Hello and welcome to a very special Weekly Roundup! In today’s edition, I’ll recap my lovely little jaunt to the UK. While I did not see or find Princess Kate, I did report live from the scene in London and Windsor.1
This trip was a surprise. As in, when 2024 started I did not plan on going to London. But when adventure calls, the only thing to do is answer. Ahead, a special vacation edition of the weekly roundup.
What I read:
Ashes and Stones by Allison Shaw. I checked this out of the Salve Regina library back in January, and silly me, thought the month lending limit would be enough time to read it. *laughs in miles long TBR pile* Anyways, I’ve since renewed it twice, and figured since I’m going to the UK, I might as well read a book that takes place in the UK.
The remaining books all had some related theme connected to the UK (except for Em by Kim Thuy.) If nothing else, I commit to a theme. A Court of Thorn and Roses is based off of the UK (if you look at the map of Prythian and Hybern, it’s *literally* the British Isles), Hamnet is about Shakespeare’s family, Lolly Willowes is about a woman saved from domestic drudgery in rural England by the Devil, and Nettle & Bone…well I don’t actually think there’s a connection to the UK but the cover was dark and had lots of greenery on it and was described as a dark fairy tale so honestly, close enough.
I didn’t finish a single solitary book, which is impressive because I cannot sleep on planes. But here’s a picture of me reading Ashes and Stones VERY INTENSELY on a train. Reading is a very serious business.
Great for: my dedication to a theme, my sense of optimism
Bad for: my TBR, my shoulders and any other joints that had to lug these books around
What I wrote:
Once again, like with what I read, I had big expectations for what I was going to write while on vacation. I was going to finish my short story and prepare my query letters for a conference I’m going to in May. Did I do any of that? Absolutely not. What did I do instead? Walk 20,000 steps a day, drink a lot of tea, and generally peruse London. I have no regrets, but other than some journaling, I did not write much.
Great for: vacation
Bad for: all of my writing projects
What I listened to:
A few months ago, I saw a video on TikTok. A man attended his cousin’s wedding, and the new bride and groom were entering their reception. It was a Scottish and Indian wedding, and for reasons I absolutely cannot explain, the Indian drums and Scottish bagpipes together were an absolute hit. The video is only 30 seconds long, but I go back to watch it from time to time, because those two instruments absolutely should not work together, and yet they do. There is probably a perfectly reasonable explanation, and if you’re musical and understand what’s going on here, please let me know.
Right before I left for the UK, I discovered The Snake Charmer’s new single. Or new to me, maybe. In any case, it combines those two things! Scottish bagpipes and Indian drums! I have no ethnic or ancestral connection to either of these places and yet I love this combination SO MUCH. I don’t even care that there’s words!!! I just want to listen to the drums and pipes all day every day.
Great for: fusion music, the beats.
Bad for: people who hate bagpipes.
No New Books™️ Challenge:
Remember that foreshadowing I mentioned? Yeah, I knew I was going to break my book buying streak in London. This is what happens when you travel with fellow bookworms and certified English majors.
Emilie and I went to 7 bookstores: two separate Daunt locations, Hatchards2, Foyles, Waterstones, the bookstore at the British Library, and a WHSmith. Did I buy books at all of those places? No, but it was important to go in and say hi to them. It’s only polite.
I obviously did end up buying books because I am not a crazy person, so please behold my loot from the UK:
None of these books should look familiar. I tried to only buy editions that only exist in the UK. Because there’d be no point in buying books on vacation that I can get back home. A quick rundown:
Family Lexicon, Natalia Ginsburg, an Italian author whose works are published through specific Daunt Books editions. Acquired at (you guessed it) Daunt Books.
The Winds of Heaven, Monica Dickens and The Priory by Dorothy Whipple, both from Persephone Books. Persephone is a publisher based in Bath, UK, and publishes female authors who went out of print in the 20th Century. Their covers are all gray to show that they’re all equals. The only place I know of that stocks Persephone Books in the US is Beacon Hill Books & Cafe3 in Boston, so obviously I was going to snatch up a few of these because shipping is no joke. Also acquired at Daunt Books.
