Litwit Lounge discussion

This discussion thread is to share the latest editions to your personal home library/collection. I've been wanting a spot where we could share these. Please feel free to elaborate as to how/when/where you acquired your most recent book finds.

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I haven't added any books to my personal library since August 13; but I added several on that day! First, I got my copy of Real Dangerous Fun, the last book in K. W. Jeter's Kim Oh series, in the morning mail. So I now have that whole series in hand. (I don't like ordering books from Amazon, and don't do it unless I have to; but my understanding is that these books are only available from that source.)

Then, a trip to our local mall for lunch resulted in an unplanned visit to the bookstore leading to two purchases: The Hacienda by Isabel Canas and Irish Fairy and Folk Tales by James Stephens (1880-1950). There's a possibility of a buddy read (in another group) of the former in January, so I was particularly glad to snag a copy.

I just added Irish Fairy and Folk Tales to my to-read list.

These are the most recent additions. Earlier this month, I stayed a few days in a small town up north where I was able to experience the last days of fall.

It, and the neighboring town, had libraries with a used book area for sale as well as another area for free books. I no longer remember which I got where, but they included by Laura Kalpakian which will be a fun follow-up for the magnificent day I finish Les Mis; and by James Michener that I'll be reserving to coincide with a visit to Colorado.

I also snagged by Colleen McCullough as well as by Val McDermid, and hope I am as amused by this Austen retelling as I was by McCall Smith's modernized version of Emma.

There are more so I shall return, for now, duty calls.

Edit: I just removed all the pics because they were too large. I don't remember how to add them in normal sizes like the post above by Werner. If you can, please advise, thanks!

Reggia wrote: "Edit: I just removed all the pics because they were too large. I don't remember how to add them in normal sizes like the post above by Werner. If you can, please advise, thanks!"

Good question, Reggia! You already know how to use the little "add book/author" link above the comment box to link to a book description. The default setting for this, which is the setting you've been using, posts the link as a clickable underlined title, as in your post above. But at the bottom of the pop-up box you use to search for the book you want to add, notice that there are two little circles. One is labeled "link," and already marked as the default. But if you click instead on the other box, labeled "cover," and then click "Add," it will post the link to the book as a thumbnail cover image. (I always post it both ways, with a space between, since some people access Goodreads with devices that can't register the cover images.) Hope this helps!

James Stephens is a great writer. I have several of his books. I especially recommend The Crock of Gold. If you are unfamiliar with his work I expect you will be pleasantly surprised.

BTW, James Stephens got to know James Joyce in Paris when Joyce was at work on Finnegans Wake. Joyce kept Stephens updated on his plans because he wanted Stephens to finish the book in case he didn't live long enough.

Lol @ myself, actually I did once play around with that, but reverted to actually typing out the brackets and adding in book title at which point forgetting the "add" was right above this box, thanks for the kind reminder, Werner! :o

Very interesting to hear of Stephens and Joyce becoming acquainted in Paris... and thanks for the recommendation, Donnally!

These next two I acquired at Little Free Libraries, one while up north and one in my own town.

One was Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy The other was Colleen McCullough's An Indecent Obsession

These last two are nonfiction reads that I bought new from a local bookshop, Changing Hands, which also sells used books: Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest to Disprove the Christian Faith , and The Lost Gutenberg: The Astounding Story of One Book's Five-Hundred-Year Odyssey

And that wraps up my November book hauls -- it was quite a month!

Reggia - I've read Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. It does have a frame story, but reads far more like a nonfiction book on Western philosophy, rather than a novel. You'll see what I mean ...

I've just gone on to Abebooks, looking for some things to read. I came up with what I thought was a pretty good haul:
The method of Archimedes, recently discovered by Heiberg; a supplement to the Works of Archimedes, 1897. I've long had T. L. Heath's magisterial The Works of Archimedes, published 1897, but until I found this book I was unaware a new work by Archimedes was discovered in 1907. Heath created this supplement to his book.
On Christian Doctrine. I've read Augustine's City of God and Confessions so I'm interested in deepening my appreciation for his religious beliefs.
Preface to Shakespeare. Johnson's preface to his edition of Shakespeare.
A Treatise On Universal Algebra: With Applications, Volume 1. I've read Whitehead's An Introduction to Mathematics and Science and the Modern World so I'm interested in reading this. It's Volume 1, but Whitehead never got around to writing his planned Volume 2. Instead, about a decade later he and Bertrand Russell wrote Principia Mathematica.
I can't remember when I've found so many books that look like such fascinating reading.

