This is honestly not as bad as it looks. Most of the books are either used or mooched or bought with a gift card, so I think I only paid full price for one of them. I only feel guilty about accumulating more books when I know I have no more shelf space. More shelf space...the eternal problem amongst readers...(that and needing more free hours in the day for reading, but we covered that one yesterday). What I found:
I was surprised to find in the mail yesterday a copy of George Simenon's The Bar on the Seine from Penguin's Blog a Penguin Classic that I was lucky to have won. I've been wanting to read Simenon for a while, since he's a famous French sleuth.
Watch the Wall, My Darling, Jane Aiken Hodge - These two JA Hodge's are thanks to a recommendation (thanks Rebecca!). She was compared with Georgette Heyer, so I had to give her a try.
Polonaise, Jane Aiken Hodge
The Last Days of Innocence: America at War, 1917-1918, Meirion and Susie Harries - I lucked out on a mooch for this one as I've been eying it for a while. It should be an interesting perspective as the authors are a British husband/wife team. I've been very interested in this historical period and need to read more on the American front (historically and literature-wise).
Testament of Friendship, Vera Brittain - After I read a story by Winifred Holtby I knew I wanted to know more about her. Vera Brittain, her good friend, wrote her biography.
The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton - I really enjoyed last years The House at Riverton. I expected more fanfare for her new one considering how much press her first novel garnered. It sounds as thought this might be a retelling of The Secret Garden, a book I'm sorry to say I never read.
Her Royal Spyness, Rhys Bowen - Earlier this year I read Bowen's first book in the Molly Murphy series, which I only felt so-so about. I might give some of the other Molly Murphy books a try to see if they improve, but this new series sounded like so much fun, I had to give the first one a try.
Mapp & Lucia, E.F. Benson - Yes, am collecting Mapp and Lucias. Will be reading soon.
Privilege and Scandal: The Remarkable Life of Harriet Spencer, Sister of Georgiana, Janet Gleeson - Since I read the biography of Georgiana, how could I not read about Harriet next?
Sun Over Breda, Arturo Perez-Reverte - The further adventures of Captain Alatriste. More swashbuckling fun. Yay.
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, Kate Summerscale - I know I could get this from the library, so a hardcover is a big splurge for me. But anything relating to Wilkie Collins or Mary Elizabeth Braddon I think I have to have.
I'll definitely be reading the Simenon soon, and we'll see which others I can't wait to dip into!
I enjoyed The House at Riverton as well, although I still haven't got around to review it. I like her writing. I'll definitely check this one out!
Posted by: Matt | July 15, 2008 at 06:36 PM
I'm reading The Forgotten Garden right now, and really loving it. It's a lot like The Secret Garden, but Morton more or less manages to explain this away by suggesting that Frances Hodgeson Burnett was inspired by the garden and characters in this book! But other than that, this book is pretty gripping; Kate Morton really knows how to tell a story. My review of this book will be up on my blog in a few days.
Another book I can't stop raving about is The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher--there's a review on my blog of it somewhere. Absolutely unbelievable. I don't know what it says about me, that I'm really into Victorian crime, fiction and non!
Posted by: Katherine | July 15, 2008 at 06:41 PM
A nice selection - pity about your lack of shelf space. I'm in the same situation, but I've no room for any more shelves either!
I've reserved a copy of The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher at the library but it'll be a long time coming to me as I'm no.16 in line. That's not a problem as I've more than enough to read already, but I do like the sound of this one.
The similarities to The Secret Garden were a stumbling block for me in The Forgotten Garden, but as you haven't read it that won't affect your reading.
Lucky you getting a Simenon from Blog a Classic, I think I'd enjoy that more than the one I got - The Death of King Arthur. I've started it and the style takes some getting used to.
The Mapp and Lucia books are yet more books I'd like to read.
Posted by: BooksPlease | July 16, 2008 at 01:26 AM
Oh, the continuing misery of lack of storage space! I had our cellar tanked and made into a library -- and still all the books don't fit.
So, staircase drawers may well be the next step. What a fab idea this is:
http://tinyurl.com/33mt5k
Posted by: Mark Thwaite | July 16, 2008 at 02:47 AM
I really want to read The House at Riverton, and I've seen the latest one cheap in the supermarket - very tempting indeed! What a lovely pile of books, Danielle, and I enjoyed yesterday's post on mystery stories too. You have some fantastic books there (as ever!)
