New to the Group ? Say hello here !

[Alwynne]

Cynthia wrote: "Tania wrote: "Antoinette wrote: "Hi, just discovered this group recently. I am fairly new to Persephone books. Started buying them last year and now I have a subscription. I have read 4 and I have ..."

I enjoyed that one, slightly different in feel from the family-orientated novels but still very entertaining.

[Antoinette]

I’m just starting Greenbanks. Looking forward to my second Whipple.

[Alwynne]

Antoinette wrote: "I’m just starting Greenbanks. Looking forward to my second Whipple."

There's something weirdly compulsive about her novels.

[Cynthia]

I'm reading Mr. Knight and my library has Greenbanks. Yay! I just read The Priory.

[Karen]

Antoinette wrote: "Hi, just discovered this group recently. I am fairly new to Persephone books. Started buying them last year and now I have a subscription. I have read 4 and I have loved them all. I am hooked. Afte..."
Hello and welcome to the group Antoinette, please leave any book suggestions you have on the home page : )

[Karen]

Cynthia wrote: "Antoinette wrote: "Hi, just discovered this group recently. I am fairly new to Persephone books. Started buying them last year and now I have a subscription. I have read 4 and I have loved them all..."
Hello Cynthia, I love all of Dorothy Whipple's books and have read nearly all of them. Do you have a favourite?

[Jude]

I used to go to Persephone’s shop in London and really miss it now it’s moved to Bath- used to love browsing and buying there. I’ve loved everything I have bought and read among their titles - among them ‘A Fortnight in September’ which I read recently. I need to make a visit to Bath to stick up with some new titles!

[Tania]

Not sure if you'd be interested, but there is currently an exhibition of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's portraits at the Holburn Museum in Bath, which may sweeten the deal for you. I'm really looking forward to this.

[Antoinette]

I am excited to say I will be going to Bath in December. Will definitely be visiting Persephone’s new store.

[Tania]

I'm sure you'll love it. Have you been to Bath before?

[Antoinette]

The last time I was in Bath was 1978. I’m sure much has changed. My husband has booked an Austen tour which I am so excited about.

[Tania]

One of the houses she lived in is now an air b'n'b, so you could even stay in her house.

[Karen]

Jude wrote: "I used to go to Persephone’s shop in London and really miss it now it’s moved to Bath- used to love browsing and buying there. I’ve loved everything I have bought and read among their titles - amon..." Hello Jude, welcome to the group. I loved reading The Fortnight in September. Leave any book suggestions you have for the group to read on the homepage. Thanks so much

[Sunshine]

Hello! I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Sunshine and I live in the U.S.

I am fairly new to Persephone Books so I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and gaining new insight with literary discussions.

I am an avid reader, Blogger and writer. ( www.sunshinerodgers.com ) and I love joining this Goodreads Community.

It's so great to meet you all!

[Tania]

Welcome Sunshine. Look forward to chatting books with you. I'm hoping to be making a start on Making Conversation in a day or two. Hopefully you can join in on this one.

[Karen]

Sunshine wrote: "Hello! I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Sunshine and I live in the U.S.

I am fairly new to Persephone Books so I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and gaining new insight with l..."
Hello Sunshine, welcome to the group. Please leave any suggestions you have for the group to read on the home page.

[Suzanne]

Hi there! My name is Suzanne, it's lovely to meet everyone. I live in Scotland and am excited to gain some new insights from you all! Does anyone have any recommendations to get me started? :)

[Tania]

Hi Suzanne, a pleasure to meet you too : )

Have you read any of the Persephone Books before? If not, I think Miss Buncle's Book is a good place to start if you like lighter fiction; Little Boy Lost is very good, but quite heart wrenching in places; anything by Dorothy Whipple. Also, on the Persephone website they provide links to free online sources here https://persephonebooks.co.uk/pages/e.... William: An Englishman was the first book they published, so that would be a good one to start with. Apparently it was written in a hospital tent on the front during WW1, I believe she was a nurse.

