BeSerene in 2012: A Very Good Year (for Books), part 2

Continuing my Very Good Year...

Goals this year:
1) Read Very Good Books,
2) Put down books that are not Very Good, and
3) Have a Very Good Year all together.

The first thread of this Very Good Year may be found here: BeSerene in 2012: A Very Good Year (for Books)

If for some strange reason you wish to revisit the abysmal year that was 2011, the threads are here:
BeSerene's Reads of 2011: the Beginning
BeSerene's Reads of 2011: the Next Chapter

To see my masterlist from 2010, in which I read considerably more books, visit my second 2010 thread:
BeSerene's Reads 2010, Part Two.

2012 reading goal: 75 (didn't make it)

Reads of 2012: 48/75

Fantasy
-- #1: High Wizardry by Diane Duane (YA)
-- #2: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (YA)
-- #3: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (YA)
-- #4: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (YA)
-- #6: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (YA)
-- #7: Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits by R. McKinley & P. Dickinson (YA; short stories)
-- #10: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
-- #11: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (YA)
-- #12: Timeless by Gail Carriger
-- #17: On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
-- #18: The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers
-- #21: Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers
-- #22: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
-- #23: Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
-- #24: Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
-- #25: Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
-- #26: Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
-- #27: Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
-- #28: Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik
-- #35: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
-- #36: The Broken Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
-- #37: The Kingdom of the Gods by NK Jemisin
-- #38: The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin
-- #45: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal
-- #48: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Science Fiction
-- #13: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (YA)
-- #14: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (YA)
-- #15: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (YA)
-- #16: Kindred by Octavia Butler
-- #41: Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris (YA)
-- #43: The Inferior by Peadar O'Guilin
-- #44: The Deserter by Peadar O'Guilin

Mystery

Historical Fiction
-- #8: The Technologists by Matthew Pearl
-- #47: Pyg by Russell Potter

Contemporary and/or Literary Fiction
-- #5: Lunatics by D. Barry and A. Zweibel
-- #9: The Thorn and The Blossom by Theodora Goss
-- #20: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (YA)
-- #29: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
-- #30: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg (children's)
-- #39: Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead (children's)
-- #40: A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle (YA)

Biography/Memoir
-- #33: Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
-- #42: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Non-fiction

Graphic Novels
-- #19: Soulless The Manga Vol. 1 by Gail Carriger
-- #31: Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder
-- #32: Justice League Vol. 1: Origin by Geoff Johns
-- #34: The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

Miscellaneous
-- #46: Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snickey (children's)

I had hoped to start my new thread off with a review, but I am still working on Hide Me Among the Graves, so instead you get a (minor) book confession. SOMEHOW, and it is a great mystery how this keeps happening, these books made their way into my library today:

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Six Myths of Our Time by Marina Warner (arrived from PaperBackSwap)
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
The Innocents by Francesca Segal (advance reader copy)

Frankly, I think these things are just sneaking in here whilst I'm not looking. :)

Happy New Thread!

Why, thank you! I feel like I should throw a thread-warming party, with perhaps some tea and sandwiches, and lovely chocolate snacks, with tufty cushions to sit on (because us book pandas are terribly fond of tufty cushions). :)

Sarah - here I am bottle in hand for the thread warming party! Unfortunately I am just as bleary eyed as the panda adorning your thread and may have to leave early with congratulations on the new thread already wished sincerely.

I just went to read your review of The Technologists - I had forgotten you read it - and enjoyed it. I re-remebered that you were one of the reasons I picked it up and read it! I agree with your comments completely. Not a perfect book by any means, but good and enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised.

>6 scvlad:: Could any words make me happier, down in my little soul, than "you were one of the reasons I read it"? A book person lives for such moments. I am so glad you enjoyed the book, even with its flaws. :)

>5 PaulCranswick:: Paul, even bleary-eyed, you are always welcome.

And of course I must offer my thanks to lunacat, who provided the image of the lovely me-mascot above on the previous thread. Couldn't help it -- I had to bring the book panda with us to this new home.

#20


The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The other night, David and I and some other friends were at our local independent bookstore, Schuler Books, picking up giver boxes for World Book Night. The store had extras, and we volunteered to take some to give away in addition to the books we had originally selected. One of those extra boxes contained Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which I knew of but had never read. Today I read it. And now I wish I'd had this book when I was younger, because it is one of those books that changes your perception of the world.

Blurbs about this book tell you that you'll laugh and cry. I actually did. What's more, I sat back -- more than once -- and simply said "Wow". What can I tell you to make that sound like more than empty praise? I could tell you that this is a first-person narrative about an American Indian teenager making a personal transition from living without hope on the Spokane reservation to experiencing the larger world in new ways, but that summation hardly does it justice. While reading this, I felt as though I inhabited the mind of Junior/Arnold -- or perhaps his narrative inhabited me. The narration is so personal and so pitch perfectly in tune with youth, grief, confusion, transformation... Though simple and direct (as it should be, considering the character's voice), the story's language impresses with its rich emotional resonance. I have to fall back on those words, the standard language of the reviewer, because there simply isn't sufficient expression for the emotional purity that the book conveys. I did cry. I did laugh. Out loud. There it is.

The moments that made me step back and say "wow" were often simple moments. There is a beautiful scene--in which our main character and his school mate are looking at the array of books in their small school library--which culminates with the idea that "the world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don't know." For our main character, that is a big and brilliant new thought that provokes a "wow" from him; for me, it is a big and brilliant thought that directly articulates one of the motivating feelings of my life, more perfectly than I ever could, and it elicited the same reaction.

Not every moment of this book evokes philosophical reflection. Much of it is filled with the authentic idiocy of the teenage boy. Even more of it is filled with hard images of poverty, pain, and death. It moves so quickly that one hardly has time to process one emotional tumult before the next begins. But that is real, too. In the end, we the readers have lived one academic year in the main character's life, but it feels like much more than that. I suspect that this one will stay with me for a long time. And I am extraordinarily glad that I will shortly have the privilege of giving it away to others -- because this is a book that people need to read.

Lovely new thread--I'll have some of that tea and dark chocolate, please!

Make yourself comfortable, Roni; here is your tea.

I'm sure there is some dark chocolate around here somewhere.

(PS: I love Jon Muth's Zen Shorts.)

I love the writings of Sherman Alexie!

>11 Whisper1:: Hi Linda! I thought I recalled someone here on LT praising Alexie -- makes sense that it was you. :)

In related news, David and I had a great time handing out books today for World Book Night. Between three friends and bookstore extras, we helped hand out around 100 books all told today. I was able to give books at my community college campus during the day -- and had many students not only say thanks, but want to pass the book along and even be givers themselves next year -- and then David and I returned to campus in the evening with the last of the books we had.

We got some weird looks -- one kid asked me "Is this a Jesus book?" when I tried to hand it to him -- but most people were really happy to get a free book. It was a wonderful celebration of reading, books, and all such things. While we were supposed to give books to "non-readers", we ended up sharing with lots of different people, readers and non-readers (those who were already readers we encouraged to pass the book along), including random strangers -- in one such instance, this afternoon I drove my car across three lanes to pull up next to a woman walking along a busy road because she looked a little sad. "You look like you need a book," I said, and handed her one out the car window. She must have thought I was nuts, but she smiled. And took the book.

This World Book Night idea is brilliant. I would give away books every day if I could. We're hoping to do it all again next year. :)

#12 "Is this a Jesus book?" :-D

World Book Night sounds like a great experience!

It was totally great. I wish it came more than once a year. :)

Also, I REALLY hope it was considered a "success" so that we actually get to do it again next year. This is something that, IMO, should keep going.

I'm so jealous -- I wish the program would set up in Canada! It's a wonderful idea.

It totally should set up in Canada. Perhaps you should tell them so. :)

Still not reading much -- it's the end of the semester, so I am trying to grade -- but I did go to another library sale this morning and added 33 books (and half a dozen CDs) to my overflowing stacks for the bargain price of $32.

Highlights include:

The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson (in a lovely little pocket book edition from 1908)
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff (vintage hardcover)
#1-5 of Sharon Shinn's Samaria series
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (hardcover, all library stamped, but totally worth it for $1)
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (my ex-BBF, who was also there with his new girlfriend, found this one, but then I traded him a volume of Loeb's Cicero, which I had found, for it)
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (there was an entire box of new hardcovers of this one -- David and I each got one, but if I could've thought who to give them to, I'd have bought the whole box)
The Women by TC Boyle
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

and plenty others, but I will spare you having to read the entire list. My book confessions must get a bit tedious I suppose.

Though I should admit that, not satisfied with one book stop, David and I popped over to our favorite bookstore after the sale and I got a used copy of Juliet Marillier's Foxmask and two Cassandra Clare books off the bargain table. That brought my total spent today to $50, and we are going to the Night for Notables at the Michigan Library this evening, to celebrate the 2012 Michigan Notable books, so I will probably buy more.

I may possibly be out of control, but at least I did not buy the entire box of Harvard classics at the books sale (there were about 30 of them) -- though I was sorely tempted.

So, I just went back through my thread and counted up the numbers of books I've purchased for myself thus far this year... 113.

Holy crap. That's not even counting books I've bought but ended up giving away or ARCs that have come in or books that were otherwise obtained for free. That averages out to just over 28 books a month. If I were reading more than I buy, I would have to finish a book every day.

Good thing I failed that "Read More than You Buy" challenge, like, months ago, because otherwise I might feel guilty. Obviously, that challenge has been replaced by the "Buy All the Books" challenge. Of course, if I keep up the pace, I'll have purchased almost 340 books by the end of the year. At this rate, the size of my library will double in nine years.

And suddenly that sounds totally reasonable to me. :)

Out of control. Totally okay with it. Remind me I said that, though, when I am broke come June.

At the Night for Notables this evening, I picked up...

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (who is adorable)
South of Superior by Ellen Airgood (who is very nice)
Bogeywoman and She Drove Without Stopping by Jaimy Gordon (who is funny and distracted, in a charming way)
Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell (who could have a second calling as an elementary school teacher)

These women were just a few of the 15 or so Michigan (or Michigan-connected) authors at the Michigan Library this evening. Overall, I had a lot of fun hearing them, meeting them, and -- of course -- getting my new books signed. Looking forward to doing this again next year!

The Night for Notables was quite a bit of fun!

And I guess you can look at the out of control book buying like this: When June does dome and you're broke, you won't have to worry about buying anything new to read since you have a stockpile of new books waiting for you.

Or.... you can build a make-shift shanty out the books when the floor gives way in your library and the landlord kicks you out. ;-)

David is a wonderful exemplar of what friends are for, isn't he?

Yes, indeed. But don't tell him I said that. It'll go straight to his head. :)

*waving* at Sarah

Read some for me since I am not getting any reading done these days. . .

Just catching up and you write terrific reviews! I'd been feeling safe from book bullets, having read a lot of your reviewed books, until I hit The Stress of Her Regard and had to add that to my wishlist because it sounds so good.

I'm grateful that I never enter any kind of "read more than you buy" thing. While I probably read more books than I buy each year, I'm fairly sure that I'm supposed to read more books from my shelves than I buy and that somehow never happens thanks to libraries.

Plus, I never really count buying Kindle books as buying books somehow. Still an impact on the wallet, but never as much of a disaster as the physical books are on my book shelves, even thought Kindle books should totally count. I don't even put them on Mount TBR.

And non-fiction don't count either.

Nor do graphic novels.

Yup, good thing I never do those challenges! I'd fail in a week :-)

Hi Sarah - I am vicariously enjoying your book splurges (although I haven't been doing too badly with book acquisitions myself)

Glad to see you all! A couple more books came in this week, but I've hardly been reading at all -- still part of the way through The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao as well as Hide Me Among the Graves with hardly any progress to report. But the semester is done now, and with just a little more paperwork to go, I should be able to get back to reading in a couple of days. :)

In the meantime, for your vicarious book buying pleasure, the following new additions:
Surfacing by Margaret Atwood (via PBS)
Second Words by Margaret Atwood (via PBS)
Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood (via PBS)
Something Rich and Strange by Patricia McKillip (bought on eBay, because it was one of the few McKillips I didn't own and because this is the Brian Froud's Faerielands edition -- woo!)
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan (picked up at the local bookstore)
and a bag of miscellaneous ARCs, old and new, given to me by the ex-BBF whilst I was in said bookstore. I haven't really looked very closely at them yet, except that there was one David was excited about, but I wouldn't let him have it because I am mean that way. True story.

So, immediately after watching 'The Avengers', I had this idea for a superhero(ine) graphic novel called "The Goddess Council" or some such, featuring a team of goddesses from various cultures (Kali, Artemis, Morrigan, etc.) who are trying to save the world.

But now I think on it, I feel like that's been done. I know of Wonder Woman's Amazons in the DC Universe as well as a couple of minor goddess characters (like Isis) in both DC and Marvel comics, but has anyone of our comic/gn readers here heard of a superhero goddess team? Am I imagining things?

I seriously don't know that I know of any goddess team. All the same, it's not like ideas aren't repeated in comics all the time. Write it down!

I agree with David. I read a lot of comics and haven't seen that before. But there's plenty of room for your idea even if something similar was done.

Even better, write it down and copyright it! :)

I'll add that to my (many) writing projects. Thanks, y'all. :)

*stares intently* write write write!!!

Wow! You met Jaimy Gordon!!!! I'm - wowed!!!
And you have been having a seriously great book buying spree. I envy you except that I don't do too badly that way myself, and I will die at 110 with unread books, I'm afraid.
But don't you like Hide Me Among the Graves? It's maybe not quite *Stress* but I really enjoyed it!

That's awesome that you are wowed. I haven't seen anyone react that way around here, because she's pretty local. Jaimy Gordon lives about an hour away, so I've met her a couple of times. She's a dry sort of quirky. I like her.

And I am enjoying Hide Me Among the Graves, very much, but it's just slow going. I don't know why. One of the interesting differences is that it seems so much simpler than The Stress of Her Regard, but I can't tell yet if that is just because I read the previous book, so I know what's going on, or if this book really is more streamlined, or if I just haven't hit the crazy bits yet. I'll hold judgement on the until the end, obviously. :)

PS: I am ignoring David because he's doing the creepy staring thing.

Oh, also, I bought more books today. Put on your surprised faces.

David and our friend Brad and I went to Nicola's books, down in Ann Arbor, for a reading with Aimee Carter. David is {insert social network here} friends with Aimee and we've encountered her at various other events, but this was her first solo reading, which was sweet. She's adorable, and VERY young (early 20s?). Makes me feel all old and stodgy, what with being in my 30s and all.

So, books acquired:
The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (support your local author, obviously)
Victory of Eagles and Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik (because I NEED to reread this entire series)
Embassytown by China Mieville
The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander

Those last two were bargain books, $5, so of course I simply could not leave them behind. :)

I like the idea of the Goddess Council, beserene. There aren't enough awesome female superhero types out there (I enjoyed Avengers but I can't help grumbling about the Severe Lack Of Women every time it comes up in conversation).

I hear you. Although, at least the women that were in there (Black Widow, the SHIELD agent whose name I don't recall) were given capable characterizations. I liked that.

But I like the idea of the Goddess Council too. I have at least 10 characters in mind, but I'm a bit thin on plot. Plots are my major writing challenge -- and they are sort of essential. :)

Eh, I wasn't thrilled with Black Widow's characterization either. Yes, she was badass and that was great but she was also the only one who showed any EMOTION (besides anger, of course). Because she's a WOMAN, of course. And I don't even mean when she was interrogating the Russians or Loki. I was particularly annoyed when she was curled up shaking after the fight with Hulk, which didn't bother anyone else enough to blink.

That's interesting. I found the curled up shaking thing to be consistent with how she reacts to the potential of the Hulk from the very beginning, in the India scene where she had a sort of repressed panic and fear response when he fakes anger. I thought it was kind of cool the way it was communicated nonverbally, and not just through her, that everyone deep down was crap their pants terrified of the Hulk. The thing that bothered me more than Black Widow's (in my view) totally reasonable traumatized shaking after her encounter with the scariest uncontrolled force known to man was the total shift in the Hulk. One minute he was mindlessly raging and attempting to rip Scar Jo apart,then he falls out of a plane and comes back all obedient and teamwork oriented.

