Page 3 | Books you thought no one else has read

tweetysylvester · 2025-03-07T20:00:12+00:00

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...

Beesandhoney123 · 07/03/2025 22:04

Lone pine, silver snaffles, all the biggles books:) found them in the attic as a child.
A charming serious about Mrs Apple and her life
Somerset Maughan- love them.. noone seems to have heard of him!

Seeline · 07/03/2025 22:04

FrostyMorn · 07/03/2025 21:57

A children's series from me too: the Lone Pine adventures by Malcolm Saville. Out of print now, I'm sure. I read them in the 80s and they were quite old fashioned even then but vastly, vastly superior to Enid Blyton! Wonderful sense of place, including Rye and Dartmoor. And a truly menacing 'baddie'.

Also loved Hounds of the Morrigan and Alan Garner!

Loved the Lone Pine club - read them in the 70s.

VeryQuaintIrene · 07/03/2025 22:06

I love Monica Dickens though haven't read her for about 45 years. Also Jane Duncan's "My friends" series, which I loved when I was a younger teenager.

CaptainCallisto · 07/03/2025 22:06

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 07/03/2025 22:02

I have read this, in the dim and distant past - assuming it's a time-slip book?

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Yes, that's the one!

Blackcountryexile · 07/03/2025 22:07

I've also read the Lone Pine Adventures and loved them.I thought the ones set in Shropshire were very atmospheric.
I also read the Monica Dickens books many years ago. I agree that they were more enjoyable that the novels by Charles Dickens and far more cheerful!

CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan · 07/03/2025 22:07

I’ve read Rebecca’s World and loved it! I must also have been about Y3.

My username gives another clue: I’ve only met one other person in real life who has read Lois McMaster Bujold. She’s brilliant and I’m semi-evangelical about her.

cansu · 07/03/2025 22:08

Nina Beechcroft - I think it was called The wishing people

FinallyMummy · 07/03/2025 22:09

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo. I don't really remember the plot, but I'm Welsh and it was the first book I read as a child that had traditional Welsh names in.

I remember the teacher reading it to us in school and me loving it so much that I got it out of the library for ages. I also remember opening my own copy as a birthday present and being over the moon.

I picked up a copy from a charity shop a while ago but haven't read it. I'm a bit scared it's going to be a let down and tint my happy memories!

FinallyMummy · 07/03/2025 22:10

*taint not tint

InigoJollifant · 07/03/2025 22:11

CaptainCallisto · 07/03/2025 21:02

A children's book called The Gauntlet by Ronald Welch. It was my absolute favourite as a child, and I still read it every now and again for the comfort/nostalgia. It's often described as a children's classic, but I have never met another person who has actually read it.

I’ve read this!! I also loved it.

Livinggently · 07/03/2025 22:13

Beesandhoney123 · 07/03/2025 22:04

Lone pine, silver snaffles, all the biggles books:) found them in the attic as a child.
A charming serious about Mrs Apple and her life
Somerset Maughan- love them.. noone seems to have heard of him!

He wrote The Painted Veil didn’t he? Was made into a film with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton, brilliant.

Talipesmum · 07/03/2025 22:13

FinallyMummy · 07/03/2025 22:09

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo. I don't really remember the plot, but I'm Welsh and it was the first book I read as a child that had traditional Welsh names in.

I remember the teacher reading it to us in school and me loving it so much that I got it out of the library for ages. I also remember opening my own copy as a birthday present and being over the moon.

I picked up a copy from a charity shop a while ago but haven't read it. I'm a bit scared it's going to be a let down and tint my happy memories!

Yes! I remember the Welsh names too. I think it was the first time I heard the name Bethan, and I thought it was lovely.

evtheria · 07/03/2025 22:14

FinallyMummy · 07/03/2025 22:09

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo. I don't really remember the plot, but I'm Welsh and it was the first book I read as a child that had traditional Welsh names in.