Look forward to seeing what you pick. Do let us know : )

[Megan]

@Suzanne: Hi! This list ranking Persephone's entire catalog on the basis of Goodreaders' votes may be useful. You won't necessarily agree with all the ratings — personally, I loved Tory Heaven or Thunder on the Right, which is currently ranked 87, and didn't care for Mariana, currently in 5th place — but it's a good starting point!

[Elsa]

Hi, I’m Elsa from Sweden. I’ve been reading Persephone books since 2002 and love them. As we’re going inte another covid lockdown now I thought I would do a small reading challenge to cheer me up and reread or read the unread PB on my two shelves of Persephone books, preferably with some reading companions.

[Megan]

Hi Elsa! Would you be interested in reading They Were Sisters or Etty Hillesum? (Those are the two unread Persephones I happen to have 😂)

[Antoinette]

If you read They Were Sisters, I’d love to join in, as I already own it.

[Elsa]

I love They Were Sisters, so I’ll be happy to join in with a re-read! I recently bought a dvd with the James Mason film which I haven’t watched yet, which will be perfect to watch afterwards.

[Megan]

Yay! What timeline were you all thinking?

[Antoinette]

It would work for me around Feb 8 or so. Totally flexible between the 8-24 of February.

[Elsa]

After Feb 8 is fine for me too.

[Tania]

We read this a couple of years ago, so there are threads already open for it here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... when you're ready. I did read it back then, and I got it from the library. I was planning on getting the new Classics edition, so I will join in if I get hold of it in time.

[Cynthia]

I love Whipple and I just bought it!

[Antoinette]

I’m happy to wait to start till everyone has it. Looking forward to this read.

[Cynthia]

No rush.

[Tania]

Tania wrote: "I was planning on getting the new Classics edition, so I will join in if I get hold of it in time."

I picked it up today.

[Karen]

Suzanne wrote: "Hi there! My name is Suzanne, it's lovely to meet everyone. I live in Scotland and am excited to gain some new insights from you all! Does anyone have any recommendations to get me started? :)" Hello Suzanne and welcome to the group. I highly recommend anything by Persephone's best selling author Dorothy Whipple. If you have any suggestions for the group to read please leave them on the home page. Thanks Karen

[Karen]

Elsa wrote: "Hi, I’m Elsa from Sweden. I’ve been reading Persephone books since 2002 and love them. As we’re going inte another covid lockdown now I thought I would do a small reading challenge to cheer me up a..." Hello Elsa, please feel free to add any book suggestions you have for the group to read together on the home page. Thanks Karen

[Julie]

Hello, i am Julie from Arkansas. I am a "gentle" reader and don't enjoy most modern fiction. I love stories set in England in the 1920's to WW2. I have read one book by Dorothy Whipple,They Were Sisters, and am now enjoying The Homemaker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher.I am interested to discuss these novels and others.

[Tania]

Welcom to the group Julie. I loved The Home-Maker and recently bought The Deepening Stream, but I haven't got round to it yet.

There is a thread for book suggestions, so if there are any books you want to read you can mention them there. We do re-read, so don't worry if we've already read one you want to read, I'm sure there will be some takers.

[Lynnie]

Hi, I'm Lynnie from Suffolk, UK.
I have just bought my first ever Persephone book - The Village by Marghanita Laski - I am so impressed with the quality!
I'm not new to middlebrow fiction as I used to read a lot of Virago when I was in my 40s and I knew about Persephone but never got around to buying them.
I've joined this group as I'm sure there will be lots of recommendations.

[Tania]

Welcome Lynnie.

They really are beautiful books aren't they. I've enjoy everything I've read by Marghanita Laski so far; always so different, no two of her books are the same. I've yet to read Tory Heaven or Thunder on the Right, but hope to get to it soon.

