Friday 16 September 2016

Living Books

I will never own an e-reader because the tactile experience of a book is extremely significant to me. Some people say the reading of a book, the words themselves, is the only important part, but for me it's every minute of the journey: being recommended the book or reading about it, looking out for it in bookshops, finding it, holding it, buying it, or maybe not buying it at first if it's a book I hadn't heard of but am attracted to because of the cover, but visiting it for a while before finally making the purchase; taking it home, putting it on my shelf, admiring it, later photographing it, blogging the photo, putting it back on the shelf, continuing to admire it, and eventually reading it. Some people would argue that photographing books is a waste of time because, hey, you could be reading, and who wants to see my book hauls anyway? But this process, of taking my books outside and lovingly positioning them* and photographing them, is all part of it for me. I don't just read books, I live books.
*lovingly position = shove them with whatever nature-y stuff is around and hope for the best

Early spring haul. (Yes, I know, hello and welcome to round #97 of Emily's A Rubbish Blogger ... I bought these in March and April ... I take a while to get round to stuff, OK?)
Bought on release date, finished the next day, honestly I'm still processing. I actually saw Maggie on the TRK book tour in August. My emotions are running strong. Click here for my favourite TRC meme and generally favourite thing on the internet. 
Bought secondhand in St Andrews. I am a massive fan of this trilogy, set in Stalinist Russia; I loved Child 44 and The Secret Speech, the first two books, and can't wait to read this. So highly recommended.
So, I should not really have bought this, because I've still not read the first one (I horrify myself. In both 2014 and 2015 it was on my End of Year Book Recap under “Book I've Still Not Got To But Am Prioritising This Year", and have I read it yet? No. No I haven't.), and you shouldn't buy sequels when you've not read the first one ... But ... secondhand ... cheap ... *ahem*
Also from a charity shop in St Andrews. My Jacobean revenge tragedy education has to start somewhere, right? ... Fun fact, The Silkworm by JK Rowling (book 2 in the incredible Cormoran Strike series) is about a literary murder and it involves a group of writers inspired by revenge tragedy. Each chapter begins with a quotation from a Jacobean play, and there's lots of Webster in there. So for that reason in itself I'm excited about this.
Here we have a fixture of any of my book hauls, The One I Bought For The Cover. This is one I visited in Waterstones for a few months before going in to buy The Goldfinch for someone (I'm never not buying The Goldfinch for someone, seriously ... and yet I still don't have my own copy) and it was Buy One Get One Half Price so obviously what was I gonna do ... How pretty is that cover though??
Polemical 19th century feminist text. Bought secondhand in Glasgow. Key.
Very highly recommended by my sister-in-law ... It's set in South America, which is a yes from me, and apparently there is magic involved. Sign me up.
I have actually met Kirsty Logan because she came to my school last year and did a creative writing workshop with us Advanced Higher English students. It was very very interesting and helpful, and I had a really good chat with her about her process. (She also gave us her email address, I've considered sending her the first chapter of TCATT ... do you think I should??) Prior to the workshop I read a couple of her short stories. She writes very lovely, whimsical fantasy / speculative fiction and I could not be more excited for The Gracekeepers.
~***~

What's your most recently purchased book? What was the last book you bought based on the cover? Do you visit books for a while before buying them? Tell me all.

18 comments:

  1. Oh, those books! Perhaps I can find some of them in my local bookshops/libraries

    My last purchases were: 'Call the Midwife' and 'Wales Through the Ages/Volume 1'. Both were second-hand finds. 'Wales Through the Ages/Volume 1' has what I consider a very ugly cover, but I try to ignore it. The history inside it- think of the delicious history instead.


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    1. Tell me if you do! I've only read one of these eight so far, though, so I won't be able to discuss my opinions for a while XD

      Hmm, I love the CtM TV series but have never read the books. However, I'm very interested to hear about Wales Through the Ages! I have a great interest in Wales based solely on books.

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  2. The thing about ebooks that I like is that I can read them in the dark and flip pages with a swipe. My room's lighting is poor, so it makes it tough to read physical books, and I have some trouble staying comfortable for long periods of time.

