Possession, a library sale find, looks fresh off the shelf and Joe, by Mississippi author Larry Brown, is a first edition. God rest Larry Brown. Friend Barbara (also known as the "Book Fairy") sent the shopaholic book, Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood and Pretty Bad by Shirley Jump. Friend Tammy sent Queen of Babble. Night Fighter is just one of about 6 recent acquisitions from Paperback Swap (I may have to add another photo, later) and is yet another war memoir. I've really been enjoying the war memoirs.Next, books purchased using gift cards or with actual currency:
And, now that I look at this stack, I remember a few more. Sigh. I'm really that bad. Last Days of Summer and Hemingway Goes to War were purchased at Off-Square Books in Oxford, MS. Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore came from Sam's Club. I got several books from Sam's, so I'll dig the camera out, again, later. Bad Bookfool, bad, bad!Aloft by Chang-rae Lee, The Sound of Waves by Mishima, The Tenth Man by Graham Greene, Alas Babylon by Pat Frank, Howard's End by C. S. Forester and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo by Capt. Ted W. Lawson (yes, another war memoir) were purchased with gift cards. 20th-Century Ghosts by Joe Hill was ordered from a small press in England.
Thanks to Nat for the reminder to post photographs (and take them in the first place)!!
Great haul. I grinned when I saw "Alas Babylon". I adore that book. I hope you enjoy it too. I don't know what it is about post-apocalyptic, survivalist literature that just grabs me by the throat and will not let me go, but it does.
ReplyDeleteOOooooh, I loved Aloft. Having been an air traffic controller for many years and loving small planes in general, I got a real kick out of it. I don't know if that's why, but I really really enjoyed that book. I'll be curious to see your review!!
ReplyDeleteKookiejar,
ReplyDeleteMe, too! I seem to have a magnetic attraction to . . . I'm going to steal your wording because it's perfect . . . "post-apocalyptic, survivalist" novels. It seems like a bizarre kind of literature to enjoy; and yet, I gobble them up. I commented on that particular interest to my husband just before heading to the register with Alas, Babylon. Funny!
Lisa,
Aloft has been on my wish list for at least a year, now, and I found it at Border's for $1. Is that cool, or what? I hope I'll get to it, soon. You were an air traffic controller? Cool!!
That's too funny, Bookfool. What a weird thing for us to have in common. I also like novels set in Antarctica because they also always have that survivalist feel to them.
ReplyDeleteHave you read 'The Brief History of the Dead'? I don't recall if I recommended that one to you or not, but it is a great survivalist-type story.
I love looking at bookstacks. Must be a sign of true bookworminess :) Enjoy your recent acquisitions!
ReplyDeleteI read Last Days of Summer on a client's reccomendation last year and I really loved it. Maybe because I had zippo expectations, a young boy, baseball and WWI? NOT my cup of tea, you know?
ReplyDeleteOooh, a stack of books. My favorite sight in the world.
Oh, and now I have to read "Alas Babylon". I love post apocalyptic survivalist lit (and evidently movies & TV shows of it too.)
ReplyDeleteKookiejar,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I've ever read anything set in Antarctica, but I am a survival nut. Starting with My Side of the Mountain and The Cay, when I was a kid, it's been a theme I've gone back to over and over. That is so funny!
No, you haven't recommended The Brief History of the Dead, but it's actually on my wish list because my eldest son heard the author speak. Okay, that one just got shoved up higher on the wish list - thanks!!
Iliana,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right - only a true bookworm can get excited looking at photos of someone else's books! Thanks, I'm looking forward to reading the new books. I need more hours in my day!!
Carrie,
I just love finding out I made a wise decision on a book. Thanks for sharing! I flipped through Last Days of Summer and bought it on a whim. It passed my flip test and looked like a nice light read.
I think I have enough for a third photo. Gee whiz, maybe I'll have to get rid of the husband. Not sure I have enough room for him . . .
OK, first off, I haven't read Alas Babylon, but we have a copy as my husband (and I) like post-apocalyptic novels, too. Have you read The Stand (Stephen King)? I can't remember. I know Bellezza's reading it right now. Swan Song (Robert McCammon) is also very good.
ReplyDeleteSo back to your list...
I used to have a copy of Joe (Larry Brown) in my stacks. I think I tried and gave up, but I'm not 100%.
I have Possession (I'm one of the few who liked the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow) and keep meaning to read the book!
I have Wilderness Tips in spite of having a love/hate relationship with Atwood.
I've heard Last Days of Summer is very funny. I have it. Tried it. It's back in my TBR stacks/shelves.
The Sound of Waves is one I read many years ago when a few of my friends decided to start a bookclub (prior to my online groups). It was good, but I'll wait for your final review to share mine.
Guess that's it. I'm still plowing through my #3 Chunkster (Stephen King's Dreamcatcher). It's great, but sure is taking me forever. I'm only 1/3 thru the 600+ pages. Can I finish in the next 11 days???
Excellent acquisitions!!! In fact, I'm really glad I saw Alas Babylon because that one needs to go on my bookmooch list!
ReplyDeleteCarrie,
ReplyDeleteYep, we've both got to read Alas, Babylon. Then we can share notes. :)
Les,
Nope, haven't read The Stand. In fact, since I allegedly avoid horror (ask me how scary 20th-Century Ghosts is), I didn't even think to read anything by Stephen King until my friend John insisted that I must read The Green Mile. I loved it, but still haven't read anything else - apart from that first bit of On Writing. I guess I'll have to find a copy of The Stand, some time. I refuse to bring home anything fat, though, till I've knocked out a few more chunksters!
