What have you purchased? - 2020

[Janice, Moderator]

What books have you purchased?

[Sarah]

I just purchased Recursion for 99p on kindle. I do like a Blake Crouch book.

[Jayme, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I just purchased Recursion for 99p on kindle. I do like a Blake Crouch book."

I also picked it up. Looks good.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I've picked up a few books from Audible. Four were in the 2 for 1 sale, so I decided to go for it.

If It Bleeds (pre-order)
Into the Fire (pre-order)
Stay
When We Believed in Mermaids
The Road She Left Behind
Broken
The Woman in Our House

[Roz]

I just bought Cook's Encyclopaedia (kindle version). I'm interested in the "why" and science behind the use of ingredients. Plus how can I resist a recipe for tomato ketchup?

[Janice, Moderator]

I had pre-ordered Unspeakable Things on Kindle and it was released today. Because the whispersync deal was $1.99 making the combo less than a credit, I got the audiobook today.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Janice wrote: "I had pre-ordered Unspeakable Things on Kindle and it was released today. Because the whispersync deal was $1.99 making the combo less than a credit, I got the audiobook today."

I preordered that one too. I may add the whispersync deal. I have so many books to read / listen to right now, I'm not sure I want to. It may just sit there forever. Yet... I struggle with skipping out on good deals.

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm going to try to behave this year (like I say every year). I will continue to purchase my audible membership which is 24 audiobooks a year. But it's the sales that get me into trouble.

When I started gophering for the Twisted Trivia challenge, I first plugged in books I already own. There were quite a few books from my wishlist, but I only plugged them into the challenge if they were available at the library. I'm going to utilize the library more this year instead of purchasing. At least, that's the plan.

[Kristie, Moderator]

The sales get me too. Often nothing on my wishlist is even included, but I still end up buying something. I always use the excuse that I may need it for a challenge some day and convince myself it's ok because my husband also uses my Audible account, so even if I don't listen to them he might.

I have been checking my library for audios first, but they need to have the MP3, not the CDs. I speed up my audios a little and normal time sounds so slow to me now. I don't enjoy it as much.

[Janice, Moderator]

Kristie wrote: "I have been checking my library for audios first, but they need to have the MP3, not the CDs..."

I check to see if the library has the audiobook available through Overdrive. I don't do the CD's.

I've gradually gotten used to listening at 1.5x speed. I do have to slow it down to 1.25 from time to time. The thing is to listen at the speed that is comfortable for you.

[Peggy]

As I said in the other thread, I have 6 years worth of reading in books I own now, and I decided to buy fewer books this year.

I'm doing very well, as I just bought paperbacks of:
The Starless Sea
The Confession
Age of War
Age of Legend (pre-order)

In my defense, the first two dropped in price suddenly, so I just had to. Who knows what the price will be next week!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Lol, Peggy. It is ok. New Year's rarely last beyond the first week of the year.

[Cherie]

I purchased The Calculating Stars from B&N. It was less than $10 and I did not want to wait for the library. I would have been #10 on 2 copies, if I had put the print copy on hold and #8 of 1 copy if I had put the ebook on hold. I have too many other holds waiting on other books.

[Kristie, Moderator]

lol, Peggy!

[Sarah]

I just bought Daisy Jones & The Six. I noticed a few GR friends have rated it highly and it sounds like a good book.

[Peggy]

Nice Sarah! I preordered it some weeks ago, I think it should be delivered in the next few days.

Let me know if you're interested in buddy reading it.

[Sarah]

Peggy wrote: "Nice Sarah! I preordered it some weeks ago, I think it should be delivered in the next few days.

Let me know if you're interested in buddy reading it."

I would love to! But I don't want to overstretch myself. I have the group read and a buddy read this month. I'll see how things pan out next week and I'll get back to you.

[Margo]

Sarah wrote: "I just bought Daisy Jones & The Six. I noticed a few GR friends have rated it highly and it sounds like a good book."

Sarah, everyone I know who's read the print version and later tried the audio has said it's not near as good in print.