    I believe the last book I got was Pellucidar by Burroughs, though I got it in ebook for free because it's Public Domain (another reason to read some ebooks). I might have to go back more than ten years to Deltora Quest: Books 1-4 to find a book I bought based upon the cover. Books are often on my reading list for a while before I buy them. Either that or I buy them because they're in a series I buy all the books from, in which case I buy them soon after they are released.

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    1. Hmm, fair points. I hate the thought of reading in the dark, though, because to me that would be like being on my phone! I can't cope with a laptop in the dark either ...

      Classics in the public domain are an attraction of ebooks, certainly! I haven't heard of Pellucidar, though. You are very disciplined not to buy books based on cover! I try not to, but ... it happens ...

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  3. Nice haul, I sadly haven't gotten any new books lately, but I have a bunch I haven't read yet. So it's probably a good thing.

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    1. It probably is! I have so many I've not read, it's horrifying >.<

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  4. Good haul! I haven't bought any that recently, but I have won quite a few things recently - most recently Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillips Cash which looks like it will be a lot of fun. That TRC meme is just the best! :D

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    1. That is a great series title! And yes, I cannot even describe my love for it. I just keep rereading it again and again, it gets better every time ... I'm going to go reread it now!

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  5. So checking out The Gracekeepers.... That looks amazing. And that cover. *sits and stares* *stares some more* AND YES SEND HER YOUR BOOK. OBVIOUSLY. LIKE RIGHT NOW.

    I do very much enjoy these book hauls :)

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    1. It does doesn't it?? HA MAYBE I WILL.

      I'm so glad :D

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  6. Oo, these books. Very gorgeous! I love The Raven King photo and the Agent 6 one (okay, but really, I just love them all!). Books are just beautiful. I agree about books with spines as opposed to books with screens. Always the spines. Yessss.

    Sorry. I've got to go in a bit. People want me to hurry so we can leave. :/

    I did purchase the PJO series. Finally! I'm rather excited about it. Oh, and a grammar book. Meh. The author, though, is amusing.

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    1. Thank you! SPINES NOT SCREENS. That is my new maxim, thank you!

      Ew. People.

      Did you?! Yass! Last I heard you'd read #2? Or did you get further? (It's not Lynne Truss, is it?)

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    2. It is a good maxim, isn't it?

      I've only the last one left to read now! Very excited about that. Nah, the author's name is Paul Brians. I'm not sure who (or should I say whom?) Lynne Truss is. Should I investigate?

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    3. The last one is sooo good! (I'm assuming you mean The Last Olympian, as in the last PJO book, rather than the second series.) I just read The Lost Hero, #1 of Heroes of Olympus, which was dead good.

      Lol, I heard amusing grammar book and my mind jumped to the only amusing grammar book (the only grammar book, in fact) that I have read, which is Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. I don't think it is whom but I wouldn't stake my life on it.

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    4. Yeah, I mean The Last Olympian. :)

      Oh! I've wanted to read that book. It sounds good. Yeah, I'd never stake my life on a who/whom issue either.

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    5. ISN'T IT GOOD??

      It is good. I mean, it's as enjoyable as a book about grammar is going to be. Which is, like, quite enjoyable, but not exactly PJO.

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  7. Lovely book haul! I always enjoy your photos and the accompanying stories behind each book purchase. ^_^ (And yes yes YES send her your book!!!)

    I think my most recently purchased book was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which I have yet to read. I got the original black and white cover, preferring it over the new film-inspired version.

    I rarely buy books based on cover, but that's because I'm careful what I spend money on--there's nothing worse than paying for a book that ends up a disappointment! BUT I do frequently pick up novels at the library based on cover. XD

    PS Yes, I way prefer physical books to ebooks. I can see the advantages of going digital, but you can't display an ebook on your bedroom shelf or gaze with satisfaction at where your bookmark is sticking from the pages.

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    1. Thank you! That makes me so happy, I love writing book hauls but occasionally feel like no one likes them. (I JUST MIGHT!)

      Ah, I have that book! The cover is lovely. I look forward to reading someday. (Though I wasn't actually planning to, but it was a gift, so there you go.)

      That is very true! I try not to do it with firsthand books but ... mistakes are made ... XD

      PS EXACTLY. SPINES NOT SCREENS, SPINES NOT SCREENS ~chants on for eternity~

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Thanks for commenting! :)