Library Loot: November 4-10, 2009
Posted by: Eva on: November 4, 2009
- In: LibraryLoot
- Comment!
Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by myself and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!
Want to share your loot? Marg has the Mr. Linky this week!
I did record a vlog, last-minute yesterday (my sleeping schedule is all messed up again, so I didn’t even wake up until a couple hours before sunset)…I recorded it before I had had any caffeine, and I didn’t realise how tired and zoned out I was until I played it back. But I’m too lazy to record another one, so I apologise in advance for my more random than usual ramblings. 
Title/cover/links format:
A Dark Dividing by Sarah Rayne (still in scary book mode!), There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbour’s Baby by Ludmilla Petrushevska (still in scary book mode!), From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury (still in scary book mode!)
Woman by Natalie Angier (Women Unbound Challenge), Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Women Unbound Challenge), The Restless Sleep by Stacy Horn (Citizen Reader’s book discussion)
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill (Canada Challenge), Still Life by Louise Penny (Canada Challenge), In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje (Canada Challenge)
Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King (Canada Challenge), Obasan by Joy Kogawa (Canada Challenge), The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (Canada Challenge)
David’s Story by Zoe Wicomb (international POC author), The Girl Who Played Go by Sa Shan (China Challenge), The Lady, the Chef, & the Courtesan by Marisol (international POC author)
The Maias by Eca de Queiros (Orbis Terrarum Challenge), The Girl with the Golden Shoes by Colin Channer (November Novella Challenge), Secrets by Nuruddin Farah(international POC author)
Little Star of Bela Lua by Luana Monteiro (November Novella Challenge), A Secret for Julia by Patricia Sagastizabal (international POC author), Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel (November Novella Challenge)
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey (been in the mood for mysteries lately), Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (November Novella Challenge), Ali and Nino by Kurban Said (international POC author)
La Perdida by Jessica Abel (just because!), A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (What’s in a Name? 2 Challenge),
The Calligrapher’s Daughter by Eugenia Kim (just because!)
Hardboiled & Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto (November Novella Challenge),
Little Bee by Chris Cleave (new book club I’m trying out)
35 Responses to "Library Loot: November 4-10, 2009"
2 | vivienne
November 4, 2009 at 6:00 am
What a fabulous selection of books. I didn’t realise there was a Novella Challenge. I like the look of A Dark Dividing, especially as it is about twins!
3 | Meghan
November 4, 2009 at 6:07 am
So many books! I don’t know how you decide where to start. You have so many good ones.
I read Obasan in high school and really, really liked it, so I hope you will too! I’m also lukewarm on Michael Ondaatje. We read The English Patient in my book club and none of us really liked it, not even those of us who prefer literary fiction. In the Skin of a Lion sounds interesting, though.
4 | Debi
November 4, 2009 at 6:12 am
I knew it. Just knew it. When you said you got 29 books from the library this week…I KNEW my wish list was going to take a hit. The good news on my part…I own three of them already, and Rich was planning on buying one of them anyway (for the Women Unbound challenge!). So, geez, that only leaves 25 more for me to try to weed down to manageable numbers. Right, like I ever leave here only adding manageable numbers.
My top “really, really, really want now” one would have to be There Once Lived… That sounds awesome…can’t wait to hear if you liked it!
5 | Claire
November 4, 2009 at 6:40 am
Persepolis was my first graphic novel (interestingly we pronounce it differently!)
I LOVE Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys! To each their own, however.
Little Bee (published as The Other Hand here) doesn’t have anything to do with prostitution…
I have one of those creepy twins on a cover of a book by Colette.
6 | Ashley
November 4, 2009 at 7:22 am
Your library loots always make me reach for my TBR list. Also, I thought my library pile was ridiculously huge, but clearly I didn’t know what I was talking about! I didn’t know that Canada has internment camps either, so I might want to check out Obasan as well. I thought Persepolis was great, so I hope you enjoy it.
I thought Little Bee was very good, but disturbing and depressing at parts, so I could see why a person might want to avoid it. Also, I had issues with the ending. However, there’s no prostitution in it that I can recall, so if that’s your main concern, you can be relieved.
