Which books were in your family home as a kid?
My Mum and Dad had lots of Readers' Digests thick magazines in a bookcase, which I think they got monthly by subscription. There were also Readers' Digest books like road maps and countryside guides.
I remember novels by John le Carre - Smiley's People - and Zoe Oldenbourg, Jack Higgins - Storm Warning, Alistair Maclean - Where Eagles Dare - and those Pan Horrors edited by Herbert Van Thal, the grisly covers of which enthralled me as a kid.
There were dusty poetry hardbacked books by Walter Scott, Robert Browning and a yellow volume called Casements.
There were big coffee table books too, such as the Tower of London and some old ones on the Second World War, an entire series, which I inherited when my parents passed away. I have a few of the other books I mentioned too.
I have been steadily trying to 're-create' my parent's bookshelf, a bit sad I know, but its been fun looking for those books at car boots and charity shops. I've done quite well over the years.
What do you recall about your family's bookcase?
Hardly any, my parents were not big readers. My Dad had a set of books chronicling the history of World War 2. I still have them.
ReplyDeleteI've just posted pics of my Second World War books Kev. Maybe they're the same.
DeleteSimilar. Mine are blue and in 6 volumes, one for each year.
DeleteAh. Clever that. One for each year.
DeleteNo books at all really, apart from my mum's Bible and Christian pamphlets, and an old set of encyclopedias.
ReplyDeleteMy dad read war story paperbacks in his later life.
I have my Mum's Bible too Mish and some rosary beads. My Dad liked war stories too. His favourite was The Eagle has Landed by Jack Higgins.
DeleteI really can not think of any family books from when I was little - other than the Edmond's Cookery Book, which was in every house in New Zealand, and is still available in updated editions today (first published in 1908). Most books would have been my children's books and some educational books. No encyclopedias, and just one dictionary. Now I have sizable library, even if much of it is currently in a storage locker.
ReplyDeleteSo what is a typical NZ meal from that cookbook Paul?
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