I admit to still being book/acquisition-free, but... It's early days yet. ^-~

Yes, it is early in April. :D

I'm working on an April book order for the kids. This is the one where I will buy them all books for the summer. There are some nice books for the classroom and some for me.

Does a tv show count? I bought the complete series of The Wire for only 80 bucks last night. Even though I already own the first season, it was still a great deal.

It's the British version, which probably means different or no extras, but I don't care. I just want to watch the show.

I also bought some yarn, but no books yet in April.

I have to go to the bookstore to get a gift certificate I promised to a charity fundraiser. Odds are I might pick something up while I'm there :-)

edited to add

Yep, I picked up Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Mostly due to all the positive feedback it has been getting here on LT along with the fact that it was only $5.00.

Message edited by its author, Apr 2, 2009, 11:41am.

I received a book in the mail today. Robin's Country by Monica Furlong. I am semi-collecting stories set in Sherwood.

I took an Econ test today and should finish my Research Paper before Monday. I think this means I will finally have time to read again! This college thing is seriously cutting into my me-time.

If you can count things arriving in the mail, I got Adventures in Time and Space today.

I started a new job today which is going to allow me to move out of Atlanta back to the boondocks I call home. I am going to miss the book stores and the thrift stores the most. I thought I better stock up before leaving. One of the thrift stores had just gotten in a large stock of Sci/Fi Fantasy and I bought 19. 3 World War II History but the rest sci fi.

One was a rare paperback in mint condition. The 27th and last book in a long out of print series from the 80's called The Survivalist. It is probably really bad like the most of the rest of the series I started collecting as a teenager but now my collection is complete:-)

I also picked up a leather bound The Complete Works of H.G. Wells that is going to look great on my "nice" book shelf.

Days of Infamy
Engaging the Enemy
The Dragon and the George
The Dragon on the Border
The Dragon in Lyonesse
The Dragon Knight
Throne of Jade
Wizard of the Grove
Black Horses for the King
Elvenblood
Elvenborn
Elvenbane
The Dragon Token
Sun Runners Fire

These books allow me to complete several series so i can start reading them now but also starts a couple of new series for me. I need a copy of His Majesty's Dragon now. I remeber this being discussed as a group read here last year.

I have yet to buy anything new this month. I will most likely be making some acquisitions this Friday and over the coming week, as its my college's yearly book sale at the library.

I just read a thread where someone (JannyWurts?) recommended Patricia McKillip if you like GGK, her favorite being Od Magic, and guess what I saw on the library sale rack yesterday? I took it as a sign and snapped it up. Only $1. I've never read McKillip before.

I'll post a few things that arrived right at the end of March, but I haven't had time to read any of them yet because I've got a pile of library books that I have to read first.
Fire study by Maria V. Snyder
Magic study by Maria V. Snyder
Pride and prejudice and zombies : the classic regency romance--now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem by Jane Austen
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
The Alchemist's Code by Dave Duncan

I loved McKillip's Moon Flash.

I bought a bunch of books over the last couple of weeks...i'm taking a break now. It's time to read :) Actually, there is a book I placed an order for last night (I can't find it in the stores).

#9 - sandragon - you are in for a lush, lyrical, thought-provoking read that does not handle the run of the mill fantasy themes with the standard, vengeful punch. Enjoy!

This is one of the most amazing writers at work, today.

Though don't get me wrong, I also love some of the rougher, edgy ones, too.

#11 - MerryMary - I loved Moon Flash, too, but it was a bit hard to get.

Amazon.ca appears to have some copies of a book I desperately want and never expected to see on there, so I'm gonna make me an order tonight! I just hope they don't sell out before I get it in. I'll be crushed if I miss out on this.

They haven't arrived yet, but I finally figured out how to spend my bonus points with Quality Paperback Books. So for $4.99 each and $2.49 total shipping, I will receive:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Brass Verdict byMichael Connelly
The Likeness by Tana French
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Message edited by its author, Apr 2, 2009, 12:49pm.

#13 - Janny - Sounds good. I like lush and lyrical :o)

Thanks for the recommendations MM and Janny. According to the Will-you-like-it-o-meter I will love Od Magic (certainty high) and Moon Flash (certaintly med). I know it's not infallible but I'm having fun checking out books I've got against this new thingy.

I'm pretty much done buying books for the next few months, with no real disposable income to speak of. That said, I love the Malazan Book of the Fallen series so much, that, even though I have the entire series in mass market paperback, I'm trying to go back and collect it again in hardcover. (Mainly because I don't trust the bindings on the MMPBs to withstand more than a couple of reads.) So I'm regularly checking eBay and AbeBooks for bargain buys (no more than $7-$8), and on April 1st I managed to win a copy of House of Chains for $2 plus $2 shipping.

