Book haul 🌼 Spend a Spring day with me in London

Spring has finally arrived! I went for a walk around Westminster (very Mrs Dalloway of me), visited the National Gallery and bought a few books in Waterstones... 📚 My book-buying ban break is really showing with this book haul 🌼
0:00 Introduction
0:10 My love of Trafalgar Square
2:30 On book buying & haul
5:07 Gallant by V. E. Schwab
6:39 Still Life by Sarah Winman
9:02 The Magician by Colm Tóibín
11:05 Historical fiction / end of book haul
11:54 Afternoon in London
12:12 Book shopping in Waterstones
13:01 National Gallery
14:37 St James's Park
15:11 Westminster & Big Ben
15:43 Home with Sybil
✅ Subscribe: bit.ly/ClaireFenbyBooktube
📸 Follow me on Instagram: bit.ly/CFenbyInstagram
💰 Tip me on Ko-Fi: bit.ly/ClaireFenbyTipJar
📖 Gift me a book from my wish list: bit.ly/AmazonwishlistCF
🐦 Follow me on Twitter: bit.ly/ClaireFenbyTwitter
💌 Subscribe to my newsletter: bit.ly/CFenbynewsletter
Music: April by Kai Engel: freemusicarchive.org/music/Ka...
#booktube #bookshopping

[@melissaholton5161]

🌻💛 More fab book recs! You had me at E.M. Forster! I will definitely check out Still Life. Thank you for that serotonin boost of looking around beautiful London. xoxo

[@Evegalewitz]

I completely understand having a soft spot for Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. I’ve seen it many times but I am always a little overwhelmed by the majestic history that took place in the the heart of London, and how what happened there reverberated thru the world. Lovely to see London in spring. Now reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and am 3/4 thru book 2 - Dragonfly in Amber. Listening to Emma Donoghue’s Pull of the Stars on Audible.

[@melanieholmes8153]

🌼🌷🌼🌷🌼 😍 'Still Life' - enjoy 😊

[@BookishTexan]

🌼 Thanks for the footage of Trafalgar and Westminster. As someone who has only visited London as a tourist it’s nice to see those places because they bring back memories of my time there. I love books about writers and often read them before I read the work of the writer they are about. This usually leads to me reading their work and, I think, having a greater appreciation for it.

[@Claire_Fenby]

So glad to hear it brought back memories for you! I want to capture as much of the city possible before we leave in the next year or so 💫 Thank you for watching!

[@Lynn_Ann_Jackson]

🌼🌻🌼Lovely video…looking forward to reading Still Life and The Magician.

[@Books_Anime_92]

I am planning on visiting London again for my 50th birthday. I love England and I got to see Big Ben an md the Houses of Parliament when I visited in 1991.

[@Claire_Fenby]

I hope you have a lovely trip and birthday!!

[@xcherry.inkx1950]

🏵️🌻💮🌸🌼💐🌺 All of them for you and this lovely video!

[@luke28]

Thank you for showing us arround again, like I mentioned before I always love so when you decide to share some bits and bops of your London surroundings with us. Have a lovely week!

[@GinaStanyerBooks]

Glorious! 🌝🌻💐

[@lisainbookland]

I think Trafalgar Square is my favourite spot in London as well when I visit, and I especially love it at night, with the galleries lit up so nicely. Because it’s an open space it’s a little quieter and calmer with places to sit while still being in central London - it’s not a proper visit to London unless I’ve been 😊 nice to see it’s appreciated by locals as well. I read once that there were plans to put HMS Victory there but they decided on Portsmouth as well - and I’m glad they did, wouldn’t be the same!

[@jamiedianne6778]

It’s a spring tradition watching a Claire vlog featuring blossoms and bookshops 🌻💛🌻 I need to read Still Life and reread some Forster! A Room With a View feels like such a spring read. 📚

[@Claire_Fenby]

Definitely a Spring tradition for me! ARWAV is the perfect Spring/Summer read and always makes me want to escape to Italy 💫 Thank you for watching

[@mikithompson745]

Thank you for a lovely video 🌼🌻🌼

[@angiecowell5619]

🌼

[@badfaith4u]

🌻🌻🌻 Lovely video and Sybil was a wonderful as always.

