Books of the Month (January '14)

I buy A LOT of books. Some weeks I buy more than others but as a whole I'd say I can end up buying upwards of 5 a week. For some that might be nothing, but considering I have a strict rule about the condition of my books when I purchase them, my funding to buy brand new books isn't where I'd like it to be. Even so, I rather starve myself in order to buy books.

Therefore, after someone asked me if I ever blog about the books I buy I began to wonder if I should? I'd hate to just list every month "here's what I bought" as if to show off what I have and you don't? Nah...my blog is more of a "here's what I've read and why you should too."

So, I think I will not only list what books I have bought every month, but also give a sentence or two on WHY I purchased this book out of ALL the others I may have seen in the book store. Trust me it will be no more than a sentence or two! Especially this month because I may have gone a bit crazy with buying books! But hey, I got over $200 worth of B&N gift cards! What did you expect?

Books purchased from 12/28 - 1/31:

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton - This is one of those titles that just caught my eye right away in the mystery section. With so many flashy titles substituting bakery or cat lingo for murder in their titles, there was something about this one that said, "pick me! pick me!"

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell - Whatever Glenn Beck recommends I buy and I read. Some quicker than others. This is one of those that it seems EVERYONE is reading (as well as his earlier books which I may pick up as well if I like this one).

Good Tidings and Great Joy by Sarah Palin - I read her last two books from cover to cover and loved them both. Stands to reason I should love this one.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - I met Margaret Atwood at a book signing in Washington, DC last September. When I met her I had only read The Handmaid's Tale at the time even though the "it" book of hers was the conclusion to her trilogy. I figured I aught to give it a chance...

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood - see previous answer...

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - Heard great things about this book. The cover and the title always spoke to me, but I held out until the paperback edition came out before I purchased it.

Lone Survivor by Marcus Lutrell - uhm, DUH!

The Last Lion (Visions of Glory: 1874-1932) by William Manchester - I've been searching high and low, far and wide, for as comprehensive a book as I could find on the life of Winston Churchill and it looks like the only way I could find one was with this 3 book set.

The Last Lion (Alone: 1932-1940) by William Manchester

The Last Lion (Defender of the Realm: 1940-1965) by William Manchester

Hollow City: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children the Sequel by Ransom Riggs - I know I wasn't the only one waiting for this book to come out!? I was so excited I actually went to work late and had B&N go down into their stock room to get it for me! Can you imagine the store had been open 10 minutes and they didn't have it on the shelves yet?!

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell - Love the movie and when I saw this on the shelf in passed I just had to get it.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela - I'm slowly collecting autobiographies on world leaders who deserve to be remembered and studied. Nelson Mandela is on my short list.

Perfect by Rachel Joyce - Her debut book about Harold Frye was so great I just couldn't put it down. I still remember seeing the title and standing there, in the middle of the store, reading the book. I got to page 20 before I realized I should just buy the damn thing. I'm sure this book will have that same effect on me.

The Sting Man: Inside Abscam by Robert W. Greene - The movie, I've heard, is amazing, and so before I see it I'd like to read the book it was based on.

Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers by Valerie Lawson - See previous answer.

Daughter of Destiny: An Autobiography by Benazir Bhutto - I ordered this book through Amazon last year and it arrived in a condition that was unacceptable to me. I gave it away to a friend. On a whim, I decided to try again and see if I would yet again receive a copy as dreadful as the last? It was brand new! So now I can finally read about this infamous woman. The first and only female Prime Minister of Palestine who was assassinated.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo - I've heard of this true story (who hasn't) and now it's been made into a movie starring Greg Kinnear (who I love) and so I must read it before I see the movie.

*Splintered by A. G. Howard - I love the cover art. Isn't that a good enough reason to buy a book?

*Unhinged by A. G. Howard - see previous answer.

*Philomena: A Mother, Her Son, and Fifty-Year Search by Martin Sixsmith - I love Dame Judi Dench and I'm excited for this movie starring her. And yet again, can't see a movie that's based on a book before I've read the book.

*The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel - see previous answer.

*Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd - I pre-ordered this book through her parents small book shop. She will be personalizing the book as well! Aside from that, her debut book, The Madman's Daughter, was another great story I couldn't put down until I finished the entire thing.

*not pictured above