Though I would've liked to see more women, for sure, I appreciated that Black Widow was dressed appropriately (no scanty lingerie or coyly torn bare spots) . Compared to quite a few other superhero films, even in this same franchise, this one seemed downright enlightened. Not perfect, I agree, but better.

I didn't say it was inconsistent, I just said I didn't care for it. If everyone was scared of the Hulk, why was she the only one who actually showed any reaction at all, much less that strong of one?

I do agree that the Hulk had about as much character growth in Avengers as Thor did in his movie (apparently Hulk's Long Fall was as life-altering as Thor's Amazing Dinner Date?).

I certainly don't dispute that Avengers treated women better than many other superhero movies (as long as we ignore Pepper's clothes, I guess), but I'm not going to forgive its flaws just because it's not as bad as it could have been.

>34 beserene: Back to Jaimy Gordon for one little minute. I read Lord of Misrule this year and was blown away. I definitely think that it should have been short-listed for the Orange Prize, and so far, I think it's better than the 3 from the short list that I've read. I know other people feel differently, but I loved it. I also bought a cheap copy of Bogeywoman because it's the one I could afford. I'll get the rest as I can, I'm sure.

>41 LizzieD:: I haven't read much (anything?) off the Orange Prize list yet, so I can't rock the comparisons the way you can, but maybe the subject matter wasn't in line with the prize's parameters? I'm not sure. Having picked up Bogeywoman and She Drove Without Stopping at the Notables evening, though, I am excited to read more of JG. She talks a lot about how her experiences -- like the three years she spent working at a racetrack -- really inform her work. I like how up front she is about that -- it's fascinating. Want me to keep an eye out for used copies of her stuff for you? No guarantees, but since she's local, sometimes a stray copy pops up.

>40 bluesalamanders:: Okay, so back to Avengers. (Who says this thread is supposed to be about books?) :)

I actually think that the other characters did show reactions to the Hulk, evidenced in particular by group moments like the tension and looks between the guy-vengers in that lab scene where Banner picks up the scepter/spear. The camaraderie that develops between Banner and Stark actually makes the nervous reactions of the other characters more apparent, in my view. I will say that our girl-venger does the tears-in-her-eyes thing more, which might give the impression that "crying is for girls", except that she isn't the only one who does it. She tears up two or three times -- but Banner and Stark tear up too (lots of focus on people's eyes in general in this movie). Even Samuel L. Jackson gets misty at one point. Granted, the more evident emotional expressions from the guy-vengers are a result of grief (that whole death of Agent what's-his-name is when Stark and Fury get emo -- though of course then Fury turns it into MOTIVATION) rather than fear, but there is some emotional expression from almost all the guy-vengers at some point throughout the film. Emoting = not just a girl thing, at least to some degree.

Except for Thor. Thor just looks all "I'm the god of thunder -- what's your damage?" pretty much all the time. Apparently without Natalie Portman swooning around, he has no reason to emote. (Ugh -- THAT one really annoyed me -- in that movie, she goes from genius astrophysicist to moony teenage girl in the space of five minutes. Come on.)

Oh, but I am interested to see if they end up giving Black Widow her own film. Because there is so much HINTED at here -- what is her backstory/past trauma (which is poked at a couple of times in how she behaves with Hulk and Hawkeye and Fury but, of course, not explained)? Whedon-developed characters often have backstory that informs reactions but that we might not know about until umpteen episodes... oops, I mean, films down the line. So, if Black Widow has some past event that involves being subject to someone else's uncontrolled rage, suddenly her emotional response to Hulk makes that much more sense.

But that is just idle speculation, of course. I can see how you might take some issue with the film itself, but I thought (based on the film and some interviews with the production team, including Whedon) that they actually made a bit of an effort this time to NOT make a totally misogynistic "girls just can't be superheroes" comic book movie, which is progress. Though I totally rolled my eyes at Pepper's outfits too. Short-shorts, really? Oy.

PS: Finally went to see The Hunger Games movie this evening. Didn't get nearly as emotional as I expected to. In fact, I felt pretty distanced from the whole thing. Not that the movie was bad -- I just didn't bond with it the way I thought I would. Interested to see how the next one unfolds, though.

I finally finished Hide Me Among the Graves and liked it very much. But I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer for the review, as I am a teeny bit distracted.

There were no fewer than three book sales in my area this weekend. I went to two of them Saturday. Once I get all the way through the two boxes and 2.5 bags of books I came home with (for $32), I suspect I will have added about 65 volumes to my library and will have a full bag for my favorite almost-niece as well as a box to divvy up between nephews and other friends (I even picked up a couple for David since he couldn't go).

Shopping highlights included several first edition hardcovers in beautiful shape, and handful of old Heritage Press and Nonesuch edition classics, and quite a few nice picture books. For those interested in a few details:

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James (hardcover, made the whole trip worth it because I was totally going to buy it anyway)
Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey (hardcover)
The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco (hardcover)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (hardcover)
The Little Women by Katharine Weber (we'll see how this one stands up to my Alcott-obsessed comparisons)
Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (Heritage Press illustrated)
The Ambassadors by Henry James (Heritage Press illustrated)
The Princess of Cleves by Mme. de LaFayette (Nonesuch edition)
Germinal by Emile Zola (Nonesuch edition)
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (Heritage Press, illustrations by the author)
A Sentimental Journey Lawrence Sterne (Heritage Press illustrated)
The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian (hardcover)
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides (hardcover)
A Farmer's Alphabet by Mary Azarian (picture book with awesome wood cut illustrations)
Animalia by Graeme Base (picture book)
The Poky Little Puppy (They had multiple copies of this Golden Book classic, so I picked up one to put in my library and one to give away)

I'll stop there, in the interest of not boring y'all to death with another 50 titles, but I was pretty darned excited about my finds!

Must sleep now. But I promise I will post about what I've actually been READING (not just buying) as soon as my brain is more awake.

Wow, what a haul! You know no-one on here would be at all bored if you posted the whole 50 titles?

I agree with Heather. I don't think you'll find us complaining if you tell us about the rest of your haul. It looks like a great one to me. I think I have my nephew's copy of The Poky Little Puppy in a box her somewhere.

Yup, I'm pretty sure we all want to see the full list. It looks like a great haul so far!

Well, if you insist. :)

I did hit the ones I was most excited about above, but here are the rest.

HARDCOVER -- ADULT FICTION
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
North River by Pete Hamill
Run by Ann Patchett (I love the shimmer and texture of this cover! Also, the writer is pretty good. ;) )
Hero by Perry Moore
A Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor
Billy Bathgate by EL Doctorow
The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (another great cover, but I'm geeked to read it too.)
Hardly Knew Her (stories) by Laura Lippman
The King in the Tree (novellas) by Steven Millhauser (who also wrote the short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist", which I loved.)
A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler
Jane and the Stillroom Maid by Stephanie Barron (considering collecting these Jane Austen mysteries)
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by AN Roquelaure (Make fun if you must, but since the sweating masses are obsessed with EL James, I thought I'd pick up some lit-porn that might be marginally better written. Because I like to feel slightly superior. Or something. :) )

SOFTCOVER -- ADULT FICTION
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan (I really like Amy Tan's short work, so I keep buying her novels, but I confess I've never read a whole one.)
The Falls and The Rise of Life on Earth by Joyce Carol Oates (who is the answer to pretty much every question in Book Lovers' Trivial Pursuit, so I'd better start reading her.)
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (I see his GIANT novels everywhere, so I thought I'd give one a try. Who knows?)
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (something I should have read several years ago.)
The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich
The Master of All Desires by Judith Riley (the cover was illustrated by Kinuko Craft -- sold. Otherwise, I have no idea what this book is. Looks like historical fiction.)
Then and Now by Somerset Maugham
Absalom! Absalom! by William Faulkner
Age of Iron by JM Coetzee (I like him a lot sometimes, but other times not -- we'll see about this one)
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (which I've never read. Seriously. How did that happen?)

That's most of the grown up stuff. To be continued...

And more from the ginormous book haul...

NONFICTION
The Herder Symbol Dictionary (because I hear every good writer needs a symbols dictionary. I'm pretty sure I have three, so I must be great.)
This Land is Their Land by Barbara Ehrenreich
and now we see what a non-priority nonfiction is for me. I don't even think I perused the nonfiction at one sale. That's such a bad habit.

YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN'S (lots of Scholastic paperbacks, but also a few nice HCs and Speak trade editions)
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (I bought two of these to give away, but then realized I didn't have a copy myself. Problem solved. But I may change my mind about this if I find someone to give it to.
Salsa Stories by Lulu Delacre (short stories of Latin American life and culture)
Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe by Bette Greene
The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman (got a copy of this for David too.)
Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers
Blackbird House and Incantation by Alice Hoffman (I keep feeling like I already have one of these, but it's not in my catalog. It's a mystery.)
Foundling by DM Cornish (first in the Monster Blood Tattoo series. We'll see if it's any good.)
Not Just a Witch by Eva Ibbotson (love her.)
The Dream Bearer by Walter Dean Myers
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines (this and 'The Chosen' below are children's literature volumes that are library bound with related readings for context.)
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Good Sports by Jack Prelutsky (a book of sports poetry for kids; I collect kids' poetry for my rare children's literature classes, so this is work-related. :) But I also got a second copy of this to give to niece/nephews)
Singing America: Poems that Define a Nation edited by Neil Philip (a good mix of classics and modern poems, with interesting woodcut illustrations.)
The Turtle and the Monkey by Paul Galdone (picture book folk tale from the Philippines.)
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (pure nostalgia -- my grandmother used to keep a copy of this that we all would read.)

Wait for it...

The last installment of random stuff from the book haul...

-- Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (Heritage Press edition)
-- The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini (Heritage Press edition) -- I love it when you find stuff stuck in old books. This one had two small Botticelli prints in it. The Heritage Press books come with newsletters and things tucked in them all the time, but these two prints are a mystery. Did they come with the book on publication? Perhaps the internet knows.
-- Two volumes of the American Poets Collection: Whittier and Longfellow (I can't even begin to figure out a touchstone)
-- American Literary Essays edited by Lewis Leary (for nefarious English major purposes)

Also, I picked up Rabbit at Rest by John Updike in hardcover, but I can never decide whether I want to read the Rabbit novels or not. This is the third time I've bought one of them at a sale and then been undecided when I got home. We'll see.

Oh, and New York by Edward Rutherfurd. But I might give that to David, if he asks really nicely. David has several southern fiction novels in the giveaway box too, including a recent one from Fannie Flagg, but I'll let him share those if he ends up keeping them.

The rest of the box has stuff like The Beatrice Letters and Horton Hears a Who! Can You? and other various kids' books for the niece/nephews. There are some grown-up books in there, but David gets to have first pick, then we'll see what's left and who they go to. :)

That is an excellent haul for the $32. The only time I come close to doing that well is when I am able to attend the Boys and Girls Club Sale where we make a $40 donation and are given a large box which we can fill. The box must close completely. However, I've been able to do really well with my hauls there. When I lived in Cincinnati, I would often do the bag day at the public library's sale on Fountain Square where we could do a bag of books for $5.

That was part of the situation -- the second sale I went to was a box sale, so I got two boxes full for $5 each. Box sales are awesome. The first sale had softcovers at 25 cents and hardcovers at 50 cents each, so I walked out of there with at least 50 books for $22, a good deal too.

Honestly, these are the best and cheapest sales of the year around here. The others price their books a little higher, so I can't go quite so crazy. :)

Lots of great books!

There are books for me too? Ice cream is totally on me tonight! =)

Finally, a post about a book I've actually read, not just bought... :)

#21


Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers
I read this book, the companion to Powers' The Stress of Her Regard, much more slowly than I expected to. I don't think it was the book's fault, but rather a case of poor timing on my part, but I will say that I was not pulled in to this novel as quickly or as fully as I was with the first. Part of the issue is that any reader who has read the first novel recently (as I have) knows exactly what's going on, which means that this book is much more about characters and interactions than it is about the mystery of the Nephilim, so one doesn't feel as compelled by the sense of wonder and intrigue that characterized the previous experience.

Fortunately, Powers writes great characters. While his characterizations of famous literary figures -- the Rosettis, Swinburne, Trelawney -- are fascinating and genuine, Powers gives us other obscure or fictional characters who really become the focus of the readers' bond in this story. Crawford and McKee are such marvelously ordinary, good but flawed people that one cannot help but feel connected. While the icons of literature are idiosyncratically fun, Crawford -- with his reluctant heroics and authentic reactions -- is a man we could spend time with. Similarly, McKee and Johanna act almost as a bridge between the ordinary and the extraordinary, making the strange twists and supernatural conflicts of the novel seem oddly plausible.

Lest you be discouraged by all this talk of the ordinary, you should be aware that this is still a Tim Powers novel. As is typical, it covers unexpectedly large swathes of time and involves any number of fantastic adventures that occur at a generally unrelenting pace. This novel does not gallivant across the European continent in the way its predecessor did; it has a very strong sense of place, centered on London, and uses the character of the city in wonderful ways. The tone of the novel leans solidly into horror -- there are quite a few adventures into dark places and ending in dark deaths, and the title accurately indicates the ghostly atmosphere -- but there is nothing here that seems gratuitously violent or idly inflammatory. The entire book is tightly planned; Powers even seems to have trimmed some of his tendency toward over-indulgent description, which I sometimes missed. I do love an indulgence.

The overall result is probably one of Powers' most balanced and most marketable books. Thoroughly enjoyable, with rich intellectual and emotional presence, the novel curls and careers down fascinating paths without making the reader feel overwhelmed. While a part of me misses that occasional sense of "WTF?" which characterized other Tim Powers reading experiences, I appreciated the elegant lines of this story. Highly recommended for fans of historical fantasy, historical fiction, dark fantasy or just Very Good Books.

Based on the reviews of Hide Me Among the Graves here on LT, I must conclude that this was a love it or hate it book. Mostly those who have read The Stress of Her Regard found the follow-up understandable and enjoyable, while many of those who did not have a previous acquaintance with this world were totally lost. Huh.

I guess it really is all in what you're used to. :)

Read another pretty quickly... mostly because I'm on break right now. I'd like to reread this whole series so that I can be read the most recent one -- which I just received as an ER copy -- with an in-world eye, but we'll see how far I get in the next few days.

#22


His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
Here are some of the many reasons why I love this novel:

1. If Jane Austen and Patrick O'Brian had had a literary baby with Anne McCaffrey as their surrogate, it would look exactly like this book.

2. Novik's story reinvigorates the very idea of dragons, which many of us long-time fantasy readers thought had been done already in all possible ways.

3. The idea of a dragon airforce makes even a pacifist want to run off and join the service. A DRAGON AIR FORCE. Come on, just try to say that you wouldn't jump at that chance. Just try.

4. The period detail of this piece is so precise, and the idea of dragons is so well-integrated, that the entire book really feels like historical fiction. Which means that it feels quite real. Which then reinforces reason #3, above.

5. The novel's characters are well drawn and engaging to the point that one feels bonded with both human and dragon. I cried when... well, I shan't give that away, but you will probably cry too.

6. The story holds up to rereading. This is my second time through, after reading the series back in 2010, and even with the shiny newness worn off, the book still gleams with fantastic ideas, characters, and settings and pulls one in without the crutch of novelty.

If you need more than half a dozen reasons to read this book, you are just being stubborn. Read it. And dream of dragons.

Doggone it, Sarah, I've sworn off adding any more series to my wishlist! Another resolution shattered. :)

Everything Sarah says about that book is true and totally worth breaking a resolution over. One of my favorites!!

I love it when book bullets happen to other people! :)

It's totally worth the read, though, especially if you are at all a fantasy and historical fiction fan.

I am a big fan of historical fiction, and also a big fan of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, so I think I've been double-bitten. I've already downloaded the e-book from my library. :)

#23


Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
This second novel in the Temeraire series is a strong follow up to His Majesty's Dragon and, in my opinion, equally enjoyable. Part of the joy here is in the new setting -- Temeraire and Laurence travel to China -- so while we do not have all of our old friends to connect with, that emotional absence is made up for by a sense of wonderful discovery as the reader learns of new dragon breeds and dragon-related species. We are also on a ship for a good portion of this book, which allows Novik to lay out more of that nautical knowledge along with vivid descriptions of harrowing storms and other ocean challenges.

