A Haul Fit for An Anglophile

I had to meant to share these wonderful purchases with you awhile ago but life got in the way and I was unable to until now. Also, I had thought I had already done a post about them then realized I had shared it on Instagram/Facebook group. Anyway, I am sharing them now. Besides as to quote the great Queen Clarice (aka Julie Andrews): “A Queen is never late, everyone else is simply early.”

Back in the Spring, on the way home from school, I decided to take a quick peak inside the local used bookstore which is attached to the public library. I was so glad I did. I stumbled upon a biography that I had not only been eyeing for a very long time and would gaze longingly at every time I walked into Barnes and Noble but also has been on my Anglophile list on Amazon. This biography is Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Beddell Smith. I have always been a great admirer of the queen and most of the royal family. So when I saw this displayed proudly on the top shelf of bookshelf I knew I had to grab it. And it was only 3 dollars too which was nice.

Another member of the royal family that I greatly admire is Kate Middleton. Unfortunately, I did not find a copy of her biography at the bookshop but I did acquire a copy via one of my favorite websites: Thriftbooks. And if I recall, I think I only had to pay shipping because I had some points that allowed me to purchase a book for free that was under a certain dollar amount.

Then during the summer, just by accident, I stumbled upon a used book sale inside the local strip mall. That was a very exciting day! They had a ton of amazing books! I snatched up quite a lot of various books ranging from history to biography to fiction and one DVD. The sale went on for 3 days and I went each day with my brother. Among the books I purchased was a biography one of my favorite British queens: Queen Victoria. Just like with the Elizabeth book, I had been eyeing this one for a while but it just seemed to be too expensive at Barnes and Noble. When I came across it at the sale and in good condition I couldn’t pass it up and it is hardcover too! In fact most of the books in this haul are hardcover with exception of the last one.

Last but least, a week ago I went to Barnes and Noble with one of my best friends. Ever since the new Downton Abbey movie came out, I have wanted to check out the bookstore’s display tables for this movie. By the time I visited a Barnes and Noble, there weren’t as many tables out but there was still 2 dedicated to promoting the release of this movie. On one of them, Barnes and Noble had included books that were similar to Downton Abbey. Among them I found The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. I have wanted to own and read this book ever since I learned Netflix had turned it into a movie starring a number of actors from the Downton Abbey franchise. They also had British chocolate which I couldnt pass up.

Aren’t these books gorgeous? I can’t wait to put them on a shelf dedicated to British history once I acquire new bookcases.

My Top Seven Favorite British Telly Shows

The other night I was talking about different topic ideas for future posts with fellow blogger and Anglophile, Emmalisia from Exquiste Emmalisa. She came up with a lot of great ideas and I hope to implement some of them on here. Tonight’s topic is British television. It is rather hard to to narrow done only five of British television shows because I tend to watch a lot of telly. But I shall do my utmost to meet this challenge.

 

1. Doctor Who. I had to start with this one because Doctor Who was what started my love for British television. I literally watched this show when I was really little.
2. Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. This was another TV series I watched with my father and was what turned me into an Anglophile and an avid mystery fan.
3. Foyle’s War. Another show my father introduced me too. This is a historical mystery series set during the Second World War. It stars British actor Michael Kitchen.
4. Downton Abbey. This is a period drama set during the Edwardian period. It follows The Crawleys, a British aristocratic family. It is filmed at the famous Highclere Castle. (More about this in a future post).
5. The Crown. The Crown is a Netflix original period drama set in the 1950s. It follows Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King George VI, who becomes queen after the death of her father and the challenges she faces as queen. It stars Claire Foy, Matt Smith, and Vanessa Kirby.
6. Sherlock. Sherlock is a modern day retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective stories featuring British detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful side kick Dr. John Watson. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson.
7. Victoria. Victoria is a period drama aired on PBS. It is based on the novel Victoria by Daisy Goodwin. It tells the story of how Victorian becomes queen of England after the sudden death of her grandfather, struggles she faces as a young queen, and her romance with Prince Albert. It stars Jenna Coleman as Victoria and Tom Hughes as Prince Albert.

All of these shows are amazing and I highly recommend them. I have watched many of them countless times and never tire of the story. American television could learn a thing or two from the British when it comes to good stories.

The British Are Coming to Your Living Rooms and Local Theaters

If you live in the United States like me, then this post is perfect for you! If you don’t live in the United States, then this post does not necessarily apply to you because you have already had the luxury of seeing these two forms of British entertainment. But I do hope you find this post an enjoyable read.

Tomorrow the sequel to Paddington movie which is based on the children’s book of the same name. The first movie came out in 2014 and stars Hugh Bonneville (if the name sounds familiar, it is because he has played in Downton Abbey, an episode of Doctor Who, and the WWII movie Monuments Men), Michael Gambdon (Harry Potter and Churchill’s Secret), and Ben Whishaw (Bond).  Ben Whishaw will also be playing in the upcoming Mary Poppins movie alongside Emily Blunt as Marry Poppins. He plays Michael Banks, who is now an adult. I am pretty sure you can find the Paddington on Netflix. That is how I saw it because my family was not interested in seeing it in theaters.

Here is the description for the second movie and a trailer:

 Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.

 

Then on Sunday on Masterpiece Theater, the second season of Victoria is going to air. I am so excited even though I have yet to finish the first season. Christmas break ended WAY too fast! Victoria stars Jenna Louise Coleman who has starred in Doctor Who, Me Before You, and Death Comes to Pemberley and Tom Hughes who plays Prince Albert, husband to Queen Victoria. Tom has played in Miss Marple. This wonderful acted series is based on the novel Victoria by British historian Daisy Goodwin. I have not yet read the book but it is on my list of future books to read. If you have read it, let me know what you thought of it in the comments. I love discussing books with fellow readers.

 

Will you be going to your local theater and watching Paddington? Or are you going to tune in on Sunday to watch season 2 premiere of Victoria? Let me know in the comments below.  If you have happened to see both of these already because you live in the United Kingdom, please no spoilers!