Book spree, pt. 3

And now, the thrilling conclusion to 'Book spree'! For the previous instalment, click here.

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17 May 2012    

Title: The vampire in Slavic cultures, rev. edn (San Diego: Cognella, 2010)   

Author: Thomas J. Garza

Date ordered: 6 May 2012  

Price: £27.75

Why'd I buy it? I've had my eye on this book for a while, but copies are prohibitively expensive. So, when I saw this version for a much cheaper price, I snapped it up. However, I wasn't expecting it to be a revised edition—because that wasn't mentioned in its description or stock cover photo. I was going to try and get a partial refund on it, but on account of how much buggering about there would've been to do so—involving sending the book back, I figured I'd keep it, instead. 

This work is a big book of leads to me, as it's actually an anthology. It began life as a university reader, after all.

Nordic Academic Press

Title: Interdisciplinary approaches to Twilight: studies in fiction, media, and a contemporary cultural experience (Lund, Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 2011)   

Author: Mariah Larsson & Ann Steiner (eds)

Date ordered: 1 May 2012  

Price: £24.92

Why'd I buy it? Apart from the cover (left), the 'Interdisciplinary approaches' caught my attention. Vampirology, itself, is a combination of various disciplines; as is vampire studies in general. Think back to David Lowery's division of Buffy studies into fifty 'disciplines, methods, and/or approaches'. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but Twilight doesn't interest me so much as its success does. It'll be interesting to see what these diverse disciplines drum out of the phenomena.

Title: Ken Russell's Dracula (Cambridge, U.K.: Bear Claw Publishing, 2012)   

Author: Ken Russell

Date ordered: 6 May 2012  

Price: £7.88

Why'd I buy it? I've been intrigued by Russell's take on the story ever since I read a snippet about it in David J. Skal's V is for vampire (1996). The scene where Jonathan Harker uses a rosary as a knuckleduster against the undead? Yep, that's in there. So what stopped the film getting made? Drac-saturation. It was ready for 1979; the same year that saw the release of Badham's Dracula, Herzog's Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht and Dragoti's Love at first bite. A shame it never went into production, as I'm convinced it would've been the best of the lot.

Title: Prima di Dracula: archeologia del vampiro (Bologna, Italy: Il Mulino, 2011)   

Author: Tommaso Braccini

Date ordered: 1 May 2012  

Price: £15.08

Why'd I buy it? Blame Niels. He discussed the book in two posts (this one and this one). The archaeological angle perked my interest. Makes me wish I paid greater attention in Italian class—instead of looking up swear words in the dictionary. Merda!

Title: Write of the living dead: a writing guide for your dark side (Largo, Fla.: Dark Moon, 2012)   

Author: Araminta Star Matthews, Rachel Lee & Stan Swanson

Date ordered: 6 May 2012  

Price: £14.46

Why'd I buy it? I enjoy writing guides. Richard Laymon's A writer's tale (1998) is one of my favourite books. Period. What sold me on this one, apart from its genre-theme, was this: 'Each chapter of the handbook is devoted to a different genre of writing--everything from academic writing (complete with MLA and APA sample essays), business writing, and even poetry and fiction--all of it with a dark and undead twist.' How many horror-specific writing guides can you name that cover academia? Sign me up.

21 May 2012

Title: Entities: angels, spirits, demons, and other alien beings (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1995)   

Author: Joe Nickell

Date ordered: 1 May 2012  

Price: £1.80 + £5.84 postage 

Why'd I buy it? Nickell is fast turning into one of my favourite writers. I love the way he applies serious research methods to paranormal topics. His 2011 book, Tracking the man-beasts, cited this one in conjunction with vampy stuff—so I figured I'd reacquaint myself with it. Haven't read it in over 15 years. I'm much more comfortable with its skeptical tone than I was back then. The vampire references are very sparse, but I'm not bothered as I enjoy the book as a whole.

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And that's a wrap. Not sure when I'll go on my next spree, but it won't be for a while. Went a little overboard there. That said, I've had my eye on a few books—upcoming ones, too—so I'll be probably hitting the shopping cart soon enough.

Book spree, pt. 2

More books from my AbeBooks.co.uk spree have arrived. I actually did two sprees, as you'll see from the 'Date ordered' section. The second was triggered by a 10% off coupon, which I had to take advantage of. Anyway, without further ado...

