Acquisitions…
Posted by: Eva on: June 6, 2008
- In: *Personal| Challenges| GraphicNovels| TBR
- Comment!
Seems like everyone’s posting bookpiles lately, and who am I to resist? Click to make bigger! From the front working back: an ARC of Lisa Jackson’s latest Left to Die. This one just showed up in my mailbox, so I’m assuming the publisher got my address from Pump Up Your Books. Either way, I enjoyed Lost Souls as a fluffy thriller, so this was a fun surprise! Then there’s Metro Stop Dostoevsky by Ingrid Bengis. This is a bookmooch, and I feel the subtitle will explain why I mooched it: Travels in Russian Time. This is my very last bookmooch for awhile; I’ve decided to go on vacation. I need to remove temptation! And rounding out the first row is Ryhll McMcaster’s Feather Man. This is a review copy for Literary Ventures Fund (LVF). They’re a really neat not-for-profit organisation that invest in already published books and try to raise their profile. Feather Man is McMaster’s (an Australian) debut novel, and it follows Sooky’s life in 1950s Brisbane and 1970s London. Don’t you love that cover?
Next row: Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway, another LVF review copy. Holloway is a RPCV (remember how I want to join the Peace Corps? but they didn’t give me a medical clearance? so I’m always interested in books dealing with the PC!), and this is her memoir of her service in Mali. Another great cover! Then there’s Jeams Heaphey’s Legerdemain, a review copy for Lisa Roe, Online Book Publicist. It’s a non-fiction spy account (remember how I’m also drawn to spies) about a U.S. Air Force undercover operative in Morocco in 1952. Morocco! Spies! Awesome title! What could go wrong?
Back row: The World We Want by Peter Karoff. Another LVF review copy, from the back cover: “Karoff shows how citizen engagement and open-source solutions can tip the scale toward a better world.” Next up is Jane Fletcher Geniesse’s American Priestess. Danielle mentioned this one recently, and it sounded so interesting that I shamelessly begged the publishers for a review copy. Yay for when it pays off! hehe And finally, Ditch the Flip-Flops by Sylvia I. Landy, another review copy for Lisa Roe. This one is aimed at preparing recent college grads (hmmm…could that be me?) for job interviews, which is definitely something I could use!
And because I wouldn’t be me if I could resist challenges, I have a new one of those too!
Dewey mentioned recently that you can join her Graphic Novels Challenge halfway through with a three book commitment. Isn’t that neat? Funny story about why I didn’t read graphic novels before book blogging: I had heard of them since Gaiman was one of my favourite authors, but I thought ‘graphic novel’ was a euphemism for ‘explicit erotica.’ lol So for years I thought one of my favourite authors was also writing soft-core pornography!! I never mentioned this before, because it seems just too embarassing, but Rebecca just admitted she thought the same thing. Anyway, I didn’t join at the beginning of the year because I’d been traumatised by Preludes & Noctures , but I’m over that now (the second one is much better!). So, I’m committing to reading at least three of the following by the end of the year:
The Arrival by Shaun Tan-someone loved this one: if it was you, let me know! I thought it was Nymeth, but I can’t find a review on her blog, lol. (ETA: it was C.B.’s review!)
Pyongyang by Guy Delisle-Bybee loved this one
Dream Country (Sandman Vol. 3) by Neil Gaiman-since the second one was good!
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley-Nymeth did enjoy this one, and the drawing style looks just gorgeous
Alice in Sunderland by Brian Talbott-also thanks to Nymeth’s review
Legends in Exile (Fables Vol. 1) by Bill Willingham-Andi’s favourite graphic novel series
Cross-X by Joe Miller-um, did I mention I was a debater in high school? I did LD, not CX, and my big love was extemp, but this one still has me curious. and if you have no idea what I just said that’s ok.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel-Emily and Dewey both recommend it.
The Complete Maus by Art Spegielman-I’m actually already commited to this for the My Year of Reading Dangerously challenge, and I don’t usually double-count, but I like having a whole list of the genre together.
The Adventuress by Audrey Niffenegger-my library doesn’t have Three Incestous Sisters, but has her newer one. go figure!
23 Responses to "Acquisitions…"
2 | Nymeth
June 7, 2008 at 2:34 am
I haven’t read The Arrival yet, but I really want to! I think it was through Chris that I first heard about it, but Joy and Valentina loved it too.
