Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
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Archived Chit Chat & All That
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What Book(s) have you just Bought, Ordered or Taken Delivery Of?
Kathy wrote: "Fae wrote: "My newest treasures are The Ironwood Tree
The Wrath of Mulgarath"
I so enjoyed the Spiderwick Chronicles!"
I so much enjoy them too! Have you read the sequels or spin off that start with The Nixie's Song ? I heard that they are quite different from the first 5 books.
Yesterday, I went in an out of town bookshop to buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but I didn't like the cover, I didn't buy it. Today I walk past a box of free items next to an apartment building and there it was, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in a lovely edition! Just waiting for me!
Emerson wrote: "Yesterday, I went in an out of town bookshop to buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but I didn't like the cover, I didn't buy it. Today I walk past a box of free items next to an apar..."Funny how things work out, right Emerson? Happy for you! :)
I'm a bit of a stickler for the cover tooI'm quite prepared to pay a bit extra or take a worse condition copy if I like the cover better
I particularly don't like movie tie-in covers
Darren wrote: "I'm a bit of a stickler for the cover tooI'm quite prepared to pay a bit extra or take a worse condition copy if I like the cover better
I particularly don't like movie tie-in covers"
I'm with you Darren, I absolutely loathe books with the movie tie-in covers.
Mod
Awesome!
I've currently got John Malkovich and Debra Winger leering at me from the cover of my copy of The Sheltering Sky, and I'm sure they're (at least partly) responsible for my not liking it so far! ;o)
That's really cool, Emerson!What good luck!
Darren wrote: "I've currently got John Malkovich and Debra Winger leering at me from the cover of my copy of The Sheltering Sky, and I'm sure they're (at least partly) responsible for my not liking..."Definitely must be the cover! :)
Loretta wrote: "Darren wrote: "I'm a bit of a stickler for the cover tooI'm quite prepared to pay a bit extra or take a worse condition copy if I like the cover better
I particularly don't like movie tie-in cover..."
I actually like movie tie-in covers :)
Linda wrote: "I actually like movie tie-in covers :)..."Ugh! :) . I hate those so much :lol. I mean with a new book its ok i guess but with classics that drives me nuts.
I saw I Robot with Will Smith on the cover before, that movie pretty much had nothing to do with the book!
I mean i didn't even like I Robot the book but i felt genuinely offended on behalf of the author :lol .
Yeah, I'm a cover-picky person too, lol. It just has to be the right cover.
It's like with Edward Said's Orientalism, all the modern editions have a butt on the cover - a lady's or a boy's and that's to reflect orientalist views through paintings. But I just preferred a butt-free cover lol, and so I did manage to get a second-hand used edition with a better cover. Even though the book is supposed to overthrow such misconceptions, a cover still goes along way - I wish they could change that. Excited to read it anyhow!
Current editions:
My old copy:
Oh, and I'm picky with books I gift to people too. Take Flowers for Algernon, which features a mouse in the story (named Algernon), but I didn't like the covers with a big, graphic mouse on them
(not a huge fan); but I managed to find a decent cover edition
(that still had a mouse, but not a graphic illustration). There's a reason books are words and not illustrated (unless they're picture books or graphic novels). Covers are important indeed.
It's like with Edward Said's Orientalism, all the modern editions have a butt on the cover - a lady's or a boy's and that's to reflect orientalist views through paintings. But I just preferred a butt-free cover lol, and so I did manage to get a second-hand used edition with a better cover. Even though the book is supposed to overthrow such misconceptions, a cover still goes along way - I wish they could change that. Excited to read it anyhow!
Current editions:
My old copy:
Oh, and I'm picky with books I gift to people too. Take Flowers for Algernon, which features a mouse in the story (named Algernon), but I didn't like the covers with a big, graphic mouse on them
(not a huge fan); but I managed to find a decent cover edition
(that still had a mouse, but not a graphic illustration). There's a reason books are words and not illustrated (unless they're picture books or graphic novels). Covers are important indeed.
I want to buy Solaris, but the only cheap version has George bloomin' Clooney on the front:
I love the original Tarkowsky version of the movie, so a tie-in to a pointless re-make is right out!
think I will ask Santa for a nice shiny new edition:
Emerson wrote: "Yesterday, I went in an out of town bookshop to buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but I didn't like the cover, I didn't buy it. Today I walk past a box of free items next to an apar..."