I remember the teacher reading it to us in school and me loving it so much that I got it out of the library for ages. I also remember opening my own copy as a birthday present and being over the moon.

I picked up a copy from a charity shop a while ago but haven't read it. I'm a bit scared it's going to be a let down and tint my happy memories!

I loved this book when I was young! Such a great example of a children's fantasy story with emotional depth and a truly mystical feel. I haven't read any of the other books though, isn't it a trilogy?

P.S. I actually chose a Baby-G Shock watch for my birthday present (lol) because of this book, as it was black and had silvery details on the face…

Talipesmum · 07/03/2025 22:15

Livinggently · 07/03/2025 22:03

I’ve read the Solitaire Mystery! Around 30 years ago, so can’t remember the story at all.

I’ve never met anyone who’s read Rebecca’s World… my teacher read it to my class when I was in year 3 and I always remember the bit where it says things are always in the last place you look, because once you’ve found it you don’t need to look anymore. That logic stuck with me when I was about 8!

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Same with my teacher, though it was Y4. She was a v dull teacher but was great at picking books. It was brilliantly creepy. The Swardle Wardle tree?

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!

Aparecium · 07/03/2025 22:15

A friend gave me The Wind On The Moon when I was 12, I think. Certainly in secondary school, but even then it still was a magical story. I read it to my dc when they were all under 10 yo. They would pile onto the sofa around me, and argue over who stole the egg. Years later, dd confessed that she had been unable to resist secretly borrowing the book and reading ahead 😄

PrincessDonut · 07/03/2025 22:15

CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan · 07/03/2025 22:07

I’ve read Rebecca’s World and loved it! I must also have been about Y3.

My username gives another clue: I’ve only met one other person in real life who has read Lois McMaster Bujold. She’s brilliant and I’m semi-evangelical about her.

Huge McMaster Bujold fans in this house. I do also have one friend who loves them as much as us.

InigoJollifant · 07/03/2025 22:16

I’ve read the Land of Green Ginger by Winifred Holtby - how odd there are two of that peculiar title!

also read Silver Snaffles, the Lone Pine, the Children Who Lived in a Barn, Monica Dickens, Snow Spider, the Solitaire Mystery.

how about ‘The London Child’ series by Molly Hughes?

Throwitback · 07/03/2025 22:17

The Notebook by Agota Kristof. In fact, the whole trilogy. I’ve never met anyone else who’s read them!

DontKnowAnythingAnymore · 07/03/2025 22:20

Cerys1971 · 07/03/2025 21:39

Children’s book for me too: Silver Snaffles about a pony that could talk if his owner stood in a certain dark corner in the stable….. I loved it as a child. It belonged to my late mother and was published in the ‘30s I think …..

My favourite childhood book!

Pianoaholic · 07/03/2025 22:21

I may have to dig out my Monica Dickens books and re read them, they were all from charity shops.

I will look into some others mentioned here as they sound good!

sandgreen · 07/03/2025 22:21

Yay @DapperDame! I've only met one other person who knew what I was talking about in my life, and they were Icelandic. This is why I love Mumsnet 😂

Enterthewolves · 07/03/2025 22:21

Abracadabra12 · 07/03/2025 21:50

I love that book so much!

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Me too!

mum2jakie · 07/03/2025 22:22

Beaver Towers by Nigel Hinton 👌

FrostyMorn · 07/03/2025 22:25

Blackcountryexile · 07/03/2025 22:07

I've also read the Lone Pine Adventures and loved them.I thought the ones set in Shropshire were very atmospheric.
I also read the Monica Dickens books many years ago. I agree that they were more enjoyable that the novels by Charles Dickens and far more cheerful!

Oh yes of course - the Shropshire ones were the best, around the Long Myndd.

So pleased to see more love for the Lone Pine club.

To the pp who mentioned Somerset Maugham, I also enjoyed him, especially his short stories.