I bought a couple of YA books last night.
The Titan's Curse and Rumors.
I also loaded a box full of TBR's I had in storage. Most of those were garage sale finds. So all together yesterday I loaded 49 books in LT.

My Water Touching Stone by Eliot Pattison arrived. Yeah! Now I just have to finish Graveyard Dust and Shark's Fins and Millet to get to it!

Not too remarkable but I just got a loved used, in good condition, one volume version of the Lord of the Rings. It does look like one of those lovely long reads that will last and last, even if I do already know the story.

*whispering:* I tried reading the trilogy many years ago and could not "get into it". I think I'll do better this time.

You might try The Hobbit first. It is a prequel, but stands complete on its own, and might "get you into" middle earth before tackling the trilogy.

Don't worry Maggie, it took me three starts before I managed to finish the books. I'm sure you'll get through 'em eventually. :)

jadebird, excellent suggestion. I am as I write about 2/3 of the way through The Hobbit and you are right it is a good introduction. I am enjoying it as a re-read. I think I must have been quite young when I read it previously, I am catching a few more details this time through it.

I bought volume one of Air: Letters from Lost Countries, which isn't touchstoning. Oh well. I didn't realise it was a volume one. Dang. Now I want volumes 2, 3, etc. It's very good magical realism.

I got three books today! Magic Lost, Trouble Found just sort of jumped out at me at Borders. And I found two good books at the library book sale, Eyewitness: Flag - I love that series! - and No Holly For Miss Quinn, and out of print book from and English series that I love.

#24: Will, Letters from Lost Countries sound interesting. I will have a look if I find a copy on bw.

I managed to get a copy of "On the beauties, harmonies and sublimities of nature" by Charles Bucke. 4 Volumes bound in 2.

Oh, and I found an old Chinese Almanac, printed in the 3rd year of Emperor GuangXu. Mrs J is just trying to read it. While she can read all the characters, some meaning seem to have shifted a bit since Qing Dynasty

Today I got a copy of America is Born, an older Newbery Honor book that I have had a difficult time finding. It is even a hardcover copy! I am collecting all the Newbery Medal and Honor books. The Honor ones are going slowly though.

The library booksale wasn't quite as flush as I was probably foolishly hoping. Only bought 3 books, Benjamin Franklin, America Against the World, Bully for Brontosaurus, and Religion & Doubt. I've found Biddhist books and other interesting gems before, but not this year. Oh well. I'll probably go back once or twice this next week during the actual sale just incase I missed something today.

Message edited by its author, Apr 4, 2009, 4:05pm.

I made my Amazon order, but those books don't count until they've arrived. :) I did hit the library yesterday, though, and came away with:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - because it seems like the entire world is over the moon in love with it.
The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan - horray! Now I can reread the series and whip on through my ARC of Book Six. (!!!!!)
The Mirador by Sarah Monette - I plan to reread the whole series when the fourth and final volume is released next week, and this's the only one I don't yet own. I'm holding out for a hardcover, since I want it to match the others.

#9
Sandragon, hey there ;-)

I've recently read Od Magic, thanks to Janny's recommendation. I enjoyed it, especially the way it was written.

A couple days ago I got The Player of Games, Lady Oracle and The King's Daughters. Today I got Mirrorshades A cyberpunk anthology, years best SF 7. Time is the simplest thing The Wonderful world of robert Sheckley thirteen unpredictable tales and an ace doouble with Empire Star and The Tree lord of imeten

None yet, I've told myself I'll have to shave some volumes off mount TBR, specifically the non-fiction one before I'm allowed. But I did place a pre-order on Conspirator, the 10th Foreigner-book, which is due out later this month.

Well, if I can count library books, I checked out The Lost Queen, Salt: A World History, Full Dark House, Man's Search for Meaning, Laugh Lines, The Prince Lost to Time - which is the second in a series, and the library doesn't have the first one, I hate that! - Good Little Wives, and Silks. And then I have this big stack at home I need to read. Plus I saw another as we were leaving, and almost went back for it! I think I need help.

I just acquired about 30 books by opening the front door. Some book fairy left me a bag of books for my classroom. I think it was the kids across the street, but I'm not sure. There was no note along with it.

Got a box of Planet Stories today
The Hounds of Skaith
The Reavers of Skaith
The Ginger Star
The Secret of Sinharat
The Outlaws of Mars

#31 - Hiya Tane - I may have to read Od Magic sooner rather than later. All this praise has helped it scramble to the top of my tbr pile. My interest is definitely piqued!

