Travelling the One-Track Road: My English Bookshelf

When I travel in England I like to read English books. (Okay, admittedly I like to read English books at home too.) A few days ago I placed an order with Amazon.co.uk for a few new books that aren't published in the U.S. yet. If all goes well with shipping, the order will be waiting for me at my London hotel when I arrive on May 17. This is my order:

31 Dream Street by Lisa Jewell
Vince and Joy by Lisa Jewell
Going Dutch by Katie Fforde
The Manny by Holly Peterson
The Chocolate Lovers' Club by Carole Matthews
The Yellow Book (National Gardens Scheme) (not a novel, obviously)

When I read my way through this stack of books, I'll hit the bookstores for more. I'm hoping that Mike Gayle's latest, Wish You Were Here , will be available by then - Amazon won't promise a publication date! (Update - the publication date is June 14.)

Over the years I've amassed quite a library of books by English authors, many either purchased in England or ordered from Amazon.co.uk, but many of which are also available in the U.S. Some have even become quite successful in the U.S. (anyone heard of Harry Potter?). I discovered both Bridget Jones and Harry Potter in London, after resisting their growing popularity in the U.S. But once I got them, I was hooked.

Sometimes books which are hugely successful in the U.K. are modified for their U.S. publication. That was definitely the case with Bridget Jones's Diary: A Novel. I noticed with shock when reading the American edition of Bridget Jones's Diary that a significant section had been taken out. I think it may have been the part about Princess Diana's death, although I can't recall for sure. The American version also changes Bridget's weight from English stones (a stone is 14 pounds) to pounds, I guess so Americans would not have to do the math (I did spend a lot of time multiplying when I read the book). I bought my copy of Bridget Jones's Diary in March of 1999, and lucky for me, when I went back to England in November 1999 (a lucky year when I was able to finagle two trips to England, due to good exchange rates and rock-bottom airfares), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason had just been published! So I got to read it practically hot off the presses.

The same thing happened with the Harry Potter books. I was vaguely aware of the popularity of the series as the first book or two was published, but despite seeing them in bookstores, and despite my interest in children's books as a genre, I didn't buy them. It must have been my first 1999 trip also when I broke down and bought the first two books (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Book 1) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)), then the third book (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)) in the fall. The early Harry Potter books had a few minor changes for publication in the U.S. Most noticeably, the name of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Book 1), was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1). I guess the American publishers didn't think American readers would understand what a "philosopher's stone" was (Philosopher's stone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). A few other changes were the English term "jumper" for a sweater, and what we would call a "potted plant" (as in a gift you would bring to someone in the hospital) is a "pot plant" in England (slightly different connotation here).

After the first three books, I was as hooked as anyone, and joined the anxious masses awaiting each new publication. But I couldn't be satisfied with the American editions (although they were delivered by Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com on the day of publication!), and ordered my English copies from Amazon.co.uk (despite being forced to wait a few days longer for delivery).

The extreme irony here is that I am heading off to England again, just a couple of months before the anxiously awaited publication of Book 7, the final Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) [Children's Edition]), and of course will have to leave the country without it, and await my delivery by mail. Although I can hardly imagine not having the book on the day of publication (July 21), I think I have to finish out the series as I began, with the English edition.

It hits all my favorite things -- antiques shopping, Bermondsey Market, a charming bed & breakfast (which I could never afford in London), tea at the Orangery at Kensington Gardens, and a lot of spot-on references to streets, buses, and landmarks--all wrapped up in an entertaining story about four women who travel to England together. (It was in fact my inspiration for last year's birthday trip to England with Jenifer, Jennifer, Pam and me--and if you read the book, you'll see why I kept expecting Jenifer to turn up with her teenage daughter in tow. Who am I in the book? I am Julia, of course!)

My other favorites are, however, English books by English authors. One of the fun things about English books is that the use of English idioms and references is completely natural and unselfconscious.

The authors are writing for English readers who know what flapjack is (Flapjack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), and digestive biscuits (McVities Digestive biscuits 14oz), and a bacon butty (Wikipedia: Bacon butty), and other things that are not just food, although that's all I can think of at the moment.

