Kinna

Incoming Goodies from the Post Office

I should go and open my post office box more often. ( It’s really my mother’s box.  She says she’s operating it just for my books!) .  Look what arrived in my mail:

The excitement is killing me.  I’ve wanted to read Kim Scott’s That Deadman Dance since it won the 2011 Miles Franklin Award, Australia’s most prestigious award.  Lisa of ANZ Litlovers Litblog sent it to me all the way from Australia.  Of course, Lisa, whose coverage of Australian literature has no peers, is partly to blame for my obsession with That Deadman Dance!  She talked about it a lot (she couldn’t help it; the book was on most of Australia’s award lists) and she eventually crowned it the  ANZ LitLovers Australian Book of the Year.  Kim Scott is one of Australia’s finest writers and the few Aussie books that I’ve read have been marvelous indeed, so I’m looking forward to reading  this one about the early contact between Indigenous Australians and Europeans.  Thanks Lisa!

I won Teju Cole’s Open City in a giveaway at Africa Book Club.  Another book that I’m excited to read.  It follows the ramblings of Julius, a German-Nigerian immigrant doctor as he wanders around New York City.  A story that appears to be missing a plot.  My kind of book.  Thanks to the ABC.

I have this firm belief that I have the worst luck in lotteries, raffles, etc.  I should give this belief up.  Because frankly, I’ve been winning my share of books since I started blogging and entering giveaways.  Fingers crossed, my luck is turning, touch wood and all.  I won Paolo Bagigalupi’s Pump Six and Other Stories in the February 18, 2012 edition of the Literary Blog Hop over at The Book Stop.  Paolo Bagigalupi is an award-winning American science fiction author whose name I’ve been encountering on sci-fi blogs for a while now.  Ten stories are collected in this book and should serve as an excellent introduction to this author’s work.   A hearty thank you to CurlyGeek04.

Rarely do I get offered advance review copies of books that I actually want to read.  I loved Hilary Mantel’s Wolf  Hall. I mean really loved it.  So imagine my delight when I was offered the ARC of Bring Up the Bodies, which is the sequel to Wolf Hall.  I get to commune with Cromwell and Mantel’s delightful use of the “he”pronoun.  My final thanks goes to Christine at Henry Holt.

Looks like I’m in for some good reading.

Have you read any of these books?  What books are you looking forward to reading?

18 comments

  1. I loved That Deadman Dance, and think Kayanga and Me, which he wrote with Hazel Brown, is one of the best books out there on the variety of issues in crossing cultural lines–especially those between Indigenous and Australian cultures. And it is a very enjoyable book to read.

    Like

  2. Kinna –

    I’ve read That Deadman Dance, Open City and Bring Up the Bodies – and want to say that you will not be disappointed. They are three of my favorite books of the last year. Not only is the prose beautiful, but the stories are well written. Enjoy!

    (Oh, and did you know you can follow Teju Cole on Twitter? He has a series he calls “Small Fates”)

    Like

  5. Thanks Kinna – hadn’t heard of That Deadman Dance before, but sounds worth reading. It’s certainly great to get books in the post – although I still prefer a trip to a well-stocked library or bookshop! That way I get to enjoy not only the books I go home with but all the others I leaf through while I’m there!

    Like

  6. Based upon your recommendation I got Open City from the library. (I very much appreciated the no plot). Just finished it last night . A thoroughly enjoyable. I loved his adventures and his walks. I being a walker myself could easily identify with Julius. He has a sensible attitude towards life and his past.

    Like

    • Joe, thank for leaving a comment on my blog. Apologies for the late response. I’ve been on sporadic breaks from blogging. I’m glad you enjoyed Open City.

      Like

  9. it’s great getting freebies, still a relatively new thing & uncommon occurrence for me, but nice when it happens. Also great to see that Lisa’s site won a best Aussie blog award.

    Like

  10. Ooohh…I love getting books in the post! I’ve been on the fence about Teju Cole’s “Open City.” I look forward to reading your review, as I enjoy your shared thoughts and perceptions.

    Like

  11. I ve had both Open city and that deadman on my wishlist since heard about them Kinna I look forward to your reviews of them ,all the best stu

    Like

  12. I too love receiving and opening parcels of books – and that’s probably why I will never totally switch over to ebooks… Although I do admit my TBR shelves do number more than three. I do have Teju Cole’s book on my TBR list, and I have to apply myself to finishing Wolf Hall

    Like

  13. It’s always exciting to win book awards; I recently won Buchi Emecheta’s Joys of Motherhood in a reading relay organised by logo-ligi and only received it about four days ago. I was so over the moon. Congrats, and happy reading.

    Like

  14. I have Open City on my reading list, I just bought it at National Black Writers’ Conference. I really want to read his other book Every Day is for the Thief but it’s not available in the U.S. (it wasn’t at SilverBird when my mom checked either).

    Like

  15. It’s always nice to get books in the post, even nicer when they’re free – and ones you want!

    Like

  16. Oooh envy, I’ve never had an ARC of anything from the UK or US. (Well, a bit of self-published dross has (despite my review policy) sneaked in under my guard, but never anything like a Hilary Mantel). I loved Wolf Hall too… took it away with me on holidays and lost myself in it for days. Oh well, I have A Place of Greater Safety on my TBR, ready for the next Summer hols so I shouldn’t complain! I hope you enjoy That Deadman Dance:)

    Like

Comments are closed.