Molly Clavering Book Collection (and Ratings!) 🤩🌟📚

It's my favorite day of the week— Furrowed Middlebrow Friday! Woo-hoo!

Today, I'm celebrating this awesome spring-time day with my Furrowed Middlebrow Molly Clavering book collection from Dean Street Press! Yay! 

The only reason I have this gorgeous collection of books is because my awesome husband, Ian, bought me all of the books the very day that they were published by Dean Street Press! (I'm so lucky!) 😍

I first heard of Molly Clavering through Emma's YouTube Channel, The Bookish Princess, where she mentioned Near Neighbors. At that time, you couldn't easily find a copy of this book (which was very sad). But, in July 2023,  I found a used, hardcover copy of Mrs. Lorimer's Quiet Summer on eBay, read it and really liked it.

Then, thank goodness, the amazing team at DSP republished EIGHT of her novels under the Furrowed Middlebrow collection. Yippee!

Besides reading the interesting and helpful introduction in the DSP Molly Clavering books, I also found tons of great information about this fabulous author in Scott's blog post. I highly encourage you to check it out! 

So, without further ado, here are my book ratings! Click on each title to read my full review on Goodreads 😁

 

MY BOOK RATINGS: 

5🌟 Because of Sam
5🌟 Susan Settles Down
5🌟 Near Neighbors
4.5🌟 Dear Hugo

4🌟 Touch Not the Nettle
4🌟 Love Comes Home
4🌟 Mrs. Lorimer’s Quiet Summer
3.5🌟 Yoked with a Lamb 

These three books are on my to-be-read/wish list—I hope to find more of her stories in the future!

 

MY TBR: 

• From the Border Hills (own, see pic below)
• Result of the Finals  
• Dr. Glasgow's Family
  

As you know, I love making lists of my thoughts instead of writing long, detailed descriptions for my reviews. So, I'm going to stick with my usual pattern 😂

WHY I LOVE MOLLY CLAVERING'S BOOKS:

💛  Beautiful, cozy settings in Scotland (usually in small villages)

💛  Female protagonists with common sense, intelligence and kindness

💛  Likable characters that have deep inner strength and help others generously

Keeping that in mind, here are some aspects that I struggled with while reading this author's novels:

❊ A level of written Scottish dialect that was unfamiliar to me and, sometimes, lasted for a whole page or more. I've never been to Scotland, so it took me a bit longer to try and understand what the character was trying to say. In the end, I understood it all...but those parts were not quick for me to read.

❊ Nature descriptions that I could picture in my head. Again, I'm absolutely sure this is because I have never visited this country and some terms are just unknown to me. Although Molly Clavering's words are wonderfully written, I did find that reading these sections to be slow going (especially if they were longer in length).

MOLLY CLAVERING vs. D.E. STEVENSON:

These talented (and favorite) authors were not only neighbors in Moffat, Scotland for a time, but they were also close friends. I know that some readers prefer one writer over the other, but I find that most usually love both!  While I definitely could not choose which author's work I like best, here are my general thoughts:

💙 Joy - DES' books bring me more joy overall than MC.

💙 Lovely Prose - MC's novels take the win for beautiful and thoughtful writing.

💙 Laughter - DES makes me laugh often and giggle uncontrollably.  

💙 Safety - For some reason, MC's writing gives me a sense of safety, protection and stability.

💙 Ratings - Overall (for me), MC writes books that are predictably steady and solidly VERY GOOD. While, DES writes stories that seem to be all over the place—either 5🌟 favorites or 1🌟 duds. There's a huge range of value in her finished writing.  

NOTE:

Keep in mind that DES has published at least 50 novels, while MC has around 38 (most of which were published in serialized/pocket novels and lost in the abyss somewhere 😭) .

Now that I have read these 8 Furrowed Middlebrow titles, I'm hoping that more will crop up in the future! Until then, I have her non-fiction book, From the Border Hills, and I can re-read the books I own as many times as I like (which is very cheering)!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Please comment below with your favorite Molly Clavering titles and any thoughts you have about her books vs. D.E. Stevenson's books! 😄

Some of my Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow Collection!

So many thanks to my dear friend Caro (@carosbookcase) for buddy reading three of these books with me (including Touch Not the Nettle,  Susan Settles Down and Yoked by a Lamb) and to the lovely Chelcy (@cbstutzman) for reading and discussing Love Comes Home last year!

