Nook Books:
Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams - I ran across his name after reading Leviathan Wakes. Hopefully I've discovered a new favorite scifi author!
The Crown Jewels by Walter Jon Williams (Maijstra #1)
This is Not a Game by Walter Jon Williams
Siege and Storm (pre-order) by Leigh Bardugo - I read the first book and immediately pre-ordered the second.
The Uninvited Guest by Sadie Jones - Manor house comedy of errors: the description contains the words "dysfunctional" and "eccentric", which make my ears perk.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters - I kept hearing about this one, and Walters is from my hometown so naturally I must read it!
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause - Klause inaugurated the YA vampire craze with her book The Silver Kiss, and this is it's natural antecedent: a werewolf novel. VOYA: 5Q, 4P. (Probably would have gotten a perfect ten if it had been published in the 2000s instead of 1997.)
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey - I hear it's dark and funny. I'm in.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - It was recently made into a movie, and it sounds like one my sister and I would both enjoy.
The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham - Supposed to be an excellent epic fantasy first book, and it included an ARC of Leviathan Wakes!
Legion by Brandon Sanderson
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson - Okay, so you can probably tell I'm a fan of Sanderson. Ever since I read his Mistborn trilogy with its amazing magic system, I've been hooked.
The Complete H.P. Lovecraft - All of his short stories, arranged in chronological order. Seems like a good thing to have on hand if I ever need to feel a nameless terror.
Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card - A parallel novel to Ender's Game that tells the story of Bean's beginnings as a homeless orphan. It's great to get into another character's head and see his differing perspective on the same events. Now I can get weed my physical copy of this book, too!
Physical Books:
The complete Borrowers series by Mary Norton! Boxed set! - Reading this the moment that diploma hits my hand this June.
Children of God by Mary Doria Russell (The Sparrow #2) - My teacher told me that it really does complete The Sparrow, so I figured I had to get it, though I've heard mixed reviews.
Appleseed by John Clute - The name struck me as familiar, and it's space opera, so I bought it.
The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell - Total impulse buy. I was up for a fairy tale-esque story "decorated" by Maurice Sendak.
April Lady by Georgette Heyer - You should see the all-pink ridiculously silly cover. Looking forward to reading this on the bus.
Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen - Everyone keeps telling me he's funny, and the setup for this book sounds like it. Except oddly, since it's set in Florida part of me expects it to be like Key Largo. I will probably have to revise that impression at some point...
House of Abraham by Stephen Berry - A nonfiction book about Mary Todd Lincoln's family during the Civil War. When Lincoln talked about "a house divided," he definitely meant his own.
The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O'Brian
The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O'Brian
The Yellow Admiral by Patrick O'Brian
The Hundred Days by Patrick O'Brian - Books 14, 16, 18, and 19 of the Aubrey/Maturin series. I want to reread the first few books and power through the rest this summer. They were all on sale! (I should be buying these in e-versions, but I can't resist a bargain.)
Showing posts with label Books Bought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books Bought. Show all posts
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
April: Books Bought
Nook Books:
Watership Down by Richard Adams - I reread this every year, and I've been itching to get it on my Nook. Now I have it! Not that I'm getting rid of my physical copy or anything crazy like that....
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - Deeply funny, and even though I read it years ago I smile every time I think about Ignatius J. Reilly's unique filing system. Nearly time for a reread.
Something About You by Julie James - Recommendation from my cousin, Beth, who increased my list of romance books by a lot during her too-short visit.
Hit Man by Lawrence Block - A hit man with a heart of gold? Perfect.
The Slaves of Solitude by Patrick Hamilton - His books are unlike what I normally gravitate toward, but the way he creates characters is so extraordinary that I am back for more. Awkward courtships? I'm in!
Redshirts by John Scalzi - You cannot call yourself a Star Trek fan if you don't know about the many tragic sacrifices made over the decades by eager young redshirts.
Feed by Mira Grant - It was so cheap! It's been on my list for a while! - and the third book in the trilogy was just short-listed for the Hugo, which was my tipping point. (Not to be confused with M.T. Anderson's Feed.)
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan - According to my friend Caitlin, this book is "scrumtrelescent"! How could I miss that?
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan - Because who can beat the price of FREE?
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick - I loved the movie, and even Kirkus admitted that the book was charming.
Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann - Some friends of mine love this book, and I got it for 99 cents.
Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame
by Zev Chafets - So cheap! Yay, Barnes and Noble!
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - Again, another steal from a favorite author!
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier - Great title, should be fun!
Liar by Justine Larbalestier - Unreliable narrator? Check! Controversial original cover art? Yup.
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at An Answer by Sarah Bakewell - A Nick Hornby recommendation
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie - Y'all, I love my fantasy revenge novels.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan - What about this title isn't great?
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - I decided to read this for a class, but found that I had loaned out my copy! Curses. So I bought it again on Nook. Yes, it's that good.
Physical Books:
The City & The City by China MiΓ©ville - An author who is known for his complexity and originality. My first foray into his works was Kraken, which I enjoyed well enough to seek out more.
The Scar by China MiΓ©ville - see above
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester - My love for Master and Commander has made this one an inevitable read, though I don't think anyone can top Patrick O'Brian's incredible series.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - I cried actual tears when reading this book, which is unusual for me. And it's set near my hometown, where Alexie grew up.
The Edge of the Crazies by Jamie Harrison
The Birthday Boys by Beryl Bainbridge
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks
The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
Watership Down by Richard Adams - I reread this every year, and I've been itching to get it on my Nook. Now I have it! Not that I'm getting rid of my physical copy or anything crazy like that....
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - Deeply funny, and even though I read it years ago I smile every time I think about Ignatius J. Reilly's unique filing system. Nearly time for a reread.
Something About You by Julie James - Recommendation from my cousin, Beth, who increased my list of romance books by a lot during her too-short visit.
Hit Man by Lawrence Block - A hit man with a heart of gold? Perfect.
The Slaves of Solitude by Patrick Hamilton - His books are unlike what I normally gravitate toward, but the way he creates characters is so extraordinary that I am back for more. Awkward courtships? I'm in!
Redshirts by John Scalzi - You cannot call yourself a Star Trek fan if you don't know about the many tragic sacrifices made over the decades by eager young redshirts.
Feed by Mira Grant - It was so cheap! It's been on my list for a while! - and the third book in the trilogy was just short-listed for the Hugo, which was my tipping point. (Not to be confused with M.T. Anderson's Feed.)
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan - According to my friend Caitlin, this book is "scrumtrelescent"! How could I miss that?
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan - Because who can beat the price of FREE?
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick - I loved the movie, and even Kirkus admitted that the book was charming.
Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann - Some friends of mine love this book, and I got it for 99 cents.
Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame
by Zev Chafets - So cheap! Yay, Barnes and Noble!
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - Again, another steal from a favorite author!
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier - Great title, should be fun!
Liar by Justine Larbalestier - Unreliable narrator? Check! Controversial original cover art? Yup.
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at An Answer by Sarah Bakewell - A Nick Hornby recommendation
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie - Y'all, I love my fantasy revenge novels.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan - What about this title isn't great?
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - I decided to read this for a class, but found that I had loaned out my copy! Curses. So I bought it again on Nook. Yes, it's that good.
Physical Books:
The City & The City by China MiΓ©ville - An author who is known for his complexity and originality. My first foray into his works was Kraken, which I enjoyed well enough to seek out more.
The Scar by China MiΓ©ville - see above
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester - My love for Master and Commander has made this one an inevitable read, though I don't think anyone can top Patrick O'Brian's incredible series.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - I cried actual tears when reading this book, which is unusual for me. And it's set near my hometown, where Alexie grew up.
The Edge of the Crazies by Jamie Harrison
The Birthday Boys by Beryl Bainbridge
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks
The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
Monday, April 1, 2013
March: Books Bought, Books Read
Continuing my Hornby "Stuff I've Read" emulation, I'm keeping a list of all the books I read in a month, and the ones in progress, as well as the ones I purchased. Considering how long it's gotten, it may be a better idea to break it up by week when it's this busy!
Books Bought in March
From the UW Bookstore's Spring Sale:
Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language by Steven Pinker - I love books about language, reading, and writing.
Mantissa by John Fowles - Ever since The French Lieutenant's Woman I've been meaning to read everything he ever wrote.
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney - Never heard of it, but it's the story of a woman trying to solve a murder in the Northern Territories during the dead of winter - in 1867. Yep, it's hitting all the right buttons.
