Here are 16 out of the 23 books I bought today at my favorite local used bookstore (well, actually I traded in about 35 hardcovers, tradebacks, and MMPBs of books I had no interest in reading and which I had had in my possession for about a year or two for almost $200), with the other seven being a second copy of a book I own (for a gift to another), five grammars (Basque, Romanian, French, German, American Sign Language) and one mathematics book for my students. Still have almost $80 in store credit remaining. I love McKay's Used Books and CDs, obviously.
It is little accident that I have fewer works of speculative fiction pictured here than what some might expect. Oftentimes, when I'm purchasing books, I spend much more time in the "General Fiction" or "Literature" sections than I do in the "Fantasy" or "Science Fiction" sections. My interests are much broader than I sometimes reveal here (and sometimes I wonder if I need to establish contacts with the publishing firms' non-SF imprints, so I can be broader in my coverage of newer books). Perhaps one day I'll update my pictures of my non-English languages books (nearing 300 books now, not counting the grammars, which must be near two dozen).
Of course, the best part of making posts like these are not just letting people who are curious know what I buy when in a physical bookstore, but also in perhaps sparking curiosity to the point where others go and investigate books such as these.
So, out of these books, which look the most interesting and why?
Posts
10 comments:
The Calvino books caught my eye more than the rest. I am unfamiliar with the author, having only read an excerpt from The Baron in the Trees nor more than a minute ago. However, I have a friend who has recommended the aforementioned novel and his other work several times. Having finally given in and sampled, even just some small amount, I am now free to curse and mutter, knowing full well that I have yet another book to add to my purchase list. My local library actually has a couple of his latter works and I may check them out at some point.
Beyond that, there was also the Chandler. Another author I have been meaning to check out.
I actually own a copy of Difficult Loves, but this is intended as a gift for another who lives overseas (although I think her Italian is probably slightly better than mine, I decided English would be a better shot, since she's near my fluency level in that!). It is a good book, but not my favorite of his (that would be Invisible Cities). I would highly recommend any of his works to you, however.
Haven't read Chandler yet, so when I had $190 of store credit to blow and one of his books was there for something like $5, I thought why not? So I did, and I guess I'll read it sometime in the next couple of weeks.
I had no clue Vampire Hunter D has a novel form as well. I have watched the anime and was completly captured and fascinated.
I have read several short stories by Tanith Lee, so I would love to read a novel of hers naturally and I think that this is it so far. The rest is also interesting, but these caught my eye in particular.
Love the Donaldson HC, largely because I found that, on Saturday, at a Half-Price Books storefront here in Louisville (KY). Luckily, I also found the corresponding HC version of volume 2, A Man Rides Through. Simply love Donaldson, though I know not all do.
I have that Vampire Hunter D as well. Great book. I'd love to see what you think about it.
I hope you enjoy the Tanith Lee. Her Flat Earth Chronicles are some of my all-time favorite fantasy.
The Calvino books, and the Coetzee, I've been wanting to get my hands on for a long while. I have a love-hate relationship with Coetzee - Disgrace, for example, I thought was a masterpiece, but I also found it strangely, vaguely disgusting, not so much the plot as the character's head the book made me inhabit.
As for Calvino, I've only read "If on a winter's night a traveller", and that was, interesting, for lack of a better word.
I'd love to see you do reviews for some of the non-sf you read, although I know it'd be a bit out of tone for this blog. Still. I chuckled to myself when I saw Catullus, Salman Rushdie, Nabokov and Proust on your blog in your previous book porn post. I really dig your taste. :)
Mirror of Her Dreams was really, really bad. I've been trying to get rid of my copy forever. (Don't be fooled by the promising beginning, the book is stupid and infuriating.)
I'm most envious of Night's Daughter by Tanith Lee. It's thick! I've resolved to wait for the Norila edition, which is going to take several years.
Interesting takes on some of these books (I was told by someone via email that the Vampire D novelizations are rather poor, for example). I'll slowly (well, for me) work my way through these, as I don't plan on purchasing many more new books for the next month or two (I still have almost $100 in store credit to use on more used books, plus I plan on trading in a few dozen MMPBs that I never got around to reading, so it might end up being another $100 or so).
Will there be more non-spec fic reviewed here? That's likely, but when is the question. I need to find more time/energy first, as work is occupying more and more of my thoughts these days!
Post a Comment