Book Haul #52: A Lot of Stuff

Can you tell that I couldn’t think of a name for this book haul? I haven’t published one of these posts in a while so, yea, I have a lot of stuff to show you.

Purchases

Physical

The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft

I bought this from a Lovecraft bookshop in Providence, R.I. I’ve often heard of Lovecraft but wasn’t much interested in trying his stuff until I read two stories last year that were influenced by his work AND visited this bookshop operated by the Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Council, which hosts NecronomiCon, a festival for weird fiction, academia, and art, in August. My conversation with the bookseller made me curious about Lovecraft’s work.

I chose The Dunwich Horror because it was mentioned in Caroline Kepnes’s Providence, one of the books I read last year that was influenced by Lovecraft’s stories. The other book was The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, which is a novella that retells Lovecraft’s short story “The Horror at Red Hook.” Both Kepnes and LaValle’s work were interesting, weird, and creepy. I recommend them both.

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

I picked up The Changeling at the same bookshop. I couldn’t leave without it. I’ve been trying to get a physical copy of the book, but the bookstores I visit never have it in stock and…I never thought to just order it online.

Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer

I’ve been curious about this book but didn’t think to purchase it until I heard Dreyer talk about working as a copyeditor at Random House. I like his personality and since he said he was told that the book matches his personality (or something like that) I bought it and got him to autograph it.

Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko & Sergey Dyachenko, transl. by Julia Meitov Hersey

I’ve only seen a handful of reviews for this book, but it was a review on the booktube channel Rincey Reads that convinced me to get a copy. I’d like to read more fantasy stories set at schools for magic. On her Goodreads, Rincey described this book as “…like Harry Potter, but if it was written by Kafka,” which sounds exciting to me.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (illus.)

I love this graphic novel and have wanted to get my own copy ever since I read it. It’s about a man seeking a safe place for his family to live, and the entire story is told using only pictures, no words. I highly recommend it. You can read my review here and see some of the illustrations as well.

The Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation by Bryan A. Garner

I attended a conference for copyeditors and was told that this book is helpful, so I got it (with my store discount because it’s freaking expensive).

Middle Passage by Charles Johnson

I mentioned this book in my last bookhaul because I’d borrowed it from the library then. I enjoyed reading it so much that I had to get my own copy. It’s a historical fiction novel about a young man who’s a recently freed slave who stows away on a slave ship bound for Africa.

Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future by Lauren Redniss (illus.)

I read this a couple years ago and loved it. When I saw it discounted at a bookshop on Independent Book Store Day, I had to get it. It’s an illustrated nonfiction book about the weather. I highly recommend it. Check out my review here.

Abbott by Saladin Ahmed, illus. by Sami Kivelä

I forgot where I first heard about this comic book, but it’s set in 1972 Detroit and is about a woman investigating supernatural forces.

Isola, Vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher & Karl Kerschl (illus.), illus. by Msassyk

I had to get this because the illustrations are beautiful. I first heard of it from Perspective of a Writer.

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe (illus.)

A good/bad thing about working in a bookstore is that you discover new books to buy all the time. This one came to me when a customer bought it, and I immediately thought “I GOTTA BUY THAT BOOK!” It’s a reference book that explains stuff like the solar system and a nuclear reactor using diagrams and the ten hundred words most often used in the English language. It sounds amazing. Of course I bought it!

Zodiac by Romina Russell

I’ve always wanted this book because I like the cover. I hope the story is good.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I am hooked on Yancey’s Monstrumologist series (which I need to finish), so I’d like to try more of his work.

The Snow Queen: A Tale in Seven Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, illus. by Sanna Annukka, transl. by Jean Hersholt

I’ve been curious about The Snow Queen fairytale since reading The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, so I bought this beautifully illustrated edition when Penguin Random House sent a 20%-off coupon for its anniversary.

The Worm and the Bird by Coralie Bickford-Smith (illus.)

I’ve wanted one of Bickford-Smith’s books since forever. They are so beautiful! Btw, check out this post for more beautifully designed books, which includes Bickford-Smith’s The Fox and the Star.

The Best Punctuation Book, Period: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Writer, Editor, Student, and Businessperson by June Casagrande

It looks like it will be helpful at work.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I’ve never read the book or watched the movie or read anything by the author. My coworker at the bookstore said I need to fix that, so I bought this.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

I’ve seen this book around the blogosphere but didn’t purchase it until recently when the author visited the bookstore to sign copies and I was able to get one and grab a selfie with her. 😀 I’ll most likely buddy-read it with Rachel of Life of a Female Bibliophile in fall/winter.

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illus. by Vashti Harrison

This book is so cute! I had to get it. The story is sweet and I just LOVE Harrison’s illustrations. This is the second book featuring her illustrations I’ve bought. The first was Dream Big, Little One, which I bought for a friend.

Digital

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

I think I learned about this from Mogsy’s review and that’s what got me interested. It’s the second book I own by the author. The other one is The Immortals, which I haven’t read yet.

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

I’m curious about this one. I bought the ebook (because it was for $2.99 and I only buy ebooks if they are $3.99 or less) and still borrowed the physical copy from the library.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I had to get it when I saw it was on sale. I’ve been curious about the spider bit for some time now. Whenever someone talks about it, spiders are always mentioned.

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That’s a lot of books. I could end here, but no. There’s more.

Gift/Free

The Stranger by Albert Camus

I received a copy from a cousin. For some reason, I thought I’d already read it or at least own it.

Greyborn Rising by Derry Sandy

I received a copy from the author. 😀 Check out this post to learn more about this fantasy novel inspired by Caribbean folklore.

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Library

Physical

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

This book cemented my love for this middle-grade fantasy series that deserves its comparison to the Harry Potter books. It’s the only one I’ve read that comes close to delivering the charm and appeal of Rowling’s fantasy series. Wundersmith made me want to visit Nevermoor and made me wonder what my knack would be. It’s such a fun read. I highly recommend it.

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

This was a great read. It’s middle-grade fantasy/horror about a girl who moves to an old house with her brother and father to fix its odd clock. The house is surrounded by creepy woods, which is where the horror element comes in, but it’s not very scary. I learned about this book from Sci-fi & Scary and wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed it. So far, I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve learned about from that blog. I also highly recommend this one.

African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard

I HAD to get this book when I heard about it. An African Samurai?? What??!! I have to read it. I may have to purchase my own copy though because I’m focused on only fantasy books this month and this is due back at the library in June (and I haven’t yet started it).

Digital

The Passage by Justin Cronin, narr. by  Scott Brick, Abby Craden, and Adenrele Ojo

I watched the show and thought it was meh, so I read (listened) the book to see if it’s better. Ugh! Didn’t like it. I was so bored!

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Whew! That’s a lot for this #bookhaul.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these books.

Also, check out the GIVEAWAY I’m hosting for Wyrd and Wonder.

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