babyboomerbooks

......stories that endure......

Aiken, Joan
Adult novels are just as engaging as her children's books with spirited heroines and gothic influences.

BLACKGROUND Victor Gollancz London 1989 (1st ed.)
hb with dj, GD/GD ex-library, unclipped dj has slight edgewear. Cat Conwil is an actress and while she is playing the part of the irresistible hussy Rosy she meets Lord Fortuneswell, possibly the most eligible bachelor either side of the Atlantic. LL001 $8

CASTLE BAREBANE Victor Gollancz London 1977 (2nd imp.) ex-library. Wonderful gothic set in Dickensian London with a spirited heroine. LL002 $8

THE HAUNTING OF LAMB HOUSE Jonathan Cape London 1991
hb with dj GD/GD ex-library. What might have happened in the famous house that stands at the top of Mermaid Street in Rye. LL003 $6

LAST MOVEMENT Victor Gollancz London 1997 (1st ed.) hb with dj ex-library, tape ghosts. My favourite Joan Aiken: musical background set on Mediterranean island. LL004 $8

MORNINGQUEST Victor Gollancz London 1992 (1st ed.) hb with dj VG/VG. Pandora is taken under the wing of the fascinating musical family, the Morningquests. LL005 $8

Ashby, R.C. aka Ruby Ferguson
What was probaby a pot-boiler in the 1930s becomes a fun mystery in the 21st century

DEATH ON TIPTOES Greyladies Edinburgh 2009 pb NEW reprint of long-lost 1931 murder mystery set in a gothic castle in Wales by the author of Jill pony stories. (See The Cousins of Colonel Ivy by Ruby Ferguson.) LL006 $30

Austen, Jane
still the greatest - see her as fictional detective in Jane and the Man of the Cloth by Stephanie Barron

EMMA (complete) Reader's Digest 2001 illustrated by C.E. Brock & Joan Hassall, hb, VG/--. A lovely version, Reader's Digest does these classics well - and you'll never get a letter from them! LL007 $12

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Wordsworth Classics 1992, pb, clean cream pages darkened at edges, clean covers with slight dogears, pb GD/-- LL008 $4

also see Amanda Grange's Captain Wentworth's Diary for Persuasion from his point of view.

Bainbridge, Beryl
one of the greatest living English novelists, twice winner of the Whitbread Prize

ACCORDING TO QUEENEY Little Brown & Co 2001 hb with dj VG/VG. Based on a true story - that Samuel Johnson lived for twenty years with the Thrale family - the eldest daughter tells of the destruction that ensued. LL009 $8

Barron, Stephanie
The author claims she found letters written by Jane Austen and sent to American relatives - great story, love the books!

JANE AND THE MAN OF THE CLOTH - a Jane Austen mystery published 1997 by Bantam
pb GD/--, pencilled name, clean cream pages, tight binding and clean covers with dogears.
Jane Austen as detective while she holidays with her family at Lyme Regis. The voice of Jane rings true. Delightful! LL010 $6

Billington, Rachel
sequels to Jane Austen abound - this is one of the better ones.

PERFECT HAPPINESS - sequel to Jane Austen's Emma - Sceptre Hodder & Stoughton 1996 hb with dj VG/VG
LL011 $8

Braun, Lillian Jackson
love her fictional world of the small Michigan town of Pickax and those special cats

THE CAT WHO WASN'T THERE Jove Books NY 1993 pb VG/-- Jim Qwilleran and his two siamese cats make a formidable detective team: KoKo knows the deadly deed has happened in his absence... LL012 $6

Brontë, Charlotte
the classic
JANE EYRE Penguin 1966 pb GD/--, very tan pages, a reading-only copy. LL013 $4

Brontë, Emily
the archetype gothic story

WUTHERING HEIGHTS (complete) Reader's Digest 1983 illustrated by Skip Liepke, hb, VG/-- beautifully done
LL014 $12

Brown, Molly

INVITATION TO A FUNERAL St Martin's Press 1998 hb with dj VG/VG, address stamp on fep.
LL015 $6

Byatt, A.S.
Iris Murdoch said of Still Life: "...a marvellous and most unusual work, full of thoughts, full of people and full of language: a deep work, inspiring laughter and tears, a major novel."

POSSESSION - A ROMANCE Vintage 1991 pb GD/-- LL016 $4

STILL LIFE Collier Macmillan 1991 pb GD/-- LL017 $4

Clift, Charmian
In 1954 Australian writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston took their family to live on a small Greek Island

PEEL ME A LOTUS Collins 1988 pb GD/-- slight yellowing top of inside front cover. Warm-hearted chronicle of their daily life on the island. LL018 $6

Dean, Lois
Historian, radio personality, writer - Lois Dean researched Minnie's life exhaustively

MINNIE, MEMOIRS OF A SQUATTER'S DAUGHTER by Mary Emily Susannah Brewer, edited & published by Lois Dean, signed. pb NEWb&w photos. Minnie lived in Penola in the late 1800s and fell in love for better or for worse. LL019 $20

Diamant, Anita

GOOD HARBOR Allen & Unwin 2003, pb VG/-- The importance of friends when times are bad and good. LL020 $6

du Maurier, Daphne
Famous for Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn, Daphne du Maurier put Cornwall on the map.
See Daphne by Justine Picardie for a fictional account of her later life at Menabilly.

