The books you've just purchased thread....

Mandon Knight

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Having searched for one, identical in concept to the Films you've just bought in the Films Section Threads, here is where we can note down, discuss and recommend books we've just bought and reasons why, how, when and what we are currently enjoying, by way of recent buys....

I'll start....today bought

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Fast Times and Excellent Adventures - The Surprising History of the 80's Teen Movie by James King

Fast Times and Excellent Adventures: The Surprising History of the '80s Teen Movie by James King - Books
 
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I've been kind of on a spree this past week.... wasn't really intending on it, I went into the book store last Tuesday intending to get just 2 books (Storm Cursed and Master & Apprentice). Walked out with 6 books, and then when I was putting stuff on my goodreads list, realized there were some sequels and what not to other series that I read that had come out that I had let slip by - so hello online order):

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson series #11) by Patricia Briggs (already finished it, loved it - as I have all her MT and Alpha&Omega books)

Star Wars: Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray

The Shadow Glass
(The Bone Witch Series #3) by Rin Chupeco

Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons series #4) by Matt de la Pena

Gates of Stone (Lord of the Islands #1) by Angus Macallan

A number of the Disney "Twisted Tales" books:
As Old As Time by Liz Braswell
Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
Part of Your World by Liz Braswell
Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita

And then Ian Doescher's 'telling in the style of Shakespeare' books for Star Wars episodes 7 & 8 (I already have the previous 6 books)
William Shakespeare's The Force Doth Awaken (Star Wars Part the Seventh)
William Shakespeare's Jedi the Last (Star Wars Part the Eighth)


(I think that's everything I got this week :p )
 
Both History of Beauty and History of Ugliness by the direction of Umberto Eco.

Beautifully illustrated, and the History of Ugliness surprised me on the chapter dedicated to your momma!!!!

HAAAAAAA
 
I'm the same, I'm bloody lethal in a book shop, no page is safe !!! I end up buying, if I have the time and wallet power, at least 4-6 books every time I go in to a bookshop.
 
Taurus: The Art of Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign by Sally Kirkman
 
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Skyward (YA/teen space opera series) by Brandon Sanderson (see my brief finished comments - it was quite good, will buy the follow-up Starsight)
DESCRIPTION: "Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's—a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa's chances of attending flight school at slim to none. No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars."

The Girl Who Drank the Moon (children's middle-grade fantasy standalone) by Kelly Barnhill (have not started yet)
DESCRIPTION: "Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge—with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth’s surface. And the woman with the Tiger’s heart is on the prowl . . . "

The Lions of Al-Rassan
(adult fantasy standalone) by Guy Gavriel Kay (have not started yet)
DESCRIPTION: "Over the centuries, the once stern rulers of Al-Rassan have been seduced by sensuous pleasures. Now King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, adding city after city to his realm, aided by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan—poet, diplomat, soldier—until a summer day of savage brutality changes their relationship forever. Meanwhile, in the north, the Jaddite's most celebrated—and feared—military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, and Ammar meet. Sharing the interwoven fate of both men is Jehane, the beautiful, accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.... In a magnificent setting, hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply moving story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake—or destroy—a world."

Uprooted (YA/teen fantasy standalone) by Naomi Novik (finished 2019-06-19; above average - good prose, imaginative grim fantasy, though just everything about the so-called 'Dragon' character is like rubbing sandpaper on your eyes and is awful
as is the teenage protagonist's relationship with this nasty, bitter 150+ year old man (he's not a villain in the story otherwise). It was really forced and it's beyond me why she'd be attracted to this old jerk.
DESCRIPTION: "Agnieszka loves her valley home in a quiet village. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep the Wood’s dark forces at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his assistance: every ten years, one young woman must be handed over to serve him without question. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon with take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose."

I'm a fan of space fantasy and fantasy and science fiction, strongly defined independent female protagonists, and stories that are coherent, consistent, and understandable and have well-defined worlds and characters and obstacles.
 
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Always loved mythology but God of War really revved up my interest in everything Norse.


Loved Cosmos and heard this a great read while waiting for season 2.
 
The Jedi Path
Phasma
 
I'm the same, I'm bloody lethal in a book shop, no page is safe !!! I end up buying, if I have the time and wallet power, at least 4-6 books every time I go in to a bookshop.

I'm always amazed how much money I spend when I go to the thrift store and buy books. I nearly clutch my pearls.
 
I buy way more books than I can ever read. :( Today I bought Redeemer by Mark Dawson and The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's quest to transform the grisly world of Victorian medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris.
 
The Vanishing season -- Dot Hutchinson
The rats -- James Herbert
 
You could actually do any quilt block that had a larger center square and put the photo there, but if you've never made a quilt before, you'll want to stick with a fairly simple pattern.

