Book shopping today ...

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Mon December 8th, 2008, 11:27 pm

Keep a box of tissues handy and a couple of cats to cuddle for Briar Rose. Not that it's bad or anything, just that it tends to pack a real sucker-punch.

[quote=""diamondlil""]Today I picked up the following books from the library:

Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
Night of Flames by Douglas Jacobson
Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
Venus in Bronze by Lindsey Davis
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson[/quote]

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Tue December 9th, 2008, 8:58 am

[quote=""Amanda""]
Funny aside:

My 3 year old son was sitting watching the last bit with me. And there is a sex scene (very tastefully done). He had been sitting quietly watching with me (a rarity, but I had promised he could watch something if mummy got to finish her show), and all of a sudden he say "Mummy, what's going on?" Taken by surprise, I took a deep breath floundering as to what to say, when the next shot is of them laying back in bed, and he says "Oh, they are going to have a sleep". Phew![/quote]

That is so cute!

AuntiePam · Post by **AuntiePam** » Tue December 9th, 2008, 8:08 pm

The UPS man brought Past Caring by Robert Goddard.

From Amazon: Written in clear, resonant prose, Goddard's first novel, nominated for the Booker prize, is a poised telling of a complex tale. A fascinating "could this be true?" story within a story is reminiscent of Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time, while Thomas Hardy's tragic characters are deliberately echoed in the Edwardian British politician Edwin Strafford and the troubled historian Martin Radford, who has been chosen to research Strafford's tormented life.

Radford finds a memoir that contains hints of a political and moral crime, past but not forgotten, so devastating that even in 1977 it reverberates through the corridors of power. As he reads the memoir, Radford eventually comes to regard the dead Home Secretary as a friend, even as his search uncovers corruption and murder.

The novel's subtlety is reflected in the different meanings of its title, and the satisfying climax weaves together the strands of past and present. In one sense a historical thriller, and in another a romantic novel of a love affair gone disastrously wrong, this is, in any case, a wonderful read.

I've had good luck with Booker novels. High hopes for this one.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Wed December 10th, 2008, 2:13 pm

I nabbed The Way We Workby David Macaulay when I saw it in the bookstore the other day and went ahead and gave it to my daughter. I remembered hearing the author on NPR recently talking about this book so I impulsively bought it when I saw it. Lots of illustrations, some silly, but with relevant analogies on how our internal, biological systems work. One of those books that can be interesting for adults and kids alike. She's reading a few pages each night, so I haven't really had a chance to look at it very closely yet. It's a big hardcover that could easily serve as a coffee table book.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Wed December 10th, 2008, 7:26 pm

Today I got:

The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

and the first 2 books in a new series of historical crime by Andrew Pepper:
The Last Days of Newgate
The Revenge of Captain Paine

pat · Post by **pat** » Thu December 11th, 2008, 5:55 am

At the library yesterday I picked up:

E M Forster, A passage to India
Alexander McCall Smith, Blue SHoes and Happiness
Diane Haeger, The secret bride (in the court of Henry VIII)
Diana Gabaldon, The fiery cross
Donna Hay, The two Mrs Robinsons

Cant wait to get started!

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Thu December 11th, 2008, 5:59 am

Pat: let me know what you think of "Secret Bride", I've read 2 of her books and I liked them but I've heard some bad reviews of that one.

SM

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Thu December 11th, 2008, 2:02 pm

Got an older novel about Perkin Warbeck and his wife called The Ruby Merchant by Alice Harwood. From the description of it on the Richard III Society's site, I expected a wall-banger, but from what I've seen so far the research looks solid and the writing is quite good.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Fri December 12th, 2008, 5:15 pm

Just ordered from Amazon:

The Season of the Beast by Andrea Japp
The Butcher of Smithfield by Susanna Gregory

pat · Post by **pat** » Wed December 17th, 2008, 4:48 am

[quote=""SonjaMarie""]Pat: let me know what you think of "Secret Bride", I've read 2 of her books and I liked them but I've heard some bad reviews of that one.

SM[/quote]

I read the first 20 pages, and was not struck by it. I have put it back on my pile to try again later if I feel the need!

Today, I went book shopping with my mum and collected my copy of Far Pavillions that I ordered and mum is buying for me for Christmas! (she is getting it for me on the basis that she can then read it after me!)