Monday 15 February 2010

Monday Mailbox

I have been really good at not buying books recently, I think. Well, no actually, I haven't been good have I, as I have been sneaking my purchases in quietly into my Sunday Salon posts, so you wouldn't really notice them.

Well I went mad this week due to feeling rather down as I have felt a bit poorly. I always seem to buy books when I feel poorly. In my defense as always, these books were all from charity shops and a couple were even given to me, so they weren't expensive (just in case, hubby is reading this!)

So here are my purchases, which required two photos instead of one, as there were so many.

1) Tourist by Matt Thorne - This was the author's first novel at the tender age of 22 and is actually signed in the front by him. It is set in an English seaside resort, where the main character wants to convert an abandoned pier into a futuristic nightclub.

2) I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - I picked this one up for my American Literary challenge. I know she is from Missouri and it will be ages before I get to the M's, but I thought it might be good to start searching out books I might need. This book is one of her autobiographies and focuses on the first seventeen years of her life and brought her international recognition.

3) The Visible World by Mark Slouka - this is the story of a son who makes a journey to his parent's homeland in Prague, to try and piece together his parent's past.

4) Surfacing by Margaret Atwood - a young woman returns to northern Quebec to the remote island of her childhood, to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father.

5) A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin - enter a London where magic exists.

6) Voyageurs by Margaret Elphinstone - set in the early 1800's, a young Quaker goes missing in the Canadian wilderness. Unable to accept her disappearance, her brother leaves England determined to find her.

7) City of Dark Hearts by James Conan - In 1893, a young New Yorker goes missing in America's most dangerous city: Chicago. Home to the World Fair, Chicago is a city of glitz and razzmatazz; a lethal place for the weak and vulnerable and the young woman is not the first to go missing.


8) The Glass House by Jeanette Walls - a memoir of a young girl's family unusual family.

9) Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson. Another Persephone find! I love the person who lives in my town, who keeps buying the Persephone books and then giving them to the charity shops, I could kiss her feet. I have the film on Sky+ waiting to be watched, but I hope to read this first.

10)The Street Philosopher by Matthew Plampin - another thriller set in 1800's.


The next two books were kindly given to me by my scrapping pal Jo.

11) Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor - when Lydia Langstone flees her abusive husband, a member of the British Union of Fascist, she seeks refuge in the gloomy lodging house of her elderly father. But No 7 Bleeding Heart Square is the home to a dark mystery.

12) Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. Now I wouldn't normally be interested in Sophie Kinsella, but this one has a paranormal storyline, which is always of interest to me.

What a fabulous haul this week, quite a few Victorian Gothic style novels and a few with settings in America and a couple with disappearing people. What did you get this week.

28 comments:

  1. I haven't read any of those, but I have a couple of them on my TBR shelves, and they all sound fun!

    I *love* the movie version of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, but I haven't read the book and I've heard that they changed a lot.

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  2. We noticed.

    Some really good finds here and am the same as you with Sophie Kinsella so will look out for that one. Your charity shops get such a fabulous range of books in.

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  3. I have't read any of the books in your pile but I sure do like the sound of all of them. I've added many of them on my mooch wishlist =)

    I hope you are feeling better now, Vivienne!

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  4. You had a superior week! Lots of goodies for your soul.
    Have a great week and happy reading! My MM is here

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  5. WOW - with such lovely books now surrounding you, I hope your spirits have lifted just a bit :)

    Have a great literary week!

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  6. I understand why you buy books when you're not feeling so great - there's nothing like a good book to make you feel better! You're in for a treat with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The Glass Castle. I hope you're back to normal soon!

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  7. I have not heard of a lot of these, but I hope you enjoy all of your new books!

    Hope this week is a better week for you.

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  8. Eva - I have Miss Pettigrew on Sky + waiting to be watched. I really want to read the book first.

    Carmen - and there was me thinking you were turning a blind eye to my book buying habits. I think the Sophie Kinsella one should be good.

    Ladybug - sorry for making your wishlist bigger.

    Kaye + Molly - thank you.

    Kathy - I can't wait to read both of those books.

