Book Lust: November Haul
I present to you, dear reader, my birthday month haul for the year.
- In The Country of Last Things by Paul Auster – I have been a fan of Paul Auster’s essays, short stories, and his novella, Man in the Dark. Although I have not yet read another full-length work from him since I always feel compelled to buy his books whenever they become available. That’s how much I loved Man in the Dark.
- The Cave by Jose Saramago – I have only read two works by Jose Saramago. One is Blindness and the other one is his short story, The Centaur. Both of which I love and when I saw this on the shelves of my favorite 2nd-hand bookstore, I just had to buy it.
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro – When my book club assigned Remains of the Day as the required read for the month of July, I did not know what to expect. However, after reading it, I felt that it was one of the most profound and heartbreaking reading experience that I have had in my life so it was a no-brainer when I bought this especially because a lot of people are raving about this at my book club.
- Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy – In my opinion, McCarthy is a unique man in American literature. No one has ever reduced me to a whimpering pile of cynicism except for his book, No Country for Old Men. And since I love stories about the futility of life, I picked up this book which was included in Flavorwire’s 10 Books to Put Hair on Your Chest.
- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo – I watched the non-musical version of the classic and I must say that I liked it very much and I am compelled to read the story in its entirety, unabridged and without songs. Although I must say that I am also looking forward to the musical version.
- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – I have been considering this novel, while browsing in Fullybooked, for months now and, when I saw a copy that is being sold at my favorite 2nd-hand bookstore, I grabbed it and never let go. I mean the Devil visits Soviet Russia? Count me in.
- No One Writes To The Colonel and Other Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Gabo is my all-time favorite author and I am on a quest to complete his works and read them all. I have never been disappointed by any of his works and when I saw a copy at a UP bookstore, I bought it without hesitation.
- Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre – I am a sucker for Flavorwire’s book list so when I saw that this book was a part of Flavorwire’s 10 Novels to Replace Catcher in the Rye as the Perfect Teen Book, I made a mental note to look for this whenever I visit bookstores. Luckily, a few days later, I saw a copy of this and I bought it. It also helps that this book is a Booker winner.
- Selected Poems by Pablo Neruda – Neruda is one of my favorite poets and his poems Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines and And Because Love Battles are two of the most devastatingly beautiful poems that I’ve ever read in my life. However, his books are very expensive so, when I saw a copy of this at my favorite 2nd-hand bookstore, I was overcome with glee.
- The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman – Even if I haven’t read this yet, when I examined the nominees for the 2012 Man Booker Prize, I rooted for this book and for Jeet Thayil’s Narcopolis. When I saw a copy of this over at Bestsellers Galleria on the day of my birth, I didn’t think twice.
- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon – I’m a fan of Michael Chabon’s work but I haven’t had the chance yet to read his most famous work. That’s because I can’t find a copy and when I do find one, I am broke. So I decided to ask around UP bookstores if they have one in stock and, if they do, reserve it for me. When the owner of one of the stalls said that he has the first edition but he is still thinking about selling it, I convinced him to sell it to me. Long story short, my long search for the book ended when the owner decided to sell it to me and at a bargain price at that.
Birthdays are fun when spent in the company of the people you love and in the company of books. 😀
The Book Hooligan 
Oh I almost had a copy of “The Master and Margarita” by Bulgakov, but Aldrin filched it from me during our white elephant book swap last year. Haha. 🙂
Hahaha. It is an interesting book with an interesting plot so no wonder Aldrin filched it.:D
Hmmmm… I’m curious about The Teleportation Accident. I hope you’d tell us what you think of it after reading it.
Among the books that you featured, I’ve read just 1, and that’s Saramago’s The Cave. He’s one of my favorite authors, and I think I’ve read all of his works.
Sure, I’ll share my thoughts immediately after I’ve read it.:)
I have not yet read any of Saramago’s work besides Blindness but a lot of people have been saying that he’s a great author and that makes me excited to pick him up.:)
How could I forget! I’ve read Les Miserables too! Surprisingly readable! And also Vernon God Little. Although I forget what it’s all about.
i’m excited to read Les Miserables but I’m intimidated by the length.:D I hope I can plow through it without much difficulty.:)
What is your favorite 2nd-hand bookstore? At some point, I also rooted for The Teleportation Accident, but I had to change my mind when it fell off the shortlist.
There’s a bookstore inside one of the college buildings in UP. I often find books that are hard to find there. Authors like Gunter Grass, Kenzaburo Oe, and a lot of others can be found within.:D
This is a huge haul. Bulgakov is one of my favorite novelists and his The Master and Margarita is one of my favorite novels. So is Saramago though I’ve yet to read more of his works (including The Cave).