Given that I have severely cut back on new book purchases and have become a regular fixture at my local library it has been a long time since I have posted about books that have come my way. I’m really excited about my recent treasures, including two from the library, so I decided to go ahead and post about them here. And who doesn’t like to talk about books?!?!
Jeff recently went to a bookstore in his neck of the woods that sells overstock and remaindered books. While there he came across these three excellent hardback copies of Alastair Reynolds books. His novel Chasm City, which I read late last year, made the list of the Top 20 novels I have read over the last decade.
The Prefect is a stand alone mystery/police procedural set in the same universe as Chasm City, the Revelation Space universe.
Galactic North is a collection of Reynolds’ short stories. I have seen several really good reviews of this collection.
Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days is a set of two novellas also set in the Revelation Space universe. It is a really nice, smaller hardback book. I was especially thrilled to get this one. I will probably hold off reading it until I have gotten through the Revelation Space trilogy, although I reserve the right to go ahead and give in to temptation to read it before then.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden is a debut novel by Helen Grant that caught my eye as I roamed the Mystery section of Barnes and Noble. Publishers Weekly describes it as a “charming horror novel” and it is getting some positive buzz. I was sold on the cover and by the story’s description. As it is getting close to the time for the R.I.P V Challenge, this was one that I had to take home.
The next two books are ones acquired from the library, though I am no less excited about them and plan to add them to my permanent collection one day:
Stories, edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio, is one I had debated about buying, largely because, despite my abiding love for Neil’s work, I do not always share his taste in books. However, I have been hearing so many good things, and desperately wanted to read his newest short story, so I figured there was no risk in adding myself to the queue at the library.
Also on the hold shelf from a request made before they had acquired the book is Christopher Priestley’s latest, Tales of Terror from the Tunnel’s Mouth. You may recall that I read Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror and Tales of Terror from the Black Ship for last year’s R.I.P. IV Challenge. Both were incredibly creepy, old-fashioned gothic short story collections, each with an overarching story element. Uncle Montague also made my Top 20 list for the decade. Each of these books are illustrated in a style reminiscent of Edward Gorey by illustrator David Roberts. Love his illustrations, they are terrific!!! It is all I can do to resist diving right into these books I have picked up for the R.I.P. V Challenge.
It is a small pile, but a pile I am excited about. How about you, picked up anything new lately?!?!
The cover on The Vanishing of Katharina Linden would have captured my eye too. Love it.
Hey Carl, I finished reading Stories back in early July (reviewed here on my blog) and wound up liking about half of the stories. Some were amazing, and some left me hugely disappointed. If you’re interested, check out my review and my recommendation of which stories I liked.
Enjoy the anthology.
Logankstewart: I will. I am a huge fan of short stories and find that I tend to be more forgiving of them so I’ll be really interested to see how my experiences with them compare to yours.
Fence: It was on the bottom shelf and I was drawn right to it.
The Chris Priestly book would have caught my eye…I LOVE Gorey illustrations! I’m going to have to start visiting the library more as well…think I’ll see if that one is in our collection 🙂
Patti Smith: Isn’t Edward Gorey amazing?!?! I have been a fan since I was a kid and checked out scary stories from the library with his art on the covers and in interiors. While David Roberts is certainly his own person, I do like the fact that what he does is in a style that reminds me of Gorey.
I love some of these book covers! You’ll have to keep us posted on the Helen Grant book. I’ve not seen that one but I’m intrigued definitely. Can’t wait for the RIP challenge! Hope you are doing great Carl!
Like you, I’ve been using the library a lot lately, more than I have in decades, but I have ordered some neat used books.
Duane’s Depressed by Larry McMurtry, a novel about a guy being 62, and since I’m turning 59 soon, I thought close enough. It’s about a man who stops driving and goes to live in a cabin to get away from his crazy family and think about things. It’s fiction.
The Five Gospels by The Jesus Seminar. Biblical scholars vote on all the savings of Jesus as to which they think are the most authentic. They vote with colored beads, red if they think the passage was very close to what Jesus may have said, pink if it was somewhat close, gray if they doubt Jesus said it, but it did match his thinking, and black, the passage was made up by a later person. The book is the five gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with Thomas added, printed with the colored code above.
Constantine’s Sword – I ordered this book after seeing the magnificient documentary of the same name. It’s about religious intolerance throughout history.
