graduation present. I'm generally perfectly happy to buy books that are slightly damaged or worn, but I have to admit it was extremely satisfying to pick out some brand new pristine titles complete with that amazing 'new book' smell. And I've still got over half of my book token value left! Here's what I got...

The Almighty Dollar by Dharshini David

I included this book in my 'Top Pop Geography Books' post recently so you can read a sort of mini review there. Honestly I was initially drawn to this book by the beautiful cover (just look at it!) but on reading it I've discovered it's actually incredibly interesting and well-pitched. I've still got a chapter to go in it but it's already been featured in two blog posts which must be some kind of record...

Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

I've been following the Everyday Sexism handle on Twitter for years and the project actually cropped up in one of my modules this past year so I thought it was finally time to read Laura Bates' book. From what I've heard this is going to be a tough read as well as an eye-opener that manages to put into words a lot of the things I'm already aware of about how sexism operates in society - I just hope it doesn't fall into the trap of white feminism.

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

I've been seeing this book everywhere lately in some unlikely places so I decided to get it. I don't know a whole lot about it but I did a lot of academic reading around critical race theory in uni so I'm interested to take it further under my own steam and engage with some more popular writing on the topic.

The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam by Douglas Murray

Having read a couple of reviews I think I'm going to disagree with a lot (read: potentially all) of this book but that's mostly why I bought it, because I think often it's only when we read things which are strongly contrary to our opinions that we actually articulate and realise those opinions. Also, it's important to be challenged intellectually and basically know how the rest think.

Strangely this is the only fiction book I bought but I just really loved the cover which is so pretty but also very dark and gothic. I've already read this and it was fairly good, kind of like a cross between The Woman in Black and The Woman in White (haha). It's set in the Victorian era and it's the story of a woman who is recently widowed and goes to live at her husband's crumbling family estate in the country. There she finds a group of painted wooden figures which seem to have a life of their own, while the local villagers have a history of active hostility towards the family. There are a couple of timelines going on at once, including the opening setting of a hospital where a kind doctor wants to help a mysteriously voiceless patient and a flashback to the Tudor period which is achieved through the discovery of a diary in the attic of the house in the primary timeline. As these various stories develop, the pieces of the story begin to be revealed and the plot draws together. Ultimately this is a well-told Victorian mystery novel but for some reason I wasn't completely convinced by the story - it was still an enjoyable read, though.

As a student of both geography and (come September) international relations, there is nothing that thrills me more than adding to my understanding of how the world works on political, geographical and economic levels. There is so much to learn, whether fact or reasoned opinion, and while a lot can be gleaned from watching the news and keeping up with current affairs those fora only present a small snapshot of the events playing out in the world in the present day. I've found that an easy and enjoyable way to supplement my growing knowledge of geopolitical realities is to delve into a range of what I think of as 'pop geography' (or, arguably, 'pop IR' or 'pop economics') books. These are basically books about geopolitics or international relations which, although usually written by academics or experts, are not in a typical academic style with many-layered theoretical arguments drawing on other academic sources.

I've heard this genre of book denigrated by quite a few academics (some of my own lecturers included), and I do agree to a point that these topics are immensely complicated and benefit from being treated critically by experts. However, there's a simple reason these 'non-academic' takes are so popular: they make (geo)politics accessible, and everyone has to start somewhere. To be clear, these aren't the kind of books I would ever reference in an essay or bring up in conversation in an academic context - but they're something I enjoy reading recreationally to enhance my own knowledge. They also provide an opportunity to engage in some critical reading, especially if you have prior knowledge of the topics.

So today I wanted to share some of the best 'pop geography' books I have come across and own, in no particular order.

The World in Conflict by John Andrews

In this book the author presents a region-by-region analysis of contemporary conflicts and considers the causes, contexts, participants, impacts and likely outcomes. The book is really well-structured: each section begins with a general short chapter contextualising the politics and history of the region as a whole (e.g. Africa, or the Americas) which is followed by a selection of the most pertinent conflicts divided up by country. The exception is the USA, which has its own section and the subsections are more thematic. 

As is to be expected when discussing conflict in the present day, there is a fair amount of historical background and lots of names and dates which are essential to following the arguments and threads. As a result it's relatively dense but definitely readable, though I would still recommend reading this in short bursts and not trying to power through the whole thing in a couple of sittings. 

