Tag Archives: In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox: Sinterklaas-at-Christmas Gifts

Posted on January 9, 2011 | 29 Comments

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find more information about it here. Apparently, The Story Siren is not currently hosting this meme, but since it will return, I am still linking back to her site.

We celebrated a belated Sinterklaas during the Christmas weekend with my family. I received 3 books and I bought a fourth book the day after Christmas, because I came across it for 1,50 euros and I simply could not pass that up.

  • The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt: This is the book I am most excited about. I know Ana and Violet loved this book and I am fully prepared to follow their example.
  • The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai: My parents and sister did not get my hint that they should order from the Book Depository and when they went to the bookshop with my wishlist, the bookshop personnel told them that I was quite impossible and too specific in my choices (I wouldn’t have been for an average English bookshop, but I guess I am for the selection Dutch bookshops have). So I had to think of other books that would be available in Dutch shops 2 days before Christmas. I looked at my wishlisted books out of the 1001 list, and this is the book my sister chose for me. I don’t know much about it, but I think I would like it.
  • The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga: This is another book I do not know a lot about, but I know it has been mentioned quite a lot on book blogs, so I’m curious to see how I’ll like it.
  • Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier: This was too cheap to not buy! I do not like each of Chevalier’s books, but ever since this came out I have wanted to read it, since it is set in 18th century England and mentions the poet William Blake.

The pattern beneath the books is a new blanket I received as a Sinterklaas gift. To me, there is nothing more perfect than reading a book while sitting on the couch, under a blanket, with a cup of tea. And it is blue/white with flowers, it is a pattern I like a lot.

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In My Mailbox: Classics

Posted on January 2, 2011 | 22 Comments

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find more information about it here. Apparently, The Story Siren is not currently hosting this meme, but since it will return, I am still linking back to her site.

I had forgotten that during my last weeks in Sweden, I ordered a few books from the BookDepository. So when two days before Christmas, these 8 books suddenly showed up, I was quite surprised. I guess these could count as gifts to myself. And after four months of buying no books (or well, okay, the 5 Swedish Astrid Lindgren books), I think I wasn’t at all wrong about going on a little splurge.

I am incredibly happy with the books that arrived. Most are Oxford World Classics, for my Classics Project 2011. One is Bright Star, a collection of all the poems and some letters by Keats, with an introduction by Jane Campion (who directed the movie titled Bright Star). This Vintage edition is very pretty.

But let me move on to the Oxford World’s Classics for now. Above are pictured three out of the seven that arrived. Just look at all the pretty covers! And since I am now finally reading a real OWC book, I can say I understand why everyone loves them so much. They are so easy to read, great page lay-out, surprisingly easy to turn the pages without creasing the cover (but that could be because I am reading a relatively small book right now, only around 260 pages):

  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – I have already read this on my ereader, but wanted to own it anyway. (behold how an ereader isn’t exactly helping me not acquiring new books), and I’m going to read the introduction before writing a post on the book.
  • Evelina by Frances Burney – This book has been on my holiday and birthday gift suggestion list for years on end, until I finally decided to just read it on my ereader. Loved it. Same story as above.
  • Memoirs of Emma Courtney by Mary Hays – Since I liked Evelina so much, I wanted to try more late 18th century fiction written by women. Also, this just popped up while browsing. Another good excuse to buy this: Mary Hays moved in the same circles as Mary Wollstonecraft did.

I also bought four books that I’m going to read for the Feminist Classics Project. These should cover most of the first five months, with the exception of the book I will be discussing in April: Herland. I couldn’t find an Oxford edition and have been in doubt what edition to buy:

  • A Vindication of the Rights of Men and A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft
  • On Liberty by John Stuart Mill – featuring “The Subjection of Women”, which Ana will discuss in February
  • Four Major Plays by Henrik Ibsen – featuring “A Doll’s House”, which Emily will discuss in March
  • A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf

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In My Mailbox – The 4 Months Absence Edition

Posted on December 19, 2010 | 25 Comments

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find more information about it here.