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry - Magical realism, and I'm there! I still haven't found anyone to compare to Borges, Garcia Marquez, or Calvino, but I keep trying.
Anonymity: A Secret History of English Literature by John Mullan - History of literature, check. Jane Austen first published anonymously, and there were conjectures about her sex when her books were reviewed.
About A Boy by Nick Hornby - I liked the movie, I liked Hornby's essays, so I'm going to try his fiction.
The Del Ray Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy ed. Ellen Datlow - Short stories and science fiction - I grew up on Golden Age scifi short stories, and I keep looking to reclaim those reading experiences.
Memoir: A History by Ben Yagoda - Another history of literature. I sense a theme.
The Awful End of Prince William the Silent: The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun by Lisa Jardine - A slim book that promises an intriguing take on history.
That Mad Ache by Francoise Sagan (trans. Douglas Hofstadter) / Translator, Trader by Douglas Hofstadter (a two-in one book, with half being the story translated from French, and the other half the story of the translation)
Nook Books:
L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy - One of my all-time favorite films, so I decided I might love the book. Noir is awesome.
Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones - I love Wynne Jones, who is unparelleled at creating unusual fantasy worlds, with tricky rules that move the story in unexpected yet satisfying ways. I've heard this is a good one.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons - I've read it before, and it's stuck with me. Time to read it again.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I gave away my last copy, but now I need to prepare for the MOVIE version, with Harrison Ford as Graff, who now officially has a monopoly on awesome adventure/scifi roles!
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson - The first of a science fiction trilogy about the colonization of Mars that sounds amazing.
Trouble in Texas by Katie Lane - Why yes, that is a shirtless cowboy on the front! Romance is a bad habit to get into.
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London
She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor
The Essential Works of Winston Churchill by Winston Churchill (Golgatha Press) - Reading The Wordy Shipmates got me interested in reading Churchill's histories, and this was a cheap collection at B&N.
Dunkirk: A Retreat to Victory by Julian Thompson - Another Vowell book that I purchased for its cheapness and my sudden interest in reading about Dunkirk.
Larklight by Philip Reeve - Steampunk space travel? Okay, you've got me.
And since I have NO self-control, from the indie used bookstore Magus Books:
The Box by Richard Matheson - remember the movie? There's a short story it's based on (by the guy who wrote I Am Legend, which is scifi/horror) - and for me short stories aren't that interesting unless they're science fiction.
The Faded Sun Trilogy by C.J. Cherryh - I've been searching for a cheap edition of Downbelow Station for a while now, to get into Cherryh's voluminous oeuvre, but no luck. It's not even digital! Shocking - you would think that all science fiction books would automatically converted to digital, just by virtue of their genre. Silliness aside, this trilogy will have to do as my intro to her work. It's about a dying race of aliens searching for their homeworld after human beings (! but yeah, sounds like us) have nearly wiped them out.
On Basilisk Station by David Weber - the first of the Honor Harrington series, which I hope I like since it features a strong female protagonist
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - In case I need some literary fiction at the end of the day.
Midshipman Bolitho by Alexander Kent - I picked this up hoping it will be like Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series, which I love.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - so cheap! And steampunk! I couldn't resist, and the woman who rang me up told me she loved the trilogy.
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach - A bio of a strong woman? Yes please!
Books Read in March (reviews at links):
The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby
Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See ed. Bill Shapiro
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine
Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
Books Bought in March
From the UW Bookstore's Spring Sale:
Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language by Steven Pinker - I love books about language, reading, and writing.
Mantissa by John Fowles - Ever since The French Lieutenant's Woman I've been meaning to read everything he ever wrote.
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney - Never heard of it, but it's the story of a woman trying to solve a murder in the Northern Territories during the dead of winter - in 1867. Yep, it's hitting all the right buttons.
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry - Magical realism, and I'm there! I still haven't found anyone to compare to Borges, Garcia Marquez, or Calvino, but I keep trying.
Anonymity: A Secret History of English Literature by John Mullan - History of literature, check. Jane Austen first published anonymously, and there were conjectures about her sex when her books were reviewed.
About A Boy by Nick Hornby - I liked the movie, I liked Hornby's essays, so I'm going to try his fiction.
