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Books Bought in February

February was an unexpectedly slow buying month for me. I found these three at the local libraries used bookstore.

I bought All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque because it was the reading group book of the month at least a year ago with one of my virtual reading clubs The History Book Club. Ever since they had this as their reading pick, I’ve been trying to track it down at used bookstores. I finally had some luck and found a decent copy last month. I’m excited about this because it qualifies as a foreign books since it was originally written in German and translated by A. W. Wheen.

Next, I found a Penguin Classic in its beautiful black and white paperback binding. I had no idea what Silas Marner was about before I grabbed it, but you can’t go wrong with George Eliot, so I grabbed it. I’m reading now on goodreads it is..

George Eliot’s tale of a solitary miser gradually redeemed by the joy of fatherhood.

Okay sounds good. This was $2 and looks like its never been opened. MSRP is $7. Not a bad savings.

Lastly, I’m very excited that I found More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl in the same bookstore. I got it for $1 and it is in the best condition. I would think it has never been opened. Very happy to have grabbed this as I have the first book, Book Lust and I absolutely loved it! They are great references to have around! It says on the cover there are 1,000 new recommendations! Sweet!

Review: Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure

I just realized that I have read three of Greg Rucka’s books this year. I just finished Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure and I he also wrote Shattered Empire and Before the Awakening. I gave both those books 4 out of 5 stars and I still remember really liking both a lot. But this book fell short of both of those. Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo Adventure was okay, but not as engrossing as either of the other two I read this year.

It is a very quick story. Han meets some bounty hunters in a bar and tells them a story of a time he escaped from the Imperials. It was a quick story. It lacked excitement and needed more suspense and thrill. But it is Star Wars so it still gets 3 stars. Not sure how this helped lead to the Force Awakens storyline though.

Reading While Recovering From Surgery

Me Reading Truthwitch on my Kindle while recovering from surgery

Several days ago I had ankle surgery on my right ankle. For those wondering it was not related to an injury, just had a bum bone in my foot. I’m enjoying all the time I have to read, but to be honest I am getting restless. My foot needs to stay elevated to typing at my desk is hard, since there is no where to put my foot up.

I’ve read four graphic novels and that I got from the library and I finished The Color Purple. I’ll write about them as soon as I can, but in the meantime. I am afraid its back to my chair so I can put my foot up. Hang in there with me and I’ll get back to regular post just as soon as I can.

Review: The Secret Garden

This children’s classic is about a girl orphan and a little sickly boy who strike up a friendship because of their similar disposition and their shared interest in a secret garden. Through their friendship and plenty of play in the secret garden the sickly boy regains his health. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic The Secret Garden is a great book. Thats what makes it a classic. Like everyone else I have heard of this book and I also knew that it was a 1993 movie of the same title.

I didn’t start listening to this book for any of those reasons though. I did start listening to it because it is on my BBC 100 list. That makes it part of one of a few challenges I am completing in this year. I downloaded this book on my iPhone via overdrive and listened whenever I had a moment. It is well read by Johanna Ward aka Jennifer Mendenhall. I’m very confused as to why these narrators keep different names. I’m sure its all due to how “show business” works. David Case did the same thing.

This was the 23rd book I’ve read thus far this year. I’m about 10 books ahead of my goal of 100 books. Plus this means I have another book off the BBC 100 list. At sometime I would really like to be able to watch the movies that all these books have associated with them, but I can’t keep myself from picking up a book instead of watching television.

I liked this book. It wasn’t amazing, but again is a children’s story. It is a sold 3 star book in my opinion and I am glad I have read it. I can see why it is a classic.

Review: All Joy and No Fun

Reading All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior was a welcome break from all the fiction I have been reading. I love a good non-fiction book and this cross between a parenting and psychology book was good fun. I believe that I first heard of Jennifer Seniors book via a TED talk she gave in 2014:

Like most TED talks the speakers are very good. They are practiced and the speech comes off flawlessly. Also, like most speaking at TED then are selling something. In Ms. Senior’s case she was selling her book and doing a damn good job of it too. It worked on me. I got her book, but didn’t read it until recently.

Senior has a very interesting way of approaching the parenting book writing process. Instead of telling you how to raise your children like so many of the books out there do, she is more interested in looking at how raising children effects the parents.

What it does to us. the good and the bad. How does having children change us? It is an interesting take. I felt something was missing in this book and it could very well be the lack of child rearing advice or maybe it was something else. Funny thing is that Senior herself writes a good many book reviews. You see she works for the New York Times.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. As I said, I felt something was missing, I just can’t put my finger on it. All in all it was a good fiction read, well written and researched. If you are looking for a parenting self-help book that turns the question around, this is it.

Review: The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a curious novel. I really liked the main character. I wanted to pick up this book often. It is about a butler who goes on a car trip to see a housekeeper that used to work in the same house as he did. On his trip he comes to some realizations that his former employer may not have been all that he previously thought he was. He also finds that he may have had feelings for the housekeeper that left the house they both worked at. A very interesting look into the thoughts of this man and what it means to look back at your life, if you don’t particularly like what you were then. I gave this book 4 our of 5 stars.

