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Books you thought no one else has read

846 replies

tweetysylvester · 07/03/2025 20:00

It's so fun to find rare books to read, or just look up or hear about less known books, so thought I'd start a thread about this. Nostalgic novels, YA books, current titles you discovered very randomly...

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14
StumbleInTheDebris · 11/10/2025 19:49

Alexander and Joanna were unusual names? Would never have guessed that.

Storynanny1 · 11/10/2025 19:19

cordelia! that’s it
The amazingness of mumsnet,thank you

CatChant · 10/10/2025 23:10

@Storynanny1 There were four children in the Pennington family and they all had unusual names. Penny explains it: “Father hoped that if he gave us all unusual names we might all turn out unusually clever. it worked with everyone except me.”

The eldest is Alexander, who is studying engineering, followed by Cordelia, taking science A levels at grammar school, then Joanna, who is at a ballet school in London, and lastly Penny, who is really Persephone, and in the C stream at the grammar school after proving “less bright”.

StumbleInTheDebris · 10/10/2025 23:00

Cordelia?

Storynanny1 · 10/10/2025 22:50

Well a google searchtonight for a distantly remembered book I readin the 60’s led me to page 14 of this thread! I’ve been posting to my overseas little grandchildren some of my childhood ladybird books which then my children read and now my grandchildren. I was thinking about other books I enjoyed as a child - we didn’t have money to buy many but I was taken to the library every week and became a voracious reader, still am, always have a pile of books on my bedside table plus plenty on the kindle for reading elsewhere.
I was googling a book I was bought for a Christmas present in the 1960’s called “ Penny’s Way” by Mary K Harris , can’t remember much about the actual storyline ut I loved it and reread it often. I vividly remember Penny was sad that she had an ordinary name when her sisters had glamorous unusual ones, one sister had a name beginning with C!
Unfortunately the only copy I’ve been able to find online is about £60! I’d be very grateful if the poster on page 14 has the book, please could you find out the name or sister that begins with C?!

InigoJollifant · 30/07/2025 10:01

lcakethereforeIam · 29/07/2025 12:21

Jill is blown by Aslan

😳don't remember that!

Stumbled into a niche kind of fanfic there!

marthasmum · 29/07/2025 12:38

Yes, I think I remember that - will have to get hold of a copy of the Silver Chair and re-read. I can see I’m going to have to get hold of the Brothers Lionheart too - it’s bugging me!

lcakethereforeIam · 29/07/2025 12:21

Jill is blown by Aslan

😳don't remember that!

InigoJollifant · 29/07/2025 11:51

marthasmum · 29/07/2025 11:12

Oo is there Inigo? Thank you, that sounds more like it as I read that and had vague memories of it being linked to Narnia! Is it at the beginning though - is that how they get into Narnia?

Yes it’s quite early on, it’s how Eustace and Jill get to Narnia, Eustace falls off the cliff and Jill is blown by Aslan.

marthasmum · 29/07/2025 11:12

Oo is there Inigo? Thank you, that sounds more like it as I read that and had vague memories of it being linked to Narnia! Is it at the beginning though - is that how they get into Narnia?

InigoJollifant · 29/07/2025 10:53

There’s a cliff leap in the Silver Chair (Narnia chronicles).

marthasmum · 29/07/2025 09:05

The Brothers Lionheart

marthasmum · 29/07/2025 09:02

I’m trying to remember a book I read as a child and thought this might be a good place to ask. The bit I remember really clearly is a scene where one of the children makes a ‘leap of faith’ off a cliff - he/she thinks they’re going to die but it turns out this is the only way to enter a beautiful new world. I remember a big description of what it felt like to fall and being transformed during the fall.

I’ve googled and come up with ‘The Brothers Lionheart’ by Astrid Lindgren which sounds like it might fit, and I did read some of her books. But it’s puzzling me that none of the rest of the book seems familiar (maybe the cliff leap bit just stuck in my mind though?)

