Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Library Loot

I don't normally have such a lot of library books out at one time, but it just happened that all the books I wanted to read were available at the same time! Also, some leftover loot include two books by David Almond and a YA Terry Pratchett novel.


Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram - I actually was looking for a book about a boy soldier, instead I found the section of the library that contained the two Sudan books above and this diary of a woman during the Vietnam war. This year's War Through the Generations reading challenge is focusing on Vietnam. I thought I would try to unofficially participate.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - new Scott Westerfeld. I'm amazed my library had this in stock!

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - Recommended to me by a friend and blog reader! Plus, Fforde's new book Shades of Grey sounds pretty good!

Six Months In Sudan: A Young Doctor in a War-Torn Village by James Maskalyk - another book about Sudan.

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett - Next in the series of Death books, picked up for the Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge.

The Translator by Daoud Hari - A book about Sudan. After Maw Books did her Reading For Darfur I've been meaning to read books about the situation going on there.


Persepolis by Marjane Sartapi - finished already, review coming soon.

I Feel Bad About My Neck And Other Thoughts About Being a Woman by Nora Ephron - finished. Review soon.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson - Picked up after watching the movie! Thought the movie was absolutely charming, book must be better! Also, it's included on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima - Picked up after it was mentioned on the Japanese Literature Book Group over at In Spring it is the Dawn.


Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - already finished and mostly enjoyed. Review to follow soon.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell - I haven't seen the film, but it looks interesting. Maybe I'll have to read it and then watch the film.

Invisible by Paul Auster - Paul Auster is possibly my favourite ever author and this is his latest. Super excited about this one.

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian - A long time ago I read Midwives by Bohjalian and it was really great. I thought I'd try another one.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown - In my quest to read more non-fiction, I remembered this book. My old manager at the bookstore where I used to work kept mentioning this book. Being Native-American myself, it's always an interest of mine to read books by or about other Native Americans.

Maus by Art Spiegleman - the book I'm currently reading, and another favourite of book-bloggers.

And finally, here are the books I've acquired recently. Most were book swaps, one was bought new, one was bought from a charity shop.



The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters - I had to buy this book. I did start reading it awhile back, but I had to return it before I was finished.

The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby - I've read so many positive reviews about Hornby's essays on reading that I had to try it.

The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - I can't remember who mentioned it now, but this book was mentioned somewhere and it sounded intriguing.

Further Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes - I do love Marian Keyes and after reading some of Nora Ephron's essays, I thought I'd read what Marian has to say about things.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Positive reviews by book bloggers!

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - A fair few people have mentioned how wonderful this book is, so I thought I'd better give it a chance.

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley - I think I watched the film many years ago but I saw it on a list of possible books for the Women Unbound challenge.

Wake by Lisa McMann - Again with you book bloggers!

Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith - This book is part of the Myth series, where popular authors (such as Margaret Atwood with The Penelopiad) retell myths. I've never read Ovid or Ali Smith, but why not?

Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes - again with my love of Marian Keyes.

And there we have it. Where do I possibly begin?! What books have you picked up lately?

12 comments:

  1. I am not going to even go there. I am looking at your books, thinking got that, read that, want that! So many good books to read. I have just started the Sarah Waters one and it is so good.

    I definitely want Mrs Pettigrew too.

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  2. I thought that I had taken a lot of books out.. lol!! You got me beat..
    have fun reading!

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  3. What a fantastic selection of books! I've just started Elegance of the Hedgehog, so look forward to comparing notes.

    I want to read The Golden Pavillion, so I'll have to se if my library has a copy. Enjoy your section!

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  4. Wow, lots of Sudan! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on those books, with at least a little Pratchett humor thrown in :-)

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  5. Ooh ooh OOH! The Eyre Affair is one of my favourite books, I love that series! Jasper Fforde was actually doing a talk and signing in my library yesterday! I keep meaning to read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I hear its a difficult book but very insightful.

    I hope you liked Persepolis and are enjoying Maus, excellent books, looking forward to your reviews ;)

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  6. Ooh I posted a comment before I realised there was more!

    Polysyllabic Spree...YES YES YES! Loved it so so much, and you'll get so many recommends from it! The Master and the Margarita is a fantastic book too, in the true meaning of the word fantastic! Hope you enjoy them ;)

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  7. The Master and Margarita is on my list, so I look forward to reading your thoughts on it.

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  8. Wow, what a haul! I really enjoyed I Feel Bad About My Neck!

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  9. What a fun post to read! I'm curious about that Vietnam memoir...the summary made it sound a bit exploitative to me, but then I thought the same thing about A Long Way Gone and it ended up being incredible. So I shall await your review!

    I love Fforde's Thursday Next books, but the first time I read Eyre Affair I wasn't a fan. It wasn't what I expected (much more sci-fi), so it took a rereading for me to appreciate it!

    I LOVE the movie version of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and I know that they changed a lot of things from the book, so I've been nervous about reading the book. lol But I really ought to!

    I've read and loved a different Mishima novel, and I got a copy of Temple of the Golden Pavillion at my last library sale. I can't wait for the Book Group to get to it!

    My mom has been telling me to read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee forever now. I really should get to it. Two of my fave new-to-me authors from last year are Native American: Sherman Alexie and Thomas King. :)

    Ohhh-I LOVE Sarah Watesr and Hornby's writing essays and Master & Margarita! I think you'rein for a treat with all three! And now I will stop with my impossible long comment, lol.

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  10. Bloomin' 'eck, that's a great haul.

    I hope you enjoyed Persepolis. You should check out the film too.

    I haven't read The Temple of the Golden Pavilion but I have read The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea and from what I remember I didn't enjoy that much.

    Invisible is excellent and I hope Auster continues writing novels instead of novellas (Man in the Dark was good but Travels in the Scriptorium was probably his worst). I heard that he's finished another book and he's in the process of editing it or something.

    Maus is a classic. That is all.

    The Master and Margarita is one of my favourite books. It'll definitely be up in the top five or even top three.

    Ender's Game is a book I unashamedly love. It has its flaws but I don't care.

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  11. Hi!
    Great Loot! I didn't know Scott Westerfeld had a new book. I'll have to check my library for that one. Have a great day!

    Sherrie
    Sherrie's Stuff

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  12. Great loot!

    Always excited to see someone reading Fforde for the first time! I love his books, and Death is my favourite Discworld character.

    Persepolis was my first graphic novel, but not my last, and I love reading Marian Keyes as well.

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