The contents lists every country discussed, so for instance if you specifically wanted to read about conflict in Uganda or the Philippines you would know to turn to pages 135 or 262 respectively. There are also mini maps before each country section which help to orient yourself in the world before you plunge in. It also has a useful index at the back, so while it's possible to sit down and read this cover to cover it also works well as a reference book. I plan to take this to university with me this year in case I need a quick concise geopolitical primers on a particular country or region as part of my coursework.

Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags by Tim Marshall

By tracing their emergence and contestation through history to the present day, the author attempts to explain why flags are such potent political symbols and how the meaning attached to them can render them 'worth dying for'. He situates the impetus for the discussion within the recent resurgence of nationalism and national symbols and aims to answer the question of what it means to encapsulate a national identity within a flag. 

A couple of flags have chapters to themselves ('The Stars and the Stripes' and 'The Union and the Jack', for instance) but mostly they are grouped into themes such as 'Flags of Fear', 'Flags of Freedom' and 'Flags of Revolution'. These are also semi-geographical, as the latter two cover Africa and South America respectively. There is also a section at the end on non-nation-state flags including the NATO flag, the LGBTQ+ flag, the Red Cross flag and even the Jolly Rodger.

Nationalism is only of my particular academic interests so I enjoyed this book immensely because it addresses a dimension which we so often take for granted or don't see as explicitly political, essentially re-politicising the flag. It was also refreshing visual in places, with a guide to the flags mentioned in the middle of the book and also discusses the significance of the colours and even dimensions of individual flags. Flags are something we're all aware of and may even have flown or waved ourselves, so this book is inherently interesting and accessible. It's also highly readable and well-written.

Tim Marshall is also the author of Prisoners of Geography which I have also read and thoroughly enjoyed, but I think Worth Dying For is even better and more original. 

This book maps out what the authors see as the new security framework facing state and non-state actors today. Their central thesis is that the proliferation of technology (in the form of the internet, cybertechnology, biotechnology, robotics etc.) is enabling what they call the 'distribution of offensive capability', or essentially the ability for ordinary people to represent considerable threats to states and their populations with minimal expert knowledge and specialised technology. Basically, it's become easier for the average person to engage in activity which might have serious security consequences for a wide range of people (or, the 'distribution of vulnerability'). They then go on to explore the implications of this for privacy, liberty, legal jurisdiction and sovereignty, delving in political philosophy debates in some detail. Finally, they outline some options for domestic and international governance in light of the preceding discussions.

I'm not going to lie, this book was hard going. Although extremely well-written, the writing is dense (not to mention tiny) and definitely more academic in nature, and there are some extremely long sentences which I often had to read twice to grasp. But if you're genuinely interested in the content I advise you to stick at it, because it is worth the slog. The arguments are compelling and the hypothetical scenarios the authors present the reader with are especially helpful in demonstrating their points, and in general there is a good balance between theory and practical examples.

The Almighty Dollar: Follow the incredible journey of a single dollar to see how the global economy really works by Dharshini David

This book traces the journey of a single American dollar through the world's financial and economic circuits, from the US to China to Nigeria to India to Iraq to Russia to Germany to the UK and finally back to the USA. Each chapter is thematic and is centred around a single subsection of the journey ('Spicing up the recipe for success - Nigeria to India', for example) but also covers other related topics and draws comparisons with other countries. Although it has an economic focus, in explaining why certain countries' economies function in particular ways - and especially the relations between states - the book also covers a lot of history and (geo)political context and often touches on the concept of globalisation. It also uses some localised fictional examples, for instance giving names to typical figures who participate in the economy like 'Lauren Miller', a Texan woman who spends the initial dollar in a Walmart store, or 'Arjun Kumar', an Indian rice farmer. This does something to put the people back into the abstract web of transactions that is the global economy and makes the whole thing more tangible.

I found this book especially well-pitched in terms of the language and level. It's super accessible and easy to read with an almost colloquial register and the writing flows beautifully. In some places it really brings it back to basics with simple explanations of fundamental economic concepts like supply and demand or exchange rates, which makes it easy to understand even if you have only a rudimentary knowledge of the global economy (like I do). To top it off it was only published in 2018 so it's very up to date - and it has one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen!

