Sunday, August 24, 2008

Sunday Salon


I think today what I'm mostly going to do is sleep!
I got home early this morning from San Francisco, and I've unloaded my books and clothes and assorted other stuff, put the new books on LibraryThing and picked up my cat from the boarder's; now I rest!

I read five books over vacation, mostly short ones, and I liked them all. So I made a minor dent into my TBR pile and got even further behind on reviews!

I actually have another box of books in the mail from San Francisco; when I went to City Lights bookstore I had everything shipped back from the store. In general throughout the trip I mostly bought graphic novels, but I picked up a couple of used hardcovers of recent books, and at least one new hardcover I could get anywhere. By the end of the trip I was being less and less discriminate with my purchases. I started off saying I'd only buy things either about San Francisco or things that I think I would have trouble finding at home. But by the last day I was like, if I want it, I'll buy it. So I did. Total number of books purchased, not including the City Lights purchases- about 11. A lot of these are graphic novels or zines. I got to see Thorina Rose of The Heartbreak Diet fame do a reading at a bookstore on Friday, which was pretty neat.

Favorite purchase? Hard to say. Maybe the used hardcover of David Benioff's City of Thieves. Or one of the graphic novels. Ropeburn, by Jeremy Smith, is a good one. I'll probably write more about it tomorrow. I think my real favorite purchase will come from the City Lights swag and honestly I can't remember most of what I bought there. A graphic novel, two Russian novels, a French novel, some poetry... we'll see when the box gets here.

All in all I visited around 13 bookstores and comic book stores. My favorite was Green Apple Books, which has new and used books of every stripe as well as music and DVDs. We went there twice in all. I also picked up one of their tote bags because we needed another bag for the stuff we bought (my husband had his own haul of stuff from SF as well). You'd think they didn't sell books in Massachusetts for all we brought back!

12 comments:

ninaivanovna said...

OFF

Hi, because my blog in your blogroll, I just want to say:
I moved from the Portrait of a Hungarian Bibliophile site to a new one: Almost insider

Happy Reading,
Anni

Anonymous said...

There was an interesting discussion on the radio this afternoon about graphic novels, including one whose title I missed about an Iranian woman. Does this ring any bells? The presenter was saying that had this been a more conventional novel it would have almost certainly cause great offence, but the graphic presentation had softened the impact and made it more acceptable. I found that an interesting thought because in general I think of the graphic novel as being more hard hitting.

Anonymous said...

Yes, now that you've given me the title that is precisely what it was. I must get hold of a copy. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I've never been long on graphic novels; never really saw the point of them. It's interesting reading your Graphic Novel Monday posts while stalking your blog for the TuesdayThinger question. I don't hold such contempt for them anymore, but they're still not my cup of tea. I always think of them as a chlidren's book or comic book, though I loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret and that's mostly illustration.

Have a good rest, marie :-D

Irish said...

You never know when Massachusetts might stop selling books so its best to stock up when you can. That's why I picked up a good dozen or so this weekend when I visited the Book Barn in Connecticut!

The Bookworm said...

sounds like you got got good book shopping done. I've never read a graphic novel myself.
happy reading :)

http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

We went to SF in July and walked the town. I counted 14 bookstores, none of them B&N or Borders-type stores. I loved City Lights. Bought nothing. I loved Green Apple. Bought nothing.

I do not know how I did it, but I left SF without purchasing a single book.

wisteria said...

Now you know as a librarian that all libraries are local. So the books are definitely different when you go out of town. I say you're justified, but I'm an overspending librarian.

I am anxious to read The Good Thief.
Sounds like a busy week. Have a good rest.
Donna

Ruth King said...

picked up my cat from the boarder's

I initially read that as Border's and wondered why you'd left your cat at a bookstore. I think I need to take a rest as well.

I always maintain that books make the best souvenirs. Although I did need to buy a extra bag after my last big trip...I had no room left in my suitcase for more books!

Brandy said...

At the beginning of July we went to Portland, OR--a decision made in no small part by the existence of Powell's. By the end of the week we'd stumbled into, I think, 5 of the 6 Powell's branches (including the gardening one), and bought so many books we had to ship them home. They were all used, so the cost wasn't astronomical, but thank goodness for media rate, because that box weighed close to 30 pounds!

Which is all to say: I share your pain. But it's so exciting when that box comes in the mail two weeks later!

Anonymous said...

It sounds as if you had a booktiful vacation! My favorite kind.

I'm glad you got to peruse and browse the book stores that you did. SF is cerainly an amazing city for book finds, and it is a biliophile's paradise.

tapestry100 said...

I have to restrain myself anytime I go on vacation from buying books. I laughed when you mentioned that there wouldn't be anymore books in Massachusetts. I feel the same way sometimes when I'm traveling. It's almost as if I see a book in another state, then surely they can't be selling the exact same copy back home so I must purchase it right now! I'm heading out to see my sister in October (she lives in Maine), and she's already found a few used bookstores that we haven't been to before for us to stop in at.