On Thursday I received the above books at Paperback_Reader abode. I am most excited about Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, the latest Discworld series novel. This was actually a gift for my boyfriend who hasn't purchased one book for himself in the last year and of course he is permitted to read it first; he has immediately started to read it -taking a break from reading the complete Sherlock Holmes books (conveniently finishing The Hound of the Baskervilles on the way home from work where he found the gift waiting)- and I'll read it immediately after him.
The lovely Fiona of Vintage sent me copies of A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute and Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham for review. I have seen a number of reviews of A Town Like Alice recently and eagerly anticipating reading it and as for Maugham, I adore the new Vintage covers and have heard great things about this title (although I still have Of Human Bondage -a birthday choice- to read).
Lastly, Sophie from Virago very kindly sent me the latest re-issued Barbara Pym novel, Excellent Women, to add to my existing collection. I have heard that of all the Pym novels, Excellent Women is well, excellent.
I don't feel any guilt in regards to this week's acquisitions as I am currently reading one from last week's haul. However, I did purchase another book on Thursday that isn't photographed... after my recent post on Katherine Mansfield I couldn't resist finally treating myself to a copy of this. After that though I am most definitely imposing a book-buying ban on myself excluding one exciting pre-order. I desperately need to make a sizeable dent on my ever-increasing to-be-read mountain.
edited to add: this morning I also received a hardback copy of The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill from the lovely people of Transworld.
So, what did you acquire this week?
The lovely Fiona of Vintage sent me copies of A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute and Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham for review. I have seen a number of reviews of A Town Like Alice recently and eagerly anticipating reading it and as for Maugham, I adore the new Vintage covers and have heard great things about this title (although I still have Of Human Bondage -a birthday choice- to read).
Lastly, Sophie from Virago very kindly sent me the latest re-issued Barbara Pym novel, Excellent Women, to add to my existing collection. I have heard that of all the Pym novels, Excellent Women is well, excellent.
I don't feel any guilt in regards to this week's acquisitions as I am currently reading one from last week's haul. However, I did purchase another book on Thursday that isn't photographed... after my recent post on Katherine Mansfield I couldn't resist finally treating myself to a copy of this. After that though I am most definitely imposing a book-buying ban on myself excluding one exciting pre-order. I desperately need to make a sizeable dent on my ever-increasing to-be-read mountain.
edited to add: this morning I also received a hardback copy of The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill from the lovely people of Transworld.
So, what did you acquire this week?
*I have house-guests for a week, family from Vancouver that I haven't seen for over a year, so I will be sporadically online. I have scheduled posts for the coming days and will reply to comments and visit your blog as and when I can.
21 comments:
I am loving Vintage's cover designs at the moment! I have the same preorder at amazon...can't wait for that!!
Have a lovely weekend with your family Claire!
Hehe...I'm glad you mentioned the guitly purchase or I might have had to remind you of that!
I really enjoyed Excellent Women, so hope you will get to that soon.
I am increasingly moving towards feeling that I need to stop buying books; it would just be so hard to resist buying a green VMC if I spotted it.
This week I have acquired some VMCs, a book on afternoon tea parties, and a book about nursery cooking. More about the nursery cooking to follow next week.
I think Gareth is amazing not to have bought a single book for himself; mind you, Ken doesn't either, but I buy him the odd book and get them from the library for him. I am going to reserve him the new TP.
Rachel, they are such fabulous covers and I covet them all! I am very excited about Howards End is on the Landing.
Family have landed, boyfriend has met them, now waiting for them to arrive here.
Verity, full disclosure! I can't lie to my readers, especially when I know you are all fellow book-addicts!
I do plan on reading Excellent Women soon but best laid plans...
I am definitely making more of a conscious effort not to buy any more for a while. I have so many here waiting to be read and really no need to buy any more.
Gareth is amazing! He reread all of the Discworld as is now halfway through the Sherlock Holmes boxset I bought him. He really has no more TBR after that so is planning on reading my Neil Gaiman novels (The Sandman volumes are his) and then Jasper Fforde. By that time Christmas comes around again and he will have more books of his own to read :).
I am so jealous; I dream of a day when I too will be sent copies of Vintage books to review! And if anyone out there reading this wants someone to review any classical literature or magical realism, you know who to call ;)
Tony, we all seem to love Vintage books, don't we?! I too love classical literature and magical realism.
A new Discworld? Hurrah! I have them all in paperback so I'll force myself to wait. But you've reminded me that I haven't bought Nation yet :-)
Doesn't that Susan Hill book look fabulous...in more ways than one! I'm with you on imposing some restraint on the book purchases, I have enough books to get me clear into next year...easily.
