My Latest Book Haul

It’s been a few weeks since Christmas, but I might as well share my latest accumulation of books anyway. During the final days of December, I acquired a wide variety of books from many different sources, whether as gifts or from stores my family visited on our yearly Christmas camping trip.

Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George

I requested this book for Christmas and ordered it used, even though it had only come out last October, from Abebooks. Interestingly enough, I was about to order a copy from Alibris when, during a delay while I was trying to find my Alibris password, someone else bought the book. Caroline George’s latest must be quite popular.

I read this over the aforementioned camping trip and greatly enjoyed it. The setting was notable–I believe this is the first Southern Gothic novel I’ve read. However, all in all, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Dearest Josephine by the same author. It did, however, earn a place in my 23 Favorite Books of 2023 list.

Testing of the Stars by P. D. Atkerson

This book was extremely cheap on Amazon (does anyone else love buying paperbacks from Amazon when they’re at highly discounted prices? I’ve heard the authors get the same amount of royalties even though the buyer pays less) so I ordered it. P. D. Atkerson is an author I’ve come to like, and this is the first book in a series, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

V. V.’s Eyes by Henry Sydnor Harrison

I loved this author’s novel Queed (my fourth-favorite of last year), so I hope his other works will be just as good (or almost, since I doubt the fictional delight that was Queed can be easily replicated). This copy was inexpensive on Ebay, and I’m pleased with the condition it’s in.

Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn

I’ve been wanting to read this story ever since I finished Gunn’s Sierra Jensen series. Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii is a follow-up to that series, following a grown Sierra as she falls in love. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as the books about her high school years simply because I prefer YA, this one was still a delight. Sierra’s character had matured but not changed, and the Hawaiian setting was lovely to read about, though I still don’t rank Hawaii high on my list of places to travel to.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

This was another gift, but not one I picked out. My aunt gave it to me–if you’re reading this, thank you!–and it was the perfect choice. I haven’t read it yet, so I can’t exactly vouch for it, but I enjoyed the movie “The Man Who Invented Christmas”, so I think I’ll like it when I get around to reading it next December.

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George

Not far from where we camped was a 2nd and Charles (a large used bookstore chain) location, which I immediately knew I wanted to visit. After browsing their clearance section and some of their YA section, I didn’t think there would be anything I wanted to buy, until I found a lovely hardcover copy of Dearest Josephine, which I mentioned above. Even though I had already read it, I longed to reread it, so I was willing to buy it for $5 (I could have bought a copy on Ebay for about that much, but it was still a good price).

Summerhill Secrets Volume 1 by Beverly Lewis

We also went to a Goodwill that day, but this was no ordinary Goodwill. The media section was enormous and formed almost its own little bookstore area. While browsing, I found another book I had read before–a volume containing four books in acclaimed inspirational author Beverly Lewis’s MG series Summerhill Secrets. I had read them years before and enjoyed them, so I decided to buy the book even though it was rather expensive for a thrift store.

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson

The last book of this haul was another thrifted find. It was newer than most books I find at thrift stores–2021–and seemed to be inspired by the works of Dickens, so I decided to buy it. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to reading it, but I hope I enjoy it.