I figured it was about time for Mr. X to host a contest. I wanted to make it something fun and unique, something that tied into what I am doing right now. Then it dawned on me. @PoseySessions and I are taking a trip to Las Vegas on a great book safari. We plan to hit up as many of the local used book stores as we can in search of some great books. I had first thought about making it a little contest among ourselves, then as I thought more about it I wanted to extend that opportunity to the followers of this blog.So what is the deal?
Easy! There is two ways to win. First just follow this blog, on February 1st a winner will be selected from all the followers and they will receive a $30 gift certificate to better World Books. Another, more fun, way to win will be to contribute to the hunt. Below I am going to post a short list of items that PoseySessions and I consider the feather in the cap of our upcoming hunt. You can contribute to this list in the comments of this post, if your contributions sparks interest and is sufficiently uncommon we will add it to the list and you have just been entered to win a $10 Better World Books gift certificate. Here comes the good part, if we find your book on our safari you win! You can have up to 3 books on the target list, meaning if we find all of them you will also win $30 towards you own virtual book safari.
A short explanation of what we are looking for on our list. One of my items is The Man Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett. My grandpa owns a first edition of this book and I have been searching used book stores across the country for it. I came close to a copy in Connecticut but it had disappeared from the shelf shortly before I arrived asking about it. I could easily order a copy online but part of the fun is the hunt. The genres we enjoy most are scifi, fantasy, nonfiction (historical, philosophy, political thought). So what are some gems you think should be on our list?
List:
1. The Man Eaters of Kumaon - Jim Corbett
2. The Glass Bees - Ernst Junger
3. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
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The rest of the list is waiting to be populated by you, so participate for a chance to win your own virtual book safari!
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3 comments:
Well, it certainly won't hurt me to recommend a few things! Mostly my interests center around the political/historical (mostly Middle East/Western relations) and science fiction.
Morality, Harm, and the Law ed. by Gerald Dworkin
This slim volume explores the ideas of how and when the government should intervene through law in the lives of its citizens. Should morality come into play? If so, whose morality?
Orientalism by Edward Said
A must-read for anyone interested in politics and relations between the West and Middle East. Said, a very controversial figure, proposed a view of "Orientalism" that has formed almost all subsequent debates in one form or the other. Another fascinating book by the same man is Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World.
James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips
This fascinating biography looks at one of the most important figures of science fiction. Alice Sheldon, who wrote under the name James Tiptree, Jr and Racoona Sheldon. Looking into Sheldon's life is also a look into the feminist movement of the 70s in science fiction and includes such high profile figures as Ursula K. Le Guin and Joanna Russ. And, for that matter, almost any short story collection from Tiptree has a few amazing stories in it. Plus, they're all out of print (except for Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, which is a "best of" compilation) so well worth collecting.
Okay, how about a couple of really fluffy but fun fantasy/sci-fi reads?
The Cross Time Engineer by Leo Frankowski
Howling Mad by Peter David
Good luck!
Most of these are suggestions via my husband since he is more aligned with your tastes :)
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Desert Spear by Peter V Brett
Song of Fire and Ice by George RR Martin
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (if you haven't read it)
Dune by Frank Herbert
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