I arrived home on Friday, 11.30 PM after 19 hours of travel (it was supposed to be only 9-10 hours) and I didn’t get the chance to look around my apartment. I was SO tired, I went to sleep almost right away. But Saturday morning (or rather, when I woke up around 11 AM) I got the chance to look through all of the parcels that arrived during the 4 months I spent in Sweden. It was an amazing prospect, just look at them:

I cannot begin to describe my excitement while unwrapping these parcels. I made funny high noises several times. If you’d like to know what was in these parcels, take a look at my vlog.. Or if you’d rather skip that, I have added a list of the books below:

Books received for review:

  • Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing – Ann Angel
  • Warm Bodies – Isaac Marion
  • The Last Letter From Your Lover – Jojo Moyes

Books received from Amanda at Floor To Ceiling Books:

  • Soulless – Gail Carriger
  • Changeless – Gail Carriger
  • The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan
  • Betrayals by Lili St. Crow

Books Received from Amy Reads:

  • Bite the Stars – Eliza Clark
  • Blood Lily – Mason Cranswick
  • Luna – Julie Anne Peters
  • Manhood for Amateurs – Michael Chabon
  • Boy Meets Boy – David Levithan
  • Our Tragic Universe – Scarlett Thomas
  • Last Night in Montreal – Emily St. John Mandel

Book received from Kathleen of SMS Book Reviews:

  • Saplings – Noel Streatfeild

Books received from Lydia at The Literary Lollipop:

  • A Child of the Jago – Arthur Morrison
  • Kamouraska – Anne Hébert

Book received from Amanda at One More Page:

  • All I Want For Christmas – Amy Silver

Book received from Giarnese Family of Desperate House Scribes:

  • The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield

Book received from Frances of Nonsuch Book:

  • Tender Morsels – Margo Lanagan

It is such a great list and I’m incredibly excited to read them all. Actually, I have spent half of yesterday unpacking and the other half staring at my bookshelves and all the books that I cannot wait to read. Maybe I should join the TBR challenge? I don’t know. I don’t think I could..

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In My Mailbox: 08/01

Posted on August 1, 2010 | 11 Comments

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find more information about it here.

This week things have returned to normal, which means I do not have tons of books to tell you about. I did however receive two books for review. Which is not all that regular to me.

The book on the left is If I Stay by Gayle Forman. It is the second book I received as part of the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge. I actually already read this one and I will be posting my review somewhere this week.

The book on the right is In His Own Write & A Spaniard In The Works by John Lennon. It was kindly send to me for review by Vintage Books. I am very curious about this book and I hope to read it this week. I already leaved through it a couple of times and it looks interesting.

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In My Mailbox: 7/25

Posted on July 25, 2010 | 22 Comments

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find more information about it here.

Last week I told you that I was going to split the books I received the last weeks into two posts. This is part two, which features books I did not receive as birthday gifts, but bought or acquired in another manner.

In My Mailbox 25-07

Remember last time I mentioned seeing Nada Surf in Utrecht and how I came across a book sale and bought 40 books? Well, last week I accompanied my boyfriend to Amsterdam to see Nada Surf again for his birthday. Amsterdam has several bookstores that sell only English books. It is my definition of heaven.Why? Because normally when I enter a bookstore in the Netherlands, there is only a small section that has English books and it is hard to find the titles I’m looking for. When entering these stores however, they have display upon display of books I saw featured on blogs, book I know I would like to read sometime. Unfortunately the prizes at the Waterstones’ shop are unbelievably high (think double of what buying online or buying in a regular Dutch bookshop would cost) and so I moved on to an outlet store with only English books. I couldn’t believe my luck!  Sadly, I had to carry these books for the rest of the day and take them with me to the concert and so I settled on buying just 5:

The Plot Against America – Philip Roth: I am not at all sure if I’m going to like this book, but I heard so much about it a few years ago. Plus, I would like to give alternative history a try sometime.

Being Emily – Anne Donovan: A coming of age story about a girl from Glasgow that finds her escape in the books of Emily Brontë.

Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons: I have heard nothing but praise for this book in the book blogging community. I am very happy that I’m finally going to be able to read this.

Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I have Purple Hibiscus on my TBR pile already, which both Ana and Amy have praised. I couldn’t help but buy this one as well when I saw it for this prize. I expect to fall in love with Adichie’s writing and I trust ana and Amy blindly, so I fully expect to love this when I get around to reading it.

The Night Watch – Sarah Waters: Apparantly, this is not the best Waters has ever written. But I didn’t know that yet when I picked it up. I have never read anything by Waters and I love the thought of finally owning a book by her.

I didn’t buy the other 3 books that are displayed on the pictures:

The Heart of the Night - Judith Lennox: I won this through a twitter competition of The Hanbury Agency. I read All My Sisters by Lennox a couple of years ago and I remember that I enjoyed it a lot.

Cider With Rosie – is another book I was on the lookout for through a review of Bina. I found it on bookmooch.

The Constant Liberal: Phyllis Bottome - Pam Hirsch was sent to me for review by Gavin from Quartet books.

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