feather_ghyll

The Iron Sceptre: John White. The Archives of Anthropos 2. Minstrel, 1988.


This is a sequel to The Tower of Geburah, and like that book, was read to me as a child. Some things about it have stayed with me even more than form the previous book, ( Read more... )

The School on Cloud Ridge: Mabel Esther Allan. Fidra Books, 2008.

I believe this is the first book published by Fidra Books that I own. As well as the story itself, first published in 1952, this edition includes an abridged autobiography from Allan herself, focusing on ( Read more... )

Cream Buns and Crime: Robin Stevens, Puffin 2017

This book is subtitled ‘A Murder Most Unladylike Collection’, and reminded me of annuals and that types of books, but it’s in the same paperback format as the longer mysteries in the series. The conceit is ( Read more... )

Edited on 10/12/2022.

On Windycross Moor: Mabel Quiller-Couch. Collins, inscribed 1936

I probably wouldn’t have posted about this book, although it features a minor character with a remarkable name Angela Brazil would have envied, Thirza, if it hadn’t been a while since I posted a book review. I haven’t read a lot of girls own books recently.

This is about ‘early Edwardian’ Alberta Jane Penlee, who, very understandably, goes by the name Jane. It has a lot of elements from the story of Cinderella, but not always told in the order you would expect. ( Read more... )

[This is a review in Welsh of the above book, which was a reread. A translation in Enlish will be posted shortly.]

Nansi’r Dditectif: O. Llew. Rowlands & W.T. Williams, Gwasg y Brython, Mai 1953.

( Read more... )

The Mystery of Midway Mill: Irene Byers. Hutchinson. Inscribed 1961

I got the sense that this book was very much influenced by Enid Blyton, ( Read more... )

The Far Distant Oxus: Katharine Hull and Pamela Whitlock. Jonathan Cape, 1937 (fourth edition)

I’ve been keeping a look out for this book since hearing the story of two teenage girls who were inspired to write a story by Arthur Ransome’s 'Swallows and Amazons' series, and who not only succeeded but got it published. ( Read more... )

Challenge to Caroline: Pauline M. James Latimer House, 1953 approx.

( There's a challenge! To Caroline )

Schoolgirl Reporter: Constance M. White, Hutchinson, this edition 1969

I rated the last book by White that I read, The Ballet School Mystery and made a mental note to look out for more books by her, but ( Read more... )

The Secret of Grey Walls: Malcolm Saville Newnes (Seventh Impression 1972)

I haven't really written about the Lone Piners’ influence on me as a reader. Rationally, I know by now that the books and the characters' adventures don’t stand up well in comparison, but they were quite as influential on me as the Swallows and Amazons books growing up. I was probably reading them higgledy-piggeldy, along with various Enid Blyton books even before The Chalet School and before I was the twins’ age. I admired Peter tremendously, although I never wanted a pony of my own.

I owned an Armada paperback copy of The Secret of Grey Walls and bought this hardback edition to replace it at a reasonable enough price, because I heard that the Armada editions were abridged, which may or may not become a new habit. I found I didn’t remember much about the story – except it fits in with the pattern of the mysteries and adventures that Saville’s gangs of children happen across (I came across the Buckinghams later and the Jillies even later in life, which, along with their being smaller groups and having fewer books devoted to their adventures, made them less important to me than the Lone Pine Club,)

( Every member of the Lone Pine Club signed below swears to keep the rule and to be true to each other whatever happens always. (p 102) )