I don't think I mentioned getting The Jump-off Creek by Molly Glass. I started reading it and I love it. It is a very real description of pioneering in eastern Oregon by a lone woman. Gritty and believable.

maggie, I love reading Lord of the Rings however I had my hubby listen along to an audio version when we 'read' it together last year. It kept his interest during the descriptive passages.
The story is fantastic but Tolkien's writing style is not loved by everyone.

-----------------------------------

I came home with a tidy little stack yesterday. (I'd love feedback on any of these to help me decide how far to the top of my TBR pile I should place them.)

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - I read Thunderstruck last year and enjoyed it. A friend recommended this one to me.
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Cover Her Face by PD James
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
The First Men on the Moon by HG Wells
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - I read The Yellow Wallpaper online last month and loved it; wanted to read more of Gilman's short stories.
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck

Message edited by its author, Apr 5, 2009, 2:36pm.

> BOSK #7 - What a great find, the leather bound HG Wells works . I've read just a few of his to date and love them.

Message edited by its author, Apr 5, 2009, 5:35pm.

I think the only book which is going to come into my house this month is one I bought for my husband, From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown. It's a good one though, I really love his stories.

#39 - The Good Earth is a wonderful book. The only others I've read on your list are the mysteries by James and Marsh, both good reads, but not keepers in my book. I only have about five mystery authors whose books I keep though.

#39 - The Good Earth is one of my favorite books so I second that. Devil in the White City is on my TBR list so I can't wait to hear what you think.

#36 NightHawk777, what a score! Leigh Brackett's work is great.

#39 - I thought Devil in the White City was even better than Thunderstruck, so you might consider moving it up the mountain. :-)

Enjoy!

In today's mail I had a copy of Entombed, which is a mystery with a Poe association and Merlin and the Dragons, which is Arthurian in nature. I collect Poe and related books and I collect Arthurian legends. Happy day for me :)

Lucky you, sevedra! I found a set of vintage mystery hardbacks in like-new condition, one of the books is The Case of the Drowning Duck a Perry Mason I didn't have!

Wow, I came home late to 2 goodies in the mail.

Black Gate 13 Apparently hot off the presses :)
If you are unaware of Black Gate, check it out www.blackgate.com
It was the find of the year for me in 2008.

AND

This months Planet Stories
The Sword of Rhiannon
This is my find of the year for 2009 (so far). This is so cool, because you subscribe and they send you a new book each month. So now, thanks to Planet Stories, I got a ton o' Leigh Brackett to read :)

Re my post in # 17, I just ordered a hardcover of Gardens of the Moon for under $6. (I blame AbeBooks; they sent me a 10% coupon by email. Not that it amounted to much in this instance, but still...)

Today I got Lighthouse at the End of the World in the mail. Again, a book with Poe associations. I think he is a character in this one.

hmm. I may need to stop "collecting" soon. I am overflowing the bookcases again.

I scheduled myself on the early shift today so I could scoot along to the bookstore after work and grab myself a copy of Corambis by Sarah Monette. I was initially dismayed, as there were no copies on the shelves, but an employee tracked down the store's lone copy for me. It was still on a shelving cart.

I stopped at the Goodwill this evening and picked up a copy of The Journal of Jesse Smoke. I only need 3 more My Name is America to have a complete set!
I also got a copy of Ulysses, which is one of the Modern Library 100 that I am collecting. Did I mention I might be collecting too much?
I spent less than $3.

I was just given a copy of The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines by John Crowley. Limited to 526 (26 hand lettered, 500 hand numbered) and autographed. It was resting on my pillow when I got home. My wife is amazing.

I wasn't even planning on picking up any new books, but I was out with a friend, and we were near a bookstore. He need the next in his series, and I got to looking. So anyways I picked up three new books.

The first one is The Well of Lost Plots it's the next one I need to read in the Thursday Next series.

Then I saw this staff recommends for a book called The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist. Their comment captivated me so I just couldn't pass it up. I think I'm going to put this up next on the TBR pile.

The last is Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life which I've been wanting to read for quite a while now, and it was only a couple of bucks so I couldn't pass it up (I'm not complaining, but I seem to have a problem passing up books).

Me too stormy.

Todays magical amazon box contains :

One Second After - I'll probably drop everything and start this one tomorrow. It's about an EMP attack on the US.

Blood of Ambrose James Enge - a Morlock novel? Count me in, i love the short stories i've read in Return of the Sword and Black Gate 8, Black Gate 9, Black Gate 10, Black Gate 11.

Tumithak of the Corridors Charles R. Tanner - Another fun series I encountered in Black Gate. There is apparently a fourth part that was previously unpublished here.

Good Times :)

Aahhh, yes... I remember starting this thread saying it was early days...