The Del Ray Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy ed. Ellen Datlow - Short stories and science fiction - I grew up on Golden Age scifi short stories, and I keep looking to reclaim those reading experiences.
Memoir: A History by Ben Yagoda - Another history of literature. I sense a theme.
The Awful End of Prince William the Silent: The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun by Lisa Jardine - A slim book that promises an intriguing take on history.
That Mad Ache by Francoise Sagan (trans. Douglas Hofstadter) / Translator, Trader by Douglas Hofstadter (a two-in one book, with half being the story translated from French, and the other half the story of the translation)
Nook Books:
L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy - One of my all-time favorite films, so I decided I might love the book. Noir is awesome.
Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones - I love Wynne Jones, who is unparelleled at creating unusual fantasy worlds, with tricky rules that move the story in unexpected yet satisfying ways. I've heard this is a good one.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons - I've read it before, and it's stuck with me. Time to read it again.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I gave away my last copy, but now I need to prepare for the MOVIE version, with Harrison Ford as Graff, who now officially has a monopoly on awesome adventure/scifi roles!
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson - The first of a science fiction trilogy about the colonization of Mars that sounds amazing.
Trouble in Texas by Katie Lane - Why yes, that is a shirtless cowboy on the front! Romance is a bad habit to get into.
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London
She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor
The Essential Works of Winston Churchill by Winston Churchill (Golgatha Press) - Reading The Wordy Shipmates got me interested in reading Churchill's histories, and this was a cheap collection at B&N.
Dunkirk: A Retreat to Victory by Julian Thompson - Another Vowell book that I purchased for its cheapness and my sudden interest in reading about Dunkirk.
Larklight by Philip Reeve - Steampunk space travel? Okay, you've got me.
And since I have NO self-control, from the indie used bookstore Magus Books:
The Box by Richard Matheson - remember the movie? There's a short story it's based on (by the guy who wrote I Am Legend, which is scifi/horror) - and for me short stories aren't that interesting unless they're science fiction.
The Faded Sun Trilogy by C.J. Cherryh - I've been searching for a cheap edition of Downbelow Station for a while now, to get into Cherryh's voluminous oeuvre, but no luck. It's not even digital! Shocking - you would think that all science fiction books would automatically converted to digital, just by virtue of their genre. Silliness aside, this trilogy will have to do as my intro to her work. It's about a dying race of aliens searching for their homeworld after human beings (! but yeah, sounds like us) have nearly wiped them out.
On Basilisk Station by David Weber - the first of the Honor Harrington series, which I hope I like since it features a strong female protagonist
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - In case I need some literary fiction at the end of the day.
Midshipman Bolitho by Alexander Kent - I picked this up hoping it will be like Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series, which I love.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - so cheap! And steampunk! I couldn't resist, and the woman who rang me up told me she loved the trilogy.
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach - A bio of a strong woman? Yes please!
Books Read in March (reviews at links):
The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby
Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See ed. Bill Shapiro
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine
Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
Friday, March 1, 2013
Homage to Hornby: Books Bought, Books Read
Lately I've been reading Nick Hornby's collected essays from his Believer column (Housekeeping vs. the Dirt, The Polysyllabic Spree, and More Baths, Less Talking. The format goes like this: at the beginning of each essay, he lists the books he's purchased and the books he's read for that month. Like most bibliophiles, those two lists rarely match up.
While I'm still experimenting with the best way to structure this blog, I'm going to steal a page from Hornby's amusing and smart books and present you with my lists (the links will take you to the Goodreads profile or to my reviews):
Books bought in February:
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (Nook)
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought #2)
The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought #3)
The Fiction Writer's Handbook by Shelly Lowenkopf (Nook)
Zig Zag: The Incredible Wartime Exploits Of Double Agent Eddie Chapman by Nicholas Booth
Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane (Nook: don't judge - he has whiskey-colored eyes! I love whiskey!)
A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel
Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer
Revenge: A Story of Hope by Laura Blumenfeld
Pulphead: Essays by John Jeremiah Sullivan
I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination by Francis Spufford
I swear I don't normally buy so many books in a month...you should see my library hold list for an indication of my more frugal self. This list is the result of some late-night buying at Powells.com, where it's all so cheap, and shipping was only $4 for everything from Zippy down!
