Latest Acquisitions (February – April 2018)
Posted 20th April 2018
Category: Acquisitions Genres: N/A
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It has again been a while since a post of this kind; my reading speed at the moment is slow, and I’m reading more of the books I already have. I have also got to the point in my blogging where I’ve really, truly, learned what is a good acceptance rate of books. The request-them-all phase bloggers often go through is long over and I appreciate not having to read books back to back. There’s also the fact that it gives me more time to think about what I want to say. I think back to the time a couple of years ago when I had eleven books to read in four weeks, a mix of awards, event preparation, and review copies – I finished them all in time and in fact it was quite exhilarating, but I’d rather not do it again!
Arundhati Roy: The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness – In the autumn of last year I was in a bookshop and came across two books I haven’t previously come across but found myself really wanting. This was one of them. I didn’t get either of them at that time but they kept coming to mind so I recently decided to go for it, particularly after seeing this book was on the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Edward Carey: Little – Out in October in the UK, this is a novel based on the life of Madame Tussaud. It’s done well so far. Expect a lot of interesting history but also, likely, a fair bit of gore.
Laura Pearson: Missing Pieces – A story of family secrets, out in June. I’m purposefully staying away from reviews until after I’ve read it; the last book I read that had a similar blurb required you stay away from the secret in order to really enjoy it.
Manu Joseph: Miss Laila, Armed And Dangerous – A very contemporary thriller set after an election in India.
Özgür Mumcu: The Peace Machine – A Turkish novel set at the start of the last century, that questions whether violence could be put to an end.
Polly Clark: Larchfield – This was the second book I found in the bookshop; it switches between a contemporary narrative, and a story of W H Auden.
What was the last book you originally said ‘no’ to but couldn’t get out of your mind?
April 24, 2018, 1:43 am
I am very prone to making myself a note that I won’t request a book, and then the publication date draws closer and friends of mine get copies of it, and I become envious. That happened recently with Britta Lundin’s YA book Ship It, and I was not at all sorry that I requested it cause it was a total delight.
Also, the Manu Joseph book sounds excellent! I’m going to add it to my list!
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April 21, 2018, 9:45 am
Joseph Knox’ Sirens. This was a Netgalley review copy and I’d originally said No because the blurb made it seem like just so many other thrillers. Then I heard people talking about it on social media, recommending it, saying how great it was … For a while I still resisted but eventually DID request and read it – and loved it, particularly the first person narrative, that felt like a Mancunian version of Philip Marlowe.