First off, how awesome is that title? I’m quite proud that my little brain came up with that, and it totally fits as well! 😛 Much more interesting than just book haul don’t ya think?
Ok, so the book ban is well and truly desecrated. How long did I last? *checks blog* Well I announced it May 19th 2012 so that’s *counts on fingers* not even three months!!!! *hangs head in shame*. And since the ban I’ve only gotten three books off my TBR pile so ummm…..yeah, the Maths doesn’t add up, I’m actually worse off than when I started. But you know what? I’ve never been all that fond of Maths.
So errr, ignoring my pathetic failure, lets move on to the books, because we all love the books! That’s why we’re here right?
Something Old:
I went into town with a bookish friend of mine and we spent about two hours just looking around Waterstones. After a thorough rummage (in which I found a beautiful hardback copy of The Complete Sherlock Holmes but made myself put it back because of the price) he told me about these two second hand book shops a short walk away. So of course, I had to go and investigate!
One was this beautiful old Victorian looking store. It had two levels and was packed with masses of beautiful old fashioned books from floor to ceiling, even the stairs were overflowing with them! And my god, the smell…..
I didn’t buy anything from there though because they were all very pricey. But hey, it’s nice to look!
The next shop however was a different story and I came away with these:
Delirium by Lauren Oliver is a book that was recommended to me by Rocker-Sophz27’s (you can check out her review of it here. :)) It’s a dystopian YA book with a pretty interesting premise! It’s set in a future where love has been labeled as a disease. I thought the world setup sounded pretty cool so when I saw it for a bargain I decided to buy it!
Room by Emma Donoghue is a somewhat more sinister book that I have seen praised all over the blogosphere. It takes a look at a young boy named Jack and his mother who are locked in a room. It sounds like it could be a very emotional and in depth read which might discuss issues like Stockholm Syndrome – I’m really looking forward to reading it.
However the book I’m most excited about finding is
this one! The Brontës by Juliet Barker. I almost missed it tucked away in the corner on the bottom shelf where nobody tends to look!
It’s a non-fiction book that delves into the life of the Brontë family and the legacy they left behind. I fell in love with the book Wuthering Heights a couple of years back and recently read several posts by Jillian, that inspired me to find out more about the life of Emily Brontë and the rest of the family. It’s 830 pages so I imagine it will be pretty in depth, and even though I’m not really a non-fiction kind of person I can’t wait to dive in!
Something New:
After the trip to town which essentially broke my book ban, I felt the craving to buy MORE. (I guess this is what happens when you go cold turkey huh?) And then I got an email through from The Book People saying they had FREE DELIVERY for orders over £10.
You know what’s coming next don’t you?
These two TECHNICALLY aren’t actually breaking my book ban. I already owned The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde on PDF, but I really hate reading on PDF. 😛 Shadow of the Night by Deborah Harkness is the second book in a series, and I said I would allow myself subsequent books in series if they were ones I already owned. Not that I’ve actually READ the first book in the series yet…..but it was a good deal! It was very cheap for a pretty hardback dammit and I couldn’t resist!
And then, you know…..I just HAD to buy this while I was there too, because the film adaption is coming out in September and I want to read the book before I see the film.
And then there’s these two beauties! And I was totally justified in buying them because…eeesh! Ohh all right I admit it I have ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION FOR BUYING THESE TWO! Although I’m pretty sure it had something to do with Bookloversity’s awesome review of it reminding me how much I love the author and how much I wanted to buy the books.
Plus I didn’t go looking for these books, they found me, honest! They came up on the ‘people who bought this also bought’ and they had such pretty covers…and then I saw that they were hardbacks…and then before I even knew what was happening Immortal Beloved was in my basket, and then I saw the second book, and here we are.
Something Borrowed:
My friend over at Escaping Reality With Books suggested that we do a book swap, which of course I was ohh so too happy to oblige. So now I have this big bundle of goodness to read too!
Something blue:
And well, a lot of the books I’ve talked about above, also just so happen to be blue. 😉
So there you have it, my book haul with a twist. 🙂
P.S. The book ban is back on, hopefully I’ll do better this time! :s
Image Sources:
All images used are my own.
Blogs-Of-A-Bookaholic 
This is an amazing book haul!
I’ve been on book-bans before and it never works. Book are life. XD
Hahaa thank you! I’m really looking forward to reading them. 😀
Hmm, by the looks of it I think I’m probably going to do the exact same thing as you! You’re right, books are definitely life.
