Book Lair discussion

Seems silly with my current list of books waiting on my shelf (real and virtual), but I still buy paperbacks from time to time, 99% from bookdepository.com. They take almost a month to arrive so when they do get here it's a very pleasant surprise.

The last ones I have bought are:
The Game: The Valley (just ordered it so it's going to take a while to get here)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass: 100th Anniversary Edition, Different Seasons and Fortunately, the Milk, all of them last month.

Which books have you bought recently?

The Living Dead, The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, Shiver, Linger, Forever, Sinner, Harvest Home, Hallowe'en Party, Rumble, The End of the World: Stories of the Apocalypse, Etiquette & Espionage, Earthbound, Breed, The Red Garden, Code Breakers, The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't, the Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar, Doctor Who: Dead of Winter are all books I've bought since October first and now I feel really, really guilty!

This month (October), I bought:


I was offered:


I won:


I received from Kickstarter (i.e. actually bought months ago):


That's what happen why I decide "not to buy books". That's not counting on the ebooks I got for review.

I didn't know about bookdepository.com, but it looks now that it won't help my buying habits...

Oh well books are cheap and shipping is free. The orders take roughly a month to get here but with those conditions that doesn't bother me much and, like I said, it's always a surprise when it gets here. Ever since I found that site I don't remember buying a book from any place else.

And wow gals that's quite a list! I thought I bought too many haha!

You are the serpent temptress of this book Eden.

And I though I was making excesses, but I'm only a small player next to Kandice.

Interesting analogy! I do highly recomend that site. And hey, every girl needs to treat herself every now and then. I love getting such a surprise in the mail :)

In my defense (very small defense!) they were all on sale! I only paid more than a couple of dollars for a few of them.

On Saturdays I always browse the bookshelves of a local thrift store because the books are super cheap. The man who organizes the books there knows what I like and often has a pile of books waiting for me to look through. I feel guilty buying nothing after he was sweet enough to think of me. I got an ARC of The Hunger Games 6 months before it was actually released that way. For $.75!

Wow, that's great. I love going through thrift stores too. One of the books I bought comes from one.

Usually, when I'm in Paris, I love to go visit the second hand bookshops along the boulevard Saint-Michel and the Seine, but I explicitely avoided them this time. I still managed to enter into one though and buy something.

I love the fact that you never know what you will find, and that you always have surprises and come out with unexpected books.

BTW, I already ordered a book on the bookdepository.com. It's:

Just today I got:
V for Vendetta
The Magic Mountain
Life of Pi

V for Vendetta is one of my all time favorite books!

I loved life Life of Pi too.

This week I bought:

Movers by Evan Clark
Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates
The Undertaker's Cabinet by David Haynes
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon (audio & Kindle versions)

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new month so maybe I can show a little restraint in November!

Bought plenty today. Birthday month is over, so no more books for a while.
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Poirot Investigates
The Grapes of Wrath
Peter Pan
The Mousetrap and Other Plays
The Three Musketeers
Ivanhoe
Grandes Cuentistas

Kandice wrote: "V for Vendetta is one of my all time favorite books!

I loved life Life of Pi too."
V is the first graphic novel I actually got in physical form, and I loved the Life of Pi's movie adaptation, so I just I had to read the book.

I read life of Pi when it first came out and I loved it so much that the next year for my birthday my husband bought me a gorgeous over sized illustrated version.

I searched add book but don't see that version. :(

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pi-Illustr...

It's that one and much less expensive now than when it first came out. I wish I could show you the pages.

Is it this one?

Usually, in cases like this, just search the ISBN and the right book will pop-up.

Personnally, I love the The Three Musketeers. I've read it so many times, in different editions. I used to be a big big fan when I was younger. Athos was my first big crush on a fictional character. Now, I still love it and it's still a pleasure to re-read it, but I calmed down a bit.

That's the one.

I can re-read anything Dumas writes. The Count of Monte Cristo was my particular favorite. I read this one, when I was about 8 before graduating to the real deal at about 13, but he's been a lifelong favorite, including .

