too many books

I bought a bunch more books recently.

• Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk
• Invisible Monsters Remix by Chuck Palahniuk 
• Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
• The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
• A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
• Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
• Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card
• Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
• oddballs by William Sleator
• Parasite Pig by William Sleator

I doubt I'll read any of these this year though.

acquisitions

I've been doing a little bit of book shopping lately. Mostly from Amazon. Here's what I've bought recently.

• Sidetrack City - Kaz
• Strange Toys - Patricia Geary
• All We Need of Hell - Harry Crews
• The Mirage - Matt Ruff
• Finnegans Wake  - James Joyce
• The Dance of Death - Hans Holbein the Younger
• Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas - Chuck Klosterman
• The Sugar Frosted Nutsack: A Novel - Mark Leyner
• Big Joe's Trailer Truck - Joe Mathieu
• Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland
• Post Office - Charles Bukowski
• A Canticle for Liebowitz - Walter M. Miller, Jr.
• Krazy Kat - Jay Cantor

The last 2 on the list I got at Gardeners used books. The 2 above those were bargain priced at B&N.

currently reading

Secrets of the Shopping Mall

by

Richard Peck

I remember reading this when I was in middle school.

I found this copy at Gardeners a while ago and decided to reread it.

tribute

Today would be Douglas Adams 61st birthday. Coincidentally I received my copy of Shada (the book) in the mail. Written by Gareth Roberts, it's the novelization of the only lost episode of a Doctor Who series during the Tom Baker era. An episode written by Douglas Adams and partially filmed but never finished, due to a strike at the BBC. Originally $26.95 (hardback), I ordered mine used from Amazon for around $5. The DVD is now available for about 30 bucks. It's on my wishlist.

second helping

Had to go back to the used bookstore and get more cheap books. Kinda glad I did because I've been searching for a copy of True Names for a while to add to my cyberpunk collection and I'd forgotten to look for Eros Ascending last time. I also found an old heavy metal album I hadn't heard in a long time: State of Euphoria by Anthrax.

five books

I haven't been to the used bookstore at all this year. Till now. I kept in mind some suggestions from reddit and ended up with these five. I used to have On the Road but never finished reading it because an ex-girlfriend stole it.

new stack

I went back to Gardner's today. I spent about twenty bucks. Here's what I got:

• I Sing the Body Electric! by Ray Bradbury
• The Wonderful World of Robert Sheckley by Robert Sheckley
• The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
• Lizard Music by D. Manus Pinkwater
• Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
• Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human by K.W. Jeter

the used bookstore

It was a cold, wet and rainy day today. Sunday, my day off. So I went out to the used bookstore. It's been a couple months since I last went out there. I drove a different car back then, before the blizzard. I used up the remaining credit from my last visit and spent $10 more to get these 3 books:
-Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
-Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
-Blackbriar by William Sleator
Lethem is quickly becoming one of my new favorites as I've quite enjoyed all the books I've read by him. Almost every book of his I've bought was found at the used bookstore. Gun, With Occasional Music was the only one I got new at B&N. I couldn't believe that I found another William Sleator. I'm never going to run out. As soon as I start reading the next one, I'll find another next time I go out there. Which is good, I haven't read a bad book by this author yet.

nerd alert

Happy Easter sunday. The mall was closed today but B&N was open. Today is the day we celebrate that magic man that came back from the dead. That's right, I'm talking about Doctor Who. I don't have Uverse anymore or else I'd be watching it right now. At least I've got an old Tom Baker episode on DVD. A six-part story co-starring Elisabeth Sladen (RIP) as Sarah Jane. I also got a couple of books today:
The Essential Enthusiast's Handbook - Architecture A Spotter's Guide - Classical Temples to Soaring Skyscrapers by Sarah Cunliffe, Sara Hunt, Jean Loussier. It was on sale, plus, being really in to Minecraft and the Sims, I've kind of developed an interest in architecture.
Sooner Dead by Mel Odom. Post-Apocalyptic Mayhem in Gamma, Oklahoma! This is a Gamma World book. Gamma World is like futuristic Dungeons & Dragons. I had to check it out. Boomer Sooner.

books for free

I had a little over a hundred dollars worth of receipts from Gardner's used books, so I brought them back in today. It entitled me to around seventeen dollars worth of free book. Here's what I scored:

• Ribsy by Beverly Cleary - This was the first book I ever read all by myself back in 1978. I picked it up for nostalgic reasons.
• 5 Novels by Daniel Pinkwater - Hardback, contains: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy From Mars, Slaves of Spiegel, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, The Last Guru, Young Adult Novel. I've got Snarkout Boys and Guru. Reread Snarkout Boys a few years ago. Can't wait to reread Guru. The rest are new to me.
• Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - I saw Something Wicked This Way Comes and Martian Chronicles when I was really young, so long ago that I barely remember anything about them. I've been meaning to read something by Bradbury ever since I saw this video. This book was unsorted among the new arrivals in sci-fi, so I grabbed it.
• The Last Coin by James P. Blaylock - I had brought a short list of recommended steampunk titles and was searching for Homunculus by James Blaylock. Couldn't find it. Got this one instead.
• Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem - I didn't even read the description on the back of the book, I saw the name and snatched it off the shelf. I read three books by this author last year, all good.

I wandered all over that store for at least an hour or two and after checking out I still had a couple of dollars store credit left.

new and current

I'm reading one of my x-mas presents now. I got a $50 gift card for B&N and cashed it in today. This is what I got.

• Wild Boys by William S. Burroughs. It's been awhile since I've read Burroughs. I don't always like what he writes but it's always interesting.
• Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl. I've read two of her other books and follow her tweets. I haven't read any food books lately so this was the first one I chose.
• Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk. I read Haunted and Snuff earlier this year. He's written lots of books so there was a lot to choose from. This one looked the most interesting to me.

Unless my reading rate suddenly skyrockets, this should be my last book of the year. That means I'll have read 27 books this year. Not as many as I'd like, but not too bad, considering how busy I've been, and how lazy I've been.

handful of paperbacks

I used to have these when I was in elementary school. Today I found them at the used bookstore and got them again. I love the cool sci-fi cover art. I also got:

• House of Stairs by William Sleator
• To the Land of the Electric Angel by William Rotsler
• Tik-Tok by John Sladek
• Roderick by John Sladek

book bag

Made another trip to the used book store last week. Got three more to add to the stacks. These be they:

1. Steve Jackson's Sorcery! #4: The Crown of Kings - I bought a couple of these last time I visited Gardner's. They're not for serious readin', I just like having them around.
2. Interstellar Pig by William Sleator - Seems like I'm never gonna run out of books by this author. As soon as I start reading one by him, I go out and find another. This is the eighth book I've found this year by William Sleator, and I know there's a lot more out there.
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - I've often seen this book on the shelves at B&N and Borders because usually I go to the SF/Fantasy section and look for Rudy Rucker. (They haven't had any new Rucker in years) A former manager at the restaurant where I work was reading this book a few years ago and recently a fellow stagehand at my other job has been recommending that I read it. He says it's better than Lord of the Rings. There were 2 copies of this book on the shelf, so I grabbed one. A few minutes later, I heard a lady asking the sales girl for this author. Ther went the second one. It's a thick book. I'll probably start on it next year some time.

Bonus book: Million Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton - There were a couple of books by this author at B&N. I got this one because it deals with one of my favorite fantasies: what would you do if you won $22 million? This book is like a choose your own adventure for adults. I've started reading it a little bit, but don't like the decisions it gives me: pay for all my family's bills or blow all the money on something big and crazy for myself? Plus it's written from a chick's perspective, so I'm not too into it when presented with the choice of breaking up with your boyfriend or staying with him. As I said before, not for serious readin', I just like having it around.

more books

I went by the used bookstore today. I found these three:

1. The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad. I heard that this book was banned in Germany because it was written from the point of view of Adolph Hitler, if Hitler had been a sci-fi writer instead of a dictator.
2. As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem. I liked Gun, With Occasional Music, but not quite as much as The Wall of the Sky, The Wall of the Eye. I like his stuff better than Michael Chabon's. I don't know why I compare the two. Perhaps because I've read 2 by each author and I've got another left to read by each.
3. Born to Rock by Gordon Korman. Another by my favorite YA writer. I couldn't resist the description on the back cover. A young republican falls from grace, finds out his dad is a punk rocker and becomes a roadie for his dad's band. On the front cover is a baby with a mohawk.