I really enjoy the climbthestacks reviews and Ashley happens to have already done a video review of The Remains of the Day. It is excellent and you should watch it:

What are we supposed to take away from this book, what is the butler a metaphor? Thanks to YouTube we can get it from the man himself:

Bookstore Sales up 2.5%

Publishers Weekly posted an article yesterday about a rise in book sales. While this is welcome news to any book nerd, myself included, I’m still so sad that there was such a dive in book sales to begin with. Don’t get me wrong I love reading on my kindle, iPhone and iPad, but I miss all the bookshops that once littered malls and especially the smaller mom and pop books stores, that sold new and used books.

These were the real diamond in the rough. I loved to be walking in a new small town and come across a bookstore selling new or used books. Browsing through bookstores is FUN! Even if you don’t come away with anything they give you this wonderful feeling knowing that they are there for a return visits, when next time you might find that real jewel of a book that becomes your new all-time favorite.

The article states that we hit 11.17 billion in sales last year, up from last year, but horribly down from the pre-2009 high of 17 billion. I hope we return to this number and I hope it is soon, because I want to see new bookstores opening up all over the place for book nerd browsing!

Review: Star Wars: Princess Leia

When I first heard that new Star Wars comics were going to come out I was very excited and I told myself I will buy all of these and I can’t wait to read them all. Thing is I didn’t realize all of them were coming out at the same time and that comic books now cost $3.99 each! With them all coming out at the same time it is hard to keep up with all of them. Plus 5 of these things would be $20! It is also hard to keep up with all the different ones that are coming out. I think there are a dozen different comics series right now for Star Wars. There is Shattered Empire, Princess Leia, Star Wars, Lando, Chewbacca, etc.

Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid, contains the first 5 comics from the Princess Leia series. The story was okay, it did give up some details about what happened before the Force Awakens, but really it wasn’t enough. The story was not as well written as Shattered Empire. The art was nowhere near as good as Shattered Empire either. This graphic novel was a fun distraction, but I don’t think it’s going to get non-graphic novel readers to read comic and it’s not going to draw in people who are not already fans of Star Wars. I would say if you are trying to keep up with everything in the Star Wars universe that this is one that you can safely skip. Maybe the next collection of Princess Leia comics will be better.

Review: Cold Comfort Farm

I liked the writing in this book very much. I originally picked up Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons because it is on my BBC list. I am very glad it was. The characters of Gibbons novel are particular and quirky. I had a little trouble getting to know the family at first, but after I had everyone placed things went really well. I occasionally had to re-read a line or two here and there since the acent some of the characters has was written in a bit difficult language for me.

Women are all alike– aye fussin’ over their fal-lals and bedazin’ a man’s eyes…

I really enjoyed Flora and I loved how the Starkadders addressed her as “Robert Poste’s Child” all the time. I’m totally going to do that to my nephew next time I see him. I loved reading a Penguin Classic. There is something about these little back books that is so enjoyable! Stella Gibbons first novel was this in 1932 and I have to say she did a stellar job on her very first book! Simply amazing for a first effort. The introduction talks about how this plagued her for the rest of her life. She hardly ever talked about the book and when she did, she never mentioned it by name. Only saying that thing or something similar.

Spoilers below:

Continue reading Review: Cold Comfort Farm

Books Bought in January

Star Wars: Skywalker Strikes (Graphic Novel). Paid full price, $20, at a comic book store.
The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower. This one was a $1.99 kindle daily deal from Amazon.
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. $1.50 at local libraries used book store. Another one I’ve been wanting to read for a very long time. Now, I have a like new copy, still has the Costco price sticker on it ($9.49).
The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman. $0.75. Another used book find. Another that has been on my list to read a long time!
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I can’t remember exactly, but lets say 75 cents. Another one I have wanted to read for a long time, I hope I get to it very soon!
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. Last 3 bought for $3.75 at local used book store.

Arepagitica and Other Writings — My very own black Penguin Classic!

Areopagitica and Other Writings by John Milton. I finally got my very own little black Penguin classic book. I won it on Twitter and I love it!
The Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis. $3. I got this not because I’m catholic or even particularly religious, but this guy is a very different Pope from what I’ve read and this is supposed to be his mission statement of sorts. I want to know what he wants to accomplish.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Ever since seeing the movie, I’ve wanted to read the book. I finally picked one up from a used book sale for fifty cents!
And finally, three beautiful books by Ian Fleming. Thunderball, Goldfinger and From Russia with Love. These were $0.50 each. Look at these, how could you say no? These are actually really hard to find. I looked on abebooks and they are not cheap or easy to find. Something to keep any eye out for in the used bookstores.
Ian Fleming Penguin Classics

The take away from this is that I bought 12 books for $33.74 in one month. It’s 2/9 and already I know there are at least 3 books that I have bought and I plan on visiting a book sale this Sunday. This all tells me I need to slow down and I’m buying books faster than I can read them. However, in the month of January I read 16 books. It’s too bad I never seem to catch up. Maybe, someday.

The other take away is that looking at these books again as I write about them makes me want to read them so bad! I can’t wait to get to them. I’m excited about it!