Last week I finished the last three books on the Booker Prize shortlist (two of which I've not reviewed yet, but will get to this week):
The Long Song, by Andrea Levy (which I enjoyed immensely and can definitely recommend)
In A Strange Room, by Damon Galgut (which I also enjoyed very much)
The Finkler Question, by Howard Jacobson (which was good, maybe not my favorite of the bunch)
This week I'm planning to finish
Betrayal, by Helen Dunmore -- historical fiction set during Stalin's time in the USSR
and if it gets here on time,
The Stars in the Bright Sky, by Alan Warner. If it doesn't arrive by the time I finish Betrayal, then we'll call it a Booker Dozen and move on. And there's a good chance this will happen.
Sadly, by the time I went to Book Depository to pick up Warner's book, they were sold out and so I had to rely on Amazon for a used copy from the UK. Then to my abject horror, I was looking over my order details a few days after I ordered it, and realized that I had bought it from a seller who never came through with a book I'd ordered a few months ago, but in the meantime had changed their seller name! I should have done my Nancy Drew investigation before ordering the book, but I obviously wasn't thinking.
so, if the Warner book doesn't arrive, then this week I'll be starting a new book called Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End, by Leif G.W. Persson, a Swedish crime novel that's the first of three in a series. And I'm planning to digest Tony Blair's autobiography A Journey: My Political Life a little at a time as well.
Next week I think just some well-deserved crime fiction as my reward for the last 2 months. I have a new one coming from Book Depository called Frozen Moment by Camille Ceder which looks appealing.
AND....I'm giving away a copy of Emma Donoghue's Room -- international entries are welcome! Don't miss it.
that's it...I'm going to have an awesome reading week!
That's so annoying about the seller. I had a similar experience recently from b&n and am still waiting for the book.
ReplyDeleteYou can imagine how stupid I felt! And I didn't want to fork over more $ for another book, so this one was my fault.
ReplyDeleteBummer about your back but yay for the reading time. :)
ReplyDeleteYour books sound good - hope you have a wonderful week!
I know most of the resellers are pretty reputable, but I also had trouble with one recently and it has made me a little gun-shy to order from one again even though they have assured me my book is in route, but it must be Traveling the world on its way here.
ReplyDeleteDollycas
http://dollycas.blogspot.com/
@Gautami: It happens to the very best of us. Trust me, I've been there!
ReplyDelete@Sheila: I think you'd enjoy The Long Song!
@Lori: I have had excellent luck with resellers until my first dealings with these people. Had I been smart, and realized who it was, I would have rather paid more from a more reputable seller after my other experience. I have to say, it certainly takes balls to change your seller name.
I hope you do get your book! That sucks, that someone is a seller on Amazon and doesn't follow through!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the books you did receive.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Laurel, you're welcome! The time before this they put a 3-week arrival time on the book and I even gave them an extra 3 days before I emailed them. What happens is that they use DHL Global and it is the absolute worst mailing service on the face of the planet. Sorry if that offends anyone, but well, it is what it is. Oh well. Live and learn.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great list of books - you really have been busy! I've got the Emma Donoghue book on my "read soon" list - trying to get to it in the next couple of weeks. Hope you have another great week of reading (and that the back feels better).
ReplyDeleteOoh, that Swedish crime novel sounds good... and a worthy treat after your marathon effort with the Booker list.
ReplyDelete