In the High Peaks
















Sunday, September 29, 2013

Had Too Much Fun at the Nook E-Book 50% Off Sale

And a good time was had by me. The stars were aligned last evening. I had a Barnes and Noble gift card of $25 AND this weekend Barnes and Noble is offering 50 percent off selected titles of best-selling fiction and nonfiction.

What did I get?? I was stunned, when on  Friday night I discovered that Marisha Pessl's Night Film was available for $6.49. (Do visit the discussion and interview about the novel's unique features!) I wanted a captivating title for the weekend and expected to pay much more for it, but surprise!  In 2006, I read Pessl's Special Topics in Calamity Physics and was awed by her vision, talent, and, for a very young woman, her craft. I loved the book and could not race through it because I kept rereading passages that were so elegantly handled. The entire book struck me that way. Night Film is Pessl's first novel since 2006. I'm not far into it, but by page 20, I was already doing that "rereading passages" thing again because I'm so bowled over by the way she writes.

What else did I purchase in this price-slashing of e-books for the Nook?
The Bat by Jo Nesbo
The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo
B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton--very cheap, but not on the bestseller-slashed price list 
Murder of a Stacked Librarian (A Scumble River Mystery) by Denise Swanson--very cheap- not on the list
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan  
This title may surprise some of you as one of my selections. It's nonfiction and is a historical analysis or reconstruction of the life and times of the real-life Jesus and the years immediately after his death, as best as can be sorted out. I researched the author and reviews of this book thoroughly, quite painstakingly, in fact. It has received excellent reviews for being authoritative and scholarly, although completely within the grasp of the non-academic reader. I like that fact and have started reading it. I will say I've always been interested in the historical aspects of the man--the world he grew up in and the messianic aspects of first-century Palestine. I'll admit my friends find this interest a peculiar fact about me, because I'm an enthusiastic agnostic.


4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great haul of e-loot! I'm glad you like Pessi's writing. I couldn't follow her first book, so gave up. Reading Nesbo will probably be a good thriller experience, and Sue Grafton's book are always a vacation weekend to me.
    Saw Reza Aslan on TV, and he seems like a very smart, well-informed person, who has come under some criticism, but to me, not by reputable sources (Fox TV).
    I'd certainly look through the book if I saw it, not because of the religious aspect, but the historical information about the region and what was going on. Knowing more history can't hurt.

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    1. Kathy,
      I'm always delighted to read your comments. Yes, Pessl's first book took some patience and a younger brain than I possess today, but I loved it.

      I'm so interested that you had the chance to see Reza Aslan on television, and I agree, I'm not at all put off by the fact that Fox TV criticized him.
      And you're so right, it's the historical aspect that has me hooked on the book already, though I'm only up to page 50. Illuminating!

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  2. Thank you for your comment.

    I think you've nailed it: my younger brain could have followed Pessi's first book. When I think of what I read years ago, my mind boggles -- and much faster, too.

    I hope you mention a few of the historical points in the book. Maybe I'll look around the library or at Barnes and Noble just to look through it.

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    1. Kathy,
      I haven't been able to get to Pessl's book yet because I'm trying to fully participate in the German Literature Month event. Still, Pessl's on my mind--got to get to it soon!

      Judith

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