P.S. Do you have your own blog? I only ask because your name isn’t linked to your blog so if you do I can’t look at it.
😀
That’s strange, it should link to my blog.. Hmm.
http://dramaticreviews.wordpress.com/
Woot! I’m currently reading Juliet Barker’s The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters. I think it’s the same book you’re reading, only with some updated research from recent findings? It was only published a couple weeks ago.
Anyway, I’m really excited you’ll be reading with me! I’m reading between several other books, so I’m sure it will take me quite a while. 😉
Ahh yeah, I noticed that on your blog, but it had a completely different front cover so I was wondering if it was the same book or not! I guess that answers my question. 🙂
Ohh I love it when that happens and you can really compare reading expiriences. 😀 I think I will definitely be reading it on and off with other books as well, because it’s so long, so it will take me quite a while too! 😛
This post was sooooo amazing. It kept me laughing from start to finish. It’s hopeless Becky, it really is. It’s an addiction, but a great addiction, so just give up and build more bookshelves!! When you love books like we do and you find deals, there is nothing that can stop you!! I gasped out loud when I saw that you got Shadow of Night. Yayyyyyy! It’s so amazing :). We just have to find other uses for our TBR piles, like maybe a door stopper or weight for pressing flowers LOL.
Hahaaa thank you! That means a lot! *blushes* 😀
Lol, I’m starting to agree with you I’m afraid, I mean….I thought I would last at least a LITTLE longer, but no. Haha. You’re right, it s a good adiction at least. I think one of my parents when I got new books through or something said sarcastically ‘god! Why can’t you be addicted to drugs like a normal kid?’ That made me laugh! 😛
Yeah, I think the urge to buy Shadow of the Night came from you and your blog posts! It made me want to but it while it was still in hardcover. Lol.
Ooooh yes! I like that plan, I like that plan a lot. 😛 Maybe I will make some stairs like this: http://juniperbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Book-Staircase.jpg
Haha, there are way too many books of mine that you haven’t read! I kinda hadn’t realised how many you had taken! Haha 🙂
Haha I knowww! It didn’t seem like that many at the time, but when I started photographing them and putting them all on the post I was like….uhhh how am I going to read all these?!? 😛
You took quite a lot of mine too though, so we’re pretty equal me thinks 🙂 Plus, you’ve got the Grimm Fairytales! Good luck with that one lol 😉
Haha, Yeah I guess. Nearly a shelf worth of books.
Haha yeah thanks about that. Should be interesting
Wow, I thought I liked books! I’m never close to finishing my pile before I buy new ones, but I’ve never acquired that many at once before. It can be stressful (what if you don’t read them all), but I know it’s always exciting having new books.
I read Room by Emma Donoghue and I really liked that book. I liked the style of the writing, but I should warn you that there are some darker elements to the story.
And of course, I’m always happy when someone reads the Lord of the Rings 🙂
Hahaaa, yep it is a special talent I feel. 😛 I seem to be particularly good at it, even when I am trying not to be!
I get exactly what you mean, it is quite stressful – in a weird way. Sometimes I even have dreams where I get given a prognosis that I’m going to die in …. weeks, and it’s a nightmare – not because im ‘dying’ but because of all the books I won’t be able to finish! It’s a strange dream, but I’ve had it more than once.
Ohh well that’s good to know. 🙂 Yeah I’m expecting there to be quite a lot of dark elements because of the subject matter. I don’t read ‘dark’ stuff that often but I actually really enjoy dark books. That probably sounds weird….but ohh well.
I’m really looking forward to finally finishing the LOTR trilogy!
OH MY GOSH, Becks, you went totally off the rails with your vow – see how I worked in another reference with the “something borrowed!!”
I have to admit though, that I love your style. MLB knows anytime we go to a flea market (boot sale for you :)) I will buy at least one book. I’m a book person like you, but you actually read them! hehe
I love the sound of that Bronte book. I’m fascinated by that family. Must have been something. Look forward to your take on it.
Congrats on the books – I was only teasing because I would have done the same thing.
HAHAAA nice one mj! You certainly have a talent for those puns. 🙂
Thank you. Yeah I do read them, but I do have some on my shelves that I’ve had for about three or four years that I haven’t picked up yet! Still I will work my way to them eventually….I hope. 😛
Ohhh so do I! I still can’t believe I found it, the name just caught my eye luckily. It’s definitely the book I’m the most excited about getting!
