Book Series #1: Popular Penguins

Ah, Popular Penguins. Possibly one of the first ‘series’ linked by pretty covers and publishers to be seen recently in Australia. These were first released in 2009, celebrating the history of Penguin and the cool retro orange covers. They also had a unique selling point – $9.95 AU. This was the first time that many of us had seen books so cheap and so retro!

Needless to say, I lapped them up with the release of the first 50. One of my friends also collects them too – not with the aim of reading them, but for the pretty look on her shelves. 2010 saw the release of more titles in this series, as did 2011. I’m not sure whether there will be any more titles added to what has now become a staple of Australian bookstores – a section of varied titles at a nice price.

So where can I get these books?

If you’re in Australia, it’s easy. Look in your local bookstore! They also pop up in some unexpected places, such as discount department stores like Big W (only the very popular titles).

Overseas, well… they have been available on Book Depository. Otherwise, they can be ordered online from Australian bookshops that ship overseas. I have seen a few floating around Singapore bookshops.

Which books are in the series?

There are currently 174 available titles. They range from modern fiction (High Fidelity by Nick Hornby) to classics (Persuasion by Jane Austen) to short stories (Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote) to non-fiction (The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux).

My favourites are April Fool’s Day by Bryce Courtenay, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh and Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.

A list of all titles available can be found here.

So, they’re $9.95. What about the quality?

Yes, that’s the RRP. These are very hardy little books considering the price. The quality of the covers is very good and I’ve trialled throwing them in the bottom of a work bag many times. I’ve never ripped or creased a cover. They are also nice and light for travel, commuting etc.

Note that I don’t work for Penguin (I wish!); I’m just a massive fan of this book series. Initially I bought a few books by authors I liked (ha ha, so cheap! I thought) and then I extended out to new authors. I’ve found some great new authors this way – F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh, Truman Capote, Paul Theroux, Timothy Conigrave and Muriel Spark – as well as extending my reading of authors such as Bryce Courtenay, Ruth Park and Jane Austen. Every time I browse the rows in store I come out with something – it’s a dangerous addiction!

These also make really good stocking stuffers at Christmas for the book lovers out there.

Rating: Addictive. Wide range of genres and authors to choose from.

Book Series – An occasional (but growing) series of blog posts

Wow, that’s a long name for a blog post! First of all, I’d like to apologise for not posting much lately. Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have noticed that I haven’t been well. Unfortunately, a simple cold turned into more, requiring a hospital stay and a lot of sleep and meds. I think I’m on the mend now though and have an attention span of more than five minutes!

Before I got sick, I had been planning a series of blog posts about all the lovely book series that are available. Are these series a ploy to get us to buy more physical books in ereading times? Who cares, they look so pretty and collectable! I think my fancy for book series started with collecting The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins/High/University as a kid. I love that I can continue this well into adulthood. I love to have matching spines lined up beautifully and I’m proud to read such a good looking book in public!

I’ll be going through several series, including the ones above:

• Popular Penguins
• Virago Modern Classics 30^th Anniversary Editions
• Faber and Faber Secrets and Lies
• Vintage Classics
• Twenty Years of Orion
• 21 Vintage Classics

There’s also some new series which I haven’t got to yet. The first one is the lovely Text Classics series, which Text assures me will be out for me to buy in May when I’m in Melbourne bookshopping for work. If you watch the site’s front page, you might even see a tweet from me!

Picador have also released a series for their 40^th anniversary, 12 books with lovely black and white covers.

Are you a fan of book series? Do matching covers cause you to declare undying love?

The Beautiful and Damned by F Scott Fitzgerald

A quick rundown…The story of Anthony and Gloria, from their wild times to downfall and back again.

Strengths: It grows on you; the ending is just perfect.

Weaknesses: Start is rambly and confusing at times.

Why I read it: Enjoyed The Great Gatsby; another of the Popular Penguins series.

Pages: 364

Published: 2010 (original 1920)

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Setting: USA, primarily New York

Rating: 8 out of 10

If you liked this, try: A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

Yet another Popular Penguin read. You should know by now that I can’t resist: 1. a bargain of the bookish sort and 2. a book series. One thing I like about the Popular Penguin series is that it’s allowed me to buy multiple books by classic authors cheaply – namely Evelyn Waugh and F. Scott Fitzgerald. As I normally pass on my books to family, friends or the library, the cover art (or lack of it) doesn’t worry me. (But who could resist though retro orange covers?)

The introduction to this book warned me that the first 100 pages would be somewhat shaky and then the story would come into its own. A great statement (which I promptly forgot) which summed up my feelings as I read those first 100 pages. Anthony, the protagonist, seems to be at a loose end, not doing very much but the same shallow things. Then he meets Gloria, and things perk up a bit at her somewhat outlandish ways for the time. They marry and things again become confused – how can you afford the high life (partying, drinking, motoring, holidaying) on a budget after the capital is diminished? This is where the story becomes stronger and more focused, as Gloria and Anthony need to break out of their lazy dream world and face reality. Up until this point, they had been hoping that Anthony’s grandfather would leave his considerable fortune to him. This belief is shattered when Mr Patch inadvertently disturbs a party at the ‘grey house’ (Anthony and Gloria’s summer rental outside of New York City) and sees all the things he disapproves of – smoking, drinking and dancing.

