Book finds in July 2024
The last Saturday of July my father and I went for a drive and one of our stops was the Green Valley Book Fair in Mount Crawford, Virginia. We usually stop there several times a year and have been for many, many years. Given that it’s been almost a year since I shared any book finds, I figured it was as good a time as any.
On that particular day they were also hosting a craft fair with many local vendors set up in the field beside their building and it was interesting seeing all they had for sale. Regarding books, I’d expected to pick up one or two but, as you can see from the photo, I ended up finding more than I’d expected. Granted, I picked up a couple of the books elsewhere but I don’t think I’ve mentioned them so decided to include them here.
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
I picked this up earlier in the year during a previous visit to the book fair. To Kill a Mockingbird had such an impact on me that I very much want to try the only other book by this author. Very interestingly, To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960 and Go Set a Watchman wasn’t published until 2015, approximately seven months before the death of the author. It seems to have been marketed as a sequel to the first book because it takes place two decades later, and yet it was written before the first book, reportedly as the first draft for what would become To Kill a Mockingbird.
Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton
I read Mickey7, a sci-fi novel about clones and colonization, back in 2022 and had a great time with it. I look forward to trying this sequel. And I love the cover art.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Here’s another book I purchased because of a previous read. I absolutely loved the author’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and I’ve been hoping to try Starling House since it was published last year. Now I can do so with a physical copy.
The Mantis by Kotaro Isaka
I enjoy trying translated novels so I decided to pick up a copy of The Mantis. I’m a little concerned because it’s the third book of a trilogy, but it’s described as a loose trilogy so I’m hopeful it’ll work. The book is described as a thriller set in Tokyo’s criminal underground and is about a family man trying to hide his secret life as a hitman.
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
So many folks have praised this science fiction book and series that I’ve been hoping to try it since it was first translated to English by Ken Liu, another well know author. I’ve already collected the series as ebooks but it’s always nice to read a physical copy.
Imperium by Ryszard Kapuściński
I found Imperium in one of the many little free libraries scattered around, where folks can take a book for free and are encouraged to leave a book, as well. This is non-fiction, a bit of history, written by a Polish author, it tells of the life and death of the Soviet Union, detailing his experiences and observations from his travels through that part of the world. I’d been unfamiliar with the author but the topic sounded fascinating.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
This one is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, a fantasy that fits into the growing sub-genre sometimes called cozy fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed Legends & Lattes, such an unusual concept for a fantasy novel, with a retired adventurer just trying to settle down and open a coffee shop. This one seems to involve bookshops and that sounds good to me.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
This came out back in 2020 and I loved the title. This author has created some great titles based on some very interesting concepts, but I’ve yet to try any of his novels. I’m hoping having a physical copy sitting around will encourage me to get off my duff and read it.
Heart of Darkness and Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad
A classic I recall being mentioned in school but one I never ended up reading. I’ve been trying to add more classics to my reading and I keep picking up new ones from the book fair. This is a fairly short one so it should be easy enough to fit in with my other reads.
Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell
Another classic, from even further back in time, and another I’ve yet to read. This one is also fairly short so I’m hoping I can fit it in.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
I have a bad habit of purchasing an entire series before even starting it, but thankfully in this case I have at least read the first book in the series, a found family science fiction sort of story, and loved it. I’m hopeful I’ll continue loving this series as I slowly work my way through it.
Have you read any of these books, and if so what did you think of them? If you haven’t, do you hope to?
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