Anyway, I’m glad you’re reading some more graphic novels! I hope you enjoy the ones you end up picking up 
And about misunderstanding the term graphic novel, lol, I can understand how that’d happen, and I bet it wasn’t just you and Rebecca.
3 | Marg
June 7, 2008 at 4:16 am
I loved, loved, loved The Arrival! It was my best book of the year for 2007! Shaun Tan’s new book was just released here in Australia and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
4 | Debi
June 7, 2008 at 6:04 am
Well, I must just be in one of those silly, goofy moods, because you’re explanation about why you avoided graphic novels left me in a pure giggle fit! Tears rolling down my face kind of fit. But you know, that makes perfect sense…and I’m wondering how many people out there have thought the exact same thing.
I didn’t know you wanted to join the Peace Corps…I did, too! When “recruiters” (is that what they’re called?) came to Penn State during my senior year there, I went and talked to them and ended up quite disappointed that they just didn’t want me. 
Seems as if there just wasn’t any urgent need for someone with my skills (or should I say, lack thereof!). Degrees in psychology just weren’t in demand in the Peace Corps. Should have just listened to my professors and gone to grad school, huh?
Anyway, as if this comment wasn’t already long enough, I had to say I was happy to see you got Legerdemain. I was just at Lisa Roe’s site for the first time yesterday, and when I saw that book, I immediately thought of you, and was actually going to ask you if you’d seen it. Yep, you had. I was really tempted to request it, too, but didn’t.
O.K., I’ll shut up now. Have a great weekend, Eva!
5 | Devourer of Books
June 7, 2008 at 6:59 am
I truly loved “Monique and the Mango Rains.” It was my choice for the best book that I read last month. It was also an amazingly fast read.
6 | dew
June 7, 2008 at 10:42 am
I think libraries don’t have The Three Incestuous Sisters for the same reason you avoided graphic novels. The title does sound like porn, doesn’t it?
But I have to admit to some discomfort thinking that people might believe I’m hosting a porn challenge! It gives me a whole new outlook on some of the more popular graphic novel titles. Fun Home! Must be a brothel. Blankets! Well, we know what goes on under those. Strangers in Paradise, oh my!
7 | Nancy, aka Bookfool
June 7, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Gorgeous books, Eva! I’m kind of taking a break from Paperback Swap, too. I know exactly what you mean. I still have one book coming and then I’m just going on hold for a while.
I love your reason for avoiding graphic novels! Hilarious! I’ve always avoided them because I think of them as glorified comic books. But, just recently my son has actually managed to get me reading a comic book series, Serenity. I loved the show (Firefly) and the Serenity movie, so it makes perfect sense to me. Maybe the series will become a stepping stone to graphic novels. We’ll see.
8 | Andi
June 7, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Interesting graphic novel list! I haven’t heard of many of them, so I’ll have to go do some investigating. I hope you love Fables as much as I do if you get around to it!
9 | Matthew
June 7, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Metro Stop Dostoevsky sounds good, and I’ll have to make another trip to the store to look for it. 
I enjoyed Time Traveler’s Wife, so I’ll consider The Adventuress by Audrey Niffenegger.
10 | Melissa
June 8, 2008 at 7:19 am
I really got into graphic novels for a while, but had to take a little break. Even so, I can’t seem to stay away from the similar theme, action/adventure. Like what I’m reading right now, One Foot in the Black. I’d love to see some hand-drawings for this one.
11 | Megan
June 8, 2008 at 11:10 am
Your reasons for graphic novel avoidance made me giggle! 
I’ve got a book pile of my own to share from this weekend’s book sale (there’s one next weekend too – yikes!). If I ever get two minutes in a row to post about it, there will be drool-worthy book pictures on my blog, too! And everybody loves a good book picture!
I saw Legerdemain on Lisa Roe’s website, too, and was very interested, but I’m a bit in over my head at the moment with review copies from LibraryThing. Looking forward to hearing what you think about it!
12 | Lesley
June 8, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Too funny about your graphic novels misconception – haha! I put off reading them for a while too, but that was more snobbery than anything else.
I do love that cover for the Feather Man!
13 | C.B. James
June 8, 2008 at 3:35 pm
It was me. I love The Arrival. Much more than anyone else does. Here’s my review of it.
http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/2008/02/arrival-by-shaun-tan.html
As soon as I finished it, I read the whole thing again. It’s a book you can get more out of with multiple readings. Even though there’s not a single word in it.