The Magic Toyshop, Angela Carter. First of all, look at that cover. I’ve found that it’s not easy to get Angela Carter’s works here in the States, even through the library. So when I saw this, I said ok you’re mine now. Acquired at Hatchards.
A Waiter in Paris, Edward Chisholm. As the name implies, this book is about a waiter’s time working in Paris. Knowing the French, and especially Parisians, I imagine this will be a wild ride. Acquired at Waterstones in Windsor.
Forbidden Notebook, Alba De Cespedes. The second Italian lady author I bought while on vacation. I’m not sure why, but English bookstores have more Italian books in translation than here in the US. Proximity, I guess? Since I am now on a quest to uncover why all the Italian ladies are miserable, I just *had* to get this one. Acquired at Waterstones in Windsor.
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It, Janina Ramirez. I kept seeing this book in every bookstore, so obviously that meant I had to get it, right? This was part of a Buy One Get One Half Off at Waterstones in Windsor that I combined with A Waiter in Paris.
As you can see, there’s some repeating themes here. Female authors, Italian ladies, the experience of being a woman. As I said, if nothing else, I can commit to a theme. As of this point, I’m going to try to get back on track with a more concerted no-book-buying streak. I know I will break it again in a few months because the remaining Illumicrate editions of The Winternight Trilogy will go on sale, but until then I shall be disciplined.
Streak to Beat: 50 days (January 1st - February 19th)
Last streak: 15 days (February 27th-March 12th)
Current streak: 7 days (March 16th-present)
Mug Moment of the Week:
When my friend Emilie asked if I’d come to England with her, my only request was that we do High Tea. Otherwise, I was amenable to literally anything.
As we’ve established, I am a tea drinker. My first High Tea was in Bermuda in 2006. I insisted we go, and it did not disappoint. In London this time, we went to Sketch.
Sketch is a bar known for having different themed rooms, and most importantly, their alien bathrooms. I truly do not know how else to describe them. I first went to Sketch in 2015, when in London to see a friend. “Omg,” she and her classmates told me as we arrived. “You have to see the bathrooms.”
The bathrooms? I thought. Seriously? THAT’S the draw of this place??? But they did not disappoint. Behold: the alien egg bathrooms of Sketch.
At the time, Sketch had a very pink room where they served High Tea. I checked and they were indeed still doing High Tea, so we signed ourselves up. The room has been redone, but it was still lovely. There was a string trio, and more food than I could ever eat. It was all very good, and atmospheric. Below, me with me British tea at High Tea.
Great for: My little tea loving heart.
Bad for: Look how plain that mug is. Sorry not sorry.
Other Assorted Vacation Moments:
I was selected for extra security screening before my flight home, which I at first attributed to the fact that I have Global Entry.4 But no, the Department of Homeland Security just deemed me extra suspicious this time around.
So, I got swatched and had to open up all my bags again, but the good news was that 1) I am not a threat and 2) since we got pulled out of the general boarding area, Emilie and I were the first people allowed on the plane. The cabin crew was extremely confused why two gals in Economy were boarding first, but they needn’t have worried because I bring the chaos with me wherever I go.
Speaking of Emilie, here she is!
Other notable events include: me finally getting to see all of Westminster Abbey! Going on the London Eye and not crying!5 Eating so much gelato! Seeing all the Tudor portraits in real life! Going to see Six on the West End! Going to a place other than London! And most importantly, eating at a restaurant that served cheese on a conveyor belt.
Overall, it was a great vacation, and thank you for indulging my recap. The biggest thanks to Emilie for inviting me along in the first place. Have a great weekend, stay warm wherever you are, and I’ll see you back here next week for more bookish chaos.
And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, congratulations. You have a life and don’t spend too much time chronically online. Though there WAS terrible cell service in Windsor. #whatdonttheywantyoutoknow.
The oldest bookstore in London.
https://www.hatchards.co.uk/
A truly delightful 5 story bookstore in Beacon Hill that has a very cute squirrel mascot and a very tasty cafe in the basement. I went there for my birthday with friends. It really is an old townhouse, though, so it is narrow and I am still mystified as to how they got their ADA compliance.
Get it, you won’t regret it. It takes me 30 seconds to go through Customs when entering the States.
I’m bad with heights.