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    #26
    I got BDGs latest, a George Pelecanos, Geraint Thomas's book, Tim Moore's one about cycling along the length of the Iron Curtain and a signed autobiography of rally driver Chris Sclater, which was co-authored by a bloke I sort of know.

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      #27
      Arriving in the post today (late, thanks to my mum who doesn't realise that she can order from Amazon in the US so instead orders from Amazon.co.uk) are two Friedrich Durrenmatt crime novels. My mum may not understand much about how Amazon works, but she has a really fantastic knowledge of books and always gives me things I've never heard of before but turn out to be utterly fascinating. These look like they'll fit that bill very well.

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        #28
        I pretty much only get books now, which is good, especially as my in-laws have by now worked out that getting me something, anything, with the word Fussball on the cover does not guarantee my unbridled delight.

        BDG - Illustrated History of Football Hall of Fame (from my Mum, as forecast upthread)
        Eileen Chang - Half A Lifelong Romance (eldest impette - set in 1930s Shanghai, where she's currently studying. Hoping to visit her there at Easter, which is when I'd read this)
        Philip O CeallaiGH - notes from a Turkish Whorehouse (short stories. Irish friend in US sent me this - never heard of it, and never had a Xmas present from him before, but he says they'll be "right up your street")
        Eric Stehfest - 9 Tage Wach (frau imp - memoir of a crystal meth addict. Might be her way of telling me to cut back on the pop)
        Peter Krauss - Singt der Vogel, ruft er oder schlägt er? (also frau imp - asked for this one. A book about the verbs used to describe the sounds made by various birds. Thought it would be good for my German birding vocab)
        Durs Grünbein - Die Jahre im Zoo (brother-in-law - nostalgic memoir about living in the DDR. Actually wanted this a while back and then it fell off my radar)
        Francis Fulton-Smith - Loving se Germans (niece - the one who calls me 'the eternal tourist' for my love of most things German. Memoir by Munich-born and -bred British actor about his split German-British identity. Read first few pages and it looks suitably wry and self-deprecating)
        Joachim Meyerhof - Die Zweisamkeit der Einzelgänger (sister-in-law - fourth instalment of the brilliant and funny memoirs of a German actor, though he doesn't write about acting at all, just tells stories of his upbringing. Am currently on the second one, which is actually the first one, the first one was the third one, about his teenage year as an exchange student in the US, and it was so successful he went back and started from the start.)
        Robert Seethaler - Der Trafikant (sister-in-law again - novel set in 30s Vienna about a 17-year-old newspaper seller who pours out his love troubles to one of his customers - Sigmund Freud)
        And a book token from my other sister-in-law, which is also good because there are new books from Elke Heidenrich and Sven Regener I really want too.

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          #29
          Mrs F got me a Japanese book the title of which translates rather inelegantly as Railway Stations From Which You Can See The Sea. It’s essentially a photo book of mostly rural stations that comply with the title and browsing through it makes me want to visit places like Kitahama, on the north-eastern coast of Hokkaido. Great book and I’m lucky to have it.

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            #30
            'Homo Sapiens' and 'Homo Deus', 'Out of the Box', 'Beautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics' and 'Deep Undercover' by Jack Barksy, a KGB spay in America.

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              #31
              I've just opened some belated Christmas presents and there's been a mix up. Sister in law has got a copy of BDG's newest book that was meant for me and I've got two books on how Christianity should be more Jewish as all the gentiles have been getting Yeshua wrong all this time. I don't want to read those books. I want to read BDG.

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                #32
                I'd say that's a fair standpoint, all things considered.

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                  #33
                  Because we've spent the past 4-5 years traveling to visit my in-laws and the cost of the flight + rental car isn't very cheap, the missus and I have mostly gone with very small gifts. But I know that family members like to feel like there is more or less equal gift giving, so every year I bring the same book with me: Power, Corruption, and Pies (vol 1). The missus wraps it. I open it and say out loud so everyone can hear: "What a great choice. I'm excited to read this." I read a few chapters while I'm there since things can be a bit slow. Then I get home and get caught up with whatever else I was reading. Repeat. I should be ready to start volume 2 in about a decade.

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                    #34
                    Have finally seen sister in law and got my Christmas presents including the BDG book. Yay!

