NaBloPoMo # 24: A couple of used book finds

Some months ago a small used books book store opened only a single block from where I live. I have passed by this little shop many times, but either I haven't had time to drop by or else I haven't had any cash on me  (they only accept cash) or I haven't been able to spot something interesting or some other excuse - like not buying any books. So it has taken some months before I actually went in there. A young guy, a student I think, runs this little shop complete with free coffee whether you purchase anything or not. All books are used, some more than others, and while there are expensive things among the shelves, most are really, really cheap. Last week I went in there for the first time, and this past Sunday, I sort of happened by again. I came out of there both times with one book. On my first visit I found one which I have been meaning to read for ages, ever since it was recommended to me in an online book club I used to be a member of. I found it in it's Danish translation, but that will not matter much, hopefully. Have you read it? The book I am talking about is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

On Sunday I was back in there, not looking for anything in particular, just browsing. While I browsed around I found The Faber Book of America, and while it looks very interesting, it also looks like a book where one can only read a few of the essays in it at a time. But now I have it, and can get to it whenever I like. Its not like it was a book I knew about, it just looked intersting and a bit challenging and I just had to have it. Synopsis from Mary Ward Books: Gathering together poetry and memoirs, speeches and letters, fiction and reportage, the editors of this book present the world of the American dream, of American nightmares, and of American days.

I am sure I am going to visit that little shop again very soon. The owner told me that he gets new (old) books down there often, and that he is right now trying to find old copies of books in their original language, mainly English. Hooray for that.

This is the 24th post in the NaBloPoMo-challenge. See my page here.

Should I feel bad or am I just like you? Book Buying Binge!

I have always bought books - as well as using the library. No news in that. I also like to browse used books at irl-sales and on eBay (among other places). Still no news in that.

Due to various things (economy, room, studying fees, having to buy books for studies etc) over the past years, I haven't bought as many as I used to. I know I don't have to say again that books are rather expensive in Denmark (although it is better now than it was some years back), and that we have special taxes on books here.

Anyway, I am lucky these days that things has changed. I finally have a full time job again after years of studying and only working part time, and I also got some GC's for books recently. So I have been buying books like there was no tomorrow (and books about there being no tomorrow by the way). For a couple of months now.

And I am buying the books faster than I can read them, and I am thinking: Am I just BAD and a sorry slow reader?! What about you? I am aware that most of us have TBR-mountains, so I guess some of you are bad like me. LOL. But seriously. I am starting to actually feel bad about it when yet another package landed today from Amazon. Easy solution, you think, why doesn't she just stop buying those dang books? I don't know. I love to be able to browse and actually be able to buy a few here and there. Its not so much that the TBR is growing, because that is fine. Its more like all those wonderful new books are putting me into a situation where I have so many up-coming reads to choose from, that I really can't decide.

Do you know what I mean? Or do you never have this "problem" as well (which, granted, is a luxury problem compared to world hunger, war, illness and death. Kinda up the same alley as "I have nothing to wear").

Have a look at some of the books I have gotten the past week or so:

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs
One Day by David Nicholls
A Quiet Belief in Angelse by R.J. Ellory (recommended by Cathy at Kittling: Books)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (recommended by Vivienne at Serendipity, but have seen it around other blogs as well after I began noticing)
The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan (recommended by Beth F at Beth Fish Reads)
Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (recommended by Beth F at Beth Fish Reads)
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
The Life of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Pfeffer
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

Right now I am reading one of my recently bought Inspector Banks-series books, and I like it. Having just made this list is making me think of what should be up next, although I am still not through another batch of books I bought earlier with highlights such as that Guernsey Potato-book, an Anne Rivers Siddons novel, Property by Valerie Martin, Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie, The Road by Cormac McCarthy etc etc. Well, I certainly have enough newly purchased books to last me a few months!

Bad Blogger me

Well, I haven't really been a good blogger for a long time. I have not been visiting and commenting as much as I want to. I haven't been blogging much. My Twitter account is still disabled because I am apparently a spammer (just mailed them again today). I am not overly busy at work and I am not in a reading slump at all.