Yes, you did find some interesting reads! Curious about the Algebra one -- tried to find a sample of a few pages online as I'm very curious what makes up the 600+ pages.

Reggia wrote: "Yes, you did find some interesting reads! Curious about the Algebra one -- tried to find a sample of a few pages online as I'm very curious what makes up the 600+ pages."

In the edition I have it is 586 pages, including the index.

Here's the Table of Contents:

Book I Principles of Algebraic Symbolism
Ch. 1 On the Nature of a Calculus
Ch. 2 Manifolds
Ch. 3 Principles of Universal Algebra

Book II The Algebra of Symbolic Logic
Ch. 1 The Algebra of Symbolic Logic
Ch. 2 The Algebra of Symbolic Logic (Cont.)
Ch. 4 Application to Logic
Ch. 5 Propositional Interpretation

Book III Positional Manifolds
Ch. 1 Fundamental Propositions
Ch. 2 Straight Lines and Planes
Ch. 3 Quadrics
Ch. 4 Intensity

Book IV Calculus of Extension
Ch. 1 Combinatorial Multiplication
Ch. 2 Regressive Multiplication
Ch. 3 Supplements
Ch. 4 Descriptive Geometry
Ch. 5 Descriptive Geometry of Conics and Cubics
Ch. 6 Matrices

Book V Extensive Manifolds of Three Dimensions
Ch. 1 Systems of Forces
Ch. 2 Groups of Systems of Forces
Ch. 3 Invariants of Groups
Ch. 4 Matrices and Forces

Book VI Theory of Metrics
Ch. 1 Theory of Distance
Ch. 2 Elliptic Geometry
Ch. 3 Extensive Manifolds and Elliptic Geometry
Ch. 4 Hyperbolic Geometry
Ch. 5 Hyperbolic Geometry (Cont.)
Ch. 6 Kinematics in Three Dimensions
Ch. 7 Curves and Surfaces
Ch. 8 Transition to Parabolic Geometry

Book VII
Application of the Calculus of Extension to Geometry
Ch. 1 Vectors
Ch. 2 Vectors (Cont.)
Ch. 3 Curves and Surfaces
Ch. 4 Pure Vector Formulae

On the surface it looks pretty daunting, but I've always found Whitehead has a way of making the most abstruse logical and mathematical concepts seem simple and obvious. I find him much more readable than Bertrand Russell, who strikes me as an intellectual snob.

Daunting, indeed! Not sure I'd get past the second book as geometry eludes me a bit. However, Algebra itself is very intriguing with it's "follow this set of rules, and you'll get that". I taught it to my oldest and was surprised how it affected me, that is, my enjoyment of relearning it. The text was just very well-written!

However, I suspect yours is on a much higher, grander scale. ;-)

I don't know if the scale is 'higher and grander.' In intention, universal algebra is actually more basic.

From wikipedia's article on universal algebra:
Universal algebra (sometimes called general algebra) is the field of mathematics that studies algebraic structures themselves, not examples ("models") of algebraic structures. For instance, rather than take particular groups as the object of study, in universal algebra one takes the class of groups as an object of study.

Since I've retired, I've been trying to take some time to educate myself further than I did in my working life. Mathematics has been one area of study, since it strikes me as a way human beings have developed to express truth. I've also been struck by the way some philosophers struggle with the most basic mathematical statements. Proof is a basic logical and mathematical concept, but is it possible to prove that 1 + 1 = 2?

This morning, I found a copy of the third book in Liane Zane's Elioud Legacy trilogy, The Draka & The Giant in my mailbox. That's actually the link to the e-book, which releases tomorrow; but my copy is an ARC of the still unpublished (and not yet entirely proofread) paperback edition, which is a kind gift from the author. (I'd been expecting it, but she and I both were pleasantly surprised by how quickly it got delivered!)

Donnally wrote: "I don't know if the scale is 'higher and grander.' In intention, universal algebra is actually more basic.

From wikipedia's article on universal algebra:
Universal algebra (sometimes called gener..."

