Interesting find at the book store

[viktor_haag]

So, prompted by doc_mystery's good report of Jeanne Duprau's books for young teens, I went with the family on a shopping trip to Chapters. I found the Duprau series and put them under my arm, and then I saw something that made me put them back on the shelf.

Two books by Joshua Mowll called "Operation Red Jericho" and "Operation Typhoon Shore". These two are cunningly packaged hardback books from Candlewick Press; the conceit is rather like the Griffin and Sabine (?) books -- they are mocked up as moleskin-style notebooks (complete with elastic strap). Inside makes reasonable use of collage style pages; things that look "pasted" in, maps, diagrams, etc, etc.

It's this last that caught my eye, and prompted me to drop 40 bucks on the pair of them (sic). Hmm, let's see -- ship-board adventure stories, set in the 1920s, with diagrams of ships, subs, maps, diving suits, and more! These seem like absolutely perfect bits to enhance my getting of the vibe for my Spirit Of The Century pulp-age adventure games. And the books look so darn cool, I couldn't leave them there on the shelf.

I also noticed the latest Garth Nix in hardcover (the "Friday" installment of his "week day" series), and so the three of them are now in my library. Along with a copy of De Camillo's Tale Of Despereaux (we don't yet own any of De Camillo's books, and I'd heard very good things).

I really should not be allowed to walk into a bookstore when I'm on vacation.

I mean to go to Chapters to pick up the Duprau "Ember" books in inexpensive paperback, and the next two McDevitt books after "Talent For War", and I walk out with totally different and more expensive books. Bah! (The other two McDevitt's were there, but only one copy each, and each banged up enough that I didn't want to buy them.)

Sometime later this week, I now have to go by my source for acetate sleeve-jackets so that my new Nix can be protected.

When am I going to actually read all these new books? Better get started on that now...

Comments

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

Two books by Joshua Mowll called "Operation Red Jericho" and "Operation Typhoon Shore". These two are cunningly packaged hardback books from Candlewick Press; the conceit is rather like the Griffin and Sabine (?) books -- they are mocked up as moleskin-style notebooks (complete with elastic strap). Inside makes reasonable use of collage style pages; things that look "pasted" in, maps, diagrams, etc, etc.

I have the first of these, but I haven't read it yet.

Like you, I was intrigued by the faux-notebook motif and would have gone bananas over this as a kid. Right now, still on the 'to read, one day' list.

::B::

[mylescorcoran]

Ooh, you had what I call an 'bookshop accident', albeit a smallish one.

I've gone into bookshops with the intent to browse and walk away without buying anything only to have a little accident and stagger out with 10+ books.

Remember, he who dies with the most books wins.