I've now added:
Tree and Leaf by JRR Tolkien
Heaven's Net is Wide by Lian Hearn
The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn (I now have the series complete)
Soul Music by Terry Pratchett
Mort by Terry Pratchett
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett

The last three are to replace copies I lent to a friend and... I got tired of waiting to get them back. She's had them for over three years now#. (Of course then I came home and found out I had one of the three back already. *sigh*) From now on there shall be no more book lending. Either I don't get the books back at all or I get them back in infinitely worse shape than I lent them out in. (I may exaggerate, but honestly... *irked*)

# I rarely see her. Have lent another book to someone I've completely lost touch with. And then I've also lent books to people in other countries. But I know I don't have to worry about never getting those back.

Oh, Shanra, I have never heard of Tolkien's Tree and Leaf. Must look for!

I found Confucius Lives Next Door for thirty cents yesterday. So far, it is very interesting.

It's a small collection, Jadebird. It contains his essay "On Fairy Stories" (yes, I know I'm probably spelling it wrong. Hush.) and Leaf by Niggle, as well as two other pieces. Slim and pretty little thing.

That book does sound interesting! ^-^

I just purchased Exit Ghost for my Kindle as well as Guns, Germs, and Steel. I have lots to read and can't make up my mind what is next but I read about a page and a half of the Roth book and I think it is on top. It was highly recommended to me by a friend who is also in the "old lady" age group. Roth is writing about aging I believe.

In Wednesday's mail, I received Death of the Fox, which is a story about Elizabeth and Raleigh. Can't hardly wait!

I picked up Love, Sex & Tragedy at my favorite used bookstore yesterday. With a title like that, how could I not?

I just picked up the mail...and a signed copy of Winter Vault compliments of Chatelaine magazine! I'm going to try to save it for our camping trip in two weeks.

I just got home from about a week of my sister and me helping my mom go through my grandmother's house (she's in assisted living and the house etc has to be sold...it was hard on my mom) and we didn't have time to go through all of her books, but I grabbed all the Cat Who books that I could find, which I always read when I visited her. I couldn't find all of them, but I have 10 (which is about a third of the series and she definitely had a full set).

I'll probably buy the rest at some point, because I really do enjoy the stories, but mostly I just wanted my grandma's books, you know?

I know. Absolutely. I have a collection of books from both my grandmas. And my parents. And a couple great-aunts.

I had a 20% off voucher for borders and went to get Black ships (i've read the first 3 chapters online on a new site called lovereading) but they didn't have it so I got Hand of Isis instead. And got another 20% off voucher at the till - the woman at the till said Black ships is a stock item so they should be getting more in

However, I'm peeved that I had to cancel my order for Hero of ages on amazon.co.uk because it is now listed as currently unavalible with a new listing in Feb 2010. It's a book that has already been published and will be avalible in the USA this month in paperback, why is there a problem? However my parents want to do a west cost tour (and Salt Lake City, guess their religion) of the USA later this year. Perhaps they can get it for me.

I picked up Lilith by George McDonald completely on a whim the other day. I haven't started it yet. I was in the book store to buy Throne of Jade for my son for his Easter basket. He's wanting to get all the Temeraire books.

#7-You'll love this series.

#25-cmbohn--I can't believe I've found someone who has heard of Miss Read! I have No Holly for Miss Quinn, along with several other Miss Read books. I really enjoy re-reading these from time to time.

I got to buy several books today, but they weren't for me. I bought books for my great-nephew's 1st birthday. For myself I bought The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Spanish. I'm also borrowing a Rosetta Stone Spanish program to learn from.

I found a good condition used copy of moosewood restaurant celebrates today. Very happy.

Well, my intentions were good. I went to the bookstore to find a pocket copy of Jane Eyre for someone else, and instead walked out with two books for me. I did try not to, but Stone of Tears and Valley of the Kings refused to be put down. Valley of the Kings I can justify as it pertains to my current archaeology class, but I don't know how to justify Stone of Tears.

*sighs*

On the other hand, it's my *duty* as a book lover to read and review The Cellist of Sarajevo, so no guilt there!

#65, RitaFaye, I love Miss Read too. I'm always on the prowl for her books when I go to the used bookstores. She is wonderful isn't she? I find her very restful.

I just found the most wonderful book. So Your Husband's Gone to War! by Ethel Gorham. Talk about primary sources. This was written in 1942, as an advice book on how to handle your life when your man goes off to war. Wonderful!

Found it at an antique mall in Omaha. It's called "The Brass Armadillo," and they sell fabulous little pralines that are labeled "Armadillo Droppings."

I just got a copy of the world according to Mister Rogers. It is the sweetest thing! My kids don't really know Mr. Rogers, due to PBS not showing it anymore in our area. Maybe one day I can get a bunch of episodes on DVD or something. Do you think it is on DVD?

