Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Books for Christmas (What a Surprise!)


I know this will come as something of a surprise, but the Santas in my life have once again added to my (huge!) TBR stack with the gift of books. My husband delighted me with six pocket-size editions (four by Dorothy L. Sayers!) from Dell, Popular Library and Pocket Books:

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers (Pocket Books #21, seventh printing)
Clouds of Witness by Sayers (Pocket Books #85, 1st edition in near perfect condition)
Whose Body? by Sayers (Avon #176)
In the Teeth of the Evidence by Sayers (Avon #40)
The Big Four by Agatha Christie (Avon #245)
The Stars Spell Death by Jonathan Stagge (Popular Library #40)

Mom and Dad (with the assistance of Ebay and their son-in-law) gave me a set of hardback Mystery League books plus a young adult mystery by A. A. Milne:

Four Days' Wonder by Milne
Death Walks in Eastrepps by Frances Beeding
The Invisible Host by Gwen Bristow & Bruce Manning
Jack O'Lantern by George Goodchild
The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk
The Curse of Doone by Sydney Horler 
The Mystery of Burnleigh Manor by Walter Livingston (a better copy)
Turmoil at Brede by Seldon Truss
The Maestro Murders by Frances Shelley Wees 

I also participated in a Vintage Mystery Secret Santa. Unfortunately, those dratted customs forms makes it rather difficult for law-abiding citizens to keep their identities secret and I immediately knew that my friend Noah had drawn my name. He listened to my pleas for an obscure academic mystery and sent a bonus book & Star Trek collectible post cards along with it. Both books are also Dell Mapbacks--which I love.




The Man in the Moonlight by Helen McCloy (set  at "Yorkville University")
She Walks Alone by Helen McCloy

But Christmas isn't done...I also joined a bookish Secret Santa sponsored by Michell Stockard Miller at The True Book Addict (who organizes an amazing amount of book bloggers for this festive event). The package must be stuck in a chimney somewhere because it didn't make its way here before Christmas....will update as soon as it arrives.

I hope that the Santas in your life brought you bookish delights as well!


5 comments:

Kate said...

Very nice haul and in such lovely dust jackets/covers. I read 4 Days Wonder last month and I really enjoyed it. Never heard of it described as a young adult mystery before, but given its light/frothy Wodesque nature I can see how it might fit that mould.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and congratulations on the haul. You have them trained very well. I end up buying my own vintage mysteries and putting them under the tree. Of course, I did that with socks, too, and was surprised when I unwrapped them, having forgotten that I'd purchased them.

Bev Hankins said...

Yes--they all do know what I like. My mom gets a little itchy if she can't do variety (thus the Nancy Drew t-shirt), but she does know what her girl wants.

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

You must have been a very good girl this year! :D

Bev Hankins said...

LuAnn--I can always be good if it means books under the Christmas tree. ;-)