Sunday, April 13, 2014

Sunday Snippets #18 - the new books edition

It's raining, and it's very windy. And I've slept away my neck in the way that I can now barely move it from side to side. So that means I have plenty of time to read, and post - it's the second post in two days! Instead of the regular Sunday Snippets, in which I ramble over my boring life, I decided to show some of the new book loot Jan and I have received lately (in the past 3 weeks or so). This week there was one of those huge sale campaigns in a department store here in Helsinki and they usually have pretty good book sales as well. Last year I only got a few books, but this year's selection was so good I could have easily walked away with, maybe 15 or even more books. Good thing I wasn't on my own...
 
 
From top to bottom:
 
* In One Person, John Irving - even though I've only read one John Irving book, I've been tempted to buy more from him. I have The Cider House Rules on my Kindle, and this one I found from the book sale. I rated A Prayer for Owen Meany with four stars last summer, but honestly, more than once I've thought of going and changing it to a fiver...
 
* The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides - I haven't read anything by Eugenides yet (zomg I know), so why I bought this book I have no idea. I have Middlesex as well and I intend to get to that one in May. Sam from Tiny Library recently published a nice review on The Marriage Plot, go check it out.
 
* Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - I was surprised to see this one on sale because Adichie is enjoying quite a bit of literary sunshine right now with her Americanah shortlisted for Women's Prize this year. I had to get it.
 
* The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver - Barbara Kingsolver has become one of those authors who I like but don't quite love (The Flight Behavior and The Poisonwood Bible were both four out of five for me). But if I find her book with a good price, I will definitely get it.
 
* The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov - this book was on sale, and Jan had to buy it. Basically I forced him. (I would have gladly lent my own... only it's in Estonian.) And he has already started reading it so, great success.
 
*Behind the Scenes at the Museum, Kate Atkinson - that one I got for full price, but who cares - the copy is gorgeous. I am not a fan of photo-covers, but this one is really good looking. Here:
 
 
Ok, the photo quality is crap, and in reality the cover looks a lot better, so you just have to take my word for it - the book's friggin gorgeous looking. After Life After Life came first in my own personal TOP of best books from 2013, I knew I had to read more by Kate Atkinson, but had no idea where to start from. I think it was Ellie who recommended me to start with this one, and I can't wait.
 
* Number9dream, David Mitchell - so after both Jan and I had finished The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, we sat down and went through the online book shops and picked out our next David Mitchell book, which is this one. The story once again goes to Japan, and in my mind there really is a little better in the world than a top-notch word master using the setting I love a lot. Can't wait.
 
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll - guys, they had a bunch of Penguin clothbound classics on sale. And if there's a book cover lover person in this family, it's definitely Jan. I swear he likes the fanciest covers in the bookshop :p I didn't buy any of those myself because let's be honest, I have most of them on my Kindle and for perfectly free, but I didn't fight back when he wanted to buy this (and the next one). They will look pretty next to my own clothbounds on the bookshelf. Plus I'm not sure I ever even read Through the Looking Glass, and this one is illustrated.
 
* The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde - this may be my favourite cover design among the Penguin clothbounds. I read it while back and remember loving it, but I want to re-read it for the Classics Club anyway.

Have you read any of those books, what did you think? Are some of those in your TBR lists/mountains as well?

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On general bookish update, I finished American Gods! And didn't like it. Took me 1.5 months to finish this book. It would have been maybe edible if it hadn't been almost 600 pages. Neil Gaiman is not for me and I don't intend to try any of his other books (I had lots of problems with Neverwhere as well). Right now I'm reading Nana by Émile Zola and Honour by Elif Shafak. I noticed it's difficult to get into Nana, which makes me a bit sad because Germinal was such a shiny star read for me last year, then again it's hard to write better book than Germinal so I shouldn't get my hopes that high... Honour was longlisted for Women's Prize last year, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It's a story about Turkish people and some of them moving to London, with chapters presented in mixed-up timeline, which I always enjoy.
 
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

29 comments:

  1. This book post is so awesome I don't even know where to start with my comment! I love love Adichie, so I'm looking forward to seeing what you make of it. And I hope you like Marriage Plot as much as I did. Unfortunately the Lacuna was a bit hit and miss for me, I loved The Poisonwood Bible and it didn't quite measure up.

    Happy reading :)

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    1. Thanks! I definitely want to read Americanah as well, so much good stuff ahead.

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  2. Ooooh, look at the pretty Dorian Gray... It's one of my favourite books of all time, if not THE top book, and this edition keeps calling to me because it's just so beautiful. Next time I go to a larger bookshop in a city somewhere, I'm going to decide on a new copy I think - mine's old and cheap and a bit crap, so I think treating myself to a lovely keeper copy would be okay! :)

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    1. I completely agree, copies of favourite books can be fancy and special and it's not even unimaginable to own more than one copy :) This Dorian Gray is really nice and I'm already looking forward to re-reading it.

