A Book Search Among Friends, October 2010

Did I miss seeing this thread for October?

In any case, I'm hunting for a copy of 1984 by George Orwell. Anyone have a copy they are willing to part with (and send to Canada)?

I am again searching for a 1st edition hardcover of The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. ISBN: 0517542021
(My mooch fell through and she has not signed on for 39 days) Any help would be awesome. Her new book is coming out next spring and I want to re-read the series. I was so secure in that mooch that I sent out my paperback before receiving the hardcover. Note to self: When replacing books, don't add to inventory before receiving new one. Blech.

Oh, and I really really want to find a copy of the Overlook version (ISBN: 1585673668) of Porius by John Cowper Powys. This is an unabridged version. Would prefer the hardcover but a paperback (ISBN: 158567995X) would be okay too.

I'm looking for Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth, Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky and the Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault. :-) thanks :-)

#1: if you don't mind an ebook, Project Gutenberg Australia has George Orwell's books available at

http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-n-z.html#orwell

Hope this helps a little least.

How cool is that, skittles!?! Thanks for that... good info. ;-)

#5: HDL, I occasionally have good info...

I also found a copy of L.M.Mongomery's Blue Castle at PG-Australia!! So, I'm going to read that soon.... I hope!

There are some books there that aren't out of copyright in the US yet.... which is good & bad, but I'm not going to worry about it today.

But there is also some stuff there that looks really good that I've not heard of so I'm happy!

#6, have you also read Colleen McCullough's The Ladies of Missalonghi? I keep meaning to look up which was written first, Blue Castle or The Ladies of Missalonghi. Because it CAN'T be coincidence!

#7 - I have not read either, so cannot comment on the contents, but The Ladies of Missalonghi was published in 1987, while The Blue Castle was published in 1926.

^8, Oh duh, of course! I should have made the connection that McCullough is far more contemporary than Montgomery.

I wonder if Blue Castle was considered out of copyright in Australia at the time Ladies of Missalonghi was published.

I enjoyed both. But I like Blue Castle better, I think.

OMG! I was just browsing through PG-Australia & GWTW is available!!!

**thud**

I'm not going to read it, but that it is there & available....

**thud**

which is about the same reaction I had when I saw 1984 & Animal Farm.

(oh, yeah. I am not a very nice person)

But, skittles! You're my hero! GWTW on my kindle?!? Are you kidding me?

#11: HDL, Here is the link to the "M" authors, then go down to Mitchell.

There are html & pdf versions to choose from.

http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m.html#letterM

Project Gutenberg & PG-Australia are both great resources.

PG-Australia? I have heard of Gutenberg, but not this one!

Thank you, skittles! I got it!

#1 Peripa, I saw a nice Penguin copy of 1984 in my local charity bookshop when I visited today. I am probably going into town again on Tuesday so I can grab it for you if you are still interested?

#2 Tani, no Clan of the Cave Bear or Porius but I will try and remember to keep an eye out for you.

Thank you, Heather!

16: That just totally confused me. lol

*waves to other Heather!*

LOL... sorry, I wondered about that. ;-)

*waves back*

Thanks all! I've been offered a few copies now, and was lucky enough to mooch one within Canada. I appreciate all the help!

I am looking for any Witches' Almanacs.

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller?

:)

I would really love to complete my collection of Nigel Tranter Books.

I am looking for Christmas-themed picture books in giftable condition. Are there any out there available for mooching?

I can add Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan to your pile.

Looking for Infinite Jest, Skippy Dies, #3 of the Larsson series, Super Sad True Love Story would offer four points for any of those (not much, but still, if they are lying around lonely)....

titles related to Croatia, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Eastern Europe, etc are also in my wishlist.

thanks

Looking for someone who has the "Hannibal" books by Thomas Harris. If I'm not mistaken, there's 3 in the series, and I'd prefer to save on shipping costs and mooch them all from one person. Preferably hardcover editions too, paperback is ok. Thanks!!

I am looking for soft cover versions of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (touchstone only goes to book 3) by Rick Riordan. I volunteer in a school and a few of the boys in the oldest grade really enjoy these books and I'd love to pick up good quality copys for the teacher's class room library.

Thanks!
~ Missy

My wife is looking for a copy of Jitterbug Perfume and I finally have points to spend, so . . . anybody?

Does anyone have any books on audio CD? I am looking for classics mainly, stuff that is older and perhaps harder to follow in the written form.

I am looking for Lily Quench books for my daughter and anything along the same lines - girl as main character doing exciting things. Preferably fantasy.

30- Maybe try the Vesper Holly series by Lloyd Alexander (sorry I don't have any of them at the moment).

#30: Robin McKinley's books!! Start with The Blue Sword and then Hero and the Crown. Awesome stories & strong female characters.

#30 - try the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett!

#31 thank you, I'll look for those.

#32 Already have most of hers as I read them myself, but agree they are super and would be just what I am looking for.