Once again, I was impressed by the integration of dragons into this world. Novik follows that idea out to its far conclusion in China, where the novel showcases a truly integrated society and all of the logical accommodations that would follow. Nowhere does the novel fall back on "it's just magic" or "it just happens that way" -- in fact, were it not for the dragons, this would not be fantasy at all (yeah, it's funny to say that), since it presents the species and its connected ideas in a naturalistic way.

This is the best kind of escapism, in my opinion. While the novel is not going to win its author the Nobel, its imagination and heart can engage the reader in both the fun of the narrative and the political ideas that still resonate in the real world. In this installment, Temeraire discovers slavery and inequality as concepts with which he must reconcile his own experience; his naive perspective offers the reader a fresh reminder of historical circumstance as well as the importance of self-awareness. These deeper ideas, while not the point of the story, fill out the escape with depth and relevance, in addition to connecting even more strongly to the realistic historical tone. In other words, this is like beach reading with the brains left in.

If you are in the mood for adventure, derring-do, buckling of swashes, and/or tea in the garden with a very large dragon, this is the perfect series for you. Even if you aren't in the mood, read it anyway, because it will get you there. :)

>61 rosalita:: Excellent! Let me know what you think of it. I certainly hope you enjoy as much as I do.

I do love to see some swashes buckled! :)

#24


Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
I liked this novel better the second time around. The first time I read it, a couple of years ago, I was anticipating the pattern of air and sea adventure and was disappointed by the more scattered narrative of this third installment in the Temeraire series. This time, I was prepared for the shift, and perhaps my expectations were a little lower, so I was better able to appreciate the focus on political details and cultural depictions.

All the same, this novel is a little harder to grab onto than the previous two, perhaps because it tries to do so much. Rather than focused on a primary location, this novel takes place as Temeraire and his crew are en route from China, returning to England after the events of the previous book. They receive a new and essential mission whilst "on the road" so to speak, which then takes them across deserts, to Turkey, Prussia, and scampering across western Europe as various challenges and harrowing adventures occur. This variation, particularly read swiftly after the first two parts of the series, can come across as choppy.

Since this was my second time through, however, I took the time to appreciate the detail. I still think Novik's historical world-building (or world-modifying, I suppose), especially the logical incorporation of dragons, is some of the best I've seen. In this book we meet not only additional European species -- including a young firebreather -- but also a band of feral dragons. I love the imaginative variety of these various dragon groups, as well as some of the satirical parallels Novik draws between dragon-kind and human-kind. While there are multitudes to keep track of here -- and the resulting thinness of characterization keeps this novel from feeling as rich as it might -- something about that chaotic tapestry draws the eye anyway.

While this may not be the strongest book in the series, I like it on its own merits and for what it contributes to the world that Novik is creating with each page turn. Well worth reading.

This is the book that knocked me out of the series, I confess, and I haven't gotten back to it.

You're tempting me to reread the series. I bought the new one when it came out, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, so since I've delayed this long I might as well delay a bit longer.... Hmm. And those books do go quickly.

I finished His Majesty's Dragon earlier today, and have already put a hold on Throne of Jade at the library. I guess that tells you I liked it! I thought it was quite engaging, and I loved the interplay between the dragons and their riders. The final battle scene made me think what an amazing movie it would be. Thank you, Sarah, for loading down my TBR pile with yet another series. :)

>66 ronincats:: Roni, when I read it in 2010, I definitely thought it was the weakest of the series. This time around, obviously, I was more prepared for it, but I think it does suffer from its scattered locale and over-abundance of minor characters. I can understand why it might have caused you to put down the books. Fortunately, the next book -- Empire of Ivory, which I am reading now -- restores the more focused locale and style of the first two books, though there are still a lot of folks to keep track of. Someday, perhaps you might like to read on. :)

>67 _Zoe_:: Do it! I'm having fun breezing through them in anticipation of the newest one. I used to reread all the Harry Potter series when each new one came out too -- something about reading a series all at once is satisfying to me.

>68 rosalita:: Yay! So glad you liked it! And, you are entirely welcome -- I always like to load up other people's TBR piles, especially since mine is something of an unruly mob rather than a pile. The more the merrier! :)

By the way, all you Soulless readers -- I met Gail Carriger today. David and our friend Wendy and I popped over to Dearborn for the World Steam Expo to see her and have her sign books. She is LOVELY. And has a tiny, tiny Victorian waist. And is just LOVELY, did I mention that? It was such fun to see her after reading that whole series. Can't wait for her new stuff!

Jay Lake was also there, so I picked up copies of his Mainspring, Escapement, and Pinion, which he graciously signed. He seems like an awesome guy as well.

Authors for the win! :)

WHAT excitement, Sarah!!!
Great reviews (especially of *Hide Me*) and a thumb or so - and then you meet Gail Carringer today. Well, golly. Also shoot.
I want to read Novik; I just can't seem to find her when I'm in the mood for her. But I will.
And what a wonderful haul for $32!!! I wish I could see a book sale that had something like *Pemberley* or *The Marriage Plot* there for the taking. And you got Animalia - a real favorite!!!
Enjoy all that bounty! (And yes, if you ever see a cheap duplicate of *She Drove*, I'd love to have it.....)

Thanks! It has been rather a great couple of weeks for bookishness around here. :)

Animalia is just beautiful -- my youngest sister had all those Graeme Base books when she was younger, but heaven knows where they went to, so I decided to put some of my own on the shelf for the future. Such gorgeous artwork!

And I will definitely keep an eye out for the Jaimy Gordon book for you.

Wow, congrats on the author score! Carriger seems like she'd be a blast to hang out with.

Glad you had a chance to see Carriger too, Sarah. She is quite entertaining.

#25


Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
Novik's series picks back up in this fourth volume as Temeraire and Captain Laurence travel to Africa, seeking a cure for a deadly dragon plague. The new locale provides another intriguing version of dragon-integrated society, with details of cohabitation and hierarchy that catch the reader's interest. Africa in the 1800s also gives Novik an opportunity to amp up her social and political commentary, as Temeraire tries to negotiate the world of colonialism.

Temeraire's perspective is consistently well-drawn in its alien naivete; it serves as an effective foil to the historical detail of the novel, as Temeraire questions the actions and attitudes of imperial Britain and its citizens. In this book, Laurence more often finds himself in agreement with the dragon's sense of honor and moral right, so we see an interesting shift in their relationship as well, which culminates in the dramatic events toward the end of the novel (which I shan't give away, but which have serious repercussions for the remainder of the series).

Fantasy, especially in the alternate history mode, often has the luxury of historical wish fulfillment. The culmination of the African adventure here, while brutal, presents an interesting extrapolation of conflict raised to the next level by the availability of force, in this case dragons. I like that Novik does not fall back on wholecloth stereotypes in presenting African tribal life in contrast to European colonial structures, showcasing some of the complexity of the situation even while the novel obviously condemns the imperial mindset. For the reader, immersed in the perspective of actual history, the novel takes on a tone of righteousness during the resolution that alleviates the sense of brutality and emphasizes the justice of the imagined situation. Obviously I'm leaving out the details here, so as not to spoil anything, so this explanation might not make much sense, but I think it is a really interesting way for a fantasy writer to usefully condemn a particularly shameful part of European history even though most of her characters are immersed in the European imperial perspective.

If the previous paragraph bored you, fear not -- the novel won't. There is plenty of action and adventure to be had. Temeraire sees, and fights, new and wonderfully described species of dragons; traverses jungles to save Laurence; and discovers that elephants make mighty good eating. The emotional range of the novel takes us from heartbreak to joy to horror to shock and round about again. It also restores the more focused narrative that the previous novel had lost, so it feels swift in pace and solid in plot. You can't go wrong with a "quest for the cure" model, really, and Novik puts the structure to good use.

Overall, a very satisfying contribution to the series, that will feel to many readers like the whole is back on track.

>73 drneutron: & 74: She is pretty cool, for sure. One of the interesting things about her -- David and I were talking about this on the way home -- is that Gail Carriger is a pseudonym and a persona. Tova Beaurregard (not sure I'm spelling that right) is the real name of the woman who wrote the books, but her publisher said her name wasn't marketable (or something like that -- David read this stuff on her blog) so she developed Gail Carriger as a pseudonym, but then also developed an entire persona, wardrobe, etc. So, as Gail Carriger, she is "in character" at all of these conventions and such -- always wears gloves, speaks in a slightly affected manner, etc. She is totally delightful, and as you say, Roni, entertaining, but I wonder who the other person is too. Or is she just having a blast playing this character-author. It must be fun, but also sometimes tiring. The whole thing just fascinates me.

#26


Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
The fifth book in the Temeraire series finds Laurence and Temeraire back in England, but separated (for the first section of the novel) and in trouble as a result of the events of the previous installment. Napoleon is at the door and the British Navy and dragon Air Force are suffering from his assaults. As is the norm in this series, we have a strong sense of place that supports the center of the novel -- that relationship between Temeraire and his captain -- which here is challenged more than usual. The emotional tone of this volume, in fact, is significantly darker than in the previous books. Laurence has, essentially, lost who he is and must find his feet in a shifted world.

In many ways, this is most similar to the first book, but with much heavier content and context. The initial separation of our two main characters also adds a different dynamic, as we get to see how Temeraire develops his own individuality without a captain and crew. His decisions in this mode add a dose of levity and earnestness to the novel that balances out some of Laurence's more internal struggles.

The descriptions of both dragons and battle are, as always, vivid and engaging. The restoration of our focus to England and the war at hand helps the book feel comfortably familiar, but the challenges and the rise and fall of emotion do not leave the reader too comfortable at any point. Overall, a great addition to the series.

ETA: The one change I don't like here is the shift in cover art. The new cover art is boring -- I miss the variation of the dragons. :(

Gail Carriger IS lovely. And I made an entire fool of myself, right in front of her, going all starstruck fanboy on her for a quick minute. I composed myself, but not in enough time to look like a crazy person. Oh well. She was delightful and took it in stride. Made me like her even more. lol

#27


Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
I was given an ARC of this back in 2010, but I don't think I ever wrote a proper review of it.

This, the sixth volume in the Temeraire series, takes the characters to an entirely new continent: Australia. Laurence and Temeraire are transported, after the events of the previous novel, and must make a new life on the barely colonized Australian coast. There they discover that political machinations cannot be left behind and that the English are not the only people on the continent. Adventures, naturally, ensue.

The core of the narrative here is once again a loose quest -- in this case, a pursuit -- and Novik works well within those parameters, creating dangerous challenges, interesting new species encounters, and -- as always -- developing the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire with each twist and turn. This installment continues the tradition introduced in the previous of bringing Temeraire's perspective directly into the novel within the confines of the third person narration; the reader is shifted between his voice and Laurence's with some regularity, but the shifts are smooth, to the point that one doesn't often notice the change until Temeraire's more unusual opinions pop up. Such smoothness is the mark of writerly skill; by this point, Novik has these characters down pat and one can definitely tell.

Novik has taken the opportunity to play a little bit here, with history and culture, and that works to make a familiar pattern seem still fresh. The incorporation of the mythical Australian bunyip, for example, creates some nice, creepy peril as the quest-pursuit unfolds and gives us -- and the characters -- an opportunity to feel that perhaps even having a dragon or three around isn't a guarantee of safety. Such variation is necessary, given that much of the novel is taken up with a trek across the Australian outback, so the usual detailed descriptions of cities, period scenes, or integrated dragon societies simply aren't possible.

The end of this novel almost feels like an ending to the series, or the start of a totally new one, but the next volume is waiting for me, so I know there is more to this story. That is a good thing. Overall, this novel is another solid, if not perfect, addition from a writer whose series is remarkably consistent in its strength and imagination. I'm looking forward to that next one.

All the Temeraire love over here is making me want to read it.

And I desperately need a break from YA, so...

DO IT. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.

Also, it's such a lovely series. :)

Not to change the subject, but who the hell let Russell Brand near a Shakespeare movie? I just finished watching the new version of "The Tempest", the one with Helen Mirren, and it was quite extraordinary except for that idiot.

I do love Helen Mirren, though.

I think the better question would be, who let Russell Brand near oxygen?

You're right; that IS the better question.

I love Russell Brand.

*ducks out of the way of flying rotten fruit*

Aw. Well, at least someone does. You and his mother, I guess. ;)

(I promise not to throw any fruit.)

#28


Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik
This, the seventh and most recent installment in the Temeraire series, capped off my marathon with solid enjoyment. South America is the new locale this time, and a new development in the characterization and appearance of dragons adds an interesting twist to what might otherwise have become routine after half a dozen books. Though it has a strong central place, the novel does not feel quite all together centered. This slightly scattered tone has appeared before in this series, to ill effect in Black Powder War but to the good in Victory of Eagles. This one falls somewhere in between, because it lacks a MAJOR battle as a centerpiece but has several MAJORLY important events for the series as a whole. Those who have read the series will understand the difference.

As for the character relationships, which really drive the books even more than the period detail and the imaginative dragon-integrated world, there are some earlier-developed dynamics that come to satisfying fruition here, but there are also a few moments wherein, for the first time for me at least, the reader's patience is strained; Temeraire's grousing about Iskierka, for example, gets a bit tedious in the middle, though one does get to the reason for it by the end. Other than that, this reader at least was fully engaged with the adventure, which had quite a few sudden turns -- including one heartbreaking loss for the series -- and was, as ever, lively and diverting.

Though not a perfect book -- this series doesn't go in for perfection, because it simply wants to cram all the awesome there is into a rather snug pair of breeches and a bottle green coat, and that's a tough fit -- it does continue the best themes and developments of the series right into... another book. Unlike the previous volume, which ended on a note that rang of possible closure, this one leaves off with another adventure clearly, overtly about to begin. The result, of course, is that one wants the next book NOW, even after reading seven of them right in a row, and if that doesn't recommend the series to you, I don't know what will. Just read it. You know you want to.

Hi Sarah - just caught up on all your Temeraire reviews! For some reason I stalled after reading the 5th book a while ago. Not sure why but don't really seem to be able to drum up the enthusiasm to start again. Some day...

That's cool -- I love the series, but I can understand why some folks might burn out on it. You may as well wait for the last couple of books to be out before you decide whether to go back to it.

Here's what I like about books (among many things): they will be there when you are ready for them. It doesn't matter if you decide to read a particular series a year from now or a decade from now -- when you decide to pick it up, 9 times of 10 there will be a copy available to you. Even Netflix can't promise that (actually, it drives me crazy when stuff on Netflix disappears from my instant queue, without warning).

I love books.

Yeah, I suppose I didn't really need to say that... but I wanted to. :)

"I love books." I hear ya.

True story.

Though I haven't been reading much since I blew through the Temeraire series. I have stalled about halfway through The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which is pleasant enough, but so chock full of introspection that one just groans with it sometimes. I will finish it eventually, I suppose. Meantime, Facebook games seem so much more interesting. *sigh*

Sarah, I had to stop by and thank you for steering me toward the Temeraire series. I just posted my review of the first book, which I really liked a lot. Thanks again!

I skipped your review of Crucible of Gold, so hopefully I'll remember to come back to it after I've read the book myself. You've convinced me that I should reread all the other books before picking it up, though, so it may be a while....

>92 rosalita: & 93: Glad to share the Temeraire love! :)

(Also, this is part of my nefarious plot to... um... make everybody read Naomi Novik's books? Hmmm... perhaps I need to work on my nefariousness.)

So, I'm noticing a pattern. When I'm not reading, I buy books. When I'm reading, I don't. I went, like, two whole weeks without a book binge whilst I was reading Temeraire. (I know you are terribly impressed.)

Yeah, that didn't last.

Spent more than two hours and $60 at the downtown library's basement Book Burrow today. Amongst the treasures were:

The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson (Heritage Press Edition)
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
The Monk by MG Lewis (alas, in a mere Penguin paperback -- one really ought to read the early Gothics in a suitably elaborate cover, but this was such a deal!)
Higglety Pigglety Pop by Maurice Sendak (which I had only just this week added to my wishlist -- woohoo!)
Iron Council by China Mieville (love him)
What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
Scandalmonger by William Safire
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (who knows if I will ever read it, but I felt it necessary to own)
The Little Book by Selden Edwards (ok, I already had it, but this copy was SIGNED... now I just have to find the other one for the give-away box)
Birds Without Wings by Louis De Bernieres
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Disapparation of James by Anne Ursu (I liked her Greek myths YA series, so I was geeked to find more by her)
The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base (as well as another copy of his Animalia which I will give to my almost-niece)
three lovely May Sarton paperbacks -- The Small Room, Crucial Conversations, and Joanna and Ulysses -- because she is David's absolute favorite, so I ought to read her too. Fact. Also, they had a whole shelf of her books for $0.50. I probably should've bought more.