I love Larry Brown! But, I haven't read his fiction, so far. On Fire and Billy Ray's Farm are terrific reads. I so wanted to meet him, and then he went and died on us.
There's a movie version of Possession? Huh. Someone needs to nudge me into the modern world. LOL I'll see if our library has it, thanks.
I've yet to read Atwood, but this makes my third Atwood book on the stacks. Gosh, I hope I like her writing.
Hopefully, I'll get to the Mishima, soon. I've heard the name bandied about quite a bit, lately, and the book looks pleasingly short. I'm having an off year, so far - just don't seem to be reading anywhere near as much as I did the past two years - so the word "short" is appealing, at the moment. I'd love to hear your thoughts - but, yeah, I'll wait till I've read the book. :)
I can't even think about chunksters, right now. I feel so pitiful. You can do it, you can do it, rah, rah. Does that help?
Andi,
I haven't tried the Bookmooch thing, yet. I need to do that. Always glad to be an enabler. ;)
Last Days of Summer is laugh out loud funny, and just all wrong. I loved, loved, loved that book - and it was totally unexpected. I picked up the book at a bargain bin and it lounged for ages in my book pile.
ReplyDeleteOh, yay, I'm glad to hear that, D.! I love a book that makes me laugh. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been feeling guilty about the pile of books I've recently purchased. So I loved seeing your new stacks. I've decided if someone else shares your harmless vice, then the guilt disappears. These books look great.
ReplyDeleteNice stacks! I'm with Iliana, it must be the sign of a true bookworm to enjoy looking at stacks of books.
ReplyDeleteCool that you got one by Mishima. I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think of it. I've yet to read anything by him but hope to this year.
As my TBR piles are actually getting smaller, I may actually get to go out and buy more books pretty soon!
ReplyDeleteOoohhh Possession is one of my all-time favorites. Such lovely, beautiful stacks. I'd really like a new one of those myself. Hmm....maybe I need to do some book shopping.
ReplyDeleteBook Stacks are the best. That's quite a selection you have there..
ReplyDeletePOSSESSION is one of my top five favorite books of all time. My husband bought me a first edition for my birthday last year.
ReplyDeleteFramed,
ReplyDeleteSeeing other people's stacks definitely does help assuage the guilt. Tripping over the books you haven't managed to read makes it worse, though. LOL I like your wording: "harmless vice". That's how I look at my acquisition of books. Unlike smoking or drinking, I'm not going to kill anyone by indulging. Unless, of course, they die in a book avalanche - always a possibility. ;)
Nat,
Thanks, and I agree with you both. I'll bet you squint at bookshelves in the background of photos, too. Am I right? Do you try to read titles of books on shelves behind or next to people in photographs?
Angela,
My stacks never seem to go down enough that I *need* to buy books. You must have self-control!!!
Heather,
Yippee! I'm glad to know you love Possession. You definitely need to go book shopping. Then, I can admire your stacks. :)
Gavin,
Thank you. I've been peeking at your Library Thing and see we have a few books in common. I love P.G. Wodehouse and probably ought to get back to Robert Crais. I enjoyed The Monkey's Raincoat and some of his other books (Hostage didn't thrill me).
Malady,
That's three positive comments about Possession! Wahoo! I love hearing that readers loved the books I've just purchased. :) What a sweetie you have for a husband!
Yep. You can't go wrong with Wodehouse. I see Robert Crais' new book has Pike as the main character. Wonder how that will be ...
ReplyDeleteGavin,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you about Wodehouse! Personally, I liked Crais better when he kept things a bit light - Elvis was a pretty funny character but the series seemed to get darker and more serious as it progressed (from what I remember; it's been a while). You'll probably get to his new book long before I do, so I'll have to keep an eye out for your thoughts. :)
Oh absolutely! Doesn't matter where, if I see a book, I'll be trying to see the title. :P
ReplyDeleteYou'll enjoy "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo."
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't. I just bought about 5 or 6 books on bookcloseouts.com yesterday. LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd $30some worth of comics last night. :P
Nat,
ReplyDeleteThe wonderful thing about the internet is that you can peek at shelves in the background or enlarge photos without looking like a busybody. :)
Tristi,
30 Seconds looks like a good one that fits my recent war memoir theme, nicely. Thanks for the thumbs-up! :)
Angela,
Thanks, I feel better now! Enjoy your new purchases!
I watched Possession, I've got the boook.......but I haven't read it yet. I collect A S Byatt the way I do Margaret Atwood. I've got several books by both of them but I've never read one. Since The Blind Assassin in the book club choice this month, I might break that.
ReplyDeleteITA about Robert Crais. Up until Demolition Angel I loved his books. After the next Elvis Cole after DA, I stopped caring. So sad. I do love Pike though.
Carrie,
ReplyDeleteI've done the same with Margaret Atwood - collected several, read none. I don't think now is the time, since I'm having a lousy reading month! I'll challenge myself to her books, later.
I wondered how other people feel about Crais. His books started out so fun that I can't help but wonder . . . did he move to darker stories thinking he'd sell more? Because, I felt the same way after reading Hostage - nyeh, not great, not interested in reading more.
Ooohhh....look at those pretty, pretty stacks! Lots of yummy reading to come out of those stacks, that for sure ;)
ReplyDeleteAmelia,
ReplyDeleteI'm just dying to break into those books. But, first, I actually have to finish a book or two that I've already started. :)