2012 Southern Festival of Books: Books Bought/Signed

I didn't arrive home until late tonight (few other stops besides the Festival today), so it will be either tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday before I compose a write-up of the third and final day of the 2012 Southern Festival of Books (two outstanding sessions and very good signing/talks in the queue moments to share in detail then).  But what I thought I'd highlight were the books that I bought there (and a few that I owned prior that were signed), as well as list a few writers whose works I will buy shortly, as I didn't have the money to spare for all the ones I wanted:

Bought/Signed: (in chronological order)

Friday:

Padgett Powell, You & Me; Edisto (You & Me was excellent; might review in near future)

Mark Jarman, Bone Fires (poetry)

Joseph B. Ingle, The Inferno:  A Southern Morality Tale (non-fiction; deals with the last years of Phillip Workman and Ingle's advocacy for him)

Will D. Campbell and Richard C. Goode (eds.), And the Criminals with HIm:  Essays in Honor of Will D. Campbell and All the Reconciled (non-fiction; religious activists against capital punishment/abuses in the justice system)


Saturday:

Mark Helprin, In Sunlight and in Shadow

Junot Díaz, This is How You Lose Her (story collection revolving around a singular theme; read it as an e-book, but wanted a print, signed edition to go with the other two books of his I got signed)


Sunday:

Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (YA)

Kelly Barnhill, Iron Hearted Violet (YA)

Ben Fountain, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (although I bought, read, and loved the e-book edition a few days ago, couldn't pass up the chance to have a print edition personalized to me)

Jennifer duBois, A Partial History of Lost Causes (curious about this debut novel after listening to her speak)


Bought/Received as Review Copy Prior to Festival/Signed

Saturday:

Tupelo Hassman, Girlchild  (highly recommend this debut novel)

Ben Marcus, The Flame Alphabet (solid work, verging to very good)

Junot Díaz, Drown (excellent story collection); The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (outstanding)


Sunday:

Catherynne M. Valente, Yume No Hon:  The Book of Dreams (highly recommended)

Peter Heller, The Dog Stars (received this recently as a review copy; only 1/3 into it, but it's very good so far)


Books I Will Purchase in Very Near Future (obviously not signed)

Lydia Netzer, Shine Shine Shine (her reading from the novel intrigued me)

Adam Wilson, Flatscreen (if you ever get the chance to hear him read, take it.  His reading was that good and the scenes he read were enough for me to add it to the to-buy list)

A.J. Hartley, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact (YA novel from a Shakespearean studies professor.  Interesting panel he was on with Barnhill and Valente)


Book I Read in the Past but Didn't Get Signed Due to Gifting it to Another

Saturday:

Karen Thompson Walker, The Age of Miracles (very good)

So yes, I want/bought at least one book from each of the authors whose sessions I attended over the past three days.  Considering that two were just named finalists for this year's National Book Awards in Fiction, another two (at least) were selected this year in Amazon's Best Books of the Month, and others are either writers whose works I've enjoyed greatly in the past or have received prior acclamations for their prose/poetry, I think it's safe to say most, if not all, of the works listed above will be worth my time and perhaps yours.

Let me know which ones, if any, you'd like to see me review in the future.