Christmas goodies and 2011 book stack

My Christmas wish this last year was mostly books.  I got some other really great things (some running gear and books, some DVDs, a wicked bright pink dress, a "grown-up" coat), but the books were definitely at the top of my list.  The books I asked for were pretty geeky, but they should keep me very occupied in 2011!

Here's the books, from top to bottom:

1. The Man Who Ate His Boots: The Tragic History of the Search for the Northwest Passage, by Anthony Brandt.  I stumbled across this book while browsing in Borders this past summer.  The whole age of polar and Arctic/Antarctic exploration fascinates me.
2. Seven Types of Ambiguity, by Elliot Perlman.  A friend recommended this book to me awhile ago.  It tells the same story from seven different points of view, so I'm hoping it's as good as it sounds (and as good as it was recommended to be).
3. The Forty-Five Guardsmen, by Alexandre Dumas (pére).  Alexandre Dumas (pére) wrote my favorite book ever (The Count of Monte Cristo) and another book in my top five books (The Three Musketeers).  I figure I can't go wrong.
4. King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War, by Catrine Clay.  I love European history, especially anything that has do with European monarchies.  I've always been interested in WWI, so this book combines a number of interests.
5. The Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order, 1905 - 1922, by Edmond Taylor.  I don't even know how I found this one, but it sounds really interesting.
6. Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria, by Julia P. Gelardi.  I said I love European history, but my very, very specific area of interest in the British monarchy.  I spotted this book in Borders once (the cover got me), and I can't wait to read this one.
7. The Custom of the Sea: A Shocking True Tale of Shipwreck, Murder, and the Last Taboo, by Neil Hanson.  This book is likely the product of a long Wikipedia trail that started with the whaleship Essex.
8. Song of Wrath: The Peloponnesian War Begins, by J.E. Lendon.  I'm normally not a big military history person.  I love many aspects of history, but war is something that has never really interested me.  The cover caught my eye, so I thought I'd check it out.  
9. Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600 - 1947, by Christopher M. Clark.  I am really excited about this book.  I've taken European History courses since high school, and Prussian history has always piqued my interest.

I also received the companion book to the Race to the End exhibit that was at the American Museum of Natural History (exhibit was really great).

And in case you're not completely convinced of my geekiness, here's a book I treated myself to for my birthday (courtesy of a gift card, so I guess a friend treated me :)).  [image from amazon.com]

I had been wanting this book for a really long time (I really wanted the hardcover version, but couldn't justify the $135 pricetag), so I was wicked excited to finally get it.  I actually might have jumped up and down and danced around in my tiny kitchen the day it arrived, that's how excited I was.

But I'm not a complete literary bore - I've got plenty of fiction (who doesn't love a good chick lit book) waiting for me too. :)