Thank you. 🙂
Wow! You weren’t joking about being a bookaholic!
Hahaa nope I sure wasn’t! It’s a full on addiction. 😛
Heyy, thanks for the mention! I’m so glad you decided to pick up Delirium 🙂 I had to read The Picture Of Dorian Gray for A-level English lit, it’s a great book! I have Crossed and Matched in my TBR pile too but I’m kinda putting off reading them because they sound really similar to a few of the books I’ve read recently, so I don’t want it to start getting redundant, I’ll look out for your reviews! 🙂
Heyy, no problemo my friend. 🙂
Oooh that’s good to hear, I imagine it’s quite a good one to use for English lit as well because it’s so short! 😛 I think I vaguely know the story from an episode of goosebumps I watched when I was younger, but its very fuzzy so I’m looking forward to reading the real thing.
Ohh cool! Yeah I get what you mean, the worlds gone dystopian crazy and I don’t like it when things get repetative. I read the first book Matched; it was alright, but not my favourite. I didn’t get on with the two lead characters very well. I’m hoping Crossed will be better. 🙂
Yeah it is really good, it’s got some really beautiful imagry as well because the language was so different back then. Oooh I’ll have to see how I get on with it when I get round to reading it! X
Ooh beautiful imagery – that sounds great!
I will look forward to seeing what you think of it sometime in the future. 🙂 x
Wow what a haul! Enjoy reading them! Any chance the amazing second hand book store is near my neck of the woods?!
Thank you, I’m sure I will! 🙂
Unfortunately it’s not that near Surrey, but I’m sure there are some great bookshops near you too!
Awesome haul! I might try to find that Bronte book at the library because of Jane Eyre. I have a Barnes and Nobles Edition of the book that has a brief bio of Charlotte Bronte, but I think it would be interesting to know more about her and her sisters.
Also, I love The Picture of Dorian Grey; it’s my favorite gothic novel. I too, have it in PDF format, but I don’t mind 🙂 I’ll have to review it when I reread the book again.
Do you think you could review Stardust sometime? Neil Gaiman is my favorite fantasy author, but I have been reluctant to read Stardust because it didn’t seem interesting to me.
Thanks, I’m quite proud of it! 😛 Oooh that sounds like a really good idea, from what I’ve heard they had really fascinating lives, and they are all very different from each other in terms of personality. I hope you decide to pursue that idea.
Ahh that’s good to know, it seems like there are quite a few people that love the book so I’m really looking forward to reading it now.
Sure, no problem! I’ll make sure I pick up Stardust next, just as soon as I finish reading my two current books. I haven’t read any Neil Gaiman before so I won’t be able to compare it to his other books, but you can expect a full review. 😀
Have you seen the film or did you avoid it?
I avoided the film version of Stardust; when it comes to books I haven’t read that have been made into a movie, I’d rather read the book first most of the time.
Hope you enjoy The Picture of Dorian Grey 😀
I usually try to do it that way around too, whenever I can. 🙂 I have seen the film Stardust though, I didn’t even realise it was based on a book when I saw it!
Thanks!
I’ve put off reading Room for the moment, sounds too depressing. The Brontës sounds great; I’d like to read that one myself.
I’m reading Shadow of Night in the next couple of weeks (have a couple of novels to finish before then). I loved A Discovery of Witches so I can’t wait to see what Diana and Matthew get up to in the next book.
Lovely pics.
Haha fair enough, it does look like it’s going to be a very serious and possibly disturbing read, so I can see why you might want to put it off for a while. I think it would be a good idea to cushion it between two lighthearted reads as well.
Ohh cool, I hope you enjoy it! I haven’t read A Discovery of Witches yet but I’m looking forward to reading it, it has a very pretty front cover. 🙂
Haha, thank you, I enjoyed taking them.
Girl, You are Crazy. haha. That is a lot of books. Btw- I love Sarah Dessen, even though I only read one thing by her years ago. It was a great story.
Hahaa yes. Yes I am. It’s a good kind of crazy though…..I think. :S
Ohh it’s good to find someone else that’s read some Sarah Dessen books and enjoyed them. 🙂 I’ve read two of hers so far, Lock and Key, and The Truth About Forever. I find them quite enjoyable for lighthearted reads.