It certainly is very interesting to me, but I said "higher and grander" because as much as I loved Algebra I, I didn't go much beyond it (so that was just my way of being humble due to my lack of secondary education). ;-) I hope I come across a copy of this someday.

Earlier this year, Barb and I enjoyed reading the seventh book (long story!) in Wolfpack Publishing's Avenging Angels series. We don't plan to read the whole series (and the books are by different authors; A. W. Hart is a house pen name). But we both liked it enough to be game to try another installment sometime. So, when she recently asked me to order a couple of DVDs for her online, and I discovered that the second volume, Avenging Angels: Sinners' Gold is the right price which, added to the order, would qualify us for free shipping, I added it to the cart. :-) It arrived today; so hopefully we'll work it in to our reading schedule sometime next year.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Reggia - I've read Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. It does have a frame story, but reads far more like a nonfiction book on Western philosophy, rather than a novel...."

Thanks for feedback on that! I'm quite eager to read it... I love a good story, but hoping I might gain a wee bit of knowledge along the way. So, hoping there's enough there to satisfy both! ;-)

I've hauled in a few more books this month.

These first two were purchased from my local library bookshop:

Chance Developments by one of my favorite contemporary authors, Alexander McCall Smith. It is a collection of 5 short stories.

The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. The name caught my attention, and I was surprised to discover it was originally published in 1958 (simply on its name alone, in my little corner of the world, avocados didn't even exist until the 80s, silly I know, lol). Anyway, the setting also takes place during the 50s when a young American girl, just out of college, heads to Paris.


These next five were from a Purple Heart thrift store:


About Grace by Anthony Doerr. Very eager to dive into this, it takes place in Alaska, Ohio and the Carribbean as a man flees from premonitions that plague him. The title tells me it's all going to work out, but I must know the details, of course.

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief.

Paw Prints in the Moonlight by Denis O'Connor. It is an autobiographical tale from a psychologist who rescues a 3 wk old kitten.

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa Terkeurst covers disappointment amid faith, or is that faith in spite of disappointment. Well, we shall see. :-)

Mysteries and Legends of Arizona: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained by Sam Lowe. I can't wait to hear more about the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstitions (a place that I hike in very often --the legends abound, indeed) as well
as other legends in this state in which I now live.

From a Deseret thrift store:

Streams in the Desert by L B Cowman noted as an updated version edited by James Reimann. Not sure if I've read this before or not, if I did, it was before I actually lived in the desert, or ever experienced a spiritual desert.

The Case for Heaven: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for Life After Death by Lee Strobel covers a topic I've never known how to... er, reckon, is the best word I can come up with.

Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination by Robert Jourdain, subtitled How Music Captures Our Imagination. However, I will have to finish Musicophilia first (which I abandoned some years ago, not sure why, just distracted by life, as I certainly was enjoying the read).

Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book, Bk 1 Hah! Goodreads actually had this, lol, I didn't expect it, but tried it on a whim! So yeah, after I graduate myself from my children's piano books I will have this, or maybe I can just skip theirs now and go straight to this.... as if I have time. :-p

Gifted from a young co-worker:

The Inheritance Games She gifted me with her copy, and has been waiting weeks for me to start. Evidently (as she shared), she's desperate to have someone to discuss it with... I'm honored, to be sure.

Gifted from my local free group on FB:

Last Hope Island The setting is early WWII when Britain "is the only European democracy still holding out against Hitler".

Gifted today from one of my children:

Mom's Story: A Memory and Keepsake Journal for My Family Apparently (as there are only headings/prompts on each page), I have to write this one myself...

Reggia wrote: "The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. The name caught my attention, and I was surprised to discover it was originally published in 1958 (simply on it's name alone, in my little corner of the world, avocados didn't even exist until the 80s, , silly I know, lol). Anyway, the setting also takes place during the 50s when a young American girl, just out of college, heads to Paris...."

The name existed in the '70's because that was the color of our refrigerator. Not the bright green but more of the rotten ones. LOL

Reggia wrote: "Streams in the Desert by L B Cowman noted as an updated version edited by James Reimann. Not sure if I've read this before or not, if I did, it was before I actually lived in the desert, or ever experienced a spiritual desert.
"

I used to read this as a teenager. Really love it. I have it in Kindle now.

