Ah, books.

[lareinenoire]

It's been a good few days for books. Between the £1 rack at Galloway and Porter, the Giant Sale of Wonderfulness at Waterstone's, and the lovely bookstall at the market, I've managed to walk away with eight books, only one of which cost me full price.

1. Richard II by William Shakespeare. I read one speech (where he completely cribbed from Doctor Faustus) and had to read the rest.

2. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Been meaning to read it for ages. My sister will be happy.

3. rosamund's birthday present, which will remain undisclosed. ::grin::

4. A collection of transcribed documents relating to the sinking of the Titanic. Very very cool, and useful!

5. Ruled Britannia by Harry Turtledove. AU based on the premise that the Spanish Armada defeated the English navy in 1588, and featuring a certain Will Shakespeare as the main character. Not to mention random cameos by the "darkly handsome" Kit Marlowe. Mmmm.

6. I Will Repay by Baroness Orczy. The one Scarlet Pimpernel novel I haven't read. Why not?

7. Lorenzaccio by Alfred de Musset. I have a giant presentation next Wednesday on this play, and even though I've got a copy out of the library, it's relevant enough to my research that I ought to own a copy. And lo and behold! It shows up at the market bookstall, directly next to...

8. The Collected Plays of Alfred de Musset in translation. Though I will admit there are quite a few lines that simply do not work translated. They sound absolutely silly. Though that could just be the translator's fault.

Yay books. My shelf is full again. Now if I could only teleport books back and forth between here and Pennsylvania...

Comments

[alstaria.livejournal.com]

Ruled Brittania is simply amazing. I love that book so much. In fact, I believe I will read it again after I done with my Prachett re-read.

Mmm...books!

[daundelyon.livejournal.com]

Ruled Britania does indeed rock, mostly because it came so very close to being reality. I am postively hooked on Turtledove.

[pixidala.livejournal.com]

Tuck Everlasting is one of my all-time favourites. I think you'll really enjoy, and it's a very fast read.

I still haven't seen the movie... perhaps I should check and see if they have an English video copy of it at the store here.

[countertony.livejournal.com]

I was mildly surprised while reading Ruled Britannia not to see a mention, even in passing, of the composer William Byrd, despite his production of music for English Catholics during the reign of Elizabeth. One might well imagine him continuing at the Chapel Royal (where he had been a Gentleman of the Chapel since the 1570s,) writing the Mass settings which he would (in our timeline) have composed when he retired to Essex, but now to be sung for Isabella and Albert instead of a few secret worshippers in outlaw churches.