7 | Jess - A Book Hoarder
November 4, 2009 at 8:07 am
Wow! Good luck with all these books. A Long Way Gone is a great book. I actually found myself laughing out loud at some parts of it, which was nice because so much of it was so distressing.
A Dark Dividing looks interesting. I am still in the Halloween reading mode too. It is my favorite time of year so I’ll probably drag it out until December.
8 | jenclair
November 4, 2009 at 8:34 am
Another great selection that runs the gamut! I didn’t care for The Wide Sargasso Sea either. Anyway, I’m going to check on some of these titles at my library!
9 | A Bookshelf Monstrosity
November 4, 2009 at 9:29 am
Goodness! Are there any books left in the library? Just kidding 
As always, off to add to my wishlist after visiting your blog.
10 | Amanda
November 4, 2009 at 9:44 am
A long while back I found a copy of Ali and Nino at the library book sale and picked it up. I tried a few pages and then set it down. I’ve been meaning to read it. Let me know when you read it!
11 | Linda
November 4, 2009 at 10:46 am
Enjoy Little Bee. I thought it was fantastic. Great loot as always!
12 | Liz K
November 4, 2009 at 11:00 am
I’ve always wanted to read a Yoshimoto book.
Enjoy your loot.
http://busyisreading.blogspot.com/2009/11/library-loot.html
13 | sumej
November 4, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I LOVED LOVED LOVED “Someone knows my name” (called Book of Negroes up here in Canada) by Lawrence Hill. What a great book. AND I am DYING to read “Wife of the Gods”. Great selection of books you have there!
15 | Marieke
November 4, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Enjoyed looking at your long list! It reminds me that our tiny small-town library only lets people check out TWO books at a time. At least we have a library. Thanks for sharing!
17 | Christy
November 4, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Enjoyed listening to you describe your library loot! I definitely added to my ‘to be read’ list. I’ve read two of the books: The Restless Sleep and Little Star of Bela Lua. I don’t remember either very well, but I remember my impression of The Restless Sleep was that it was just ok, and kind of forgettable. I wish I remembered more of Little Star of Bela Lua – I look forward to your review which should refresh my memory!
18 | Kathleen
November 4, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I am always so inspired by your Library Loot. Looks like you have a great stack of books to read! I’ve not had a chance to go to the library in over a month but I will be back there soon. I need to go where the books are free before I am broke! ha!
19 | Somer
November 4, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Wow, Eva! I’m in awe! (& thankful that there are people like you who help keep libraries open!) There are some great books in this week’s loot!
20 | Terri B.
November 4, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I look forward to your thoughts on The Cellist of Sarajevo. I liked it and it encouraged me to look further into the Bosnian war. I was pretty wrapped up in grad school at the time of the break up of the USSR and not able to keep up with world events, so I have a real gap concerning Bosnia, etc.
I’m a big fan of Bradbury and so of course I had to read From the Dust Returned. I had a hard time reading it until I decided to think of it as poetry in prose form!
22 | Pam
November 4, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Man oh man you have some good stuff this week. I’ve had such a slow roll of books coming in everyday that I haven’t stopped to do a LL post in a while. I need to get on that.
23 | Stephanie
November 5, 2009 at 12:00 am
I always feel so much better about my trips to the library after reading your posts!! I honestly don’t think I’ve read anything on your list, though I have Green Grass, Running Water checked out from the library for the Canadian Challenge, and I have the Calligrapher’s Daugther. Of course, you read like a thousand times faster than I do!!
That book with the two little girls on it gives me the creeps. Reminds me of the movie, The Shining!!
24 | Eva
November 5, 2009 at 12:50 am
Marg, I’m glad to hear about the Beah book! And Persepolis.
Vivienne, yep-JT Oldfield is hosting it!
Meghan, I went a little crazy, didn’t I?! lol…glad you liked Obasan! And I’ve got my fingers crossed that the 20s/30s setting will help me enjoy Ondaatje more.
Debi, LOL. Isn’t that a fun title?! I’ve been waiting for my library to get it in!
Claire, I’m probably pronouncing it wrong. That’s one thing I hate about vlogging so many international books, lol. I wonder why I thought Little Bee was about a young Nigerian girl who came to England and became a prostitute?! I’m glad to know I was misinformed.
