Book Hauls!

[GOLLUM]

While I was away the following books arrived...

The Portrait of Mrs Charbuque - Jeffrey Ford
V - Thomas Pynchon
The Passion Of New Eve - Angela Carter
Poor Things - Aladsair Gray

[nomadman]

Have just ordered:

The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories by Horacio Quiroga
The Dark Domain by Stefan Grabinski
The Human Chair (Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination) by Edogawa Rampo
The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati

Have also been fortunate enough to find a Fantasy Masterworks edition of Hope Mirrlees' Lud-In-The-Mist going cheap on ebay, which is a real find, as I'm currently trying to complete my collection.

On a somewhat related note, I've recently begun collecting books from the new Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural series, which has brought back into print such classics as Richard Marsh's The Beetle and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out among others.

[Aleksei]

I am (un)patiently waiting for these books to arrive.

I Am Legend - Richard Matheson
Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited - Aldous Huxley
The Storm Dragon - James Wyatt
The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson
The Fox - Sherwood Smith
The Sea of Change - Patricia Bray
Primary Inversion - Catharine Asaro
Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews
Z for Zachariah - Robert O'brien
Sun of Suns - Karl Schroeder

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Aleksei

Z for Zachariah - Robert O'brien

Good list you have there. I particularly remember this book about 20 years ago at school and thinking it was quite a decent read....

[j. d. worthington]

Teresa: Thanks for mentioning My Eyes Mint Gold... I'd not heard about that one, though I do have a copy of Maeve's book on Peake....

Originally Posted by nomadman

The Human Chair (Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination) by Edogawa Rampo

You know... I've tried to get copies of that several times, with no success... it's always out of stock. Let me know what you think of it; I've only read a handful of his stories... very unsettling.

On a somewhat related note, I've recently begun collecting books from the new Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural series, which has brought back into print such classics as Richard Marsh's The Beetle and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out among others.

Didn't know about those two being part of that set, but I've seen several of the others... very nice series. Love to have the whole set, frankly.....

[nomadman]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

You know... I've tried to get copies of that several times, with no success... it's always out of stock. Let me know what you think of it; I've only read a handful of his stories... very unsettling.

I've actually read several of the stories before: The Human Chair, The Caterpillar, The Hell of Mirrors and The Red Chamber. As you pointed out, very unsettling. What's striking for me is how perversely simple many of his ideas are, how close to the surface real horror can lurk, in everyday objects, events, innocuous Japanese housewives... I'll try to write a proper review when I've read the rest.

Didn't know about those two being part of that set, but I've seen several of the others... very nice series. Love to have the whole set, frankly.....

There are currently three of Wheatley's books in that series: The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter, and The Haunting of Toby Jugg. Not enough, says I. There's also a nice fat collection of Sapper's early Bulldog Drummond novels to tide any pulp lover over for a bit. Good times. If you're ever in London check out Lovejoy's bookshop in Charing Cross Road (just past Foyles), which to the best of my knowledge stocks all the books in the series.

[Aniri]

Well, I bought the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb, but that's because I was impatient. I have ordered and received the Ship Trader trilogy through my online book swap...can you say CHEAP?
I highly recommend the book swap site.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by nomadman

I've actually read several of the stories before: The Human Chair, The Caterpillar, The Hell of Mirrors and The Red Chamber. As you pointed out, very unsettling. What's striking for me is how perversely simple many of his ideas are, how close to the surface real horror can lurk, in everyday objects, events, innocuous Japanese housewives... I'll try to write a proper review when I've read the rest.

Yes, that's one of the most unsettling aspects of his work, I think. Just to show how warped my childhood was... I first read "The Human Chair" (in an anthology edited by Peter Haining, Beyond the Curtain of Dark) when I was about 9 or so.... along with Patricia Highsmith's "The Snail Watcher", Bierce's "Chickamauga....

Beyond the Curtain of Dark by Peter Haining

There are currently three of Wheatley's books in that series: The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter, and The Haunting of Toby Jugg. Not enough, says I. There's also a nice fat collection of Sapper's early Bulldog Drummond novels to tide any pulp lover over for a bit. Good times. If you're ever in London check out Lovejoy's bookshop in Charing Cross Road (just past Foyles), which to the best of my knowledge stocks all the books in the series.

Been a looong time since I read Wheatley (early? 1970s), so I should probably revisit them at some point. I have an early printing of Bulldog Drummond somewhere in the many boxes of books in storage, but (sadly) it's the only one I've got, so that would be a neat series to get... eventually. Incidentally... anyone here recall the Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult?

Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult

A to L : Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult

M to Z : Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult

I used to have some of those, but never saw the entire series... wonder what happened to them.....?

[Aleksei]

Originally Posted by Aniri

Well, I bought the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb, but that's because I was impatient. I have ordered and received the Ship Trader trilogy through my online book swap...can you say CHEAP?
I highly recommend the book swap site.

I could never send away my books..

[murphy]

Originally Posted by Aniri

Well, I bought the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb, but that's because I was impatient. I have ordered and received the Ship Trader trilogy through my online book swap...can you say CHEAP?
I highly recommend the book swap site.

Link, please.

[Aniri]

Originally Posted by Aleksei

I could never send away my books..

Oh I have plenty of hardcovers (lots signed too!) that I will treasure forever (or else pass on to my sons), but as for paperbacks, I tend to swap them. If I really like the series (or single book), I will purchase the hardcover for my shelves.

[Aniri]

Originally Posted by murphy

Link, please.

PaperBackSwap : Your source for swapping books online!
(hope it's OK to post the link...if not, sorry )

[murphy]

Originally Posted by Aniri

PaperBackSwap : Your source for swapping books online!
(hope it's OK to post the link...if not, sorry )

Thanks for the link. I may try it with books I bought that were a mistake. I tried donating to the Salvation Army, but they said the books would just be destroyed. I may not have liked them, but I couldn't destroy them. There might be someone out there who would like them.

[Aniri]

Absolutely. I agree...I'd much rather pass them on then have them destroyed.

[Connavar]

A library haul


Ian Rankin - Rebus: Early years(Rebus book 1-3)
Raymond Chandler - The Raymond Chandler omnibus
Jeffrey Deaver - Garden of Beasts
George MacDonald Fraser - Flashman