It's a book overdose!

[graculus]

After the abject failure to watch whales yesterday, I decided that today would be bookshop day. Hence I have spent a good chunk of the day trailing round some of Halifax's many bookshops and trying to remember I have a weight limit on my luggage.

First stop was Seaside Book and Stamp, which is actually technically in Dartmouth (you get the ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth and it's a block away from the ferry terminal) and which is well worth a visit by anyone who likes sci-fi and fantasy books. Seriously, this place is jammed with stuff including books by authors I haven't seen in such abundance since I was raiding my brother's bedroom when I was a teenager - I'd forgotten how prolific the likes of John Brunner and AE Van Vogt were... I was very happy to come away with just 9 books, including a one-volume complete set of the Prydain novels.

Then I hit a couple of the more mainstream used bookstores and was amused to see copies of Richard Stevenson's Ice Blues and On the Other Hand, Death in two shops on the trot - I bought both, but if anyone reading this is after his books (the latter is particularly hard to find, since it's currently out of print), then please let me know and I can pick them up for you. When I went in the crazy big used bookstore my brain almost dribbled out of my ears, so I had to call it a day and went to buy luggage, since my suitcase is starting to fall apart and I need to make sure I've got enough room for everything... ;)

In other news, I've been reading some of the Tor website free e-books and dude, now I know why some of them are free. Jeez. I somehow managed to finish Touch of Evil by CT Adams and Cathy Clamp (dude, it took two of you and you still wrote a book that stinks!) and got about halfway through the 500+ page Lord of the Isles by David Drake before my eyes finally glazed over from lack of interest in any of the characters. It's also the first book of a series, as is the one I'm currently reading (and enjoying!) Reiffen's Choice by SC Butler, though the cheesy cover art would have put me off if I'd not got it for nothing. Proper reviews to follow on my blog when I get home.

Tim Hortons update: oatcake (nice), white chocolate macadamia cookie (also nice).

Comments

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Baen also has free eBooks online that you can DL and read - and without fail, each book is baaaad. Couldn't make it through a-one of them.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I literally just finished Reiffen's Choice and enjoyed it, so let me know if you'd like it and I'll stick it up somewhere for you to download (though it's also the first of a trilogy, so caveat lector). :)

[obelix]

I think you're going to need a bigger suitcase ;-)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Ha ha. What was your first clue? :P

[obelix]

The number of books you've been acquiring ;-)

Who knew that Canada was a hotbed of scifi used book buying?

At this point I'm thinking of going to Dartmouth just so I can go visit the bookstores there ;-)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Well, I bought another bag with wheels that I can put my smaller one inside, though I'm currently torn as to whether I trust a certain package to the vicissitudes of baggage handlers or would rather take it onboard as extra carry-on... ;)

[obelix]

Considering the pains and difficulties to get both sets and how fragile the briefcase is and how much the DVD mean to you, I would say carry them on and attach them to your wrist with a chain!

If nothing else you could always watch a few episodes while waiting in the airport or on the airplane ;-)

[xochiquetzl]

I'm reading Tor's free ebooks, too. I liked Jo Walton's Farthing a lot.

I'll move Reiffen's Choice up my to-read list, since you're enjoying it. :)

[ETA - I'm reading Spin right now and am enjoying that one a lot, too.]

[graculus.livejournal.com]

What a coincidence, I'm reading Spin as well! ;)

Reiffen's Choice is quite cleverly thought out high fantasy, since it has dwarves and wizards and shapechangers but in a world that's clearly not just a Tolkien clone. Having looked at the Amazon listing, I'm now not completely sure it's not meant to be YA, while some of the protagonists are indeed children (in this book, though they're older in the other two of the trilogy).