That's great! Your patience was rewarded haha :)
That's great! Your patience was rewarded haha :)
Wreade1872 wrote: "Linda wrote: "I actually like movie tie-in covers :)..."Ugh! :) . I hate those so much :lol. I mean with a new book its ok i guess but with classics that drives me nuts.
I saw I Robot with Will..."
Yeah, if the film is rubbish I suppose a 'proper' cover is best. I suppose I would not want the film cover of Divergent as that film was pants :( But I liked the film Bridget Jones cover :)
Today I ordered:The Thousandth Floor
Lotta Schmidt and Other Stories
Jane and Prudence
Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Someone bought me My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland as a sort of gag gift because i like the woman who modeled for the cover art CBG19.
I think its a sort of comedy, zombie, romance thing. I've never read a modern romance book before so little outside my comfort zone but should be interesting :) .
The DollMaker by Richard Montanari has just arrived. SUper excited about reading this book- it is my first from the author. Read some amazing reviews!! On order- The Poet, the Fifth Witness both by Michael Connelly and Gone Girl by G. Flynn.
:)
recently read free electronic version of Howards End and loved it so much decided I needed to have an actual copy on my actual shelftreated myself to this rather hadsome hardback edition:
Darren wrote: "recently read free electronic version of Howards End and loved it so much decided I needed to have an actual copy on my actual shelftreated myself to this rather hadsome hardback e..."
Nice cover Darren! :)
Loretta wrote: "Nice cover Darren! :) "yes, it's a kind of "gift edition" that was published just before Christmas a few years ago
needless to say I snagged an absolute bargain copy ;o)
the cover is heavily embossed (almost a canvassy feel to it) - the little red shiny umbrellas are a nice touch (so key to the plot!)
Darren wrote: "Loretta wrote: "Nice cover Darren! :) "yes, it's a kind of "gift edition" that was published just before Christmas a few years ago
needless to say I snagged an absolute bargain copy ;o)
the cover..."
You can thank the rise of ebooks for that cover i reckon. They used to try to sell classics as cheap as possible but since most classics can be got for free as ebooks they've had to change tactic (its hard to outbid free ;) ).
And started making all these expensive (or expensive looking) hardback copies of classics instead.
They also can assume someone buying a classic knows what they're after so they don't need dustjackets or blurbs like new books.
Hence there is much more thought put into the hardback cover with embossing and stuff then there used to be when it was hidden by a dust jacket.
At least all thats my theory anyway ;) . They call them 'Gift Books' in my local bookshop, and they do indeed make nice gifts :) .
We have a small library at work which we will dispose of. Apparently the employees can take what they want, although it is not official. I was just downstairs and picked up Hemingway (Farewell to Arms) and Kingsolver (Poisonwood Bible). I'll keep them at home and if someone asks, I can just return them. It is after all a library. Have seen several others I would like, but will pick up just a few at a time.
After reading The Mist earlier this month, and watching The Shining with my husband the other night I got in the mood for some more Stephen King. I haven't read him since high school, so it's been a while! I ordered The Shining, and Doctor Sleep last night along with Far from the Madding Crowd for next months read.
I'm planning on reading The Shining before the end of the year - might bring it forward for Halloween!
I was out of town last week and my souvenir from the trip is The Portable Dorothy Parker. I picked it mostly because I keep hearing she's funny, and my plane was about to start boarding, so I didn't have much time to browse.
was looking back to a post of mine on this thread back in August when I said I had 52 books on my physical TBR shelf and yesterday I counted them up again to... 52! so at least I seem to be readin' 'em at the same rate as buyin' 'em! so decided to celebrate by... buying a book!been looking to buy Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, but the most commonly available now is the movie tie-in edition, which isn't that bad looking, but we all now know my thoughts on movie tie-ins so thought I wouldn't be able to hold my head up on this thread if I got it ;o)
but managed to find on eBay a nice inexpensive copy of an older edition:
the-en... got home to find daughter needs a book for her piano lessons... which I found on Amazon... but seemed rude not to make the order up to £10 to qualify for free shipping ;o)
so to cut a long story short got a brand-new copy of Hard to Be a God and a snazzy-looking old copy of A Clockwork Orange:
so that's my TBR pile up to 55 (doh!)