Cosmic wrote: " The name existed in the '70's because that was the color of our refrigerator. Not the bright green but more of the rotten ones. LOL..."

Haha! Mine, too, same decade, but I didn't know it then, lol...

This month's book haul has been all gifts -- so far, that is. ;-)

Two were by Bill Bryson, and well-chosen for me. The first is A Short History of Nearly Everything which has been on my to-read list for awhile, and knowing I love words he also chose The Mother Tongue.

Next were 3 books by Stieg Larsson, the first of which I've been curious having come across the title numerous times. That is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the other 2 were The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Finally, I was gifted a copy of Sideshow by William Shawcross after I questioned everyone on my return trip from Cambodia last May why I do not recall any news of the genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime. I was a teen when it was going on, and oblivious until recent years. After visiting there last May, I wanted, rather needed, a better understanding.

Wow, I'd totally forgotten that we have this thread! So it's been about a year since my previous post, and I've acquired several books in the meantime.

In March, two books that I'd ordered online arrived in the mail. One is a short story anthology, The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways: Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. It has a story by my friend Andrew Seddon; for once, I bought a copy, in order to support his writing. The other one is Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon: Jane Austen's Last Novel Completed, in the version completed by 20th-century novelist Anne Telscombe. I read this the summer after I graduated from high school, but I've long wanted to reread it.

Later in the year, my Goodreads friend Liane Zane kindly sent me a paperback ARC of The Covert Guardian The Unsanctioned Guardians #1, The new projected series is a prequel to the author's Elioud Legacy trilogy; and this series opener got four stars from me once I read it.

July brought me not one but two new books, both of which turned out to be five-star reads. One was To Calm a Storm, the second book in the Tavland Vikings duology by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore. Heather's a valued Goodreads friend (and one I've often mentioned in this group!), but this particular book is one I purchased online, rather than a review copy. The other one was The Ginger Star by Leigh Brackett, which I was finally able to get from BookMooch after having it on my wish list there for quite some time.

No trip to my favorite used-book venue in Harrisonburg, Virginia has ever resulted in my leaving empty-handed. While there in August, I snagged a copy of The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits, edited by one of my favorite anthology editors, Mike Ashley. They had a half-price sale going on for adult books that day, so I was able to get it for only 66 cents! :-)

Another online purchase that summer was the fifth book in the Barks and Beans Cafe' mystery series, Trouble Brewing, also by Heather Day Gilbert. We hadn't originally intended following the series beyond the first three books, which the BU library has; but Barb is hooked on it now, and I'm enjoying it as well. :-) (I'd recommend it especially for fans of the "cozy" sub-genre within the mystery genre.) Also, My Goodreads friend Steven R. McEvoy is a big fan of New Pulp Goodreads author Declan Finn, and regularly gives his books high ratings and favorable reviews. So when Barb made a non-book purchase from Amazon, and I needed to tack on a bit more to the order to qualify for free shipping, I added a paperback copy of his Infernal Affairs, despite the unappealing (to me) cover, and the fact that it's the third book in this particular series. The low price was a temptation, and the book will at least give me a sample of the author's work.

During the year, I picked up two reference works on the Bible. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (1987) was a recently discovered donation to the BU library (from a large donation in boxes made in late 2020, which we're still slowly unpacking). Since we already have a copy, and don't have room for this one on the free rack, I claimed it and brought it home. The other is is New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (to the Bible), which replaces an older edition I've owned for 40 years, that was literally fallen apart. Neither one will be a cover-to-cover read; but they'll be useful resources to refer to, especially when I'm preparing adult Sunday school lessons.

My last online purchases for myself this year were Robin Of Sherwood by my Goodreads friend G.K. Werner, and No Game For a Dame by M. Ruth Myers, the opener for the author's Maggie Sullivan mystery series set in 1930s Dayton, Ohio. And finally, as one of the two brand-new books I bought this year from a physical bookstore (the Bible concordance was the other), I got a copy of a story collection, American Midnight: Tales of the Dark.