There is an increasing sense of pathos as Anthony and Gloria run out of money. Out of desperation, Anthony tries to join the army as an officer but is turned down due to flat feet. Ironically, he is later conscripted as a private. While physically apart, Gloria and Anthony seem to drift apart emotionally. Anthony has an affair with a girl that just won’t let go, while Gloria is focussing on recovering the Patch fortune. Even that fails to hold her interest for long and her letters to Anthony become shorter and fewer.

The climax of the book is bittersweet; as Anthony and Gloria are both somewhat unlikeable characters and I couldn’t decide whether I wished them well or not. It does hold true to the old adage of ‘be careful what you wish for, you just might get it’.

The bleak aspect on life in this book – what’s after the party? – reminds me of the Evelyn Waugh book, A Handful of Dust. The latter is a stronger book; however, if you can make your way through the bumpy first half of this book, you will be rewarded with a stellar second half. It’s not light and it’s not happy, but you’ll leave the book happy that you’re not Anthony or Gloria.

A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

A quick rundown… A bit of misguided behaviour in a marriage has dire consequences – some expected, some not.

Strengths: Great plot twists, very witty.

Weaknesses: Some of the plot twists are on the borders of disbelief.

Why I read it: I love Popular Penguins!

Pages: 224

Published: 1934 (this version, 2008)

Publisher: Penguin

Setting: England and other unexpected places

Rating: 9 out of 10

If you liked this, try: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

I really love the Popular Penguin series – what’s not to love about cute orange covers, penguins and the nice price of $9.95 AU? I had never read a Waugh book before (shame I know) so I picked up this one to give him (yes, him) a try. As soon as I finished A Handful of Dust I rushed out to buy all the other Waugh Popular Penguins. He is that good. The prose is excellent, the dialogue witty and the man knows how to pack a narrative punch that will have you gasping at the twist.

A Handful of Dust is the story of Brenda and Tony, who live in a cold and drafty country house. They appear to have a warm and easygoing relationship, but Brenda is somewhat bored of being buried in a Gothic mansion in the middle of nowhere. With a little egging on from her friends, she begins an affair with the social climber John Beaver. What is meant to be a bit of fun has some disastrous consequences and will eventually push Tony and Brenda far apart.

One of the initial plot twists that drives Tony and Brenda further apart was certainly unexpected, but handled brilliantly by Waugh in terms of different reactions and emotions. Later on in the book, the casual way Tony is set up for an affair shows the morals of this group of people in a very interesting (and unexpected for me!) light. The later plot twist is certainly extreme and I defy anyone to predict the change of setting – but what else would you have had Tony do? The ending certainly leaves food for thought too and makes you wonder at the intentions of the players after all.

Despite this being published in 1934, I found this a very easy read. It was so gripping that I would read at my desk right up to my start work time, in traffic and while walking! I’d certainly recommend this as an introduction to Waugh, although be prepared for serious issues to be dealt with in a rather offhand way at times. Ironic and great.

Mailbox Monday 31/10/11

October’s Mailbox Monday is kindly hosted by Savvy Verse and Wit – do drop by for some great deliveries!

Another Monday, more work, another dollar…I have been quite well behaved when it comes to buying books of late, so here is my haul over the last month:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – kind thanks to Bloomsbury for this one. I plan to start it late this week!

The Evelyn Waugh Popular Penguins haul – Brideshead Revisited, Scoop and Vile Bodies based on how much I enjoyed A Handful of Dust (review this week).

…and some work related books, old edition but $4! (Excuse the lighting on this one).

I have a lot of lovely parcels that I hope will arrive soon. How was your Mailbox Monday?

Mailbox Monday 19/9/11 – Popular Penguins and Vintage Classics

I can’t seem to stop buying books! The more I read, the more authors and series I discover. One of my favourite publisher series for finding new authors is the Popular Penguins series. Not only do they look good, but they’re great stories and a nice price ($9.95). What’s more, Dymocks had a buy three and get a cool bag with the titles listed on it:

The Power of One – Bryce Courtenay Have read many of his other books (loved The Story of Danny Dunn, Jessica and Fortune Cookie) but not this one.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – F. Scott Fitzgerald I haven’t seen the movie, but I enjoy his other books.

Ragtime – E.L. Doctorow This sounded Jazz-Age too and was one of the new releases.

I stopped by another Dymocks (Hay St Mall) later in the week and couldn’t resist picking up some more of another great publisher series, Vintage Classics. I wonder how many there are in this series…

The Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe
I Am Charlotte Simmons left a profound impact on me, so I thought I’d try another of his books.

Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks I’ve never read him, but this sounded too interesting to pass up.