Those above are the titles I was most excited about, but there are lots more. I'm not yet sure how many. Perhaps 40, in total? I came out with four (smallish, I swear) boxes -- I had to use their dolly to get them to my car and they even sent a nice lady out to help me load them up -- but I haven't finished adding everything.

Yes, I have an addiction.

But it's a fun addiction! :)

PS: 44 total books added to my collection. (Does not include dupes and giveaways purchased.)

who knows if I will ever read it, but I felt it necessary to own
Story of my life!

Great picks, Sarah!

#29


The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
I stayed up until break of dawn this morning to finish this book. It wasn't something I'd anticipated doing. The first half had gone by slowly, overloaded with introspection. The slow pace made sense, since this is a novel about a retired man walking from one end of England to the other because he believes it will save an old friend, but there were times in that first section that I had the urge to speak to Harold myself: "It's a good thing you are such a likable guy," I might have said, "because otherwise all this self-reflection would be insanely tedious." And yet, I kept turning pages. I wasn't even sure why, at first -- those little teases of mysterious tragedy intended to generate "compellingness" were largely obvious from the start -- but there was something about this character, Harold Fry, and his wife that made me simply want to know what would happen. So I read.

And as I read, somewhere along the line, the introspection stopped being tedious. The reflections grew into resonant, applicable emotions; the characters transformed into figures both intensely human and genuinely humane. The ideas became important.

Without really realizing it, I was reading like a madwoman, glued to the page in the last stretch of Harold's quest. I cheered him on, in my head. I sighed for him when things started to fall apart. I read the last 25 pages with tears streaming down my cheeks. I thought about Harold's journey as the dawn light filtered into my bedroom, until I fell asleep, and even then I dreamt of walking.

It turned out to be just that sort of book.

Another book sale today, but I only added about 22 to my own shelves. (Only.)

Found six books of the Mitford series for my aunt, though, as well as a few things for other friends. (I'm a bit confused about the Mitford series, actually -- the order on the books is different than the one here on LT. So apparently it isn't the whole series. I don't know.)

Of those volumes that I am keeping, I was most geeked about...

The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley (hardcover)
John Brown's Body (Heritage Press illustrated)
Babel Tower by AS Byatt (hardcover)
Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
and a second copy of True Grit, so that I can actually lend it to people without suffering palpitations about the book being to far away.

Not a spectacular book day, but a nice one never the less.

#30


From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg
I read this in one sitting and then realized that it was one of those books that I wish I had read when I was a kid. I would've wanted to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I would have been captivated by the idea of two kids sleeping in the antique beds and bathing in the fountain.

Beyond the setting and the adventure, there is a strong moral code evident in the children as well as a solid level of intellectualism, which stood out to me as markers of a genuine classic. I think the whole package, from plot to lessons, is very pleasant.

As an adult, it's tough to set aside that "life just isn't that convenient" disbelief, but even with that on your shoulder, this is still a wonderfully fun and delightfully articulate children's book. As a kid, I would've wanted to be Claudia. As an adult, now, I want to be Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

It just seems like such fun. :)

#98 I've seen quite a few good reviews of that one so it's definitely on the wishlist.

#99 Only 22?! :-)

#100 I've wanted to read that since reading Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick as he recommends it at the end - it does sound like a book I would have completely fallen in love with as a child.

I am in the middle of reading Salvage the Bones. Although I find some of it quite disturbing, I am mesmerized by it and love the language the author (Jesmyn Ward) uses in it.

>102 1bigredhorse:: Very cool. Jesmyn Ward was lovely -- I'm excited to read her book, even though I haven't gotten to it yet. I really should. Less buying, more reading. That should be my motto. :)

>101 souloftherose:: How did you like Wonderstruck? I haven't gotten that yet -- I loved Hugo Cabret but David was disappointed by that second Selznick book, so I dropped it to the bottom of my list. I'm interested in another opinion, though.

Oh, also, did I mention there were more book purchases. Less buying, more reading has not yet kicked in, obviously, because we went to see John Scalzi at our lovely Schuler Books and I bought, like, all the things. Or at least all the books of his that I didn't yet have. Almost. Because the man is HILARIOUS. Seriously, if you are a nerd, you owe it to yourself to read Scalzi. (If you are not a nerd, you will probably be totally confused.) Humorous science fiction is his current vein and he is quite good at it. He also runs the Whatever blog.

Anyhoo... I bought his stuff. Also some other stuff. And then some more stuff later in the week. For example(s):

Scalzi books (all signed):
Redshirts
Fuzzy Nation
Ghost Brigades
The Last Colony
Zoe's Tale

Other people's books (not signed, some for obvious reasons):
The Annotated Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (yay for bargain books!)
The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart and The Enterprise of Death by Jesse Bullington
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and some other guy I don't care about because TERRY PRATCHETT
The Prisoner by Thomas Disch

Also there were a couple of garage sale books, including a volume of Cthulu stories (because why the heck not).

And there was that young adult panel -- the Fierce Reads event -- that we went to, from which I acquired the following signed volumes:
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo (who is really funny, though I suspect her book isn't)
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

And I think that's it.

That may, in fact, be it for a while, because I am thoroughly out of money. All this book buying, especially this week at the signings buying regular priced books, has definitely eaten up my fun money (also, my grocery money, car money, etc. but who needs to eat or drive?). So. Must stop buying books.

I tremble just thinking it.

Aw, I miss Schuler's! I haven't been to a Schuler's in 5 years. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Scalzi, I saw him in Boston and he was fantastic. (Did he sing? Did anyone bring a ukelele for him!?)

SOOOO, I just realized that your thread had somehow gotten ignored and I had a TON of catching up to do. Thank god I had something to share with you or I might not have realized it in time.

Anyway, news on The Last Unicorn front, which you can read about here.

No worries about keeping caught up -- I'm almost a month behind on everybody's threads.

I acknowledged on your thread, but I'll say it again here -- thanks for that news. I am glad to see someone at least making a gesture regarding the whole situation (though of course it should have been Amazon and the publisher, IDW, but what can you do?).

>105 bluesalamanders:: Sorry, blue, no ukelele was present. (Though, right now, at some con somewhere, Jim Hines is doing cover poses accompanied by John Scalzi on the ukelele. That's not even a joke.) At the reading I went to, Scalzi and a friend performed a dialogue that he had written as an expansion of Redshirts. It was funny.

And now for something completely different...

I read a book. Okay, technically it was a collection of comic books (which belongs to David), but I'm counting it.

#31


Batman Vol 1: The Court of Owls
This collection of the first half dozen or so comics from the New 52 DC reboot had a lot going for it, most of the time. The story had a strong sense of mystery that utilized the classic detective modes which work so well for Batman... or at least it did for the first half. In the second half, things go to crazy town. No, not Arkham -- that was in the first half -- but rather the deep dark unknown maze beneath (?) Gotham that nobody, not even Batman, knew was there.

Wait, what? BATMAN didn't KNOW it was THERE?!!! Yeah, this whole thing made me have seriously mixed feelings. On the one hand, I enjoyed the story and felt engaged... or rather, concerned regarding the apparently imminent death of a character, which is how one engages with a Batman story these days. On the other hand, the entire sequence seemed designed not just to reboot the character, but to totally remake him. Suddenly, rather than being Gotham's harsh conscience, the all-seeing hero, Batman seems all too clueless and entirely too wrapped up in his shiny new toys. Or perhaps just too human. Either way, I wasn't quite comfortable with the whole scenario.

In addition, the ending sequence (SPOILER ALERT: he escapes) was over-convenient (oh, NOW he can just jump up and smash the guy? WTH?) and the reveal of the Court of Owls seemed populated by escapees from a Neil Gaiman novel. Of course, I love a Neil Gaiman novel myself, but what I'm saying is that the whole situation just wasn't all together Batman-ish. Inconvenient in a Batman comic, I know.

I get that the New 52 is all about new ideas on old characters, but I'm just not convinced this inconsistency will work out in the end. Fortunately, the dark, bloody artwork was great, the layouts were clever (even the bits where you had to turn the book around -- others complained about it, but I thought it was a cool way to express what Batman was going through in the maze), and the reintroduction of other characters was well thought through. So, as a package, this is worth a read. What it means for the future of Batman, however, is yet to be determined.

And the second of the two collected comics that I borrowed from David:

#32


Justice League Vol. 1: Origin
Justice League is the centerpiece series of the new 52 reboot. When I read the first issue several months ago, I was significantly underwhelmed. There were lots of explosions, but not much story. Now that we are more than half a dozen issues in (collected into this hardcover), I found the sequence to be pretty consistent: explosion, little bit of story, BIG explosion, little bit of story, MANY BIG EXPLOSIONS, end of story.

In many ways, though, that's kind of okay once you get all the way through and realize that this entire package is nothing more than a new origin story for the JL and their biggest enemy (yeah, I know, the title should've told me that, but for some unholy reason I looked for more in a shiny new flagship series). Origin stories for superhero groups don't have to have intricate plots (or even plots that make real sense -- I'm looking at you, Avengers) because they are simply about giving a whole bunch of exceptional people a reason to show off to each other. Hence, the explosions.

Now that the origin base has been established, I am interested to know where the writing team takes this series. Frankly, the art is the best thing they have going -- Jim Lee is the best detail artist there is and his heroes are awesome in every way (except I still think they should have let Wonder Woman have pants) -- so I would read this anyway, even if the story truly tanked, just for the pictures. I am hoping, however, that they actually do some intriguing and clever things with the new dynamics of the team (everyone is a lot younger, which irritates me, but opens up some intriguing development possibilities).

I suspect, though, that ultimately we will just get... MOAR 'SPLOSIONS!!!

I'd love to see Scalzi, and definitely need to pick up Redshirts soon.

Also, remember when I said that, if I kept buying books at the rate I was going, I would buy 340-something by the end of the year. Well, apparently my pace increased, because out of curiosity I just went back through my lists and -- as near as I can calculate, which may be off by a half dozen or so -- I have purchased 295 books in the first half of 2012.

This includes the stack of 10 that I brought home from the library bookshop yesterday. I spent $16 of the week's gas money on books. Oy.

Though, in rationalization-mode, I tell myself that I was very reasonable: I allowed myself only books that were already on my wishlist or that were by an author I had already read and really liked. So I ended up with:
The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester
Old Bones The Wonder Horse by Mildred Pace (in a vintage Weekly Readers edition, illustrated by Wesley Dennis)
Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith
Wise Children by Angela Carter
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett
The Ropemaker and Angel Isle by Peter Dickinson (I never should have asked for recs on Dickinson -- now I see his stuff everywhere!)

How many have I read, you might ask? 32. Yeah.

I'm officially cutting myself off. I have not quite $13 in book credit at our favorite local bookstore -- that is the only money I am allowed to spend on books for the entire month of July. If I come back on here in a week with another book confession, you are all to shake your fingers very sternly. Or something.

Let's see if I can actually go a month without spending money on books.

>111 ronincats:: Scalzi was great and, given the companion piece that he read and his general mode of writing, I think Redshirts will be hilarious.

Maybe I'll start that today... but what about...? Aaaaaaaah! So many books to choose from!

(This is a first world problem that I am all too happy to have.)

I went by Mysterious Galaxy today and picked up Redshirts and the new Pratchett collaboration. Won't get to it for a while, but I have it here in my greedy little hands. However, these two make it 37 books acquired for this year.

Just de-lurking to say The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry sounds marvellous.
I also like the sound of Scalzi. Humerous SF sounds like fun, and not something I've really encountered before (well, unless you count things like the spin-off books from the TV show Red Dwarf).
I have to marvel at your current rate of book aquisition. A library with its own bookstore sounds like heaven to me, but I do have to wonder if you have a lot of spare bookshelves in your house? I mean, where do all these boxes of books go???

Among your recent acquisitions, a few caught my eye....
Wise Children is a great book, and one I also acquired recently. I read it as a library book several years ago, but now I have my very own copy I'm planning a re-read sometime soon.

#95 "A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (who knows if I will ever read it, but I felt it necessary to own)"
You really should read it! Don't let the slightly impenetrable (at first) language or the casual misogyny of Kubrik's film version put you off, it's a great book imho.

#103 Sorry for taking so long to reply Sarah. I really liked Wonderstruck, not quite as much as I loved Hugo Cabret but close. I'd seen quite a few reviews from people who were disappointed by W though so I was prepared to be disappointed but I wasn't :-)

W has a slightly different style in terms of how the story is told which did take me a while to get used to, but the change in style made sense (for me) later in the book and I think it worked well.

#104 "Seriously, if you are a nerd, you owe it to yourself to read Scalzi." Darn, more books for the wishlist. Where's a good place to start? Old Man's War?

"The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and some other guy I don't care about because TERRY PRATCHETT" Yay! And there's another book out in Sep/Oct - how long has it been since we had 2 Pratchett books in a year?

#112 B-but I enjoy reading about your book acquisitions... Have you considered that going cold turkey like this is going to impact more people than just you? What are we going to do??

>115 HanGerg:: Yay! I like it when lurkers de-lurk -- it makes me feel wanted. :) As for where all the books go, well, they go on the shelves... except I've mostly run out of shelves at this point, so they go on the chairs and on the floor and on the ottoman and on pretty much any flat surface currently available. I have a plan for fitting another bookcase into the book room, but it takes a lot of shifting, so I haven't started the project yet.

I do a LOT of double-stacking.

I love Angela Carter, so I was geeked to find Wise Children. Glad to hear that you liked it, and thanks for the advice on A Clockwork Orange -- I'll have to give it a try.

>116 souloftherose:: I'm terribly pleased to hear you say that you liked Wonderstruck and that it worked. I think I will have to give it a go, despite David's disappointment, because I just really enjoy Selznick's visuals and now I know that it is perhaps better than I thought, so... good. :)

As for starting Scalzi, I started with his stand-alones rather than the big Old Man's War series. Because he does a lot of riffing on iconic sci-fi, it's fun to read some of the classics in pairings with his stuff. For instance, a couple of years ago I read Philip K. Dick's Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep and then Scalzi's The Android's Dream, which was great fun. I'm planning to do something similar with Fuzzy Nation, because I'd really like to read H. Beam Piper's original Fuzzy books. I hear, though, and this was straight from the horse's mouth, that Scalzi's most accessible book is his new one, Redshirts. I'm going to be reading that myself, shortly. Care to join me? :)

(Also, he does have some short pieces on Tor.com, if you would like to try before you buy, so to speak.)

SUPER excited about more Pratchett. Every book he releases is bittersweet to me, because I know it will not be too much longer before there won't be anymore books at all, but I love every single page and am delighted to have two this year.

And, finally, regarding books... yeah, cold turkey it is. Sorry. I've already been tempted, and it's only three days into July, but I will stand firm. I will not yield! No buying books in July!!!

August, though, is another matter entirely. :)

Good luck with your NO book buying goal in July.

I've been pretty good in April, May and June, but then again I've been busy with real life. I know that if I had time and energy, I'd be out there buying, or online clicking away.

So Agent to the Stars is available for free on Scalzi's website. It's not his best work, but it is a fun book. That's where I started when I first decided to read his books, and then went to Old Man's War. (Of course, that was all that was available at the time!)

The text and audio version of The Sagan Diary novella is available free online as well. That's set between the second and third books in the Old Man's War trilogy, though, so may be spoilery if you haven't read them yet.

>118 Whisper1:: Thanks for the good wishes, Linda. I hope your energy is restored soon -- you'll have to do some buying so that I can live vicariously through you. :)

>119 bluesalamanders:: Thanks for the input and info, blue; I didn't know that about the Sagan Diary myself, so I am glad to have the link too. Yay more Scalzi!

Also, finished some books...

...and I haven't even bought any! (For those counting, that's a whole week with no book purchases.)