RULE BRITANNIA Victor Gollancz 1972 (1st ed.) hb with dj GD/GD nice wrap-around dj slightly faded. The USA has taken over Cornwall but Emma and her grandmother aren't giving in without a fight. LL021 $10

THE INFERNAL WORLD OF BRANWELL BRONTË - Penguin 1972 pb GD/--, tan pages, extensively researched. The overlooked brother of Charlotte, Emily and Anne (Daphne's last obsession - see Daphne by Justine Picardie.) LL022 $6

VANISHING CORNWALL Penguin 1972 pb GD/-- photos by her son Christian Browning LL023 $6

Evanovich, Janet
The Stephanie Plum series of murder and mayhem is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

ONE FOR THE MONEY - a Stephanie Plum mystery published 1995 by Penguin
pb GD/-- clean covers with slight dogears. The funniest detective ever! Stephanie Plum takes a job as a bail bondsman - well it's better than selling lingerie. LL024 AU$4

Ferguson, Ruby
better known for her Jill pony books which are still sought after by old and new fans

THE COUSINS OF COLONEL IVY Hodder & Stoughton 1959 (1st ed.) hb with dj VG/VG. An adult novel of family relationships. LL025 $20

Frame, Janet
New Zealand's famous writer

A STATE OF SIEGE Angus & Robertson 1989 pb GD/-- LL026 $6

Franklin, Miles
Australia's famous writer - a lovely film

MY BRILLIANT CAREER A&R 1980 pb VG/-- LL027 $6

Grant, Jane

COME HITHER, NURSE Robert Hale 1957 hb with dj GD/GD, browning strips on both end-papers, creasing on dj front. Hilarious account of nursing as it used to be. LL028 $8

Goudge, Elizabeth
Lovely books with a religious background, charming families and children

GENTIAN HILL Hodder & Stoughton 1950 hb with dj GD/GD, bottom third of titles list page has been removed. A love story set in Devon during the days of Nelson. LL029 $12

THE DEAN'S WATCH Hodder & Stoughton 1960 (1st ed.) hb with scanned dj GD/--Isaac Peabody loved his clockmaking business and most of his customers, even the formidable Dean of the Cathedral - but he would not set foot inside the Cathedral. Love this one dearly, especially the enchanting child Bella (- yes I know she was a minx. ) LL030 $12

Grange, Amanda
a recent discovery and I shall look for more by this author

CAPTAIN WENTWORTH'S DIARY Berkley Books NY 2008 pb VG/-- The story of Jane Austen's Persuasion from Frederick Wentworth's point of view '- Anne, always Anne.' Charming! LL031 $10

Hafner, Dorinda
I WAS NEVER HERE AND THIS NEVER HAPPENED Tasty Bits and Spicy Tales from my Life Ten Speed Press CA 1996 pb GD/--, photos, decorations and recipes from this marvellous character. LL032 $6

Hanff, Helene
UNDERFOOT IN SHOW BUSINESS Futura 1981 pb GD/--, tan pages. Before 84 Charing Cross Road there was her life as an apprentice playwright in New York. LL033 $6

Harmer, Wendy
LOVE GONE WRONG Pan 1995 pb GD/0-- Wendy Harmer wrote this book and now feels a lot better, thanks. Hilarious! LL034 $6

Harper, Karen
THE FYRE MIRROR - an Elizabethan mystery Thomas Dunne Books St Martins NY 2005 (1st ed.) hb with dj NEW. Small black texta dot on bottom closed page edges is only marking. Queen Elizabeth I as detective. High drama and deadly intrigue with a fascinating heroine. The young queen struggles to stop a deadly killer who uses fire as a weapon. LL035 $12

Hitchman, Janet
SUCH A STRANGE LADY - biography of Dorothy L. Sayers New English Library 1979 pb GD/--, name on first page LL036 $10

Hospital, Janette Turner
THE LAST MAGICIAN University of Queensland Press 1998 GD/-- inscription on first page LL037 $4

Karon, Jan
Mitford is a small town in North Carolina which is blessed to have Father Tim as its Episcopalian minister. You'll take him to your heart as he struggles with his love for Cynthia, his adopted son and his enormous dog Barnabas. And you'll laugh! Read it on your own because people invariably want to know "what's so funny?"

