Virago Secret Santa 2020: Opening

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Virago Secret Santa 2020: Opening

1kaggsy
Modifié : Déc 20, 2020, 12:54 pm



Although many of us like to wait for Christmas day we do have an 'official' opening date of 19th December. 2020 has been an odd year, and because others may be eager to open their gifts or may be travelling over the holiday period, if you have started unwrapping already do share your Secret Santa experiences! :D

Let the festivities begin!

2Soupdragon
Modifié : Déc 21, 2020, 2:13 am

Thank you for starting this thread, Karen. I'll be waiting until the 25th but will be watching to see if anyone opens theirs earlier

3alexdaw
Déc 24, 2020, 3:47 pm

Good morning everyone and Merry Christmas! Will I start us off? I was so excited to receive a very generous package from my Secret Santa. Here's a photo or two of the stash!



















Will we play a parlour game? Who can make a story up out of their VSS titles? Here's mine.

It was the very dead of winter on the other side of the world from Alex in Australia. The rising tide in Brisbane heralded Christmas Day. Alex headed down the avenue to her favourite place; Librarything and the VSS group. She waited nervously in the Zoom ante-room. It was a full house. "What a journey to paradise!", thought Alex.

Thank you dear Virago friends and especially my dear VSS. You have been too too generous but I'm so excited about my haul. The Violet Needham (my mother's favourite author when she was a child) is very dear to me and this is my first Girls Gone By edition, so that is an especial treat. Mary Hocking is new to me so that's always fun to meet a new author. Everyone raves about Molly Keane of course. And the covers of the Kate O'Brien and Dorothy Richardson are so beautiful, I am itching to read them. Happy reading everyone!

4mrspenny
Modifié : Déc 24, 2020, 7:10 pm

Happy Christmas to dear Virago friends and a special happy Christmas to my generous VSS.

I have received three new editions by Janet McNeill, namely:
As Strangers Here, The Maiden Dinosaur, The Small Widow.
Janet McNeil is another of my favourite Irish authors and these lovely editions are very welcome here.

Thank you again Secret Santa for your generosity.

I haven't posted pictures here for a long time so will try and do it a little later. :-)

I am looking forward to our zoom gathering. I have tried a test run with my niece and it seems to be working perfectly so I look forward to our meeting.

5bleuroses
Déc 24, 2020, 8:29 pm

Hi Trish, I'm your VSS and I'm so glad that you like Janet McNeil. Heaven-Ali posted about the new McNeil's from Turnpike Press earlier and I added them to my list straight away!

Also, there's another envelope-sized package on it's way to you from the UK to keep an eye out for.

Merry Christmas, Trish, and I look forward to meeting you next week!

Cate x

6mrspenny
Déc 24, 2020, 10:38 pm

Hi Cate -
Thank you so very much for your generosity.
I love my McNeill books but wasn't aware of Turnpike Press.
I must browse their titles after holidays are over.

It's dull and overcast here so it is a perfect afternoon to indulge in some postprandial reading of one of my new books.

See you at the meeting.
Cheers
Trish

7kaggsy
Déc 25, 2020, 9:13 am

Happy Christmas everyone! It's lovely to see the opening begin and read about the lovely arrivals!

I have opened my gifts from my Santa this year, who is the lovely Alvaret, and I received these beauties:



Alvaret and I know each other from our blogs and her gifts are one book from my wishlist, one she chose from her knowledge of the kind of books I like, and one she wanted me to read - how perfect and she's spot on! And each has a little photocard and message, plus there is a lovely magnet, and a fold out strip with some beautiful birds (not in the picture but on display in the front room).

Thank you *soooo* much for my thoughtful gifts - I love them! :D

8Soupdragon
Modifié : Déc 26, 2020, 5:03 am

I feel very lucky to have Jane (beyondedenrock) as my Santa this year. As soon as I opened my wonderfully Cornish themed card and read that Jane had chosen some books she'd loved and thought I might too, I knew that they would be something special. Not only because Jane has a touch for finding and choosing the perfect gift but also because I've been a fan of Jane's blog for years and have used her reviews as a touchstone to decide whether or not to buy or search out a book on numerous occasions. And my books are perfect.

