Dark Tower issue resolved

Well, hello there.  Hope you’ve had a wonderful day.  My day was pretty average. It was a beautiful winters day with a painfully blue sky that makes you think if summer - but it was way too cold to even consider leaving the house!

Okay, enough of the social pleasantries. You’re here for the book stuff 😁  Here we go...

As you can tell by the title of this post, my issue regarding a used book I purchased from AbeBooks was resolved... but I’m not sure how I feel about it.  As previously discussed on both my IG, and BookTube, I ordered what should have been the reissued edition of The Song of Susannah (Dark Tower 05) by Stephen King. I particularly wanted this book because on the matching covers that form a larger landscape image when put together. But anyhoo, when the book turned up in the mail on Thursday, 18/07/19, it was not the right edition.  Yes, I know that sounds shallow and smacks of consumerism, but I want the edition that I’d paid for.

Seeing the error, I emailed the seller. They were lovely to deal with (so this isn’t a drama queen post about shitty customer service) and after me supplying them with the details they requested, I woke up to an email stating I was being refunded the full cost of my order (inc. p&h).  Now, while this was expected, I would rather have received the correct edition.

So, the hunt for The Song of Susannah begins anew.

Wish me luck, and on that note I’ll bid you a fond adieu, and until I see you next time,

Booksale Haul - Day 1

It's taken a little longer than I'd hoped to film, edit, and finally get around to uploading this.

As I was editing this I was struck with the thought that I'd bought way too many books.  Do I really need all of these?  Probably not, but they make me happy so I'm going with that.

I really do need those new bookshelves ASAP, especially now that I have this haul to add to my ridiculously large TBR pile.  I've got the name of a local carpentry place, and I'll bite the bullet soon and ask them for a quote to turn the spare rooms entire wall into built-in shelves.  It won't be cheap, but at least I won't have to worry about how the hell I'll fit in a new bookcase.

Anyway, I'm off to go and finish Day 2's haul video.  Wish me luck.  Finger's crossed I can get it up over the weekend.

Until I see you guys next time,

 

August Book Haul, Part 3 - Classics

Yes!  I have finally come to the end of this rather large (and if I'm honest, a pain in the arse) book haul.  Remind me not to do this again any time soon ;-D

As you can see, my collection of classics is growing steadily.  Enough so that I now need a large bookcase to keep them all together - they are scattered around various locations in the house at present - and with 3 very large bookcases crammed into the spare bedroom I feel the time has come to perhaps call a cabinet maker to make some custom shelves that cover a whole wall.  Expensive, I know, but there is so much wasted space in using standard bookcases that I think it will be worth it in the long run... maybe?

Anyway, I have more video's to edit, including a bit of bookmail from this morning, that I want to get up asap.  So I will leave you here, and until I see you guys next time,

Bookmail loveliness

It's always exciting to get stuff in the mail - well, not those envelopes with windows, but the good stuff.  Parcels.

I will admit to buying a decent number of Stephen King books recently, and most of them have been arriving in dribs and drabs.  Doesn't matter, I love it!

There is nothing quite like opening up a parcel that contains a book you've been looking forward to adding to your collection.  Most of the books have been in good, or better, condition - with a couple of notable exceptions (but that's another post).

At the moment I'm trying to find as many of the Hodder editions as I can because I like the interesting cover designs and the way they will all be a uniform size on my shelves { mismatched sizes are a big bookish pet peeve of mine } and the rainbow spines will look great.  Well, once I get a bookcase for my King collection.

So I will continue to buy used King books.  I'm still trying to source some of the harder to find titles, although recently I was abke to get The Stand, Cujo, Pet Sematary and Christine in the Hodder covers.

Next challenge is to find some first editions, or at least an imprint from the year of release.  Have a few, but some have just been eluding me so it's nearly time to start the hunt in earnest.

So until next time,

June Used Book Haul

Hello, my lovelies!

Yes, I have finally joined BookTube - well, new to posting videos anyway ;-D

My used book haul is the third video that I've posted.  I'm still getting used to some things, and I keep forgetting exactly where to hold up the book so it shows the full cover at times, but I'm enjoying this new (to me) way of sharing my love of books.

This is not a King haul, but I'll be hoping to have a reading update of The Stand up at some point in the near future as that it a chunker!

Hope you enjoy my foray into BookTube, and until next time,

And the books trickle in

This is the week that the books from my PEL binge should arrive - and indeed they have started to trickle in.  I walk down the road to my cute little post office every day to check the mail and yesterday the first of the PEL editions turned up.  Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and David Copperfield by Charles Dickens both arrived in amazing condition.  

However, the copy of Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy was in less than desirable condition {as you can tell from the webcam shot above}.  The front cover was all bent and smushed and there is obvious crinkling of the pages throughout the book.  Not what I expected when I ordered this

Thankfully today's package made up for that disappointment.  All the books that arrived in the post this morning were in excellent condition Hard Times, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Mill on the Floss and Sons and Lovers - and all had that rubberized texture that I love!  So I will bury my disappointment over the poorer condition of Tess because, truthfully, that could have happened while the books were in transit, and instead bookgasm over my growing PEL collection.