That's all for now - I have plenty of other 'pop geography' books that I've yet to read so I might do a second part of this post when I get round to those.

Every year when exams roll around I find myself procrastinating revision by looking through various shopping websites where I inevitably end up buying myself things as either motivation to revise or a reward for having revised. This year my exams were fairly manageable as two of them were 'seen' (meaning we got the question in advance) but even so I did a little bit of what I call procrasti-buying on Amazon, so I thought I might as well do a quick haul.

The first thing I got was this DVD about David Lynch, aka the creative genius behind my favourite TV series of all time, Twin Peaks. This is a documentary about Lynch's early years and the events that shaped his career and is also narrated by Lynch himself. I've read his book Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity and it was really fascinating so I can't wait to watch this to get another glimpse into his mind.

I also got this book, A is for Arsenic: the Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Markup. I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie's stories and I'm on a mission to collect all her books (I'm about halfway so far) so this is perfect for me. I also have quite a morbid mind so the idea of learning about poisons appealed quite a lot.

Next I got this book Tragedy Queens: Stories Inspired by Lana Del Rey and Sylvia Plath, which I've had my eye on for ages! I actually bought this the day of my dissertation submission, which was also the day it came out in the UK. It's an anthology of stories by various writers who were all inspired by Lana or Sylvia Plath, two of my absolute favourite artists of all time. I'm not sure how directly inspired the stories will be but I couldn't not get this. I'm also in love with the style of the cover, it's so cool!

I also got four (!) seasons of Mad Men, which I've been wanting to watch for a while. I already have at least three other boxsets which I need to get through but nope, I decided I needed this as well. To be fair, it was secondhand so it was only a couple of quid which is really excellent for four seasons. I'm excited to watch it!

And last but not least, I got this little stuffed bee. Hear me out on this one, OK? My university library is called the Bill Bryson Library, which everyone shortens to 'Billy B'. As a result of this, the library mascot is a bee, which the library staff have called Billy Bee - they often post photos to the library social media of Billy Bee doing various things. I saw one of the pics and really wanted my own, so I found the exact same one on Amazon. It was smaller than I expected but I still love my Billy Bee, and since I already have a college stash teddy from my college I thought it would be cute to have a little cuddly memento of the library when I leave Durham.

And that's everything I got!

x

This year my Christmas was a bit different as we spent it at my grandparents' house in England, the first time I've had an 'English Christmas' since about 1998. It was odd not to be in my own home for the festive period but really nice to be spending it with my grandparents who I'm very close to and haven't seen much of this year. We did all our usual Christmas traditions - making a gingerbread house on Christmas Eve, watching Strictly and Doctor Who on Christmas Day, a Christmas Day walk, and a spread of cold meats (/vegetarian options) on Boxing day - but adapted them to their house and the luxury of being able to drive to M&S to pick up various Christmassy accompaniments!

Like last year I thought I'd share some of my the wonderful Christmas gifts I received from family and friends this year without doing a totally comprehensive haul. So here are my top five favourite presents in no particular order:

I'm mildly obsessed with Wes Anderson's films, my favourite by far being The Grand Budapest Hotel. I love the characters and most importantly the gorgeous pastel aesthetics, so this is idea. It's essentially a visual guide to his films, with artworks and photos interspersed with interviews with Anderson himself. I'm going to be honest, it weighs an absolute ton (so much so that it apparently fell out of the box and got lost on its way from Amazon so this one is actually a replacement!) so this isn't one I'll be able to take with me back to uni. It will, however, be an amazing coffee table book in the unlikely eventuality that I ever get myself a house with a coffee table.

The original Twin Peaks is basically my Favourite Thing of All Time and I spent most of the first half of 2017 eagerly anticipating the release of Series 3/The Return, the continuation of the show which was originally broadcast in 1990-91. It was broadcast on a Dutch channel that we get in Belgium so I managed to watch the first eight or so episodes that my Mum recorded between getting back from uni and heading off for my internship in June, but tragically the auto-record failed for the rest of the series so I have had to wait until now to watch all the episodes. Having had a taste of the pure unadulterated Lynchian drama that is The Return I am intrigued and can't wait to get stuck into this (although it might have to wait until I go back to uni as my Mum and I are currently knee-deep in series 4 of The X-Files).