#33


Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
This memoir is the product of The Bloggess. If you have never read her blog, you really should. If you have read her blog, you will find this book to be exactly like it, only book-shaped. The same random, stream-of-consciousness hilarity, the same chaotic leaps from topic to topic, the same cheeky asides (which alternate between funny and confoundlingly oddball)... it's all here. I read most of these pages in the bathroom, so that I didn't have to worry about laughing so hard I might pee myself. It totally happened.

If you are uncomfortable with that little share, this probably isn't for you. Anyone who has read the blog knows that Jenny Lawson isn't squeamish about blood or bodily fluids and never pulls punches when there is a poop joke to be made. At the same time, she has a great grasp of her own inner self and what makes the rest of us human, so as much of her humor comes from wry observation and reflection as slapstick. What might surprise you is that there are tender moments here too -- I was in tears toward the end of the chapter about her dear little pug, and I suspect you will be too.

Here is an occasion where you can try before you buy. Look up The Bloggess, read a bit (particularly the one about the giant metal chicken, which is in the book, but even funnier in color), and if you start laughing so hard that your thoughts turn to bladder strength, buy this book. You won't regret it.

#34


The Last Unicorn Graphic Novel: The Deluxe Edition by Peter Beagle
Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn is one of my favorite novels ever, and the animated film adaptation is one of my favorite movies ever, for years, since I was a child. Obviously, with that context, I was bound to love this version of the story. Luckily, though, this gorgeous, oversized graphic novel, which includes the graphic adaptation as well as a short story by Peter Beagle, is the kind of book anyone falls in love with. The art, reminiscent of the animated feature but also distinct and beautiful on its own, is a wonderful compliment to the story. Fans of the novel will find their favorite bits here, brought to lush visual life. I don't exaggerate -- some of the panels made me want to tear them out and frame them, but I would never do that to a book. If you have not read the novel, however, you might want to start there first before these images get in your head.

Also, if you have watched the animated film as much as I have, it's hard to read these pages without overlaying the film's lines and hearing those voices in your head. Even so, and even with all the trouble that surrounded the purchase of this book, it is so very worth reading. I suspect I shall return to it over and over again.

I don't exaggerate -- some of the panels made me want to tear them out and frame them, but I would never do that to a book.

My sentiments exactly. So many of them were frame-worthy and breathtaking! And, even though I was totally pissed about the whole buying nightmare, I did decide to keep it after all for just that reason, it's just too beautiful not to own. The large format really makes a difference.

I completely agree about the large format. I held it in my two hands and just felt the heft -- it makes you want to open it reverently, which is not generally a sensation one feels about a graphic novel. The whole production was impressive.

So, yeah, even after that whole business with Amazon and IDW, I still kept it.

#35


The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
I had heard great things before I started this book; by the time I finished, I was delighted to find that they were all true. This is a Very Good Book. What's more, it's great fantasy, iconic and classically fantastic without being overly derivative or falling into any of the other modern pitfalls that trap (particularly new) authors. Here is a world built from the ground up, with some nods to familiar mythologies, but mostly spun out of new thread. As a result, the setting and characters feel both mythic and fresh, which is rare.

The narrative is also refreshed with a not-always-linear style that begins with an acknowledgement of the narrator's broken psyche and then leads, in twisting fashion, to the events that broke it. It's a wonderful way to build intensity and forward motion beyond simple chronology -- yet it does not drift into the overly-stylistic absurdity of a post-modern novel, nor lose the reader by over-stretching the breaks in the timeline.

The narrator herself, Yeine, has been entrapped in a new and unwanted role in an aristocratic family she wanted nothing to do with -- and thrust into political and spiritual machinations she knows nothing about. She is an extraordinary figure -- as most fantasy heroines must be -- but I loved that her extraordinary nature had a coherent origin. She didn't just happen to be "the lost daughter of the king" or "the chosen one" or "the only one who could break the curse" -- another circumstance in which this book escapes the tired fantasy tropes and respects the reader enough to provide plausibility even within magical circumstances. Yeine's destiny was deliberately created -- and she, along with the reader, must figure out both what she is and why. It's a deliciously curvy tale which fits within the turnings of the narration with measured elegance.

All in all, my thoughts on finishing this book were simply "this is exactly what fantasy should be". Inventive, engaging, complex... all good things. I heartily recommend this book, but you will excuse me if I stop the recommendation here so that I can go read the sequel.

Great review!

Glad you enjoyed the Jemisin so much--the next two are just as good!

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms sounds great, and I was particularly taken by the idea of it being a model fantasy novel. It's one of my stated aims for the year to read more fantasy, but have no clue where to begin, so this is wishlisted as a possible starting point.

I'm trolling the threads and was had to de-lurk to say that I'm living vicariously through your book purchases!! I'd die of joy if I could get my hands on so many books all in half a year... *wipes slobber off face*, but then I'd be without a husband, and that wouldn't be much fun. :)

>125 leahbird:: Thanks!

>126 ronincats:: Roni, I am halfway through the second and must agree with you. It's equally good so far. I am not yet sure whether I like the narrator as well, but I love the way Jemison frames her and her abilities. Wonderful stuff.

>127 HanGerg:: Are you returning to the fantasy genre or have you not ever really read any? I think Jemison is a great example of what modern fantasists can do. If you enjoy historical or political fiction that is complex, you might find that this series works as a sideways step into fantasy. Tim Powers is another author who really appeals to those who usually read heavier historical or literary fiction. If you are looking for something lighter, though, you might try Naomi Novik, whose Temeraire series I reread earlier this year. It's not perfect, but it's great fun and the kind of series that blends genres, giving it broad appeal. Oh, the lovely idea of having a goal to read MORE fantasy! I usually have to try to read less, or risk never reading anything else. :) PS: If you want further recommendations, I am sure that we here will oblige.

>128 jolerie:: Trust me, my dear, you would not die... you would roll around in that joy and use it as a blanket while you read. That's what I do, anyway. But I do hear that sometimes husbands object to books piled on the floor and in the chair and double-stacked on the shelves. I can't imagine why. Not having such a thing -- husband, that is -- about the house myself, I'm afraid I quite fail to understand their objections. Though I suppose a husband would come in rather handy when the floor joists finally give way under the weight of all the books. They fix things, don't they? ;D

Although, I must confess... I HAVE NOT BOUGHT A SINGLE BOOK YET THIS MONTH. It's nearly two whole weeks. I'm feeling unreasonably proud of myself. I was tempted by a bargain copy of Ernest Cline's Ready Player One on Amazon (that devilish site taunts me with almost daily emails of books I "might enjoy" -- devious reprobates!) but I did not buy it.

Quick, someone else buy a book or the publishing industry may collapse!

Not to worry! I bought a book! Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. There, the publishing industry is safe for the time being.

Don't worry, Sarah! We've got your back! I bought Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children yesterday.

Miss Peregrine is such a great book!

Agreed. The interplay with the photos is really clever.

I'm glad that you all have my back. Good work, people!

And thanks so much for telling me how great Miss Peregrine's is... yep, because now I want to buy that book. ;)

But I shall not! I shall resist temptation! I shall not... be able to enter a bookstore. I think that's the only way this is going to work.

>129 beserene: I'm pretty new to Fantasy. I've read bits and bobs, but not in a very deliberate way. I'm really enjoying the ubiquitous George R.R.Martin series, but would like to broaden my fantastical horizons beyond that. I'm coming to Fantasy by way of Sci-Fi, of which I am a huge fan, and I have an inkling the two genres may have a lot in common. I do like a good historical mystery as well, if that helps. Any and all recommendations gratefully recieved! : )

The two genres do, indeed, have much in common. In fact, there are some crossover authors who might provide good introductions, especially if you already like their styles. For example, Lois McMaster Bujold is known is scifi for the Vorkosigan books, but her Curse of Chalion trilogy is wonderful fantasy. Jo Walton is another who blurs the line -- her Tooth and Claw is dragon fantasy that is entirely focused on dragon society. It's really cool -- like if Jane Austen wrote a serious book about dragons, sort of.

If you enjoy fairy tales, or books with a fairy-tale feel, my absolute favorite is Patricia McKillip. Pretty much anything she writes is lovely, though I would rank In The Forests of Serre, Winter Rose, Od Magic and the novella The Changeling Sea near the top. The other nice thing about her is that she writes stand-alones rather than trilogies, most of the time. It's hard to get away from trilogies in fantasy. Also, Robin McKinley writes with a similar tone, though her work is YA and much simpler. But The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown are always highly recommended and personal favorites.

Also, you may have heard of a dude called Neil Gaiman. He writes pretty excellent fantasy (you know, like American Gods or The Graveyard Book) when he's not too busy being the definition of cool. Or snogging his rockstar wife.

If you are in the market for contemporary (lately shifting into urban) fantasy, Charles DeLint practically invented it. He also does interesting things with fairy tale tropes -- the Jack of Kinrowan sequence made me fall in love with his work. Another great fantasist who works in a few different modes within the genre is Peter Beagle. The Last Unicorn is, of course, the place to begin, but he has more and pretty much all of it is wonderful.

As far as new fantasists, Catherynne Valente is a new favorite of mine, though it's more fun to read something like her The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making after you are well versed in the fantasy cliches she's messing about with. :) Also, similar things for Patrick Rothfuss, another new favorite -- his The Name of the Wind is magnificent, but relies on prior understanding to make it really resonate.

These are all in addition to the previously mentioned Naomi Novik, Tim Powers and NK Jemisin, naturally. Have I dropped enough on you yet? I tend to get overexcited when someone asks for fantasy recs.

All this assumes that you have already read The Chronicles of Narnia, at least The Hobbit from Tolkien, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (or the whole series). Those are, I suppose, fantasy "classics" in some sense. Also grouped in there might be Lloyd Alexander's The Prydain Chronicles and The Belgariad by David Eddings. (Those are younger-oriented series that many fantasy readers tend to start with, but they set up some of the ideas that later fantasy plays with.)

Holy crap, I'd better stop there. Sorry to totally overwhelm you. I do love fantasy, though -- it's so exciting to be able to make recommendations to a person new to the genre!

Wow! That is indeed an exhaustive list! Many thanks for taking the time to respond so thoroughly!
I will note all of these recommendations and keep an eye out for them. I can sometimes take a while to process recommendations and actually go about the task of acquiring the books, but I have been making some progress lately.
Also, do you have any thoughts on China Miéville. Would he be broadly classed as a Fantasy writer? I see mention of him all over the threads and have been toying with the idea of hunting down some of his stuff for a while. Although with all these new books to be tracked down, he may have to go to the back of the list! : )

Hi Sarah. Your great review of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms has reminded me how abysmally I've failed at reading the rest of that trilogy...

#132 I think China Mieville straddles a range of genres, he's very versatile, but Perdido Street Station is one of his books that I would classify as fantasy.

I have read fantasy since I was a teen and yet there are STILL so many great books and so many great writers out there that I haven't heard of (demonstrated by your excellent lists of books). I think what I like about fantasy is that there are so many different types of fantasy. If you don't like a specific type, then you can always try something totally different, but it's still classified as fantasy. I guess having a broad and general definition is inclusive of such a range, but at the same time it makes it kind of hard to define what exactly is "fantasy".
Great list of books. Some I've read and loved. Some are sitting on my shelves and I'm pretty sure I'll love when I actually get around to reading them...
Have you read anything by Jacqueline Carey? Or Anne Bishop?

>137 HanGerg: & 138: I like China Mieville -- especially Perdido Street Station, actually, which I think was the first of his that I read. He absolutely is one of those authors who blends scifi and fantasy, usually pretty well. His books (for adults -- I haven't gotten to his YA yet) are generally complex and he drifts into the sub-genre called "the new weird" sometimes, which largely means he comes up with some bizarre stuff and occasionally gets carried away with being weird (even to the detriment of little things like plot). His books are brilliantly imaginative, but also are often exhausting, so I don't read them as often as perhaps I should.

And Hannah (it is Hannah, yes?), no worries about the time you take to get to those I suggested, or if you get to them at all. I promise that there will be no pop quizzes. I just like to be helpful with lists. :)

>139 jolerie:: I like the different types within fantasy too. It's nice to be able to have so many different styles and modes. My favorites (obviously) are fairy tale retellings, generally, but I like all sorts of sub-genres within fantasy, from high to urban and back again.

As for the two authors you mentioned: I have not read either, but a dear friend of mine loves Carey and pushes her books on everyone. I've heard her speak and read (she's from 'round here, originally, so we've met her a couple of times) -- she comes across as astute and well-researched. She used a middle-European and Eastern blend of mythologies to create her primary world, I think, and it sounds interesting. I just haven't gotten to her yet. (BTW, I also get the impression that there is quite a bit of sex in her books, which is different from traditional fantasy.) I have a couple of books by Bishop, but have not yet read them either, but I've heard general good things, which was why I bought the Black Jewels trilogy in the first place. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful there.

And thanks, all, for the kind words. I do so like to recommend things to a receptive audience!

Both Carey and Bishop do really good strong female characters which I often find lacking in the traditional fantasy books. They are either completely absent or at the mercy of some lord/monster/evil thing that wants to ravish them. Carey is crazy with her world building but her books are chunksters. I hope you enjoy the Black Jewels trilogy when you get to them. I remember liking them, but haven't got a chance to read her other spinoffs.

That is good to know -- I always like to find books, especially fantasy, with solid, independent female protagonists. There was a time when they were quite rare, but I think that there is more choice these days, which is positive change. The genre evolves! Hooray! (Thank goodness!) :)

...just popping in to say hello! It's going to take me awhile to catch up, I confess, but it looks like you've had some great reads lately. :)

Hello! Lovely to see you! And no worries about catching up -- there's nothing wrong with just starting fresh. :)

Finished the trilogy...

#36


The Broken Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
The second installment of Jemisin's Inheritance trilogy was every bit as good as the first. We have moved forward in time, a decade or so, and have changed narrators, but the world that was built in the previous novel is still remarkable in its rich detail and wonderfully imaginative variety. This novel is more focused on the parts of the world -- and its people -- that live outside of the Arameri stronghold, so the characters are no longer dominated by politically manipulative motivations. Instead, the reader gets to experience more of the diversity that Jemisin has woven within her words, both in the sense of characters and of ideas. The core plot is part murder-mystery, part high fantasy, which makes this book seem perhaps even more accessible, at least at first.

Another level of accessibility comes from the shift of narrator. Rather than Yeine, as in the first installment, the reader learns this story through the perspective of Oree, a young, extraordinary, blind woman. Oree's attitude and narration are a good deal simpler than Yeine's was -- so much so that I wasn't sure I liked it for the first part of the book. Reading them so close together made the change more difficult and, since I had enjoyed some of the non-linear complexities of Yeine's telling, made Oree's seem simplistic at first. Fortunately, this book has a collection of truly great characters who dragged me into the narrative anyway. By the end, I was thoroughly engaged, running the gamut of emotions as the climactic events unfolded.

Jemisin is one of the best young fantasy writers out there, in my opinion. She constructs a complete fantasy world, filled with characters from different statuses, ethnicities, abilities, etc. but free of tokenism or condescension. She composes word-made images that awe the reader with their color. All this, and the mere fact that her sequel is as solid as her debut, makes me want to read every single thing she has written. You might want to too.

#37


The Kingdom of Gods by NK Jemisin
As with the second volume, it took me some time to adjust to the change in narrator for this third installment in the Inheritance trilogy. This time around, we read from the perspective of a god -- Sieh, the trickster, god of childhood and mischief, who is having some troubles of his own this time around. I feel like I'm repeating myself something terrible, but this novel was just as good as its predecessors. The descriptions were elegant, the details exceptionally vivid, the characters fully fleshed. Jemisin's now-characteristic deftness with incorporating the fullness of a real world was present as well.

The only challenge I felt with this novel was a clunking shift in narration at the end. Given what occurred, however (and I won't spoil it here), I can't see how it could have been avoided. There certainly could have been smoother methods tried, and it did pull me from the story for a moment, but it was otherwise serviceable.

On the whole, I think this entire trilogy is absolutely excellent. Jemisin's writing is consistently strong, her characters -- both new and old -- are brilliantly human (even when inhuman) every time, and her world is irresistibly rich. The whole package rings with the weight of mythos and the freshness of a genuine talent. I have high hopes for future series -- and, of course, heartily recommend this one to any fantasy fans, as well as to others who find fantasy too formulaic. This series may change your mind.