By the way, if you love the lace shawl in the background of some of these photos, it's my own knitwear design—the Maitri Shawl! It's available for purchase here on Ravelry and I used the most beautiful Albireo organic cotton/bamboo yarn from VeganYarn.com 🥰❤️🧶

Happy Friday, Friends!!! Many hugs! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕 

Children & Adult Books = Same Author ✍🏻📘💙

I absolutely loved Tea or Books? Podcast #118! 😍

It's such a fantastic and interesting idea—and one that I’ve thought about often. Rachel (Booksnob on Substack) and Simon (@simondavidthomas on Instagram and Stuck in a Book blog) did an AMAZING job discussing books by authors who have written books for both children and adults!

Although I planned to post this a long time ago, I'm finally getting around to sharing photos and this book list! 😂

 

MY FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK PAIRINGS (📓children and 📗adult):

[BONUS! Click on each name to see my book collection (or a post) by that author!]

RUBY FERGUSON
📓A Paintbox for Pauline
📗Apricot Sky

DOROTHY CANFIELD FISHER
📓Understood Betsy
📗The Home-Maker

ELIZABETH GOUDGE
📓Linnets and Valerians
📗The Dean’s Watch 

FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT
📓The Secret Garden
📗The Making of a Marchioness (Persephone Books)

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
📓Marjorie’s Three Wishes
📗A Long Fatal Love Chase

NOEL STREATFEILD
📓A Vicarage Family (Puffin - Penguin Books)
📗The Man in the Dark (as Susan Scarlett) (Dean Street Press Ltd.)

E. NESBIT
📓The Railway Children (The Sisterhood edition by Penguin Books)
📗The Lark (Dean Street Press Ltd.)

PEARL S. BUCK
📓The Big Wave
📗The Three Daughters of Madam Liang

MARGERY SHARP
📓Miss Bianca
📗The Nutmeg Tree

MISS READ
📓The Little Red Bus
📗The World of Thrush Green (and the entire Thrush Green series)

PHYLLIS A. WHITNEY
📓Mystery of the Green Cat
📗Hunter’s Green

RUMER GODDEN
📓The Doll's House
📗China Court (Manderley Press)

A.A. MILNE
📓Winnie the Pooh
📗The Red House Mystery

ELIZABETH VON ARNIM
📓The April Baby’s Book of Tunes
📗The Solitary Summer

D.E. STEVENSON
📓Alister & Co/It’s Nice To Be Me (Anglophile Books)
📗The English Air

MARY STEWART
📓The Little Broomstick
📗Madam, Will You Talk?

I also know that Gladys Taber has a couple of children's books but, sadly, I don't own any of them at the moment. Maybe someday!! Many thanks to Sue (@myownbookjourneys on Instagram) for letting me know that Mabel Esther Allan also wrote books for adults, as well as children! I'll be purchasing the three books here on the Greyladies website 🥳💜

I would love to hear your favorite adult/children’s book pairings! Please let me know in the comments below 🤩

Happy Reading and many hugs!! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

 

The Man in the Dark by Susan Scarlett 👩🏻👱🏻‍♀️💖👱🏻‍♂️🏡

This is my new favorite Susan Scarlett book! 😍 Although my top three Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow titles by SS so far have been Under the Rainbow, Sally-Ann and Babbacombe's, this lovely story slightly beats them all 😱

Rating: 5+🌟

I truly loved the main character, Marda Mayne. She is the type of young lady that would be the perfect best friend...at least to me. She is not only kind, thoughtful and loyal, but also is infused with courage, life, honesty and good sense.

Marda initially takes on the position of companion to Mr. James Longford's orphaned ward, Shirley, in order to help her family earn more money. But, after the just the first day, Marda has the feeling that Mr. Longford (who has been blind for 6 years due to a tragic car accident) needs her assistance and companionship much more than lively and determined American Shirley (who also longs for the attention of any male in the vicinity.)

My 3 Top Favorite Susan Scarlett Books!

I was addicted to this novel from the very first page. Everything about it is interesting, domestic and quietly entertaining with the perfect pacing. Susan Scarlett (aka my adored Noel Streatfeild) simply reminded me again how much I adore her writing.

If you love a vintage YA romance with a hint of a Cinderella-esque feel, supportive families, first loves, gossipy servants and an "evil" sister (instead of stepmother), you must read The Man in the Dark. Highly recommended!

Also, I love Caro's #fancyteapotfriday hashtag!!!

 
Many thanks to my friend Gina (@gina.stanyer.books on Instagram and YouTube) for agreeing to a buddy read of this book after I told her it was in my top two Susan Scarlett titles to read next! Also, to Michelle (@myeclecticshelf on Instagram) for recommending this book to me! 😍

Which Susan Scarlett book should I read next? Let me know in the comments below!