10 future reads

I went shopping for used books today at my favorite bookstore. Seems like it's been months since the last time I went out there. I only bought nine books, but I was tempted to buy a lot more. Here's what I ended up with:

1. Victim Prime by Robert Sheckley. This has been up there for a while, but I didn't buy it because I wasn't sure it wasn't the same book as Hunter/Victim by the same author. Apparently this one is the sequel to the 10th Victim, which I've read and enjoyed.
2. Choose Your Own Adventure #21 Hyperspace by Edward Packard. I used to love these things when I was a kid. I don't remember this one, so I bought it. I was tempted to buy another one called You Are a Monster, but I resisted the urge.
3. Strange Attractors by William Sleator. I've got a lot of new ones by this author, stacking up for me to read. The description from the back cover sounds like an episode of Doctor Who. Speaking of the Doctor...
4. Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks. The number of Doctor Who books has suddenly exploded at Gardner's. Last time I was up there, there were only a couple. Now there's a couple dozen. This one's one of my favorite episodes, so it's the only one I bought.
5. Bug Jack Barron by Norman Spinrad. Having finally finished Little Heroes after so many years, I decided to look into this author and found a surprising number on the shelf. I selected this one, having heard that it's his most famous novel.
6. A Model World and Other Stories by Michael Chabon. I really like short stories. I could have had the one he won the Pulitzer for, but they had 3 copies of that one and only one of this, so I grabbed it. The best book of the year that I've read so far was the collection of short stories by Jonathan Lethem.
7. Go Jump in the Pool! by Gordon Korman. Another Bruno and Boots book by one of my favorite young adult writers. I'm trying to re-assemble my collection of these books that I used to have when I was a kid.
8. The Shamutanti Hills by Steve Jackson.
9. Khare' - Cityport of Traps by Steve Jackson. This one and the one above are game books, similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure books. These actually require dice, pad of paper and a pencil. I know I used to have one of these in high school. I had forgotten all about it until I saw these on the shelf today.

Also I visited B&N acouple of days ago and I found a copy of Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff. I might read that one next, but if I don't I might read that collection of short stories by Chabon next...

used books

Went shopping yesterday. Bought some books at Gardner's. Kind of inspired by the young adult stuff I've been reading lately, I ended up wth four YA titles and another Dr. Who book. It ended up being a Sleator bonanza. Here they are, with descriptions from the back covers:

1. Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive by David Fisher: The Leisure Hive on the planet Argolis is an entertainment centre for galactic travellers. At the heart of the hive is the Tachyon Recreation Generator, a machine with a most extraordinary performance capability and vital to the continued existence of the Argolin after their devastating war with the reptilian Foamasi... While visiting the Hive, the Doctor and Romana are sucked into a whirlpool of treachery and deceit, and are eventually arrested on suspicion of murder...
2. This Can't be Happening to Macdonald Hall! by Gordon Korman: Bruno and Boots are always in trouble. So the Headmaster, aka "The Fish," seperates them. Bruno must now room with the ghoulish Elmer Drimsdale. And Boots is stuck with nerdy, preppy, paranoid George Wexford-Smyth III. This means war. Because Bruno and Boots are determined to get their old room back, no matter what it takes. And the skunk was only the beginning. (I used to own this one. I can't believe he was only 12 when he wrote it.)
3. The Boy Who Reversed Himself by William Sleator: When Laura finds her homework in her locker with its writing reversed, she is totally baffled. Until she learns an unbelievable secret: her weird neighbor, Omar, has the ability to travel to the fourth dimension. Against his wishes, Laura forces him to take her there - and then, a novice in terrifying "four space," she goes there on her own, with her boyfriend Pete. There's only one problem. She doesn't know how to get them back...
4. Others See Us by William Sleator: It's summer vacation, and Jared's family is making their annual trip to his grandmother's beach house. He'll finally get to see Annelise, the gorgeous cousin he's been dreaming about all year. But almost as soon as they arrive, Jared wrecks his bike, falling into a swamp filled with toxic waste. Later, he begins to notice voices in his head. Strange voices- almost like other people's thoughts. He is horrified to discover what his family is really like. Soon Jared finds himself locked in a murderous battle of wills- because once someone else can enter your mind, there is no turning back.
5. The Boxes by William Sleator: When Uncle Marco goes on one of his mysterious trips, he leaves Annie in charge of two exotic, sealed boxes on one condition: she must not open either one while he is away. But of course she is tempted... and soon she has unleashed the unspeakable. The creatures inside the box are crablike and grotesque. And they possess a power Annie could never have imagined.