****DON"T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE NOVELS REVIEWED ABOVE; IT WILL GET IN YOUR HEAD.****

Just had to tell someone: Every time I think of Sieh, I picture Aang, the Last Airbender, zipping around on a ball of air in his cartoon. Except that Sieh's ball was En...

And, yeah, En was the best thing ever. En was the bit the brought me back into the story after the narration shift. En = awesomeness in a wee sun.

Both books are on my TBR mountain and waiting to be read! Can't wait. My eyes are naturally drawn to the parts that say DON'T READ THIS and I wan't to read what you wrote, but I quickly diverted my eyes, because I don't want it to get into my head before reading the books. Nevertheless, you got me all curious about it!

#145: I own the first book in the trilogy which I will hopefully get around to reading one of these centuries. I am glad to see the other books are just as good!

>147 jolerie:: Sorry to taunt and tempt you -- but I had to post that, because no one I know IRL has read these books, so I want to see if I'm the only one. Think of it as a motivator, maybe? :)

>148 alcottacre:: I think you would like the series, Stasia. Why not give it a go? (In your spare time, of course.)

Also, I would just like everyone to know that we are only one week from the end of July and I HAVE NOT BOUGHT A BOOK THIS ENTIRE MONTH. Not one.

Just so you know.

Woo! Well done!

Very impressive! I always feel so satisfied and in control when I refrain from acquiring books. But despite my best efforts, at least one book has come into the house every month this year....

I'm waiting for the book purchasing onslaught that will be August... ;-)

That is definitely worth noting!! I was thinking my book buying is a lot like binge eating. I will force myself to be good one month, only to go nuts the next, which often makes up for my lack of buying the previous month, and then some!

For you:

>151 bluesalamanders:-152: Thank you, thank you. * takes bow * I'm feeling pretty proud of myself...

>153 tapestry100:-154: ...but August is coming. (I totally feel like GRRM right now.) And onslaught might be the right word. There is a library sale I know of in mid-August. GOING.

>155 leahbird:: * giggle * That's totally me. (Except I would never speak a typo, of course, and neither would any of you fine people. Am I right? ;) Also, there's nobody in this house to object -- just the creaking of the floor joists and me surrounded by books. Which is a little sad. But there are books. So, totally me.)

I gotta tell y'all (thus disproving my previous statement -- but it's faux-dialect, so that's okay) -- I'm jonesing pretty hard. Mostly because Amazon keeps taunting me with DAILY EMAILS ABOUT ALL THEIR GREAT DEALS IN REALLY BIG LETTERS.

I am surrounded by devious capitalists.

(Or I'm paranoid because it's the end of the semester and I am not so much with the sleeping. You decide.)

>156 beserene: - So where/when is said library sale, because we haven't been to one of those in quite awhile. I may need to join in on the shopping extravaganza!

>155 leahbird: I'm pretty sure that you and I have had /very/ similar conversations. ;-)

#156 by @beserene> & #157 by @tapestry100>

As I said over on my thread, the trouble is that this conversation happens all the time in my house. I live alone. I'm having this conversation with myself. It's sad.

And yes, the typo annoyed me too.

Library sales = dangerous, but really who can pass up such a good opportunity!

Library sales = it's for a good cause, so it's your duty to help out by buying all the books!

>157 tapestry100:: It's the Delta sale, silly! You knew that, of course; you were just testing. :)

>158 leahbird:: Glad you're with me on the typo. Honestly, what self-respecting book person puts out a book comic with a typo? I'm shocked and appalled... and now I'm over it. ;)

>159 jolerie: & 160: I knew I liked you people. You see that, David? It's MY DUTY to HELP OUT by buying ALL THE BOOKS! That's EXACTLY what I've been saying all this time.

And now for more sugar. Because I reeeeeeally need more sugar, right? (I should be grading right now.)

I picked The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms up in the library and raced through it, you were right, it was great! So glad to hear the second and third parts are equally good - I'm going to the library today to see if they have them in stock!

Finding typos when we read anything...menus, books, is so frustrating.

I recently read the book In the Bleak Mid Winter and found a glaring typo. I liked the book, but wondered how the typo got through the publisher.

I hope you are well my dear. I agree with post #160...

>162 HanGerg:: Hooray! Read on and let me know what you think of the rest of the trilogy.

>163 Whisper1:: I love how you enable me, Linda. :)

Thus, I feel I must confess that the more-than month-long prohibition on buying books has ended. I lasted from July 1 through August 5 with no purchases, but today I caved. I met a friend/colleague at a local bookstore for a lunch meeting, and then perused the used section after, coming out with a bit of a stack, including:

River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi
The Hum and The Shiver by Alex Bledsoe
The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches
Dancing Girls by Margaret Atwood
a book on Athenian principles and their relation to myth (work-related)
and the last Mitford books I needed for my aunt.

I had a bit of credit at the store, but it didn't really cover it. Still, at least it was used prices. And I was supporting the local economy, which is important, right? Right? :)

Even so, I'm going to try not to buy more books until the library booksale in a couple of weeks. The operative word there may be "try".

Oooh you have quite the lineup of new books to read!!! I, uh, am failing the "Read More Than You Buy" Challenge quite miserably... so I'm sympathetic to your temptations and caving. ;)

Hey, Sarah, I was in the middle of my 3 weeks away when you were enthusing over the Jemisin trilogy, but I have read them all, and totally agree with you on all points! I have the ARC of her newest through ER and have to get around to reading it too.

#164 Going a month without buying any books is a feat to be proud of! I don't think I've managed it since I started working.

>165 dk_phoenix:: I'm telling you, we aren't "failing" -- we're just participating in a different challenge. The "Buy all the books" challenge. And suddenly, we're WINNING! :D

>166 ronincats:: Welcome back! I started that new series (also via ER) but have stalled on it a bit. Not sure what my deal is. I like it, but it hasn't engaged me as much as the previous trilogy. It's possible, though, that reading them all together was a bad idea. We'll see. I'll be curious to see what you think when you get to it.

>167 souloftherose:: I was totally proud of myself. And then my friend was like, "You know, it doesn't really count if you just make up for not buying in July by buying EVERYTHING in August." And I was like, "It totally does count!" And then I realized that I still have a problem. ;)

Also, I forgot one of the books I bought last night: The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card.

But just because I bought so many books that I forgot about one, it doesn't mean that I am overbuying! Nope. Never.

#38


The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin
After reading Jemisin's excellent Inheritance Trilogy, I was ready to adore her new Dreamblood series, starting with this, its first installment. Instead, while I admired the book, I didn't feel as connected to it as with her previous work. Perhaps that was simply a matter of different narration, or perhaps I shouldn't have read them all in such quick succession, but I did feel that it was harder to get into and stay in this novel. That said, there are still some great things going on here. Jemisin's new world is inspired by (but not set in, as she herself clarifies in the notes) the myths and civilizations of ancient north Africa (Nubia, Egypt, etc.) and -- as seems to be a strong suit -- she uses the source material well, creating an intriguing religious structure as well as interesting parameters and explanations for magic. Her world is beautifully described, with elegant imagery but also richly realistic limitations that make the whole thing work that much better.

The characters, this time around, are intriguing, but difficult to relate or connect to, and that might be the weakest part of the book -- though keep in mind that Jemisin is one of those writers whose weak moments still top some of the best efforts of nearly everyone else. Our main characters are two Gatherers -- priest-magicians whose absolute faith is about to be severely tested -- with a third character -- Sunandi, an ambassador from a neighboring land -- providing another perspective, one formed by her foreigner status and her lack of complete faith. The primary Gatherer, Ehiru, has a fleshed out background that helps the reader understand him in some depth, but his apprentice, Nijiri, and Sunandi have as many tantalizing hints as they have actual explanations. The interactions between the characters in the first half of the book are quite formal, and therefore sometimes stiff, but the intrigue of the plot carries the book forward. There are sinister things afoot here, both in the supposedly pure religious sect and the supposedly contained political powers, but I won't give them away, as much of the pleasure of the novel is realizing -- as the characters do -- just how troubled things really are.

The novel ends with some closure and a new beginning, but doesn't totally satisfy. I know there is a sequel, yet as a reader I am stumped about where the sequel will go, as there are no obvious cliffhangers in this first volume. In a way, that is a good thing, since the reader feels the solidity of a complete story, but some will not care for the tone of speculation with which the novel leaves us. I liked it (also, I appreciated it because I don't have the sequel yet). Overall, though it wasn't a total favorite, I can still recognize that this was a Very Good Book.

PS: I'm still not satisfied with this review, as the book leaves one with an unsettled feeling that is not unpleasant yet still difficult to put into words. It's, like, good but weird. That's not a helpful phrase, though. Sorry.

Also read two kids books, mostly because I was feeling lazy after my Jemisin streak, but found that -- though very different -- they were both pretty darn good.

#39


Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Stead authentically inhabits the mind of a middle-grader in her newest novel for children. The premise -- a socially awkward boy moves into an apartment building with his family and meets a new friend, who is solidly odd -- is familiar for many readers, but used to good effect, and with some fresh twists, here. The novel becomes very much about perspective -- both the characters' and the reader's -- as we follow the stated events and attempt to follow what is not being said at the same time. The sense that what's not being said is even more important rises strongly throughout and, though many adults will have figured out most of what's left out, the intended middle-grade audience will likely enjoy the puzzle as it unfolds. With good humor as well as tenderness, and a climactic sequence that anyone who has ever been picked on will find deeply satisfying, this book works. That's a solid recommendation, in case you can't tell. :)

#40


A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Doyle's newest is a book for children, but it isn't really. It has a certain overtone of nostalgia that appeals to adults, as well as four generations of characters, each of whom represents a key moment of human life and a key family role; these things make it suit an adult looking back perhaps more than a child looking forward. But you mustn't think that this is a flaw. The whole book is soaked in emotional and familial bonds -- it is more intense, less silly, and less interested in presenting the minutia of childhood than most recent books for/about children -- but there is nothing flawed in that. It's just a different sort of creature.

I'm doing a terrible job explaining the difference, but I assure you, the book is lovely. It celebrates life, generations, women, family, death -- all these wonderful realities and ideas -- but it does so swiftly. You know what the end will be almost from the start, so it isn't about plot at all, but it's compelling anyway. The voices of the characters -- each bearing a distinct pattern from a distinct moment -- echo in the mind, creating a sense of conversation that is as aural as it is verbal ("hearing" those voices was, for me, the best part of the book). In the end, it creates a sense of comfort as well as a sense of loss. It's not an ordinary sort of book. It's the sort of book that you read with your daughter when her grandmother is dying. And I know that doesn't really sound like a recommendation, but it is. This a sad book, a reflective book... but also a wonderful book. I think I'll be returning to it again someday.

I have yet to read Jemisin's Inheritance trilogy first before I try any of her other books but I have a suspicion that I will really like them...

That's one Roddy Doyle book I've never heard of, but it sounds worth seeking out. Nice review, Sarah!

Some lovely and very eloquent reviews. I must get hold of the final two parts of the Inheritance Trilogy, but then I'll remember to leave a bit of a gap before trying her new series - good but weird is a recommendation as far as I'm concerned!

I have to get back to that Jemisin--I left it hanging before I started my travels and haven't gotten back to it.

>171 jolerie:: Yes, I think you will. Do it! Right now! (Not that I'm pushy.) :)

>172 rosalita:: Thank you. I love Roddy Doyle. I actually had put this on my wishlist on That-Website-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but then went through a stack of ARCs that the ex-bbf had given me (because he's still such a nice guy) and there it was! Destiny. I tell you what, though, The Giggler Treatment is still my favorite of his kids books. I have never laughed so hard about poo in my life. I love his range as an author.

>173 HanGerg:: And thank you! "Good but weird" is, obviously, as close as I could get to a proper description, but I'm glad it made sense to you. I will be looking for the follow-up book, so that too is a recommendation. :)

>174 ronincats:: Watch out: if you leave it hanging too long, you may have to re-start. After I got back to it, I found myself having to flip back and reread earlier passages to make all the sense of what was going on. Still, worth it.

In other news, I wandered into a book sale today. And by "wandered" I mean that I drove fifteen minutes and then backtracked around construction in order to arrive exactly there. Unfortunately (or, depending on your perspective, fortunately) there wasn't too much that I wanted. I ponied up my $5 and came out with a box, but half of its contents (now that I have gotten a proper look at them) may end up at the used bookstore or donated to the next library over. There were a few gems, though.

Among the keepers:

Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded by John Scalzi (the ex-bbf, who -- in a fit of mad coincidence -- arrived at exactly the same time, with new gf in tow, found this one in a box and handed it to me because he knows I like Scalzi. Like I said, such a nice guy. Sometimes I wonder why I broke up with him. And then I remember. But anyway...)
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon (the spine is broken on this one -- I cannot remember the last time I bought a book with a broken spine -- but I was so excited I had to have it anyway)
Half the Day Is Night by Maureen McHugh (I knew and liked her in my Clarion days, so I was very pleased to find one of hers I didn't have)
User Unfriendly by Vivian Vande Velde (this novel is a relic, and not really in the charming sense, but I'm keeping it because it was published through HBJ's Jane Yolen imprint, which until today I did not know had ever existed -- cool.)
Lest Darkness Fall by L Sprague de Camp (hooray for alt history, with bonus David Drake novella, no less!)
The Dreaming by Barbara Wood and The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway (because, apparently, today I have a thing for books about Australia)
two John Irving first editions, The Fourth Hand and Until I Find You (which I really shouldn't keep, but probably will anyway)
Millroy the Magician by Paul Theroux (which seemed like a good idea at the time)
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin (which struck me as a fun, escapist sort of read)
Amagansett by Mark Mills (somehow I have ended up with two Mills novels simply because something about the texture of the book jackets appeals to me. Insane? I'll get back to you on that.)
Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx (which may end up back in the donate box --still pondering)
and three Alice Hoffman paperbacks, at least one of which is definitely going back in the box, while the other two are in my stack on a trial basis. I always want Alice Hoffman to be better than she is. Not that she's bad, but you know...
Oh, and Troy by Adele Geras (because one must own all the novelized reimaginings of the great Greek epics, obviously)

The box of not-keepers has, among other things, volumes by Tobsha Learner, Tom Wolfe, Carolyn Parkhurst, EL Doctorow -- and a slightly ratty paperback of the very first Sue Grafton (A is for Alibi that I was all enthused about -- mostly because its blurbs refer to her as an up-and-coming sensation -- until I remembered that I have no business starting a 20-volume junk food series). So, see, I'm being discerning. Really. In case anyone was curious.

Hi Sarah

Great reviews of your two YA books, both of which are now on my tbr pile.

I like your definition wandering. I do a lot of that myself when I find myself with an arm full of books standing in line at my local bookstore. :)

Haha, I will probably get to them sooner rather than later just by the mere fact that it is a completed series whereas so many of the others that I'm reading, the author has yet to finish the series!

Similar things happen to me every time I go with my sister to look for something she needs. We always end up in multiple antique/vintage shops where she doesn't find the one thing she was looking for and yet I end up MUCH poorer and reevaluating the storage possibilities of my dining room...

It's been a LONG time since I've been at LT, but I'm catching up, and was so happy to see the panda at the top of your thread. So thank you for bringing him over, and giving me a smile :)

>177 Whisper1:: Hi Linda, and thanks. Glad to have added to someone else's pile instead of my own. :)

>178 jolerie:: Yeah, I hate getting into the middle of a series and then realizing the next book hasn't come out yet. The funny thing is that I'm like that with television also. Netflix has spoiled me -- I am reluctant to start a series that's actually on current television, because I hate waiting for the end (or even just the week until the next episode). I watch tv the way I read novels these days. Oh, world, how you do enable me! :)

>179 leahbird:: I hear you there. I used to be terrible about shopping in general -- as in, I could never leave a shop without buying something -- but I've slowed down on everything but books these days. Still, I always have more bags than any of my friends when we go shopping. They just accumulate.

