yay for used books!

I loved used book stores, and stores that sell used books. Lots. :)

I got those a couple of weeks ago. They are: The Lord of the Rings trilogy in one big volume. (For ten dollars. One of the corners is worn and bent up a little, there was nicer one, but I preferred the more beat up one, to give it a good home after it's "abuse." :p) I already have the trilogy in a boxed set I got off of ebay, but I have a strange thing going with Tolkien books I guess. I have three different copies (I almost bought a fourth with the LOTR, I still may go back for one) of The Hobbit, and now two versions of the trilogy. :) hehe. I found it at the used book store. While there I searched for Georgette Heyer books (there were none! which I found shocking, why it was shocking I am unsure of.) Also I looked for the Inkheart books, also, there were none. Not so shocking.

After the used book store, we wandered on over to the thrift store next door. The proceeds go to the American Cancer Society, so I definitely had to get the two others when I saw them. I realize how crappy my picture is (yay) so you don't have to strain, the yellow and green one is Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Good Wives, and Little Men. All in one. The last with the two guys on the cover which looks like one is being dragged (or, he is possibly being helped over a large rock) is Robert Louis Stevenson's Scottish Novels. As the cover states. The novels are Kidnapped, Catriona, The Master of Ballantrae, & Weir of Hermiston. Two more extremely interesting books for six dollars. Yay. :)

Library Pick-ups.

I picked these up from the library today:

From top to bottom:

1. Poison Pen by Sheila Lowe: The first Forensic Handwriting mystery book in her Claudia Rose Series. I wanted to read this one first, before I went and read Written in Blood, so I'd be more familiar with the character.
2. Baby Shark by Robert Fate: Book one in his Baby Shark (Series? There are three books in all). I got an e-mail about the third book, Baby Shark's High Plains Redemption, and replied back to it requesting a copy because it interested me, I haven't gotten it yet so I don't know if I ever will or not, but I still would like to read this character and her story so I am starting out with the first book, naturally.
3. Me of Little Faith by Lewis Black: I love this man and his work. He is one of my favorite comedians. I rather liked his first book so I hope I'll like this one too; it is made up of his views and experiences on/with religion.
4. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke: I can barely wait to get to this book. I am dying to know what happens with all the characters and somewhat loose endings from Inkheart.

I'm almost finished reading The Charm School, which is pretty good so far. I love the characters and that's always important for me in my reading. Also I'm still (slowly) reading the Jesse James book. It's not a bad book, it's just non-fiction. I am not a non-fiction type of girl. (This is only my second non-fiction read of the year.) I'd rather be running off to lands far away from my front door and world's I wish existed than be reading non-fiction. But well, I love Jesse James so it's worth it to venture out of my reading comfort zone. Anyhoo, hopefully I can finish these two books by Monday so I can get to the books I picked up today. :)

Also I read 3 Beatrix Potter tales last night, and I am so glad I did. Her stories always put me in a good mood. :)

Definitely Psycho-Gross.

Just a little note on American Psycho. Before I add the pictures I took with it.

Uhmm...it's gross. Patrick Bateman has to be one of the most disgusting characters I've ever read, and yet he intrigues me to no end. He's just so...full of himself. All the "fashion" and high-end gadgetry descriptions are driving me nuts, but I can understand why they are there, (even though I hate them and they give me a headache reading through the very frequent descriptive descriptions..) I know they are important to Patrick Bateman because he is a yuppie jerk-wad and that seems to be a sort-of big part of his life. Anyhoo, I can already see everything else vulgar and bloody having an at least somewhat graphic description. I'm not looking forward to this, but I am looking forward to finding out what happens to the strangely interesting Patrick Bateman, no matter how vulgar I find his path to be.

The pictures, out of boredom and hesitancy to open the book and keep reading, because I know what is eventaully coming, the killing. Yay. >o<

P.S. - The tattoo is annoyingly hard to get in a decent shot. :p

More New Books, yay!

Today I bought a couple of new books and a new bookmark. (I seem to be in a craze for them lately!) I got some extra money and it was burning a hole in my pocket. I knew exactly what I wanted to buy, so I went straight for them when I got to the bookstore. (Barnes & Noble.)

I bought Pam Jenoff's The Kommandant's Girl, and the follow-up book to that, also by Pam Jenoff, The Diplomat's Wife. She is definitely one of my new favorite authors. I've already read The Kommandant's Girl, which I just completely fell in love with, from the library. So I just had to buy it, and the follow-up of course. I was about to type that it's been a while since I bought a book I haven't read yet via the library, but I recently bought The Book of Scandal by Julia London which I haven't read yet. But, I've been reading her for years so it felt like a safe purchase you know? I've only read the one book by Ms. Jenoff, so it was a little strange feeling even though I think I'll really love this one. If any of that makes any sense at all. :p

Anyhoo, here are the pictures I took today of all that I bought:

The bookmark, and the cute tassel it has. It actually took me a little while to decide on this one. There were lots of nice ones, but it was really between this one and a Pirates of the Caribbean one. I wasn't feeling that fangirlish for Johnny Depp, so I chose the cat. :D

Stack-able and side-able. :p

new book & bookmark.