#1 AT HOME IN MITFORD Sceptre 1998 pb GD/-- slight dogears LL038 $8
#2 A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW Penguin 1996 pb GD/-- slight dogears LL039 $8
#3 THESE HIGH GREEN HILLS Sceptre 1998 pb GD/-- slight dogears LL040 $8
#4 OUT TO CANAAN Penguin 1997 pb GD/-- slight dogears LL041 $8

or - boxed set of the first four Mitford novels in Penguin LL042 $30

A COMMON LIFE, THE WEDDING STORY Penguin 2002 LL043 $8
#5 A NEW SONG Penguin 2000 LL044 $8

humour combined with mystery - a great mix!
Engrossing modern novels with Christian threads
- not obtrusive but enough to guarantee a 'nice' story with no overt sex and violence.

Paperbacks in new condition.
There are no names, clean cream pages, tight binding with uncreased spine and unmarked stiff card covers.
There is a black texta line or dot across the bottom closed page edges.

Your Chariot Awaits by Lorena McCourtney
an Andi McConnell mystery
published 2007 by Thomas Nelson
It's been quite a week for Andi! She's turned 60, inherited a large black limousine, been sacked from her job, broken up with her boyfriend and found boyfriend's body in the trunk of the limo. She knows she didn't kill him and it's up to her to prove it. Hilarious! MCC011 3 copies AU$10

Invisible by Lorena McCourtney - an Ivy Malone mystery
published 2004 by Revell Grand Rapids Michigan, 312 pages
You have to love Ivy Malone! She's turned 60 and notices that she's Invisible, hence the perfect detective, rather like Miss Marple but more given to action. When there's vandalism at the local cemetery, Ivy stakes it out night after creepy night and she's the one determined to solve her neighbour's murder. MCC012 2 copies AU$10

Lindsay, Joan
the book on which the iconic Australian film was based

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK - illustrated edition Cornstalk 1987 hb with pictorial bds no dj VG/--. The classic Australian story with period b&w photos and coloured prints - no film stills. LL045 $20

Betty MacDonald
Her autobiographies still make readers laugh as she lurches from one improbable situation to another: spending two years in a TB sanitorium doesn't sound funny but she makes it so.

WHO, ME? an autobiography Hamish Hamilton 1960 (1st UK ed.) hb with dj GD/GD. The story of her life told in sequence with excerpts from The Egg and I, The Plague and I, Anybody Can Do Anything and Onions in the Stew. LL046 $20

ONIONS IN THE STEW Hamish Hamilton 1953 (1st UK ed.) hb with dj GD/FAIR, name on fep, edgewear and creasing to dj. Her life on an island in a lake near Seattle. LL047 $12

Marsh, Ngaio
New Zealand's greatest writer of detective stories

BLACK BEECH AND HONEYDEW, an autobiography Collins 1966 (1st ed) hb with dj GD/GD b&w photos. A remarkable life. LL048 $20

LIGHT THICKENS Jove NY 1983 pb GD/-- her last novel, Scotland Yard's Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn is back in the world of theatre. LL049 $6

McCabe, Christine

A GARDEN IN THE HILLS - a tale of selling up, digging in and growing things - Macmillan 2005 pb GD/-- slight dogears. Christine takes over an old garden in the Adelaide Hills. LL050 $8

Mitchell, Margaret
Still a wonderful read and the classic love story of America's South

GONE WITH THE WIND Macmillan 1964 reprint hb with dj GD/GD LL051 $25

Justine Picardie

DAPHNE Bloomsbury 2008 pb VG/--. A novel of Daphne du Maurier's deep involvement in researching Branwell Brontë's life and her correspondence with a reclusive scholar Alex Symington - discovered by a modern-day PhD student. Fascinating! LL052 $10

Pym, Barbara
'...she has a unique eye and ear for the small poignancies and comedies of everyday life.' The Times

A VERY PRIVATE EYE an autobiography in letter and diaries 1984 hb with dj GD/GD ex-library, fading on dj, b&w photos. LL053 $10

LESS THAN ANGELS Pan 1993 pb GD/--, cream pages with darker edges, remainder line across the bottom, dogears. LL054 $4

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan
Her genius for character and description make her books a delight

CROSS CREEK Simon & Schuster 1996 pb GD/-- slight dogears. Originally published 1942, this is a modern American classic by the author of The Yearling, telling of her thirteen years in the remote Florida backwoods without air-conditioning! LL055 $10

Read, Miss
Charming peaceful village stories where nothing much happens and it's a delight to visit.