Two from Dean Street press which I've coveted since reading about them on Jane and/or Simon's blog: Miss Carter and the Ifrit, and Miss Plum and Miss Penny.
From the Handheld press, Business as Usual. From 1933 the tale of a young woman working in a London department store told through letters. It sounds wonderful and I can't wait to start it.
The Feast: The one Margery Kennedy that I've wanted for years (since Jane introduced me to Kennedy in a previous VSS) and in a lovely hardback edition with dust jacket.And finally the perfect book for a Virago devotee: The Virago Book of 20th Century Fiction with a literary extract for each year of the century. I've started to dip into this already and it is as marvellous as it sounds.

Jane, thank you so much. It is really lovely of you to put so much thought into this, especially when I know you've been going through a tough time recently. I hope you can relax over the festive period and wishing you a happier 2021 ❤️

9Soupdragon
Modifié : Déc 25, 2020, 10:36 am

Ce message a été supprimé par son auteur

10Soupdragon
Modifié : Déc 25, 2020, 10:35 am

Ce message a été supprimé par son auteur

11bleuroses
Déc 25, 2020, 3:22 pm

Come out, come out whoever your are, my Dear VSS!

I was given three books from my wishlist that I'm so happy for! And what a lovely gesture that they were purchased through Coalesce Bookstore and Garden Chapel, a charming and quaint local independent bookshop in Morro Bay.

Two lovely Dean Street Press books that I've been wanting after reading so many lovely blog reviews:
Miss Plum and Miss Penny by Dorothy Evelyn Smith
A House in the Country by Ruth Adam

And the most talked about book in the past few months - Business as Usual by Jane Oliver and Ann Stafford.
(Touchstones for Business As Usual aren't loading properly!)

These are the perfect start to a new reading year.

Thank you so very much!

Wishing you and everyone else a Happy Christmas and Holiday weekend.

Love,
Cate xx

12Heaven-Ali
Modifié : Déc 25, 2020, 3:59 pm

Thank you Karen (Kaggsy) for my wonderful VSS parcel. 4 fantastic books from my wishlist.

The House on Clewe Street by Mary Lavin
Ordinary People by E. Arnot Robertson
Thank Heaven Fasting by E M Delafield
My Caravaggio by Doris Langley Moore
Also some edible treats, Bombay Mix some vegan chocolate and a packet of tea pigs tea bags.
Such a generous, perfect gift.
Merry Christmas. 😁

13SassyLassy
Déc 25, 2020, 6:47 pm

Sat down for my afternoon tea and some quiet time and opened my wonderful gifts from Soupdragon. Not one, not two, but three books from my wishlist, and a Rebecca West novel that would have been there had I known about it. Thanks so much for being Santa's elf.

- Where the Apple Ripens by Jessie Kesson
- Love by Elizabeth von Arnim
- The New House by Lettice Cooper (I had this on my Persephone list, not knowing it was a Virago first, so even better to have a green copy)

and then, Harriet Hume by Rebecca West, and author I really like

These were all Viragos. I've mentioned before how difficult they are to find in my part of the world, so they were really appreciated.

Plus... bookmarks... I love bookmarks.

Thanks again and all the best

14alvaret
Déc 26, 2020, 5:45 am

>7 kaggsy: I'm so glad you liked them, I was really happy when I found out that you were my santee and had a lot of fun selecting them for you!

Although my VSS package is held hostage by Norwegian customs my local jultomte (santa) did bring a nice pile of books and I'm thus able to handle the wait with very little hardship... In fact, as I'm mentally 5-years old around Christmas time, I'm rather pleased by the fact that I will get to open Christmas presents at least two days this year (maybe even three days, a package from my sister is also missing).

God Jul!

15BeyondEdenRock
Déc 26, 2020, 8:57 am

I must thank my Secret Santa - Mary (Cornishgirl) - for a wonderfully generous and thoughtful gift.

