Book Haul #3: Buys & Grabs

Twice in April? This is what happens after a book-buying ban, I go overboard. Shortly after returning from my travels in Pennsylvania I received 2 coupons in the mail from Barnes & Noble. I was so elated that I ran to the store the very next day. I grabbed so many books that I didn’t know which ones to get so I had to sit in the café and weed them out. I whittled down my pile to these:

ImagineFx Sketchbooks: Volume One

Since I already have Volume 2, I found it hard to pass up purchasing Volume 1. I bought Volume 2 on a whim last year at B&N. I was in the store and wasn’t searching for anything in particular and when I saw a magazine featuring artists’ sketchbooks, I had to buy it. At the time I was upset that I couldn’t find Volume 1. But now I have it! I can’t wait to start reading! What I love about these magazines is that they present commentary from the artists alongside their sketches so you get some insight about what the artist was thinking while he sketched and why he chose that image or style and much more!

The only drawback with purchasing this is that I couldn’t use my coupons on it and it’s $25.99!! But it’s worth it because the paper and print quality are awesome.

Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd

I’ve wanted this book ever since I first read of it, which was probably in a Shelf Awareness newsletter…or a Publishers Weekly one. But since I’m slowly making my way through Jeff Vandermeer’s Wonderbook, a book on writing, I banned myself from purchasing any more books on writing until done. Obviously I broke my rule.

I sat in the B&N café and read a few paragraphs from the first chapter and from a random chapter in the middle (that’s my selection process) and had to buy it. Actually my plan was to purchase a book of essays and I considered Best American Essays 2014 but Good Prose’s chapter on essays trumped it because what I was really looking for was advice so….into my basket it went!

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, with Bill Moyers

This is actually the full transcript of the PBS series Joseph Campbell participated in 1985 and 1986. I’ve wanted to get this book since I first saw it in a B&N store so I’m glad I finally got around to securing it. I love reading about myths and the like so I bought this book to read Campbell’s thoughts on them. His work on myths is seminal in the field, and since I didn’t formally study it, I thought it best to see what he says.

Literary Listography: My Reading Life in Lists by Lisa Nola

I passed this book on my way to check out and its cover beckoned me to return for it. Inside, there are various lists to be filled in by book lovers like: My Favorite Classics, Historical Periods I Vicariously Live Through and Self Help Books (Not That I Need Them). They are all accompanied by wonderful illustrations done by Holly Exley. I thought it would be a wonderful addition to the various ways I document my reading life so…into my basket it went!

Art Speak (3^rd Edition): A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Vuzzwords, 1945 to the Present by Robert Atkins

I got this a few days after my bookstore visit. I flipped through a copy at work and since I wasn’t sure if I could take it, I decided to purchase my own. My plan to teach myself art history is going along painfully slowly since I haven’t dedicated time for instruction. But when I do schedule a time, this book will aid in my instruction. I like how it’s structured: for each entry it provides the artists most known for it, when it was prevalent, places identified with it, and further background information. There is even a timeline included and the photos are in color. If you were wondering, yes, it was pretty pricey at $24.95, and by the time I bought it, I’d already used up my coupons. 😦

I also grabbed 2 books from work – actually, I asked for them and they were graciously given. The books I received were:

Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile

I’ve mention this book in my February Wishes for My TBR Pile (which I haven’t done in a while) and my Book News roundup, also done in February. I got excited when I saw it on a shelf at my job so the book editor gave it to me. 😀 Yeahie! The cover is so beautiful, I can’t stop staring at it. I hope I find the story as great.

Whisper Hollow by Chris Cander

This one I definitely read of first in a Shelf Awareness newsletter. The synopsis sounds haunting so my curiosity drove me to take possession of it. The cover is beautiful as well.

Last, I bought 2 e-books through Early Bird Books, which is a service that sends a newsletter during the weekday that features e-book deals. I bought my recently read e-book copy of The Call of the Wild through it as well. I got the following books for $3.99 each, and the deal expires on April 30 so there’s still time to grab them and others:

The Cocaine Chronicles, edited by Gary Phillips and Jervey Tervalon

The Heroin Chronicles, edited by Jerry Stahl

Both books are anthologies of short stories revolving around the drug in their title. I was intrigued so I bought them.

All around, I think this is a great book haul. I’m so happy to be off my book-buying ban, though I might enforce another in a few months, who knows.

What books have you purchased recently?

More book hauls (lots of them because I love book hauls!)

• Thebookvenom Around the World (thebookvenom.wordpress.com)
• Inbox: Week of April 20, 2015 (thefaultinourblogs.com)
• [Haul] Book Sales & Online Deals (myriadinklings.wordpress.com)
• (Huge) April Book Haul (thebookishangel.wordpress.com)
• Another Library Book Sale Haul (novaswonderland.wordpress.com)
• Book Haul! (buzzonbooks.com)
• Book haul from over the weekend. (mightythorjrs.wordpress.com)

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