Recently bought (acquired) books! Showing 1,151-1,200 of 2,634

[H]

Is it a standalone Kevin?

[Kevin]

Yes it is so you don't need any other knowledge. It's quite an epic book but you'll get stuck in it very quickly :)

[H]

Hmm...I will make it my first book of February 2015!

[Susan]

Theresa, The Round House is excellent. I love Louise Erdich's writing. Geraldine Brooks, a wonderful writer, has Caleb's Crossing about the first American Indian admitted to Harvard. If you like mysteries, Tony Hillerman has a great series of modern day Indians in New Mexico.

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Well it's time to own up to some book buying and my theme in the sales was to read more titles from around the world. There is a mix of fiction and non-fiction and I don't think that I've read any ..."

A great list Theresa! I've only read A Fine Balance of all on the list but it is a 'must read'. Following your lead, I selected some of the books on my TBR shelf as TBR in 2015.

Acquisitions this week or so:
All That Is Solid Melts into Air on Kindle for $1.99, which is my March Solas Nua read. Got Collected Stories by Clare Boylan and The Turnaround by George Pelancanos (another March book club read) both from Paperback Swap.
Today my copy of the brand new Seamus Heaney book Selected Poems 1988-2013 arrived from Barnes and Noble.

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Well done, Allan and Seraphina! We are such a broad bunch of readers aren't we? Now for a look at your suggestions. Thanks.

Of course it goes without saying that I'll be reading the books I was gi..."

For insight into contemporary American Indian life, you can't beat Sherman Alexie. About 10 ears ago I went to a literature conference in San Francisco and learned that American Indian authors like to write in a number of genres and Alexis is one of those - his books range from mysteries, short stories, to humorous to books for younger readers. Though in the past few years all kinds of authors (James Patterson, Isabel Allende, etc.).

Caleb's Crossing is an incredible historical novel and being based in Massachusetts, a favorite of mine.
As for books about New York, one of my favorite non fiction is Patti Smith's Just Kids. I loved The Last of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez and Ten Thousand Saints. But I'd have to say my absolute favorite book about New York is Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks, Susan and Barbara. The Round House is in and Caleb's Crossing goes on the newly opened reserve list. I've read Let the Great World Spin so New York goes on hold for the time being. The new library I've just joined has some Sherman Alexie and my local library has Tony Hillerman.

Barbara, having posted this list in a couple of groups you are the only person who has heard of any of them (this includes me). It is good to know that there is a winner in my bran tub :)

A new book of Seamus Heaney poetry. Ooooh! Lucky you!

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Thanks, Susan and Barbara. The Round House is in and Caleb's Crossing goes on the newly opened reserve list. I've read Let the Great World Spin so New York goes on hold for the time being. The new ..."

It's new selected poems but as I am a genuine Heaney groupie, I had to have it.
You've inspired me to be more organized in my "international" reading next year.

[H]

Inspired by Allan's list of works by African novelists I just purchased Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamnanda Nda Ngozi Adiche. And I cheekily picked up An Autobiography by Agatha Christie because I've heard great things about it and I believe she had a most interesting life.

[Allan]

Barbara, as a Heaney 'groupie', you may be interested in this event, if only to have an idea as to whether the memorial they area reading from is the new book that you received in the post.

http://www.literarybelfast.org/event/...

[Barbara]

Allan wrote: "Barbara, as a Heaney 'groupie', you may be interested in this event, if only to have an idea as to whether the memorial they area reading from is the new book that you received in the post.

http:/..."

Allan - it may be. Apparently Heaney was putting together this volume when he passed away but others finished it. It was just published in November.

Heather - Half a Yellow Sun was a book I gave 5 stars to, which is unusual for me:)

[Barbara]

OK- I was just putting some Patricia Craig books on my TBR-2015 shelf and decided I had to buy a copy of her bio of Brian Moore. Ordered a hardcover in good condition for $1 plus $2.85 shipping.
Yes, Allan had an influence here but Theresa has gotten me interested in a lot of history titles, especially Irish women's history, and Kevin has gotten me to put an Irish language translated title on my shelves.

[Allan]

I have a copy of the book on my shelves, as yet unread myself, Barbara-for some reason, I thought you already had a copy. I was tempted to put it and Nell by Nell McCafferty (talking of women's history) on my NI list, but already had so many non fiction on that I left them off. They're both interesting reads, no doubt.

[[deleted user]]

Nice to see I have some influence :) Nell McCafferty's autobiography is not available in libraries here but it's one to look out for however my new library has 15 by Patricia Craig :))

[Barbara]

I think Nell's autobiography is a must-read especially her stories about Derry

[Barbara]

I am considering getting the audiobook of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I discovered if buy the kindle book for $10.99 I can get the audiobook for $4.49. It's tempting just to get the audiobook because I have a credit, but for 54 cents more, I can have both. I do use the whispersync especially when I am listening to an engrossing book.

