My ever growing library

Lately I have added quite significantly to my ever growing book collection. I just can't seem to help myself when I see cheap secondhand books! However it is almost always the same problem- which ones to buy and which to put back (and hopefully come back for at a later stage when the bank balance says so!). Choosing between them is like deciding which puppy is the cutest at the pet shop- it's impossible! But I did it, as hard as it was and I am very pleased with my new "friends". So just as I usually do, I've decided to share with you the ones I chose. And hopefully review in the future :)

Jane Austen
Of course the first ones I decided upon were the Austen's. As you may already know I have a growing collection of Jane Austen titles, ones with different covers, publishers, editions and so on. My goal of 100 by 2012 is looking a little dim but with the addition of five more I do believe I am slowly getting there.

I was able to get my hands on two more copies of Pride and Prejudice,  two more copies of Sense and Sensibility and another copy of Emma (which is the film tie in with the Miramax film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and it even has some beautiful stills from the movie inside!!! Even though this film version isn't my favourite I am still very happy with it).
And have a look at the Vintage Austen's (the two in the bottom half of the picture)- aren't they gorgeous!




Charles Dickens

As I wrote in a post a short while ago (here), it will be the bicentenary of Charles Dickens birth next year. This anniversary has inspired me to set myself a goal. To read at least 10 Dickens novels in 2012. Because I had already read Great Expectations and Oliver Twist I believed that I would have several copies of Dickens in one of my bookshelves- but can you believe it, I had not one Dickens novel!!! How terrible, I must have borrowed them from the local library (that evil place *laughs*). So obviously I was on the lookout for some of his novels, and I am happy to report I now own two: Great Expectations and Hard Times.

Charlotte Brontë

 There are a few other novels, apart from the Austen ones, that I collect more than one copy of. In every case it is a novel which is considered a classic. These being Little Woman,  Black Beauty, a few of Hardy's work and most recently I have also decide to collect versions of Great Expectations. However one book I have been collecting since around the time I started my Austen collection. Is Jane Eyre, so I also bought this one to add to it.





Others
These last two I bought simply because I couldn't resist. I have been looking everywhere for a copy of Alison Weir's Innocent Traitor that I almost screamed for joy when I came across it. Due to my recent admiration for Lady Jane Grey it was almost the best find of the day (second to the Austen finds).

William Wordsworth- The Poems Volume One, had me at literally snatching it off the shelf. Why someone else had not bought this book still amazes me.

...and last but not least my Ma brought me home this insightful and rather humorous study book- Jane Austen's Novels: A study in Structure by Andrew H. Wright. I have only read a few portions and I am already enjoying it so much!

What I love the most about these old secondhand books are the notes inside, many of them have little inscriptions from the previous owners or lovely dedications in the front. I always feel it gives my books an identity and a history and I often like to think about the Sally's or Emma's before me that owned these wonderful books (strange I know). In front of one of the  Austen copies was a beautiful dedication to a Miss H. with love from Jordan who was wishing her good luck in the future. I just love inscriptions like that!


Love Mel xx

PS. My Austen Collection now stand at 44!

My Jane Austen book collection

As you may already know from my "100 Janes Austen copies by 2011" gadget, I collect Jane Austen books, I particularly love finding copies which have different front cover designs. I mostly hunt for them in the local Opportunity Shops, because I love secondhand books! I love to read the notes and comments which people write in the books. Unfortunatley, for the past 3 years I have been collecting I havent been able to get very many copies, at the start of the year (2010) my total was at 24 so I think I am doing well so far :)

My total stands at 38 copies -

14 copies -Pride and Prejudice 

6 copies -Sense and Sensibility

5 copies -Emma

4 copies - Mansfield Park

2 copies -Northanger Abbey

2 copies -Persuasion

2 copies - 'The Complete Novels of Jane Austen'

1 copy -Lady Susan   

1 copy - Sanditon

1 copy- 4-in-1 book (Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons and Sanditon)

I can now increase that total to 39 after buying this beautiful copy of 'Northanger Abbey' on sale. Isn't the cover lovely :)