Can you believe that it’s October already? Where did the time go? It feels like September went too quickly and now it’s proper autumn, one of my most favourite seasons. It’s cold, rainy, trees change their green coats for more colourful ones, and the whole world suddenly looks different. Honestly, in these difficult times, it’s one of the few things that makes me feel a bit hopeful, calm and like I stand on the firm ground even though it looks like the world is falling apart. That sounds like a valid reason to improve my mood by buying more books, right?
York is a beautiful historical city, and from what I’ve heard before my visit, it’s an excellent place for all bookworms. You’ve already had a chance to read about our trip to York (here), but I haven’t shared with you the books I bought there yet. We went to at least 5 different bookshops, but honestly, I couldn’t find books that would interest me, until we came to The Minster Gate Bookshop. What a wonderful place to explore! All the small rooms over several floors are packed with books from the bottom to the ceiling and just seeing it made me so happy. I love going to bookshops without knowing what I’m looking for. That allows me to have an open mind, and often I surprise even myself with the books I’m taking home. However, I also have my favourite authors, so I sometimes like to go with the ‘safe choice’ of a book written by someone I already know (at least through their books).
Winter: A Book for the Season (edited by Felicity Trotman)
When I saw the gorgeous light blue cover with delicate white illustrations, I knew that I need to get this book. On top of that, even though it was September, my Christmas mood was slowly starting to kick in, and my heart just wanted to add it to my collection. In general, Winter: A Book for the Season is a collection of various texts about Christmas, New Year and wintertime in general. What really caught my attention was the combination of both classical and contemporary fiction and non-fiction. I find it refreshing, and as it is an anthology, I can pick any text I’m in a mood for without missing out on the plot or information from other writings. I believe that especially in these times of uncertainty and loneliness, this will be a lovely book to read.
Jack Kerouac – Collected Poems (edited by Marilène Phipps-Kettlewell)
The first time I fell in love with the writing of Jack Kerouac was 5 or 6 years ago when I discovered his book Scattered Poems (a collection of spontaneous poetry) in my local library. Since then, I’ve been fascinated with everything about the Beat Generation. I read a few books by Kerouac, and some pieces of work by Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Kerouac’s books took me on a crazy wild ride, and once I started reading them, I couldn’t stop. Since reading the library copy of Scattered Poems, I have always been looking for a collection of Kerouac’s poetry in bookshops. I wasn’t lucky at all until I found this beautiful collection in York. I actually almost cried when I saw it on the bookshelf. It has everything. Haikus, Mexico City Blues and other poems, and it will always be a great piece in my book collection.
Jack Kerouac – Desolation Angels
I absolutely adore On the Road and Dharma Bums. Kerouac’s work won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I fell in love with these books only a few pages into the story. It was nothing like books I’ve read before, and it felt like discovering an entirely new world. I have high hopes for Desolation Angels, and I wish I’ll like it as much as other Kerouac’s books. Oh, and can we talk about that design? I love it that Penguin Books put Kerouac on the cover. I feel like the photos they chose often capture the mood and craziness of his books, and I love that.
Well, that’s it for today’s book haul! What can you look forward to during the next few weeks? I have few book reviews ready to go, but there will certainly be at least one article with a Halloween theme. It just all feels so strange this year, doesn’t it? It really shows that we never appreciate things enough until we lose them, right? Now it’s just about finding those little things, that can make even the darkest day look at least a little bit brighter.
Which books have you bought recently? Is there any book you’ve always wanted to buy but can’t find it in any bookshop? 📚
If you enjoyed today’s article or know someone who might love it, feel free to share, like or comment. I love talking to other people who love books!
Hope you’re all safe and healthy.
Eva
The Literature Empire 