I wasn't lying when I said it was my favourite thing... (other TP-related Christmas presents include two Funko pops, a book and a set of coasters). This vinyl is of the soundtrack to the original series in all its glory. The theme tune alone gives me shivers, but I think my favourite track has to be Laura Palmer's theme or possibly Audrey's Dance. I have been playing this non-stop on my record player since I got it and have only regretfully ruled out the possibility of lugging both of them back with me to uni in my suitcase.

This year I'll be going to Jerusalem for a university field trip as its a major part of one of modules, so my aunt and uncle got me this beautiful 'biography' of the city. It's what I call a weighty tome but the cover is absolutely stunning with the gold accents, I can't wait to learn more about the city and its history before I go in March!

In a departure from tradition here is a favourite Tech Item. This is the Rockbox cube from Fresh n  Rebel and its basically just a standard mini speaker that you can plug into your iPod or phone or whatever, but LOOK HOW ADORABLE IT IS. For scale it is about 6cm x 6cm. As a side note it matches the colour of my earphones exactly. I previously had a similar but much cheaper speaker, which I tend to use a lot because my iPod is only a nano (i.e. with no speakers of its own) and one side of the speakers on my laptop no longer work. So hopefully this will be a great new addition to my DVD watching (read: Twin Peaks marathon) set-up.

We Are Called to Rise is set in the context of an (as far as I can tell from the blurb) unspecified war, and follows the lives of a series of apparently unconnected people who are not actively part of the war in the battlefield/front line sense but whose lives go on in the background. Apparently it's about loss, courage and resilience, and the reviews are really positive so I think I'll enjoy this even if it is a bit of a random choice. I'm not quite sure why I picked it up but it's a pretty attractive book.

The Margaret Atwood novel is one of those things I've been on the lookout for in charity shops recently, basically because I want to read some of her stuff. I didn't look too closely at it before picking it up, but it's a historical fiction about some real-life murders that happened in 1843 and one of the servants convicted of the crime. I love crime and historical fiction so hopefully this will be ideal! 

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

Deafening by Frances Itani

The Yacoubian Building is set in Cairo, specifically in a building where a mixture of people of different social classes live, inhabiting every floor from grand apartments to the rooftops. From the blurb I get the impression that it's a realistically-written novel, about the contradictions between modern life and tradition and generally concerning the lives of the building's inhabitants. I love books like this where the characters and places are vividly drawn and seem to leap off the pages...

Just LOOK at this book - isn't it utterly gorgeous? Deafening is set on the eve of the First World War and tells the story of a relationship between a young deaf woman and a man who is sent to the front and how they survive the separation. I don't think I've ever read anything where the main character has a disability like this so it should be interesting to see how the author writes it.

Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

I had a sneaking feeling that I already owned Blood Red Snow White but I've had a good look and haven't come across it on my shelves so I can only conclude I must have *nearly* bought it in previous years. Anyway. As far as I can tell, it's set in the Russian revolution of 1917 and follows an Englishman abroad in Russia and his relationship with the country and his homeland. The blurb describes it as a mixture of 'fairy tale, spy thriller and love story' which sounds promising!

Elizabeth is Missing is one of those books I seem to have been hearing about for ages, so I finally bit the bullet and picked it up (I say that like it was a traumatic decision, it really wasn't lol). The main character is Maud, an elderly woman with dementia who is convinced that her best friend Elizabeth is missing, although everyone around her dismisses this notion as the confusion of an old lady. I think it's a really interesting premise and I'm excited to see how it pans out.

Fear not, I haven't suddenly developed a love of eastern European agricultural vehicles - this is merely the amusing title of a novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. If I'm honest I picked it up because of the title and couldn't quite bear to part with it even though the story isn't my usual kind of thing: it's about two estranged sisters whose widowed father marries a glamorous blonde Ukrainian divorcee and their joint efforts to oust her from the family. But it definitely has potential for a quick, light-hearted read so I thought I'd add it to the stack of books I was carrying around.

And that's everything I got!

Although the Christmas period is well and truly over I'm one of those nosy people who love finding out what other people got for Christmas, so I thought I'd follow the trend and show you some of the presents I received this year. Rather than including every single thing I've decided to be selective and instead choose my top five presents to show you in no particular order - these aren't necessarily the 'biggest' or most expensive ones, just my favourites that I'd like to share!