I guess I have been in more of a blogging slump. I really want to blog at least twice a week, if not more, about books or book-related stuff, but recently I have just felt so non-inspired. Am I the only one feeling like that from time to time?

Anyway, I have been spending fortunes on books the past months, and have also been posting about that from time to time. Since last time I know that I have at least gotten a handful of new books. I am most excited about Catching Fire/Hunger Games 2, which I got this Friday. It is only because I am keeping myself on a very tight leash, that I haven't devoured it yet. I want to finish Tyskerungen (The German Kid) by Swedish author Camilla Läckberg and Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse # 2) before I read Catching Fire. Any of you read it yet?

I also bought Fractured by Karin Slaughter, which is # 2 in her Atlanta cops-series. I recently read genesis (see below) which mixed her Grant County and Atlanta-series. I also found Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer for a bargain price on eBay, and picked that one up from the posthouse today. It was recommended by a fellow blogger, and I am SO SORRY I cannot recall who. But I look very much forward to read it.

I have two new Inspector Banks mysteries by Peter Robinson waiting (Cold is the Grave and Aftermath), and then I also found Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West sitting on a shelf, and that title sounded promising, so I bought it.

I am going to spend the next couple of days catching up on my favorite blogs, voting for the BBAWs and checking what I have missed out on. Probably a lot, knowing how active bloggers you all are ;-)

Lovely new books

I don't buy or loan as many books as some - and since I am in Denmark I am unable to do Paperback Swap - it would cost me double the price of the book to ship an old paperback across the pond anyway. So I have never done the Library Loot/Mailbox weeklies. I don't think I get enough in my mailbox or from the library to do that.

But in the past month, I have both been to the library and also bought some books. All of them are loaned or bought through blogger's recommendations, for which I am eternally grateful!

While I love to browse old books and make cheap finds, I also think it is lovely when a package filled with brand new books arrive. New books are wonderful and they smell good! This past month I bought the following books:

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson (Southern Reading Challenge. I read Jackson's two previous novels. Loved the first one -Gods in Alabama - the second one was so-so - Between, Georgia)

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (Southern Reading Challenge. So many bloggers raved about this one, and I hope its as wonderful as they say)

Stuck by Herman Bang (Danish author from 19th Century, writing at the same time as the Impressionists painted their famous paintings)

We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver (because I've heard so much about this book the past years, and then saw it mentioned again, and thought that NOW I will read it)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (this is part of my own personal quest to try reading the much-talked-about YA, and this one came very higly recommended)

Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie (a blogger reviewed this one, and I just felt like that was a book I really wanted to read)

The Curse of the Mummy and other Mysteries of Ancient Egypt by Charlotte Booth (Ms Booth is an Egyptologist herself, and this book is the Egyptologist's take on those mysteries, which may not be mysteries after all)
Property by Valerie Martin (This one I chose to read a long time ago when I compiled my list for the Dewey Reading Challenge, and I think it looks very good)

Did you read any of the books I bought? Heard any good/bad about them? Then please share :-)

A little trip to the library

Today I went for a little trip to the library. I had two books on hold, and needed to pick them up today. One is The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime by Mark Haddon (and no, I am one of those who still didn't read that one), which I am reading as part of the Dewey's Books Reading Challenge and the other one was Norwegian author Anne Holt's What Never Happens, which was recommended by Dorte from DJs Krimiblog. I am currently reading Paul Auster's Oracle Night, which is good, but I think I will read the Anne Holt book inbetween, because it looks like a fast and easy read.

Did any of you read any Anne Holt books or other books by Scandinavian authors?

Christmas Books

I am back home from my Christmas vacation and have been unpacking, checking mails, blogs and so on. As nice as it is to be away, it is also nice to be back home and put all the new things in their right place. I got wonderful gifts and was also lucky enough to receive three books for Christmas:

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

Kitchen Heaven by Gordon Ramsay

Fast Food by Gordon Ramsay

I began reading Maus on the evening of the 24th and finished it last night. Will reveiew it later. And I have been leafing through the Gordon Ramsay books and am looking much forward to cook some of the wonderful recipes I have already seen in those books.

Did you get any books for Christmas?