In My Mailbox (1)

It's probably a good idea if I try to keep track of the books I buy, and I've recently stared following the Story Siren's blog so the In My Mailbox meme seemed like a good idea, plus I've got a lot of books this week (14 *gulp* but 2 were free, honest).
The vampire conference has quite a bit to do with it. Not only did Mancherster University Press have a stall, offering a pretty decent discount, there was also author Marcus Sedgwick signing books. Sir Christopher Frayling visited the University to give a free Saturday lecture on the changing public image of the engineer, so I got another signed book. It also includes my copy of New Writing Dundee 5 from the launch this week (see earlier post). The cover is a bit different from them earlier one I uesed for the blog, but I think you'll agree that the font is nicer on this one.  The rest are split into two categories.

Fiction:

Divine By Mistake, Divine by Choice and Divine by Blood by PC Cast. I've read all of the House of Night series so far and really loved it, so when there was a dicount on books published by Mira online, I got the first three in her one of her other series'. This is proper adult fiction, rather than YA so I'm looking forward to seeing (or rather reading) the difference.

 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol. Both 'Alice' books are collected into one volume in the Penguin edition. I have them on my iPod reader but I'm finding it hard to read, and its not highlight-able. I haven't read the Adventures in a while, so it'll be nice to visit Wonderland again.

My Swordhand is Singing and The Kiss of Death by Marcus Sedgwick. I've already read both of these; My Swordhand is Singing before the conference (borrowed from the library) and The Kiss of Death on the 8 hour train journey back from the conference. I was really intrigued by Marcus Sedgwick's take on the vampire.

I got a lovely little drawing of a coffn and smiley vampire from Marcus Sedgwick at the conference. His plenary talk was at the end of the second day, the last pannel and he kept us all awake and entertained in the most difficult slot of the day. Sufice to say, I like the book and you'll probably be seeing more Marcus Sedgewick 'in my mailbox' in the future.

Non-Fiction: 

Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Owen Davies
Time and Relative Dissertations in Space: Critical Perspectives on Doctor Who edited by David Butler
Over Her Dead Body: Death, femininity anf the aesthetic by Elisabeth Bronfen
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: The Scientes and the Cinema by Christopher Frayling
Gothic Studies journal (May 2002, September 2004) FREE from Manchester University Press
Fashioning Gothic Bodies by Catherine Spooner

It'll take me a while to get through these, academic books always take me much longer, but I'm starting with the book on Grimoires and inch my way through Over Her Dead Body which I got out of the library as an undergrad and promptly gave back. I have quite a bit more literary theory under my belt, and no renewal deadlines or loan recalls to worry about, so I'm thinking it'll be easier this time around, right? Hmm, I'll keep you posted on that one.
Final picture is my dedication by Christopher Frayling which says:

"It's a crazy idea - but it might just work!"






How cool is that?