I really love history and learning about the past so when I saw this in a bookshop a few months ago I knew I had to add it to my Christmas wishlist! It reminds me a lot of a similar book I had when I was little but this is much more orientated at adults and teenagers in terms of the topics and writing. The cover is stunning with really beautiful gold lettering, and it has great page spreads that are really engaging and dynamic with a good balance of text and photos to keep things interesting. It's absolutely massive too and weighs at least a couple of kilos, which is the only downside because it makes it quite hard to manouevre - the past couple of times I've been reading it in bed I've ended up pinned under it! Definitely one for the coffee table I think.

I've been wanting this for so so long and I'm so happy to have received it! I just love the bottle, I think it's so luxurious and obviously it smells gorgeous too. But as is always the way with expensive perfumes, I'm finding myself reluctant to spritz it and wanting to save it for special occasions! 

This is the latest addition to my little vinyl collection which so far just consists of my favourite albums in vinyl form. Electra Heart is one of my favourite albums of all time so I've wanted it on vinyl for ages and it does not disappoint! It sounds really good even on my slightly crappy Crosley cruiser (I know, I know) and it includes all the lyrics on a separate piece of paper. There are actually two records in here, and they each have 3 or 4 songs on which is slightly annoying because you have to swap them around a lot but it's all part of the charm in my opinion! 

It might seem a bit weird to have a washbag as one of your favourite Christmas presents, but words cannot express how much I love Paperchase's Gothic Garden range in any imaginable form. It's honestly the most me range I've ever seen; I love the darkness of it and the floral elements with the gold accents, it's truly beautiful. I think it was new in this autumn so it must be reaching the end of its store lifetime which is tragic but also brilliant because hopefully it will be on sale soon! I needed a new soft washbag as the one I currently have is huge and doesn't squash down very well even if it's not full (if that makes sense?) so this is a great replacement.

I'm including these collectively because I just can't choose between them and they kind of go together anyway. The Grand Budapest Hotel has been one of my absolute favourite movies ever since I saw it in the cinema, and it's definitely one of my top 5 films of all time. I've also seen Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me before, but it wasn't great quality so I'm excited to watch it again. I'm slowly building up my Twin Peaks collection (I also got a book on it this Christmas) in preparation for the revival this year! And last but not least, this is possibly the only DVD production of Hamlet I haven't yet seen so I just had to get it. It's the 2000 version with Ethan Hawke and Kyle MacLachlan (aka Special Agent Dale Cooper) and it's set in contemporary New York City which is so interesting. 

It's been a while since my last haul post so let's kick off the New Year with an exploration of my recent purchases. Since going back to uni for the autumn term my love of charity shops has been taken to the next level as I discovered that they usually have quite a lot of books and DVDs in addition to clothes. I'm not quite sure how I'd managed to miss this up until that point but there you go. 

As I think I mentioned in a previous post, I now take the bus most days to get from my house to lectures. In actual fact I take two buses, not because it's a particularly long way but because the bus routes don't go in an ideal direction so rather than going in a sort of full L-shape I have to take a different bus for each bit of the shape (if that makes any sense?). As a result of taking four buses a day I have ended up spending quite a lot of time waiting in the bus station where there's a really good charity shop that I pop into at least once a week so I have ended up with quite a haul! Here are the bits and bobs I bought in Durham over the winter term - they were about £2 each, sometimes £3 so really good deals all round:

I also visited family in Gloucestershire between Christmas and New Year and happened to go into an Oxfam shop while out shopping where I picked up three DVDs. Everything was half price that day so these came to a grand total of £4! Which is especially amazing as the 3-disc one was only actually £1. Out of these ones I've seen Moonrise Kingdom and Notting Hill before, but none of the others:

And that's my little charity shop haul for the past few months! Here's to finding more great bargains in 2017.

The other weekend I went to a secondhand book sale at my local English shop. As usual I picked up a massive stack of books and on further reflection ended up putting about half back, but I still came away with a good selection which I'm going to show you today. I know I'm always enthusiastic about books but trust me, there are some real corkers in here!

According to Queeney by Beryl Bainbridge

This is a curious little book but somehow it drew me in, I think because of the front cover which is really quite lovely with the rose gold lettering. Set in Georgian London and about the high society of the day, this book is apparently "a story of unrequited love, passion, rejection and possession" so I have high hopes.

