NQAC: Biweekly Update #8: Book Buying Binge, Zoolander Face, and Hardcore Chew Toys

So, I may have started buying books (in earnest) again, as I've seen deals floating around that I can't help myself from buying. I'm a bit of an addict, which you might see when I'm featured on the Daily Mayo's Libraries In Real Life interview later this month. If you haven't seen what that's all about, click the link and head over: lots of pictures of beautiful shelf spaces and interviews with fellow book bloggers and bookworms.

Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):

Thrift Shopping:

Rarely do I ever find anything I really love at the Idaho thrift shops (Montana's are better- Montana has the most bookstores per capita, leading to excess books), BUT this time I found some nice books. In particular, Daughter of the Forest, which I've been looking for (for years) in thrift shops, finally came into my possession. All of these books were $2 or less each, which makes me a happy bargain bookworm (who is gleefully neglecting her New Year's resolutions).

The Queen's Bastard (Inheritor's Cycle #1) by C.E. Murphy
I have Murphy's Urban Shaman series (which I have yet to read) but decided to pick this nicely preserved paperback as well. As it turns out, this book isn't that well-loved among the Goodreads folks, with a rating average of 3.11, but I've been known to like many an unloved book that's come to me before.

The Tower of Ravens (Rhiannon's Ride #1) by Kate Forsyth
I have a soft spot for mythical creatures (and creatures in general) so when I saw the cover, which features a dual-curvy-horned Pegasus-type critter, I had to pick it up.

The Road to Underfall (Loremasters of Elundium #1) by Mike Jefferies
Another cover-lust impulse buy, this is an older fantasy novel of the traditional bent. Some of the Goodreads reviews are disheartening, but again, I have unusual taste and sometimes, the unpopular opinion.

Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marillier
I mentioned I was looking for this book for years, and it's true- I was unwilling to pay full price to get it. I saw it when I first joined Goodreads (roughly three years ago) and have been looking for it for cheap ever since. What makes this find better is I had previously bought the second book of the Sevenwaters, so I now have the first two of the series to read (whenever I get around to it).

Amazon/the-invisible-pile:

Forging Divinity (The War of Broken Mirrors #1) by Andrew Rowe
This is an indie book (with a beautiful cover) I saw offered on the Kindle Countdown Deals for less than a buck. A reviewer also recommended this for fans of Brandon Sanderson, which naturally applies to me. I'm hoping this ends up on the adult side of fantasy, but I've been tricked before.

The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley
A Kindle Daily Deal and an epic generational saga, I simply had to pick up The Midnight Rose. The average rating for this book is off the charts at 4.23, leading me to believe if I don't love it, I'll at least like it.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A major buzz book I've seen on other blogs, Station Eleven sounds like a good dystopia to read about. Plus, that cover's mighty fine looking, and I really was on a streak as far as book buying, at this point.

History of the Rain by Niall Williams
This is a book about Ireland, which of course, given the current month, I thought this would be appropriate to buy. I'm also lacking on books about Ireland for my Travel the World in Books Challenge, which contributed to my buy impulse.

Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews
What sucks for me with this book is I couldn't find it at Christmas when I looked in Barnes and Noble (so far I have no physical copies of Ilona Andrews' books, and I love them). But luckily, it was recently on sale for Kindle for $0.99- a steal when I was thinking of buying it at $4+ previously.

Also, take a look at those covers. One was rejected (and is from Ilona Andrews' blog). One is also cooler. Of course, they rejected the cool one. The only thing to like about the 'accepted' one is the man has serious Zoolander face going on. Don't believe me?

Yep, it's there. That guy better get a gig in the new movie, as Ben Stiller's stand-in. He's really, really, ridiculously good-looking, but belongs on a contemporary or military romance cover.

NetGalley:

I went a little wild (for me) on NetGalley and requested three books, one of which is a preview of a full book. I was actually really surprised I got approved for Unseemly Science, the second book of The Fall of the Gaslit Empire, because I've never been greenlighted for a book from Angry Robot until that one. I always tell myself when I request something "Nah, you won't get it- you're a small fish, Litha." and then I end up with a lot of books (all coming out in May).

