Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Recently Acquired Books

(Brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish)

I’m very behind on everything blog-related these days. Blame summer vacation and Secretary of State John Kerry. And a bit of my own laziness.  But, with my trip home in the rearview mirror, Kerry being wheels-up and the start of a new (and my last!) term staring me down, it is time to get back in the writing saddle. I missed a handful of Top Ten Tuesdays while I was on my mini-hiatus, so as I get back in the flow, I’ve decided to start with a topic that came up in July that I liked, rather than jumping in on this week’s theme.  I’ve gone through quite a few books this summer, so without further ado, I’m back to blogging with my ten most recently acquired books!

(In order of acquisition)

Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capó Crucet- Purchased- e-book.  I just started this one on Sunday, but have to admit to a bit of annoyance with Amazon. The e-book price was actually $.90 more expensive than the hardcover edition. How does that make any sense?

Penguins with People Problems by Mary Laura Philpott– Borrowed from Boise Public Library- e-book. Dorky and hilarious. This is my kind of humor.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten- Borrowed from Boise Public Library- e-book. Great new YA novel about students coping with OCD.

Mr. and Mrs. Doctor by Julie Iromuanya- Borrowed from Boise Public Library- e-book. I’m very glad this was a borrow and not a purchase. I was less than impressed with it, although going into it I really wanted to like it. I wanted it to be like Americanah, but the characters just didn’t resonate in the same way.

Not Quite Paradise: An American Sojourn in Sri Lanka by Adele Barker- Purchased- hardback, used. Interesting look at Sri Lanka both before and after the tsunami, including a lot of history and political background.

The Miracle Girl by Andrew Roe- Borrowed from Boise Public Library- e-book. I loved the premises of this book, that a young girl whose body was destroyed in a car accident, is now a receptacle of miracles and healing. There is a lot of potential with this plot, but I was disappointed in the execution. I would have liked to delve into that spiritual mystery side more than the author did.

Destination Saigon by Walter Mason-  Purchased- paperback, used. Great travelogue of Mason’s time in Vietnam. Both entertaining and informative, this is a fun read for anyone headed to SE Asia.

Looking for Lovedu: Days and Nights in Africa by Ann Jones- Purchased- hardback, used. A literary travelogue of Jones’ trip from England to the Southern reaches of Africa. I must admit a bias to this book, as it will be one of the four that serve as the backbone of my master’s thesis this fall.

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen- Borrowed- Caldwell Public Library, hardback I picked up this YA novel when I was home for a few weeks of summer vacation. It was recommended to me by my niece, who even went to the library to pick me up a copy! This is a great YA novel about a young man dealing with the fallout of bullying and the terrible actions of his older brother.

Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell- Purchased-paperback, used. Another travelogue. (My blog and life have been heavy on these for the last year.) This one follows a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who returns to the country of his service (which was cut short after just seven months). It is heavy on both a personal journey, as well as history and political background on Uzbekistan.

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