I went ahead and bought the audiobook of Great Expectations. I paid $9.80 instead of using a credit - why waste $5.15? I got the version Sara recommended, and was surprised to see there are so many versions of it in Audible.

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Nice to see I have some influence :) Nell McCafferty's autobiography is not available in libraries here but it's one to look out for however my new library has 15 by Patricia Craig :))"

Just checked Amazon UK and Nell's autobio is available for 1 p plus shipping.

[pauline_nlp]

I bought :
-"The Book's King" by A.Indridason
-"The book thief" by M.Zusak
-"Wild" by C.Strayed
And that's all :D

[[deleted user]]

Barbara wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Nice to see I have some influence :) Nell McCafferty's autobiography is not available in libraries here but it's one to look out for however my new library has 15 by Patricia Craig ..."

Thanks, that's a no brainer. So much for my book buying ban LOL.

[[deleted user]]

Pauline wrote: "I bought :
-"The Book's King" by A.Indridason
-"The book thief" by M.Zusak
-"Wild" by C.Strayed
And that's all :D"

That's a nice way to start the year, Pauline, I hope that you enjoy them.

[[deleted user]]

Barbara wrote: "I am considering getting the audiobook of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I discovered if buy the kindle book for $10.99 I can get the audiobook for $4.49. It's tempting just to ..."

How do you get on with Whispersync? Is it an automated voice, if so what's it like?

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I am considering getting the audiobook of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I discovered if buy the kindle book for $10.99 I can get the audiobook for $4.49. It's t..."

With a Kindle book, and Audible audiobook, it keeps track - syncs - both versions. So if I am listening to the audiobook in the car, and want to read when I get home or my destination (it's easier to read than listen, for example, in a doctor's waiting room), I open my kindle app and it knows where I stopped listening.

[Paul]

I bought a copy of Scott Lynch's Republic of Thieves today Its the third in The Gentleman Bastards series.It was a signed first edition for only 8 euro so it had to be bought.

[Trelawn]

I got Time and Time Again by Ben Elton today. It has been talking to me since before Christmas so I caved and bought it.

[[deleted user]]

Barbara wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I am considering getting the audiobook of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I discovered if buy the kindle book for $10.99 I can get the audiobook f..."

Is it an automated voice or an actor?

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I am considering getting the audiobook of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I discovered if buy the kindle book for $10.99 I can get..."

It's an actor - it's the Audible book. But if you buy the Kindle version first, you get the Audible book at a discount. I've gotten some books - both the Kindle and Audible audiobook - for $4.99 for BOTH. I listened to a sample of the Audible audiobook of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and I like the narrator.

[Barbara]

I went ahead and bought the kindle and audible versions of The Narrow Road to the Deep North

[Marylee]

I bought Billy O'Callaghan's THE THINGS WE LOSE, THE THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND and read the first two stories. Beautiful and evocative writing. The book is keeping me company while I recover from pneumonia.

[Barbara]

Marylee wrote: "I bought Billy O'Callaghan's THE THINGS WE LOSE, THE THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND and read the first two stories. Beautiful and evocati..."

I found out The Things We Lose, The Things We Leave Behind won THE BORD GAIS ENERGY WRITING.IE SHORT STORY OF THE YEAR AWARD 2013. I am always cautious about books which receive too many 5 star reviews as this one did, as they tend to be from friends who are trying to help the author. But I was glad to see it was published by New Island Press, not self published. I know some excellent books are self published, but....

[Marion]

Billy is an excellent writer. I am sure you will enjoy all of his stories.

[H]

Easons is having a January 75% off sale so I couldn't resist 'The Bone Clocks' by David Mitchell and 'The Secret Place' by Tana French.

[Barbara]

Emma wrote: "On my lunch break today I decided to nip into Hodges Figgis and see if there was anything of interest in their sale. There wasn't but while wandering through the classics section I did pick up Wher..."

Having just been introduced to Chapters by Declan on my trip to Dublin last April, I will definitely return. But I do have a soft spot for Hodges Figgis and always stop there when I am in Dublin. I just wish those $#%# baggage surcharges weren't so high. It is now $100 to bring a second suitcase back to the US. On my 2012 trip, I did bring back a second bag full of books but it only cost $60. The ever shrinking baggage allowance...

[Barbara]

Emma wrote: "Hodges Figgis is right across from my work. It takes a lot of will power not to go in more often.

Barbara it must be nearing the point where it would be cheaper to post your purchases home at that..."

The cheapest way is to get books is to order from here with free shipping:) But in April, I bought quite a lot from No Alibis who ran the book sales at the Heaney conference. Luckily, several were poetry books which are quite slim. I passed up a big coffee table sized book at a good price, because of the size. I now cannot even recall what it was. I bought Alternative Ulsters: Conversations on Identity from The Book Depository before my trip - good price and free shipping. That was a good move as I never was able to find a copy when I was over there. I suspect the distribution wasn't great. Also, it is a heavy book - heavy paper I suppose.