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  3. Nice photo, and love that Dorian Gray copy. Hope you like The Marriage Plot, that one was just alright for me but I know so many people who love it!

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    1. I hope to like Jeffrey Eugenides; I will be really bummed if I won't enjoy Middlesex or Marriage Plot :)

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  4. Nice loot -- those clothbound editions are so pretty -- I can't blame Jan for wanting to add them to the collection!

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    1. Thanks! Yes, they are very pretty and I don't mind owning some at all (though I don't think I'd ever be motivated to collect all the books).

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  5. You have some nice books on your shelves!

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    1. Thanks, Melinda - I'm pretty happy with them myself. :)

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  6. I haven't read any John Irving but A Prayer for Owen Meany is on my list for this summer and his others are on my radar as well.
    Here's something weird. I loved reading Alice in Wonderland. Read it aloud to my boys when they were younger and we laughed and had a great time. When I read Through the Looking Glass a few summers ago, it drove me crazy. It irritated my terribly. That may be because I was reading it as part of my challenge and I just wanted to get to more meaty stuff but I did not enjoy that one nearly as much as the first.
    Great book finds you got there. I was so pleased to find a new copy of a book I wanted for Christmas last year, that I didn't get, at my library last week for 50 cent. SCORE!

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    1. I think I'll also be reading an Irving book in summer, it can be like a nice tradition since I started last year. Okay, I think I definitely haven't read Through the Looking Glass but I guess I will try to approach it with an open mind, it's a bit tricky reading this kind of books (which are also targeted to children) when you are grown up.
      It always makes me so happy too to find a good bargain for books! :)

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  7. I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray and Half of a Yellow Sun. Both are awfully good. Enjoy! Looks like you got a wonderful bunch of books.

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    1. I'm ridiculously excited to read *all* the books in the pile :) Thanks, Jenny!

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  8. That's a dream of a book haul right there! I haven't read any of these particular books, but have read other things by most of these authors and think you won't be disappointed.

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    1. Yep, I'm ridiculously excited to start with this book pile :)

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  9. Great book haul! What are you going to read first? I read Alice and Wonderland last year and Through the Looking Glass this year. I could follow the basic story, but had difficulty deciphering a lot of the hidden meaning. For instance, Through the Looking Glass is supposed to be based on a chess game and I didn't recognize any chess moves that I know, not that I'm an expert. I recently watched the old Disney animated version of Alice in Wonderland with my son and that was fun.

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    1. Reading about people's experiences with Through the Looking Glass, I am getting really curious about it! I read Alice when I was a kid and have seen some screen versions, but for some reason this story has never been my favourite. Maybe I'll have different opinion about it now.

      I think I'll start this pile with Adichie though because so many people have been praising her writing, and I'm a sucker for beautiful writing. :)

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  10. I love that copy of The Marriage Plot.

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    1. Me too - maybe also a bit of a reason why I got the book. :)

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  11. I love this post - it's always good to see what other bloggers are filling their bookshelves up with! I've been buying so many books recently, so maybe I should do a similar post ;)

    I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Kate Atkinson book. I've only read Life After Life, but I really can't wait to read more by her.

    Enjoy the books!
    Lucy

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    1. By the way, this is Lucy over at Tolstoy Therapy!

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    2. Hey Lucy, thank you so much! I'm a bit nervous to start Kate Atkinson book because I don't know what I will do if I won't like it. But let's hope for the best.

      I am always curious to see what books other bloggers buy! It would be awesome to see what you have gotten recently :)

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  12. Great book haul! I have yet to read anything by John Irving but I've heard so many good things about his books. Soon, soon :)

    By the way, I've nominated you for the Liebster blog award! :) http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/04/21/ramblings-liebster-blog-award/

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    1. Thanks Lianne, Irving is definitely worth a try :)

      Also thank you very much for nominating me, I will definitely write a post and your questions are very interesting! :)

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  13. Look at the pretty books! You will love Behind the Scenes at the Museum, I'm sure of it :D

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    1. I really hope to like it! I considered adding it to Dewey's readathon pile, but then reconsidered because I want to enjoy this book and not feel like I have to read it fast :)

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  14. So, I'm kind of glad you didn't like American Gods - wasn't my jam either. I seem to like his kid's books more than his adult books. I MIGHT try Stardust eventually, I don't know. I think he's generally overrated though.

    And yay for The Lacuna, which I haven't read yet but want to. And I just bought Americanah and that will be my first Adichie book. I'm excited :)

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    1. For me Gaiman is definitely overrated. I don't think I'm going to try his other books - though Stardust as a film was okay I think.

      I also want to read Americanah! I put Half of a Yellow Sun on hold, but not because it's bad - not at all, just trying to get my few buddy reads on track for this month, and then I'll go back to it.

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Leave a comment if you feel like it - it warms my little bookish heart. :)