This post is part one. I took this photo a few days ago and in the interim a few more surprises have arrived (or found their way into my purchases at the check out stand), but I'm too lazy to take another photo at the moment. Everything but the top book were bought with a (very generous) holiday gift card. The top book is the only one I received for Christmas! It was really hard deciding what to get after not buying much of anything for the last month or two. I went through my wishlist and splurged on a few books that I've wanted but not enough to spend my own money on. What I decided on:
Stealing Buddha's Dinner, Bich Minh Nguyen - My sister gave this to me. It's a memoir of a young woman who was born in Viet Nam but grew up in the Midwest in the 70s and 80s. The author came of age in "the pre-PC-era Midwest". So did I, so I have a feeling I'm going to be able to relate.
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (Series 6) - I thought the final two episodes were tacked on to the previous season (which I already own), but was delighted to find them on a DVD of their own. I now have the complete series and am midway through watching them all enjoy--and enjoying them immensely. I'm still disappointed that it was canceled.
The Face of a Stranger, Anne Perry - I've been thinking I would like to read a mystery series from start to finish this year (not that I'll do it as I tend to go from author to author), and was contemplating Perry's William Monk mysteries. I've read a bunch of her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels and was thinking how much I might enjoy a Victorian setting. In any case I'd like to read this one--there are more than a dozen William Monk books.
The Private Patient, P.D. James - James is also in the running as I really like Adam Dalgliesh! This is her most recent that's now out in paperback.
Lady Macbeth, Susan Fraser King - I'm sort of weird about books sometimes. For example I don't like the idea of picking up a retelling of a Shakespearean tale without having read the original first. In a way that's silly as I can easily read them in reverse and not necessarily lose anything in the process. I'd been eying this one since it first came out. "From towering crags to misted moors and formidable fortresses, Lady Macbeth transports readers to the heart of eleventh-century Scotland, painting a bold, vivid portrait of a woman much maligned by history."
The Sealed Letter, Emma Donoghue - Another one I've wanted since it came out in hardcover. This is based on an actual Victorian courtroom drama.
Theirs Was the Kingdom, R.F. Delderfield - This is the second in the God is an Englishman Series. I've yet to read the first, but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy both books. There's a third book coming out later this year.
I've still got a gift card or two waiting to be spent (and expect one or two next month for my birthday), so I should be in new books for a while anyway!