>71 sevedra, I just looked on Netflix and they have Mister Rogers Neighborhood DVDs.

I picked up about 40 books for my classroom and 5 books for me at garage sales this weekend. Hopefully I can spend some time tonight logging them in.

#71 I love that book!

Well March actually, but I've only just added them to my library:

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb
The Tales of Beedle the Bard ... do I have to continue? and
The Duck that won the Lottery by Julian Baggini

#72, Thanks! I don't have netflix, but I'll figure something out. It is good to just know they exist.

I just received my March ER book: The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister. All other books are getting bumped and I'm starting this one tonight. I get shivery just reading the back cover.

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 5:00pm.

#76 sevedra - does your public library stock DVDs? I get a lot of my TV on DVD from my library.

#78 I have no idea. I seldom borrow books because I almost never can return them on time. I'll try to remember to stop by there in a day or two and ask. or maybe call them.

I just bought from Barnes & Noble (20%off) Why is God Laughing by Deepak Chopra. I really want to know.

My new (second-hand) Connie Willis book arrived last night. Unfortunately when I opened it, I found that the previous owner was a smoker. *bleugh*

Today I got Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe! Did I mention I collect Poe literata?

Oh, Will, what a bummer. My parents are both heavy smokers and I hate to loan them any books. Try putting it in a ziploc bag with an air freshener for a day or so. I don't know if it will help, but it might.

Maybe some aquarium charcoal?

Surreal suggestion: If Will has some friends who are physicists or electron microscopists, he might just be able to con them into putting the book in a vacuum jar (if you can find one big enough -- current ones tend to be too small) and pumping down over the weekend. That would evaporate the pollutants, but when you retrieve the book afterwards, it will also be bone dry and very fragile for a few days, until it's slurped up some moisture from the air.

A few days ago (well, okay, Tuesday), I made the mistake of stepping into a bookstore in search of two books that have come highly recommended. They didn't have those.

Instead I walked out with
Miss Chopsticks by Xinran
and
Real World by Natsuo Kirino

Neither of which appear to be genres I read a lot of/in, so I'm a bit nervous, but they're small/thin books, so I should be all right when I read them.

And today I found more in the mail! I wasn't expecting this until June/July, so I am most pleasantly surprised!

I forgot how I found out, but I found out that Marvel was doing a (limited) comic adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, so I subscribed to it and today the first issue arrived! (If only I knew how to add it to my library now... Help?)

#87 I am so jealous! I had not heard of this. I need to get me to a comic store pronto!

Today I received The Problem of the Spiteful Spiritualist. So, I now hve the complete 4 book set of mysteries where the slueths are Charles Dodgson and Arthur Conan Doyle! I love real-people characters in books.

Does it count that I brought home 3 half inch thick manuals on behavior, codes, procedures, etc. from my new job tonight? I have a lot of reading to do, and I don't think there is a plot.

I'd give it a 42. It doesn't have a beat, and you can't dance to it.

>88 sevedra, there is a nice site called mycomicbookshop.com where you can order comics. I trade with them.

I just ordered Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces by Frank Wilczek. I am very excited!

JadeBird that web address redirects to an unhelpful generic comic book stores search site :(

hmmm...
Sorry, sevedra, I threw in a "book" that shouldn't have been there. This is it:

http://www.mycomicshop.com/

I had a truly awesome mail day:

Looking For Alaska by John Green
Seven For A Secret by Elizabeth Bear
Spike: After the Fall by Brian Lynch and Franco Urru
Angel: After the Fall, vol. 3 by Brian Lynch, Joss Whedon and Franco Urru

I also picked up War and Pieces, the most recent Fables collection, from the library.

I decided a bit ago that I need to re-collect the entire Malazan Book of the Fallen series in hardcover (in addition to my MMPB copies) and have since been checking eBay and AbeBooks for cheap (less than $7 shipped) deals. Today, my $4 hardcover of House of Chains arrived. As I feared immediately after placing my bid, it's the harder-to-find, smaller book club format. On the other hand, I absolutely love it, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to get the whole set in the smaller format. (I see an auction on eBay for the club editions of 3 volumes for $20 shipped all together, but one of the dust jackets has a huge tear down the front of it. Suck.)

Sevedra, I hope it's still available somewhere as it's described as a "limited series". *rummages* Here. ^-^ It seems Marvel still sells it. Might want to check out the sneak peak first, though!

#94 Ohohoh! I'll be looking forward to hearing what you thought of Seven for a Secret!

ETA: Must have capitals in proper places...

Message edited by its author, Apr 17, 2009, 1:33am.

I've been rather gluttonous this last week. I bought At Some Disputed Barricade by Anne Perry which is the 4th in her 5 book WW1 mystery series. I'll get the 5th next month.

