New books
Look what I got in the mail!
The postman totally made my day today. Well, not actually the postman, but you know what I mean :P Notes from a Small Island and Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits were given to me by my dear Debi, and so were the lovely card and bookmark. Thank you once again, Debi! Both are books I've been wanting to read for a long time, and the bookmark is just gorgeous!
I also have a blogger to thank for The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I won it in Jennie's Banned Books giveaway. I think this book has been on my wishlist since I actually was in my teens. I can't wait to read it at last. Thanks again, Jennie!
And finally, I got myself a copy of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Sequence. I have the first book on my YA Challenge list, but if I end up enjoying the series as much as I expect I will, it'll be great to be able to read the others right away. This 700+ pages tome is not one to be carried around, but I love this edition so much I couldn't resist getting it.
I leave you with a link: I loved this interview with NEA chairman Dana Gioia about Ursula Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, and fantasy and sci-fi in general (found via Christopher Barzak's blog).
The postman totally made my day today. Well, not actually the postman, but you know what I mean :P Notes from a Small Island and Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits were given to me by my dear Debi, and so were the lovely card and bookmark. Thank you once again, Debi! Both are books I've been wanting to read for a long time, and the bookmark is just gorgeous!
I also have a blogger to thank for The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I won it in Jennie's Banned Books giveaway. I think this book has been on my wishlist since I actually was in my teens. I can't wait to read it at last. Thanks again, Jennie!
And finally, I got myself a copy of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Sequence. I have the first book on my YA Challenge list, but if I end up enjoying the series as much as I expect I will, it'll be great to be able to read the others right away. This 700+ pages tome is not one to be carried around, but I love this edition so much I couldn't resist getting it.
I leave you with a link: I loved this interview with NEA chairman Dana Gioia about Ursula Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, and fantasy and sci-fi in general (found via Christopher Barzak's blog).
There have always been great fiction writers like Poe, Kipling, Stevenson, Borges, Calvino, Kafka, and Tolkien for whom realism was not the chosen mode. To exclude them from any survey of modern literature is to mischaracterize the last two centuries.
I have them all on my list to read apart from The Perks of Being a Wallflower which I haven't heard of. I look forward to your review of it and my bank balance decreasing again!
ReplyDeleteLove getting books in the mail!
ReplyDeleteThose look like some good ones. Cant wait for your reviews.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
Oooh, that's a pretty, pretty edition of The Dark is Rising. I would bet that you probably will like them; they're YA but they're pretty dense, and they build on British mythology in some really interesting ways.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, my mail today contained Buried Treasure: Travels Through the Jewel Box by Victoria Finlay, and it's already making me want to throw over my November short-list and read it. :)
That's a gorgeous edition of Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising books. I have the seperate books to read at some stage.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the link to that excellent article. I very much agree with the opinion on Ursula le Guin's writing. She deserves a lot more recognition than she gets.
Nice haul! I read WATER a few months ago and really enjoyed it. "A Pool in the Desert" is one of the best short stories I've read this year.
ReplyDeleteGetting books in the mail is always exciting! ;P I also love the thrill of opening the envelope and hold the book in my little hands... such fun, hehe...
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your reviews soon. Happy reading! :)
This is fabulous! Ooooh... the thrill of getting books in the mail. Happy reading! Enjoy them all and bless Debi!
ReplyDeleteI always turn Chessire Cat each time I see books in the post. Yummm...
I know what you mean, just seeing a package of books, it's Christmas !!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new reads.
On annother note, I was not able to do the 100 page test with Tim Powers Novel "THREE DAYS TO NEVER". I picked the wrong book, don't get me wrong it is a good book, well written and all but I am not in a mood to read a book which takes place around war. it is mostly war related. I will look through the other books he wrote which relate to fanasy figures and more peaceful historical times.
I am reading THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER by Kathleen Kent now.
I just loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I read it a few years ago. I hope you enjoy it, too, and I look forward to reading your review.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the books, Nymeth!! I haven't read any of these but I've been meaning to pick up something McKinley and Bryson. Isn't Debi fantastic? :)
ReplyDeleteYahooo, awesome. Enjoy the books Nymeth, can't wait to see all your reviews.