Ashley, yeah-I think I’m my library’s biggest patron, lol! Like I said to Claire, I have no idea why I thought there was prostituion in Little Bee, but I’m glad to be wrong.
Jess, I’m glad there are some funny bits! I love autumn and Halloween too. 
Jenclair, hope your library has them!
BookshelfMonstrosity, lol!
Amanda, I will let you know! It’s pretty short, so I hope I enjoy it.
Linda, I’m glad to hear you loved Little Bee!
Liz, Yoshimoto is awesome! You should read her soon.
Sumej, awesome!
HistoryofShe, I’m nervous about it, but it seems lots of people have liked it, so I hope I do too.
Marieke, wow. I would die. lol
BermudaOnion, thanks!
Christy, thank you! I’m halfway through Restless Sleep, and I like it more than I thought I would, but I don’t think it’s perfect by any means.
Kathleen, thank you! I’m totally with you on the free books.
Somer, oh yes-I figure all of my holds requests help keep the libraries busy!
Terri, the Bosnian war was so sad. :/ Love your approach to From the Dust Returned-I’ll keep it mind!
Lola, thank you!
Pam, looking forward to seeing your loot.
Stephanie, LOL. :p And oh yes, the twins in The Shining was AWESOME. When my sis and I were little, people sometimes thought we were twins, so if we ever live near each other during Halloween, I want to be creepy twins one year. hehe
25 | savidgereads
November 5, 2009 at 2:11 am
How great to do a vlog now if only I could work out how the heck to do that? Actually its probably best I dont hahaha.
Wonderful sellection of books. I have The Book of Negro’s arriving very soon in the post (mind you we are having strikes) so thats one I havent read am really keen to.
The Cellist of Sarajevo is utterly wonderful, shocking, moving and thought provoking, what more could you want? The Converted One (who is from Brazil which you like so much) who isnt the biggest fan of books raced through The Cellist of Sarajevo too.
26 | bybee
November 5, 2009 at 7:06 am
I like all of Jean Rhys’ other novels so much better than Wide Sargasso Sea.
Great haul~
27 | Allie
November 5, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Persepolis is a great book. I look forward to seeing your thoughts about it!
28 | Lisa
November 5, 2009 at 9:08 pm
You’ve got some great stuff! I’m anxious to get to In The Skin Of A Lion after I read The English Patient.
29 | Sherrie
November 6, 2009 at 9:18 am
Hi!
My Library Loot is posted at my place, Sherrie’s Stuff. Have a great day!
Sherrie
Sherrie’s Stuff
30 | SuziQoregon
November 6, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Another great stack of books! I’ve read two of them (Little Bee and Still Life) and would definitely recommend both of them. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
31 | Jodie
November 6, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I would very much like a magical library that lets me take that many books out!
32 | Andi
November 7, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I’m finally getting to comment on this post! I just reviewed Life Sucks, by Jessica Abel, and I can’t wait to get my hands on La Perdida. It’s been on my wishlist since far before I found out about Life Sucks, in fact. Also looking forward to your comments on From the Dust Returned. I read it several years ago and really loved it.
33 | Vasilly
November 8, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Persepolis is such a great read. I can’t believe you haven’t read that yet! Happy reading.
34 | Kathy H
November 9, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I’m excited about the three books I have checked out.
http://bookwormnation.blogspot.com/2009/11/library-loot-monday.html
35 | Eva
November 16, 2009 at 1:24 pm
SavidgeReads, thanks! My mom got us all webcams last year so we could Skype w/ one another, so that’s how I do it. You’re making me want to pick up Cellist of Sarajevo right now!
Bybee, good to know. Where should I go next?
Allie, I’ll post about it during my grpahic books extravaganza! hehe
Lisa, I haven’t read The English Patient…it didn’t really seem my style.
SuziQ, thanks!
Jodie, LOL. I haven’t thought of my library has magical-what a fun way to put it!
Andi, I didn’t like La Perdida. But I think it’s because I’m a priss. I’ll review it soon.
Vasilly, lol!
Kathy, awesome!
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In Loving Memory
November 4, 2009 at 5:40 am
OH, the Ishmael Beah book was excellent – confronting but excellent.
Persepolis was my first ever graphic novel. I was surprised by how good it was.
Once again I am overwhelmed by how many books you have out from the library even if you aren’t!