shopping spree

Yesterday was my day off and I bought a half dozen books at the used book store. Here they are:

1. Wonder Boys - Michael Chabon. Recently read Maps and Legends by this author. Tried to find the one that he won the Hugo and Nebula for, but they didn't have that one.
2. Ender in Exile - Orson Scott Card. I read Ender's Game and War of Gifts last year. Now I have Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon as well as this one. They're all thick-ass books.
3. Losing Joe's Place - Gordon Korman. This guy was one of my favorite YA authors growing up. I used to have a bunch of his books, now I'm trying to collect them all again. I'd never even heard of this one before.
4. Singularity - William Sleator. Another favorite from my youth. I still have 3 of his books sitting on my shelf: Fingers, Into the Dream and The Green Futures of Tycho.
5. Doctor Who & the Talons of Weng Chiang - Terrance Dicks. Did I mention that I love Dr. Who? Nerd Alert! This was a 6 part story starring Tom Baker (my favorite Doctor) and Leela (my favorite companion).
6. Doctor Who and the Android Invasion - Terrance Dicks. Another book based on a Tom Baker story, but one which I don't have on DVD yet. I vaguely remember seeing the episode on PBS back in the mid 70s. I seem to recall Sara Jane's face falling off to reveal fake eyes and computer circuits inside. Probably traumatized thousands of Brittish boys and girls for life.
7. Anthrax - Return of the Killer A's. Not a book. Gardner's also sells music, videos and toys. I was a little disappointed to learn that the version of I'm the Man on this CD was the censored version.

farewell february

It has been a slow month here at uym. I've been busy at both my jobs, which is good, but it has also provided enough distraction that I'm barely halfway through my current read, Rainbows End. Also not helping is my current addiction to collecting and watching old Dr. Who episodes on DVD. I've also been stocking up on books as well, visiting B&N and Gardner's Used Books frequently.
Here's some of the stuff I bought that I might be reading later on this year:
The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson
Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card
Ruby and the Stone Age Diet by Martin Millar
M*A*S*H Goes to Maine by Richard Hooker
M*A*S*H Goes to Miami/ New Orleans/ Paris by Richard Hooker and William E. Butterworth
And Another Thing... Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy part 6 of 3 by Eoin Colfer
This list will continue to grow, providing a small glimpse into the future...

black monday

I went out to Gardner's today and bought these three books:
1. Night of the Living Rat by Doyle and Macdonald
This is the second book in Daniel Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse series. While I didn't really like the first one that much, I'm willing to give the series another chance. The first one was written by David Bischoff whose novelization of the movie War Games I'd read way back in the 80s. This one is written by 2 authors I've never heard of and whose whole names I've yet to discover.
2. Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library! by Eth Clifford
I remember I bought this one at a school book fair when I was in elementary school. Lately I've been feeling nostalgic for all the old books I read in my youth. This is one I remembered and missed. I had to use my cell phone in the store to search and remember the author's name before I found it.
3. The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues by Harry Harrison
I have read every one of the other books in the series with the exception of this one. I've been searching for it for years. The last time I read one of this series was early '05 maybe. This one is clearly the prize pick of the day.

mostly free books

I took all my receipts from the past few years to Gardner's used books out on Mingo today. If you bring in $100 worth of receipts of past purchases from Gardner's, you get $15 worth of free books. They added them up for me and I had close to $125 in receipts which was worth $19.26 in books. Here's what I got:

1. The Wind From Nowhere by J.G. Ballard
2. Shadows With Eyes: Six Tales of Crawling Horror by Fritz Leiber
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
4. Vurt by Jeff Noon
5. Hunter/Victim by Robert Sheckley
6. Red Dwarf: Infinty Welcomes Careful Drivers by Grant Naylor

These choices actually exceeded my free credit amount by $1.07. Still a pretty good selection for only $20.33 total. I still have no idea which one I want to read first.