ReplyDeleteThat book 'Tales of elemental spirits' sounds cool. I will look forward to it's review. Hope you enjoy all the books.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new books!
ReplyDeletethere's just nothing better than getting "more books"... unless, it's getting MORE books! :o)
ReplyDeleteI hope you know that you could not be more welcome!
ReplyDeleteThat Dark is Rising book is gorgeous! I can definitely see why you went that route. :) I'd love to read those one of these days...and luckily I only have to go as far as Annie's bookcase to get them. Now if only I could add a few hours to each day...
Happy reading! I'm looking forward to your reviews!
ReplyDelete--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
I love McKinley's stories and books, I can't wait to see your review on Water.
ReplyDeleteRhiona: I think I first heard of The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I was 17. I was told it made references to Anne Rice and The Smashing Pumpkins, the two most important things in the world to my teenage self, so I really wanted to read it :P But there was no bookdepository yet at the time, and once having access to books became easier to me I had sort of forgotten about it. I will soon let you know if it leaves up to my expectations after all these years :P
ReplyDeleteNaida: I love it too :D
Fyrefly: Yeah, I've heard that she uses Arthurian myth in particular in some very original ways. I really look forward to finding out how exactly. You made me look up Buried Treasure, and it does sound irresistible!
Cath: Yes, she definitely does!
Memory: I'm even more curious about the book now!
Melody: I love that too :D And of course, finding surprises from lovely fellow bloggers is even more exciting!
Alice: Bless Debi indeed! I really do think I will enjoy them all :)
Madeleine: That happens to me sometimes too, and it really is a good idea to just put the book aside. If we force ourselves through it at the wrong moment we may end up hating something we'd love at another time. I hope The Herectic's Daughter works for you!
Charley, I bet I will :)
Trish: She really is!
Dar, I will!
Violet: I hope I do too! And I just love the concept of Tales of Elemental Spirits.
Ladytink: It's exciting when you get new books and want to drop everything and read them all at that very moment :P
Deslily: lol, and the only thing even better than that is more more MORE books :P
Debi: I do know :D And yes, I just couldn't resist that edition, especially because it cost the same as the complete set in paperback. And sigh, I know just what you mean about more hours in the day.
Anna: Thanks!
Andrea, I've only read two of her books so far, but I really enjoyed both. The stories in this collection really sound like my kind of thing, so I bet I'll enjoy them too.
ReplyDeletelooks like a great set of books...did you finish them already!
ReplyDeleteI love Notes from a Small Island! Enjoy your new books!
ReplyDeleteHaven't read any of Cooper's work but I do have Bryson's Notes on a Small Island. It will definitely make you laugh (hmm, maybe it's high time I finish my copy).
ReplyDeleteFun! I love the bookmark :) It looks like one by the same girl who I bought my Etsy bookmarks from! And that edition of The Dark is Rising looks beautiful! Who's the publisher?
ReplyDeleteSerena: ha, I wish :P
ReplyDeleteBookfool, I will! I really look forward to that one.
Lightheaded: Glad to hear that! I've been in need of some laughs :P
Chris: Yes, it looks like her work, doesn't it? I'll have to ask Debi. And in that case I'm glad I didn't noticed it when I ordered from her store, otherwise I'd probably have gotten it too. It's so pretty! And the publisher is Random House.
Wow. You got all these books at one time? No wonder you're so happy! I love, love, love getting books in the mail. It's always like getting a present even when you know they're on their way. That's a nice pile, in any case!
ReplyDeleteJ.S. Peyton, yup! It was a great mail day :D
ReplyDeletePerks is such a good read. Please leave a review when you're done, I'd love to know what you thought of it!
ReplyDeleteI am waiting (not so) patiently for the UPS man to stop by my house this afternoon to drop off a book. I'm beginning to think he forgot about me. :-(
ReplyDeleteLooks like your postman, however, was good to you last week!
What a great quote, Nymeth! How very true!
i love that! :D
ReplyDeleteand isn't the cooper cover beautiful!!