NQAC: Biweekly Update #9: Mountains of Books and That '80s Motorhome Reno

My weeks have become a bit of a blur- I actually missed one of my appointments because I've had such a nonstop schedule. However, I did manage to acquire a mountain of books in the last few weeks: some deals were too good to pass up!

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

Thrift Shopping:

I found killer deals on some of R.A. Salvatore's books, so naturally I bought all three bricks/omnibuses (I told my mother I could build a wall with them if I didn't like them- and was only slightly kidding). Also, another book I bought out of order for the Avalon series (which I just can't buy new), and The Dragonbone Chair, which I've passed up before but decided to buy this time because Idaho isn't exactly sporting the glut of SFF books that Montana does.

The Icewind Dale Trilogy Collector's Edition (The Icewind Dale Trilogy #1-3 omnibus) by R.A. Salvatore

Legacy of the Drow Collector's Edition (Legacy of the Drow #1-4 omnibus) by R.A. Salvatore

Paths of Darkness Collector's Edition (Paths of Darkness #1-4 omnibus) by R.A. Salvatore

The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #1) by Tad Williams

Ancestors of Avalon (Avalon #5) by Diana L. Paxson, Marion Zimmer Bradley

Amazon/the-invisible-pile:

The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle #1) by Miles Cameron
It has dragons in it. I buy books with dragons in them. Enough said.

NetGalley:

I thought all my requests had been answered two weeks ago, but I received another ARC from NetGalley this week (which I had frankly forgotten entirely about requesting it).

The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key #1) by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
This is also pegged as Victorian Urban Fantasy, a label which disappointed me in The Eterna Files, but we'll see how it goes.

Won/Given:
A few weeks ago, I won a couple of books and bookmarks from My Addiction: Books' blogiversary party.

Slip (Slip #1) by David Estes, and some super sweet signed bookmarks from the man himself.

And also, The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, which I devoured awhile ago.

But wait- there's more! Last week my mom bought an older motorhome from some people in a rural area near one of the cities around these parts. She'd told the lady about my book blog when she went there a week before, and the lady sent me a pile of books when my mom finally went and bought the thing.

Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt

The White Queen (The Cousins' War #1) by Philippa Gregory

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) by Alexander McCall Smith (which I'm currently reading)

I'm pretty overbooked for reading time at the moment!

Currently Reading:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Yawn-inducing, but the plot is interesting. Too bad half the book is description!

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) by Alexander McCall Smith
I'm liking it a lot, despite it not being my usual read. But because it's semi-contemporary set in Botswana, it almost reads like a historical because their (late nineties) technology isn't exactly the tech of 2015.

Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman
Because I've been in such a strange reading mood lately, I decided to spur my speed by reading a book I haven't read from one of my favorite authors. So far, it's good, because Diet Dr. Pepper is mentioned. I love Diet Dr. Pepper!

Finished These Books:

Dreams of Shreds and Tatters by Amanda Downum
You'll hear all about this in an upcoming review. Although it was beautifully penned, the plot and characters weren't my favorites.

The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 by Władysław Szpilman

You may have seen my review of it late yesterday- it was an excellent book.

Worth: Lord of Reckoning by Grace Burrowes
Pretty usual fare as far as historical romance goes, but I loved the hero/heroine combo. I also saw some negative reviews complaining about the heroine not succumbing semi-soon to the hero's charms- that was actually something that made me rate this three stars. I can't stand the predictable formula most historical romance books throw together, and this book didn't follow it.

In the Blogosphere:
Skipping this segment to get this post published within a reasonable time frame- I am the consummate procrastinator lately!

In My Life:

Speaking of the old ('80s) motor home, we are currently freshening it up with new paint and upholstery. We have our colors, but the painting and stitching will go on next weekend (maybe).

(I love gray and pastels in real life too.)

Anyone else have any renovation or painting projects in their near future?