A Tower of Fiction

It seems I’ve gone a bit crazy when it comes to buying books.  When the people in the Post Office start to give you funny looks since you pick up packages in bulk, you know you have a problem.  I have a HUGE problem.  I can’t seem to resist adding to my book collection at every opportunity.  It’s not that I’m running out of things to read.  My “To-read list” will most likely keep me busy for the next two years or so.  It’s purely due to my inability to say no to a good deal on a book.

I blame The Book Depository – it’s only after I discovered them that things got out of hand.  Damn you and your great prices, speedy service and 10% off temptations.

With that confession out of the way, feast your eyes on my precious new arrivals – truly a tower of magnificent fiction.  And they are mine, all mine!

I've had to revert to horizontal stacking for my fantasy bookcase.  Guess it's time to get another bookcase.  I'm thinking I'll have to go for something custom made.  Perhaps a floor to ceiling model would be appropriate.  Any suggestions?

First up is the rest of the books in the Malazan series by Steven Erikson.  I haven’t read any of the Malazan books, and since the last book is coming out at the end of the month it seemed the opportune moment to add them to my collection.  I hope they are as good as everyone seems to think they are.

These are book 3 to 9 in the series: Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, The Bonehunters, Toll The Hounds and Dust of Dreams.  I've got book 10, The Crippled God, on pre-order and it should ship soon.  When I'm going to start reading the series is a different question entirely!

I also got The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett and the replacement of my Legends of Drizzt: Book II also arrived.  The original was shipped on the 5th of January, but never made it here so The Book Depository shipped a replacement.  Strangely enough the book they originally shipped ALSO arrived at the same time.  What are the chances of that? The package had lots of yellow tape around it stating that the Post Office found it damaged and sealed it.  The actual book inside has bent corners and some damage to the bottom and top corners of the spine.  Another case it seems where the Mail Lite bags used in shipping isn’t adequate.  The replacement book which was shipped in a cardboard package is in much better condition and actually made it here within the correct time frame. 

I’d still like to know where the original disappeared to for more than a month, but I guess that’s going to have to remain one of life’s mysteries.

I didn’t neglect my science fiction collection either.  I’m exploring some new authors and got The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds by Scott Westerfield as well as The Quiet War by Paul McAuley.

The Quiet War’s cover has a nice tactile feel to it, but I have to question the cover artwork somewhat.  On closer inspection it seems to have a squadron of normal fighter planes (?!) silhouetted over Saturn’s rings.  Not a promising sight.  I hope that it only amounts to a lazy cover artist and that it’s not an indication of the quality of the actual writing.

Normal planes in space? Yeah, right...