Book Finds!

My brother, Jules, gave me a Barnes & Noble giftcard for my birthday - which is really thoughtful since:
#1. I love Barnes and Noble; and
#2. I can get whatever I want.

So tonight, after dinner, my hubby and I spent our evening browsing the bookstore. I am so excited over the books I got. Here they are proudly displayed on my nightstand:

My first choice was a compilation of Jane Austen's books. I recently re-read an old worn out copy of Pride and Prejudice and remembered that I absolutely love the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I am excited to read Ms. Austen's other popular novels (Sense and Sensibility, Emma) as well as her other lesser known books (Persuasion, Mansfield Park, etc).

My second pick was Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. I am looking forward to reading the biography of the man hailed as the "most acclaimed and revered living Nobel laureate". If this book is half as haunting as One Hundred Years of Solitude - it should be well worth it!

Third, I had to get a copy of Nick Bantock's, The Golden Mean, which is the third book in the Griffin and Sabine trilogy. I first read these books in college after a friend introduced me to this intriguing story. Since then I have been a huge fan and have had the books on my wish list for as long as I can remember. My SIL gave me the first book (Griffin & Sabine) for my birthday last year and now I have the third one. I'll be keeping my eyes open for the second book (Sabine's Notebook) now that I have the other two.

Lastly, The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell just because I have heard it is so much like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - which I enjoyed as well.

I'm so excited about my new books that I am not sure which one to read first. I actually feel a little bit giddy - like a kid at Christmas who opens up tons of gifts and is not sure which toy to play with first. I've always considered that two my favorite feelings include the excitement of finding a good book and the anticipation of reading that book's first line. Many times I am so excited that I have to deliberately pace myself and force myself to read slowly since when starting a new book I tend to rush through the lines.

I know it may seem weird to some. But to me reading has always been a comfort and a place where I can totally relax. And even if I am way too busy these days with work (and not really sure I have the time to read these wonderful book finds), just having them on my nightstand, waiting to be read, is enough to comfort me.