Lawrence Hill lives in my city and did loads of research the Central location of our library. I've heard that he's the nicest man. Just a little side note there. Come to think of it, Linwood Barclay (Too Close to Home) lives in Burlington as well.
Oh dear, I have acquired some more books, as I decided before the book ban I just HAD to complete my DDM Virago collection. When they arrive I will have ALL the VMCDDMs! :)
I'm really excited about the new TP as well :) There are so many books coming out at the moment that I want though, I'm being good and trying to only buy one at a time.
Remember how the last time I commented I was all, "Oh, I'm on a book buying ban... tra la la!" Yeah, well, last weekend I bought 17 books, so clearly that didn't last!
I haven't read any of these books (a friend loaned me "Guards, Guards!" by Pratchett, but I just couldn't get into it), but I have read one Pym in the past. I had a bit of a mixed reaction, but I too have heard that Excellent Women is perhaps her best.
And other than that, all I can say is that these new books of your sure are lovely!
I love Terry Pratchett!! Nice acquisition! :-)
Lezlie
coops, I loved Nation!
Darlene, I have enough books here to easily entertain me for a few years and then there are all the books of mine at my parents' house. The Susan Hill is an indulgence but I think I'm going to love it.
Burlington is quite the literary place, it would seem! So is London ;).
Bad Verity! I would love a complete Daphne Du Maurier collection and the time to read them.
Oops, I forgot to include my Persephone pre-orders in my ban exclusion or do you think those go without saying?
Bart, I can't wait to read it! There have been a number of books released recently that I couldn't resist but after the Susan Hill I'm taking a time-out on buying any new books (or old) for a while.
Steph, 17?!
Pratchett isn't for everyone but I LOVE the Guards novels.
I'm very pleased with these new books.
Lezlie, thanks! I can't resist new Terry Pratchett.
I have been hearing the same about Excellent Women...hopefully I'll get to it in 2010. I am jealous of your pre-order...it is on my wishlist but like you I am thinking about a book-buying ban...of course until that ban is in place...
New Pratchett oooooo but I have put a book ban in place, when will Christmas be here?
Book Psmith, I couldn't resist that pre-order and the Persephones ones but I'll be good other than that ... promise.
Jodie, twelve weeks! Can you wait that long?
I've given up on self-imposed book bans. It just doesn't work. However, after my bookshopping last week, I haven't bought a single book this week, which, methinks is quite commendable.
I want to start on Terry Pratchett's Disc World series, but there are so many books, that I'm not even sure as to where to begin.
All your acquisitions look incredible, and hope you enjoy them. Looking forward to seeing the reviews here :)
anothercookie, it is commendable! I went a month without buying a book until last week.
I noticed in your blog comments tonight that you've read a Pratchett book that you really liked - which one? Nation is exceptionally good and Good Omens, his collaboration with Neil Gaiman is funny. I'm not a purist when it comes to the Discworld (I haven't read them all) and read them in arcs (i.e. the Guards/Watch novels is one arc/grouping of characters) but my boyfriend has read and reread them all in order. I love the Guards and Death; Mort would be a great place to start as it works well as a stand-alone whilst introducing you to characters for future novels.
I am looking forward to reading and reviewing them all, just as soon as I clear a backlog of library books; the Discworld novel is the only one I will be raiding as soon as I can due to prior commitments.
A Hat Full Of Sky. I don't think it's a part of Disc World, but it's not a stand alone book either. However, it did read pretty well as a stand alone, in spite of me not having read the first book in the "series".
I really want to read Good Omens, after everything I've heard about it recently.
anothercookie, Hat Full of Sky is the junior Discworld (set in the universe but not in Ankh-Morpok for younger readers) and is the middle one of series; the others are The Wee Free Men and Wintersmith. I've read them and really enjoyed.
I think I require a reread of Good Omens as I didn't fully appreciate it first time around but now that I've read more Pratchett and Gaiman (and love both more), I hopefully will. I still enjoyed it but I didn't find it as amazing as everyone says.
I realised last night that there will still be 2 DDMs that I don't have - two of the biographical ones. I am so looking forward to them all arriving...
I am also quite looking forward to my restraint from book purchasing and seeing if I can get my non VMC TBR down to one shelf...I can cheat by putting the books for my skiing holiday in the case ready :)
I am impressed that you went for a month without buying a book, and you still managed to acquire a few :)
Verity, purely pre-orders and review copies :). I will not deviate from those.
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