GOSSIP FROM THRUSH GREEN Houghton Mifflin USA 1992 illustrated by J.S. Goodall pb NEW - relax in a charming English village LL056 $10

RETURN TO THRUSH GREEN Houghton Mifflin USA 1992 illustrated by J.S. Goodall pb NEW - relax in a charming English village LL057 $10

Scarlett, Susan aka Noel Streatfeild
written as a magazine story to bring in some funds and forgotten until Greayladies went fossicking

MURDER WHILE YOU WORK Greyladies 2008 NEW reprint of 1944 original. Interesting to see that her style persists whether writing for adults or children. This is a murder mystery set in a munitions factory during WW2 and our heroine Judy Rest sets out to solve a murder at her billet. LL067 $30

Schoeller, Gislaine

LADY JANE W.H. Allen London 1987 hb with dj GD/GD ex-library with wobbly binding but all there. Translated from the French. A fictionalised account which sticks to the facts of the amazing life of Lady Jane Digby who had everything - money, beauty and noble birth - but ended up married to a native Bedouin. Fantastic, true and enthralling. LL058 $8

Smith, Carol
literary agent turned writer ( - I can do it too -) Thrillers with a female focus, lots of dead bodies.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE Warner 1999 pb VG/-- friends from Caribbean holiday spill over into real life LL059 $4

HOME FROM HOME Warner 2003 pb VG/-- Anna swaps her Manhattan home for a villa in Tuscany - just a holiday LL060 $4

HIDDEN AGENDA Sphere 2007 pb VG/-- Friends are forever...or are they? LL061 $4

VANISHING POINT Warner 2005 VG/-- Five women in love with one man LL062 $4

FATAL ATTRACTION Sphere 2007 VG/-- Sibling rivalry can de deadly... LL063 $4

Stewart, Mary
Queen of the gothic romance with her exotic backgrounds, adventurous heroines and tall-dark-and-handsome heroes.

THE GABRIEL HOUNDS Hodder & Stoughton 1967 (1st ed) hb with dj GD/GD strips of browning on both endpapers. Christy Mansell and her cousin Charles are on holiday in the High Lebanon when they decide to call on a remote relative, Lady Harriet, who lives in decaying splendour and will see no-one. LL064 $8

TOUCH NOT THE CAT Book Club Associates 1977 hb with dj GD/GD. Bryony Ashley has always been able to 'hear' her cousin's thoughts - but which cousin? LL065 $6

THIS ROUGH MAGIC Hodder & Stoughton 1964 (1st ed.) hb with dj GD/GD, my favourite. Lucy on holiday in Corfu when danger threatens. LL066 $10

Streatfeild, Noel
Always a good read with her very individual style

AUNT CLARA Collins 1952 (1st ed.) hb with dj GD/GD, stain on back of dj. Aunt Clara always thought the best of everyone, so when she ventured into the world of circuses, grey-hound racing and dubious property deals, she came out shining. LL068 $20

Tey, Josephine
still the best detective story writer

THE SINGING SANDS Penguin 1977 pb GD/-- dogears. Inspector Grant is en route to the Western Highlands for a much-needed holiday when he encounters a dead man on the train. LL070

THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR Penguin 1970 pb GD/-- name inside and tape ghosts. Did the ladies at The Franchise really kidnap a young girl and force her to work as a domestic slave? Robert Grant doesn't think so. LL071

Thirkell, Angela
The critics accused her of being snobbish and maybe she was but for delicious witty escapist entertainment she can't be beaten.

MISS BUNTING Hamish Hamilton 1946 hb with scanned dj FAIR/--, ex-library and very tanned - but any Angela Thirkell is better than none! LL072 $6

THE HEADMISTRESS Hamish Hamilton 1944 hb without dj FAIR, ex-lib with fep removed. More gentle adventures in the fictional English county of Barsetshire where it's alway summer and there's tea on the lawn. LL073 $6

with C.A. Lejeune
THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN Hamish Hamilton 1961 (1st ed.) hb with dj GD/GD, ex-library with many stamps. Finished after AT's death, this is the 29th Barsetshire novel and all old friends are here. LL074 $10

Tovey, Doreen
Her life was chaotic with animals everywhere and it's fun to read about it. The b&w drawings are particularly nice.

CATS IN THE BELFRY Elek Books London 1957 (2nd imp.) illus by Maurice Wilson hb with dj GD/GD name on fep. Hilarious adventures of the Toveys with their siamese cats LL075 $12

CATS IN MAY Elek Books London 1959 (1st ed.) illus by Maurice Wilson hb with dj GD/GD Just as fuuny as the first one. LL076 $12

Wesley, Mary
She didn't start serious writing until she was 70 and her novels of WW2 were an immediate success - think The Camomile Lawn.

PART OF THE FURNITURE Black Swan 1988 pb GD/GD small name on first page. Juno finds an unusual home during WW2. LL077 $4

OTHER babyboomerbooks CATALOGUES BY WOMEN WRITERS

D.E. Stevenson (nice gentle romances many set around WW2)

Elsie Jeanette Oxenham (Abbey series and more)