Have an awesome weekend, lovely friends! Much love! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

 

Stories for Mothers and Daughters Anthology 🥰👩🏻📘👧🏻🧡

 A new favorite British Library Women Writers title!! 😍❤️💜💙🧡

"From forthright mothers and very modern daughters to the quiet dreamers on either side of the generational divide, this anthology sketches a joyous, fraught and ultimately tender portrait of mother-daughter relationships throughout the twentieth century. It brings together the talents of Richmal Crompton, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Jeanette Winterson, Jamaica Kincaid, A.S. Byatt, Inez Holden, Winifred Holtby, Maeve Brennan, E.M. Delafield, and Tillie Olsen to embrace the mother-daughter bond in all its lovely, imperfect forms." —from the back cover of Stories for Mothers and Daughters

Although my top favorite in the series so far is probably still O, The Brave Music by Dorothy Evelyn Smith, Stories for Mothers and Daughters is certainly a super close second. In my top three is also Lady Living Alone by Nora Lofts.

I'm not sure if it's because I love the theme of mothers and daughters (since I am both!) or because these short stories are just brilliant. But, either way, I seriously LOVED this new addition to the Women Writers collection. 

Rating: 5🌟

Short stories are such a joy for me because my brain wanders easily and short stories (and, also short chapters) help to my interest fresh and steady. I also find it fun and interesting to have a "taste" of authors I've never read before.

In this collection, I hadn't read any books by most of the authors, so it was such a treat.  Although I truly enjoyed all of the stories, these are my favorites (in order of preference):

❤️ Week-End by Richmal Crompton
❤️ The Battle-Field by Phyllis Bottome 
❤️ The End of the Fairy Tale by Maud Egerton King
❤️ The Silver Cloak by Winifred Holtby
❤️ Mothers and Daughters by Frances Gray Patton
❤️ The Shadow of Kindness by Maeve Brennan 
❤️ History Again Repeats Itself by E.M. Delafield

Love the color of the French flaps—so vibrant!

Overall, I'm over-the-moon excited about this British Library short story collection. Every one in the series so far has been super good. Many thanks to the British Library for sending me this book to read and review! Reading this anthology brought me so much happiness and caused me to be very thoughtful about my relationships to my mother and my daughter.

Stories for Mothers and Daughters is definitely a must-have for fans of British literature, women writers and domestic fiction...any mothers and daughters. 

Tell me friends, which is YOUR favorite British Library Women Writers book? Do you have a few books or the entire collection? I'm dying to know! 

Keep an eye out for upcoming reviews of The Tree of Heaven by May Sinclair, Dangerous Ages by Rose Macauley, and one more British Library Women Writers title! 🤩

Wishing you the most wonderful day and happy reading!! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

___________________________________________________________________

POSSIBLE SPOILER: I don't want to say much about each of the stories because I think it would spoil your enjoyment of them. So, I'll just share a few feelings/thoughts on each of the stories:

Week-End: breathless energy, riding the waves and finally relaxation and sweetness

Maternal Devotion: a little chuckle

The Value of Being Seen: confusion, ethereal, slightly abstract 

Psalms: stubborn, hint of religion, doing what mother says

The End of the Fairy Tale: initial selfishness, devotion, joy, loving choices 

The Pictures: being grateful for the little things, mindful of the present moment

The Silver Cloak: jealousy, understanding, maturity, allowing someone else to have the limelight

History Repeats Itself: modern and independent vs. old fashioned ideas during holiday season

Mothers and Daughters: disappointment, frustration,  growing up, nostalgia

The Shadow of Kindness: haunting, strangely comforting

Rose-Colored Teacups: thoughtfulness, imagination, memories

Life is Not a Pie: unconventional relationships, unsettling feelings, love is love 

The Battle-Field: healing, anxiety and hope

The Step Mother: eagerness, disgust, keeping up appearances

My Mother: abstract, transformation, connection

It's strange how the first story was my favorite and the last was my least favorite 🤔 But, perhaps that was on purpose? Let me know your thoughts on these stories, if you've read them!

My Manderley Press Collection! 🤩📚🌈✨

I’m finally sharing my small but lovely Manderley Press Book Collection!

After buying and reading this enchanting feature in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 magazine about Rebeka’s home and publishing journey, I was in awe and very much inspired! (Such a gorgeous magazine, too.)

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MANDERLEY PRESS BOOKS:
🌟 Absolutely breathtaking cover art
🌟 Exquisitely constructed
🌟 Topics that are incredibly interesting and/or unique
🌟 Excellent and personal customer service
🌟 A joy to hold and collect!

One day, I hope to own ALL of these beautiful books!! For now, I’m super excited to read Tales from London Town!!

