Monthly Book Binge: November 2010
23 November, 2010
I bet you thought I’d been really good and taken control of my book buying addiction. Yeah right. This month I got a mixture of books from some lovely publishers and of course lots more from the internet, charity shops and library sales. I know y’all like lists so let’s drool together.
I’d like to say a BIG THANK YOU to the lovely publishers from whom I received the following:
Hot Kitchen Snow by Susannah Rickards – from Chris at Salt Publishing.
Coconut Unlimited by Nikesh Shukla – from Gavin at Quartet Books.
The Swimmer by Roma Tearne – from Catherine at Harper Collins.
Fire by Kristin Cashore – which I won from Gollancz. Double yay because I LOVED Graceling.
Washington Square by Henry James – which I won on Twitter from OUP.
Someone Else’s Garden by Dipika Rai – again from Catherine at Harper Collins.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – from Caitlin at Headline.
And I purchased the following from my library:
Bright Young People by D.J. Taylor – a steal at 40p. I actually read this very copy a couple of years ago and loved it. I had to get it, right? Especially for its extensive bibliography.
Commissariat of Enlightenment by Ken Kalfus – only 30p. I’d been eyeing this up for a while now but didn’t get a chance to check it out of the library. It’s fate, I say.
Online:
Surplus Women by G.C. Pain – I read about this on Hannah Stoneham’s Book Blog and ordered it pronto.
And secondhand:
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris – my current obsession with True Blood has spilt out to the books.
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris – ditto.
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris – ditto.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – I wasn’t sure whether I already owned this, but I don’t. Yay!
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh – my friend S has been going on about how amazing this book is for 10 years. So I had to get this when I came across it in my local charity shop. I’d also read some of Ghosh’s earlier books which I liked (but not Sea of Poppies yet.)
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris – because I started And Then We Came To The End which I really liked but still haven’t finished.
The Marrowbone Marble Company by Glenn Taylor – because the cover looked just amazing and it sounded interesting.
And I borrowed:
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown – I borrowed this from my other friend S. I’d read both Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code before they both went nuclear and although there are better thrillers out there, I can’t help wanting to read about the esoteric and the mythic since I’ve been reading about them for the last 20 years. Let’s see what all the hype’s about.
OK, that’s a lot of books. So I better get cracking, right?
chasing bawa 
23 November, 2010 at 11:08 am
What a binge and such a steal! I have Glass Palace on my shelf, I will try to get to it next year.
Enjor your books (maybe all curl-up on a sofa watching out of the windows with possible snow fall this weekend!) 😉
23 November, 2010 at 11:11 am
Reading you reasoning behind getting these books is very entertaining!
It looks like you have quite a few good reads to look forward to, both from publishers and from your own buys..
Personally, I cannot get over Dan Brown’s “expertise” in his subjects. I don’t know, even without being a 100% sure in most cases, I just don’t trust his “knowledge” on some things. Anyway.. I do admit his books are pageturners.
And you really seem to have caught True Blood fever 😉
25 November, 2010 at 9:46 am
Thank you! I feel I need to justify my splurges… Regarding Dan Brown’s ‘expertise’ it’s more that he focusses on certain theories that have been out there for a long time which you can read about elsewhere. I wouldn’t call him an expert though.
23 November, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Ahhh, it’s a feast for my eyes, seeing all these lovely books 🙂
I also have a copy of A Discovery of Witches which looks great (thank you for refering Caitlin on to me, Sakura!)
I loved I Caputure the Castle – hope you enjoy that one.
Which one will you dive into first?
25 November, 2010 at 9:47 am
I thought the book might appeal to you:) Not sure what to read from the pile as I still have 3 books I need to finish!
23 November, 2010 at 12:41 pm
And here was I thinking you were not buying any books at all!!!! We all succumb at the end. I can see a Roma Tearne which was completely new to me. Amitav Ghosh is so good I will have to look for this one as well. Lovely mix of books. Not so keen on the Dan Brown but the other lot is gorgeous.
23 November, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Lovely stacks!
I Capture the Castle is a favourite of mine and I found the Dan Brown books page-turners years before True Blood but both do the same job (mindless but suspenseful escapism).
Enjoy.
23 November, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Ooohhhh I don’t think any of us can really control the acquiring fully 🙂 Some great books there! Happy reading!
23 November, 2010 at 3:44 pm
So many new books, isn’t it great? Enjoy!
23 November, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Looks like you have a lot of great reading ahead of you. Enjoy!
23 November, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Sigh. I love book buying binges… I can’t indulge in them nearly as much as I would like, so being able to do so vicariously through others’ posts is a blessing.
But I must say, despite the allure of your new bounty you simply MUST finish Then We Came to the End! It’s one of my favorite books!
25 November, 2010 at 9:49 am
I left it at my sister’s and just brought it back, so I am looking forward to finishing Then We Came to the End. I’ve really liked what I read so far.
23 November, 2010 at 5:07 pm
You had better get cracking indeed! I’m curious. Somewhere I have a copy of The Da Vinci Code which I occasionally feel compelled to give to charity, but then I think, but WHAT if it’s an enjoyable book and I’m being silly not just reading it? As one who has read it, should I give it a whirl do you think?
25 November, 2010 at 9:53 am
If you haven’t really read much about all the controversy over Mary Magdalene, then I think you’ll find things in it which may be interesting/surprising. I love stories like that and read everything I could, so the content of Brown’s book wasn’t new to me. I feel he’s taken most of his research from other books. If you want something meatier, then try Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum but I need to warn you that although brilliant, it’s pretty hard going!
23 November, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Looking forward to a review of The Swimmer. I was really disappointed by Brixton Beach, so not sure if I am tempted enough by The Swimmer. Shame, because Tearne does write beautiful prose.
25 November, 2010 at 9:54 am
Brixton Beach did have some very mixed reviews. I’ve also got that and Bone China in my TBR pile so debating what to read next before I visit Sri Lanka in January again.
24 November, 2010 at 12:10 am
a wonderful selection of book hope you love cocnut unlimited as much as me ,all the best stu
24 November, 2010 at 12:17 am
Wow, you’ve a lovely haul there! Happy reading! 🙂
24 November, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Lovely haul there Sakura, I have to say A Discovery of Witches arrived here yesterday and I think it looks awesome, hadnt heard of it before but think I am going to love it to bits!
25 November, 2010 at 3:55 am
What lovely piles of books! You have some good ones in there–I Capture the Castle is a great read! I read a book about the surplus women of post-WWI called Singled Out, which was excellent. And I have the DJ Taylor book to read myself, too! Enjoy your goodies!
25 November, 2010 at 9:55 am
I LOVED Singled Out which was easy to read, well-written and full of information I knew nothing about. I hope you enjoy Taylor’s book too!
25 November, 2010 at 9:57 am
Thanks everyone, looking forward to reading about all of your book binges so that I don’t feel so alone! Seems as though I Capture the Castle is a favourite. I think I’ve only seen bits of the film version (I wasn’t paying attention) so am looking forward to reading it!