After a week or two in the wilderness – by which I mean not on the internet much – I am returned (and will do a drive by commenting on all your blogs tomorrow) and it seems like a good time to recap on the books I have been picking up cheaply in the last few months from second hand places.
I Stared at the Night of the City will be the first book I have read which has been translated from Kurdish so looking forward to that and it is good to see that my quest to collect émile Zola’s Rougon-Macquart sequence in completely non matching editions is still going strong.
There is something of a travel theme here, which I will no doubt mention again soon as I am off somewhere for a few weeks but I will ‘create’ a bit of drama by leaving the destination for a later post. It’s been a while since I looked foolish with my poor linguistic skills, embarrassment needs an airing every so often.
That’s your lot for today, whilst I attempt to catch up but a more inspired post will come you way next time, promise!
Book to the Future 
OOOOooo, “The Decameron,” “The Decameron”! You’ll love it! A number of grotty stories, and some serious literary work as well. Can’t wait to read your post!
LikeLike
I shall get to it after I complete A Dance, of which I just finished book seven Valley of Bones. The Decameron sounds like a grittier version of The Canterbury Tales.
LikeLike
Things were a bit different during the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance: that is, everyone was free to tell his or her own version of a popular tale. There are tales in Boccaccio’s “Decameron” which were also told in another version by Petrarch and Chaucer. Enjoy!
LikeLike
A theme no doubt taken from all the borrowed ancient myths. I look forward to comparing and contrasting them. I just had a look for Petrarch but think I was mistaking him for Petronius, which is a handy reminder to read The Satyricon.
LikeLike
Yes, “The Satyricon” has been overdue on my list for a long time too. Petrarch wrote a lot of poetry devoted to an ideal woman named Laura (punning on l’aura, or “golden one.”). His Italian name was Petrarca, I believe, unless I’m forgetting a letter somewhere.
LikeLike
I did not know that, well that’s yet another book added to the list as well which is always welcome news. I almost started The Satyricon last year but narrowly avoided it by moving house.
LikeLike
Am I a bit of a nerd for thinking that ‘Discovering Place-names is the most interesting one there?
I once lived near Pett Bottom in Kent. Pett in that case means Pit, I hasten to add!
LikeLike
I read that is Pert Bottom oddly. For 60p it was really worth it, I think I probably spent about 15 minutes just reading it in the shop of which I was the only one in so really took my time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I must admit I’ve never heard of any of these books (although I know who Zola is!) I’m loving the shipwreck/water/travel theme! It’s funny how sometimes you’ll subconsciously be drawn to certain themes and you don’t notice until you line all of the books up in a row.
Welcome back! Looking forward to reading your thoughts on these books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, it is good to be back!
I wasn’t conscious of a theme at the time but it is pretty good to see one after the fact, although I would quite happily have made a tenuous link between had they been vastly different. I’m looking forward to introducing you to yet more new books.
LikeLike
I noticed the last two years that I seemed to take interest in listening to books with either a time travel/time slip theme, going between past and present. Also ones classed as ‘magical realism’ genre which I’d not heard of until last year. Not looked up the official definition but think it’s sort of fantasy but more realistic…maybe
LikeLike
Blimey what a stash! You are going to be having so much fun…
LikeLiked by 1 person
The problem is where to start…
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! I love Liz’s comment! 🙂
LikeLike
She’s certainly spot on too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another interesting selection Ste J! I look forward to your impressions as always. Good to hear you are planning another foray abroad!
LikeLike
Something different is needed and it will be something right out of my comfort zone as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have usually been lucky when trying something new but as I get older and seem to have less time for reading as well I am much more wary of venturing into unknown territory. I make it a point of principle to always finish a book and if it is really not a pleasant experience I resent the waste of precious time. I suspect that I’m not being as daring as I used to be!
LikeLike
It does become easier to stick to one genre or type of book and I am impressed that you can finish books you don’t enjoy. Time is too precious to spend with bad books I think but I am hoping to keep up my odd luck of finding really good books. Daring is one thing but it is good to stick with what you know will be quality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You find the most interesting books. Reminds me to get myself to a used bookstore stat! That said, I don’t know when I’ll be getting new bookshelves. At this point, it looks like we may not be remodeling our house, so the built-in shelves that I’d been planning on may not appear. Sob. But we still have to discuss a partial remodel…stay tuned. Am dying to know where you’re going.
LikeLike
I have finally broken my silence of my destination, in the latest post! I hope you do manage to get a partial remodel, which demands photos so we can all steal your ideas for more room for even more books. There is always the floor, when all other areas are exhausted.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! Have you been using the microwave to spy on my book storage methods? Yes, when the eventual remodel happens, I will be so happy to share photos of the new library. I can’t wait!
