Now, this, friends, is going to be a lot of books. These are all the books I acquired from July to the first weekend of September. I mentioned in my May-June book haul that I was going to hold off on buying books until July, and I did so with good reason, because July brought forth a sizeable haul. :’) August was a one-hit wonder, but then September rolled around and oh boy… Here’s an end of summer book haul! (With a little bit of story for the purchase of each book(s) because I miss summer and this is a great chance to reminisce already hehe!!) (And also a lot of pics because I went ham apparently.)
July
Barnes & Noble
First up, my own copies of The Folk of the Air series (thoughts coming SOMETIME, i srsly promise lul). (Used Mel’s back in December for my first read.) I used a Barnes & Noble gift card that my friends gave me as a grad gift <333 ty zakk + dora, y’all the bestest.
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not me taking the book w me to the wedding -
I ordered these online and got them the first whole week of the month (4th-10th), which was perfect, because I knew I’d be finishing up Rule of Wolves and would need a read for wedding weekend! Sure enough, I finished ROW shortly after arriving to the hotel. (Seriously, what. is it. with me. and leigh bardugo. and the grishaverse. and road trips. i guess art likes to repeat itself in life??). So, I started my first ever reread of The Cruel Prince on wedding day itself, the following morning at breakfast hehe.
Moving on, I didn’t buy anymore books until Pismo, so I was being good. And then, boy oh boy, did I buy books in Pismo!!
Phoenix Books
Day one, hours after arrival, and a short time after a delish lunch in downtown SLO (sushi @ shin’s sushi, 11/10 btw), we walked over to a new discovery, Phoenix Books. I am ENTHRALLED and will 100000% be adding this to all future trips, just as I’ve done with Nan’s and A to Z. I picked up Volume 2 of Calvin’s Institutes. Now, this is some SOLID theology, and I am SO SO SO excited to read it. It’s going to be one of those slow-burns, that I take serious time to read, because I’ll be learning so much, annotating like crazy, and most likely taking notes in a whole separate notebook as well.
A to Z Books
Just a few short days later in that week, Melody, Julie, & I hit up A to Z Books after spending a delightful time at Café Andreini, and we spent a good hour or more in the classics section, agonizing over what books to get. I was so excited to see so many of the Anne books, and in the editions I wanted!! I picked up 5, 6, & 8 here.
Also, I saw the final two books in The Time Quintent which was an unexpected surprise! I told myself, after reading books 1-3 earlier this year, that I’d try and browse around for the last two in secondhand shops this year, but I didn’t think I’d actually have success so soon. I mentioned in my Mid-Year Reading Check-In that these ended up being my 59th and 60th reads of the year! Now, I have to get my own copies of 1-3 (and in these whimsical editions as well) as I used my sister’s in my reads.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Another huge success!! This book was a part of my 2021 reading goals, and I decided at some point this year that I wanted to read this in Autumn, so that’s the plan! Happy to already own a copy, far in advance.
Nan’s Pre-Owned Books
When poor Melo was shut up in the conference room working on finals (see: Summer ’21), Julie and I adventured “solo” and went to Nan’s. I saw books 2 & 7 of Anne here! Though they’re not quite the same exact edition, they’re so pretty, and close enough, so I couldn’t resist.
I was also thrilled to find a MacArthur Daily Bible, which I just had to have. I’m super stoked to use that in the upcoming year. What I love about this is that there are three ways to finish reading the whole Bible–reading once a day or reading twice a day. Once a day, it can be read in an entire year, or in two years. Twice a day, in one year.
There’s also 52 key passages that can be committed to memory by the end of a year! Love ittt. I think I’m going to utilise the twice a day method, because I generally just read my Bible in the mornings, and while I do imbibe at least a couple of theological podcasts throughout the day, I think it’ll be nice to meditate on Scripture right before I go to bed. Plus, it fits my usual tradition of reading the Bible in a year.
I had to pack 10 books on the return journey, and let me tell you, given that a couple of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Starless Sea, and Stalking Jack the Ripper were already with me—it was a kerfuffle at times.
