Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.
(hosted weekly by The Story Siren / The Printed Page; New Crayons by Color Online)



Tally for 2009/10/25
Borrowed: 0
Received: 0
Bought: 5
Total Cost: $18.50
There was a library book sale this weekend downtown, so I went and tried to pick up some good books. Problem was, they didn't have a YA/adults fiction section, only something vague called "general fiction" WTF.
Then again, I went for the last few hours on the last day of the sale so I guess pickings weren't great, but still...I only got one book from that sale.


The Walking Boy ⇒ New Crayon!
by Lydia Kwa

Set in eighth-century Tang Dynasty China, The Walking Boy follows the life of Baoshi, a young disciple to an aging hermit monk, who has a secret only his master knows. When he is just 16, Baoshi is sent on a quest to Changan, the ancient Western capital and the epicentre of the Tang Dynasty, ruled by the bitter and aging Female Emperor. Threatened by temptation and exposure to the outside world, Baoshi soon finds himself embroiled in a ghost story set amongst the sumptuous and elaborate rituals of the palace, a decadent world of corruption and intrigue, passion and desire.

MUST REITERATE: THIS HARDCOVER COST ME ONLY 50 CENTS.
Erm...yeah. It's about a hermaphrodite child and his journey to find his master's lover or somewhat? But I'm mostly interested in the premises with the first/last female emperor of China (the story is based on historical facts) and I'm using it as consulting material for my own chinese fantasy novel -- which I haven't forgotten, really I am now writing it for NaNoWriMo!
Bought at Library book sale ($0.50) *hardcover

So yeah, the book sale was at a remote corner of the downtown area, and the buses only came once every half-hour, so I decided to walk back up towards my campus in search of lunch/dinner. There were various other used bookstores along the street too so I picked up a few more bargain-ish books...


Beauty Killer #1:
Heartsick
by Chelsea Cain

When beautiful serial killer Gretchen Lowell captured her last victim, the man in charge of hunting her down, she quickly established who was really in control of the investigation. So why, after ten days of horrifying physical and mental torture, did she release Detective Archie Sheridan from the brink of death and hand herself in?
Two years on, Archie remains driven by a terrifying obsession that was born during his time alone with Gretchen. One thing is clear Archie does not believe he was ever truly freed. Now Archie returns to lead the search for a new killer, whose recent attacks on teenage girls have left the city of Portland reeling.
Shadowed by vulnerable young reporter Susan Ward, Archie knows that only one person can help him climb into the mind of this psychopath. But can Archie finally manage to confront the demons of his past without being consumed by them?

Okay, everyone needs to know, this digital image does not do the cover justice, the red cover is GORGEOUS in real life (see photo) -- the reds are much richer and the contrast is much higher. I can't stop staring at it. *stares* Anywho, haven't read a detective mystery in a while, especially not one with a anti-heroine who is actually a SERIAL KILLER. Oh I'm going to enjoy this >D
Bought at used bookstore ($5.00)

Master Li and Number Ten Ox #3:
Eight Skilled Gentlemen ⇒ New Crayon!
by Barry Hughart

In the heart of the Forbidden City, Master Li and Number Ten Ox, accompanied by a scarred puppeteer and his shamanka daughter, investigate the murder of respected mandarins.

This is technically the last book in a trilogy and I haven't read the first book yet. However, it was on sale, so I'll hoard it for now and read it after I've grabbed the two others. Also, chinese fantasy + humor + cheesy english-translation names (ex. Number 10 Ox) = WIN 8Dv
Bought from used bookstore ($3.00)

Good Omens
by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

You see, there was a bit of a mixup when the Antichrist was born, due in part to the machinations of Crowley, who did not so much fall as saunter downwards, and in part to the mysterious ways as manifested in the form of a part-time rare book dealer, an angel named Aziraphale. Like top agents everywhere, they've long had more in common with each other than the sides they represent, or the conflict they are nominally engaged in. The only person who knows how it will all end is Agnes Nutter, a witch whose prophecies all come true, if one can only manage to decipher them.

I've been wanting to read this for a while now. Smart apocalyptic humor = ♥
The cover's very stylized, but I think it suits a black satire very well. The author profiles were adorable too LOL! I almost got Anansi Boys as well, but I found something else shiny so I left it for later:
Bought from used bookstore ($5.00)

Bartimaeus #1:
The Amulet of Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud

Nathaniel is eleven years old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up on his education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-yeard-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.

I actually wanted the UK edition because honestly, this one creeps me out. But I figured I'm not going to stare at the cover as much as Heartsick anyways so...*goes off to stare at Heartsick*
My brother introduced me to this series actually, said it was hilarious and the main character wasn't a conventional hero. Also, there's a snarky demon who makes footnotes in the novel, so that's three plusplus criterion that's gonna make me at least enjoy this despite it being for a younger audience.
Bought from used bookstore ($5.00)

The book salesman said I had a broad spectrum of tastes lol