Is this ringing any bells for anyone else?

pollyhemlock · 18/07/2025 16:53

Ah yes- looking it up definitely a film. I may have seen it on tv I suppose. I just remember a horrible bit where he’s hiding and pretending to be an actual scarecrow and his eyes look all red through the mask . Really stuck in my mind. And not in a good way.

Howyoualldoworkme · 17/07/2025 23:14

pollyhemlock · 17/07/2025 23:11

Oh yes! Dr Syn’s alias is the Scarecrow and there was a terrifying tv adaptation in the early 60s with Patrick McGoohan in the title role where he wears an actual scarecrow mask. Gave me nightmares.

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Actually that was a DISNEY film!!!
Saw it in the cinema when I was a child. Nightmares for weeks...

pollyhemlock · 17/07/2025 23:11

bellocchild · 17/07/2025 21:50

Dr Syn series by Russell Thorndike.

Oh yes! Dr Syn’s alias is the Scarecrow and there was a terrifying tv adaptation in the early 60s with Patrick McGoohan in the title role where he wears an actual scarecrow mask. Gave me nightmares.

bellocchild · 17/07/2025 21:50

Dr Syn series by Russell Thorndike.

BrightRuby · 21/06/2025 20:10

TragicMuse · 21/06/2025 19:59

Ah! We have a collected edition of the Conan Doyle’s!

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Oh fab!!

TragicMuse · 21/06/2025 19:59

BrightRuby · 21/06/2025 14:03

Love that book, read it years ago at university. I recently found an old copy in a second hand bookshop so am keen to see if it has the same impact on me now.

The White Company, by Conan Doyle. One of his historical novels, and a cracking read, but I've never met anyone else who's read it.

The 87th Precinct series, by Ed McBain. Written in the 60s I think, and not ever mentioned now. My Dad was a big fan and passed them on to me. They started my love of the police procedural.

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Ah! We have a collected edition of the Conan Doyle’s!

Books you thought no one else has read
Rolypolycustard · 21/06/2025 14:05

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 21/06/2025 14:05

BrightRuby · 21/06/2025 14:03

Love that book, read it years ago at university. I recently found an old copy in a second hand bookshop so am keen to see if it has the same impact on me now.

The White Company, by Conan Doyle. One of his historical novels, and a cracking read, but I've never met anyone else who's read it.

The 87th Precinct series, by Ed McBain. Written in the 60s I think, and not ever mentioned now. My Dad was a big fan and passed them on to me. They started my love of the police procedural.

Show quote history

Nice to meet a fan. I found it better on subsequent readings.

BrightRuby · 21/06/2025 14:03

MiloMinderbinder925 · 21/06/2025 12:09

For some reason I love A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov. I rarely meet people who know it. It's a wonderful character study and reminiscent of Polidori's Vampyre.

Love that book, read it years ago at university. I recently found an old copy in a second hand bookshop so am keen to see if it has the same impact on me now.

The White Company, by Conan Doyle. One of his historical novels, and a cracking read, but I've never met anyone else who's read it.

The 87th Precinct series, by Ed McBain. Written in the 60s I think, and not ever mentioned now. My Dad was a big fan and passed them on to me. They started my love of the police procedural.

BrightRuby · 21/06/2025 12:26

tunainatin · 07/03/2025 22:15

I love John Wyndham books, not just the stories themselves but the slow pace of them makes me think of simpler times. I'm sure lots of people read them, just not the people I hang out with!

I was obsessed with John Wyndham as a teenager! We did Day of the Triffids in first year at secondary school and I was hooked. Went to the library and worked my way through them all. Thanks for the reminder :)

MiloMinderbinder925 · 21/06/2025 12:09

For some reason I love A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov. I rarely meet people who know it. It's a wonderful character study and reminiscent of Polidori's Vampyre.

FlorbelaEspanca · 21/06/2025 12:08

TragicMuse · 09/05/2025 10:44

For the Victorians, we have a lot of Mrs Ewing! All still at my mum’s.

I've read the one about Mrs Overtheway. The relationship between the child and Mrs Overtheway and is touching, but I find the stories the latter tells pretty dull.