August
Melody, Ari, & myself had a girls day out early in the month, and B&N was of course on the agenda. I realllllly wanted to find a good read set in Ireland, and of course Ulysses and Dubliners by James Joyce were top of the list, but unfortunately were not there :/ I found An Irish Country Doctor, which is part of a series, looked at some reviews, and was sold!
I have started this, because like I mentioned in an insta story last week, I took it with me to SF like a dummy. (Instead of packing one of three reads I am aiming to finish before September: Les Mis, KL, & Sherlock.) It is so charming already, and I can’t wait til I can get back into it :’)
September
A HAUL if ever I saw one. My dad and I went to SF to watch the Giants take game 1 of the last regular season series against the Dodgers, and WHAT A FREAKIN GAME. I could wax lyrical on how this was one of the greatest games in all of baseball history, and that it will go down as such, but as y’all are here for books and not baseball *alas*, I shall restrain myself. Anyway.
On our way home, we stopped off in Gilroy specifically to visit a used bookstore, because I realized we hadn’t done that on this trip. This is, of course, a crime. And thus, we discovered BookBuyers, where you get 10% of your purchase off on your next visit! (Idk if that made any sense lol). Huge huge huge thank you to my Dad for treating me to all of the books I picked up here. Like he joked with the sweet lady at the checkout, he taught me how to read in the first place, so he can’t really complain :’)
Enough backstory, lol…
WHERE TO EVEN BEGIN. I guess with The Oxford Book of Ireland, because it’s one of the first books I picked up. I really want to learn about Irish history & culture, so this seems like a wonderful place to start. (If you have a recommendation for me, please let me know!! Also, any fiction set in Ireland as well!!)
Crime and Punishment. AS IF I can even read it until I read Anna Karenina, and I can’t even do that until I finish the aforementioned books ^^ RIP. at least i have it tho. and such a pretty edition too.
A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth. More Dickens for my shelf, not like I don’t already have three there that I haven’t read yet, oopsie. I do plan to read this before the year is up/as the year closes! Christmas Carol during December, obvs; Chimes towards the close since it’s a New Year story, apparently; and Cricket to nicely finish it up.
The Passion of Jesus Christ (50 reasons why Jesus came to die) by John Piper & The Reason for God by Timothy Keller. Planning on reading the former during Lent next year, Lord willing, can’t wait! And I mentioned the latter in my Christmas wishlist last year, so yay! I finally got it :’) Hoping to read this one before the end of the year.
EXCITEMENT (only paralleled when I got the Institutes)
And the crowing jewel of this entire, end of summer book haul: nothing other than Martin heckin’ Luther’s 95 Theses (& other treatises)!!! Reformation intensifies intensely. It’s bound in genuine leather, and it’s a collector’s edition from The Easton Press, printed on archival quality paper. KICKING AND SCREAMING. This was a steal at $50, thank you again dearest father mine, for getting me this.
I just realised that I wrote that that was the crowning jewel when I managed to get my hands on a MacArthur Study Bible for only $25. A STEAL I EVER SAW ONE. I almost SCREAMED aloud when I saw this. I knew that if I had to choose just one thing out of the books I picked up, it would be this Bible, without a doubt. The way this is such a steal!!!
This study Bible is going to be so helpful in all my biblical & theological learning going forward, and it enriches my experience just by virtue of it being a different formal version. (Formal translations are word-for-word–ie, the NASB, NKJV, ESV; functional ones are thought-for-thought–ie, the NLT.) I currently study primarily out of the Reformation Study Bible (ESV), edited by R.C. heckin Sproul, and I love it sm. I’m so excited to add this NKJV, edited by MacArthur, to my arsenal. Just ✨5 solas✨ things, reformation intensifies intensely yet again. Forever grateful for the reality that the Reformed tradition truly values Scripture! <333 end of summer book haul end of summer book haul
A grand total of 21 books later…
And we’re done with this end of summer book haul! This is definitively the most books I have ever bought in such a “short” space of time. I think. I’m pretty sure. I’ll have to hold off, but not for long: I need the rest of the Anne books before November!! That’s when I plan to reread, oh, how excited I am to go back to Avonlea <333 What were some books you purchased recently? And out of them, which are you most looking forward to reading??