Posted by: litlove | July 16, 2008 at 04:28 AM
Great haul! They're very pretty and pettable even if they don't have a home on your shelves. I have the same problem.
Posted by: Andi | July 16, 2008 at 07:27 AM
Nice list! The Simenon sounds interesting, and I'm curious what you will think of him. And yes, bookshelf space ... we may have to get a larger house soon ...
Posted by: Dorothy W. | July 16, 2008 at 07:38 AM
I've had the Last Days of Innocence on my shelf for a few years now. It is on my list of books I own that I really should read this year. We will see if I get to it.
Posted by: Jeanette | July 16, 2008 at 09:19 AM
The Summserscale book just won the Samuel Johnson prize (http://madwomansattic.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/link-round-up/).
I got paid yesterday, and I've already bought two books. Oh dear...
Posted by: Kaite | July 16, 2008 at 10:37 AM
These all sound good! I still have not read a Simenon book yet so I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on that one!
Oh and I wasn't too fond of the Bowen series either which was a bit of a surprise for me. But I'm willing to give Her Royal Spyness a try one of these days.
Posted by: iliana | July 16, 2008 at 04:50 PM
Oh my goodness! Look at all those wonderful "new" books. You know we could never think such a glorious pile as that was "bad" in anyway :)
Posted by: Stefanie | July 16, 2008 at 07:48 PM
Matt--I'll be curious to see how the new one measures up, but it sounds good to me, too, so I suspect I will like it.
Katherine--I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying the Morton. I can't wait to read it, but I have a few others in line before it. Still, it's next to my bed. I've only heard good things about the Summerscale, too, which is why I broke down and bought it. I'm like you and love sensational lit, too. This makes me want to pick up my Wilkie Collins that has been sitting on my nightstand.
BooksPlease--I've no more room for more shelves either, but that hasn's slowed me down on accumulating ever more books. No need for insulation--I'll just pile my books against the walls--LOL. There was a long list for the Summerscale at my library, too, another excuse for me to buy it. I'm not sure how I managed to not read any Frances Hodgson Burnett when I was little, but I have a vague idea of the story. I don't think I'll know enough details for it to bother me. I know how some detail like that can niggle at you whilst reading, though. And I Was lucky to get a nice, short mystery for my blog a Penguin!!
Mark--You should share photos--a whole basement of books! I love the idea of staircase drawers--what a great idea. I could use a set of those. I live in an old house with not much storage space--how did people ever manage so long ago? I guess I have more stuff!
Litlove--I do have an enjoyable stack at the moment, which is making it hard for me to actually finish anything--I want to read them all (and usually read a bit of each every day). The House at Riverton is a nice summery read, you should try it. I seem to be very drawn to the whole upstairs/downstairs thing and this was perfect.
Andi--They'll sit next to my bed for the next couple of weeks so I can look at them wishfully. I wonder how many is really too many to have started at once?
Dorothy--My house is pretty roomy and when we moved in I never thought I would fill the whole thing up, and you know, it's pretty full now! Someone recommended Simenon's work to me a while ago, so I am looking forward to finally reading him.
Jeanette--I'm not sure how soon I'll get to it either. I already have a nice stack of NF books ready to read this summer. I really do need to read more about the American side of the war, so I am looking forward to this.
Kaite--I'm glad to hear the book is so good it's winning awards. I may have to move it up the pile! Thanks for the link. And I'm really bad...sometimes I don't even wait for payday!
Iliana--Simenon seems like classic crime, doesn't he? I read a bit tonight and it's already caught my interest. And I was disappointed that I couldn't get into Bowen's Molly Murphy series. It sounds right up my alley. I hope to get on better with the Her Royal Spyness.
Stefanie--Why is it people feel bad about buying too many books? Hasn't it been established that there is no such thing as too many books??
Posted by: Danielle | July 16, 2008 at 10:24 PM
Nice stack o' books. Unfortunately, I have recently added quite a few books to my already bulging books shelves. It's Border's fault for having a $3.99 sale. The stacks never get smaller.
Posted by: Jessica | July 17, 2008 at 09:25 PM
Jessica--They don't get smaller. At my house they seem to reproduce very quickly actually! I haven't gone into a bookstore nearly all summer, but that doesn't seem to have slowed things down.
Posted by: Danielle | July 18, 2008 at 03:19 PM