14 | Emily Barton
June 8, 2008 at 6:17 pm
So funny what you thought graphic novels were. I am really getting into the genre, basically because of the graphic novel challenge (which reminds me, I must post my review of Fun House). I didn’t realize Audrey Niffenegger had written graphic novels. Thanks for enlightening me!
15 | Danielle
June 9, 2008 at 10:48 am
What a great pile! I have Metro Stop Dostoevsky as well and would love to read it this year. I’m a slow NF reader, but so far have enjoyed American Priestess. I look forward to hearing what you think of it as well!
16 | Carl V.
June 9, 2008 at 12:48 pm
‘graphic novel’…how funny, only because we have all had those kind of silly misunderstandings happen to us before. Just a part of being alive!
Glad you’re getting into Sandman. I think the series just gets better and better. I think you’ll enjoy Fables, it is another great series and one I get each and every month (though I am way behind in my reading of it!).
I really enjoy Castle Waiting as well and have The Arrival on my TBR list!
17 | iliana
June 9, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Ah who doesn’t love looking at book piles!
I am doing really well with the graphic novel challenge and I’ve read some great books. I hope you enjoy it and I second/third the recommendation for Fun Home.
18 | Kim L
June 9, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I’m so joining the Graphic Novels challenge as well. I’ve been meaning to for a while, so its a great excuse! I like your pictures
19 | tara
June 10, 2008 at 8:46 am
Wow – lots of free books! I signed up for Feather Man at librarything so I’m hoping I’ll snag a copy of that as well.
20 | gautami tripathy
June 10, 2008 at 10:02 am
Free books? I am only now getting the hang of it. I need Canadian books which are not so easily available in India and we don’t have amazon.india. A pity, don’t you think?
21 | Myrthe
June 11, 2008 at 1:54 am
What a great pile of new books, Eva! I am especially interested in the Karoff book, since raising civic awareness and activating people is something I am trying to spread here in Armenia. I find people here generally very inactive: they care until their doorstep, beyond is none of their business. But it is.
22 | Natasha @ Maw Books
June 13, 2008 at 10:08 pm
I love book photos. I’ve got Feather Man and Monique and the Mango Rains as well. I’m looking forward to both of them.
23 | Eva
June 14, 2008 at 8:09 am
Litlove, that sounds great-thanks for the suggestion.
Nymeth, I don’t know why I thought it was; I even have a picture in my head of the review against your lovely purple background. Craziness!
Marg, oh yay!
Debi, glad I could make you giggle! As far as the Peace Corps, I had to do volunteer English tutoring stuff throughout my senior year to get the necessary skills, lol. And I’m tickled you thought of me when you saw Legerdemain.
Devourer, great! I’m looking forward to it.
Dew, you’re probably right. and lol at the hosting and titles, hehe.
Nancy, yeah-sometimes I think the book overload just becomes too much.
Andi, I hope so too! It’ll definitely be interesting.
Matthew, I thought that one might appeal to you.
Melissa, interesting.
Megan, yay for book piles!
Lesley, yeah-when I finally opened my first graphic novel, my intial reaction was definitely snobbish. I never even read comics growing up, so it was quite a shock.
C.B., oh great! I’ll add a link to your review!
Emily, she calls them “illustrated novels” or something like that, lol.
Danielle, I’m glad you’re enjoying American Priestess.
Carl V, everyone’s told me the series gets better and better, and there was definitely a huge improvement from number one to number two, so I’m excited.
Iliana, great! It’s definitely going on the list then. I was hesitant because it sounds depressing, but so many of you loved it I can’t resist.
Kim, yay for other mid-challenge joiners!
Tara, good luck.
Gautami, amazon.india would be so cool. I hope it starts up some day soon.
Myrthe, I’ll let you know how it turns out. That’s interesting about Armenia-maybe a leftover of the Soviet Union?
Natasha, awesome!
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In Loving Memory
June 7, 2008 at 2:01 am
Eva – what lovely looking books! Yum! Just to say that if you like spies, there’s a great book that came out over here in paperback not long before Christmas called Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre about a spy who used to be a professional criminal before the war broke out and realised he had certain, um, transferable skills. It’s quite a page turner in its way!