I, Mona Lisa by Jeanna Kalogridis

For some reason this rang a bell (I think I saw it on Goodreads or something?) so I picked it up and knew right away it was a winner. It's set in fifteenth century Florence and is, unsurprisingly, a story about Mona Lisa and Leonardo da Vinci. I really love historical fiction from this period, especially when it's set in Italy and especially when it includes well-known characters so I know I'm going to like this.

The Trespass by Barbara Ewing

This intrigued me because I'm not crazy about Victorian historical fiction, but for some reason I felt drawn to it and ended up getting it. It's set in London in 1849 in the middle of a cholera epidemic and is about the daughter of an eminent MP who gets sent away to the countryside for her safety. This is probably quite morbid of me but I do like books about epidemics and disease, it's all quite horrific and thrilling and you know there's going to be at least one dramatic death.

Mad Girl's Love Song: Sylvia Plath and Life Before Ted by Andrew Wilson

I was so excited when I spotted this because I love Sylvia Plath and I've been developing a taste for biographies lately so really this is the perfect combination. As far as I can tell it's about her early life, which is interesting, and it draws on interviews with people Plath knew, which is fascinating - this is going to have pride of place in the Plath section of my bookshelf for sure.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

This book is about a three hundred and eighty-four year old witch, which by definition means it's going to become one of my favourites. I can only take fantasy in small doses but this kind of mixture of historical fiction and fantasy is just my cup of tea so I'm excited to read this. The Lost Book of 

Salem by Katherine Howe

To be honest I didn't even read the blurb of this one before I bought it (I just saw the word 'Salem' and lunged for it) but it looks promising because it's another good old historical-fiction-fantasy blend. It's about a woman who, while clearing out her grandmother's cottage, finds an old parchment relating to the infamous Salem witch trials and uncovers her family's connection to them.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

I recently read Sarah Waters' book The Paying Guests and LOVED it so I've been keen to get my hands on other books she's written. I've heard lots of good things about Fingersmith too - it's set in London in 1862 and seems to have an Oliver Twist vibe to it as it's about an orphan who grows up among petty thieves.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Another Sarah Waters one which I was thrilled to spot. This is set in wartime Britain and - according to the blurb - moves backwards through the 1940s to end with its beginning in 1941, which seems like an original idea so I'm interested to see how/if the author pulls that one off.

The Lost World by Michael Crichton

It's no secret that I love all things Jurassic Park, but I especially love the book and I've been meaning to get the sequel for some time now. Unfortunately this is one of those situations in which I've seen the film before reading the book, but I'm just going to hope that there's a lot more to the book than the film which is definitely the case in the first installment. 

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

Last but not least... I'm always on the lookout for Agatha Christies when I go to booksales like these because I'm trying to collect all her books - unfortunately I only found one this time but fortunately it was one I haven't got yet so of course I picked it up. I was sorry to find out that this isn't a Hercule Poirot one but I'm definitely going to read it anyway next time I'm in a murder mystery mood.

And that's all I got!

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I just about shiver with anticipation whenever I think about The King's Deception because not only does it involve the CIA and the MI6 (aka baes), it's also about a conspiracy dating from the time of the Tudors which is by far my most favourite period of history to read about - basically if this doesn't merit a five star rating I shall be bitterly disappointed. The King's Curse is about Margaret Pole who is a Tudor figure I haven't read much about which is interesting, and of course it's by the queen herself Philippa Gregory which hopefully means it's a winner.

The Dress by Kate Kerrigan

At first glance I thought The Dress was going to be a chick-lit type thing and I think I still might be right, but it's also partly set in the 1950s and about vintage clothes and dressmaking so I'm hoping it will be a good read nonetheless. The Summer Queen is about Eleanor of Aquitaine and is set in 1137, which interestingly makes it the earliest novel I have ever read and therefore it is sitting right at the beginning of my historical fiction shelves. This copy of The Lake House that I picked up at the secondhand sale is in absolutely perfection condition so it was a bargain at 50p, which is partly why I got it - I also really enjoyed The Forgotten Garden by the same author when I read it this summer and by the looks of it they have a lot of similarities, as intergenerational epics revolving around beautiful buildings and stuffed full of family secrets.