[Sarah]

Margo wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I just bought Daisy Jones & The Six. I noticed a few GR friends have rated it highly and it sounds like a good book."

Sarah, everyone I know who's read the print vers..."

I'm trying to stick to non-fiction on audible and my library doesn't have it on audio at the moment. So book it is. I guess we'll see what it's like.

[Peggy]

Sarah wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Nice Sarah! I preordered it some weeks ago, I think it should be delivered in the next few days.

Let me know if you're interested in buddy reading it."

I would love to! But I don't..."

January is a bit busy for me too, with a buddy read, the group read, the monthly challenge and then another chunkster buddy read. I don't think I can fit anyhting else in! If you could wait until February, let me know. If not, no worries!

[Sarah]

Yes February would definitely be better.

[Margo]

Well a buddy read would probably be better make up for it not being audio ;-)

[Sandra, Moderator]

I have my hold paused at the library for that one. I might join you.

[Cherie]

I am interested in the book and might join you too. February works.

[Sarah]

Ok, I'll set up a thread and we can discuss dates over there.

[Janice, Moderator]

Just after I read this thread about Daisy Jones, I got an email notification. It was a customer service rep replying to a shipment that was missing a couple of boxes. It was signed, "Daisy M."

I'll take that as an encouragement. LOL! Seriously, I've heard lots of good things about this book. I'll add it to my list of titles to consider with my January credits at Audible and join you in Feb.

[Lucy]

Janice wrote: "I've gradually gotten used to listening at 1.5x speed. I do have to slow it down to 1.25 from time to time. The thing is to listen at the speed that is comfortable for you."

I find for me it's very narrator dependent. Some. Read. So. Slowly. That I can crank it up to 1.5 or more and it still seems normal-ish; not too distorted or chipmunk sounding. But if I try to speed up someone whom, in my opinion, reads at a good pace, its starts to sound like small furry animals real quick.

To start the year off right, I spent my stock pile of Audible credits and bought Summer of Night, The Rules of Attraction, A Clockwork Orange, The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, all for YLTO challenges.

Happy reading and Happy New Year everyone!

[Gavin]

Yesterday I got:
The Dark Forest
Rama Revealed

[Lucy]

I enjoy the Rama Series, Gavin. Some of it gets a little weird (the human behavior, not the aliens lol) but overall I do like the whole series. Enjoy the final book!

[Peggy]

*sigh* I picked up another book, Fever

[Sandra, Moderator]

It's ok, Peggy. It's only Jan 6th. You have the whole year to learn to fall into temptation. :D

[Peggy]

Thanks Sandra ;-)

[Margo]

LOL

[Annerlee]

Jayme wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I just purchased Recursion for 99p on kindle. I do like a Blake Crouch book."

I also picked it up. Looks good."

Thanks for the tip off Sarah. I took advantage of the sale too : )

[Annerlee]

I've just signed up for the Scottish / online 'hurricane reads' bookclub which will be discussing The Other Bennet Sister at the end of February. You can participate via twitter, but they're also holding a special event at my local Shetland library parallel to this. I apparently get a copy of the book to read for free! Anyway, I now find it's based on a minor character in Pride and Prejudicewhich I have never read - sigh - and have been avoiding.

So I took the plunge and bought the audiobook, which I thought would be a more gentle introduction to 'the Austen'.

I seem to remember 'pink cover' and 'classic by female author' being in my list for the annual challenge. Must check.

I also bought Alice on e-book because it's on offer at Amazon uk and I've been hearing about it for ages. I was a bit disappointed by The Girl in Red by the same author, but I'm going to give her a second chance. Checked the YLTO group read comments from Feb 2018 and it sounds promising.

I was reading someone's post about the short horror story The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood who I'd never heard of before. I don't even know what a 'wendigo' is. As I feel this is a gap in my education, I also bought his complete works on ebook (for 99p).

Not sure when I'm going to find time to read all this - but if I do, I'll not be stuck for material.

Oh yes - and because my internet connection is really poor, I'm currently online on a public PC... in the library! Just now, I am sitting with my back to all the books... but I have to pass ALL the shelves to get to the exit.

