Thursday, November 13, 2008

Wish List Fun

They told me to do it. (They're encouraging YOU to do it too.) Are you a book lover who's hard to shop for? You probably are. You probably know it too. Make a wish list so that your family and friends know just what you want.

Personally, I use Amazon. I've had wish lists there for years. Here are my two main lists. Christmas/Birthday 2008 and my general (default) one. (My birthday is November 29th.)

We're also encouraged to answer this question: What type of books do you like to receive as gifts? Why did you choose these particular books for your wish list?

Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland by Jon Scieszka. I loved last year's Walt Disney's Cinderella by Cynthia Rylant. I'm hoping to love this next one just as much. It's the original artwork by Mary Blair. And it has the potential of being great fun.

I'd also love, love, love a copy of Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones.

Georgette Heyer. I love her. (Though she is long dead). I love her books. I haven't read near enough of them. But they can be tricky to find. Here are some that I would like: Black Sheep, The Black Moth, These Old Shades, Devil's Cub. None of these are available at the local library. And I'd love to read and review them!!!

Elizabeth Gaskell. Since reading Wives and Daughters last spring, I've been wanting to read more of her books. I've gotten North & South, Mary Barton, and Cranford. But a copy of Ruth still alludes me. I wouldn't turn away a copy of The Life of Charlotte Bronte either.

Along the same lines, I've got the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Women Writers Reading Challenge this upcoming year. (I'm hosting.) I'd love to add The Daisy Chain by Charlotte Mary Yonge, Miss Marjoribanks and Hester by Margaret Oliphant.

Anna Karenina. Leo Tolstoy. Richard Pevear. This has nothing to do with Oprah, and everything to do with Pevear. I'm curious to see if this one is as nicely done as The Three Musketeers. (I borrowed that from the library, but I'd love my own copy.)

Ender's Game. Orson Scott Card. I do own this one. Mass market. Battered. Very battered. You'd be too if I'd read you once or twice a year for eight years. I'd love, love, love a hardcover of Ender's Game. It might even make me squeal. Who knows. This was published in 2006, and I believe it features a revised last chapter. I really really want to read what he changed. But I don't know if I could allow myself the indulgence.

Tyndale's Old Testament. I don't expect others to get why me getting this one would make me so happy. But I love my Tyndale New Testament. I do. And I think I'd love this one too. It'd be nice to have both testaments. But at $52 (though that's a 26% saving) it's too high for my budget.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The library does have this one. But it will probably be next summer before I can find it on the shelves. There is a LONG waiting list for this one.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. By Betty Smith. This is one of my favorite books. But I've always borrowed it from the library. I'd love to have my own copy one day.

Mark Twain--10 Books In 1. This is a monster of a book. But I had such great fun reading Twain this year. I'd love to read more. I've got three of the ten already. But some of the books in this one are hard to find unless they're in a compilation. It would make a lovely fat little present.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey becky! finally visited your blog after meaning to do it for ages! you have a very pretty blog here and i love the way you write!:)

Ali said...

Thanks for playing along! ("They told me to do it." LOL! It sounds so ominous when you put it that way)

Awesome post. I loved reading your wish list and the reasons for each book. It totally made me want to rush out and buy you one of them. Hope it'll have the same effect on your loved ones. :-)

Charlotte said...

I run the book sales for my library, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn seems to be donated for every one...we have a copy right now in our book sorting closet. If you don't get it for Christmas, the Friends of the East Smithfield Library would gladly sell you a copy for fifty cents plus postage!

Charlotte said...

Actually Becky, if no one gives you a copy and you still want one, I can just send you a copy as me. The book sale won't miss it!

CherryBlossomMJ said...

Such great titles for historical fiction, must add... must add...

cherryblossommj.blogspot.com

Laura Essendine said...

If you're looking for a Gaskell, try North and South but be sure to watch it also on DVD with Richard Armitage. Best taken with chocolate!

When I travel I like to buy a book set in that area and, last time in New York I bought a Tree Grows In Brooklyn. I'm half way through it now. What a fantastic book. Absolutely beautiful but little known here in the UK.

Lovely blog

Laura Essendine
Author – The Accidental Guru
The Books Limited Blog

JaneGS said...

Gaskell is my current project, and I just finished Sylvia's Lovers, with only Cousin Phillis and W&D, plus some novellas and short stories left to go.

Her Life of Charlotte Bronte is fascinating, especially if you enjoy CB and bios, as it was groundbreaking as a bio and helped develop the Bronte myth.

Sylvia's Lovers was interesting, and I think I liked it about the same as Ruth and Mary Barton. N&S and W&D are still the tops for me.

Visit my blog if you want to read more about my Gaskellian thoughts.

Nice blog--I resonated with your wishlist!

avisannschild said...

Love this post, especially the way you begin it! I must do this too...