Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Latest tower of books

I realized yesterday that I need to read just one book a week for the rest of the year and I'll reach 100 for the first time since 2001. A shamefully small number for many book bloggers, I know, but one that makes me happy nonetheless--particularly since I have not cut back on internet useage at all. Whatever happened to my resolution last January to use time wisely?

But I do intend to cut back on book purchases so that I'll have time to work through some of my stockpiles--particularly since I may need to downsize the collection considerably if we move. No more giving myself a pass to buy a book because it's available in the UK and not in the US--my alma mater's libraries routinely add the British titles even more quickly than I can manage to, and, if we move, I'll live close enough to check out great swathes of them.

But the new books that have squeaked in before I officially change my nefarious ways:

Outliers. Malcolm Gladwell. Borrowed from my daughter.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters. Review copy.

A Handful of Dust. Evelyn Waugh. From a sale table at the Strand.

Under the Glacier. Halldor Laxness. Ditto.

Hindoo Holiday. J.R. Ackerley. Because of a mention at Like Fire and because my daughter's going to India next month.

The Story About the Story. J.C. Hallman, ed. Because of Dorothy.

Miss Herbert. Christina Stead. Because I'm collecting Steads and the Strand had it.

Sunflower. Rebecca West. Because it finishes my West fiction collection and the Strand had it.

Half Broke Horses. Jeannette Walls. Because I loved The Glass Castle.

The Lacuna. Barbara Kingsolver. I've not read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle yet, so I'd have felt too guilty to purchase yet another Kingsolver in hardback if not for the Amazon/Wal Mart price war.

Under the Dome. Stephen King. I'm not much of a horror reader, so I've read only a couple King novels in my life, but I always enjoy reading about him, and then this one sounded all appealing and was already on my wishlist to read before the Amazon/Wal Mart price war made me click the buy-now button.

The Complete Stories. J.G. Ballard. Thanks to the balance left on a gift card, I was able to snare this for $2.56. Woo hoo.

No more books for me for awhile.

13 comments:

  1. Who needs new books when you already have such a glorious pile? This should keep you busy for at least a while.

    Also, good job with the 100 books! I think that's quite a feat, especially since I'm struggling to make 50 by the end of the year. =)

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  2. What a great stack to choose from. Good luck making your 100 book goal for 2009!

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  3. I just bought the new Kingsolver book, too. It's lying on my coffee table tempting me to read it rather than finish up the academic quarter this week.

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  4. Ooh, I want to read the new Kingsolver! And I didn't know there was another Jeanette Walls book- so now there's two more on my TBR list.

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  5. I hope you like the Hallman book. Actually, it's almost certain you'll like SOME of it, at least, since it's got such a variety of essays.

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  6. I'll be interested in what you make of S&S and Sea Monsters. I did not like P&P and zombies but a different author might make it more interesting. My husband read Under the Dome and loved it, called it classic Stephen King. I think The Lacuna looks interesting but have not made the leap to buying it yet.

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  7. Hope you make it to 100 - can't even imagine being able to read so many books in a year1

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  8. Those are some fantastic books. Happy reading.

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  9. I'm about to pick up 'Lacuna' from the library today. I have been waiting for a new Kingsolver novel almost with my tongue out. I hope neither of us are disappointed.

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  10. Anonymous3:36 AM

    It is great that you have read so many books this year. I know my reading has been really slow this year and my stack of books is looking pretty much the same as it did at the start of the year. Not that I'm not reading, I've just been rereading a few of my favouirtes. Hope you enjoy finishing your stack, it looks like an interesting collection.

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  11. is Lacuna fic or nonfic??

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  12. Guilt is something you feel when you steal something from a candy store. It's not what you feel when you buy books. Books are good. Guilt-free.

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  13. That IS a serious tower of books! I always feel better when others post photos like this! Happy Thanksgiving by the way!

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