Today, I received the following book, that I ordered ages and ages ago and that I almost put a cross on (hopefully, on amazon.cn, you pay only at delivery):

And just before I received that book, this morning, I ordered:


Since I didn't saw the shipping notification Amazon sent me for Half a Lifelong Romance and almost forgot about it, I had a little moment of doubt: did Amazon finally managed to warp time in order to deliver books less than an hour after they were ordered?

I just marked one of those "wants to read". They both look very good.

Mo Yan is the 2012 Nobel Prize of Litterature winner. But I have to admit I've never read any of his books yet.

This book is being read for this month RAS book club, so I thought it would finally be the occasion to read one.

Eileen Chang is a writter from the 1930's Shanghai. She then fled to the US when the communist revolution started.

Her books are very interesting, because although she lived in a period of change and turmoil in China, contraru to other writters of that time, she absolutey do not write about political and sociological changes in China, but really focuses on the people (and especially women) and their day-to-day lifes and stories. Her stories are usually very intimate and personnal, with quite a melancholic touch. I really love them.

I may be wrong, but Chang sounds like she writes in the style of Amy Tan, one of my all time favorites. Have you read any of hers and if so do you find this to be true?

I've never read any of Amy Tan's books. Actually, I didn't even know her before. But it's possible. I find that a lot of Chinese women writers of the XXth century have a bit the same sensibility.

Not to add to what I am sure is a mountain of a TBR, but Tan is pretty amazing if you ever run across one of her books. Very, very much an "inner strength of women" kind of writer.

^^
I already added some of her books to my TBR. Lookds really interesting.

I bought The Inheritance of Loss and UnEnchanted. The Unenchanted was actually free so I guess that doesn't count, but now I have it! :)

UnEnchanted looks really interesting, looks like I had already bought it (for free ;)). I have way too many books pending...

Is it okay to "count" free books? I vote yes!

OMG, if you add free books, the list will just grow and grow without limits! But I'm all for adding them here too. Free books deserve their 15 minutes of fame too.

So, I bought two new books on bookdepository:

Ana, I'm still wondering if I should love you or hate you for the discovery of this website (my banker hates you, that's for sure ;-) ).

And if we go along the path of free books, this weekend, I discovered bookbub.com, which is the Ali baba's cave for books. So now, I have:

These are all ebooks. Do they have their place here, or Ana, were you only talking about "physical" books when you started this thread?

Anyway, we are only at the beginning of the month and I am realising that I am not showing much more restraint than last month.

In order to avoid being buried under my books, I am imposing myself a new rule: I won't buy a new book unless I've finished reading another one.

I love bookbub!

Well the idea of the thread was to see which books we still buy (real or electronic), even though we have so many free ones available :)

Melas, it really is a great site but one has to exert self-containment and don't I know it! I've been through what you're going through, still do sometimes if I spend enought ime there. They are hosting a 5 book promotion now for a few days, I forget how many, but so far none has interested me.

@Ana: Good point. So I'll keep to non free books.

I am contemplating actually buying something now but I cannot make up my mind, I hope you guys can give me some help. It would be my first box set purchase, so I would really appreciate it.

I have been reading about Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, containing 3 books. My first question is why the first book sometimes is referred to as Norhtern Lights and other times it's The Golden Compass. It seems to be the same book because of the description but I would like to make sure there are no significant changes between them.

And the next thing I can't decide on is which set to buy. I found these 3 on bookdepository:

http://www.bookdepository.com/His-Dar...
http://www.bookdepository.com/His-Dar...
http://www.bookdepository.com/His-Dar...

2 problems:

1. Paperback or hardback?
2. 1 volume or 3?

I can't tell if #2 and #3 are 3 books or just 1, it looks to be just 1, especially the hardback, but the item description doesn't specify.

Also, paperbacks are more practical to carry around, especially if there are individual books, but hardback looks better, right? And should last longer?

I don't know, I am leaning towards the hardback but I would be very limited regarding where I could read it.

Also, has anyone read any of these books and would you recomend them?

Hi, yes, Northern Lights and Golden Compass are the same book. I think that the different title is due to the American version/English version, but I'm not really sure.

I prefer 3 books rather than 1, it is easier to transport the books separately than in one huge volume. It's also easier to hold it in my hand, even if I am only planning on reading it at home.

