Sunday 29 December 2013

Sam Sunday #38: Christmas 2013


I had a very low-key and relaxing Christmas this year, which is just the way I wanted it.  We spent most of Christmas Day with my husband's family, and then on Boxing Day we were at my Mum and Dad's for Christmas Day round #2!  Of course, my nephew stole the show, and was completely spoiled all day long.  I could have done without the return of my morning sickness on Christmas morning, but apart from that I had a lovely few days.

Since Boxing Day, I've mainly been relaxing at home and trying to make the most of the last of my holiday.  I have a short Christmas break this year (for a teacher), which means I'll be back to work next Thursday.  I've been having lots of lie ins and we've been sale shopping a few times.  I've taken advantage of the sales to stock up on some maternity clothes, ready for the next few months.  

As far as presents go, I didn't actually receive many books this year, more pampering gifts, which has gone down well.   I've felt so rough over the past few months that it's nice to spend some time feeling nice again.   However, I did receive some Waterstones and High Street vouchers from my husband's family, so I've had fun hitting the shops and deciding how to spend them.  Here is my combined pile of Christmas gifts and voucher buys:


From top to bottom (links go to goodreads:)


1. Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre - I've read Goldacre's Bad Science, so I'm keen to read about him taking on the pharmaceutical industry.  I know a bit about the way the industry works in the US, but next to nothing about how it works in the UK, so I'm sure it will be eye-opening.
2. The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond - I've had my eye on this for a while.  It's in the Penguin orange spine non-fiction collection (as is book 3 below), which pretty much guarantees it will be good.  It's about traditional societies and what we could learn from them in the modern world.
3. The Quantum Universe by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw - I took an Open University module on astrophysics a while back, and I've been meaning to read more books on the topic ever since, now that I have a basic understanding of it.  This seems like a good introduction to quantum physics, plus I love Brian Cox.  And the cover sparkles!

All three of the above were bought with gift vouchers.


4. The Victorian City by Judith Flanders - This was a present from my husband's aunt (my aunt-in-law?).  It's a beautiful hardback history book about everyday life during the time of Dickens, which looks perfect for dipping in and out of.
5. Night Film by Marisha Pessl - I never buy new hardback books, as they are just too expensive, so I decided to treat myself to some hardbacks with my Waterstones voucher.  I've wanted Night Film, about a journalist obsessed with the mystery around a cult horror director, ever since it first came out, mainly because the story is partially told in screenshots, messages, forum activity etc.
6. Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood - I read Oryx and Crake earlier in the year and loved it.  I have Year of the Flood checked out of the library, so I snapped up this copy of Maddaddam when I saw it.


7. The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - This was my absolute favourite Christmas present, from my husband.  I've been coveting the Folio Society books for ages, but they are too expensive for me to justify buying for myself.  But I was thrilled to receive one as a gift; they come in slipcases and are beautifully bound with illustrations throughout.  I've wanted to read The Master and the Margarita for a long time, now I have an added incentive to do so.

I'm extremely pleased with my Christmas books, I can't wait to dive into them and see what I make of them.  I'm also over the moon to have finally finished Les Miserables, which has taken me just under a month to complete.  Sadly, I was a bit underwhelmed by it in the end, and I don't think it lives up to the Russian epics, which I adore.  I am glad I read it, but the reading experience wasn't as enjoyable as I had hoped.  On the plus side, the rest of my books now seem ridiculously short and easy to get through!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, let me know if you received any books under the tree.

23 comments:

  1. A-we-some Christmas books :) I actually won a hardcover of Maddaddam a little before Christmas (can you imagine, right?), so I'm hoping it'll arrive some time in January. I also have to read Year of the Flood before that, though.

    Let me just express excitement over this fabulous looking copy of The Master and Margarita. My own copy is an Estonian translation from 1968, the dust jacket has gone missing and it's very worn looking - from numerous reads. Good thing though - it still has my grandpa's Ex Libris inside, which is a very nice memory of my grandfather, who was a huge reader.

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    1. I'm hoping to read Year of the Flood as soon as I finish Steelheart, which I need to get to first as it's overdue at the library...oops!
      And I love old copies of classic books like that, it's something you can pass on one day too.

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  2. You had the best Christmas ever!!

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    1. It was awesome :) Hope you had a great Christmas too, Brooke.

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  3. You got some great books! MaddAddam and Night Film are on my wishlist!

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    1. I'm starting Night Film tonight with high hopes....

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  4. Congrats on getting through Les Mis!! That's a reading milestone. The Master and Margarita looks like a beautiful book. Special editions are...well, special.

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    1. It is a milestone, and one I am very glad to finally get to!

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  5. What a beautiful edition of The Master and Margarita! I read it a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it - I hope you do too. Congratulations on finishing Les Miserables. It's a shame you didn't enjoy it more but it's still an achievement to have read it!

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    1. I really hope I love it, I have a feeling I am going to, it sounds perfect for me. I'm glad that you enjoyed it :)

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  6. I'm sorry your morning sickness is back, it must feel horrible.

    Congrats on all those books and on finishing Les Mis, not everyone can say that!

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    1. It's not great, but it's not as bad as it was earlier on in the pregnancy, so that's something at least!

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  7. I love your gifts and voucher books! They are nearly all books I want for myself. :p I haven't spent my book vouchers yet, although buying ebooks on post-Christmas sale has been eating away at them. I got Night Film from my sister, and the Call the Midwife books from my grandmother, who says they are The Best, and then some Patrick Ness books as well that I didn't already own. Oh, a bookish Christmas is so wonderful.

    Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

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    1. I should have saved my vouchers for later on in the year when I am skint and in need of a pick-me-up, but I couldn't resist the lute of the shops!
      I'm starting Night Film tonight....hope it is as good as I think it's going to be...

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  8. Beautiful books - it must have been huge fun picking them out! I didn't receive any books for Christmas, but I bought myself quite a few of which I'm most looking forward to reading The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.

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    1. Picking them out was hard as my wishlist is so huge, but fun at the same time! Hope you enjoy your new books :)

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  9. Nice haul! I picked up Night Film myself at the after Christmas sales...along with a bunch of other books (don't you love Christmas gift cards to bookstores?). I love the cover of The Folio Society book -- I have a couple myself and love looking at them (they are so pretty that I don't want to crack them open though LOL.

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    1. Gift cards are great, it's like Christmas carries on and gives you the opportunity to indulge in guilt free shopping! I am scared to read my Folio book - it's too pretty.

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  10. You have such lovely books here! I VERY quickly added The Victorian City to my wishlist. I love that time period, and I love books that take a look at daily life in a different time period. Must have it!

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    1. Hope you enjoy it, Andi. I am looking forward to dipping in and out of it.

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  11. Sounds like you had a lovely Christmas! (aside from the morning sickness, I hope that leaves you alone for the rest of your pregnancy!) Enjoy your books and the couple days off!

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    1. Thanks, and hope you had a lovely Christmas too :)

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  12. The Folio Society books are absolutely gorgeous! I have a couple I've found second hand although both are without the sleeves. Still utterly stunning though. Sounds like you had a lovely Christmas and received some brilliant books. Enjoy your reading :)

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