I have books from my wishlist and books that she loved and thought I would too:

Crumbling Pageant by Elizabeth Inglis-Jones
The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence
The London Journal of Flora Tristan
The Africa House by Christina Lamb
The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smith by Patricia Wentworth
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - a lovely centennary edition
Growing Up by Angela Thirkell

There were gifts for Briar. Sadly, she died last Wednesday, at a good age but quite suddenly; but I happy that she was remembered and will find a worthy recipient and pass on her presents.

There were pretty little notelets, some beautiful stitch markers, artisan soap and lip balm.

AND

A hand-knitted scarf in a gorgeous shade of sea-blue.

I really couldn't be happier with my gifts.

And I have to say that this year's Virago Secret Santa really has brought light to a very dark winter.

16LyzzyBee
Déc 26, 2020, 12:55 pm

Thank you so much to lovely Heaven-Ali for my parcel.

Daphne du Maurier - My Cousin Rachel (of course: i will read this in her DDM week in May!) a pretty Virago
Stella Gibbons - The Bachelor from my wishlist in the lovely Vintage editing
Helen Ashton - Yeoman's Hospital and Half-Crown House, both lovely very old editions, the latter bearing a Boots Circulating Library stamp, how exciting!

And a box of Christmas teabags which I'm very much enjoying.

Thank you so much and to my fellow elves who did most of the work, Kaggsy and Soupdragon.

17alexdaw
Déc 26, 2020, 1:47 pm

>15 BeyondEdenRock: Dear Jane I am so very sorry to hear about Briar. What a very sad time it must be for you. Thank goodness for the consolation of friends near and far. Briar will be much missed in blogland and real life.

18Stuck-in-a-Book
Déc 27, 2020, 12:29 pm

Many thanks to my VSS, Alex! I'm delighted with my mug and bookmark and, of course, the books...

Live Alone and Like It by Marjorie Hillis - a book I used extensively during my doctorate, before it was reprinted, but have never owned. Lovely to have.

The Rising Tide by M J Farrell, a VMC by an author I've enjoyed before

Deborah by Esther Kreitman - a VMC by an author I haven't even heard of!

What lovely spoils, thanks so much.

And Cate, I am your VSS!

19alexdaw
Déc 27, 2020, 1:07 pm

>18 Stuck-in-a-Book: Phew! Glad you like 'em. I was beginning to worry that my parcel from Orstralia hadn't turned up. Sorry about the other unnamed parcels. I did ask suppliers to label them VSS but not all would/could comply with the request. I am particularly pleased about the Kreitman. I wanted to get you something rare/special :)

20LisaMorr
Déc 28, 2020, 12:16 pm

My secret Santa, SassyLassy, was very generous and I really liked how she picked books out for me!

Before and after pics below - I looked on the spines and had a neat preview of what was waiting for me! Virago, Fantasy (sort of), A Favourite Author, Wishlist

Virago: The House in Dormer Forest by Mary Webb
Fantasy (sort of): The Fanatic by James Robertson
A Favourite Author: Good Bones by Margaret Atwood
Wishlist: A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews





Thank you so much!

21bleuroses
Déc 28, 2020, 1:20 pm

>18 Stuck-in-a-Book: Funny, I had a sneaking suspicion that it might've been you, dear Simon!

I dove right into Business as Usual and am loving it!
I'm excited too, about A House in the Country and Miss Plum and Miss Penny having read wonderful reviews by Jane and Alison.

Coalesce Bookstore is a lovely independent shop in Morro Bay about 30 minutes from us. There aren't too many local used bookstores any longer, but this one has thankfully survived and still thrives.

So thank you, Simon, for supporting them and for choosing the perfect books for me!

https://coalescebookstore.com

22Stuck-in-a-Book
Déc 28, 2020, 2:49 pm

So glad you're enjoying Business as Usual! Such a delightful book.

And I had a lovely email exchange with Joanne from Coalesce Bookstore :)

23Cornishgirl
Modifié : Déc 31, 2020, 10:18 am

Thank you Santa for the box of books you sent.
A few favourites and some duplicates which I will be passing on to a dear friend who also collects Virago’s.

