Book Buying

I ordered a few books this morning. The reason for that (as if I really do need one) is because yesterday was Friday the Thirteenth. It was a pretty ugly one, one of those "anything that can go wrong, will" days, on top of being a typically busy summer day, so I was in a charcoal grey mood when I got out of work. I went home, settled down to a bit of reading, installed a couple of new games on the laptop, and did a bit of knitting, all in an effort to calm down and recover the sunny mood I'd started the day with. It wasn't until I was in bed around 10:30 last night that I realized it was August 13th. My mother's birthday. Oops.

Therefore, this morning I sent her a gift card from Amazon, something I knew she'd appreciate because she got a Kindle for Christmas last year (she tried to steal mine, but I wasn't letting Marius go home with anyone!). While I was there, I figured I might as well get myself a few books. Like how I justify that?

I did check, but the Kindle selection is still a wee bit thin on the fantasy stuff, unless you like the Series Which Shall Not Be Named or ones like it, so I opted for some "physical books", which will be here on Tuesday (on a side note, it looks as though Amazon has added another shipping option for those who have a Prime membership - free 2nd- day, $3.99 next day, and a $15.99 Sunday delivery available today. I suppose if you absolutely, positively, gotta have it....).

All the books I got are by Robin McKinley. Three of them are old favorites, and if it weren't for the fact that I am planning to trot out Rowling's Trio for the next month and a half, at least one of them would be up for next Wednesday's reading. As it is, all four will simply be tossed onto the TBR stack.

First up, a replacement copy of one of my favorite stories - Beauty. Unfortunately, they've changed the cover art, and I don't like the new one quite as well as my faded and tattered copy. Still, it had become a little too tattered, and had recently done a convincing Humpty Dumpty act, despite my best efforts to keep it together. (This is the old artwork, btw) The book is a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". Beauty (whose given name is Honour) is the youngest daughter of a widower. He had been extremely successful, until just recently, when he lost everything due to a shipwreck. He is forced to sell off everything and take his three daughters Grace, Hope, and Beauty up north and work as a wheelwright. the family is now poor, but they are together, and they do find some happiness. Word comes that one of the lost ships has made it back to port. The merchant goes back to take care of things, is lost in a storm on his way back, and ends up at... you guessed it, an enchanted castle. The next morning, he takes a single rose for Beauty, which triggers the whole "you stole from me, your life is forfeit, your daughter may take your place" scenario we are familiar with. It is well-told and holds up nicely over the years. It was first published in 1978 and I came across it in the mid-80s. In several ways, the Disney movie reminds me of this book - the strength of the character, her love of books, a certain charm to the entire story. In case you haven't figured it out, I'd recommend it. :)

The next two are books I read back in grade school, and remember enjoying a fair bit. The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown. I seem to have stronger recollections of Hero, but I know I liked both. they both take place in the fictional land of Damar. The first is about a girl named, of all things, Harry Crewe. She's an orphan who is kidnapped by the Hillfolk (shadowy, secretive people who are often on the outs with the Homelanders) and trained as a top fighter. The second takes place years later. Aerin is a princess, but that doesn't make her life easy. She has grown up being told that her mother "died of shame" because she was female, and she ends up finding little niches for herself to keep out of the way of others. She stumbles into fighting dragons. These are not majestic creatures; they are miserable pests, about the size of a dog. Aerin makes a name for herself as a dragon-slayer, and people soon discover there is more to the girl than they thought.

The last book is one I haven't read before, called Sunshine. On the surface, it is a vampire book, but reviews seem to lean more toward the vampires being a part of the story, but not the main ingredient. From what I gather, it seems to be more of a coming-of-age tale about a young woman. Here's hoping it is worthwhile.

The best part of all this was getting in on a 4-for-3 deal. Not that I begrudge paying for books, but if you can get a freebie, it's that much sweeter. I'll probably start with Beauty, since I've had the story in my head for a bit, and maybe move on to Rose Daughter, which is also the "Beauty and the Beast" story, but very different. Then I think I'll travel to Damar, and finally venture into the post-apocalyptic world of Sunshine. But who knows? That could all change by Tuesday when they arrive. ;)