Most of the popular English novels are published in the U.S. as well. A lot of these books I bought in England before they were published here, but the more popular an author gets, the more likely the books are to be published simultaneously in the U.S. and England. Such is the case with Jane Green, whose new book, Second Chance, is coming out on June 19 both in England and the U.S. (again, just days after I leave England!). Some of her earlier books include....
Swapping Lives
Spellbound
To Have and To Hold: A Novel
Bookends: A Novel
Straight Talking
Mr. Maybe: A Novel
Babyville: A Novel
The Other Woman
Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

Mike Gayle is really one of my favorites (sometimes referred to as "the male Bridget Jones, which is a bit off-base, as Bridget Jones is a character and he is an author). His books are available in the U.S., but a little harder to come by than in England. All these are from Amazon.co.uk, although most can be purchased from American sources as well.
Wish You Were Here (not available until June 14 -- again, just days after I leave!)
Brand New Friend
My Legendary Girlfriend (his first book)
Mr. Commitment (his second book)
Turning Thirty (his third book - those three books seem to show a certain progression, don't you think?)
His 'n' Hers
Dinner for Two

Anna Maxted is another author who is probably not as well known in the U.S. as in the U.K. I notice, in looking for her books on Amazon.com, that she seems to have also written a few other ... non-fiction... books. I've only read the novels.
A Tale of Two Sisters (haven't read this one yet - something to look for in the bookstore!)
Being Committed: A Novel
Getting Over It
Running In Heels: A Novel
Behaving Like Adults: A Novel

Here's my guilty pleasure - Katie Fforde Best-selling Romantic Novelist. Her books, though undoubtedly frothy romances, are all set either in the Cotswolds (where she lives) or other English locales, and they are just fun, and so very, very English. Her author biography states: Katie Fforde lives in Gloucestershire with her husband and some of her three children. Her hobbies are ironing and housework but, unfortunately, she has almost no time for them as she feels it is her duty to keep a close eye on the afternoon chat shows. She has written 13 books, the most recent of which is on my Amazon.co.uk shopping list.
Going Dutch
Wild Designs
Life Skills
Flora's Lot
The Rose Revived
Practically Perfect
Stately Pursuits
Artistic Licence
Second Thyme Around
Living Dangerously
Paradise Fields
Highland Fling
Restoring Grace

Lisa Jewell is another fun and popular English writer who has a new book published this spring. Many of my trips included the purchase of a Lisa Jewell book, beginning with with her first, Ralph's Party. Since then she's written several more.
Thirtynothing
One-hit Wonder
A Friend of the Family
Vince and Joy
31 Dream Street

I can't finish a list of favorite English books without a mention of Ms. Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella. In addition to the Shopaholic books, she has written a couple of other novels not involving the Shopaholic characters. One which is particularly close to my heart is The Undomestic Goddess, about a woman who flees her London life and job as a lawyer for the countryside (I can relate to that), where she inadvertantly gets a job as a housekeeper (not so much). Her other non-Shopaholic book is Can You Keep a Secret?
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic
Shopaholic Abroad (Shopaholic Takes Manhattan in the U.S.)
Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Shopaholic and Sister
Shopaholic and Baby

Of course, these are only the authors that I first think of when I am looking for English books. On my bookshelves (or stacks of books), you would find books by many other British authors including Ben Elton and Jill Mansell, as well as some Irish writers such as Marian Keyes. Elizabeth Noble has written three books which I've enjoyed immensely--The Reading Group: A Novel (P.S.), The Friendship Test: A Novel, and Alphabet Weekends: Love on the Road from A to Z. This doesn't even touch upon the many, many mystery novels that are set in England (written by both English and American authors). I didn't even mention Nick Hornby, who is practically an icon (About a Boy is on my list of top five favorite books). And whenever I walk into an English bookstore I will undoubtedly find numerous books that I want to buy, written by authors I haven't even thought of here, or heard of before. The possibilities are endless!

Travelling the One-Track Road

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Saturday, May 5, 2007

My English Bookshelf

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