#30 I don't know what age group you're looking for (I don't know the Lily Quench series), but Sabriel by Garth Nix is pretty exciting :)

#33 thank you, have added them for the future.
#35 have that series too and love it but its a bit too old for my daughter

She is five and a half but an extremely confident free reader who no longer has to read out loud. Her reading age has been estimated at about 9, so I am looking for books that are appropriate in content for now and also books that I can put aside for her for a few years time. I have the Alanna series, the Talking with dragons series etc waiting patiently for her!

The Lily Quench series is absolutely super, about a young girl who is born to work with dragons. Lots of excitement and action, humour, simple fantasy world, very very light romance etc and they have really caught her attention. I only managed to get the first couple from the library and she is waiting so patiently for me to come through with them all!

historywitch, speaking from experience, don't save too many books for your daughter to read when she's ready. They'll be a good chance that even though she likes the same kind of book you like now, she will have different tastes in the future. Also, my daughter enjoys discovering books on her own. I have a few shelves of books in the living room full of interesting books for her, and sometimes she'll read one, but she much prefers finding her own books. You might want to start saving book tokens instead.

I have a daughter reading several grades above her age too and it is difficult to continue to challenge her without rushing her emotionally as well. I keep reminding her that just because she can read something, doesn't mean she should. Yet, anyway.

#37 'saving' may be the wrong word. I have bought them for myself but am aware that if her tastes remain the same then it is a good thing that they are there and waiting for her. Right now however she wants similar books but for a much younger age range-Lily Quench is from 6+ and is very 'safe' emotionally (no violence, some mildly tense bits and not even a kiss). I made the mistake of not mentioning the age range I was after and was expecting those who were familiar with the LQ books to suggest others along similar lines as those are her current favourites.

I have received some immensely helpful suggestions though which I have stored away for myself for the future and possibly for her as well.

In the meantime she has free rein of both the stacked bookcase in her room and our local children's library (5-7 years), plus carte blanche at booksales etc. I read 'older' books first though (i.e paperbacks aimed at 6+) to make sure there is nothing that she is not ready for yet.

Maybe the Kendra Kandlestar books by Lee Edward Fodi? I've not read them (I want to!) but I saw them in the blog of a children's author I like a while back and they seem like they would be appropriate. Said other author, Adrienne Kress, is quite fun, but I think her books might be a just little too mature. It's not quite as much fantasy, either.

Yes, the "I'd better read that to make sure it's okay" is an excellent way to combine parenting skills with reading a book!

>30 historywitch:

Have you considered the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis? The first one is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

They would be at the very top of my list for a child who likes fantasy. I read them myself when I was in Grade 3 (and I'm still reading them) ;-}, although I think that the reading level is slightly higher than Grade 3.

They don't have a single female lead character (2 girls and 2 boys), but Lucy tends to be the character that the story focuses on.

Ah ok she's a bit younger than I thought. I am struggling to remember what my sister read at that age, but both my sister and I loved all the Enid Blyton series, and the boarding school ones have girls as the heroines (because they have almost exclusively female characters). They're not fantasy but they're pretty good...

I find that this site has some great recommendations http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com and this looked like a good list for you? http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/10-Book-Recommendations-for-Mother-Daughter...

also these maybe: http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/Great-Books-for-Strong-Adventurous-Smart-Yo...

Good luck!

Thanks for all the further recommendations.

#39 I'll look at those thankyou!
#40 Yes, I do particularly like that aspect of parenting. Only problem is she asks if every book I am reading is for her and runs her hand along my bookcases and asks if she can have all of these books when she is old enough (and on one occasion 'when you are old and dead mummy').
#41 Thanks, yes I know the series and she will probably like them in a few years- I'm not very keen though, so I'll leave it to someone else to buy them for her!
#42 Thank you for your links, I found a few that we don't own yet on there and have added them to my enormous amazon list.

How about Ella Enchanted or the So you want to be a Wizard stories? Both are aimed at a younger crowd. I would also suggest Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. These are great books for kids, and if shes seen these movies, it makes great discussion. Another suggestion is The Wizard of Oz.

So You Want to Be a Wizard itself might work, though even in the first book there's some pretty heavy responsibility themes (a character chooses to 'die' at the end in order to save...well, everything). By the fifth book - Wizard's Dilemma - I wouldn't give it to a pre-teen, or many teenagers. She has to choose to save her mother and do long-term harm or hold to her oaths and let her mother die..._not_ a casual situation. The later ones get a bit lighter (they'd have to!) but they're still making some very hard choices in every book.

#44 We are certainly on the same wavelength as we have all of your suggestions bar the 'So you want to be a wizard' stories, which I see from #45 are not suitable now, but I'll add them and probably read them myself first.
Thank you both.

I'm not much good with age ranges and reading levels but I'd suggest anything by Michael Morpurgo. He writes some of the best children's books I've ever read, and they manage to have adventure, emotion and tension without anything truly terrible happening. He's been writing since long before I was born, and his stories always strike me as more innocent somehow than a lot of more contemporary books.