    Diane - thank you

    Brooke - thanks for stopping by my blog. I tried to get on yours, but I don't have Quicktime,so I couldn't get on it.

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  9. You always find the best books :D Oh I wanna go to another country

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  10. Sorry, you're feeling down but glad book buying helps-it works for me too. You've got some great things there. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was Angelou's first book, I think you'll love it like most of us. The Glass Castle is very good too, I haven't read it yet but I saw the author interviewed when it first came out-what a story. The Visible World sounds good to me, I look forward to your thoughts on that one.
    Enjoy your books- get lost in them, it takes your mind off things. Take care.

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  11. great lot of books this week!

    I loved Twenties Girl despite its paranormal storyline :)

    Enjoy the books!

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  12. lol about sneaking the book purchases into your sunday salon posts :)
    I book shop when i'm feeling down too, it makes me feel better!
    I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was really moving.
    Happy reading!
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

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  13. Oh, you have several there that sound appealing!

    I loved The Glass Castle...and that Margaret Atwood book sounds familiar...but I haven't read it. Must add it to the list!

    My post:

    http://laurelrainsnowcreations.blogspot.com/2010/02/mailbox-monday_15.html

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  14. Many of these books sound intriguing. I've read (and reviewed!) The Glass Castle and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

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  15. A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin sounds engaging! Great picks, Vivienne!

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  16. I love Sophie Kinsella's books and have Twenties Girl in my TBR. Hope you enjoy your books!

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  17. Ladybug - thank you.

    Blodeuedd - I know what you mean. I would love to be able to afford to travel the world. I am glad you like my books.

    Sandra - thank you. I can't wait to read both of those, but I might need to keep them for my American tour now.

    Booksnyc - Twenties Girl sounds fabulous. I am looking forward to it.

    Naida - you weren't supposed to notice my sneaky books. I can't wait to read the Angelou one; everyone is recommending it.

    Laurel - glad to hear The Glass Castle is good too. I hadn't heard of the Margaret Atwood one, but everyone keeps recommending her, so I thought I would give it a go.

    Suko - both these books need to be moved to the top of my list. Everyone is loving them.

    Andreea - thank you. Can't wait to read it.

    Yvonne - lots of people have read Twenties Girl and said it is fabulous, so we both should enjoy it.

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  18. What a blue pile of books! I hope they help you feel less blue...

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  19. wow! quite a haul you have there. i never know how bloggers can keep up with all the new books they get each week. i try to limit myself to one or two new (used) books each week.

    enjoy them!

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  20. I'm sorry to hear you were feeling down and no, you aren't alone. Book therapy is really good isn't it?

    Well, if you need a comfort book you must start Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Such a gem of a book. I loved it and I loved the movie too.

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  21. lol! I love the person who keeps donating those Persephones too, if only because she makes you so happy. Happy reading, Vivienne! I've heard wonders about Miss Pettigrew.

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  22. You always find such great books at your used stores! I am sorry you have been feeling so poorly but totally can relate to buying books when I am not feeling well--I have a really bad habit of shopping on amazon online when I am home sick in bed! I have Miss Pettigrew to read also, but saw the movie first so not in such a hurry to read it. I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Another great on is The Glass Castle--very powerful memoir!
    *smiles and hugs*

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  23. lol-I love how you sneak those finds in. They all sound pretty good but Surfacing by Atwood and Voyageurs really sound good to me. Sorry you've been feeling poorly -sounds like we're in the same boat - so have I. Hope you're feeling better soon.

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  24. Your first line really made me laugh. I frequently feel the same way. I've had to stop buying books lately. As an adjunct instructor at the local university, I just don't have the funds. I need to get a library card but have to change the address on my license first. Can't wait to be able to check books out again.

    Happy reading!

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  25. Aww, I just reviewed Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day on my blog. It's a really beautiful little book, I hope you enjoy it!

    Also, I recently bought Twenties Girl as well (Sophie Kinsella is wonderful though, very funny! don't disregard her :) )

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  26. Great buys, Viv! I've always wanted to get I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings but still haven't. Enjoy all your books!

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