[@VictoriaPichel]

ha, i'm commenting from my laptop and don't have emojis! Trafalgar Square also brings back so many lovely memories for me. I'm from Argentina and on my first -and only so far- visit to London in 2015 that branch of Waterstones was where I purchased my first 4 books (and a Penguin Books mug and tote bags...) and seeing Big Ben back to life! I understand why it is important to you -its towering presence is so magnificent. I cried the first time I saw it, coming out of the tube station. Mindblowing, seeing it in person. xx

[@vickycurtin5622]

🌻 I couldn't find a daffodil 😭 Lovely video. Those two books are going directly on my tbr list :))) Thank you!

[@ursulaclarke6066]

I lived in London for 20 years and I still miss it insanely. You showed my fav painting in the National Gallery. X

[@ReadingNymph]

I love a good London day! I'm looking forward to reading Gallent but I'm also thinking to pick it up in autumn 🍂 🌼

[@Claire_Fenby]

Definitely an Autumn read! Perfect gothic read for a rainy day ⚡️

[@WhatVictoriaRead]

I love how intuitive and deliberate you are with your reading - it’s so interesting to follow along. And this was a beautiful love letter to London - I’m so glad you had such a glorious day! 💛

[@Claire_Fenby]

Thank you so much Victoria! I think that perfectly describes my reading - planned chaos 😂 Thank you so much for watching and supporting ❤️

[@SaraEFR74]

🌻 I love London. And you went to all my favourite places too xx

[@Claire_Fenby]

Thank you!

[@laurakopu8970]

🌻

[@prinasumaria3016]

🌻 - such a lovely video for my lunch break

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Adored this! Beautiful edition of Gallant. Love the sprayed edges. Still Life and The Magician are on my TBR and always love when you take us along to see bits of London. 💙😊🌼

[@Claire_Fenby]

Thank you so much! Yes, I may have pre-ordered just for the sprayed edges... 😅

[@danielareyes4175]

Great video, Claire, as always 🌼💛

[@martakorodi-boroska7451]

💐

[@rowenaroberta5244]

🌼🌻

[@ljb3135]

🌼☀️💛📚

[@rachaelrobinson2050]

🌼 I tried copying your flower imoji, but my laptop was having none of it. Such a lovely video.

[@booksandbabble6847]

🌻🌻

[@gillwoolley6515]

Thanks Claire I'm just about to start Still Life, looking forward to it,what a lovely cover. 🌼🌼🌼🌼

[@gracetaylor7351]

🌼🌼🌻

[@AylenL]

Man I hope the sun keeps shining on London because I'm coming up on Friday and I can't wait to see this beautiful city in the spring

[@Claire_Fenby]

Hope you had a lovely time!

[@SeleneFlorio]

🌼 lovely video!

[@sarahsutherland9503]

🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼

[@sarahsperusals]

i had no idea still life was inspired by/references e.m. forster. a room with a view is one of my favorite books!!! i'll have to snag a copy 🌼

[@tamaravalero6037]

🌻💛🌻

[@WhatVictoriaRead]

🌻🌻🌻

[@chockycake1]

Still Life is a magical book. Enjoy 😊

[@mariat.3961]

That was a lovely video!