>180 lunacat:: Welcome back! I hope all is well with you and I'm glad the panda made you smile, especially since that's what I did the first time I saw him on my thread (so, thanks right back at ya). :)

In reading news, I started A Once Crowded Sky (which really should win some sort of "great title" award) but stalled out on it, and I'm almost finished with Carrie Fisher's memoir, Wishful Drinking, but I left it at David's house this evening, so now I'm thinking I should go back to the previous, but I don't feel like it; I kind of want to read the zombie book, Bad Taste in Boys, that I picked up at a signing the other day, but I probably shouldn't start that in the middle of the night, given my history with zombie books, so here I am at one in the morning with a book dilemma... and, yeah, first world problems. :)

And in buying news... put on your surprised face... I went to a book sale. (Yep, I meant your sarcastic surprised face, not the other one.)

Though it seemed like there wasn't much I wanted, somehow I managed to come home with 30 books. How does this happen? No idea. It's like they just jump in my bag while I'm not looking. Or something.

Interesting finds include:
White Teeth by Zadie Smith (lovely hardcover)
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon (signed -- I was pretty surprised by that!)
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (I think this is one of those books that everyone should own a copy of)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (one off my wishlist!)
Prince Across the Water and The Rogues by Jane Yolen (I think we all know that I love her. In case you didn't know, you do now.)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (another off the wishlist! Woo!)
Summer Reading by Hilma Wolitzer (bought mostly because I'm clinging to summer with all the strength I have remaining)
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
The Witch Queen and The Dragon Charmer by Jan Siegal (which finishes out a trilogy of which the first has been on my shelf for years)
The Canon by Natalie Angier (which is all about science -- yay science!)
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (which I now feel like I owned once before, but perhaps I'm thinking of one of his other books)
a memoir by Isabel Allende that I've already forgotten the title of...

and the list goes on. Isn't it amazing what you find when you aren't really finding anything? Oh, wait, we just talked about this! :)

Came home with another 25 books today, because SOMEONE MADE ME GO BACK TO THE LIBRARY SALE. Seriously, it was practically at gun point. Okay, maybe not at gun point, but there was definitely arm twisting. Okay, maybe not arm twisting, but David definitely looked at me funny and then said "hey, let's go to the book sale." So, there you have it -- I really had no choice.

And then we went to Barnes & Noble after lunch, which was so not my idea, I swear.

So, the second trip through the sale landed me a few more gems, including:
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
Ben In the World by Doris Lessing
The Means of Escape by Penelope Fitzgerald
Changing Places by David Lodge
The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg
Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp
The Water Room by Christopher Fowler
No Contest by Alfie Kohn (work related)
Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle
The King of Ireland's Son by Padraic Colum
and ten or so others. At 75 cents each, all were worth it, in my opinion. Of course. :)

B&N acquainted me with a few that I could not leave behind also:
The Shadowed Sun by NK Jemisin (I needed this, as anyone reading this thread knows)
Louisa and The Missing Heiress and Louisa and the Country Bachelor by Anna Maclean (which I may hate, but they were on the bargain table, so why not?)
The Postmortal by Drew Magary (another one to scratch off the wishlist!)
Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll (because it sounded interesting)

And that was that -- a magnificently bookish afternoon. And now I have to totally reconfigure my book room, because the acquisitions of the last several months are still sitting here in the living room but now they are starting to take over the furniture. The sitting-on furniture, not the book furniture. Oh dear.

And there was reading news too!

#41


Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
This book took all of two hours to read, and that includes several breaks to check out what those thumping noises outside were (because any time you read a zombie book in the middle of the night, even a funny zombie book like this, noises outside sound like the undead trying to breach the walls). It isn't a challenge, it isn't a mind-blower, but for such a breeze of a book, it was pretty darn fun. It helps, as far as enjoyment goes, if you have ever been a teenage nerd-girl, as the novel securely inhabits that perspective, complete with dorky humor, exaggeration, and quite a bit of crush discussion. Also, SCIENCE. The plot was familiar, the resolution implausibly swift, and the characters underdeveloped, but one doesn't expect Tolstoy from a funny zombie book, so there you go. Special bonus: I didn't have to sleep with the lights on, because it was funnier than it was scary.

#42


Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher is a mess. Precious, but a mess. Also, I think she may have been an inspiration to the Bloggess, but perhaps that's just me. Both memoirs rattle along with little focus and tons of random deviations into anecdote (or, in Fisher's case, one-liners, remnant from the book's origin as a one-woman show). But that's really not what I want to say about this book. Because, despite all the head-snappingly random detours and narrative issues that make my teeth (the teeth of a writing instructor) itch, this book is absolutely, compulsively readable. And I don't even like celebrity memoirs, usually. There is something really engaging, however, about Carrie Fisher's frankness. The fact that this is (also) a book you can finish in under two hours, rather than the ponderously pontificating autobiographies that some other celebs "write", really helps. Also, Carrie Fisher's stories are even better when read aloud. To a dog. Which I did. I bet the show is hilarious.

*tumbleweeds*

Ah, I meant to come back and say how pleased I was to see another Jemisin series, but in my hurry to scurry off and order them, I failed to return! Thanks for the mention of them.

You're entirely welcome. And no worries -- no obligations here -- I was just having a laugh because I hadn't posted in a week and had absolutely nothing bookish to report (*hangs head in shame*).

But I did order from Amazon, so got half a dozen books in the mail this weekend! Yay! (Chief among them a copy of Cloud Atlas because that movie trailer made me want to read it, as well as a used copy of James Tiptree Jr: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon which someone on here recommended (Roni, maybe?). Thanks for that rec, whoever you are! :)

And last night my dear friends piled into my bookroom and we got some new shelves up and loaded. So, now the sitting furniture in my living room is for sitting again, because there aren't stacks of books everywhere. Woohoo! Very exciting stuff.

But, as for reading, I'm afraid it's been mostly the internets and Entertainment Weekly lately. Hmmm... must find something good to read. Oh, look, SO MANY BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM. Wheeee! :)

Congrats on getting some new bookshelves up, Sarah. You know what that means ... time to buy more books!

Amen, sister! I like how you think! ;)

>188 rosalita: rosalita, don't encourage her! lol

1. Like many others, I live my book-buying life vicariously through Sarah.

2. Like she needs my encouragement! :-)

Both excellent points.

Wow, I'm totally providing a service here. I mean, how could I possibly stop buying books... when it would obviously let you all down? It is my DUTY to provide you with the opportunity to live vicariously through my purchases.

MY BOOK-BUYING PRACTICALLY SAVES LIVES.

There it is. And now I can buy more books. :)

book buying saves my life, that's for sure. They don't call it biblioretail therapy for nothing.

I did the exact same thing as you. I ordered a copy of Cloud Atlas when I saw the trailer for the movie. The trailer gave me NO clues to what the book/movie was about so I don't know if that is a good thing or not..haha!

>193 norabelle414:: Exactly.

>194 jolerie:: Oh, good, I'm glad I'm not the only one. We're in this together! Now I just have to read the thing. :)

Postscript: Hey, guess what? I bought more books! I do it all for you people, you know. Taking one for the team, etc. ;)

Went to a reading from Irish author Peadar O'Guilin, and was the member of the audience who got closest to pronouncing his name correctly, so I won a $20 gift card. Used that as a convenient excuse and came home with...

The Inferior and The Deserter by Peadar O'Guilin (obviously)
Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study by Maria Snyder
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Chime by Franny Billingsley
a Poe picture book with illustrations by Gris Grimly
and one other thing that I now can't recall, and the bag is in the other room, and I'm too tired (read: lazy) to fetch it. Must've been something good. :)

Yay! Books!

Oh, you're going to love Cloud Atlas! Definitely one of the best books I've read in the last few years. I'm really intrigued by the film, not least because it seems like the most unlikely of books to be made into one, as it has multiple, completely separate story threads. I haven't seen a trailer yet, so I'm off to go have a look right now!

I'm glad to hear a recommendation on Cloud Atlas. I think it sounds remarkable.

In other news... I found my CueCat! Happy day! Seriously, the thing was hiding in a box for eight months. I was absolutely on the verge of ordering a new one. Thank heaven! Now I can catalog my picture books! :)

Congrats on finding your CueCat! You should celebrate by buying some more books to catalog. (Why yes, I am an evil imp, thanks for asking!)

>196 HanGerg: HanGerg, I'm glad to hear a recommendation on Cloud Atlas too! Now, I'll have to go pick up a copy.

>197 beserene: The CueCat has been found?! It was in one of the boxes your mother packed, wasn't it?

>198 rosalita: rosalita, you my dear, are a bad influence!!! Stop encouraging her to buy more!! lol

I am only 51 messages behind, lol. I thought it was high time I checked in on you again :)

Oooh, just watched the Cloud Atlas trailer. I was a bit skeptical, but it actually looks rather maginificient. They do appear to have "Hollywood-ised" the story a bit, but I'm really looking forward to this now. Might even re-read the book before I go and see it : )

>198 rosalita:: What an excellent idea! :)

>199 tapestry100:: Actually, it was in one of the boxes I packed. Which is pretty embarrassing, thanks for asking. ;) And leave rosalita alone! She has excellent ideas!

>200 alcottacre:: Nonsense, you aren't behind -- you are simply experiencing this thread in non-linear fashion. Totally acceptable. And lovely to see you anytime, my dear. :)

>201 HanGerg:: I know, right! I'd heard this was an impossible book to film, but the trailer is so wicked cool. I hope it all works.

Hey, look -- I read one of those books that I bought! Wow! :)

#43


The Inferior by Peadar O'Guilin
I had been warned by book friends and enthusiasts that I had to give this book 100 pages, because the first chunk was full of WTFery and I would be really confused, but then after that it was amazing. I am pleased to say that it didn't take me 100 pages -- I really did like this from the start. Granted, the reader is -- as the author mentioned at the reading I recently attended -- cast into the story in medias res and thus has no idea what's going on for a little while, but that ends up being part of the book's engaging spell. The limited perspective of the narration may make the reader reread a few portions, just to anchor herself in the distinctly alien landscape and plot, but the whole package is worth the effort.

O'Guilin has asked several interesting "what if" questions in order to set up the premise of this science fiction novel that is at once futuristic and paleolithic. What if there was nothing for you to eat but meat, but the meat you could get came from intelligent creatures who were also trying to eat you? That is the place the author begins and his extrapolations result in a novel that is both brutal and thoughtful. Also, what if you were a militant (as in culturally ingrained for generations) vegetarian and you landed in the midst of this world of carnivores? See, you're intrigued already. I can tell. And that is best part of this novel -- the sheer intrigue of its questions and creations. And boy, let me tell you, there are more creations -- including some remarkably imaginative monsters -- by the boatload here.

I'm not saying this is a perfect book. Among its flaws are sparse prose that occasionally stumbles and deductive leaps that don't always land on their feet, but like other sheer-power-of-story YA novels, this book carries one along at such a clip that there is hardly time to notice. And the swift pace of the novel works both within the story and without -- I finished the book in the equivalent of an afternoon, from early lunch to tea time. I'm glad I picked up this book and I think others who enjoy science fiction with a bit of dash, or adventure with a side of speculation, will find it worth their time. Also, I'm already reading the sequel, which might tell you something.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS: This is a book largely about carnivores; there is much talk of consuming organs, butchering kills, and people of all kinds getting eaten, sometimes alive. Not really a book for the squeamish, and even those with solid stomachs might look twice at their BBQ ribs right after reading this (though I ate mine with relish. No, really). Also, this is the first book in a trilogy and it ends on a cliffhanger. You have been warned.

#44


The Deserter by Peadar O'Guilin
I read this science fiction sequel in quick succession with its predecessor, and I must say that this second of the planned trilogy does have some sophomore book problems. I expected to launch right into it, but found that for me the first portion of the book lagged. Exploring the Roof and getting to understand the nature of the society above those carnivorous ground-dwellers we met in the prior installment did not have quite enough edge and uniqueness to fully engage from the start. Part of that lag might have been the fact that, in this novel, we switch perspectives somewhat irregularly, instead of our third-person limited viewpoint staying with Stopmouth. The switches take some getting used to.

That said, however, by about halfway, I was fully engaged in the book and zipped through the second portion with interest and speed. Though still not richly detailed -- not O'Guilin's style -- the descriptions of technology and society here are a little more visual, as well as being more familiar, thus the structures and people of the Roof are perhaps easier to imagine than the monsters that populated the previous book. Also, with a more complex society come more complex problems, and figuring out what's really going on is intriguing. The puzzle isn't quite as satisfying this time around, but the character relationships are more so, so everything really balances out. There is an added grandiosity here that might seem strange at first, but works out by the end as well. I'll not spoil any twists, though.

Overall, I would call this a necessary sequel that starts out on the low end of its expectations but rises well above by the conclusion. Plenty of violent adventure, tempered with ideas of love, family, ethics and duty, makes this worth your time. I am looking forward to the final volume of the trilogy.

Sarah, I'm so far behind that I can't even skim, but you make me feel so good!!!! I think that you get books even more quickly than I do. (Let's support each other!) And such good books!!!
I'm excited that I'm next in line - or close - for *100,000 Kingdoms* and you remind me that I need to get to the next books in the Sleepless series by Nancy Kress. And I love *PSS* especially, but I'll try everything that C. Miéville writes as soon as I find out about it and can get to it.
I don't remember who besides Lucy, Roni, and me read the Alice Sheldon bio, but I continue to recommend it highly. I enjoy Scalzi, and I loved and adored Cloud Atlas. It's such a treat to see so many good books mentioned here! I'll be back!!!

Have you found your CueCat really useful? I've been on the fence for so long debating whether or not it would be a worthwhile purchase.

Great reviews for The Inferior and the The Deserter. I'm adding both to my need to borrow from the library list!

>205 LizzieD:: Of course we must support each other, my dear! (I need all the support I can get -- how are you at holding up floor joists? ;) ) I still say that we should just start our own Buy All the Books Challenge, or at least make it official, since heaven knows I'm already rocking that. :)

>206 jolerie:: I love my CueCat. LOVE. But I have 3000+ books and often buy dozens in the space of a week (or a day), as I've confessed here many times, so the functionality of the scanner is beautiful for me, but might not be as impressive for someone who doesn't need to enter that kind of volume. For example, I have several hundred children's picture books I still need to catalog on here, but I was waiting until I found the CueCat because I can only hand-key perhaps 50-60 books in the space of an hour, but I can CueCat scan three times as fast, getting through 150 or so in that time.

Not much reading since the O'Guilin novels. Waiting for something shiny to attract my attention, I guess. (Great, now I'm a book-magpie instead of a book-panda. Hmph.)

Been a little quiet around here, so I'm not sure if anyone wants to know this, but I did some MAJOR book shopping today. Not my usual "spend $20, come home with boxes of used books" thing -- this was proper books, at a proper bookstore, that happened to be having an anniversary sale and ALL THE BOOKS were 30% off.

I love sales. I love books. It's like they made this day just for me.

It also happened to correspond with the biggest paycheck of my life -- which might not be very big to other people, but made me feel quite extravagant, what with being actual grown-up-ish money -- so I allowed myself to be very, very bad and buy lots of things off my wishlist. Like...

Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
Princess Academy: Palace of Stone and Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
Fire and Hemlock and Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones
Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Deathless, Palimpsest, and In the Night Garden by Catherynne Valente
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood
The Diviners by Libba Bray
The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
the last two books I was missing from Diane Duane's Young Wizards series
and a handful of Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron (these came from the used section at $2 each)

There were a few other things in the bags, as well as some Christmas/birthday gifts for other people, but those were the highlights. All in all, this is the second most I've ever spent on books in one day. (The first most, btw, was six years ago and a one-time fluke -- I was working at a bookstore at the time and basically turned over my entire paycheck for books.)

Honestly, though, as I sit here surrounded by lovely books that I really wanted, I feel very blessed to now, finally, have a job that pays me like a proper human being and allows me to have a rare extravagant day without sacrificing something necessary in the process. Obviously, days like today cannot happen all the time -- most of my book buying, for good reason, has to be of the $5-a-box variety -- but it was a genuine pleasure to be able to get the books that I really wanted and to get some things for friends and family too.

Also, I must take a moment and pray that this job continues -- since I have only a semester-to-semester contract, there is no guarantee that I'll ever be able to have an extravagant day again.

But this one was definitely worth it. :)

Honestly, though, as I sit here surrounded by lovely books that I really wanted, I feel very blessed to now, finally, have a job that pays me like a proper human being and allows me to have a rare extravagant day without sacrificing something necessary in the process.

