Book Delight Costs!

Kindle books are great and I do appreciate them. However there is nothing like an actual book in hand for me. This past week there has been a feast of books landing at my door. Finally the post is moving from international sources. However… maybe I am not so delighted about other aspects on reflection.

My one problem was – which one to pick up first to read! And what a great problem to have.

This one came from the Book Depository UK. This one was a bit of a shot in the dark because I had seen so many good reviews for it. See my next book – postage is free although I guess may have a little added to book cost I bet. Cost of book $20 NZ. Best of bunch cost wise.

Dance Away With Me I had pre-ordered from Amazon USA months ago. And then to be sent my CC had to be changed to pay for it and whatever I did, didn’t work. So.. after about an hour I decided to cancel it and re-order. Bingo – back in business. And imagine my surprise when it turned up on my doorstep a week later. Of course the postage cost was a big ouch. No… a huge ouch. How did that happen. Just looking again. No wonder it came in a week. It cost way more than the hardback book itself. Did I tick a wrong box!! I do need my head examined. Just pretended to buy another book. No! No box to tick, they just put in the one way of sending. Oh well a bit wiser now! Okay I’ll tell you $30.98 USA. That’s about $55 NZ. Looks like I may have to part ways with more than my money. Bye bye books from Amazon by post.

Alpha Night I had pre-ordered here from online shop Mighty Ape. There was a lag because the publisher was having trouble getting things transported. I know because I asked them on Twitter! Anyway it landed on my door on the same day as Dance Away With Me. Cost of  courier  was I $3.90. Out of the five books that arrived this week, this was the one I am choosing to read first. It’s one of my favourite series and well Nalini Singh lives in NZ.

The following post My Pear Shaped Life was sitting there. This is by an Irish author that I am now obsessed by and this is her latest book. I’d ordered it from the Book Depository UK months ago but there were problems and then they couldn’t post the version I had pre-ordered. So then… I ordered another one and after a long lag this one began its journey across the world. Just so happy to have it now to even look at happily. Cost of book $30.51 NZ

Just when I thought book life couldn’t get any better this one turned up yesterday. From Mighty Ape NZ so cost $3.90 by courier. Cost of paperback in NZ dollars was $36. Books are expensive here. That’s pretty normal for a paperback. $30 if you are lucky to buy it on a slightly dropped price.

 

So all books in the hand but leaving quite a big hole in my book budget. Lucky for me there are not many books this season that I really want as actual books.  Well as far as I know anyway! But post has turned out to be somewhat a revelation to myself!

Why don’t I buy these from the walk in local book stores? They don’t carry books like these, except maybe a small shelf of Nalini Singh. Very toffee nosed readers in NZ.

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First Grave on the Right Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right
Darynda Jones
Publisher: Piatkus
Date: 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Genre: Paranormal/Urban fantasy
Source: Local library

Private investigator Charlotte Davidson was born with three things: looks; a healthy respect for the male anatomy; and the rather odd job title of grim reaper. Since the age of five, she has been helping the departed solve the mysteries of their deaths so they can cross over. Thus, when three lawyers from the same law firm are murdered, they come to her to find their killer.

In the meantime, Charley’s dealing with a being more powerful – and definitely sexier – than any spectre she’s ever come across before. With the help of a pain-in-the-ass skip tracer, a dead pubescent gangbanger named Angel, and a lifetime supply of sarcasm, Charley sets out to solve the highest profile case of the year and discovers that dodging bullets isn’t nearly as dangerous as falling in love.

First Grave on the Right is the first book in a paranormal, urban fantasy series.  Now I am not into a lot of books in this genre, but the thing is when you visit others blogs and see the reviews if you are like me you say to yourself – “I just might give this book a go”.

So I have given it a go!  Like many other books that are paranormal the reader needs to orientate themselves to the world of the characters.  I have to say it took me awhile, at times I was wondering – who said that?  Who is that? What? That character can do that? Really?  So it took me quite awhile to get into the world of Charley Davidson.

Charley herself I found very likeable, she is caring and fearless.  She has an amazing array of people that surround her who are dead but haven’t yet fully passed on.  They hang back until some issue has found resolution.  When Charley gets a little sick of these characters she has been known to carry out a fancy false exorcism to encourage them to move on – or through her, as she is the gateway.

This book has three dead lawyers who have sought out Charley to help obtain closure in the mystery that surrounds their very recent murder.  A large part of Charley’s success is that she can receive information from these dead people and help the police search out the clues.

Finally there is a mystery dark figure that Charley has known on very early in her life.  She wants to know who this person is? Good or evil? She is not sure, however this character seems to turn up in the nick of time when Charley finds herself in dire trouble.  Part of this story is Charley following the mystery of this unknown person.

The book was easy to read, at times funny and the array of characters very entertaining.  I will certainly check out the next book – I see the whole series is at my library, so no problem there.  I’m hoping that now I have got a small handle on Charley’s life that the next book will be easier to follow.