LikeLike
I figure 1- 2 hundred more books, and you should be able to build a 1 bedroom cottage!
Kidding aside, I admire your hunger for the obscure, translated and enchanted. Normally, at this point, I might say…. You rock!
Here, I’ll say ……. You read! (Ok & you rock, 2!)
LikeLike
I would be most happy to have another hundred books! I sometimes rock when I read, if I am in a dramatic phase of the book. I love to dive into the obscure and the different and to bring it to your attention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A nice varied selection there. I’ve been quite good with the acquisitions, which means the TBR is bearable again (which is handy, as it’s time to photograph it tomorrow morning!).
LikeLike
Bearable? What is this word? I tried to be better but haven’t got rid of many books recently, just picked them up. I am glad my selection meets your approval.
LikeLike
You have quite a stash going there, Steve. Happy reading and safe travels.
LikeLike
Thank you, both should keep me going for a while.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see you back, though I’ve been away a lot finishing something off. Not sure whether to be surprised at you reading the Decameron.
LikeLike
I hope to surprise you every so often, maybe one day I will read a second Mills & Boon book, that would be a surprise.
LikeLike
I’ve not heard of any of these. But there again, the books I am reading at the moment, one of those is by a little known author. I am just finishing up on Armada by Ernest Cline, then going back to Shadeward: Exoneration by Drew Wagar
LikeLike
I haven’t heard of those books either which is great as it is more to explore, the lesser known books can really be a treat when you find a really good one.
LikeLike
You are such a tease not telling us where you are going!
LikeLike
I’m all about the drama haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Travel theme sounds good! I’ve been thinking I’d like someone to read me a travel book. Haven’t really got one. Did have one a good few years ago set in Spain I think. Not seen it on my shelves.
Not heard of Emile Zola. That, the Kurdish translated one and perhaps the enchanted places and the silent world sound intriguing from their titles.
You really should check out my goodreads account and see what I have read over the past year! I’ve done reviews and ratings on there too. No idea if anyone actually reads them but I like keeping a record and looking back to remind myself what I’ve read. Actually found some notes I made in the first few months of 2009 of books I’d listened to, when they sent me casette tapes (!!) so I added them too.
It would be nice to know what more people think of the books I’ve read.
LikeLike
There are some brilliant ones, in fact one made me feel claustrophobic despite sitting in a sunny, spacious room. It’s a genre with some wonderful books in it, that makes the reader imagine doing something as crazy or epically different.
Due to the cheapness of the books, I was able to pick some of the books up based more on the title than the blurb but I think they will all be good reads.
Cassette tapes, I remember those, fond memories of putting a tape back in the plastic case and then forgetting which tape and side I was on so being all confused. I don’t go on Goodreads much, remind me when I come back over and I will be more attentive and give you feedback.
LikeLike
Someone I know knows someone who is 16 and they recently saw some video tapes and said something like ‘Oh, are those those things that go round’ like he hadn’t seen them before which he probably hadn’t.
LikeLike
It’s enough to make you feel old! I used to enjoy sorting out the tracking when renting a video, it was really fun to choose a video and not know if was good beforehand as we couldn’t just see what the reviews for it. We would have thought a mobile phone with internet was witchcraft back in the day haha.
LikeLike
You’re just that bit older than me. I didn’t rent videos and hadn’t used tapes much. Mostly used tapes to record what was the top 40!
LikeLike
The art of pausing it just before/after the DJ’s voice ruined the intro and outro to every song! People complain about piracy these days but everybody was at it with tapes and it wasn’t a big thing.
LikeLike
Oh yes I remember, if you pressed the pause button half way down it would go squeaky. I have a digital radio and sometimes the reception is like the analogue radios! Shushy-bubbly noise!
LikeLike
Oh and I actually had to get an mp3 cd player when the audiobook company I rent from changed from tapes to mp3 CDs. I had a cd player but not an mp3 cd player. The concept confused me at the time. Now every tech thing confuses me cos I’m out of touch with computer world, only in touch with mobile world.
LikeLike
Tech isn’t something that interests me either, as long as I can get on the blog and send Stemails and surf around I am happy to be ignorant of the rest.
LikeLike
Ah, The Fat and the Thin. That’s one book by Emile Zola that I haven’t read.
LikeLike
I’m hoping to get through at least one Zola this year, there is just so much good stuff piling up!
LikeLike
That’s quite an addition to your library. Great titles! Bakhtiyar Ali I haven’t heard of before and the book seems very, very interesting. Putting it on my list!
LikeLike
Bakhtiyar Ali will be my first Kurdish author so excited about that, a whole new culture and style of writing to explore. So much good stuff to read, will have to up my game.
LikeLiked by 1 person