It's been several years since I got any books for Christmas (I have so many unread books already); but this year I got two! One was from my wife, and I'd actually picked it myself: The Adventures of Shiela Crerar, Psychic Detective by Ella M. Scrymsour (which is thought to be a pen name). The other one, Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, was a surprise from my oldest grandson. :-)

All of these were paper books, but I also acquired a couple of e-books. When technical glitches interfere with my online time, I like to have something new to me to read on my Kindle app instead. For that, I download free e-books or e-stories. The two that I picked this year were Assassin's Vow: An Espionage Thriller Novella by the team of David Bruns and J.R. Olson, and the free e-book version of Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon. (My Goodreads friend Monica gave the latter five stars, and went on to follow the series. I doubt if I will; but having the series opener on reserve for a time of need seems like a good plan. :-) )

I missed adding on the last few months, but I have collected more books! Good to read about your latest editions. :-)

In an effort to boost my spirits (after having to say goodbye to my beautiful feline companion recently), I decided to venture in Half Price Books after work the other day. I exited the store with a copy of...

A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids I don't expect to learn anything profound from it, but the mermaid art is well-done, and goes well with the advice which is simply good reminders for continuing to live life on land. I found this misstocked in the children's section.

What W. H. Auden Can Do for You This was written by a favorite contemporary author of mine, Alexander McCall Smith. It seems he quotes Auden in one or more of his prolific series. I'm ready to be inspired...

Vanity Fair I wasn't sure if I already had a copy of this or not, and don't love the cover but at $3 I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a copy for when I finally get to reading it.

Cymbeline I'd never even heard of this Shakespearean play before discovering it there, but it seemed like a good edition to round out my purchase (if not my shelves, haha!).

Werner, when I clicked on the New Strong's Concordance link, it stated it as being published 1/1/1000. My copy states 1985. Nevertheless, it looks like it's been published many times since mine.

Another book haul has been amassed. To be sure, I was only after one book but the giver of these books stated it is an all or nothing, so I gladly acquiesced. :-D

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All This is not on my to-read list, however, I have seen the title and been curious about it, so someday...

The Covenant of Water This is the title for which I was aiming! Ever since reading Verghese's Cutting for Stone, I have been very eager for another novel by him. Since it's over 700 pages, I'm especially glad to have my own copy hence no worries about library due dates. This story takes place in India on the Malabar Coast starting from the early 1900s into the '70s.

Wintering This looks like a good read for me to cement those little bits of wisdom and advice that one often holds within them, but might need the encouragement, or reminder, to carry them out.

News of the World is already on my to-read list, but I have no clear remembrance of placing it there. That said, having lived and visited in Texas (in or near the areas it covers) I have a lifelong interest in its history. What little I know all came from Michener's historical fiction account: Texas. ;-)

The Stranger in the Lifeboat I've seen many titles from Mitch Albon, but have never been drawn to them. This one, however, with its underlying theme of a lifeboat captures my interest in islands/survival/sea. Looking forward to giving it a fair trial.

Strengthsfinder It turns out that I have an earlier copy of this; apparently only the subtitle changed. I bought it when I first became a manager, and had high hopes for helping each member of my team reach their potential. Ah, I can be so idealistic...

Reggia wrote: "Werner, when I clicked on the New Strong's Concordance link, it stated it as being published 1/1/1000. My copy states 1985. Nevertheless, it looks like it's been published many times since mine."

Reggia, I'm so sorry; I didn't ignore your comment when you posted it, but after typing my response, I forgot to actually click "Post!" :-( Yes, the 1000 date was a typo (it's an old book, in the original edition, but not that old :-) ). It was first published in 1890 (and I edited the Goodreads description accordingly, after you caught the error). It's gone through many printings since.

My Goodreads friend Charles van Buren recently gave five stars to Miss Knight and the Night in Lagos by Vered Ehsani, which is a 77-page prequel to her Society of Paranormals series. Since it's free for Kindle (and like most short e-stories/novellas, not published in paper format), I've just downloaded it to my Kindle app. Of course, this means that my to-read shelf now has an unprecedented 405 books on it.... (I've gotta start hacking that total down! :-) )

There is a local BooksAMillion here in Venice that is closing down and all its books are on sale. I went and found a couple which I intend to read at some point, who knows when I will get to them: Uncle Tom's Cabin and To the Lighthouse

No worries, Werner!

Sorry to hear they're closing, Donnally, but what a good opportunity to gain some classics!

