Virago Secret Santa 2018: Letters to Santa

Help your Secret Santa!

Do you have any special items you are "wishing" for? Do you have any preferences towards used or new books, paperback or hardback?

Are you only interested in VMCs, or would you enjoy receiving other types of books?

Is there anything else your Santa might send you? Maybe they could choose a pattern from your Ravelry wishlist to sent you? Maybe they could send you something you collect or something that would be a particular treat?

You can mention what you don't want. Some people have allergies. I love my dog but I already have more than enough border terrier things!

Please post anything you think will help your Secret Santa in their quest to find a gift for you.

Also, let's keep this thread just for letters to Santa and keep chat and questions and answers on the original Secret Santa thread! Experience has taught us that makes it easier for everyone to find out what they need to know!

Dear lovely Santa,

It's that lovely, booky time of the year and I promise I'll be grateful for whatever books I receive!

I love old, sad, used books with writing inside them - underlining and comments, fine, previous owners' names the best.

I don't demand all Viragoes but the odd one would be nice if you find one. I have a few on my wishlist.

My wishlist is here and I haven't separated out the Viragoes, sorry! https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/my-wish-list/ It's quite wide-ranging and not all new (very little of it is new!)

If you go off list (which is also fine) I like all genres except crime and horror and most sci-fi. I do like cosy mysteries, though.

I will have all my books on my LT catalog so you can check if I already have something if going off-list. Note the "read but unowned" section, which should be included when you search my library. This is books I've read but didn't want to keep, just so you know.

One thing I love and have appreciated every year so far is a book from your local region - the writer or the setting. I think this is a marvellous thing and it's something I put in to my parcels.

If you were considering putting any extras in, I love dark chocolate and parma violets. I don't eat things with high saturated fat that aren't dark chocolate. And I love cats but do not like cat-themed things.

Sorry santa, what a grouchy, precious thing I am. Do I actually deserve any presents? Hmmm. But I like to know details so I hope you do, too.

Thank you, and merry Christmas!

LyzzyBee xx

Dear Santa,

What fun! Well, I don't have a wishlist, but my LibraryThing should be up to date.

Books don't need to be VMCs, but I do have a preference for secondhand - and tend to avoid very long books (not least because of my shelf space!) I'd be excited to receive anything you think I'd like!

And I'm vegetarian, in case that is relevant for any reason :)

Simon x

Dear Santa,

I’m afraid I’m making things a bit hard for you as my LT library is very incomplete and I’m mostly lurking here on LT. The truth is that Viragos are a rarity in my part of the world and I was really hoping that you would share a favourite or two, to set me on the right path.

As my LT library is so incomplete I thought the easiest way to help would be to list the numbers of the few Viragos I have read (from the collection tracker), so you can avoid those. They are number 23, 35, 50, 56, 68, 127, 341-346 (Austen), 357, 358, 359, 364, 410, 487, 537, 591, 592, 593, 607, 619, 620, 629, 685, 688, 691. I may also have read some of the novels that are not listed in the tracker. My wishlist is updated but I’m mostly hoping for a surprise.

I usually avoid horror and tend to find Persephones a bit too slow, but anything in-between should work. Either used or new books are fine, and I always welcome a well-loved book. It doesn’t have to be a Virago either.

I am probably on the wrong side of a customs border from where you live so if you send things yourself it might help if it is clearly labelled as a gift, but books shouldn’t cause any trouble either way.

I’m really looking forward to joining this year!

/alvaret (I guess some of you know me better under my wordpress alias, ireadthatinabook)

Dear Santa,

I'm so excited to be part of this years Virago Secret Santa.
Yes I have been good, well I have bought a book or two.

Having joined quite a few years ago I have only recently come back, saw this thread and thought, what a lovely thing to do.

I love pre-loved and new books especially Virago and Persephones which I collect.
I read mainly classics including modern.
My wish list can be found on Goodreads where all my books are listed so you can see what I have already read to give you an idea of what books I like.
You can find me under Mary Durrant.
Will update here eventually.

Perhaps you have a book you have enjoyed that you think I might like?

If you do include extra's I love anything organic especially chocolate and Earl Grey tea.

I would also love to get back to knitting so maybe a pattern for a small project. Modern or vintage I really don't mind.

I really don't expect much just having a surprise book would make my Christmas.

Thank you so much Santa,

Mary Xx

Dear Santa,

I am very happy to be taking part in this tradition after sitting out last year when I was moving house.

I always enjoy adding to my Virago collection, although it's becoming more difficult to find ones I don't already own here in the US. Check my library: books tagged "virago" are the ones I already own. If I don't own it, I'd be happy to have it. I'm also quite fond of the new Virago editions of Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire novels. I have a few of them and would be quite pleased to add more to my collection.

Of course, I am happy to receive anything you think I might like, including a book you've loved, or something representative of where you live. My LT library is up-to-date and includes books I own and books I've read, even if I borrowed them from the library or have since donated or swapped them. I enjoy both classic and contemporary fiction, with a particular fondness for books written by women. I confess I don't particularly care for sci-fi or fantasy. I’m also an avid knitter and would welcome reference books on the subject; I even have a small wish list of knitting books on Amazon, here.

Thank you Santa!
Laura

Dear Santa,

I hope this finds you fit and well and prepared for the strain of the festive season!

Despite having amassed quite a few books this year, I am always happy to see more coming into the house. I love all books, whether pre-loved or shiny, and do like to save lonely and lost ones from oblivion.

