Monday Malarkey

I've got lots of book stack photos, today, since a few people asked me to post my final bookstore purchases. The first stack is arrivals that came in the mail.

Recent arrivals (top to bottom):

• Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue, and
• We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter, both purchased
• Obscura by Joe Hart - from Thomas and Mercer for review
• Nothing Left to Burn by Heather Ezell from Penguin Young Readers for review
• Black Fortunes by Shomari Wills from HarperCollins for review
• Francis I by Leonie Frieda from HarperCollins for review
• Our Native Bees by Paige Erbry - from Timber Press for review
• The Statue and the Fury by Jim Dees for book group discussion

From this batch, I was most excited by Black Fortunes and Our Native Bees. I'd just been fretting about the fact that I couldn't think of any titles I had on-hand to read for Black History Month when Black Fortunes arrived on my doorstep (literally, the day I was thinking about it). Our Native Bees is about a subject that I consider incredibly important: the fate of our native bees. It is a stunningly beautiful book, chock full of gorgeous photos.


And, the final book purchase from our local bookstore closing (several images!):

Stack 1 (top to bottom):

• Sicilian Carousel and Prospero's Call, both by Laurence Durrell
• Black Hearts in Battersea and The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, both by Joan Aiken
• Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
• Two Days in Aragon by M. J. Farrell (Molly Keane)
• The Happy Foreigner by Enid Bagnold
• The Cats of Roxville Station by Jean Craighead George, illus. by Tom Pohrt
• Kim by Rudyard Kipling
• Native American Place Names in Mississippi by Keith A. Baca
• Long Ago in France by M. F. K. Fisher

Stack 2 (top to bottom):

• Kangaroo by D. H. Lawrence - This title was one we discussed in the Australian Lit class I took, a couple years ago, so it was an exciting find.
• Letters from Russia by Astolphe de Custine
• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
• I, Claudius by Robert Graves
• Provence by Lawrence Durrell (I sure hope I like this guy's writing - I think I bought a total of 4 of his titles)
• Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
• Allegiant by Veronica Roth
• And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle
• The Madness of King George (screenplay) by Alan Bennett

And, the last two books, I confess, were bought solely because I thought the covers were cool. They're two of the three books in the The Studs Lonigan Trilogy:

• Judgment Day, and 
• Young Lonigan by James T. Farrell

I know you can see the titles just fine but I would feel weird not listing them. I've heard of this trilogy, but I don't know why. Maybe they were made into movies or a TV series? Studs Lonigan is definitely a familiar name. I will probably read them, not just admire them, but it will be interesting to see if I can find the third book in the trilogy.


Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Force of Nature by Jane Harper
• Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi

Sometimes my first thoughts (written by email to friends in an internet book group) are worded best but I can't find them in that mess known as my "outbox" when I get around to reviewing. I just came across my thoughts on Jane Harper's writing (written as I was reading one of her books) while cleaning my outbox, so I figure they're worth sharing:

I'm enjoying the fact that the author tells you just enough to leave you room to form your own theories but still feel like you have no idea where she's taking you. I'm also finding that it's easy to hear the Australian accent in my head. It just seemed to come naturally from the beginning. 

I would have shared that thought in my recent dual review of The Dry and Force of Nature if I'd come across it, last week.

Down and Across is a tour book and the review will be posted on the 8th of this month.


Posts since last Malarkey: 

• The Bones of Grace by Tahmima Anam (book review)
• Mini Rvws: If This Isn't Nice, What Is? by K. Vonnegut, Braving the Wilderness by B. Brown, Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, and a note about a buddy read (mini book reviews + chatter)
• The Dry and Force of Nature by Jane Harper (book reviews)
• Fiona Friday - Cross my paws and hope to have a nice nap (cat photo) 

I came across some immediate thoughts about Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown, as well: 

It's a book about being true to yourself and the importance of connecting with others. 

Followed by, "At least, I think it is." I waited too long before reviewing to recall what exactly I thought the book was about, as I was reading, so I thought that was worth sharing.

Currently reading:

• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
• Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Don Quixote and The Hate U Give are both group reads. When friend Ryan mentioned the fact that he'd not yet gotten around to reading Don Quixote, I asked him if he'd like to buddy read it and he replied with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" We asked if anyone wanted to join us and two more people said they'd like to join in, so I created a closed Facebook group. Bryan of Still An Unfinished Person posted about joining in in this post: Tilting at Windmills, which includes the schedule. So, you can see I'll be reading that one for quite some time (the schedule spreads over 5 weeks). It's one heck of a chunkster but loads of fun.


In other news:

I hope Brit Box doesn't turn me into a TV junkie, but boy am I enjoying watching old British shows. We've dipped into quite a few: Dr. Who, Not the 9 O'Clock News, Upstart Crow, and the old Dirk Gently. I watched the entire Dirk Gently series, which only consisted of a pilot and three episodes. Kind of disappointing that they didn't take it any further. I like the recent Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which is mind-bendingly bizarre but the older version falls closer to what I remember of the book by the same title -- the only Douglas Adams book I ever actually disliked, actually. Strange that I've so enjoyed the TV versions.



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