24LyzzyBee
Jan 1, 2021, 9:25 am

>23 Cornishgirl: Oh I'm so sorry, I religiously searched your LT catalogue for all the books I chose for you to make sure you didn't already have them. I apologise for having sent you duplicates and hopefully not things that were already favourites.

25bleuroses
Jan 2, 2021, 9:18 pm

>22 Stuck-in-a-Book: Simon, I visited the ladies at Coalesce today and wanted to tell you how charmed and delighted they were to be your Santa 'elves'! 🎄

26mrspenny
Jan 5, 2021, 2:34 am

>5 bleuroses: Part 2 of my VSS arrived today - a lovely gift card from Handheld Press accompanied by a title list.
Thank you Cate - it is a very generous gift and some of the tiles listed are very appealing.. (all of them really).
I read Potterism a few years ago and enjoyed it very much.

27bleuroses
Jan 5, 2021, 12:26 pm

You're very welcome, Trish! I just finished Business As Usual which was an absolute charmer!

>14 alvaret: Johanna - have you received your package yet?

28alvaret
Jan 7, 2021, 12:28 pm

>27 bleuroses: Not yet, but rumour has it that it has arrived in Norway, so I'm optimistic :)

29alvaret
Jan 9, 2021, 8:55 am

Good things do come to those who wait, just look at this glorious book pile that Lisa sent me!

Two of the books, Midnight is a place and Q's legacy were from my "Books I'm searching for"-list, so that's great, and I'm particularly impressed that she found Midnight is a place, which is a book I read as a child and which I have long been searching for. It left quite an impression on me as a child, I can even remember the cover and approximately where it was placed in the local library, but by the time I wanted to reread it as an adult I had forgotten both the title and the author and the library no longer had it. When I eventually did manage to identify title and author it was no longer available locally neither in English, Swedish nor Norwegian... The Hanff book was also a very pleasant surprise, I recently reread 84 Charing Cross road and only then realized that she might have written more books than that one and its sequel. Finally, Lisa also sent me three of her duplicate Winifred Holtby novels, having seen that I greatly enjoyed South Riding, which I got from Laura two years ago. Any recommendations on which of them I should start with?

Thank you Lisa, this was an excellent selection, well worth the wait!

30kaggsy
Jan 10, 2021, 8:02 am

Lovely arrivals! I think Q's Legacy is the only Hanff I haven't read so I'll be keen to hear your thoughts! :D

31LyzzyBee
Jan 10, 2021, 12:49 pm

Oh those look lovely and such a tidy pile!

32bleuroses
Jan 10, 2021, 1:55 pm

What a great selection Johanna and Lisa!

If you loved 84 Charing Cross you'll definitely enjoy Q's Legacy. I like the write up on Aiken's Midnight is a Place - I'll check it out at the library.

I'd say this was well worth the wait indeed!

33LisaMorr
Jan 11, 2021, 11:11 am

Yay! Phew, I was really sweating this - I'm not entirely sure where the hold-up was and very glad they have finally arrived!

I picked up Midnight is a Place and Q's Legacy for myself as well - I find it an excellent side benefit to our Virago Secret Santa to add to my own collection while looking for books for others...

34bleuroses
Jan 11, 2021, 1:32 pm

>33 LisaMorr: Oh yes! One for my VSS, one for me....😉

35Sakerfalcon
Modifié : Jan 12, 2021, 4:59 am

>34 bleuroses: You are reminding me of one of my favourite cartoons! It sums up my approach to Christmas shopping perfectly.
Tom Gauld hits the nail on the head!
(For some reason the link is showing a different cartoon, but if you click the back button it seems to take you to the correct one - Violet's Christmas shopping.)

36bleuroses
Jan 12, 2021, 5:26 pm

>35 Sakerfalcon: I love his bookish cartoons! Oh yes - I think we're all a bit like Violet! 😊

37Cornishgirl
Jan 14, 2021, 12:19 pm

What a wonderful selection of books.
Love Winifred Holtby especially Poor Caroline.

38alvaret
Jan 14, 2021, 12:37 pm

I'm halfway through Poor Caroline and have already devoured Midnight is a Place, enjoying myself greatly with the books so far!