Then yesterday I visited the near-by town where we used to live and the used-book store there where I found to my delight I still had quite a large credit. So I got Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones 'cause I've been hearing so much about it and The Portent by George MacDonald which sounds very intriguing.

Today my BookCloseouts order came in - what a satisfying way to end the week. So I just finished cataloguing all the Temeraire books. I have them in audio, but didn't have the first 4 books, now I have all :-) Also:

Medicus by Ruth Downie and the sequel
Terra Incognita
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
A Pale Horse by Charles Todd and last, but hopefully not least,
Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp which sounds like an interesting ghost story.

Bookcloseouts had a $1.99 sale so I figured I'd stock up on some mysteries for the summer. Just what I needed, some more TBRs, but I just can't seem to stop myself. Lovely, lovely books *croons, stroking book covers*

Message edited by its author, Apr 17, 2009, 7:27pm.

Which reminds me, I'd forgotten to post my own bookcloseout order this month;

The Phantom Tollbooth, which I hear raved about on LT a lot
The Birthday of the World by Ursula Le Guin
The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula Le Guin
The Magician by Michael Scott
The Thief of Time by John Boyne, to make up for the disappointment of not getting the ER Mutiny on the Bounty :oD
Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuschia Dunlop, her memoirs about eating/travelling in China. One of my favorite books is Looking for China: Reflections on a Silk Road which is the same topic by a different (Canadian) author, and I'm hoping this is just as fun and interesting.

I got:

Mort - which I love!
Macbeth: Graphic Novel
Defending Angels
The Dragon's Village - about China, sounds good
All for the Love of a Lady
Reno Rendezvous

All but the first were used. My daughter bought the first two Fullmetal Alchemist books. My kids are really into those right now.

#98, ahhh Sandragon, I debated about The Thief of Time. It's main character Matthieu Zela makes a brief appearance in Mutiny on the Bounty too. You'll have to let me know how you like it. The Phantom Tolbooth is another on my wishlist. LibraryThing is such a dangerous place, my TBR pile and wishlist just grow and grow and grow under its influence!

Picked up a copy of the newest Dresden Files book Turn Coat at my local bookstore yesterday. Can't wait to read it. I even got a $10 off coupon towards my next purchase for spending over $150 there.

Today's acquisitions are Tell Me Where it Hurts by Dr. Nick Trout, and Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut.

ETA: Corrected spelling and now touchstone works. Clever, eh?!

Message edited by its author, Apr 18, 2009, 6:12pm.

I received a few from Bookmooch to add to my TBR pile (which may just fall over on me)

Hood by Stephen Lawhead
Morality Play by Barry Unsworth and
A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory

Well, I just had to order something from Amazon. For um, Earth Day. They're used book. It's like recycling. Really.

So I got The Catacomb Conspiracy and Where Should He Die?. The last one was a penny. Well, plus shipping.

6 Ngaio Marsh mysteries, Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers, The Balloon Man by Charlotte MacLeod, Finder by Emma Bull, and Voyage of the Shadowmoon by Sean McMullen. Also 6 gardening books. All from the charity book sale where I am volunteering, and all "free" (i.e. bought with my volunteer credits).

I picked up volume one of Top 10 by Alan Moore from the bookshop. I possibly shouldn't have, but I've been eyeing it off for a while.

#105 - Ooooo! Marsh, Sayers and MacLeod! Great finds. :)

#107 - yes, inherited the classic mystery love from my parents.

Today I added another Ngaio Marsh, one of James White's Sector General books and the two of John Christopher's Tripods trilogy that I didn't already have. I forgot to take a list of the Rex Stouts that I'm missing so didn't get any of those. Something to look forward to next year, if the sale is held again.

Message edited by its author, Apr 19, 2009, 8:33pm.

I went to the Annapolis Book Festival yesterday -- how could I not buy books? I picked up a copy of 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die after seeing the author on a panel about music. I also bought a mystery -- What the Dead Know, by a local author, and a local cookbook I've been coveting for a while for all of its yummy seafood recipes -- Of Tide & Thyme. Finally, I bought a children's book, Skippyjon Jones, which I gave to the little boy of friends that I visited last night.

Love Skippyjon. Great choice!

Over the past couple of days I've gotten Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Avatar both by Jacqueline Carey from the newer, smaller used bookstore close to me. I've read all of Carey's books, but from the library, and these are some of my favorites so I snapped them up. Also the second in the Dune series, Dune's Messiah since I just finished the first last night. Oh, and a My Little Pony book that my daughter found while I was looking around, but I don't remember which one and it's out in the car.

:)

I finally got around to using a gift card at Books a million I got back on march 30.

I searched everywhere for a book 5000 Year Leap, but they didn't have it.