I have a small Virago and Persephone wishlist, as well as a little one at Amazon here:

http://amzn.eu/8RUdRM3

I read fairly widely, though am often a little nervous about modern books, and really don't like graphic modern murder books or chick-lit. Unfortunately, my LibraryThing is not up to date, but I will be delighted with whatever you choose to send me, whether from a wishlist, or something you think I would be interested in or enjoy. Sci fi can be ok, but I prefer the old school type mostly. Classic crime may be best avoided because I have an awful lot of it... I do like Russians and classics, though I try to avoid Thomas Hardy! I have a bit of an obsession with the French Revolution too just now, and I love translated lit. You might check out my blog to see the kind of things I read:

https://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/

If you were considering putting anything non-bookish in, it might be worth bearing in mind that I'm vegan. I'm also a stationery addict and occasional crafter...

Thank you for whatever you decide to gift me this year, Santa!

Karen/Kaggsy

Dear Santa

I'm so happy to be taking part in this again and very grateful to you and all the other Santas and elves for making it possible.

I know you have excellent taste and I would love most of all for you to send me something that you would recommend and think I would like.

I appreciate well written books from most genres, and particularly enjoy books written by women and from a female perspective. In the past I have asked for more Virago Modern Classics but I now have all my most wanted there and am not aiming to own every single VMC.(However if you have one in mind you think I'd like and I don't already have, you know I would be delighted.)

If you would appreciate a little more help, I've updated my public wishlist on amazon.co.uk. Look for Dee L Ingram. (the L is important. There are a couple of other Dee Ingram's. My list is the one with the books!)

Or check my list of favourite authors. I will have most of their works already. But anything not listed by a favourite author would be fab. My library is kept obsessively up-to-date. I don't own it until I've listed it on LT!

I'm not hoping for anything particular though. Something you've loved and would like to share would be wonderful. I have accumulated rather a lot of books to-be-read over recent years so don't worry about quantity. One special volume would be just perfect.

I am equally happy with new and shiny or pre-loved and worn around the edges.

Thank you so much. Wishing you all the best over the wintry season ♥️🌿

Dee

Dear Santa,

I'm so excited to be participating yet again in this wonderful tradition!

I have been very happy with whatever you've brought me in the past - I know your taste is excellent and look forward to whatever you bring me!

I guess just to give you some ideas - I'm very happy to receive any VMC I don't already have. They are all tagged VMC in my catalog, which I'm pretty sure is up-to-date with regards to VMCs! Previously loved is fine for me - love to add to the green-spine collection on my shelves, or the black Dial press ones, or the newer more colorful VMCs.

I have only six Persephones (tagged as such) - all but one from previous Virago Secret Santa years. Happy to add to that collection.

I have a lot of items on my wishlist here which are mainly recommendations from fellow LTers. Feel free to browse there for ideas.

And I will say that one of my most memorable Virago Secret Santa gifts in the past was when you introduced me to a new author, completely un-related to VMCs. So, I'm completely open to that!

As far as genres, I have been broadening my reading since joining LT 10 years ago, so I'm open to any genre. I would say though that I have a strong preference for fiction.

If you want to toss anything else in the bag, know that I have a sweet tooth...

Thank you Santa! And thanks to your wonderful elves!

Warm regards,
Lisa

Dear Santa

I have been good(ish) this year, though I did buy a few books

I continue to collect lovely Green viragoes and my collection is tagged VMC. Similarly with Persephone books.

I love women writers of the 20th century, I would love to read more by Richmael Compton, Daphne Du Maurier and Pamela Hansford Johnson and Rose Macaulay. I love short stories too.

I am currently away on holiday, and managing on dodgy holiday WiFi, so can't say if my library is up to date. I will try and get it and my wishlist up to date by tomorrow.

I am very happy with either new or old loved books, but I have to admit I sometimes struggle with very small print (like in orange penguins).

I also like old vintage crime (British library crime classics) too.

I am a big tea drinker, I like black teas like Assam and English Breakfast but I can't stand Earl Grey. Chocolate is always welcome, but I am not keen on dark.

Honestly, Santa I am sure whatever you choose will be perfect.

Thank you in advance

Ali

I'm late I'm late!

Dearest Santa, I've gone rather overboard this year in buying books. Really. I mean way overboard. I mean - I JUST CAN'T STOP! So I guess I've been a bit naughty this year...🤭 That said (ha!), there are still Viragos that are missing in my collection - the very lovely VMC 40th Anniversary Editions released earlier this year:

VMC40: Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy

I'm always grateful for any VMCs I don't have (although that might be difficult as my collection is fairly large) and I also love Persephone Books. My catalogue is up to date with both of these collections.

Oh, and Dean Street Press has published quite a few lovely books by Rachel Ferguson, Elizabeth Fair, Ursula Orange and Frances Faviell among others.

As always, I am open for a new-to-me author and of course, I love gently used books as well.

Thank you, dear Santa. It's been such a lovely decade of VSS Celebrations!

Cate💚📚🌲🌿

Dear Santa,

I’m sorry to be so late, and if you have already been shopping there’s no need to take any notice of what I’m about to write. I'm sure you could make excellent choices without any help, and I’d be delighted to be completely surprised. Because often the best books of all are the books you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them ….

If you would like some guidance:

My library is as up to date as it ever will be, but please be aware that the tagging is a little erratic.

I've added the VMCs and the Virago Travellers I would love to add to my library to the wishlist thread. That's about it for Viragos, because I've been collecting for a long, long time, because many of the more recent additions to the list don't call me, and because I'm trying not to be a completeist.

I’d love anything at all that I don’t have by any of the favourite authors you will see on my profile page, and I've constructed a little wishlist here.

My favourite books take me out of the here and now; and I'm happiest in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Pre-loved books and new books are all very welcome here.

I think – I hope – that gives you a idea of my taste.

Love,

Jane x