(Hmm... I think this is a library conspiracy)

[Annerlee]

Peggy wrote: "*sigh* I picked up another book, Fever"

Oh - that sounds good too Peggy! They have it here at the library. I just checked...

[Sarah]

Annerlee wrote: "Peggy wrote: "*sigh* I picked up another book, Fever"

Oh - that sounds good too Peggy! They have it here at the library. I just checked..."

I read it few years back and enjoyed it. Funnily enough, Typhoid Mary was mentioned in The Body: A Guide for Occupants which I read recently. If I hadn't have read Fever, I wouldn't have known anything about her.

[Peggy]

Annerlee wrote: "Peggy wrote: "*sigh* I picked up another book, Fever"

Oh - that sounds good too Peggy! They have it here at the library. I just checked..."

Lol, you're welcome ;-)

Sarah, I think I first heard of the book when you read it.

[Cherie]

Oh, Annerlee, you really, really should read Pride and Prejudice. It is my favorite. I added The Other Bennet Sister to my TBR. I know who Mary is! ;O)
Yes, there is a pink cover task. Just confirming for you. I hope you like it - the book, not the pink cover task. I just listened to the audiobook a week or two ago when I had a need for something to listen to and it was available. It was okay. If you have not seen any of the movies, I really liked the Kira Knightly one with Donald Southerland as the father.

I have heard of "wendigo", but cannot tell you what it is, so I will be looking it up. I have never heard of the author, and after checking, I do not see any of his titles on my list.

I use the library PCs sometimes, when I do not want to go to work to use my laptop, which I refuse to drag home everyday. Our PC area is on the 2nd floor, and yes, I agree about the library conspiracy. All those books, just waiting for me to take one home after I log off.

Anyway - I bought The Starless Sea from Audible to be able to be ready for the group read in February. I have no hope that I will get a book by then, because of all of the long hold lines.

[Lisa]

I just bought:

The Hunting Party

The Photographer of the Lost

The Unforgetting

[Annerlee]

Cherie wrote: "Oh, Annerlee, you really, really should read Pride and Prejudice. It is my favorite. I added The Other Bennet Sister to my TBR. I know who Mary is! ;O)
.."
What an endorsement! So why have I been avoiding this book? And I love Donald Sutherland films too.
Libraries - yep - full of all those books pleading to be discovered

[Sarah]

I bought How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking. I am just about to submit an application to speak at a convention later this year. It will be my first time. So thought this book would be interesting.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I bought How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking. I am just about to submit an application to speak at a convention later this year. It will be my first time. S..."

I hope that is a helpful book, Sarah.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I just bought these from the Audible sale:
Boy's Life
Catching the Wind
Before I Met You
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old
The Dark Bones

[Margo]

Ooh, I loved Hendrick!

[Margo]

Sarah wrote: "I bought How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking. I am just about to submit an application to speak at a convention later this year. It will be my first time. S..."

Oh best of luck with that Sarah! I could do with tips to increase my confidence these days. When you don't work it knocks you for six.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Before the rain came I had a nice postman knock on my door with a parcel (I was working from home due to the air quality and not wanting the chooks out in it). Nice postman brought me:

The Jumbies - We've had heaps of conversations with our friend from Trinidad about Caribbean folktales and mythology. Had to buy a book when I came across one based on those stories.

For my random 10 countries this year >
Eve Out of Her Ruins - Mauritius
She Plays with the Darkness - Lesotho
The Cellist of Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts - Mali

Now to see what I can fit into the Trivia challenge!

[Annerlee]

Rusalka: I really like the sound of The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts - I've been eyeing it up for a while. Will be interesting to see what you think.

[Saar The Book owl]

I think I might be sick. I've haven't order a book this year ;)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Annerlee wrote: "Rusalka: I really like the sound of The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts - I've been eyeing it up for a while. Will be int..."

Me too! I bought it for my step-father a few years ago for his birthday (he's a theology PhD who is an ex-librarian). Thought it would be up his alley. He's never mentioned it again... lol