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14 May 2012  

Title: Bitten by Twilight: youth culture, media, & the vampire franchise (New York: Peter Lang, 2010)  

Author: Melissa A. Click, Jennifer Stevens Aubrey & Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz (eds)

Date ordered: 6 May 2012 

Price: £10.19 + £8.04 postage

Why'd I buy it? As I've mentioned before, I'm not a Twi-Hard, but I am fascinated by the impact Stephenie Meyers' books have had on the public. They've arguably mainstreamed vampires more than any other vampire work, and in such a short space of time, too. What is it about these works that makes them so popular? Why did they catch on more than the hundreds—even thousands, maybe—other vampire works out there? So it's really the 'franchise' bit of the title that catches my attention. Vampire fandom also intrigues me greatly, i.e. what gets people into vampires? I think the fact that this book's got an essay titled 'A Twilight fan community in Norway' sold me.

15 May 2012

Title: Bram Stoker: Dracula (Basingstoke, U.K.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009)  

Author: William Hughes

Date ordered: 6 May 2012 

Price: £14.45

Why'd I buy it? Another book that's been on my Amazon wish list for a while. It's essentially an overview of Dracula studies from a variety of disciplines. In this case, psychoanalysis, physiology, politics and gender studies. I enjoy works that provide these overviews. Makes my job that much easier. However, there are some confusing matters in association with this book. The book's copyright page says it was first published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2008, but the copyright date is 2009. Also, this book is part of a series—'Reader's guide to essential criticism'—which initially made me think Hughes' Bram Stoker's Dracula: a reader's guide (Continuum, 2009) was one-and-the-same book under a different title. But it doesn't seem to be.

Title: La stirpe di Dracula: Indagine sul vampirismo dall'antichità ai nostri giorni (Milano: Oscar Mondadori, 1997)  

Author: Massimo Introvigne

Date ordered: 6 May 2012 

Price: £16.67 + £12.14 postage + £4.02 extra due to 'Shpping costs for Australia'

Why'd I buy it? Though I can't read Italian—I should've paid more attention in class!—I'm a fan of Introvigne's English writings, namely 'Antoine Faivre: father of contemporary vampire studies' (2001) and 'Satanism scares and vampirism from the 18th century to the contemporary anti-cult movement' (1997). Simply put, the guy knows his shit. He also heads the Italian branch of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula and the Centro Studi sulle Nuove Religioni, 'Center for Studies on New Religions'—an organisation that's attracted controversy. Nonetheless, CENSUR's website features an excellent section on vampires.

16 May 2012

Title: Vampires through the ages: lore & legends of the world's most notorious blood drinkers (Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications, 2012)  

Author: Brian Righi

Date ordered: 6 May 2012 

Price: £8.03

Why'd I buy it? It was cheap, to be honest. Also, I thought it might provide a nice little stroll down vampire lane. I also dig the 'lore' angle. We'll see if it bears fruit. However, on a brief flick through the book, I was pleased to see some in-text citations. You don't often see those with mainstream books of this type, which suggests a scholarly bent. Bring it on.

Title: Theorizing Twilight: critical essays on what's at stake in a post-vampire world (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2011)  

Author: Maggie Parke & Natalie Wilson (eds)

Date ordered: 6 May 2012 

Price: £26.32

Why'd I buy it? Same reason as Bitten by Twilight: what's the deal with these books? Also, McFarland consistently turns out quality contributions to the vampire genre. Couldn't resist. Once again, it explores the impact of the franchise and fandom—and entwines them. One notable paper's titled, 'Fanpires: utilizing fan culture in event film adaptations'. Sidenote: it turns out the book's co-editor, Natalie Wilson, has ventured into Twilight before. Her 2011 book, Seduced by Twilight: the allure and contradictory messages of the popular saga is on my to-get list.

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Hack n mod

I received a few more books today, but they'll stay under wraps till the thrilling conclusion of 'Book spree'! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if readers have other recommendations for my trolley (dramatisation, left), feel free to make suggestions. I've already been eyeing off a few yet-to-be-published works, which'll be featured in an 'Upcoming books' segment.

Book spree, pt. 1

McFarland

Been a while since I've been on a book-buying spree. However, this time, it wasn't Amazonian but AbeBooks...ian. Specifically, AbeBooks.co.uk. I was inspired by their free postage option and my vampire book 'starvation'. No surprises I tend to 'binge' when the opportunity presents itself.

I find buying in bulk to be far more beneficial than ordering individual items, especially when postage is factored in. My Amazon wish lists are bursting at the seams: they feature over a hundred book listings in total. Thought I'd lighten the load.

Several books I ordered via AbeBooks arrived during the week. Each will be accompanied by a brief overview. Dates at the top signify when the books arrived.

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9 May 2012

Title: The theology of Dracula: reading the book of Stoker as sacred text (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2012) 

Author: Noël Montague-Étienne Rarignac
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £29.82

Why'd I buy it? The book's cover has captivated me for a long time. Fortunately, that superficial appreciation has been offset by an interest in the book's contents. What makes Dracula a 'sacred text' akin to the Bible? What are the theological angles explored? And so on. I got into a brief discussion of the book with John W. Morehead—and it arrived that same day! He warned me it would be a 'plodding read'. After reading his interview with Rarignac, that wouldn't surprise me. Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see how the author makes his case.