The Year of Living Biblically – about a man who tries to live exactly like the Bible advocates. This was a gift. It’s by A. J. Jacobs, who wrote The Know It All, about the year he read The Encyclopedia Britannica from cover to cover. I read that and liked it.
Newton’s Clock – about the mechanics of the solar system. I got A Great Course DVD on Mathematical Thinking and it recommended this book.
You got quite a haul there Carl. It reminds me I have an audio short story collection of Gaiman I haven’t listened to yet.
Jim: They all sound like interesting books. I assume the Jesus book is about Jesus’ “sayings” rather than “savings”…although who knows, maybe he had savings accounts stashed all over the place. 😉 As odd as it sounds I think the book about a man reading the Encyclopedia Britannica actually sounds really good. I’ll keep a look out for that at the ol’ library. The McMurty book also sounds really good, you’ll have to let me know if it is worth reading when you finish it.
Iliana: I will. I actually cracked it open and read the first chapter tonight. My excuse was that I had left my book I was reading out in the truck and was too lazy to go out and get it! 🙂
Hope you like Stories. I found it a bit uneven myself.
I too am cutting back on new book purchases. I am trying to utilize my library far more, but thanks to some book wins, and shelves of already purchased books…I think I am set for a bit.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden sounds intriguing. I think I just may have to read that one myself. I see why the cover sold you…it has caught my attention.
You have Stories in your hand! I do too, well, actually it is not in my hand, rather it sits on my bookshelf. I won this book, and was very excited that I did. I am hoping to read it within the next few weeks.
I am looking forward to this read even though I am not a big short story fan. Speaking of short stories, I am reminded of a vampire anathology book that I own, The Vampire Archives. I read a few of the stories within those pages, and liked what I read. I should pick it back up again, and read a few more stories for the fall.
Last fall, I read aloud Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror. I remember reading your review last year and thought it would be a good read with the girls, and it was. They were interesting short stories within in a larger story. Creepy? Yes, but surprisingly, we were not that creeped out. Actually, I think Coraline is creepier. Anyway, we have Tales of Terror from the Black Ship waiting for its turn in the read aloud line up. EJ is looking forward to it. I want to read Tunnel’s Mouth so it will be interesting for me to see what you have to say about that book.
For me, I currently have three books that I am looking forward to digging into. It is a matter of deciding which one to start with, a hard decision.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (own this one, have since April or May)
Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley (Library book that I just got my hands on. The author will be appearing at my local B&N store on the 27th)
Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar (Library book that I am pysched to have gotten my hands on. Read a review by Nymeth and it sounds great)
Last thing, I really do love leaving the library with an arm full of books. All that money that I did not spend, that excites me. Weird huh, that I get a rush like that?
Ibeeg: No, not weird at all, I too love leaving the library loaded down with stuff. It is like shopping without the guilt. More often than not I go to the library just to pick up books I’ve reserved and I pretty much only browse the DVDs, but here lately I’ve just been wandering and I’ve found some really fun stuff by doing so, including a couple of Tolkien-related books that I never knew existed, one that I’ve read and another that I’m about a quarter of the way through. They have both been really great finds.
I haven’t read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but I saw the foreign film version of it. Very well done, intense movie, but there are a couple of extremely graphic assault scenes in the film that are ‘punch you in the gut’ intense.
I’ve read several good things about Lonely Werewolf Girl.
Glad the kids enjoyed Uncle Montague. They are such fun books. I’m hoping for more of the same with Tunnel’s Mouth.
The cover for Vampire Archives is fun.
I need to try and order Stories through my local library as well. I hope to get to Reynolds during the next Scifi Experience. I own Galatic North and Chasm City.
Lastly I really dig that Helen Grant cover as well. I can see why it would cause you to stop and pick it up.
Jeff: I hope to get to more of Reynolds during the Sci Fi Experience as well. If things go true to form I’ll probably get the sci fi jones in December and I know I want to read that next book in the Vanguard series and Reynolds is pretty high up on my list.
And thanks for understanding my temptation! I was a bad boy. 🙂
I always guessed Mary most have had a thing for bad boys being a preacher’s daughter and all. 🙂
You know I always get the Scifi bug in December. It’s funny you mention Vanguard because I want to read that second book in the series as well during the Scifi experience. I also picked up a Trek book and started reading one a week ago but it was just too hot out. It just needs to be cooler weather outside for me to really get into Scifi. I think this heat has stalled my Mass Effect desire as well. I’m so hopeful that September might actually bring us some cool weather.
