# Last book you bought? and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225 "2004-01-02T04:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/1 "2004-01-02T04:24:54Z")
For your own reading, I mean, and why you bought it. The last book I bought was _Mystic River_ because I had loaned out my first copy and didn’t get it back and I wanted to reread before seeing the movie. As to why I got it originally, I really liked Dennis Lehane’s series, but _Mystic River_ wasn’t part of that series–but I read the first paragraph of and it just grabbed me. Obviously I liked it; I bought it twice. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/2 "2004-01-02T04:37:03Z")
I bought 3 at a used bookstore: ‘Second Foundation’ by Issac Asimov, because I read the first two of the series (LOVED THEM) and haven’t had time (because of law school) to read the last one until now. ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis, because I was interested in Lewis but never really thought about picking up any of his Narnia books until my friend told me how much she loved it. ‘The Yellow Admiral’ by Patrick O’Brian, because I heard O’Brian’s novels were great for on the sea adventure, and just having saw ‘Pirates of the Carribean’ I got interested in the subject and wanted to read something :D. I’d have prefered ‘Master and Commander’ (never knew the movie was based on a book), but this book was the only one they had by O’Brian at the bookstore. ---
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/3 "2004-01-02T04:44:33Z")
Purchased tonight - “The Sex-Starved Marriage” and “The Unofficial Guide to Divorce.” Hopefully self-explanatory. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/4 "2004-01-02T04:52:40Z")
I bought **Girl with a Pearl Earring** because it sounded like a good story, and it is. I’d like to see the movie now. I also bought **The Bounty** by Caroline Alexander because I’m into Bountiana. ---
**Author:** ![Intent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5e9695/32.png) [@Intent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intent)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/5 "2004-01-02T05:02:41Z")
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb, because I had it recomended to me, and it sounded pretty good. At the same time, Being Alexander by Nancy Sparkling. It caught my eye on the shelf, and sounded interesting. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/6 "2004-01-02T05:06:41Z")
I bought \Master and Commander\ after seeing the movie. I’ve been trying to find \Post Captain\ (second in the series) ever since but every single bookstore in two counties is out of it. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/7 "2004-01-02T05:10:12Z")
_The Silmarillion_, because I’ve been told I MUST read it, and _Mater and Commander_, because I’ve yet to see the movie, but would really, really like to. You say it’s a series, eh? Any way I could get a full listing of the titles in it? ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/8 "2004-01-02T05:11:30Z")
The 5th book in the **Dark Tower** series **The wolves of the Calla**. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/9 "2004-01-02T05:26:24Z")
> [@](#): > > You say it’s a series, eh? Any way I could get a full listing of the titles in it? Um… I looked it up on Amazon and there are around 20 books in the Aubrey/Matarin series, IIRC. You want them all listed? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/10 "2004-01-02T05:31:55Z")
Ouch. No, thanks. I’ll find 'em myself. 20 books? That’s gonna take awhile… ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/11 "2004-01-02T05:33:42Z")
_1421: The Year China Discovered the World_ It’s about china circumnavigating the globe in 1421. The main reason I bought it is because it looked interesting. Nothing more interesting than that I’m afraid. I haven’t finished it yet so I can’t comment it. It is called _The year china discovered america_ in the united states for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/12 "2004-01-02T05:33:54Z")
Wow, look at my coding. I keep switching between here and LiveJournal and forgetting to change coding protocol. The series is Master and Commander; Post Captain; HMS Surprise; The Mauritius Command; Desolation Island; The Fortune of War; The Surgeon’s Mate; The Ionian Mission; Treason’s Harbor; The Far Side of the World (which is the other book the movie was based on); The Reverse of the Medal; The Letter of Marque; The Thirteen-Gun Salute; The Nutmeg of Consolation; The Truelove (which was called Clarissa Oakes in England IIRC); The Wine-Dark Sea; The Commodore; The Yellow Admiral. I don’t have that memorized, by the way; I looked it up in the frontispiece of my copy of M&C. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/13 "2004-01-02T05:50:36Z")
I’m not sure whether or not to be embarrassed about this: _Now We Are Six,_ by A.A. Milne. …actually, I’m not the least bit embarrassed. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/14 "2004-01-02T05:57:48Z")
_Stupid White Men_ by Michael Moore, about a month ago. Because I had heard enough about it and decided to see what all the hype was about. Well, it turned out to be a fascinating read. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/15 "2004-01-02T06:00:38Z")
_The Natural History of the Rich_ by Richard Coniff. Not really sure why, other than possibly to understand my prejudice against the wealthy. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/16 "2004-01-02T06:12:19Z")
**Naked** by David Sedaris. I was heading toward the magazine rack at Target to get something to read while having my vehicle worked on and this caught my eye on the book rack. I’ve seen him on Conan and I’ve heard it’s a funny book, so I bought it. I’m not far into it, but it is indeed funny and interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Tinkertoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/17 "2004-01-02T06:14:22Z")
[Idaho Falls: The Untold Story of America’s First Nuclear Accident](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1550225626/qid=1073023860/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9622260-3530510?v=glance&s=books) Because I grew up next to National Reactor Testing Station, and heard lots of rumors about what happened. Informative but a little too sentimental. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/18 "2004-01-02T06:19:46Z")
**Ender’s Game** by Orson Scott Card. It came highly recommended from friends. I read the thing in about 8 hours. It’s now one of my favorite books. ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/19 "2004-01-02T06:22:33Z")
Joy. I got a major gift card to B&N for Christmas and just couldn’t wait to make some purchases: Two art books by Taschen (my fav publishing company): [ul][li] **Leni Riefenstahl: Five Lives** [/li]It was super cheap, and Riefenstahl is someone I’d like to know more about; I find her compelling. Additionally, I find it nearly impossible to ignore marked-down Taschen books. [li] a small **Klimt** book[/li]I probably have about 15 of Taschen’s small paperback art books on major artists and just really love them. Since I’ve actually had very few courses in art history, they’re a great bite-sized read. And, again, even for little pop books, the production quality of the books is quite good.[/ul] Two books relating to art exhibitions: [ul][li] **Kandinsky Compositions** from MoMA[/li]Don’t know a lot about Kandinsky, but really liked the way the book was broken down painting-by-painting. Also, my husband has been wanting to read more about the artist due to a reference to him in _Neuromancer_. [li] **Georgia O’Keeffe: The Poetry of Things** from The Phillips Collection[/li]This is, like, my 5th or 6th O’Keeffe book, and I’m going to have to start a “just say ‘no’” campaign. I was compelled by some of the unusual images in the book (not just all flowers or skulls). Now I just need an O’Keeffe book with a reproduction of her waterfall painting (in the BMA’s collection), and I’ll be done. I hope.[/ul] Miscellani: [ul][li] **The Other Wind** by Ursula K. LeGuin–Loved the Earthsea books, and this’ll give me an excuse to reread them before setting into this new novel.[/li][li] **Leaving a Trace** by Alexandra Johnson–It’s about journaling, and I’m on a creativity binge. Other than flipping through the Leni book, this is the only one I’ve started thus far.[/li][li] **Nancy Drew 2004 calendar** –Must remember my mother-in-law’s birthday. Must.[/ul][/li] As you might notice, I’m trying to build up my art library. If only [Taschen.com](http://Taschen.com) had a “wishlist” feature! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Courk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Courk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Courk)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225/20 "2004-01-02T06:58:37Z")
_Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ I don’t buy many books. Usually I’m content to wait for a new release to be available at the library. (Dear Lord, people need to read _The Da Vinci Code_ faster.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-book-you-bought-and-why/222225.md?page=2)