Title: Vampires, burial, and death: folklore and reality (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2010) 

Author: Paul Barber
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £11.49

Why'd I buy it? Though I've known its not a new edition for a long time, I'm familiar with its updated contents: specifically, its new preface. You might recall that I gave a copy of the book to a mate as a birthday present (see: 'Second anniversary'). What you wouldn't know—or probably her, either—is that I read the book's preface in Reader's Feast before buying it and handing it over to her. Muhahaha! The preface is great and features a revision to one of his pet vampire theories, re: the origin of staking the undead. Part of the reason I finally decided to get it, was a brief Facebook convo I had with Kyle Germann.

Title: It started with Dracula: the Count, my mother, and me (n.p.: Bettie Youngs Books, 2011) 

Author: Jane Congdon
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £10.04

Why'd I buy it? I get a kick out of books devoted to vampire fandom. This book relates Congdon's interest in Dracula after watching Horror of Dracula (1958) and wraps it up in a personal journey. It's probably the only book of this nature that I've seen billed 'Self-Help/Inspiration'. It's also the first book out of this lot that I've started reading. As of this writing, I'm up to the twelfth chapter. I'm impressed by Congdon's candidness, comparable to Barbara Green's in Secrets of the grave (2001). It's certainly an interesting ride.

11 May 2012

Title: Vampyrernas historia (Stockholm: Norstedts, 2011) 

Author: Katarina Harrison Lindbergh
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £14.12 + £11.79 postage

Why'd I buy it? My rule of thumb is, if Niels recommends a vampire book: buy it. Sometimes, this goes beyond reason. In this case, the book's Swedish and I can't speak or read it. Nonetheless, it slakes my collector tastes. He mentioned the comparatively obscure tome in 'A matter of corporeal evidence' and 'This year's harvest'. It concerns itself with vampire archaeology—a subset of vampire research that interests me, along with folkloric aspects.

Title: The horror readers' advisory: the librarian's guide to vampires, killer tomatoes, and haunted houses (Chicago: American Library Association, 2004) 

Author: Becky Siegel Spratford and Tammy Hennigh Clausen
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £2.51 + £7.29 postage

Why'd I buy it? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I guess I liked the obscure angle to it; a book with a very specific focus. Plus, it was cheap. For some reason, I had it in my head that this would cater specifically to Young Adult fiction, but it doesn't. The 'advisory' angle is basically a list of recommendations for various horror subgenres. The vampire chapter is fairly small (pp. 39–48). Overall, the book reminds me of Patricia Altner's Vampire readings (1998). A nice little tome.

Title: In the shadow of the vampire: reflections from the world of Anne Rice (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1997) 

Author: Jan Marcus
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £2.51

Why'd I buy it? Mainly because it was referenced in Susannah Clements' The vampire defanged (2011), but also because it was cheap, too. However, I thought the 'reflections' would originate with Anne Rice, herself. Instead, the book is primarily composed of interviews with various people who've been inspired by Rice's vampire novels (pp. 1–138). Not what I had in mind. I guess it might be a useful insight into vampire fandom, though.

Title: The Halloween encyclopedia (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2003) 

Author: Lisa Morton
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £6.85

Why'd I buy it? I love Halloween. Simple, really. Better yet, I love books that give comprehensive coverage to the holiday, like Lesley Pratt Bannatyne's Halloween: an American holiday, an American history (1990). I've had my eye on Morton's book for a while. There's a second edition—prohibitively priced at US$75—but I prefer getting first editions, anyway, as they're like 'primary sources'. I get updated editions later. Not that I necessarily expected it to, but this edition features only the briefest of brief mentions of vampires/Dracula. I'm also disappointed to see that its entries don't feature references. I know this isn't standard encyclopedia practice, but J. Gordon Melton's The vampire book (1994; 1999; 2011) and Theresa Bane's Encyclopedia of vampire mythology (2010) have spoiled me.

Title: Der Vampirglaube in Südosteuropa: Studien zur Genese, Bedeutung und Funktion; Rumänien und der Balkanraum (Berlin: Weidler Buchverlag, 2001) 

Author: Peter Mario Kreuter
Date ordered: 1 May 2012
Price: £17.18 + £7.32

Why'd I buy it? I've heard a lotta good things about this. Also, it is devoted to my favourite vampire research angle: folklore. Kreuter's one of few vampire authors who concentrate their works on this field. This is the published version of his dissertation. For an insight into the author, check out my interview with him (part 1; part 2).

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I've got a few more books on the way, so stay tuned for that write-up.