[Megan]

I loved Tory Heaven. I hope you do too, Tania! I’m itching to read The Village next!

[Tania]

That's good to know, I think I'll try to fit it in next month. I think The Village is my favourite one of hers, but Little Boy Lost is also vying for that top spot.

[Antoinette]

I am hoping to read Little Boy Lost soon. Sitting on my shelves.

[Tania]

Antoinette wrote: "I am hoping to read Little Boy Lost soon. Sitting on my shelves."

Hope you like it. There is a thread for it in this group if you want to add your comments to it.

[Lynnie]

Thank you Tania and I'm finding The Village soooo good.

[Veronique]

Ladies,

I find myself with an extra copy of High Wages and was wondering if someone would like to adopt it? I placed an order with Persephone but they sent me a ‘wrong’ book, and didn’t ask to have it sent back :O)

[Fiona]

Hello from Fiona, a bibliophile living in Tamworth, NSW, Australia. When travelling, I love buying books, particularly those that don’t cross my path when at home, and I was therefore very excited to discover Persephone books on a visit to the UK about 10 years ago. I then bought The Making of a Marchioness, followed by Tea with Mr Rochester (not yet read) and Saplings (only 50 pages left to go!) on subsequent trips. COVID has meant several travel-less years for me and earlier this year I was overcome by a longing for some overseas books, leading me to splash out and order 9 Persephone books. They are now happily sitting on my bookshelf, awaiting my reading pleasure. But the biggest decision is: which one to read first?!

I am glad to have found this group and look forward to learning more about the Persephone books I do own, and perhaps adding some new ones to my TBR pile - though truth be told, it will be awhile before I order anymore: the overseas postage is crippling, especially for someone living outside the major Australian cities. (Perhaps it is a sign that it is time to head back to the UK …)

[Dianne]

Veronique wrote: "Ladies,

I find myself with an extra copy of High Wages and was wondering if someone would like to adopt it? I placed an order with Persephone but they sent me a ‘wrong’ book, and di..."

Hi! I'll happily adopt if if you haven't found a home yet!

[Dianne]

Fiona wrote: "Hello from Fiona, a bibliophile living in Tamworth, NSW, Australia. When travelling, I love buying books, particularly those that don’t cross my path when at home, and I was therefore very excited ..."

Welcome! We are reading Harriet together next, do you have that one?

[Susan]

Veronique, I would love to adopt the copy of high wages if it is still available. I am just starting my Persephone Library. I do live in the U.S and would be happy to cover any postage.

[Tania]

Welcome to the group Fiona and Susan.

Fiona, we have a suggestions (for reading) here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... so perhaps you'd like to let us know what books you own and we can decide from there what books to read next. I don't think we have a definite book for March, so a conversation about which books people own would be helpful, especially given how long it can take for people to get hold of copies.

[Mary]

Hi everyone !
I apologise if I’ve already said “hi” as I mixed up which groups were which .. lol
So my name is Mary but I use MaryE here as there are so many Mary’s ..🙂
I live on Vancouver island in British Columbia Canada.
I am a self confessed book collector ( as well as book worm) and recently discovered Persephone books .
I am IN LOVE with these beautiful beautiful volumes . Like many of you I then discovered Dorothy Whipple, and have been avidly reading any I can find . I started with “Someone at a Distance “ and now am just beginning “They were Sisters”. ( so beautiful and it came with a gorgeous matching bookmark!!!)
I have found that Amazon Canada carries Persephone and the used books are in beautiful condition ; I’ve been very lucky .

[Tania]

Welcome Mary. Good to have you here.

There is a suggestion thread here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
For books for the group to read, so if you have any books, please let us know and we can add them to the TBR. I don't think we have anything planned beyond this month, so it would be helpful to know what people own so that we can add in ongoing books. I'm aware that it can be tricky for overseas customers to get hold of books. That sais, I believe Doreen was mentioned, and there is a copy of that available online that we could read.