I came away from the book sale with one cardboard box and two plastic grocery sacks full of books for the relatively low price of $45. Some of my finds:
The Babel Tower by A.S. Byatt - I have read this, but I have decided to go ahead and buy her books when I find them in a sale like this. They are so well written and thought provoking.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides - I have almost finished this already. One of the most descriptive novels I have read in a very long time. Worth reading just for the images.
The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
Exiles by Melanie Rawn - I love sci-fi/fantasy, and a friend recommended Rawn to me ages ago. We'll see!
Saturn by Ben Bova - LOVED his Mars - and the sequel. Fabulous, exciting, old-fashioned sci-fi. Hope Saturn is as good.
Snow Falling on Cedars - My church's book group is reading this. Maybe I'll join in the fun.
14 titles from the Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate. - I have a 9 year old son. What can I say?
Undue Influence by Steve Martini - I have a book list that says this is one of the best courtroom novels. I have never read Martini, but under this recommendation, I bought this book plus 2 other titles.
The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin.
The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag - I remember when this was published, 15-16 years ago, but I never read it. I have a copy of the Sontag Reader and I have to say, Susan Sontag has to have been one of the finest intellects to ever visit this planet. I have no idea what her fiction will be like.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Seybold.
Numerous titles in mystery by Martha Grimes, sci-fi titles by Zelazny.
A few copies of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - purchased for the illustrations to use in crafts.
There's my abbreviated list - I have to sort through and see if there's anything else worth mentioning.
I obviously have added significantly to my "to read" pile, so we'll see about Trollope!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Feeding a Reader
This week is a great one to be a reader in Wilmington, Delaware. The local shopping mall, Concord Mall, is the host to the AAUW's (American Association of University Women) annual used book sale. This is a fabulous sale for a serious reader, or for browsing. It starts this Thursday, and I plan to be there with a friend when the sale starts at 10am. The first day is always exciting - it's fun to watch the book dealers hovering over the tables before the volunteers uncover the tables at precisely 10am.
The dealers can be quite grabby and rude, but the readers that attend the sale are generous and friendly. I received some great book recommendations from fellow shoppers. One gem was Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi.
My "to read" pile is still pretty substantial in size, so I have been trying to downsize and make room for a new stack from the booksale. I found, buried, an almost-finished copy of Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. So I finished reading that. What a knock-out of a book! Larson tells the story of the hurricane that destroyed the Texas city of Galveston one hundred years ago, from the point of view of the representative of the fledgling National Weather Service. Well written and very compelling, I wish that Larson would revisit this book and write a forward or afterword regarding Hurricane Katrina.
So, off to the sale tomorrow. I will detail and list my finds in another post.
The dealers can be quite grabby and rude, but the readers that attend the sale are generous and friendly. I received some great book recommendations from fellow shoppers. One gem was Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi.
My "to read" pile is still pretty substantial in size, so I have been trying to downsize and make room for a new stack from the booksale. I found, buried, an almost-finished copy of Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. So I finished reading that. What a knock-out of a book! Larson tells the story of the hurricane that destroyed the Texas city of Galveston one hundred years ago, from the point of view of the representative of the fledgling National Weather Service. Well written and very compelling, I wish that Larson would revisit this book and write a forward or afterword regarding Hurricane Katrina.
So, off to the sale tomorrow. I will detail and list my finds in another post.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Where to Start?
I found my list of the complete works of Anthony Trollope. It's divided into groups. There are the Chronicles of Barsetshire, the Palliser novels, and general novels and other works. I am tempted to start with the Chronicles of Barsetshire, since I have already read The Warden, and it would be familiar territory. I wonder if a biography of Trollope might kick start my reading?
That aside, I am currently reading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I had seen the movie years ago, but had never read the novel. It is a beautiful novel. The descriptions are richly detailed, and the characters carefully drawn. The distinctive voice of the narrator, the butler Stevens, is especially rich and deep. After only a few pages, the reader feels that he knows the character of Stevens intimately, and can tell when he is shading the truth, hiding his feelings, or somehow not telling the whole story. Sometimes what Stevens does not say speaks so much louder than what he does say. Reading this novel is a rewarding experience.
My reading time lately has been limited. My husband travels a great deal, and we have three children, ages 9, 6, and almost 3. When he's away I tend to read easy to put down trash, since my time is devoted unceasingly to the kids. My "trash" book while he was away this past week was Timothy's Game by Lawrence Sanders. Enjoyable enough, and easy to put down and pick up again, which is sometimes all I ask for.
That aside, I am currently reading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I had seen the movie years ago, but had never read the novel. It is a beautiful novel. The descriptions are richly detailed, and the characters carefully drawn. The distinctive voice of the narrator, the butler Stevens, is especially rich and deep. After only a few pages, the reader feels that he knows the character of Stevens intimately, and can tell when he is shading the truth, hiding his feelings, or somehow not telling the whole story. Sometimes what Stevens does not say speaks so much louder than what he does say. Reading this novel is a rewarding experience.
My reading time lately has been limited. My husband travels a great deal, and we have three children, ages 9, 6, and almost 3. When he's away I tend to read easy to put down trash, since my time is devoted unceasingly to the kids. My "trash" book while he was away this past week was Timothy's Game by Lawrence Sanders. Enjoyable enough, and easy to put down and pick up again, which is sometimes all I ask for.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
starting trollope
So, the question is, am I reading Trollope, or am I a reading trollop? I read The Warden years ago, I have read Phineas Finn, Phineas Redux, and I have decided to read all of Trollope. But is this just a Tristam Shandy kind of thing? I have researched Trollope, tried to figure the best way to read the canon, and honestly, I can't figure it out. It would be much easier to read Jane Austen again.
This whole Trollope idea has grown ever since my husband bought me the entire Folio set of Anthony Trollope's novels. How can you not read these beautiful, gorgeous books? And yet I have not. This year I have resolved to remedy that.
Here is my resolution for posterity. Or whatever that is in our culture.
love,
pam
This whole Trollope idea has grown ever since my husband bought me the entire Folio set of Anthony Trollope's novels. How can you not read these beautiful, gorgeous books? And yet I have not. This year I have resolved to remedy that.
Here is my resolution for posterity. Or whatever that is in our culture.
love,
pam
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