I'd been expecting a review copy of Wolf Wanderings, a new anthology edited by my Goodreads friend Andrew M. Seddon (actually it's a contributor's copy, but I'm treating it as a review copy). It came in Tuesday's mail, and as a nice surprise was accompanied by copies of two more of Andrew's books, Ranger's First Call: More Short Stories & Memories of German Shepherds and Dr. Andrew's Curious and Quirky Compendium: Hints, Helps, Perils, Pitfalls, Constructive Comments and (Hopefully) Awesome Advice for Aspiring Authors.

Another review copy I've been expecting arrived in the mail on Friday! The Harlequin Protocol is the second installment of The Unsanctioned Guardians trilogy by my Goodreads friend Liane Zane; I'm expecting to start on it next week, since I'm close to finishing my current read. This new trilogy is a prequel to the author's Elioud Legacy series; but unlike the latter, it's pretty straightforward action-adventure/espionage fiction.

I have two recent additions to my library. I really shouldn't get any more physical books as I had to downsize for the new house and don't have room. One is digital though and the other was an unexpected blessing.
The first is a physical copy of the book I mentioned earlier: I was at the airport when we came down to look at houses and the library had put a small bookshelf there with a sign that said, "Take a book and enjoy - Share a book with others." So I perused the shelf and this one caught my eye. I really like the writing style. I did donate a lot of books in a few places before the move.
The second is a digital book that I haven't started yet.
This one was a recommendation from a Christian fiction group here on Goodreads. I thought the title sounded interesting and like a .... light, fun read. It may be a welcome distraction from a very stressful move.

Mea culpa! Until Peggy's post reminded me of it, I'd again forgotten about this thread. Last month, I bought five books, two of them ordered online. One was Sabre-Tooth by Peter O'Donnell, the second book in his Modesty Blaise series. Modesty's one of my favorite action heroines, but this is one of many books in the series that I've never read. The other one was The Red Peri by Stanley G. Weinbaum. I'd read and liked his "A Martian Odyssey" years ago, but none of his other work, and this novella piqued my interest.

A recent trip to visit family brought me to Harrisonburg, Virginia, which is home to both a large brick-and-mortar Barnes and Noble store, and a thrift store which is my favorite venue for buying used books. Between the two, I wound up purchasing three more books.

At the latter place, I snagged a copy of Gate of Ivrel by C.J. Cherryh. Back in the early 90s, during my days as a public librarian, I read and liked a couple of her other SF novels; and although this one wasn't officially on my to-read shelf, it had been on my radar since I read about it in Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction. I couldn't turn down a chance to own it for fifty cents!

Having won a $25.00 Barnes and Noble gift card earlier this month through the wellness program where I work, I took the opportunity to redeem it. With the card, it didn't cost me much more to buy copies of the anthology Golden Age Detective Stories, and of Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse!

The only real book I've bought for a while (though I was given a few for my birthday in March) arrived yesterday from Oxfam 😊 It's a very old book, a favourite from childhood called Skipper the Dog from the Sea by Judith M. Berrisford. It was the edition I remembered too, published in 1955. I love it when these books come up, especially when it's a charity website.

The most recent ebook I bought was a classic SciFi, Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, which is earmarked for me to read next. I didn't want to start it before I finished The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, as reading two dystopian books from the same period and culture at the same time would be a bit confusing!

Although The Texan and the Egyptian: The Sky Fire Chronicles by Paul Summerhayes is just a short e-story, Goodreads treats it as a "book," so I'll mention it here. :-) Two of my Goodreads friends really liked it, so when I discovered last night that it's free for Kindle, I downloaded it to my app. (I don't read much in electronic format, but it's handy to have some e-stories if I'm eating a meal at the computer, and the Internet access is down.)

No worries, Jean... this Book Haul thread is for however we acquire additional books to our collections.

Great to see all the new titles! :-)

A box of books I'd previously ordered online arrived in today's mail, ahead of schedule, making for a nice surprise. Most of them were for Barb, but two are for me: Real Dangerous Ride and Real Dangerous Plan, both by K.W. Jeter.