This is the next part of what I'm calling the Mega Book Haul, aka 'Sophie went to England and came back with 23 books she really didn't need so she's going to turn it into a few blog posts to feel better about it'. Anyway. If you read my post about my trip to the Yorkshire Dales you'll know I visited several churches in aid of my mum's interest in family history which includes wanting to photograph the graves of our long-dead ancestors. She also wanted to take photos inside the churches (in the vein of 'this was where they would have got married' and 'this was where they would have been baptised') which for me led to the happy discovery that there are often book sales at the back! Some were limited to a couple of shelves of creased paperbacks and childrens' books but others were much more promising and best of all excellently priced at 50p to £1 each - hence the somewhat eclectic mix I have to show you today.

Red Rose, White Rose by Joanna Hickson // The Vanishing Witch by Karen Maitland

Straight in there with some historical fiction: Red Rose, White Rose is (unsurprisingly) about the Wars of the Roses which is one of my favourite parts of pre-Tudor history, although it's so complicated that I confess I remain sadly ignorant of the details. This is actually one of the only books out the haul that I've read so far and it was really really good, I'd definitely recommend to it anyone who likes historical fiction. The Vanishing Witch made my heart skip I beat when I realised what it's about because hello, Plantagenet fiction AND witchcraft?? In the words of the Eleventh Doctor, has someone been peeking at my Christmas list? Nuff said.

Will by Christopher Rush // The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

Right I'm not gonna lie, Will is slightly on the mouldy side (you can't see it in this photo) and usually I only go for secondhand books that are in decent condition but for 50p I couldn't resist this fictional autobiography about Shakespeare. I've never come across anything about the Bard in terms of historical fiction which makes it doubly interesting for me. The Bronze Horseman is set in Leningrad in 1941 and is about the consequences of Hitler's invasion of Russia on a Russian family. When I skimmed the blurb initially it reminded me of Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys which is about a Lithuanian family and one of my absolute favourite WWII novels I've read so I hope I'll like this one just as much.

After Mary by Katherine McMahon // The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

I don't really have a lot to say about After Mary, I think I only picked it up because I thought it might be about Mary I which I presume it is indirectly, although the blurb says it's about a girl called Isabel whose father is a courtier - either way I'll probably really enjoy this. Moving away from historical fiction (ha about time), I also got The Five People You Meet in Heaven which I know absolutely nothing about but the title sort of resonated with me so I'm intrigued to see how I get on with it. I have a feeling I once watched a YouTuber include it in a monthly favourites or something but I can't remember who which is annoying. Anyway the cover is also oddly striking, it's very simple and almost old fashioned-looking in a way.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic by Terry Jones

The Black Rose of Florence by Michele Giuttari

Gosh this is a motley crew isn't it. I remember my friend telling me about The Secret Life of Bees a year or two ago and I also remember her not being too impressed with it, but I thought I'd just get it anyway to suss it out. I'm getting The Help vibes and a strong whiff of To Kill a Mockingbird so far but we shall see. Next I picked up Starship Titanic because Douglas Adams is one of my absolute favourite writers and I will read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy over and over until it's not funny any more which will be never. Unfortunately I did a bit of research and it turns out Starship Titanic was originally a computer game designed by Adams and adapted into a novel by Terry Jones, but I flicked through it and all is not lost because the writing style is much the same as Adams', thank goodness. Finally, I pounced on The Black Rose of Florence when I spotted it because I already have a couple of other books by the same author and it's sort of a series (and a cracking good one at that) so I'm always on the lookout for more of them to complete my collection. I had a horrible feeling I might already have this but it turns out I don't which is great!

So despite being on a self-imposed book-buying ban this summer I have nonetheless managed to acquire quite a lot of books, far too many to include in a single haul post hence why this is coming to you in three parts. I honestly don't know why I bother telling myself I won't buy any for the time being because I invariably break my own rules so I suppose I might as well embrace it!

The first part contains the books I ordered on Amazon to have sent to my grandparents' house in England where I picked them up when we went to visit earlier in the summer. They're just a select few titles that have been on my to-buy list for ages and ages so I took advantage of some low prices and having the option of UK delivery to tick some off the list.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides // The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

And that's the first part of this colossal book haul - stay tuned for the next ones!

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