End-of-Quarter Book Haul, Spring Edition!

It was only after I'd officially been on Summer Vacation for about a day, on Friday, before I realized that since it was the end of the Quarter, that meant, inevitably, that the University Bookstore would be having its end-of-Quarter sale! 

Despite having a bit of a reader's slump recently as I finished my Capstone, and feeling a bit in flux due to unsettled feelings about one of my required classes - more on that in a different post - I knew that getting a couple new titles in my hands would help perk me right back up. Besides, I knew that the books that I'd bought at the end of Winter Quarter had been incredibly cheap for what great books they were (despite the fact that I still haven't read any of them yet... oops. Thank goodness it's summer!). 

Anyways, not only did I make the trip myself, but after only spending half an hour in the store with my sister, I made a return visit that same afternoon with my friend Taylor, just to do another lap around, and make sure I hadn't missed anything! Here's what I picked up: 

trip one

1. Emerald City, a collection of short stories, Jennifer Egan

One of the two books I simply grabbed with the immediate thought of "Yup, you're leaving here with me," this book is the product of one of my favorite authors in the whole world, who I've also been hoping to reread. 

2. Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?, James Shapiro

The second of those two books, this nonfiction breakdown of the validity of some of the most prominent Shakespearean conspiracy theories is divided by section into the most likely candidates for who really wrote the Bard's canon, then sets about debunking them. 

3. Passionate Minds: Women Rewriting the World, Claudia Roth Pierpont

This Finalist for the Nat'l Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism profiles the lives of different women writers like Gertrude Stein, Ayn Rand, Margaret Mitchell and Zora Neale Hurston, and emphasizes the contributions of their work in relation to politics, pop culture, and, of course, literature. 

4. Memoir: A History, Ben Yagoda

In what is almost the most Savannah-type move ever, I immediately loved the idea of a book specifically documenting the history of memoirs. The cover is gorgeous, too! 

5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon

Recommended to me by several people, this Pulitzer Prize winner is an iconic fictional account of two men at the turn of the '40s, cashing in on the craze for comic books by creating their own.  

trip two

1. The Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare

Not only is it the basis for two of my favorite Shakespearean adaptations ever created - the musical Kiss Me, Kate and the seminal teen movie classic, 10 Things I Hate About You - but it's also from my favorite line of editions: the Folger Shakespeare Library. 

2. The Warrior Queens: The Legends and the Lives of Women Who Have Lead their Nations in War, Antonia Fraser

I recognized the name of the author almost immediately, having written Marie Antoinette: The Journey, and figured I'd at least glance through it, and was quickly convinced I had to buy this book! 

During Trip One, while I had been settling into the floor to reach the way-down-low shelves, my sister was bored and roaming the general tables, and she picked me up a copy of "Summer Book Bingo 2016": hosted by the Seattle Public Library, and in partnership with independent bookstores around Seattle - including Elliot Bay Book Co! - this bingo and blackout board is populated with various genres, sources, and general themes for books to read, like  "Recommended by a Librarian" and "Finished Reading in a Day." Once you're done, you can post the sheet on Instagram with the event hashtags, or send it in, in order to be entered to win prizes, like a $30 gift card to a participating Seattle-area bookstore, or even the grand prize of a curated library set from Seattle Arts & Lectures authors!

Needless to stay, I'm excited. Delaney somehow managed to have even more faith in me, saying, as she handed the sheet over, "I'm expecting you to be done with all these by the end of the month." Yikes!

Anyways, while I'm still waiting on pins and needles for grades to update, at least I've got a beautiful new stack of books to distract me. Now I've just got to read them, and start filling in that bingo card!

Are you a part of any cool summer reading challenges? What's the most recent book you've bought? Let me know, in the comments below!