Wow, it’s been a while since I showed off my new books but then again I haven’t really bought many new books since Book Expo America.  However, now that I’m in the city and have full access to used book shops and Indigo’s great sales, I couldn’t resist.  So here’s what I picked up recently:

• Parasite by Mira Grant
• Spirit’s Chosen by Esther Friesner
• The Girl Who Loved Camellias by Julie Kavanagh
• The Queen’s Lover by Francine Du Plessis
• The Iron King by Maurice Druon
• Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland
• Egyptian Mummies by G. Elliot Smith and Warren R. Dawson
• The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives by Plutarch

Obviously, I’ve already read Parasite but when I saw that a hardcover copy was on sale for $8, I couldn’t resist.  I know that I will always prefer physical copies of books to ebooks, no matter how heavy physical copies are when I move house.  Spirit’s Chosen was an impulse buy because of the sale price but I’ve also heard good things about Esther Friesner and hope to learn more about the mythical Himiko, the woman who united Japan.  The Queen’s Lover was also an impulse buy.

The Girl Who Loved Camellias was a book that I had no idea existed but stumbled upon while I was browsing.  I love Verdi’s opera La Traviata so I’ve always been fascinated with the life of Marie Duplessis, the inspiration for Violetta.  When I saw the biography by Julie Kavanagh, I couldn’t resist.  The same is virtually true for The Iron King by Maurice Druon.  Sure, George R. R. Martin has endorsed it because it encompasses the Wars of the Roses (his historical inspiration for A Song of Ice and Fire) but what really cemented it for me was the blurb.  Tracing the Wars of the Roses all the way back to the reign of Philip the Fair is bold but from the excerpt I read, I think Maurice Druon can do it.  I’m very much looking forward to starting this book.

Egyptian Mummies and Plutarch’s book were very, very cheap in the used bookstore so I couldn’t resist.  As you guys know, I’m obsessive when it comes to ancient Egypt.  But I’m also starting to branch out into more Greek history so a primary source like Plutarch is just the thing I need right now.

Rubicon is one of those books I stumbled across in the used bookstore and snapped up immediately because I love almost anything to do with the late Roman Republic and the early Imperial period.  It’s also going to be a helpful resource for next week’s upcoming monster of an article.  Stay tuned for that if you love Roman history and/or overanalyzing television shows!

So, what do you think of my haul?  See anything you like?