You’re doing Stardust??? Woohoo! I can’t wait to see what you think of that one; I loved all the imagery in it. And I’ve read some of the other stuff, but for the most part don’t know these titles. It’ll be interesting to see what you make of them- some have very pretty covers 🙂 Unfortunately that’s the only real thought on the top of my head right now. Good book covers.
Haha yeah! I wasn’t that bothered about reading it until I saw your review of it a couple of months ago, you made it sound like a fun read. 🙂 So then I remembered that my friend had it on her bookshelf, so I made a mental note so that I would remember to borrow it!
Yeah, there’s quite a lot of chick lit there actually, not my favourite genre by far but occasionally you do come across some good ones.
Thanks for commenting!
Yay, Dorian Gray! Weeeeeeee!!!! Absolutely loved that novella! But goodness, that’s a lot of books. Might have to come up there and help you build another bookshelf 😉 He he…
I really enjoyed Stardust the movie and have heard a lot about Gaiman so I’d be interested to hear your thoughts about that one, and Meg Cabot too… 🙂
Haha yepp! Wooop woop! It was recommended to me by I friend so I’m hoping I’m going to really enjoy it. 🙂 And of course, hearing that you loved it only makes me want to read it even more!
Ohh yes, very kind of you to offer, I really need a new bookshelf. 😉
Yeah I thought the film was really cool, so it will be interesting to compare it to the book. I’m reading Meg Cabot at the moment (it’s kind of taken over from The Great Gatsby….which I am avoiding. :L It’s going to be an interesting review that one…) and it’s quite a funny book. 🙂
Oscar Wilde’s a brilliant writer(was?) although he can be somewhat self-indulgent in his prose. But I love the philosophical message behind the story – it really makes you think. I hope you enjoy it too! 🙂
Ohhh wow that sounds great. 🙂 It’s a book I don’t actually know all that much about in terms of background history (the author, the time it was written in, or how important it was in influencing other authors etc) so I’m looking foward to investigating that too. 🙂
Thanks!
That is an awesome haul! But since you were denying yourself for 3 whole months!!!! I completely understand. I have been thinking I need to read Dorian Gray as well. It is a sign! 🙂
I also have Room and have been putting it off for lighter fare…
Have fun with your books! You have some good fun times ahead of you!! 🙂
(I loved Stardust by the way! Hope you enjoy)
Thank you 😀 Haha yeah I think I made up for all of the three months of not buying in one go!
Ohhh well in that case, I say go for it! Definitely. Hmm I don’t blame you with Room, its going to deal with some very heavy topics, and I imagine could also be quite disturbing in places.
Haha thank you, I’m sure I will! Stardust is up next, after I finish my two latests reads. (Gatsby is taking me forever!)
Awesome book haul! 🙂 Not sure if you’re going to like Delirium though. Interesting on hearing your opinions on it 😉
Thanks! 🙂 Haha ohh right ok, that’s intriguing. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! 😛 So far, I seem to be agreeing with your view on The Great Gatsby though, I’m not enjoying it very much at all!
A lot of words, barely anything happening, right?:) I do hope you enjoy all your books. I’m jealous, I need to get out and visit a bookstore myself and soon.
Haha exactly! Thanks. 🙂
Well what are you waiting for? Rush out to a bookstore, right now! I command thee! Hehee, such a bad influence. 😉
I’ve sorta been doing a book ban, but I got to the library once and week. I do have to read a book in my booklog (even if its just a kids book) before I go though!
Ahh, I hope it’s been going better than mine has! Using the library is a great idea, extra books and you don’t have to pay for them. 😛 Sounds like a good system to me! 🙂
You should be able to find The Complete Sherlock Holmes for free on Project Gutenberg (Google that one if you haven’t heard of it…) TCSH was one of the first freebies I added to my Kindle! I loved The Picture of Dorian Gray, there was a lot of subtext going on there! Dorian Gray was Oscar Wilde’s only novel, by the way…
Haha yeah, I actually already own most of his works on PDF, it just so happened that this particular version I saw was ohh so beautiful! I mean…seriously, it looked so old fashioned and it was a huge beautiful hardback with gold on the edges of all the pages! *Sigh* I’m still in love with it now. Maybe one day… Thanks for the tip though!
Glad to hear you enjoyed Dorian Gray! I will make sure to keep an eye out for the subtext. 😛