Did Santa bring you any books?

    Santa was more than generous to me this year, but where books are concerned he must have paid heed to various members of my family who think I have enough, for I got but two*!

    How about you?

 

*A biography and 'a picture book', and I'm thrilled with both, and no doubt they'll feature here or on Cornflower in due course.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

I got two too. The 2014 Good Food Guide to replace our 2011 version and the 2014 version of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Guide. We always update the Johnson annually, and the GFG every two or three years. It is always interesting to note the longevity of some restaurants and the transience of others. May I strongly recommend to you from recent experience (twice in one month) Artichoke which is to be found in Amersham and accessible on the Met Line. Still rated at 7/10 in the 2014 GFG.

[Cornflower]

Thank you for the recommendation, DP. May I ask which Edinburgh establishments the GFG is rating highly?

[Adele Geras]

I got The Pot Book by Edmund de Waal ndo Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe. Both wonderful...

[Claire (The Captive Reader)]

One for me: The Luminaries. Mostly, I was given the promise of books in the form of book tokens. This has led to some very pleasant hours contemplating what to buy with them.

[Dark Puss]

The cat is at your service!

• Castle Terrace 6/10
• The Kitchin 7/10
• number one 6/10
• Plumed Horse 5/10
• The Pompadour by Galvin 5/10
• Restaurant Martin Wishart 7/10
• 21212 5/10

You'll know most of these I think! The son-in-law of a great friend and colleague in Aberdeen University is running a restaurant that is also included and which my Mother is very fond of, so if something a little less exalted will suit, then do try The Gardener's Cottage.

[Cornflower]

Thank you very much for these.
I was at Martin Wishart for dinner just last month and it was superb. I haven't been to The Kitchin yet but hear there's a wait of many weeks for a table, but I'd like to try The Gardener's Cottage.

[Cornflower]

Super!

[Cornflower]

Spending your tokens will be great fun, Claire, and I hope you'll enjoy The Luminaries as much as I did.

[Martina]

An edgy choice, the Flamethrowers, Kushner with a most enticing cover!! And a very conservative one from a dear sister, Deborah Meyler's The Bookstore She thinks it ticks lots of boxes and she liked the cover!!
Am officially throwing in the towel with my reading of The Goldfinch Just needs a good pruning.
Look forward to hearing about your presents!

[Barbara]

Just one book for me, a surprise on the tree. It's about Kevin Pietersen and rather too much of a hagiography for my liking. My daughter's comment,'Who's Kevin Pietersen?'
Ha ha!

[Cornflower]

The Bookstore - who could resist that title?
Interesting to hear your experience with The Goldfinch!

[Cornflower]

Surely KP falls within that category of people who are really too young (still in the midst of their career) to have books written about them - not that that ever stops the writers!

[Mary across the Pond]

"In Europe" by Geert Mak and the Smithsonian Museum's "Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style" which must weigh 6 lbs (2.7kg), so I don't doubt the definitive appellation.

[Laurie Brown]

I didn't get any books, but I *did* get an Amazon gift certificate! Woo-HOOOO!!!

[Freda]

I got my TBR pile from Santa! Thank you cornflower for putting the idea into my head.

[Cornflower]

Santa must have had trouble lifting his sack, Mary.

[Cornflower]

So much choice, Laurie!

[Cornflower]

You're welcome, Freda, and I hope your books will give you many hours of pleasure.

[Cindy]

Glad to report no books from Santa for me this year, as I'm determined to dent the TBR pile, hence the family were warned off. A lovely, lazy break this Christmas has allowed me to make a head start.

[Cornflower]

Well done, Cindy.

[Karoline]

I let Santa know that I didn't need books this year as my TBR has multiplied at a far higher rate than I'm currently reading it so I mostly got stitching supplies.

The one exception was River Cottage Fruit Everyday and I've marked most of the recipes to try

[Barbara MacLeod]

My Edinburgh sister-in-law gave me Alice Munro's book The View from Castle Rock and when I was in Hyndland Bookshop in Glasgow looking for books to give people I walked out with one for myself: Mark Forsyth's The Elements of Eloquence. I recognised it from your discussion on Dec. 13th. Fascinating! I wish I'd had it years ago!

[Cornflower]

There are lots of lovely things in that book!

[Cornflower]

It's a super book - great fun!

[MzTallulah]

No books, but a Kindle Fire... I'm still on the fence about it, especially since, living in a country that doesn't have its own site, I'm forced to buy from the US.

I did receive The Goldfinch for my birthday in early December, and I must say that, unlike Martina, I'm loving it!

[Cornflower]

Glad to hear The Goldfinch is going well so far.
Re. the Kindle, I haven't tried the Fire, but I do love my Paperwhite!