My Library of Pre-Loved Books

Since I moved from Germany to Spain, my access to the latest book releases is limited — in German and English. Luckily, there’s a small bookstore around the corner selling used books. And they also happen to have some in my two preferred languages. I like to gossip the shelves and discover something I would otherwise never have reached for.

Here’s what I found there and read so far:

• Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre: Soloalbum — I expected a piece of great contemporary German literature but was utterly disappointed. It really didn’t age well. Anyway, it was an easy read for my hours of train ride every day.
• Nghi Vo: The Empress of Salt and Fortune — Beautiful and way too short but perfect! Now I want to read all the other books of the Singing Hills Cycle.
• Sarah Pinsker: A Song For A New Day — I expected a story like Carole and Tuesday and got the horrifying aftermath of a pox pandemic. First, I thought it was too soon, hitting too close to home. But then the protagonists really grew at me. I was happy-sad when it ended.
• Maryse Meijer: Heartbreaker: Stories — I didn’t expect anything and simply loved everything about it.
• Kameron Hurley: The Stars Are Legion — I wasn’t prepared for this. I started reading and couldn’t put it down. Gruesome, terrifying, brutal. I loved it!

Here’s what I found there but haven’t read yet:

• Veronica Roth: Carve the Mark
• Olivia Atwater: Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales Book 1)
• Brandon Sanderson: Skyward (The Skyward Series, Book 1)
• Neal Shusterman: Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, Book 1)
• Neal Shusterman: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, Book 2)
• Poul Anderson: Starfarers
• David Drake: Igniting the Reaches 3: Fireships
• David Weber: Honor Among Enemies Honor Harrington VI
• Pauline Gedge: Stargate (Rediscovered Classics)
• Dionne Brand: What We All Long for
• Maryse Meijer: Northwood: A Novella
• Patrick Ness: A Monster Calls
• Julien Green: Paris
• Joyce Carol Oates: Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense
• Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club
• Kirsten Fuchs: Heile, heile
• George Zebrowski: The Sunspacers Trilogy
• Alice McDermott: Charming Billy
• Monica Sone: Nisei Daughter
• Virginia Woolf: Orlando
• Ian Livingstone: Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
• Russ Roberts: How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness

With that, I should be good for a while. But, going there elicits my inner hunter and gatherer. I also just got some new shelves for the room in my new home. So I guess that list will not stop growing anytime soon. Unless that bookstore runs out of anything that tickles my fancy. For now, I really need to decide what to read next…

Photo by Emily from Pexels.
Edited by me.

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