Congrats on the good paying job and the book haul. I feel the same way about my current job. I don't love it and can't see myself staying there for more than a few years, but I like it just fine and the money I'm bringing in is such a change from my usual bleeding bank account. I'm not a big spender but it sure is nice to know that when I need or really want something I don't have to think about when I can afford it.

Sound like an absolutely lovely day, Sarah, and I'm so glad you had it! Great books, too! I have to get around to picking up Dodger.

Lovely book haul, and isn't it lovely to be able to buy brand-new books from a bookshop occasionally. I can't remember the last time I did so, as if I buy new books I buy them online so they are cheaper. The only exception is for an independent bookshop that I want to support and therefore am willing to pay RRP for the book.

Still, it is a definite extravagance, and not one that can happen often.

Fingers crossed the job continues, so that you can have more days like that.

Yay for your book binge! It looks amazing and so therapeutic. Just a warning - I'm reading The Diviners right now and I cannot put it down. At all. Ever.

>209 leahbird:: Exactly. Though I think I like my job a bit better than you like yours, but I'm glad you know what I mean. :)

>210 ronincats:: Cheers, Roni! I dashed back to the bookstore today for more Christmas presents -- honestly, for other people (though of course there did end up being a couple of things for me, again) -- and ended up getting a copy of Dodger for my sister as well. I just love Terry Pratchett. LOVE.

>211 lunacat:: What makes this particular binge even better was that this was an independent bookstore. We have this great indie chain, Schuler Books and Music (http://www.schulerbooks.com/), which has five locations in south/west Michigan. The stores are big like the old BN/Borders, but they are independent and are curated by genuinely book-oriented staff. They also have a healthy used-book section. It was their 30th anniversary sale that I was shopping. Totally supported the local economy this weekend.

And thanks for the crossed fingers. I'll be crossing my own at the end of this semester, because more semesters of these kinds of paychecks would be GREAT.

>212 norabelle414:: Good to know. Libba Bray is fantastic, so I'm excited about this one already, but now that you say that... well, I'm just even more excited! :)

#213 by @beserene> Probably, but that's more because I've been doing what I WANT to do and have had to set it aside to make some money. There's nothing actually unlikeable about my job, other than the usual office/contracts headaches, it's just that I have a VERY clear image of the way I'd rather spend my days. But I appreciate this job all the more because, like your book spending spree, it's long term purpose is to enable me to do what I want.

That's exactly what a job should be: either the thing that you love, or the thing that enables you to do what you love. Rock on, sister!

Sarah, I think it's a great idea to spoil ourselves once in awhile and it's always a greater blessing when we actually have the funds to do so. :)
Glad to see you snagged some great books, deal or no deal, being surrounded by books is pretty much my idea of a perfect day!

So glad you and I see it the same way. :)

David, our friend Brad, and I went to our semi-annual Antiquarian book show today. I found a copy of Mustang: Spirit of the West, which was one of the Henry firsts I was missing, and a fun vintage movie tie-in edition of Little Women from 1943. Of course, I generally despise movie tie-ins in today's books, as David noted, but when it's vintage, that makes it cool. :) Also, picked up a signed Terry Pratchett hardcover (Thief of Time) and Ankh-Morpork map -- spent too much on those, but as my two enablers reminded me... when else am I going to find something like that?

So, the book adventures go on.

In fact, we popped by B&N after the show (ENTIRELY David's idea, I swear) and I grabbed The Last Dragonslayer and The Mark of Athena, which had just come out. Also a $2 copy of Larry McMurtry's Literary Life, which was just too good a deal to pass up.

Basically, I'm falling back into my older habits of picking up a couple of books and then also some bargain books each week... I'm okay with that.

Books, like bowties, are cool.

Great book haul!!

I for one fully support your book habit, Sarah. At least, I support it intellectually and emotionally, not financially. Just so we're clear. :-)

Thanks for sharing your pickups with us!

Thank you for your support. And I promise not to come looking for hand-outs when my book habit bankrupts me. :)

Time has, obviously, gotten away from me these last couple of weeks and -- despite have a plethora of great books to choose from -- I haven't managed to read much.

I did start Glamour in Glass, the second of Mary Robinette Kowal's "Regency romance with magic" books, but I haven't really been pulled in. Not quite halfway through, but I've yet to feel the giddy enjoyment of the first one. We'll see how it goes.

The weather has finally turned here. It's definitely reading season. Perhaps...

Obviously, there hasn't been much to report lately. I did finish Glamour in Glass, but I didn't like it as well as the first one, so I've not felt much of an urge to write a proper review. Reading stalled out after that, so nothing to add.

I did go to a library sale today, though. Picked up about 20 books for myself and a dozen or so to give away -- at $1 each, not a bad deal. Highlights include:

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (which I've been longing to read for ages)
The Pacific and Other Stories by Mark Helprin (because Mark Helprin is awesome)
Drown by Junot Diaz
Einstein's God by Krista Tippett
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (which every woman should own, I believe)
Waiting for the Barbarians by JM Coetzee
Democracy and the Arts
Rules of Thumb by Michael Martone (which I gave as a gift years ago and always wanted back, shame on me)

and some other bits and bobs, including a very old grammar book with paperboard covers that looks to have been used by high schoolers at the beginning of the 20th century. I love stuff like that. Oh, and a Modern Library copy of the complete poems of Keats and Shelley, something every self-respecting English major ought to have.

So, book happy at the moment. Shared a couple with friends already and more will go to students, etc. I love giving away books almost as much as I like having them. :)

Figured I'd just get this done.

#45


Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal
While I enjoyed the Heyer-esque Regency fluff of the first in this series, the Austen-with-magic world bumps up against my suspension of disbelief a little too often in this, the second installment. In this book, our (literally) plain Jane heroine is living the life of a newlywed, creating magical art alongside her gruff yet tender husband. Political machinations are afoot, however, and the pair are soon caught up in Napoleonic problems.

As sophomore efforts go, this isn't bad -- the characters, details, and historical contexts are all interesting enough and there is a fair bit of intrigue to the plot, which adds pleasant momentum -- but neither is it as good as it could have been. While I still like the engaging differences -- such as the main character not needing to be the most beautiful woman in the room -- my main frustration here is that the rules of magic in this particular world simply don't make that much sense. In the first book, we could look past that, distracted by the newness of it all, but this time the constraints of wielding "glamour" are front and center, essential to the various plots (I shan't spoil them), and it all ends up feeling a bit forced.

I am, however, curious to see where the series goes, not just with story, but also with the extent of magic in the modified history that Kowal has built. I hope that all of these rules and limits that now feel so affected will eventually coalesce into a coherent plan. Even if they don't, however, the series is jolly enough as an innocuous romance to keep reading. This is one of those books, however, that you will wish was just a bit more than it is, because its premise is so promising and so unfulfilled.

"I did go to a library sale today, though. Picked up about 20 books for myself"

We would expect nothing less of you Sarah :-P

#222 A shame that one was disappointing. I'm still waiting for the first book to be officially released in the UK...

:)

The Kowal book wasn't bad.... it just wasn't what it ought to have been. I did like that we get to see the "ever after" part -- and how it's not always perfectly happy. So there are good and interesting ideas to the series. I hope that the next installment picks up a bit.

So.... it's been a while.

The semester is ending, which is my excuse, and trying to get all the grading done for 6 classes is a beast... I've been exhausted most of the time.

But, anyway, apologies for letting the tumbleweeds blow through.

I have purchased a few books (okay, more than a few), but I've only read one:

#46


Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
Those who enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket will find that in this novel -- first in the "autobiographical" prequel series that at last will tell the story (we hope) of the mysterious Mr. Snicket, the VFD, and all the unfortunate events that happened prior to the Unfortunate Events -- things are much the same. The author's signature style combination of words and definitions, alliteration, and absurdity is intact. The reader is in for another set of exaggeratedly idiotic adults, whip-smart and ironic children, puzzling plots and plain old puzzles, all to edify (which here means to instruct in rather an amusing manner) and entertain. Everything feels spot on for the clever middle-grade reader, as usual, but I will say that I did not feel as immediately engaged as I had with the previous series. Considering that I am not the target audience, however, I think that can be overlooked. Overall, this is a fine start. Looking forward to the next.

PS: Bookish readers will enjoy the many, many literary allusions -- both veiled and direct -- throughout the book. Our main character, the author's persona, offers many worthy recommendations and figuring them all out is part of the fun.

Glad to see you get your head above water, if only briefly. When do the holidays start?

Glad to see you reading, posting and of course posting about your book buying Sarah! :)

Thanks for stopping by, both of you. David keeps getting mad at me because I keep buying books when I'm not supposed to be buying anything because... holiday shopping. Or whatever. But I can't help myself. Or rather, I do help myself. The other day I helped myself to City of Dark Magic and Trapped for example. :)

Roni, my last class doesn't end until the 17th, then I have less than two days to finish grading (which is why I'm trying to get it all done now). So, official holiday start will be somewhere between the evening of Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday morning.

Frankly, if my grades are done by Tuesday evening, I'm planning on drinking myself into a stupor.

And that's what we call coping skills. ;)

Definitely! Finishing the grading BEFORE drinking oneself into a stupor=coping skills!

Pssst... don't tell David, but my other coping skill is buying books!

I went to the library bookshop the other day -- because I was looking for books for my students! -- and happened to find Elegy for Eddie, Fledgling, and A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar for $1.50 each! All three have been on my wishlist for a while. So excited!

Tonight could've really sucked. But it didn't.

Every Christmas for 20 years (yep, since I was a teenager), I've hosted a Christmas party for all my friends. This year, just 24 hours before the party -- yesterday, in fact -- I cancelled it. I did this for a number of reasons, some external (because I had scheduled it late in the year, lots of people were cancelling themselves at the last hour and many of my oldest friends weren't able to make it in the first place) and some internal (I've been struggling with depression again lately, triggered by the exhaustion of a tough semester and the painful awareness of being alone for yet another Christmas, and I simply couldn't bring myself to decorate and organize and get things ready).

So, tonight was supposed to be the party. And I likely would've spent it sitting in my house alone.

But there is something that we have been doing at that party for the last decade or so that I decided to do anyway, even though there was no party. Every year, in the middle of the party, we all pile in cars and drive down to the local B&N to buy books for that year's charity book drive. And we donate the whole pile.

So I decided that I was going to do that, party or no party.

And even better, when I got to the bookstore, there were a couple of friends waiting for me, ready to help me buy some books. And we picked out each one, from Little Golden Books to Dr. Seuss to Inkheart and The Giver and The Lightning Thief. In the end, we donated just a smidge over $100 worth of books. We sat in the cafe afterwards, drinking chai and chatting, turning what could have been a terrible, lonely evening into a pleasant one. And, no, it wasn't the same as having the house full of people.

But it was good.

I'm so happy for you, Sarah! That is really special.

I'm so glad that your night turned out good!

Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics

I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, Sarah! You are never alone.

From one Christmas loner to another ... Merry Christmas, Sarah. I'm glad your bookstore visit turned out so serendipitously well.

Merry Christmas Sarah!

Thank you all for the lovely Christmas wishes! A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well. I was offline for Christmas, but am back now and it just made my day to see the cheerful "cards" and comments. So nice!

I'm feeling a lot better than I was a week ago. It helped to have Christmas with the big family yesterday. And I've tried not to spend much time at home so that I don't feel the emptiness of the undecorated house. It's better.

Also, I did get some good books for Christmas, which is always cheering. My brother shopped off my Amazon list and got me On The Art of Writing and On The Art of Reading by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (he hasn't the foggiest notion what they are -- he just picked the two things ranked "highest" on my list, god bless him). My lovely sisters got me The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore -- which I am going to sit and read whilst eating the last of the Christmas cookies later today -- as well as the first deluxe edition of Fables and the new Bicentennial edition of The Annotated Brothers Grimm. Most spectacularly, Mom and Dad got me Building Stories, which was the gift of the year, as one of my sisters also received a copy and I bought a copy as a gift for someone else as well.

(This was all in addition to my Secret LT Santa, MsScarletB, who picked out great books for me: Albert of Adelaide, Little, Big, and For Darkness Shows the Stars.)

Considering that my family hates buying me books, because I have a lot of books, it was a pretty good year for books, I'd say. :)

What about you folks? Did Santa bring you some good things to read?

*drive-by wave*

I only got a few books this year... but picked up 5 more in a Boxing Day sale online, and they should arrive tomorrow. HUZZAH!

Glad to hear a potentially lonesome situation with the party turned into a nice evening with friends. It's times like that when we need people the most, despite feeling like crawling under a rock for a bit and avoiding other humans. I get it! :)

*waving back*

And an extra huzzah from me for books on sale! One of our local bookshops had a end-of-year sale, so I picked up some books for my lads as well as some for me yesterday. Library of America editions of Twain's Mississippi Writings and two volumes of Poe, as well as a few good bits of more contemporary fiction, including Westmark and The Foundling by Lloyd Alexander -- for me. For David, I found a brief biography of Dickens... and something I've now quite forgotten. Brain like a sieve, that's me.

I also read a book (shocking, I know). Pyg by Russell Potter was cute and clever, but I'm not sure what else to say about it beyond that, so I'll have to do the review later.

Had my last Christmas of the year this evening, with David and Brad, and got to watch them open the book baskets I'd put together for them (I was geeking out). They got me The Stockholm Octavo and two books by Jacqueline Carey, all signed, as well as some other lovely things. We finally went to see the Hobbit as well. A banner day all around.

Feeling quite chipper, which is pretty amazing for me this time of year. :)

Pyg is the book I'm reading now. I feel much the same that I don't really know how to describe it without it sounding weird.

Happy New Year Sarah!

Here's to a great new year ahead, Sarah!

A very happy new year to you, Sarah! Looking forward to following your reading adventures in 2013.

A belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Sarah. Looking forward to your book reviews and acquisitions in 2013!

I really like the idea of buying books for a charity book drive at Christmas, what a lovely idea and I'm glad you and some of your friends still managed to do that this year.

Thank you for the New Year's wishes -- a very Happy New Year to all of you as well. I shall post my last couple of reviews here and then start a shiny new 2013 thread a little later -- hope to see you all there.

Cheers!

#47


Pyg by Russell Potter
This short novel, which falls loosely into the historical fiction genre but adds significant satire and imagination to the usual fare, uses a once-popular figure as its centerpiece, purporting to be his definitive autobiography. That eminent figure is, of course, Toby the sapient pig, who was a standard of the fair circuit in England around the turn of the nineteenth century.

Yes, apparently this was an actual thing.

Russell Potter's notes certainly encourage that understanding -- the last several pages of the novel are populated with explanations, in wry and cheeky tones, of the other famous historical personages who pop up in the course of the novel -- and any reader of this novel should take the time to peruse those carefully. But one doesn't have to know the historical context to find this book enjoyable. The "memoir" uses a narrative style that echoes a combination of Tom Jones and Black Beauty to produce a story that is clever, witty, and even occasionally heartfelt. That this novel is significantly shorter than those two previously mentioned will also please the modern reader -- Toby's adventures, from birth through showmanship through scholarship and back again, take only the space of an afternoon to read.

While this isn't the stuff for everyone, I can recommend Potter's book for the diversion of many of our group. After all, what's not to love about a memoir written in the 18th century style by an educated pig who quotes classical philosophers? Wait... where are you going? No, really, you might like this! It's quite funny!

#48


The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
What is there to say about The Hobbit that hasn't already been said? This was a reread for me -- done after I'd watched the first installment in Peter Jackson's Hobbit film trilogy -- and it proved to be just as charming, adventurous, and wonderful as ever. Tolkien's old-fashioned fantasy never gets truly old and the reader is always ready to once again follow Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and a company of dwarves out of the Shire and into Mirkwood, Laketown, even unto the heart of Smaug's mountain lair. A classic in every sense.

So, that finishes my 2012 effort. I did not get anywhere near my goal of 75 books read -- for the second year in a row -- but I did read more than last year, with a year-end total of 48 books read. I actually started the year off reasonably well, but faltered in the second half for a lot of reasons. Even so, I feel like I read a lot of good things. I continue to read mostly fantasy and a fair bit of YA, but there's nothing wrong with that.

And now, on to 2013! You can find the shiny new thread here: BeSerene's Lucky 2013: Books Read, Part First.