[Kevin]

You'd wonder how the book depository can afford free worldwide shipping on everything, regardless of weight or size etc. you'd wonder how they make a profit at all!

[Barbara]

Emma wrote: "The Book Depository I can understand. They are a big company. How Kenny do it is another matter"

I have noticed on some of these books, they appear to be sent from outside the UK or Ireland - I think one time it looked like they were sent from Sweden or somewhere. Sometimes I think they are even sent from inside the US. Whatever they do, it's not straight forward shipping from their locations. Jamieson's wools of Shetland charges a flat rate of £8.99 for all packages. It's quite a good deal as it cost me about 50% more to send a similar but smaller package from Shetland home from the post office. Last summer I ordered a book from Shetland and noticed that it cost them many times more for postage than what I paid. Yikes! I felt bad.

[H]

Kevin - from an interview with MD Kieron Smith of The Book Depository :

How can you afford to offer free shipping to anywhere in the world?

It has been part of our success, and it simplifies things straight away in customers' minds and has allowed us to build up the business in places like Australia. It's a volume led business, and we can get very good deals with couriers as we are shipping upwards of 130,000 products per week. We operate on low margins, and the business depends on keeping things tight.

[Trelawn]

@ Emma, great to see you picked up where Angels Fear to Tread. I've been in Chapters twice since Christmas and copies of A Passage to India are thin on the ground so you might be better ordering it online.

[Trelawn]

They don't have any copies second hand. They have a straightforward Penguin copy in the classics section but when I was there there was only one copy and it was a little battered.

[Trelawn]

I got a copy from Abe that I am hoping arrives early next week.

[Kevin]

Thanks Heather that clears up a lot. Fair fecks to um.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I have won another Goodreads Giveaway book
The Friendship of Criminals byRobert Glinski
This the seventh book that I have won, out of about 340 entries. Some entries are still pending.

I also purchased, from Amazon, a trade paperback
The Battle of Wagram by Gilles Lapouge

[Barbara]

Heather wrote: "Kevin - from an interview with MD Kieron Smith of The Book Depository :

How can you afford to offer free shipping to anywhere in the world?

It has been part of our success, and it simplifies thin..."

Thanks Heather!

[Barbara]

Thursday at my local indie bookstore I bought Lies My Teacher Told Me which I will be recommending to students this semester. As soon as I can sync my Kobo with my bookstore, I am going to buy Pilgrim Soul by Gordon Ferris which is in the Tartan Noir genre. I loved his blog post about it: Synagogues and Twin Towers
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

[Sara]

I'll be interested in hearing what the differences are between the new edition and the old edition of Lies My Teacher Told Me. I own the old edition and it's on my 2015TBR, so I'm curious if the new edition is substantially different and/or better enough that I should read that one instead.

[Barbara]

Sara wrote: "I'll be interested in hearing what the differences are between the new edition and the old edition of Lies My Teacher Told Me. I own the old edition and it's on my 2015TBR, so I'm curious if the ne..."

I'll see. I also have the old edition but thought if I am going to ask students to read it, I should have the updated edition. $17 for a course book is so cheap. I think that the $#%$ textbook is $162 list price and $127 on Amazon. Textbooks are such a racket. But this one is very good and has what they need to be qualified to teach Social Studies.

[Barbara]

I just got 3 for 2 on Audible. I got The Hidden Child by Camille Lackberg, Light Years by James Salter and Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch. I will have another credit coming in at the beginning of February so I won't be creditless for long.
I got these books these week which I ordered last week used on Amazon:
Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People
The Rattle of the North: An Anthology of Ulster Prose
Ulster: A Journey Through The Six Counties
and No Surrender: An Ulster Childhood.
It is strange that GR lists the author of No Surrender as Michael Murphy. And lists it under Robert Harbinson. Harbinson published A Journey Through the Six Counties under the name of Robin Bryans. How many pen names did he have?

[Elanna]

Today I broke my book-purchasing fast and I bought A History of Reading.
Charlie Byrne's is a place full of sin.

[Colleen]

I went into The Super Used Bookstore and found The Invisible Wormand bought it because I remember in another thread that she is a little known Irish author (in America) that should be better known.I don't think this was the novel being discussed but I figured it step in the right direction.
I also found The Infernals,The Story of Lucy Gault,Love and Summer,The Colour,Merivel: A Man of His Time,The Way I Found Her

[Paul]

The Infernals is a great book. I much refer the UK/Irish title , The Gates of Hell are Opening Please Mind the Gap ☺

[[deleted user]]

Colleen wrote: "I went into The Super Used Bookstore and found The Invisible Wormand bought it because I remember in another thread that she is a little known Irish author (in America) that should be..."

Lucy Gault is on my list for this year :)