When I went over to Target today to get my soap and lotion for my tattoo, I decided to head over to the bookstore as well since it was close by in the same lot. :)

I picked up Julia London's latest: The Book of Scandal. I didn't want to wait for it from the library, so since I had the extra money on me, I went for it. I also picked up another handmade bookmark. They are just so pretty. I love them. Though I think I will keep this one in it's cover, lol. I took the last one out the cover and the fern leaves are breaking off. I thought I was being careful with it, but I guess not enough. Ah well. :p

library stuffs.

The library had a "Catch the Summer Reading Bug" thing this year (like a bingo card; except you take it home and complete the little challenge things on the card and make a "bingo line" and take it back and you get a free tote bag. I got one (of course) and here it is:

I also picked up these books:

See "American Psycho" down on the bottom; it's in horrifying condition. I love the library, but I hate the way their books are treated by other people. Ugh. Why is it so hard to treat a book right? I realize accidents happen, but the damage to that copy looks downright careless. See:

water (I hope!) damage, and no idea what the red mark could be.

the extent of the liquid damage. horrifying, no?

book pictures; with Inkheart.

Yes, more book pictures due to boredom, yay. :p Book used: Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke.

more book pictures.

boredom strikes, so the camera starts clickin' away. :p

my nightstand.

also in black and white:

reading A Shadow on Summer.
& enjoying it's loveliness. :)

bookmark pictures, yay.

Before I actually started reading (btw - A Shadow on Summer is great so far), I decided to take some pictures with one of my new bookmarks; which I just love:

yay for new books.

and, new bookmarks. :)

I went to the bookstore (Barnes & Noble) today with my birthday money (hee!) and browsed around for a good short while. I got two books I've been wanting for a while now (Dracula, and Frankenstein.), and two bookmarks. I didn't really have any intention of getting new bookmarks, but I wandered over there and saw they actually had some rather nice ones this time. One particularly gorgeous one I fell in love with the moment I picked it up and took a closer look. The little inserted paper in the cover with it says it is handmade. Also it says: "Global Art preserves the natural beauty of nature in the form of flowers and ferns." And then in a separate second paragraph: "Through these preserved flowers a wide range of captivating designs are made by our expert designers to immortalise the beauty and freshness of the seasons." Lovely sounding isn't it? :) Then while at the register I spotted the "Initial It" ones I have been eyeing for weeks now. They didn't have a "V" one (grr!) but they did have an "S" which my last name starts with, so I got that one. It's orange and has a butterfly, which I love.

That's my brother's cat; Shadow, there checking out my books. lol. I usually don't get mass market paperbacks unless it's a romance novel, cos well, that's pretty much all those come in, but I didn't really like the trade-size covers, so I got these, and, it was smarter money-wise for me to get these. Not to mention the way better covers. :p

Come Softly To My Wake.

I finished reading Christy Brown's Come Softly To My Wake a few nights ago, so here I am writing my (late) short review of it. Not very many *new* poems in it, lots of repeating ones, which was actually on the annoying side, but ah well. It's still a lovely book of his poetry.

oh, this was one of my first Link+ books from the library. it came from Santa Clara University. :) Interesting to see where they come from.

I think this is the sweetest inscription I've ever read. :)
(inside of "Of Snails and Skylarks." - which I am reading now.)

and a stack of (mostly) all his books I've gotten from the library recently.

book pictures.

yay for boredom!


this is the picture on the back cover of Down All the Days.

and of course, here is the front cover of Down All the Days.

in the glow of my reading light.

my homemade Seth MacFarlane bookmark, because I am a nut for him. :p lol.

my hand and the book because I am a nerd.

the cover of The Poems of Christy Brown, and my favorite one by him, End. I loves.

this reflection on the wall came from my book light sitting on Down All the Days.

new books. yay.

I recently took a trip to Reno and purchased the following romance novels, because yes, I am addicted:

2 Jennifer Ashley's and 2 Julia London's. I just love them. the top 2, which are Jennifer Ashley's, are: Highlander Ever After, and Immortals: The Gathering. (which is book four in the Immortals series.) and the bottom 2 are Julia London's, which are: The Dangerous Gentleman, and The Ruthless Charmer. (which are books 1 & 2 of her Rogues of Regent Street series.) one of my book goals this year is to collect the remainders of those series'. I've accidentally started the Immortals series backwards though, lol. oops.

with the addition of those two Julia London books I bought earlier this week, I now have eight of her books. I simply adore her stories. really. :)

of Jennifer Ashley's books I only have those two, but I have already read two others. I discovered her about two years ago I think, when I was looking for pirate romances, I came across her pirate trilogy which I am really loving. I just have one book left of that to read before I've finished it, which I plan to do this year. :p