Unseemly Science (The Fall of the Gas-lit Empire #2) by Rod Duncan
Expected Publication: May 5th
I really enjoyed the previous volume, The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter, and can't wait to see what mischief Elizabeth and her 'brother' get up to next. I think one of the key elements of my enjoyment of the first book was the lack of romance, but we shall see if Unseemly Science will be as unromantic.

Dreams of Shreds and Tatters by Amanda Downum
Expected Publication: May 12th
This is urban fantasy, but what drew me to the book was that cover. I love a good graphic design on the cover, even if it is in my least favorite color. The blurb on the cover says "Lovecraftian Urban Fantasy, Beautifully Written, and Beautifully Paced." Hopefully it will live up to that promise.

When the Heavens Fall by Marc Turner (Preview Excerpt)
Expected Publication: May 19th
This is blurbed to be a book for fans of Patrick Rothfuss, who is one of my favorite authors. I'm also a fan of darker fantasy, which this is supposed to be. I think it will be a little odd to review a preview excerpt, but I've reviewed shorter things before.

Won:

I won a lovely signed copy of Four Rubbings (Stone Witch #1) by Jennifer Hotes, along with some book swag (a magnet and bookmark), which was express-shipped to me (making me feel special). This sounds like the perfect spooky story, which is being billed as a YA thriller. The title comes from the characters actions: they go to a cemetery (on Halloween, no less) to rub grave inscriptions onto paper (I just take photos of the graves I like). The cover is actually really cool in person, which is a shame because when you first see it on Goodreads it looks computer generated or Photoshopped (when in actuality it looks like an oil painting).

Thank you, Jennifer Hotes and Booktrope Publishing!


Currently Reading:

Unseemly Science (The Fall of the Gas-lit Empire #2) by Rod Duncan

Dreams of Shreds and Tatters by Amanda Downum

The Pianist by Władysław Szpilman
Holocaust memoirs are always a difficult read, but I've seen the film version of this (which is magnificent) so I may as well read the book. I've been in the mood for a lot of books that I've already seen the film of, though I'm not sure why. Maybe so I can know the basic plot won't disappoint me?

The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
(Rereading for the third time) I'm rereading this for the Travel the World in Books Readalong, but I think I may remember a little too much of it for it to be compelling for me. Still, I love the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and all the bookish quotes within these pages.

Finished These Books:

Hmm... I haven't finished a lot of books lately (other than the ones I've reviewed here) due to my ongoing physical therapy (which is actually easing up my neck and posture problems). I'm also kind of unsure what to read, as I'm not in the mood for anything special, when usually I have a specific mindset for a genre. Mostly, I'm trying to eat up my review copies and review those so I can free-range read whatever I like whenever I want (like a normal person).

In the Blogosphere:

I'm scrapping my 'in the blogosphere' segment this week because I have been lax about saving posts on Bloglovin' and 1+ing posts on G+ (which may or may not live that long anyway).

In My Life:

I've often said my dogs are crazy, but recently I verified my Dorkie's insane certificate. Keisha what I call a 'witch's hut' set up under my mom's bed, with a dust ruffle door, where she hides things (various rags, soft pajamas, you name it). About a week ago, when I came into my mom's room, she dragged out what I assumed to be a dental pick (plastic flosser) from her witch's hut, but upon examination, it turned out to be something less innocuous.

That, of course, is not a chew toy. That is a disposable razor. It has dangerously thin strips of metal which are easy to cut yourself on. Keisha must have pica, because honestly, what kind of dog sees a razor as a chew toy? I looked at her little mouth, and from what I could tell there was no lasting damage (and/or self-amputation of her tongue). I'm just lucky she chose to show me what she had in her witch's hut, because that could've ended badly. I've also explained to my mom the importance of keeping sharp objects away from Keisha's reach, because she acts like a two year old human, instead of a six year old Dorkie.

Do you have any book covers you love to hate?