So i consoled myself with the following:

Got it because it sounds cool
The Lies of Locke Lamora

Got to have something to read at lunch, and I already liked the author E.E. Knight:
Choice of the Cat
Tale of the Thunderbolt
Valentine's Rising

Needless to say, I *always* take a 1 hr lunch lol

Ooh, I hope you'll enjoy The Lies of Locke Lamora, NightHawk! I really liked it. ^-^

113: I'll start reading it tomorrow at lunch

Today, a couple of more showed up:

The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story
7 Deadly Scenarios

#103 curious to know what you make of hood. I read it long ago and really disliked it. I loved his celtic trilogy, and found a couple of others readable, but I've bad memories of Hood. Maybe it was just me.

Nothing to lose
house of suns and big sleep on 3 for 2 at Waterstones as I was passing by, not intending to have bought any books.

I'm hoping to go to a flea market this afternoon that is known for their book selection. Hopefully I'll get a few books for me, on top of the large stack I usually get for my classroom.

Picked up Vonnegut's Fates Worse Than Death and Million Dollar Mermaid by Esther Williams for a dollar! I don't usually read autobioographies, but these two books looked too good to pass up.

Loyalty vouchers from the local chain bookstore yielded

The Last Theorem by Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl
Cardamom and Lime by Sarah Al-Hamad

Seeing voting day is a public holiday, we went to the La Lucia branch, on the north coast -- about 50 km each way (yeh, i know, enviro-unfriendly) but gorgeous scenery.

PS. And Saturday's the Kloof SPCA autumn fair. They have a used-book stall ... can't you all hear the little books jumping up and crying "take MEEEE before I get Put Down (sniff, sniff)"

I got Serenity: Those Left Behind in yesterday's mail. It's my favourite sort of acquisition: a book I've already read and thus don't feel the need to read right away.

Despite the apparently futile ban on book buying which was thrust upon me (some people just don't understand that your bookshelves are NOT full until every shelf is three books deep), I managed to slip away from the library with a couple of permanent lodgers: Brambly Hedge Autumn Story (probably already have it stored away in Mum and Dad's attic, but the childhood sentimentality was too strong to resist), and Sick of Shadows by M. C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney.

Little tiny rant here- people who cannot write decently should not be allowed to have good book ideas. They only ruin what could be a masterpiece for someone else. Sick of Shadows was honestly poorly written, overly contrived, trite, rambling, and utterly pointless. So much potential in a storyline, loved the Lady of Shalott reference, but really? What was Beaton/Chesney thinking? Hopefully I'm not stepping on any toes, but it just fell flat for me. /rant

On a happy note, I get to buy a new Norton Anthology this week!

In the past few days I have gotten these:
The Faerie Path
The Other Book
The Last Dickens
Dynasty: The Stuarts
and the text for my next class The World Since 1945

In April I've gotten myself 3 history books (Geschiedenis van de Middeleeuwen, Een bed van botten and I wish I'd been there). Today I am heading into town to see if I can find the other three Twilight parts. I just finished Twilight and while I don't think it was brilliant, for a teen book it was a nice read and I'd like to know where the story goes next.

Edit: Back from my lunch break where I did indeed get New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

Message edited by its author, Apr 23, 2009, 7:22am.

A friend lent me V For Vendetta yesterday. Horray for graphic novels! I need to remember to bring her the first two volumes of Sandman today.

In today's mail I received:
Outcast
The Shadowmancer Returns and
Empire of the East, which as I understand it, is the trilogy that is set a long time before his more famous Swords series, in the same land and may give the beginnings of all that gods and swords stuff.

From BookMooch I received Grimspace by Ann Aguirre and a very nice hardcover copy of Hero by Perry Moore.

My 1st PB edition of Clarke's Reach For Tomorrow with the funky horizontal cover came in the mail...cool.

The Children's Hospital launched their annual Book Market today, and I showed remarkable restraint. I came away with:

Beyond World's End by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale, ed. by James B. South
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, trans. by Jack Zipes

And, wonder of wonders, a signed hardcover copy of Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay! It's one of my top five favourite books of all time. I also bought a signed hardcover of Kelley Armstong's Bitten for my mother.

The SPCA produced 11 books, which is too many to list. Highlights include a Don Camillo I didn't know of -- Don Camillo meets Hell's Angels by Giovannino Guareschi (every bit as good as the earlier "canon") and Speaking Up by the ever-erudite and alwats readable Bernard Levin.

Hugh, did I know you were a Don Camillo fan? I love those books! Actually, I haven't read them all, but I have one or two waiting to be lovingly read. It's a great little world. :)

Yesterday, I picked up The Earthsea Quartet. I might've bought more books, but the selection was tiny and consisted of many I'd little to no interest in and/or didn't know if I already had them.