I also received a bookmark so that I never forget the Hay St store’s details – don’t think I will, as I’ve been shopping there for 20+ years but just in case…

Do you read series put together by a publisher? Or do you choose books individually.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

I bought Northanger Abbey as one of the Popular Penguins series. I had seen the television miniseries and thoroughly enjoyed it, with its parody of the Gothic novel.

Catherine, a young lady with not much fortune but an appetite for Gothic novels and a wild imagination, goes to Bath with friends.  There she meets Mr Henry Tilney and falls instantly in love with him. She also meets Isabella, who becomes a close friend. Isabella’s brother, John, falls for Catherine but she finds him odious in comparison with Mr Tilney. Isabella then becomes engaged to Catherine’s brother, but this is broken off when Catherine finds someone with a better fortune. Catherine leaves Bath to stay with the Tilneys at Northanger Abbey, where she romanticises many Gothic elements about her room and the deceased Mrs Tilney. She is then sent home in mistaken disgrace due to malicious gossip from John but everything is soon righted.

I enjoyed this, in particular the parody of the Gothic elements (the mysteriously dead wife and the secrets in the bedroom at Northanger Abbey) and that there were some truly awful characters in Isabella and John. There’s a lot of bite to this novel, it’s not just sweetness, pretty gowns and perfect romances. Austen pokes a lot of fun at her ‘heroine’ (as she often calls Catherine) and at her overdramatic and silly nature. (She is only 17 after all). Henry has a lot of insight into Catherine’s character and is the balance that she desperately needs.

I would have been interested to find out the ultimate fate of John and Isabella – did they get what they deserved?

Read it if: you like your classics with some bite

8 out of 10.

Book Blogger Hop 26-29/11/10

Another week over- so busy! I’m currently beginning work on my research for my doctorate, so piles of journal articles and papers are piling up instead of books!

This week’s question is from  Sarah at Writer, Reader, Dreamer:

 ”What is your favourite book cover?”

 

I’ve got to admit that any book cover for me is a good book cover because it means I’m reading! eBooks unfortunately don’t cut it in the cover stakes- sometimes they’re boring, don’t work (all you get is a black screen) or are very unimaginative. I like sets that look alike such as:

F Scott Fitzgerald Penguin Classics- shiny and gorgeous!

 

The Popular Penguins series (they look so pretty lined up on the shelf and are very affordable)

 

What’s your favourite cover? Can you pick one?

 

Happy bookish week!

 

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted each week at Crazy for Books – do drop in!

 

 

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

(Image from Goodreads as I forgot to take a pictiure in my holiday rush)

I’ve heard others discussing how much they loved this book, so I was pleased to hear that it was one of the latest releases in the Popular Penguins series. A short novella, I thought this would be a perfect short read before I went on holidays. Well, I’ve returned from my holidays and I still can’t really work this one out.

Miss Jean Brodie is a teacher at an Edinburgh school. She picks some of the girls from her class to be part of her set- some intelligent, some pretty and some neither. She is not a traditional teacher, telling them long stories about her ‘prime’- loves and losses. She is somewhat controversial- having an affair with a fellow teacher and suggesting that a schoolgirl should become the lover of one of her former lovers. Her ‘girls’ idolise her, even going so far to make up romantic fiction stories about her. The book follows her ‘girls’ to adulthood, until she is betrayed by one of them and forced to retire from teaching.

I’m not really sure what the fuss is about. Certainly teachers shouldn’t act like that in any time period and Miss Brodie is ahead of her time- rather a feminist, having affairs and travelling alone in the 1930s, not to mention idolising Mussolini! It is well written and the characters are well drawn. I’m not one to deeply analyse what I read for pleasure (I leave that to students) but while it’s enjoyable, it’s not life changing literature.

6.5 out of 10.

Book Buying Fortnight

Over the last fortnight, I’ve been on a bit of a book buying splurge- a combination of good deals and new releases have meant some new additions to the family.

After suggestions by others on this blog (thank you!), I decided to give Bill Bryson another go – this time his book on Australia, Down Under. Hopefully, I’ll be able to relate to this more, having visited most of the places he travels to.

The same store was offering UK imported books for less than $4. Previously, I’ve found some great books this way so I picked up Death in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope. This appears to be part of the series. Looking forward to it as my knowledge of the Cotswolds is limited to the fact that Jeremy Clarkson lives there with a donkey. (And some cars I presume).

I was disappointed in the ending of the previous Maggie O’Farrell  book I read, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, so I wasn’t sure about buying her new book, The Hand That First Held Mine.  Dominique’s review at Coffee Stained Pages  persuaded me that I should give this book a try.

I also bought the latest Lynda La Plante, Blind Fury. This is another book in the DI Anna Travis series. Focussing on a police murder squad, they are light but good reading.

The latest Popular Penguins were released last week in Australia. Unfortunately, my local bookstore (despite a lavish window display) had all the new releases crammed on a bottom shelf and it was near impossible to sift through them all on a busy Saturday morning. I did leave with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie  by Muriel Spark, How the Light Gets In  by M.J. Hyland  and The Beautiful and Damned  by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  I plan to return later though and pick up some others though.

What books have been coming into your house lately? Any stunners or stay-away-froms?