I can't wait to get my new bookcase so I can line up all these amazing spines on the shelf ;-D

Do you collect these gorgeouse PEL editions?  Let me know what your favourite cover design is.  The covers I'd love to get my hands on are Pamela by Samuel Richardson and The Monk by Matthew Lewis... oh, and Bleak House, The Pickwick Papers, Martin Chuzzlewit and The Old Curiosity Shop by Dickens.  Hmmm, Daniel Deronda by George Eliot and perhaps The Return of the Native by Hardy.  Okay, basically I want most of them! ;-D  But unfortunately they are Out of Print (OOP) and waaaaay too expensive to purchase second hand (over $200!).  Too rich for my blood.

Hmmm, I sense another post in my future - why aren't all the PEL titles still available?  ;-D

I'm off to reorganize my shelves so I can fit these babies in, but until next time,

 

Four thrift stores in two days

This week has been a mixed week.  Had a few health snafu's, and am still trying to come to terms with the closure of the only bookshop within 100kms!, but on the plus side, had amazing thrift shop finds this week.

It's been weeks since I last set foot in most of the thrift shops around town - we have 4 - and usually I come away with a few books, perhaps one that is currently on my Book Depository wishlist.  However this week I had amazing luck.  It all started with wanting a bedside table so I could once again see the time on my alarm clock...

I went into the first thrift shop, which is opposite a gym that pumps out the most annoying perky (and loud) music, but within 30 seconds I had my first book (Jason by LKH).  I knew that this was going to be a good day.  I browsed for as long as I could stand the music, but found two Agatha Christies for $1ea.  They are in an edition I like, and I don't have them yet.  Then I found a copy of The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham.  This has been on my wishlist for ages, but I could never find a cover that I liked.  However, this edition is so 80's and funky that I wasn't going to quibble over the $1 price tag.  Even though this was a great haul so far, I'm most excited about the poetry anthology that I picked up just before I headed for the cash register.

Last books of June

Just a quick update from my phone (sorry about the messy format. I wish blogger would address this issue) to show you the latest books I have added to my bookshelves.

On Saturday I dropped by a local charity shop and found The Dark Griffin by K.J. Taylor.  This is the first book in The Fallen Moon trilogy.  I've been looking for this book for almost 18 months, but nothing - well, not for a reasonable price anyway - and there it was.  Practically the first thing I saw.  So lucky to find this.

Next, at the same charity shop, I saw a copy of Winds of Fate by Mercedes Lackey.  Cover is so colorful and stylized that I had to get it.  I'm sure I'll enjoy it as I do love fantasy.

And finally, my postman dropped off my copy of The Quick by Lauren Owen yesterday.  This sounds like an interesting story, a Victorian Gothic mystery from what I remember.

I still have one more book I'm expecting in the mail this week.  A steampunk if I remember correctly.  Then I need to pre-order two books for series I'm reading.  A neverending cycle ;-D

Can't pass a thrift shop without looking at books!

Yes, it's true.  I just can't seem to pass a thrift shop without going inside to check out what's on their shelves.  Take this morning for instance.  I went to the store to buy a few items.  So far, so good.  Then I drove around to my favourite fabric shop and did I go in?  No!  Instead I ducked into the thrift shop next door.  I'm sure I tell myself that I just want a quick look.  I won't buy anything.  But true to form I walk out of there with an armful of books.

However, to be fair this mornings effort yielded a good result.  Recently I've been trying to gather more classics {for those long cold winter nights} and have had Great Expectations on my wishlist for ages.  Two days ago I put The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time on my wishlist as well - and today I found both on the shelves!  Saved a lot of money, as well as contributing to the local charities.  I'd call that a win-win all round ;-D

Amongst this haul I also found a gem or two.  First was a little old book from 1963.  It's called Boys Are Very Funny People by Bill Adler.  There is nothing remarkable about the cover, but inside are some of the funniest remarks made by boys, such as...

Dear Folks,

They take good care of us at this camp.  Don't worry we are not going

on any more overnight hikes until they find Stanley.

Your son,

Jimmy

I've already finished this book and found it to be a very quick and amusing read.  Kids are naturally funny, and sometimes the truth comes out in such an amusing way ;-D

The final book I found before I made myself leave I only found because I saw the word 'dragon' on the spine.  It's a beautiful hardcover {only $1!} and is written by the same author of The Spiderwick Chronicles - note to self, read those! - and as soon as I saw the cover and the gorgeous artwork I knew that this book was coming home with me.  

So after that unexpected thrift shop haul I have officially banned myself from the thrift shops around town for at least a week, perhaps two.  I really don't need all these book.  I just can't help myself!

Do you have the same problem too?  Let me know if you do and we can commiserate together ;-D

Until next time,