These would be the last two books of the author's Kim Oh series, which I've been following since 2014. BUT, the author has subsequently changed the name of the series, and changed all the character's names; and the last books of the original edition are out of print. So fans of the original series who want some sort of closure for it now have no choice except to read these editions. (Sigh!) I'm a staunch enough fan of Kim to want to know what becomes of her, even with a name change; but I'm not a happy camper. :-(

Changed the character names, too? That would be most disconcerting! Have you started it yet? Is it expected you can determine who it was in previous books simply by the character's words and actions? Seems so strange. Book to movie has sometimes thrown me when the character's looks are not at all how they are described, but their name... lol, that borders on why I never got far with Brothers Karamazov, too many names in the same book for one person. :-p

Reggia wrote: "Have you started it yet? Is it expected you can determine who it was in previous books simply by the character's words and actions? Seems so strange."

No, I haven't started either of these yet, and don't expect to be able to work them in until the latter part of next year. When I do, I know that Kim's name is now Jane, and her brother Donnie is now Dennie (I don't know their new last name) and Cole is now Kohl; but yes, some of the other names of continuing characters might be more of a challenge to figure out. I'm guessing that the change was marketing-driven, so as to downplay Kim's Korean-American ethnicity for white readers who wanted her to be white.

Seems crazy to me ... the only reason I could think of before reading your last post Werner, was that the names might be similar to another book/series. But now I just feel a bit cross!

Bionic Jean wrote: "Seems crazy to me ... the only reason I could think of before reading your last post Werner, was that the names might be similar to another book/series. But now I just feel a bit cross!"

Yes, I'm a LOT cross over this development! :-( (I always felt that Kim's ethnicity was a plus for the series, since non-white heroines aren't numerous in American action-adventure fiction.) For me, it reflects poorly on Jeter's artistic integrity. I'll read the new books, because I want to see how Kim's adventures finally pan out (even if I have to mentally translate her name every time I read "Jane"!); but this has completely torpedoed my willingness to recommend either incarnation of the series to anybody else.

I would be very cross too, if I was sure that was the reason! I hope you'll convey some of these concerns in your review, Werner.

Bionic Jean wrote: "I would be very cross too, if I was sure that was the reason! I hope you'll convey some of these concerns in your review, Werner."

Yes, I'll definitely be commenting on this (unfavorably!) in my review(s). :-(

Good.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Reggia - I've read Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. It does have a frame story, but reads far more like a nonfiction book on Western philosophy, rather than a novel...."

Yes, indeed, I now know exactly what you meant. Maybe this is one title I could've abandoned but was too stubborn to do so! Picture me fooled-by-the-cover!

Here are two titles from my latest book haul which began at Half Price Books:

The Living Thoughts of Kierkegaard I was excited to discover this particular edition as the introduction was by WH Auden. Similarly I bought a book about Auden's poems some months ago as it was written by Alexander McCall Smith, a favorite contemporary author of mine. So yes, I got a kick out of one seemingly pointing to the other. Looking forward to what I derive from it all...

Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked An entire book is devoted to the whole story, and the original meaning, er lesson, behind it.

Earlier this month Liane Zane, one of my valued Goodreads author friends, had kindly promised to send me a paperback review copy of the just-released final book in her Unsanctioned Guardians trilogy, The Guardian Initiative. It arrived in yesterday's mail, earlier than expected, and I was delighted to get it! Since it's a review copy, it will be my next read, starting as soon as I finish my current one.

Recently, I ordered two books for myself online, using a gift card (long story), and they arrived today, earlier than expected. One is a short nonfiction work, The Purposeful Love of God: Seeing God's Love from His Perspective by an author from New Zealand, William J. Laurence, with whom I've gotten slightly acquainted in another group.

The other book is a supernatural fiction trilogy opener, Chosen: The Amish Bloodsuckers Trilogy by Barbara Ellen Brink. That one was a recent addition to my "maybe" shelf (it's now upgraded to "to-read"), and a bit of an impulse purchase. Both books I'd ordered (the other one is a gift) didn't cost enough together to qualify for free shipping, so this one was a promising enough total-booster. :-)

A hardcover review copy of the newly republished (2023) fantasy novel The Eye of Ebon, which I'd been expecting, arrived in yesterday's mail. It's a generous (the more so since he knew I'd intended to purchase the paperback edition!) gift from the author, P. Pherson Green, whom I "met" electronically earlier this year through another of my Goodreads groups.