[@gabrielaalmeida1157]

🌼🏵️🌻

[@lauramacaskill7553]

Saw you in Croydon today - didn't stop you as you looked dead tired but was nice to spot you anyway!! Xx

[@Claire_Fenby]

Probably just not wearing makeup on errands 😂😂

[@hilarycartlidge6135]

💛 my free emojis don't have flowers so I chose the yellowist thing

[@sueh3426]

Thank you for taking us on another lovely stroll around beautiful London. I loved Still Life Hope you do too 🤞🏻 🌼🌼🌼

[@teresak2022]

🌼🌼🌼 I love your videos! I've had my eyes on Gallant too & now you convinced me to read it ☺️ Thomas Mann might not seem so accessible but his short novella Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain are definitely worth a read! I studied them in uni when I did my major in German literature and did not regret it! Love from Austria xx

[@Claire_Fenby]

Thank you! I'll definitely have a look at Death in Venice

[@circleofleaves2676]

I just finished reading Still Life (Sarah Winman) today. Oh, my heart, my heart, my heart. I cried. It was so beautifully written. There were so many paragraphs and lines that I re-read, and wrote down. The characters were so raw, and so real (with just a touch of the surreal). Definitely my favourite book so far this year. I stumbled across Sarah Winman in 2020 and I read her 3 earlier books then, starting with Tin Man. There's a lot of LGBTQ representation in all her books I think. She's one of my new favourite authors.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Your comment has more than sold me to read Still Life. 💙

[@Claire_Fenby]

@@BookwormAdventureGirl I know right!?

[@Claire_Fenby]

Having to stop and write down quotes is the sign of a perfect book IMO! So glad to hear you enjoyed it ❤️

[@gogo_lopez]

It's so lovely catching up with you! ✨ And your vlog bits are as aesthetic as always ~ If you're looking to get into Thomas Mann, I recommend his novella Tristan! It's the text my teacher used to introduce our class to him back in university, and it being a novella it's not as intimidating length wise. Granted it's a relatively early text of his, but enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks for the video, take lots of care! 🏵️🌻🌼

[@Claire_Fenby]

Thank you so much! I'll check Tristan out now ❤️

[@ameliabarlowbooks]

you will love Still Life! I would save it for my honeymoon if I were you, but you can always do a re-read 💛🌻

[@Claire_Fenby]

I've decided to save it so I can savour it on honeymoon! ❤️

[@ameliahall6698]

🌻🌼

[@andratartan1849]

Beautiful

[@michellelockett6518]

🌼xx

[@Lisa-cq7cb]

🍃🌼🍃

[@HayleyAsha]

🌼🌻🏵

[@yersyolivo-berrios1393]

I have gallant and I hope it does disappoint

[@JeannyMeyer]

I loved The Magician. Despite being German and growing up with Mann’s stories I didn’t know a lot about his family life. I sadly have to say I am now absolutely appalled by him because of his p***philia. Prior to reading The Magician I hadn’t known that those themes in his works came from personal experiences.

[@Claire_Fenby]

Damn I had no idea! Perhaps I’ll just stick to The Magician then

[@beckydoherty6276]

Still Life is amazing! My first book of the year and possibly the best?! Although, I adored The Island of Missing Trees as much. Enjoy. 🌼💫

[@Claire_Fenby]

What a way to start the year!!

[@annetteafforselles4093]

🌼

[@kristelh]

🌻

[@heyiamholly]

🌼🌼🌼

[@kayswan6092]

🌼🌻

[@lindenreads]

🌻🌻🌻

[@Sueradiohead]

🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻

[@fabiolaaa19]

🌼

[@simoit9256]

🌼

[@sarahgray1345]

🌼

[@Maren617]

🌻

[@anngarritty9704]

🌻

[@margaretwhittaker7519]

🌻

[@emiliaporttinen1336]

🌻

[@bookish.bulletin]

🌼

[@emilsibi17]

🌼🌼🌼

[@sashahawkins]

🌼🌼🌼

[@lauravdartel]

🌼🌼🌼

[@mariecarter1379]

🌼🌼

[@Sueradiohead]

🌼

[@AeginaO]

🌼🌼🐱❤

[@mariat.3961]

🌼

[@mariaamaro1127]

🌼🌻

[@maisarah961]

🌻🌻🌻

[@natlawrence5787]

🌻

[@marciagardiner]

🌻

[@adrienne4028]

🌼🌼