I also prefer paperbacks, for several reasons. First, they are usually smaller, and I really don't have any place left on my shelves. It's easier to fit in the handbag too. Secondly, they are lighter to transport. And third, usually, it's easier for me too to hold them. I don't like the rigidity of hardbacks. I am doing exceptions only for special editions, such as illustrated, etc. which usually only exist as hardbacks.

And yes, I quite liked this trilogy. I found it delightfully melancholic.

Yes, it's partly why I was considering the hardback, as the description says Edition: Special edition and Edition statement: Gift edition. But it does seem to be only 1 volume.

So between link 1 and 3, which one would you go for? I prefer the graphics of #3 but I cannot tell if it's 3 books or not! Does that look like 1 volume to you or a box with 3 volumes inside?

But then again I may go for this edition: http://www.bookdepository.com/His-Dar... But buying the books individually, it's even cheaper and I don't need the box eh.

I think I'll just put it on my wishlist for now, see if the prices drop...

I usually buy e-books now, but if you take that out of the equation, If I'm buying something I haven't read before, so don't know if it will be re-read over and over I'd rather buy the paperback. Trade if I can get it because it's easier on my eyes.

I only buy HBs for "special" books like Melas said.

I also prefer the individual books for the sames reasons stated. Who wants to cart around a brick? O_o

According to the dimensions, this one seems the smallest:
http://www.bookdepository.com/His-Dar...

And it looks like it's a box, but it's hard to say for sure.

I did not purchase this today, but am so excited about Revival tomorrow that I am counting the hours!!!

It's supposed to be one of King's "heaviest and darkest" books. Something about religion and old fashioned tent revivals. I grew up in the sticks so am very familiar with those and can absolutely get behind a scary idea beginning with one of that ilk.

I ended up buying this one: http://www.bookdepository.com/His-Dar...
I submitted a query in the site's form and they confirmed it's 3 books.
Yay, my own christmas presie xD

Does anyone know if you pre-order an ebook when it shows up on your device? Midnight? I've pre-ordered hardbacks, but always end up waiting to order the ebook when my eyes get too tired of staring at the real page. O_o

No idea, Kandice, I have never pre-ordered an e-book. That kinda stuff confuses me, especially since midnight is different all over the globe.

So, I must admit I am not doing too well with this not buying books for a while thing. I have just purchased City of Endless Night. It's part of bookdepository daily deals (5 per day) and I am having a hard time not buying the other 4.

Link is here if you want to check it out: http://www.bookdepository.com/daily-d...

I received today the first book I ordered on bookdepository.com, Nanjing 1937, which makes it just 15 days from when I ordered. That's pretty quick!

Since last time i posted here, I bought:


The first book, or rather boxset, is because I loved The Giver when I read it ages ago, so I am really exited to read the following books.

The other two books are because it was a friend's birthday, and he loves photography. But I couldn't resist buying these books for me too (I love photography too).

Oh wow that is much faster than what it takes to get here!

I have been thinking about buying the giver quartet, just not sure which edition. I have bought quite a few books lately so it will have to wait.

I wish I knew people in real life who would appreciate getting books *sigh* Sad, huh?

Books are always my first thought when a gift is in order. You can find some sort of book for almost anyone, even if it's just something funny.

Buying books for me is my favorite, though!!!

You'd think so, but no one in my life seems to read at all. Sucks.

Amazon.co.uk is having a 3 paperbacks for 10£, so I went crazy. I bought:
The Martian
Odd Thomas
The Night Circus
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
A Game of Thrones
The Humans

I seriously need to stop looking up promotions.

Oh and one of my favourite reads this year, The Girl with All the Gifts, is featured in that promotion as well, grab it if you can!

This is the link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&...

I really, really enjoy the Odd Thomas series and The Night Circus was a gorgeous story! Game of Thrones is a tremendous time suck, but well worth the effort.

Great haul, Ana!

Thanks! If it wasn't for this promotion I probably would have never gotten some of these books, particularly Game of Thrones. I have serious doubts I will enjoy it but hey it's a classic, so might as well leave it on the shelf collecting some dust while I gather up the courage to get to it!