My NYC haul
Despite the strength of the British pound against the US dollar right now, it doesn't make book-buying any cheaper when you're a Londoner in New York! In fact, I was surprised at how expensive books are in the States.
At one independent store I paid the equivalent of £8 for a paperback, and I can't remember the last time I paid that much for a book in the UK. Not that I mind paying that much if I'm supporting an independent bookseller, but it did come as a bit of a shock to the system given I've done so much book-mooching this year and scored so many free review copies.
That said, I had a wonderful time browsing shelves and hunting out books with a New York theme during my recent trip. I was very conscious of not exceeding my baggage limit so I confined myself to just five books. They are as follows:
Patrick McGrath's Ghost Town -- Tales of Manhattan Then and Now, a trio of stories set in New York at different time periods -- the American revolution, the 19th century and shortly after 9/11. It's dedicated to Peter Carey, which piqued my interest.
Karen Shepard's Don't I Know You?, set in 1976 about a young boy whose mother is murdered in their Manhattan apartment.
Pete Hamill's Forever, which is about a man who arrives in Manhattan in 1740 and is granted immortality as long as he never leaves the island. It spans three centuries, thereby giving the reader a good overview of New York's history. I can't wait to read it.
The Stories of John Cheever, a collection of the late John Cheever's short stories set in New York.
Diane Ackerman's The Zookeeper's Wife -- A War Story, a new release hardcover about two Polish Christian zookeepers horrified by Nazi rascism who managed to save more than 300 people during the Second World War. Okay, so it's nothing to do with New York but I was fascinated by this true story as soon as I picked up the book and read the blurb. I only hope it lives up to expectation -- I paid £12 for this one!!
I've done the Book Mooch. It saved me loads of money!
Posted by: Judith | Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 03:44 AM
I'm intrigued by Forever, which I'd never heard of. Hmm, I wonder if it's available to mooch.
Posted by: raelha | Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 09:20 AM
Did you try any of the secondhand bookshops? I haven't been in NYC for a while, so I don't know if there are even any left!
Posted by: Lee | Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 09:23 AM
I work in the media, and I love love love review copies. I can't even remember how many I've gotten this year.
Posted by: Desperate Housewife | Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 11:33 AM
I agree. I have never shopped for books in the UK, but I know books here do not come cheap. I am an avid library patron. :)
Posted by: Heather | Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 06:22 PM
Isn't book shopping in foreign cities fun?
Posted by: adrienne | Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 01:05 AM
My favourite bookshops are all in different cities too! Since it is sometimes hard for me to find a good selection of english books here in Tokyo!!!
My favourite bookstore is in Auckland, New Zealand!
Posted by: Lulu | Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 01:21 PM
I loved seeing a photo of a bookstore around the corner from my brother & sister-in-law's apartment in NYC! The cost of all books and paperbacks in particular has gone through the roof here. I'm now a big fan of Paperback Swap (www.paperbackswap.com) as it allows me access to almost every book I want, as long as I don't need it immediately, for essentially the cost of postage. This has another added benefit in that I'm less inclined to hang onto thousands of books. I'm also a lot happier to serve on award committees (a box arrives at my house with 15 new books in it? Amazing)!!
Posted by: Anne | Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 09:31 PM
The best bookstore ever (in America, anyway) is in COlorado. Go to the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver before you die. You'll be in heaven. Promise.
Posted by: Brandon | Monday, October 29, 2007 at 03:34 AM
What a great load of books. I'm currently waiting for a copy of The Zookeeper's Wife from a fellow blogger in the US (we've done a swap!) and I too hope it lives up to the hype ;-)
Posted by: nutmeg | Monday, October 29, 2007 at 07:45 AM
I have kept The Stories of John Cheever pretty much within five feet of me since 1991. If you like the stories, find "The Journals of John Cheever" too! and if you like the journals, read The Paris Review vol 1 (Gourevitch intro) Robert Gottlieb piece, a few lines about editing the journals... Phew!
Posted by: emilie | Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 05:28 AM
Delighted to see a Patrick McGrath on the pile, one of my top five living writers. Ghost Town isn't his best (try Asylum, Dr Haggard's Disease or Port Mungo) but the third story Ground Zero is the strongest in the collection, homing in on what he does best: disturbed minds, sexual irregularity, and strangely unreliable narrators!
Posted by: John Self | Friday, November 02, 2007 at 07:59 AM
I was interested to see that you were 'shocked' to pay eight pounds for a paperback. We regularly pay up to $30 here in Australia.
Posted by: Possum Magic | Sunday, November 04, 2007 at 02:07 AM