Lee, probably not. It's yonks since I last had a serious Camillo-fest! But he fits so well into the GD, don't you think?

Dropped into the Kearney Goodwill yesterday. Came away with the following:

The Children's Story Hour: First Story Book - the first volume of a vintage anthology set.
Airs Above the Ground - a Mary Stewart mystery involving Lipizzaner horses.
Nebraska Moments - Essays about my favorite state.
The Kid Who Batted 1.000 - a vintage paperback that both Lee and I read when we were kids. Somehow I've never forgotten it. It'll be fun to read again.
Man of the Desert - Not sure I really need another Grace Livingston Hill, but I've never read this one.
Double Star - a 1956 Heinlein thriller that looks like a lot of fun.
Shadow Behind the Curtain - a Velda Johnston mystery that I have already finished. Need to write a review.

Message edited by its author, Apr 27, 2009, 1:06pm.

My father-in-law sent me three books (he picks them up at the Senior Center):

Six Great Modern Short Novels, authors are William Faulkner, James Joyce, Herman Melville, Nikolay Gogol, Katherine Anne Porter and Glenway Wescott. Don't know if I'll end up reading that or not, I don't like depressing "modern" novels.
Two books by Frank Yerby, Pride's Castle and The Saracen Blade. I had not heard of him before, but now that I've read a bit about him, he sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to trying his historical novels.

My darling OH bought two books for me as well:

Macho Macho Animals and The Saturday Evening Pearls, by Stephen Pastis. :)

Today I got Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Social origins of dictatorship and democracy in the mail. My main online bookshop had a sale. Both books told me they had my name on them.

Woo! I just got confirmation from USPS.com that my books arrived! I should have my hands on them in a little over two hours. These are the three books mentioned in msg #95: hardcover book club editions of Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides, and Reaper's Gale. Hopefully, the dust jacket tear on MoI can be easily repaired with some carefully-placed packing tape.

Message edited by its author, Apr 27, 2009, 4:47pm.

I just got Wife of the Gods from the UPS guy. It looks really good. And I bought the new 39 Clues book, The Sword Thief. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to read it first or let my son have it.

This is the year of NO BOOKS (or Very Few). However, I found one I couldn't pass up: A Lover of Unreason, which is all about Ted Hughes mistress. I'm a wee bit obsessed with dear old Sylvia, so anything about her life is a must have.

I also got Vivaldi's Virgins by Barbara Quick and The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney at my second hand store - both basically new, and free as trade ins. Very happy, the both look wonderful and The Tenderness of Wolves was on my to-buy list.

#137 - Me Too! I mean Wife of the Gods. I'm gonna go start it right now.

I just betterworlded two books:

Gotisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch. Mit Einschluss der Eigennamen und der Gotischen Lehnwörter im Romanischen. a gothic etymological dictionary

and a book whose title I found in the "weirdest title" thread
Merde: Excursions in Scientific, Cultural, and Socio-Historical Coprology

J_ipsen, I'm jealous. Gothic has fascinated me for years. But then that particular one wouldn't be great - I don't read German well at all.

It'd be good practice for both languages, Will?
J_ipsen that sounds like a fantastic dictionary!

New to my collection are...
Mélusine by Sarah Monette (and is entirely Xicanti's fault)
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner (also Xicanti's fault)
Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
The Whisper of Glocken by Carol Kendall

Oh, and I picked up a copy of The J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection Sunday too. I just didn't think it'd have a Touchstone. (And anyway they're cds.)

My April is going out with a bang on the book acquisition front due to the half-off sale the used book store across the street is having. Today I picked up:

Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop (I still need to read the first book of the series before this one).
The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice
The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter (I still need to read the second book of this series, this one is the third).
And a manga, Il Gatto Sul G.

Message edited by its author, Apr 30, 2009, 1:46pm.

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire arrived the other day. It looks like it's going to be very interesting.

143 - I read Heir to the Shadows the other week. That series is good, but kind of disturbing in parts. Just so you're warned.

Even though it is May already, I got the book on the 29th as a gift: The last mughal

A few days ago a box arrived full of old SF books from the 50s through the 70s. I haven't gone through them all yet, but it was supposed to be 23 books, and was actually 26 (and 3 of those were old Ace Doubles). 3, however, were non-fiction books. Two on space, and one was on geology! A few were damaged/worn out beyond hope, but for $10 I can't complain.
Christmas in May woohoo

Last week I swung by Half Price Books with a couple of dollars in pocket and nabbed the third Robot City: Robots and Aliens book, as well as Zelazny's Lord of Light, which I'll hopefully get to in time for the 1001Fantasy challenge.