Journal Entry 1 by KiwiKat from Blenheim, Marlborough New Zealand on Wednesday, May 21, 2003

This book is the very simple story of the love affair between Miss Helene Hanff of New York and Messrs Marks and Co, sellers of rare and secondhand books, at 84 Charing Cross Road, London. It is unmitigated delight from cover to cover. 

Journal Entry 2 by KiwiKat from Blenheim, Marlborough New Zealand on Sunday, July 20, 2003

What a fun book this has been. Having seen a play of the story years ago, I can really picture all the characters. This is a real booklovers book!!

 

Journal Entry 3 by Mothercat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, August 02, 2003

Oooh, nearly forgot to journal this catch - sorry, KiwiKat! I'm really looking forward to reading all 3 books in this set, especially since I only knew about 84 Charing Cross Road: what a bonus, getting The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and Q's Legacy by the same author!

I shall read and savour each one, I'm sure, and then send them on their merry way to be enjoyed by the next recipient - thanks, KiwiKat, for including me in the loop. 

Journal Entry 4 by Mothercat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, October 06, 2003

Really enjoyed reading this book, and its companion volume, Q's Legacy - thanks, KiwiKat, for arranging this bookring, and apologies for the delay in passing it on. Posted to juliebarreto on 4 October 2003. 

Journal Entry 5 by juliebarreto from Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Saturday, October 18, 2003

Arrived today! Can't wait to get started. I have a vague memory of the movie...maybe I'd better add it to the netflix queue. Mahalo plenty! 

Journal Entry 6 by juliebarreto from Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Tuesday, October 21, 2003

What a pleasure it was to read this! I hadn't realized it was autobiographical. Helene Hanff really can write. I love the outraged comments she sent off to the booksellers, especially the ones towards the beginning. It's amazing to think she carved out a writing career, and had such intellectual reading tastes, all without a college degree. A very funny woman!

Oh yeah, "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street." I really liked this one, too, even though I laughed to read her description of it (in the followup book "Q's Legacy," as "Garrilous Gertie comes home from London and has to tell everybody about her trip. Who the hell cares about my trip?"

I care. I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt like I'd just had the most wonderful time over there. If, in fact I were ever to make it over there for real, I probably wouldn't have half as good a time.

This is off to mysteryfan03 once she PMs her address.
mailing off to mysteryfan03 on 10/27/03. 

Journal Entry 7 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Sunday, November 02, 2003

Recieved this in the mail yesterday! Thanks!! I am looking forward to reading it. I do have a few in front of it though :+) Thanks 

Journal Entry 8 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Monday, November 17, 2003

This was a fast, fun read for the most part. I loved 84 Charing Cross Road. The letters were great and it was nice to meet people by letter. The sequel, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street was wonderful at the beginning when Helene was meeting all her pen pals and seeing England for the first time. I suddenly got bored towards the end when it was the same thing over and over every day. Where we went, what we ate, etc. Skimmed the last bit. Thanks so much for the chance to read this!!!!!!!!!!  

Journal Entry 9 by bookmanu from Cascais, Lisboa (distrito) Portugal on Wednesday, April 21, 2004

This book 84 Charing Cross Road/The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street) together with Q's Legacy is now on its way to Dani75 (Mailed from Estoril, Portugal this morning)

All 3 books were thoroughly enjoyable and very quick reads.Thanks for making them available to us kiwikat!

I think I first heard about Helene Hanff and her books some years back on the radio in South Africa. I jumped at the chance of joining this bookring as soon as it was offered.

While reading them, I kept picturing the scenes at Marks and Co. and in Miss Hanff's NYC apartment.
I also couldn't help imagining what it was like in the days before Amazon!It's fantastic that so many relationships grew out of something 'simple' like ordering books by mail.
I was doing something on Google yesterday and Sir Arthur Qiller-Couch's name came up in one of the results. I wouldn't have recognised this name had it not been for these books!

 

Journal Entry 10 by Dani75 from Rudersberg, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Saturday, April 24, 2004

The book was in the mail today. I´m looking forward to reading it and will journal again in a while. 

Journal Entry 11 by boreal from Dunedin, Otago New Zealand on Friday, June 25, 2004

The books are almost home!
They arrived in the mail yesterday, and for a moment I wondered who was sending me parcels from Germany and then I remembered.
Anyway having just finished a book in the morning I started reading this straight away and have finished the 84 Charing Cross Road segment of the book which I loved; how I wish I could write letters like Helene Hanff. I am now part way through the Duchess of Bloomsbury St which I am enjoying but not as much as its predecessor. I will update this journal entry when I am finished.

Update: I enjoyed this book so much that I am adding a copy to my personal collection. As I said before I didn't enjoy Duchess nearly so much but it made a nice conclusion to 84 Charing Cross. 

Journal Entry 12 by KiwiKat from Blenheim, Marlborough New Zealand on Sunday, July 04, 2004

WELCOME BACK!! This is my first completed BookRing. HOORAY!! The books seem to have picked up nice, wee plastic covers (Thank You, to the one that did that!) and few postcards, too!! GREAT! 

Journal Entry 13 by Otakuu from Darfield, Canterbury New Zealand on Friday, February 17, 2006

Picked up at the Convention Meet and Greet 

Journal Entry 14 by Otakuu from Darfield, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, February 25, 2006

This is the first time I have read Duchess of Bloomsbury Square even though 84 Charing Cross Road is one of my favourite books by a favourite author.

I was delighted to collect this at the 2006 NZ Bookcrossing Convention and the discovery that both books were in the one volume made it even better.