 The Armourer's House by Rosemary Sutcliff 5🌟

China Court by Rumer Godden 3.5🌟 

The House in Cornwall by Noel Streatfeild 4.5🌟

Much love to Rebeka at Manderley Press for sending adorable bookmarks, postcards, and notes to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate her generosity and bookish friendship! ☺️💙📘

Do you have a favorite book from Manderley Press? (Mine, so far, is The Armourer's House.)

Happy Wednesday, awesome friends! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

Love this magazine!

 

 

 

What a great pic of Rebeka!

She has such a beautiful home!!

Luckier Than Most - NEW Dean Street Press Autobiography! 🤩🎬🎩

Woo! Today, I'm celebrating the debut of Dean Street Press' newest book—Luckier Than Most by David Tomlinson! 🥳❤️✨

If you're in the mood for a mannerly memoir with a sprinkle of marvelous old Hollywood movie magic, you will love the musings of this modest and multi-talented man!

A surprisingly enjoyable read!

I have to admit that I was a bit wary (and also nervous) to read this book. I have very little knowledge of the old Hollywood scene in general and I only recognized David Tomlinson as "the father from Mary Poppins" and "the magician from Bedknobs and Broomsticks".

So, after reading the first couple of chapters, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to keep reading. Oh, no!! (Not because of the DT's writing style, but because I felt completely and utterly out of my depth.)

I tend to feel overwhelmed by any book (fiction or non-fiction) that starts off by describing a lot of people/characters who I know nothing about. I try scratching out a rough family tree on a piece of scrap paper for reference and then I end up in despair. [Plus, the only pre-1970s British actors I'm familiar with have been from Agatha Christie (or Alfred Hitchcock) movies. I might recognize a face, but not always a name.]

But, after a helpful suggestion from Caro to do a Google search of the name of an actor/director/movie as I read, I began to feel more invested in Luckier Than Most. I was able to match faces with names and that was a turning point. (Thanks, Caro!!) Once I past the halfway mark, I was considerably more interested and flew through the rest of the autobiography.

Things I Truly Admire About David Tomlinson:

• Extraordinary ability to adapt to stressful and difficult situations
• Sense of humor, loyalty and affection for his friends and family
• Skill at being polite in even the most challenging circumstances
  
• Continuing zest for life...from humble beginnings in a small, windowless room near Charing Cross  looking for any sort of acting job to owning his own property in the country after years of theatrical success.

Favorite Parts From the Book:

• "Often Julie Andrews, a new mother, took me under her wing as well. She cooked for me while I occasionally held the baby."
• "On my birthday, May 7th, 1960, Audrey presented me with our third son—an especially beautiful, especially perfect little boy." (My daughter, Rose, was also born on May 7th!)
• When Walt Disney assisted in bringing in a consultant for David and Audrey's third child for possible deafness (which he did not have).
• Finding the best person to aid his autistic son when professionals were discouraging and unhelpful.
• Wonderful photographs in two sections of the book.
  

My Favorite Quotes From the Book:

"I spent six months at a recruit depot at Caterham where to say the discipline was rigid would be like saying the Equator is quite warm or that the monsoon season brings light showers to the tropics."

"'Lie down, ' she shouted, throwing herself to the ground. I was wearing a new suit. Not in this suit, I thought to myself. I dragged her to her feet and we continued on our way."

"They were exuberant company although I resisted their attempts to get me to accompany them to observe an amputation. What I needed was a job, not nausea."

"Perhaps the most important thing I learned was that the vital thing an actor must have is courage....Not yesterday, not tomorrow—but now."

"When asked , "Is that an Oscar?", I always say, "No, better!" (Referring to when David received an 'Eddy'—an award given by the American Cinema Editors for the best debut in a US film. )

This is not a book I would normally choose to read, but lovely Victoria (Director of the Dean Street Press Ltd. team) thought I would enjoy it. And she was right! Now, I have the urge to watch more of David Tomlinson's movies. I'm pretty sure my dear friend Caro would be happy to watch one his movies on our crochet/movie date night! 😁🧶📺

Overall, I really appreciated learning about DT's life. It completely changed my view of him— in the most positive way. Reading about the human being behind the actor is a powerful thing. I very much encourage you to give this book a try!

It's time to get your copy!!

Please check out Caro's excellent and thoughtful review of this book on her website and on Instagram.

Many thanks to DSP for sending me an advance copy of this book to read and review! I'm almost always reading a Dean Street Press book and they never fail to delight me in some way. Yay! 😍

Let me know in the comments which David Tomlinson movie is your favorite 😁

Happy Reading, Friends!! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

 

Flavia de Luce #11 Book Review! 👧🏻📙🔍☠️🧪

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley 🤩

A gem!! I forgot how much I love this character created by Alan Bradley!