Books read in February:
Jane Austen: A Life by Clair Tomalin
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett (Discworld series; re-read)
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
Nonfiction Readers' Advisory ed. Robert Burgin
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought #1)
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (audiobook)
In progress:
The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente
A Few Good Books: Using Contemporary Readers' Advisory Strategies to Connect Readers With Books by Stephanie L. Maatta
The one wrinkle I'll add is that I downloaded a HUGE number of books from the fantastic Project Gutenberg this month--far too many to list in one entry, or even ten.
So instead I'll give you a teaser of the obscure (and not so obscure!) classics that I'm excited to read about, and the reasons for my enthusiasm (links will take you to free copies via Project Gutenberg):
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (1905)
A swashbuckling adventure story along the lines of The Three Musketeers, this is the story of a Frenchwoman named Marguerite who marries a handsome fop, Sir Percy Blakeney, at the start of the French Revolution. Their love is meant to be, but a terrible misunderstanding estranges them as the Terror begins in France, where a mysterious hero who calls himself the Scarlet Pimpernel is smuggling French aristocrats out of the country.
For movie fans, the 1934 adaptation starring Leslie Howard will make you forget all about the limp Ashley Wilkes (Gone With the Wind). Not to get sidetracked or anything, but the actor Leslie Howard died in 1943 when his plane was shot down by Nazis. He may have been acting for British Intelligence at the time, though the official story is that he was doing anti-Nazi propaganda. So Howard was a bona fide spy, playing a fictional spy! He was a talented actor whose life was tragically cut short, and the rest of his filmography is worth checking out, too.
I'll stop here for now, but there are so many fantastic books available for FREE through Gutenberg that I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me on the subject in posts tagged Three Free Books.
While I'm still experimenting with the best way to structure this blog, I'm going to steal a page from Hornby's amusing and smart books and present you with my lists (the links will take you to the Goodreads profile or to my reviews):
Books bought in February:
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (Nook)
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought #2)
The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought #3)
The Fiction Writer's Handbook by Shelly Lowenkopf (Nook)
Zig Zag: The Incredible Wartime Exploits Of Double Agent Eddie Chapman by Nicholas Booth
Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane (Nook: don't judge - he has whiskey-colored eyes! I love whiskey!)
A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel
Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer
Revenge: A Story of Hope by Laura Blumenfeld
Pulphead: Essays by John Jeremiah Sullivan
I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination by Francis Spufford
I swear I don't normally buy so many books in a month...you should see my library hold list for an indication of my more frugal self. This list is the result of some late-night buying at Powells.com, where it's all so cheap, and shipping was only $4 for everything from Zippy down!
Books read in February:
Jane Austen: A Life by Clair Tomalin
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett (Discworld series; re-read)
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
Nonfiction Readers' Advisory ed. Robert Burgin
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought #1)
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (audiobook)
In progress:
The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente
A Few Good Books: Using Contemporary Readers' Advisory Strategies to Connect Readers With Books by Stephanie L. Maatta
The one wrinkle I'll add is that I downloaded a HUGE number of books from the fantastic Project Gutenberg this month--far too many to list in one entry, or even ten.
So instead I'll give you a teaser of the obscure (and not so obscure!) classics that I'm excited to read about, and the reasons for my enthusiasm (links will take you to free copies via Project Gutenberg):
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (1905)
A swashbuckling adventure story along the lines of The Three Musketeers, this is the story of a Frenchwoman named Marguerite who marries a handsome fop, Sir Percy Blakeney, at the start of the French Revolution. Their love is meant to be, but a terrible misunderstanding estranges them as the Terror begins in France, where a mysterious hero who calls himself the Scarlet Pimpernel is smuggling French aristocrats out of the country.
For movie fans, the 1934 adaptation starring Leslie Howard will make you forget all about the limp Ashley Wilkes (Gone With the Wind). Not to get sidetracked or anything, but the actor Leslie Howard died in 1943 when his plane was shot down by Nazis. He may have been acting for British Intelligence at the time, though the official story is that he was doing anti-Nazi propaganda. So Howard was a bona fide spy, playing a fictional spy! He was a talented actor whose life was tragically cut short, and the rest of his filmography is worth checking out, too.
I'll stop here for now, but there are so many fantastic books available for FREE through Gutenberg that I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me on the subject in posts tagged Three Free Books.
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