So, here's what I bought. Mostly paperback mysteries. I couldn't resist the two old books I bought from the $1 shelves at Two Brothers. One of those, whose title you can't see, is Bulfinch's Age of Fable or Beauties of Mythology. There's just something about holding those old books with their lovely bindings.
I'm on an Archy McNally kick. They're light, amusing mysteries. I can imagine Michael Weatherly, of NCIS, playing Archy. I bought three Rex Stout / Nero Wolfe books and five Michael Gilbert books. I've only just discovered Michael Gilbert and have only read one of his books so far, which I posted about a few weeks ago.
I also bought two Dana Stabenow / Kate Shugak books. I'm reading one now that's quite a disappointment. Usually, her books are exciting, but this one, Killing Grounds, reads like a treatise on salmon fishing in Alaska. No one get murdered until about 100 pages in.
A new author to me, recommended by one of the women at Mainely Murder, is Wallace Stroby. I liked the story, Kings of Midnight, but his use of sentence fragments drove me crazy. Lyn Hamilton is another author I like and I found one of hers. I was happy to find two Elizabeth Daly books at the library bookstore and a Cyril Hare at Mainely Murder. I don't actually remember where I bought the Catherine Aird.
Of the books I bought, I've finished reading Rex Stout's The Rubber Band, McNally's Gamble, Kings of Midnight, and A Most Contagious Game.
We had a great vacation and I wish we were back in Cape Elizabeth!
Wow! That's quite a haul! I hope they all turn out to be fantastic! Glad you had such a good vacation :)
ReplyDeleteIt didn't seem like so many books when I was buying them! They are all escapist, pleasure reads, but I'm into that at the moment. We did have a terrific vacation. As I lie in bed listening to the car horns, the people shouting, the general noise, I try to imagine the sound of waves on the shore. It takes quite an imagination to do that.
DeleteIt never seems like a lot of books at the time! :) You have a good imagination but hopefully you can get away from the car horns and general noise again sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't, does it? I would come back from a bookstore visit and put the few I had bought in a bag. It wasn't long before the bag was full and I realized how many books I'd bought. I've been reading my way through the stack and will have a nice bag of books to take to The Book Trader one of these days.
DeleteI've never liked noise. I grew up in a small town and in a family where no one ever raised their voice. I'm married to a man who's half Greek, lots of shouting and hand waving at times. They used to call his late mother Yellin' Helen! I guess I should be used to it by now, but noise is a trigger of some sorts for me. After years of living with me, I think Jack now appreciates quiet, too.
You got a lot of mysteries by authors I like. Rex Stout and Elizabeth Daly. I have read all of the Rex Stout books multiple times but I have not read all the Elizabeth Daly books that I have. I hope you like them.
ReplyDeleteI have read some Lawrence Sanders books (many years ago) but I don't think I ever read any of the Archie McNally books. I am going to have to look into those.
I love the Nero Wolfe books, too. I had a ton of them that I got rid of when we moved to Philadelphia. I, mistakenly, thought they'd be easy to replace. I really enjoy the Archy McNally books. They're lightweight mysteries, but they're fun. I've read some Elizabeth Daly, but not enough to have a real feel for her books.
DeleteThat was quite a haul, and I can't believe how cheap those lovely old books were.
ReplyDeleteI've never been able to stand noise, it enrages me that people - often neighbours - can be so selfish as to inflict unnecessary noise pollution on others.
Those old books with the pretty bindings are the kind I used to collect. I was thrilled to find those two on the $1.00 table.
DeleteI truly think that many people are affected by noise and that at least some of the violence we routinely see is caused by noise and frustration. Why did someone in a car go down the street this morning at 6:00AM (Sunday!) and randomly beep his horn?! I'd like to strangle him or her!
Wonderful selection of books! I am definitely writing down those bookstores so I can check them out next summer!
ReplyDeleteAt Two Brother's Books, I picked up a little pamphlet called Used Bookstores in Maine, or something like that. That's where I found a few of the ones I visited. Jack found several on the Internet. He has more patience for the Internet than I do.
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