So, for someone who is technically not buying new books at the moment, I have quite a stack to share, don't I? Most are from a used bookstore splurge that was completely planned and budgeted for. I have not used my credit card all summer and I have halved what I owe. I think that is pretty momentous, at least for me who has been trying for ages to pay it off but never seem to make any sort of real progress. I figure if I keep going the way I have I will have it paid off by February 2011! That feels so far away, doesn't it? But there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel. One of the books was mooched, one was a gift, a couple were added to the shopping cart when grocery shopping! And the bottom one was purchased with an Amazon credit. So I have no reason to ever feel pangs of withdrawal. I may not be buying whatever I like whenever I like, but I still have a lovely pile of books I want to read that have been (somewhat) carefully selected.
Elaine at Random Jottings was the impetus for the two Janet Evanovich books at the top. I have bought some of her books to give to my mom for presents, but I thought she wasn't the sort of mystery writer who would appeal to me. For the last few years I have been reading more British authors than American. It's not that I think one is better than the other--simply a matter of being so familiar with things here that I want a taste of something different. However, after reading the first few pages of One for the Money, I can see that I was wrong to pass these by. Elaine remarked that they are very funny, and she's right, and I could use some humor in my life right now. I am going to be good and wait until I finish my current mystery read before starting, and I have Two for the Dough in reserve for later!
Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson is thanks to Frisbee, who was weeding her collection this summer. (Ahem, something I should be thinking about). I can't pass up a Persephone, and I've heard this is another gentle, funny sort of read.
Eudora Welty's Delta Wedding was my mooch, and it is a new perfect copy, too. If I do find something I want to mooch I usually end up with a fairly ragged copy of the book, so this was a nice surprise. I really enjoyed the essay I read by her, so I am determined to read some of her fiction now.
I dropped by my favorite used bookstore in search of Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop as so many people have suggested I read it. I can easily find it in my library, but I think it is a book I'd like to own. I also found Hermione Lee's biography, which I thought would be helpful to have on hand. William Faulkner's The Unvanquished in another I had borrowed from the library, but it's another that I think I would prefer to simply have and read at my leisure. J.G. Farrell's The Siege of Krishnapur was a nice find. It is a sequel to Troubles, which I already own and am hoping ot read soon. Since I am hoping to read more American classics, I couldn't pass up Sinclair Lewis's Babbitt. And the other author I was specifically looking for was Jennifer Johnston, and they had Fool's Sanctuary, which I also snapped up. It is another WWI story.
I used my most recent Amazon credit for Charles Todd's second Bess Crawford mystery, An Impartial Witness, which I probably would have borrowed from the library only the library didn't seem to ever have it on order. The first reminded me of Maisie Dobbs, though the two really only have superficial similarities. I really liked the first so am looking forward to reading the newest installment. Two Bess mysteries in one year--the author better be careful or his reader's will be expecting that all the time!
All in all not too shabby a stack of books on the cheap.