Our industrious Acquisitions Assistant, Rhiannon highlights some of the new books that now grace the Library shelves, including approximately 900 volumes donated by generous members, authors and publishers and some of the numerous titles that have been added to the rapidly growing Art collection…

It’s been a while since my last blog entry, during which time the Acquisitions Department has been as busy as ever. We have ordered many new titles from recent publisher catalogues and newspaper reviews, as well as receiving many book donations (approximately 900 volumes in 6 months) from Library members, authors and publishers. Amongst the Publisher donations received are a copy of the recently reviewed “Wine Grapes: a complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours” ed. Robinson, Jancis; Harding, Julia and Vouillamoz, Jose (Allen Lane, 2012) from Penguin, and “A History of Opera: the last 400 years” ed. Abbate, Carolyn and Parker, Roger (Allen Lane, 2012) also from Penguin.

I have been keeping an eye on the huge variety of items that we are adding to the Library’s literature and fiction holdings. The series “The Oxford History of Historical Writing” has just been completed with the publication of volume 2. (The 5 volumes were, rather confusingly, not published in volume order.) Recently arrived titles also include:

• “Four Byzantine Novels” translated and introduced by Jeffreys, Elizabeth (Liverpool University Press, 2012)
• “The Girl with the Golden Eyes” de Balzac, Honore. Translated by Collier, Peter (Oxford World Classics, 2012)
• “Sylvia Plath: poems chosen by Carol Ann Duffy” (Faber, 2012)
• “<c> Odes” O’Donnell-Smith, Daniel (Open House Editions, 2012) – this is a debut publication and is housed in the Pamphlet collection
•  “Stag’s Leap” Olds, Sharon (Cape Poetry, 2012) – donated by the publisher

Titles currently on order and due to arrive shortly are:

• “May we be Forgiven” Homes, A. M. (Granta, 2012)
• “The Testament of Mary” Toibin, Colm (Viking, 2012)
• “Self-Control” Saeterbakken, Stig. Translated by Kinsella, Sean (Dalkey Archive Press, 2012)

We have also ordered quite a few art books recently, the most recent of which to arrive are:

• “Discourse on Sacred and Profane Images” Paleotti, Grabriele (Getty Research Institute, 2012)
• “Fish in Art” Jackson, Christine E. (Reaktion, 2012)
• “The Book of Kells” Meehan, Bernard (Thames & Hudson, 2012)
• “The Company of Artists: the origins of the Royal Academy of Arts in London” Saumarez Smith, Charles (Modern Art Press, 2012)
• “William Klein: ABC” Klein, William (Tate, 2012)
• “The Naked Nude” Borzello, Frances (Thames & Hudson, 2012)
• “Art as Politics in Late Medieval and Renaissance Siena” ed. Smith, Timothy B. and Steinhoff, Judith B. (Ashgate, 2012)
• “Graphic Design before Graphic Designers: the printer as designer and craftsman 1700-1914” Jury, David (Thames & Hudson, 2012)
• “The Black Hole of the Camera: the films of Andy Warhol” Murphy, J.J. (University of California Press, 2012)
• “Daido Moriyama” Ed. Baker, Simon (Tate, 2012)

If we are missing any titles that you would like to read, please email your suggestion to the Acquisitions Department – suggestions@londonlibrary.co.uk. You can also browse a full list of new books added to The London Library catalogue via our website.