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                      #35
                      Damn, I thought I was doing well on the late festivities, exchanging presents with my parents in mid March, but you have outlasted me.

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                        #36
                        Originally posted by danielmak View Post
                        Because we've spent the past 4-5 years traveling to visit my in-laws and the cost of the flight + rental car isn't very cheap, the missus and I have mostly gone with very small gifts. But I know that family members like to feel like there is more or less equal gift giving, so every year I bring the same book with me: Power, Corruption, and Pies (vol 1). The missus wraps it. I open it and say out loud so everyone can hear: "What a great choice. I'm excited to read this." I read a few chapters while I'm there since things can be a bit slow. Then I get home and get caught up with whatever else I was reading. Repeat. I should be ready to start volume 2 in about a decade.
                        This year I wrapped the book myself, which created a confused look on the face of the MrsMak as she passed out the gifts. I'm here for a few more days so should be able to get about 3/4 through the book by the time we leave. Perhaps I have only one more year on this gift and then it will be time to start giving myself Vol 2.

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                          #37
                          Only the 1: a Lonely Planet Epic Hikes of the World coffee table tome, which I’ll probably enjoy browsing.

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                            #38
                            I got the first two volumes of Robert Caro's planned five-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson, from relatives who know I love political biography. Weighty tomes, to put it mildly. I've since looked the thing up. 4 of the 5 volumes have been published. The fourth volume apparently covers up to (the end, I hope, of) 1964, not much over a year into LBJ's 5 and a bit years of presidency. Wikipedia tells me that this month it was reported that the fifth volume (on which Caro's research and writing work has so far covered up to 1966) is still "several years" from readiness for publication. Erm, Caro is 83 years old. This colossal work may end up having a bit of the "before they were famous" about it.

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                              #39
                              A Viz annual and a biography of Lou Reed.

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                                #40
                                The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson and I'll Be Gone in The Dark by Michelle McNamara.

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                                  #41
                                  I forgot to ask for the Beastie Boys book until the playlist at the Gym (and associated chat) reminded me this morning.

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                                    #42
                                    I got William Boyd “The Dreams of Bethany Melmoth”, Mohsin Hahmid “Exit West” and the book of one of my fave, now defunct, websites “Nothing to See Here - the hidden joys of Scotland”

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                                      #43
                                      Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber

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                                        #44
                                        'Six Easy Pieces' by Richard Feynman
                                        'Goldenhand' by Garth Nix
                                        The 'Blood Bowl Almanac'
                                        My own copy of 'The Girl With All The Gifts' because I want to read it again
                                        A Star Wars Lego annual with a Lego C3PO figure one the front.

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                                          #45
                                          I got a load.

                                          Three from the Travel Books thread thanks to my mum: Endurance by Alfred Lansing, Passage to Juneau by Jonathan Raban, and Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon

                                          And then a bunch of new books: Less , Bad Blood, Ecucated , Providence, The Mars Room and American Marriage.

                                          And a couple of classics that I never read: Gravity's Rainbow and I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

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                                            #46
                                            Originally posted by Patrick Thistle View Post
                                            'Six Easy Pieces' by Richard Feynman
                                            'Goldenhand' by Garth Nix
                                            The 'Blood Bowl Almanac'
                                            My own copy of 'The Girl With All The Gifts' because I want to read it again
                                            A Star Wars Lego annual with a Lego C3PO figure one the front.
                                            I loved the film, partly cos I saw it on a trip to Glasgow with no foreknowledge of any kind (plot, genre, even natonality). I bought the book but have deliberately laid it down to mature/to allow the memory of the film to fade. Ditto Never Let Me Go.

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                                              #47
                                              So, any Christmas books this year?

                                              I've had a variety of comedy Star Wars books (e.g. 'Be More Lando') and a book about football programmes so far.

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                                                #48
                                                THE FIVE by Hallie Rubenhold; about the Women who were victims of Jack the Ripper.

                                                Michael Palin in North Korea

                                                ULTRA the underworld of Italian football; by Tobias Jones

                                                Looking forward to reading them all

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                                                  #49
                                                  A UK road atlas.

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                                                    #50
                                                    Prince's bio The Beautiful Ones, and The Second Sleep by Robert Harris.

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