EDITED to reflect the books I plan on reading after correcting the error I made on the game board that Ani's Book Abyss thankfully pointed out to me.

I have options.  I get angsty if I don't have a wide choice of books when I travel, so I've chosen more than one for each category, allowing me to pick according to my mood.

For the first square, A book set in Africa or Asia, or a book with an exotic animal on the cover I have three options:

I'm not sure animals get more exotic than the Platypus and after getting to swim and play with one last year, I'm besotted with them.  This book might be the driest of the bunch though, so if it fails to hold my holiday brain's attention I also have Darjeeling: A History of the World's Greatest Tea which is set in India and fits for Asia.  But just in case I'm feeling the need for something else again, I have My Beloved Brontosaurus: On the Road with Old Bones, New Science, and Our Favorite Dinosaurs; dinosaurs certainly qualify as exotic animals don't you think?  And it's supposed to be a humorous as well as educational, read.

To offset the non-fiction spree I have going on above, for my free space I've chosen two chick-lit type reads

This is where I went wrong on the board - I should have rolled the dice to determine where I go from the Free Space: Water Works, Electric Company or Luxury Tax.  I rolled an even number so I'm on Electric company.  Finally!  And one of my book selections for the Space space (which no longer applies) fits here, so I'm keeping it, but I'm also adding Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski  in case the first doesn't hold my attention.

After adjusting my rolls to compensate for the Electric Company space, I ended up needing a book about Lincoln and a book set on an island or with the ocean on the cover.  My Lincoln read was easy as I've been waiting to land on this space so I could start Lincoln as I Knew Him: Gossip, Tributes, and Revelations from His Best Friends and Worst Enemies.  The book set on an island stumped me momentarily until I spied This Rough Magic, which takes place on the island of Corfu (and has an ocean or sea on the cover).

I'm doing the buddy read with Moonlight Reader that starts on the Wednesday (June 14th) but I'll do it outside of BookLikes-opoly.  If anyone would like to join us in a read of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart, I hope will; it's a classic mystery with a surprising amount of humour.  I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm not, however, looking forward to the weight of my carry on luggage.  Luckily for MT, it has wheels.  :)

Buying other people books as Christmas presents is just dangerous.  Especially when local publishers have 45% off sales.  Apparently a book reading slump does not translate into a book buying slump.

So these all arrived in the mail this week.  I'm particularly excited about The Haunted Grange Of Goresthorpe by Arthur Conan Doyle  and Bookshops by Jorge Carrión; translated by Peter Bush.  Oh, and Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart!

I also bought one more book - it's not up on top because it's a book I already have, and a small splurge, but I think at least BrokenTune, if nobody else, will understand why.  I bought an uncorrected bound proof of The Eyre Affair.  Not because of the book itself, but because of what came with it:

It's a black and white photo that Jasper Fforde did in a giveaway at some point, 105 of them in total given away.  (http://www.jasperfforde.com/giveaway/tea002.html if anyone is curious).  The book was less than a new paperback edition and I couldn't resist - I love Pickwick!

Darjeeling: The Colorful History and Precarious Fate of the World's Greatest Tea

An extremely thorough coverage of all things tea, with a strong concentration on Darjeeling tea. What it is, where it comes from, how it is prepared, why it is different than other tea. A history of tea, India and the British rule of India. The effect of terroir on tea, the status of the tea industry and the tea-growing regions of today. What the future may hold for the Darjeeling area, and why. You will come away with a new found appreciation of your morning tea!

Completed On: March 20, 2015