Stacking the Shelves #5

I just returned home from a trip to Barnes and Noble having spent way too much money. I could have easily spent $500 but was able to keep my purchases lower.  There are four new books that I am adding to my bookshelf. Two are graphic novels, one is art history and the fourth book is historical fiction.  

Yellow the history of a color is the fifth book in a series by Michel Pastoureau. He has written books on the colors black, green, red and blue. While the blurb states that the book is chock full of images, it really is a scientific book on the color.  It focuses on the visual, social and cultural history of yellow with chapters on the color's place in art, religion, fashion, literature and science.

China is the latest novel in a series by Edward Rutherford.  He has written historical novels on Paris, London, New York and Ireland.  When I first saw the book, I recognized the surname of the author.  When I was in college I had a class on asian history.  I remember reading two books written by someone with the last name of Rutherford.  One was on China and the other on Japan. I loved those books and wondered whether this Rutherford wrote those histories.  I do not know if this author is the same person or not but it propelled me to buy the book.

Hawking is a graphic biography of Stephen Hawking.  I have had this book on my Amazon wishlist for some time so when I saw it on the B&N shelf, I bought it.  The illustrations are colored which is a must if I am going to buy a comic. 

Idle Days is about a man who deserted his post in the Canadian forces. The man's mother sent him to live with his grandfather in a remote location.  Here he is isolated and the only thing that interests him is the history of the house.  The house has bootleggers, a fire and a suicide as former residents and their ghosts begin to haunt him.  The comic has colored illustrations which, as I said above, is a must for me to want to spend money on a comic.

I am going to get started reading these tonight.  It's a cold, rainy day here in Chicago so I will get a cup of cocoa and sit in my favorite chair.