Jeff: Let’s hope so! I was certainly spoiled by the few days this week where the temps didn’t get too high and the mornings were cool enough to drive around with the windows down. Today is miserable again and I am so sick of summer.
By and large sci fi and cool weather always go together for me as well. Oddly enough I am much more apt to go outside night after night and look at the stars even when it is freezing cold than I am to do it when it is hot, humid, and mosquitoes threaten to carry you off.
I actually feel the same way about going out and looking at the stars when its cool as well. I can’t stand the summer time bugs as well.
Jeff: Speaking of, I had a run in with a group of wasps last night. Thankfully got the better of the deal: their side = 2 dead. Me: annoyed but unharmed.
Ya for you!!!!
Down with wasp’s and bee’s and UP with Carl 🙂
New books and books from the library! What a pleasure to read what you are looking forward to reading, Carl. Someday I will try Alistair Reynolds, I have heard very good things about him. I’ve been looking for Revelation Space for a little while now.I’m busy adding books for the RIP4 challenge too 😀
The cover of The Vanishing of Katharina Linden is my very favorite cover of the entire year, I think! Can’t wait to hear if the book is as good as its cover. And you’ve reminded me of how very much I want to get my hands on the Chris Priestly books…I’ve wanted to read those with the boys ever since your first review.
Carl: Reynolds is on the tentative back burner. I’ve heard good things about his stuff and will check them out- sometime. Me thinks I’ll need to get Stories. Besides Gaiman, I’d really like to read more by Swanwick and read for the first time Moorcock, Wolfe, Palhaniuk, Oates, and more. Speaking of SF, this is your friendly blogosphere reminder that the challenge I’m hosting starts on the 28th. I’ve had like no time to prep for it. I never really thought about it, but most of my wintry reading is SF. ‘Tis the season I suppose for snow, stars, and speculation. I’ve been withholding from seeing Girl with the Dragon Tattoo until reading it, but may have to just go ahead.
Ibeeg: Looking forward to hearing what you think of Stories and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Friends read the latter and really liked it. It’s in the queue but like with many books I don’t know when I’ll get to it.
Mish: Thanks for the reminder. 🙂 Chasm City by Reynolds is a fantastic space opera. Well worth checking out, and it can be read without having read anything else in that universe.
Debi: Isn’t it great?!?! I can’t wait to get to it. Actually I’ve read a couple of chapters. They are very short, not enough to judge by, but I like the writing thus far.
Susan: Me too! I’ve got to get some time in this week to put up the sign up for RIP 5.
Just a quick note, as I’ve only been back from a week away trip for a few hours, but down with wasps and bees is a mistake. There are less then half the bees in the US now than 15 years ago, and we need them to pollinate!!! So leave them alone, they will do the same, and we’ll ALL be happy. Comments on books and all that later.
oh and that Vanishing cover looks an awful lot like many of the Midnight Louie covers…
Here in Oklahoma today, we had our first bout of cool weather. A lovely overcast day that had me thinking nonstop about the upcoming RIP challenge. I can’t wait!
Hi Carl–Sorry I’ve been a little MIA this summer when it comes to commenting on blogs–I seem to be perpetually behind in things. I am happy to see RIP V mentioned and am looking forward to the official announcement! And I might have to read something by Chris Priestley–I had one of his other books checked out from the library ages ago, but didn’t get around to reading it! Hope you’ve had a great summer.
RIP V – eeeee! I love the cover for the Helen Grant novel and that description, so disarming, so probably creepy.
That’s a nice pile of books you have there. I’ve already got the Grant and Gaiman books on my wishlist and am looking forward to reading Priestley’s someday.
Have you read Reynolds first one, REVELATION SPACE? I have it in mm paperback, getting ready to start it.
Not yet, but I do have a paperback copy of it. I’ll be holding off on it until later in the year when the sci fi mood strikes again.
Sakura: I went ahead and started on the Priestley yesterday…it is deliciously creepy thus far.
Jodie: Yes! It is finally that time!!!
Danielle: No worries, I have been pretty MIA from most blogs, including my own, for almost all of July and August. It has just been really busy and I’ve been worn out. Great to hear from you and am thrilled you’ll be joining in on RIP this year.
Jessica: We had a bit of cooler weather last week as well that had me in the mood. Back to being hot now though. Urgh!!!