Hello, book fiends!
It’s been a hot minute since we did anything that wasn’t a review, right?
I know, I know… I let the reviews pile up and the fun stuff slip. But we’re mixing it up a bit today.
Remember that time I dropped a post about my Project-500 journey? (which I’ll admit I’ve been slightly lapse at updating you on) Well, I’ve been quietly keeping the community bookshelf at Port Sunlight train station stocked with some interesting reads. And I thought it was about time I actually told you about them.
But before we dive into the books, I want to share the little space I enjoy popping into often…
Seeing this little bookshelf in action always makes me smile. Who knows how many stories have passed through these shelves before mine? And it got me thinking…
- Have you ever stumbled across a random book at a station, café, or a park bench and picked it up, just because?
- What’s the most surprising or cherished book you’ve ever “found” in the wild?
- If you had access to a community bookshelf, what book would you leave behind first?
Anyway, I’m digressing now…
So grab yourself a brew, a cat (if you have one) and let’s get into what’s been dropped recently….
Fair warning: I haven’t actually read any of these, so I can’t say whether they’re good reads (this isn’t a recommendation post). But they’re interesting enough to leave for someone else, and even if they’re not really my kind of books, it’s better for someone else to enjoy them than for them to gather dust on my shelf.
Okay, okay… I’ll shut up now.
Week #2 – This week’s drops
- Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy – A story about family and friendship told in Binchy’s signature warm, character-driven style.
- SCORE! by Jilly Cooper – A novel filled with drama, romance, and the glamorous world of sport and society.
- Behind the Sequins by Shirley Ballas – A glimpse into life in the world of dance, from competitions to the glittering ballroom.
- Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs – The first book in the Temperance Brennan series, blending forensic science with crime investigation.
- You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke – A contemporary thriller exploring secrets, relationships, and suspense in atmospheric settings.
Week #1 – Last week’s drops
- 9th Judgement by James Patterson – Part of the Women’s Murder Club series, combining crime, mystery, and fast-paced storytelling.
- The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver – A thriller centred on missing persons and tense investigations.
- I, Alex Cross by James Patterson – An entry in the Alex Cross series, featuring crime-solving and psychological suspense.
- Above Suspicion by Lynda La Plante – A crime novel exploring police work and moral complexity.
- Pandora by Jilly Cooper – A glamorous romantic novel set in the high-society world Cooper is known for.
Books I picked up (it was inevitable)
While browsing the shelves, I couldn’t resist picking up a few books myself.
I know what you’re thinking: “Emma, aren’t you supposed to be downsizing as part of Project-500, not expanding your personal library?”
And yes. Yes, you would be absolutely correct 😅
Savage.
But honestly… who am I to turn my nose up at a free book? Especially when they’re this good!
At this point though, I’d like to formally argue that I’m not hoarding collecting more books.
I’m simply participating in the circular economy.
And if that just happens to bring me weekly joy, then frankly… who are you to judge? 👀
The finds…
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – A childhood favourite and enduring classic.
- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey – A novel inspired by fairy tales and set in the Alaskan wilderness.
- The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman – The second book in His Dark Materials, continuing Lyra’s journey across worlds.
- The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny – A fantasy classic that felt far more up my street than last year’s Hallowe’en read, A Night in the Lonesome October, which I rated two stars (eep!). Even better, this edition contains five books in one, which luckily for me are the first five books in this series: Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, The Hand of Oberon, and The Courts of Chaos.
I did also find a battered but well-loved copy of The Sonnets, and A Lover’s Complaint by William Shakespeare, edited by G.B. Harrison. Inside was an inscription from Mary Earl, who must have cherished this book so much that she updated it with her married name and address. I can’t help but wonder what Mary loved so much about this book that she kept it for so long. And then my thoughts inevitably drifted further… what happened to Mary? And how, or why did this little piece of her life travel from London to the Wirral, eventually ending up on a quiet community bookshelf, at a train station? Those questions alone meant this had to come home with me.
It absolutely fills my stone-cold heart with joy seeing books move from reader to reader, carrying their stories and sometimes little hints of the people who loved them along the way. And let’s be honest, there’s a special kind of thrill in finding a really good book someone else has left behind. It’s like the community bookshelf is quietly running its own little book club, and I am here for it.
I reckon more train stations could do with one of these. If yours doesn’t have one, maybe suggest it?
So week 1 & 2 drops bring my BookCrossing total to 44 wild releases and 57 controlled releases, which is amazing!
I’m planning to keep sharing these updates every week or two, tracking BookCrossing drops, the random gems I find, and my slightly obsessive progress through Project-500.
Who knows what books (or little mysteries) we’ll stumble across next?
Until next time… 🖤
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