There are three basic issues you need to be prepared for:
1. How to get the photos onto fabric.
2. How to sew the quilt top.
3. How to fasten the layers (top, batting, backing) together.

The first is easy. You can purchase fabric sheets that are treated to go right through an inkjet printer. Read the packaging to be sure that it's washable. There are several different brands and they should be available at most fabric and craft stores. This is not the same as transfer paper, where you print the photos onto paper and then iron it onto the fabric. That doesn't last as long or look as nice. Keep in mind that the stuff isn't cheap - plan carefully when you print the photos on it and then cut them apart, leaving 1/4" extra all the way around the photos for your seam allowance.

The next part, sewing the top, is where all of the fun and most of the challenge lies. I'd advise picking up a basic beginner quilting book, like "Start Quilting with Alex Anderson" or "Quilter's Complete Guide" by Fons & Porter. This will help with info about rotary cutting, seam allowances, putting blocks together, etc. The simplest pattern would be just photos alternating with plain squares of fabric, like a checkerboard. You could also sew a strip of fabric on all four sides of the photo, like a frame, then sew the framed photos together. If you wanted to get a little more complicated, you could make simple four patch or nine patch blocks for the alternating squares. This would give you a diagonal chain effect. Get some graph paper and try drawing out your designs - it helps to put it on paper.

Finally, you need a way to fasten the layers together. If it's a relatively small quilt, you can just sew straight lines through the layers using a regular sewing machine. You'll need to learn about basting the layers together first. You also need to check the batting you choose so you know how far apart it can be quilted. Some batting has to be quilted as close as 3" while other batting can be as far as 10" apart. Instead of quilting, you might want to consider tying the quilt. This involves using embroidery floss, pearl cotton or yarn to thread through all three layers and back, then tying a secure knot to hold everything in place. You can tie the knots on the front of the quilt or on the back, depending on if you want the loose ends to be visible.
 
Shadow moon -- Alexandra Sokoloff
 
Midnight in Chernobyl -- Adam Higgenbottom
Proving ground -- Peter Blauner
 
Girl most likely -- Max Allan Collins
Death at Hungerford Stairs -- JC Briggs
 
Axeman of New Orleans -- Miriam Davis
Clandestine -- James Ellroy
 
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Uprooted (YA/teen standalone) by Naomi Novik (have started and am about a third of the way through now)
DESCRIPTION: "Agnieszka loves her valley home in a quiet village. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep the Wood’s dark forces at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his assistance: every ten years, one young woman must be handed over to serve him without question. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon with take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose."

I'm a fan of space fantasy and fantasy and science fiction, strongly defined independent female protagonists, and stories that are coherent, consistent, and understandable and have well-defined worlds and characters and obstacles.

this is on my list to buy
 
The Ink Mage by Victor Gischler
 
The onion field -- Joseph Wambaugh
Ramses the damned : The passion of Cleopatra -- Anne Rice


As you can see, I've not adhered to my resolution not to buy more books than I can read. :( Amazon keeps putting stuff I want on sale and I just can't say no. :p
 
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Red Sister (fantasy series) by Mark Lawrence (have started)
DESCRIPTION: "At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but there is much more for Nona to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies. Despite the isolation of the convent, Nona’s secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way."

Skyfarer (fantasy series) by Joseph Brassey (have finished - it's like Star War but not in space; book alternates between hero POV and villain POV chapters; quality was average, though way too much man pain/story instead of for the female protagonist; buying book #2 is not a high priority)
DESCRIPTION: "The Axiom Diamond is a mythical relic, with the power to show its bearer any truth they desire. Men have sought for it across many continents for centuries, but in vain. When trainee sorceress Aimee de Laurent’s first ever portal-casting goes awry, she and her mentor are thrown into the race to find the gem, on the skyship Elysium. Opposing them are the infamous magic-wielding knights of the Eternal Order and their ruthless commander, Lord Azrael, who will destroy everything in his path to grab that relic..."

Trading in Danger (space opera series) by Elizabeth Moon (have not started yet)
DESCRIPTION: "Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, a young woman who has chosen a military career instead of joining the family's shipping business. It's adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. But after a single error in judgment, she is expelled from the Academy in disgrace. The chance to captain a Vatta Transport ship gives her a face-saving shot at redemption. It's a simple assignment: escort one of the Vatta fleet's oldest ships on its final voyage to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky's style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to babysit the fledgling captain, they can't stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture. Business soon takes a backseat to bravery, when Ky's change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it's her military training and born-soldier's instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny..."
 
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Red Sister is on my to-read list on Goodreads :up:
 

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