Book Rating: 4.5🌟 

Oh, what an amazing addition to the series! I've read at least six books so far and I was in love from the very beginning. Flavia de Luce is the most charming and hilarious character. 

It's impossible not to be charmed by her youth, awkward nerdiness, sharp intelligence and overactive mind. Although I was classified as "nerdy" in high school for my love of mathematics, I don't think I have even a quarter of her talented and brilliant mind.

Following Flavia, her sisters, her kooky cousin Undine, helpful Mrs. Mullet and loyal Dogger was such a treat. You never knew what will happen next! But, that's the beauty of this mystery series. The country village of Bishop's Lacy was also wonderful to come back to, especially because it takes place in the 1950s (one of my favorite time periods).

I love everything about this book...such a gorgeous edition!

Overall, I loved the pacing, the plot and all of the seemingly random (but also very clever) details sprinkled throughout the narrative. I found myself slightly overwhelmed at times because there was so much going on, but it was for the very best reasons. Plus, the ending was perfect.

Now, I need to go back and read 7-10!!

Many thanks to Penguin Random House Publishing for sending me this book to read and review! I can't wait to read the next in the series! 😍❤️

So many amazing titles!! One of my absolute FAV mystery series!

 

Love Comes Home by Molly Clavering 👩🏻🏡🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💖

Happy Furrowed Middlebrow Friday and Happy Valentine's Day, Friends!! 😍❤️📕💝

Before I share my review of this lovely book (spoiler! 😂), I'd love to know—What's your favorite thing to do on Valentine's Day? Is it spending the day alone doing everything you love to do, going out with your favorite person/best friend/partner, or just hanging out with family and furry friends?

Last weekend, Ian and I had an early romantic Valentine's Day and it was so awesome! Here's what we did:

• Morning at a Favorite Coffee Shop - Vanilla latte with almond milk for Ian and Chai latte with almond milk and coconut for me...mmmm.
• Daily Sketchbook Practice - Creating patterns and art (See photo below!)
• Antique Shopping - So much fun! Ian found a vintage comic book and I came home with pink balloon animal earrings...not vintage...lol.
• Nepalese Dinner Date - I love Dunbar Square in Portsmouth, New Hampshire! I always get the vegan sweet potato chili with basmati rice and it's sooo delicious!
  
• Late Night Movie - This late 1800s Music Hall used to be a Victorian theater and is absolutely gorgeous inside. I love seeing movies there! The velvet seats and unique bathrooms are so fancy! Unfortunately, the movie was a gore fest and I was more than slightly traumatized (eeek!) If you're a sensitive person, do not see this film! 

Cat Head Lady inspired by the art of Terry Runyan and her Painting Happiness book!

Anyway, on to the book review!!!

4🌟 It's always a joy to read a Molly Clavering novel, especially in the Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow edition!

This book centers around the Cranstoun family of Scotland and, specifically, the daughters of the family...Jane and Love. Jane is a thoughtful, dependable and careful young lady who is in the middle of a sticky situation with two young men, "Perry" and John. Peregrine Gilbert is shy, unsociable and nature-loving political man who buys the property next door to Sir Mangus and Lady Cranstoun. John Marsh is a flirty, charming and passionate friend of Jane's friends, Kitty and George (who live in England).

Love is Jane's younger sister just returning from finishing school. She is willful, self-centered, immature and lively, but also very likable and beautiful. Love decides to make her own plans for Jane's love life—with possibly dire results.

This story is a mixture of witty conversations, misunderstandings, jealousy, gossip and young love. Although this type of situation usually makes me feel very frustrated, I really liked Love Comes Home. There was a bit too much nature description for me (some of it went on for more than a page)— I find it hard to picture in my mind landscapes and plants that are unknown to me. But, I still adore Molly Clavering's writing and this novel totally charmed me!

Many thanks to my new book friend and Instagram cheerlader, Chelcy (@cbstutzman on Instagram), for buddy reading this book with me. 😍❤️ We had such a nice chat on Wednesday night about this book and tons of other fun topics. I hope we'll get to read and discuss another cozy book soon! 🤞🏼🤞🏼

I only have Yoked with a Lamb left to read and then I'll have read all of the republished novels by DSP. Yay! I'll definitely read through all of them again next year. They're just SO GOOD! Highly recommended author!!

Do you love Molly Clavering's books as much as I do? Let me know in the comments!

All my love to you!! 💕❄️🤗❄️💕