Monday 15 March 2010

Monday Mailbox and Library Loot

I know I had new books yesterday for Mothers Day, but I didn't know I was getting them. So before yesterday I had been in the local charity shops and picked up the following books.

1) The Magicians by Lev Grossman - I have seen this one doing the round of the blogging world, so I was intrigued to buy it.

2) New York Mosaic by Isabel Bolton - this consists of three books set against the cocktail parties and genteel society of New York's Upper East Side looking at the failedartistes, socialites and candid children. These books were originally written in the 40's and have been republished by Virago Modern Classics.

3) Surviving The Volcano by Stanley Williams - this is a non fiction book about Stanley Williams who was standing on top of a Colombian volcano called Galeras when it erupted. This is about the escape off the mountain which nearly killed him. With the help of two brave women, they manage to rescue him safely off the mountain.

4) A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly - after reading Nymeth's review last week for this book, I was really please to find this one. This book is an American historical novel based around the Big Moose Lake murder case of 1906, but from the point of view of a young girl who gets caught up in it. I had never hear of the Grace Brown murder before Nymeth mentioned it, so now I want to know more.
5) The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz - another book I have been after for a while. This is meant to be really funny and follows the life of a family running a private detective agency.

6) The Lovers by John Connolly of The Book of Lost Things fame. This is a Charlie Parker thriller where Charlie seems to be surrounded by ghosts.

7) The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde - I keep hearing about Jasper Fforde and how wonderful he is, so I was pleased to find this one following the adventures of Tuesday Next, a Literary Detective.

8) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I really enjoyed Year of Wonders last year and couldn't resist picking this one up to try.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

I had to take the girls to the library to take their books back, so I struggled to leave without some books of my own.
1) Un Lun Dun by China Mieville - another book I discovered over at Nymeth's blog. A children's book where adventures occur in the strange world below London called UnLondon, where all the lost and broken things of London end up.

2) The House of Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam - another book I have been after for a while. This is the story of a house with a past that has just allowed the evil back into it.

3) Dewey, The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Moran. Who can resist such a beautiful cat and a beautiful story.

4) The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley - one of my Friday Finds I have been coveting for a while. Set in Iceland and Canada, this book looks at a young woman's obsession with uncovering a family secret.

5) James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I wanted a Roald Dahl book to read for a challenge where I need to read Sophie Dahl too. As I haven't read this one before, I thought it would be a good one to choose.

So another bad week for books coming into my house. Now I would just like a couple of life free weeks in order to sit on my butt and read them all!



23 comments:

  1. That New York Mosaic sounds terrific to me. I hope you like People of the Book as much as I did. Have a great week and happy reading with your new books.

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  2. Nice mailbox. I loved Dewey. So heartwarming.

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  3. Great list. I haven't read any of the titles but I've seen some mentioned on other blogs. Enjoy!

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  4. Un Lun Dun has been on my wishlist for ages ever since Amazon recommended it to me. It looks so good. The John Connolly one is speaking to me - I loved Book Of Lost Things. Will look out for that one!

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  5. I really need to get to The Well of Lost Plots. I've read the two books from before it and it's about time to read this one. I've been separating them by about six months to spread them out and enjoy them.

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  6. Wowie Zowie --- what a haul of books for this week!

    In reviewing your list I have decided what souvenirs I would like to buy myself when I am in Oxford this summer: books that have a different "English" cover than American cover. I just love the one of Jasper Fforde's book that you have shown here. Now I need to start making a list :)

    Have a great week.

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  7. Kaye - I couldn't resist the New York Mosaic one, it almost jumped off the shelf at me.

    Yvonne - I can't wait to read Dewey.

    Mary - thanks.

    Carmen - I hadn't heard of Un Lun Dun before last week, but Nymeth did such a fab review of it, I was over the moon to find it.

    Amanda - do I need to read them in order or will they read just as well as stand alone books?

    Molly - now if I was coming ot America, I would buy the books I can't get over here.

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  8. I have both books that you mentioned by Geraldine Brooks on my wishlist. I think they both sound very good. Also I have The Eyre Affair here by Jasper Fforde but I have yet to read it.

    Have a great week!

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  9. Ohh-The Tricking of Freya sounds really neat!

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  10. I just wanted to mention that reading the Jasper Fforde books out of order might get REALLY confusing - they are fairly complex plots to begin with but I'd recommend starting at the beginning with The Eyre Affair then Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten and First Among Sequels.

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  11. That's a ton of books! I struggled with The Magicians, but I don't read a lot of fantasy. I have a feeling you'll like it more than I did.

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  12. So many books, so little time. The last lines of this post cracked me up (my sentiments exactly). :)

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  13. fforde is just crazy and I do love him :D
    The brook book is really good too

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  14. Glad to see that James and the Giant Peach made it into your stack! I'll be adding Surviving the Volcano to my wish list. I absolutely loved Jennifer Donnelly's book and hope you like it too!

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  15. Ladybug - Geraldine Brooks is very good. I loved Year of Wonders.

    Eva - it does, doesn't it.

    Jen - thanks for letting me know that. I was beginning to wonder if they needed to ber read in order.

    Naida - thanks

    Kathy - I can't wait to read The Magicians.

    Suko - But it so true!

    Blodeuedd - I can't wait to get started on Fforde's books.

    Alyce - I hope to read Surviving the Volcano next month for Earth Day.

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  16. As always, GREAT haul, Vivienne. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on A Gathering Light and Un Lun Dun. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

    Also, I'm curious to hear what you think of The Lovers. As much as I loved The Book of Lost Things, Connolly's other work has never quite appealed to me.

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  17. I hope that you enjoy Dewey more than I did. d I had such high hopes too!

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  18. Is Gathering Light and alternate title for A Northern Light by Donnelly?

    Enjoy all of these new books.

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  19. Ooooooh! Look at those books! Enjoy them all.

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  20. Pretty books! My husband just finished listening to the audio book version of People of the Book--quite a stretch for him as he likes fantasy and espionage types of books. He raved over that book and keeps telling me I need to read it.

    I am so jealous of you getting to see your local museum's Land Girls exhibit. This is a part of the war I had never heard of before, yet it was also part of La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith, which I just finished last week.

    *smiles*

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  21. Very nice picks. I am going to check them out and add some of them to my wish list:)

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  22. That's quite the collection Viv! I've had People of the Book on my shelf for a while. I hear it's really good. Another author I'd like to try is Jasper Fforde. Enjoy all your books!

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