Yay for 55 unread books! Who says we need to get our tbr number down!
I bought today
by George OrwellI was also told about another book today by John Steinbeck called
bought today but waiting on
,
as all the bookshops are sold out at the min.
Karen wrote: "I bought today by George OrwellI was also told about another book today by John Steinbeck called
bought toda..."Excellent! Karen! 1984!!! Enjoy!!!
I just downloaded the Kindle edition of Summer by Edith Wharton from Amazon, and I picked up the audio book Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald from the library today. I hope to get to both fairly soon!
Karen wrote: "I bought today by George OrwellI was also told about another book today by John Steinbeck called
bought toda..."I love Steinbeck! Hope you enjoy them. Also, 1984 is very good.
I just ordered The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier from Barnes and Noble since all my local libraries didn't have it in real book form. Should be here by tomorrow.
Mod
The Plague
Sense and Sensibility
Stamboul Train
The Last Word and Other Stories
Hiroshima
and
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I'm going to jump the gun and start Harry Potter next.
Bob wrote: "When it comes to books being close by, I conceder myself lucky. In a twenty mile radius I have a Barnes & Noble, two Goodwill stores, the St. Mary's Thrift Store, two rather large used book stores,..."Great haul Bob! :)
Best of luck with Harry Potter! :)
Bob wrote: "When it comes to books being close by, I conceder myself lucky. In a twenty mile radius I have a Barnes & Noble, two Goodwill stores, the St. Mary's Thrift Store, two rather large used book stores,..."I just finished "The Plague." It was interesting, hope you like it. Sounds like you got a bunch of good ones!
aaand yet another package arrives at the Slug House! :oDthis time containing a xmas pressy for Littlest Sluglette,
plus a group-read book for a different group :oO namely Beside the Ocean of Time
plus obviously managed to sneak in a few others that I have slated for 2017, namely Rebecca (rather nice little compact hardback, with colourful illustration of Manderley!), Porterhouse Blue and Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World (which has a really lovely cover, including shinily embossed author's name!)
Oh so many books keep finding their way into my apartment (where I have no more bookshelf space)
A Clockwork Orange 
Lord of the Flies 
The Great Gatsby 
The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America 
Catch-22 
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich 
The Vegetarian
Wow, what a great selection of books you've both just made!
Wow guys! Such pretty covers!!! I think I just shed a little tear! :)
Karen wrote: "Oh so many books keep finding their way into my apartment (where I have no more bookshelf space)A Clockwork Orange Lord of ..."Wow! You did good! I've read 4 of the 7, and I have White Trash on audio but haven't listened to it yet. Will be interested in what you think. But sounds like you already have so many books you might not be getting to these very soon ;)
I received a "Kindle of the Day" offer today ~~ I usually never take advantage of these ~~ but I was able to download Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris for $2.99! And since I can't get it through my library for almost 2 months, I thought that was a pretty good price for a book that I've heard a lot of good things about!!
For $5 I picked up Foucault's Pendulum, The Bean Trees, Amy and Isabelle, The Known World, and a complete and unabridged Dracula. Color me happy!
I picked up a pristine paperback copy of
today. I still need to get a hold of 20 some books in that universe, but I'm picky about the condition of the book/s and used books are rarely in pristine condition.I also picked up
for free in the kindle store the other day.
I'm shopaholically filling up my "children's" bookshelf. Even though I know my son wouldn't be able to read or even listen to most of those books for several years yet, I just cannot keep my hands off all the beautifully reprinted classical illustrations, folk tales collections etc.The latest acquisition is a collection of Mansi folk tales bought, this time, by my mother. In our family we love reading the tales from folk traditions we're unused to, and it is always interesting and a little surprising to see the same motives crop up, even though the literature researchers have long ago classified all the typical plots and proven that it's absolutely natural.
The library at my school discarded a bunch of Harry Potter books and I swiped them up before anyone had a chance to! I read the first HP book a long time ago but was not very interested after that. BUT, now that I have these books (I love get any new books--especially FREE and in good condition!) I have a renewed interest in reading them--but maybe not until next year. I'm trying to get my nine-year-old son to read them too. So now I have the first 4 books and I might look at my local library to get the rest; I saw them there a few weeks ago. Do they get better as you read more of the books???
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