Saturday 8 August 2009

A teeny tiny obsession with books, or, how I cope with life's stresses

I'm the first to admit that I like books. I'd expand that to LOVE books ( I can hear my family laughing hysterically in the background). There's no problem with that, at least between you and me, my dear Gentle Reader. However, this is turning into the year of Stress for me, and as I am beginning to understand in myself, when I am stressed, I turn to books. I visited Ottawa's best independent crime bookstore, Prime Crime, today, with my mother who is in town for a quick visit this weekend, and I thought I would buy a few books. This is what I actually came home with:

The Price of Darkness ((book 8 in Joe Faraday series) - Graham Hurley
The White Lioness - Henning Mankell (Kurt Wallander series)
Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum series) * Ranger! Morelli! Laughs a minute!!
Deadly Web - Barbara Nadel *is it good that this is my free book because I filled up the first whole row in my new card at the bookstore? I think it is, but my husband didn't look very cheery when I mentioned it, as in, "I bought (mumble mumble) books today and ONE WAS FREE!!"
Damage Control - J.A. Jance (Joanna Brady mystery)
This Night's Foul Work - Fred Vargas
A Beautiful Blue Death - Charles Finch *Bride of the Book God! this is because of you!
Deadlight - Graham Hurley (book 4 Joe Faraday series)
Death's Half Acre - Margaret Maron (Judge Deborah Knott series)
Lie Down With the Devil - Linda Barnes (the VERY LAST Carlotta Carlyle mystery!!! Both my mother and I bought a copy of this one.)
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear *somewhere out there is a blogger who reviewed Maisie Dobbs recently - Gentle Reader at Shelf LIfe? Molly at Molly's Book Nook? - and brought this to my attention. And it does look good.
The Grave Tattoo - Val McDermid
and the only non-mystery book :
The Daily Writer - Fred White (366 meditations for a writing life)

That's 13 books! And I put some back. And I ordered one, Raven Black by Ann Cleeves, the first in a series, and I asked about The Coffin Trail by Martin Edwards, which they don't have listed so is possibly out of print. And while I am very very happy with my purchases, I know it's not over.

Tomorrow my mother and I are going to try and see the new movie Julie and Julia, which features among many other fun things, one of which is Meryl Streep being Julia Child,
a cookbook : Julia Child's first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I don't have it. And I completely, utterly expect that when I walk out of the theater tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to want to buy it.

So.......do you think I have a teeny obsession with books? I myself prefer to think I am just completely in love with them, and they make a wonderful shelter when life throws its challenges.

Happy reading!




13 comments:

Table Talk said...

OK, not even I would buy that many in one go. The Bears would send me back to return them on the grounds that there would be no money left for their marmalade sandwiches! You will love 'Maisie Dobbs'. I think there are about five or six in the series now and I think she gets better. It's a shame if 'The Coffin trail' is out of print because it's very good and I do think that you need to read that series in order if you're going to follow the story line. In fact you've reminded me that I ought to go and check if there's a new one available yet. I really enjoyed them.

DesLily said...

wow, i'm not sure, but you may have beat Chris at how many books you bought at one time! lol..

lesse:"obsessed" : fanatical or fixated... hmmmm... ummm ... why yes you are! lol lol And I can tell you as one who less than 2 yrs ago finally managed to quit smoking.. that trying to stop buying books is just as hard to do as quitting smoking!.. good luck LOL

Kailana said...

I buy books when I am stressed, too. I had to stop, though. Now, when I am stressed I browse the library website. I have way too many books out from there, but at least they are free... :)

Maisie Dobbs is a great series. Not my normal read, but I really liked it! I have read all of them now. I should point out that Chapters has one of the later books in the series in hardcover on the bargain table for 2 dollars... Pardonable Lies, maybe.

Ana S. said...

I'm trying to keep myself from doing the same: placing a big order because I'm feeling down. Will probably fail :(

Enjoy your new acquisitions, Susan!

Sue F. said...

I LOVE that I have finally found others who LOVE books as much as I do. I thought I was odd, but now I don't!

Susan said...

Table Talk: I think if my husband dared, he might be like your bears!!!
Maisie Dobbs does look very good, and now I know you enjoy them too. And I had The Coffin Trail out of the library but I think I really want to own it! so I didn't read it. I'll try to get it out of the library again.

Deslily: oh no, I think Chris has had more books come in on some Mailbox Mondays! lol and I'm not wanting to quit buying books at all! Not yet, anyway. I spent too many years poor when I was a single parent 15 years ago, and not able to buy many books, that this is still a treat for me to be able to buy like this once in a while! I like the correlation with stress and book buying, that's something new with me.

Congratulations to you for quitting smoking, Pat! Not only healthier etc, but it gives you more spending money for books! lol

Kailana: ooh, I missed the Chapters table, so I'll go take a look next week. Thanks! And I'm beginning to think I might be the last person to discover Maisie Dobbs!

And I have some books out from the library too! this was a stress buy, completely.

Nymeth: why are you feeling down? *hug* If you can't buy lots of books, can you buy one book, to feel a bit better?

Sue F: welcome! I'll come visit you. I know, it's fun, isn't it, when you first find out there is a whole world out there of people who love books too!

Inside A Book said...

Is it bad to say that I loved your post? It reminded me of my recent one....my husband is wonderful at grinning and bearing it - sometimes!

I would love to have you take a gander over at my "place." Maybe we have some books that we could share reviews of. We live about 15 miles away from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale - a trip there can be dangerous for me too. Enjoy!

Gaye
www.insideabook.blogspot.com

Charles said...

If you like quality mystery novels try anything by James Sallis, a little known, but well-respected author.

His novels are more literature with some crime elements in them. CYPRESS GROVE would be a good one to start with or any of the "Lew Griffin" novels.

He's a nice guy too. I'm fortunate enough to be taking a novel-writing class he teaches.

Bybee said...

Yeah, Way to go, Book-Twin! You rock!
And it's a creative way to deal with stress...most people would get a prescription. I also love your other way of dealing with stress...tea and ginger cookies!

Cath said...

Oh wow, that a *wonderful* book haul!! I have The Coffin Trail on my 'keep an eye out for' list but haven't come across it yet.

Susan said...

Gaye: I'll be right there! Thanks for leaving a comment so I could come find you! And I wouldn't say it was bad that you agreed with me, not at all!! lol

Charles: I've heard of James Sallis, though I haven't read any of his books yet. I will now! Thanks so much for leaving a comment, I'll come find your blog. I also envy you getting to take a writing class from a real live writer!!

Bybee: thanks! You and me, we keep the bookstores going! MMM tea and ginger cookies. It's too hot to bake right now! Choc chip cookies (one or two only for me, sob!) are waiting to be made when it cools off!

Cath: Thank you! I thought so too. I thought you (and my other bloggers who like mysteries)would enjoy looking at these books! And now that I really want The coffin Trail, I can't get it!

Cathy said...

I have to limit my visits to the Poisoned Pen because I've been known to buy 20+ books when I go there!

Anonymous said...

I got thіs site frоm mу friend who іnformed me on the topic of this ωeb sitе and at the momеnt this time I am browѕing thiѕ
site and reading νеry іnformаtiѵе articles аt this place.


Feel freе tο surf to my web site roof repair oklahoma city