This time I let my fingers do the walking

As if my Big W blow-out wasn't bad enough, I then let my fingers do the walking after yesterday's splurge and visited two of my favourite online places to buy books.

First port of call was Booktopia.  I already had some amazing specials in my cart.  Bought The Swan Gondola for $9.90, and Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch for $6.35!  They also had a copy of Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs - to complete the Sianim Quartet - which seems to be either Out of Stock (OOS) or Out of Print (OOP) at Book Depository.  Every time I browse Booktopia I find so many great titles with great discounts.  Great for my bookshelves, bad for my wallet.

About half a hour later, my fingers got itchy again, so it was off to Book Depository.  I caved and pre-ordered Dead Ice by Laurell K. Hamilton.  This is book 21? in the Anita Blake series, and from the sample I read in the back of the novella, Jason, it sounded pretty good.  We're back into the zombie raising aspect of the series, and I hope to see some of the RPIT characters that I have been missing for the last 12 books or so ;-D

So, in all Friday was just a book-fest of a day.  I spent way too much money.  Will have to tighten my belt for the next couple of weeks and ban myself from browsing the online book sites. . . maybe?

Until next time,

Huge Book Order for April

Yes, I know that I really should be used to this by now.  However I was not technically on a book buying ban - wouldn't even delude myself by trying to attempt one - so I can take some comfort in that.

I have ordered more than a few books from my favourite online retailers (my local chain store bookshop has a poor range) and I had two discount vouchers to use as well which made the damage done to my wallet slightly less.

My spending has been reasonable so far this month, but today I went a tad overboard.  I couldn't go down to celebrate ANZAC Day as I'm sick, and I didn't want to either a) give it to anyone else, or b) catch something that will make me feel worse, so naturally I ended up online.  Today wasn't supposed to be about buying books.  I just wanted to catch up on some YouTube and do a few other bits and pieces.  But did that happen?  NO!  Last night my mother asked me to get a book for her so it all started from that request. 

Today I managed to order...

The Hobbit - Tolkien

The Return on the King - Tolkien {both these Tolkien books are beautiful cloth-bound editions!}

A Darker Shade of Magic - V. E. Schwab

The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley

Heraclix & Pomp - Forrest Aguirre

MOAB is my Washpot - Stephen Fry *

The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides *

Lady Audley's Secret - Mary Elizabeth Braddon *

Cut Throat - Sharon Sala {this was mum's request!} *

On Thursday I went a little mad and ordered,
A Blight of Mages - Karen Miller
Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle {Barnes & Noble leather editions!}
The Arabian Nights
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

and earlier in the month I ordered - and am still waiting for mind you - these titles;

The Shining - Stephen King *
Tennant of Wildfell Hall - Emily Bronte
Shirley - Charlotte Bronte
Hounded - Kevin Hearne
Wolfsbane - Patricia Briggs
Air Bound - Christine Feehan

And I am still waiting for The Dragon of Despair* by Jane Lindskold to find it's way into my post box as I ordered it over 4 weeks ago!

* AbeBooks {I can now finally find my OOP editions, God bless them!}

Amongst this rather large amount of books that will be winging their way to me during May I have tried a few new editions.  There are some Penguin English Library books.  I just love the spines and the lovely almost suede feeling of the covers!  As mentioned, the Sherlock Holmes volume is one of those gorgeous B&N leather bound editions with the gilding.  Today I seemed to have a thing for hardcovers, so I hope that they have that they have dust jackets, and there is also a smattering of my usual mass market paperbacks.  Yes, I know that they're quite delicate as the spines almost always break, but they are reasonably priced which matters a hell of a lot when books cost so much in Australia! 

I could tally up all the money I've spent on books this month, but I think I'd keel over in shock.  Thankfully I was able to use some 10% off vouchers - thank you Book Depository! -  and Booktopia always has some amazing bargains.  Even op shops have some great titles.  I found my The Fry Chronicles - hardcover! - at a local thrift shop for $4 last year! 

Speaking of thrift shops, I nearly forgot to mention the great books I found yesterday when I went looking for some cheap bowls {I use them for plant saucers - they look nicer and are easier to keep clean inside!}.  As soon as I walked in the door I was sidetracked by the books.  I haven't been to my local St. Vinnie's in months, and I'm so glad I went because I found a couple of books that I've been meaning to get - as well as one that I'd just put in my wishlist!

As per usual, I spent more time and money on the books than I did on the items I actually went for.

Well, I think I've spent enough.  Have to leave you all as I'll just want to start compiling another cart full of books if I keep thinking about them for much longer ;-D 

Okay, must go watch a DVD to take my mind off this dead tree purchasing ...

Until next time,

 

My Big Fat (EPIC) September Book Haul

OMG!  I have spent soooo much money over the last month on books.  Really, I need help... mmm, perhaps some free ARC's would help {hint, hint ;-D}.  Anyway, my postie has been a regular visitor to my place and today she dropped off the last of my September orders.

New to the party is Booktopia, where I've had two recent orders thanks to no P&H specials {always a plus}.  They have a great range of books and some truly amazing bargains (The Demon King was only $3.35!).

Literary Lusts - Stella Hyde

Oscar Wilde Biography - Jeff Nunokawa/Amy Sickels

The Demon King - Cinda Williams Chima

Love Letters of Great Women - edited by Ursula Doyle

The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz

  Another Book Depository order fulfilled

The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton {this has the most gorgeous cover}

Wickedly Dangerous - Deborah Blake

Copper Beach - Jayne Ann Krentz

Demon Child - Kylie Chan ---- still not published yet!!!!!!

Slightly Shady / Don't Look Back / Late for the Wedding - Amanda Quick

The Hot Zone - Jayne Castle

A Matter of Magic - Patricia C. Wrede

When Day Breaks - Maya Banks {for mum}

and today's mail brought me the items I'd been waiting for from Basement Books;

Unbreakable - Kami Garcia

Replica - Jenna Black

Wayfarer - C.E. Murphy

A Cook in Time - Joanne Pence

Vanished in the Night - Eileen Carr

The City's Son - Tom Pollock

 Then on the home front I went and raided all the shops that had even a hint of a book section...

Local discount chain store

different local discount chain store (4 for $10)

Big W (box set $30, others $12 ea)

local grocery store

local bookshop (3 for $14.95)

Big W bargain books $3.47 ea

And sadly this is still not all the books as I was given Dorothy Must Die by my mother.  

So much reading to do with the 20 plus other books I've bought locally (above pics) - I'm not even going to go into all the books I've bought from the local charity shops in September - and then there was the big Bookarama Booksale at the Town Hall where I bought about 45 books.  Then yesterday what did I do?... I went and ordered some books from Book Outlet.  Thankfully they were so cheap (for hardcovers) that I didn't mind paying the outrageous postage.  Luckily I managed to snag the last copy of Queen of Kings, as well as hardcovers of

First Grave on the Right / Second Grave on the Left / Third Grave Dead Ahead - Darynda Jones

River of No Return - Bee Ridgway

Quiver - Holly Luhning {paperback only I'm sorry to say}

I'm so happy with the books that I've got heading my way, but as with all book addictions, as soon as my shopping cart was empty I was in there refilling it with books I'll get next time.  Why aren't books cheaper so I can afford to get the all? ;-D

In the meantime, I hope you've found something fabulous to put on your bookshelves and until next time,