One of my blogger friends posted a picture of her book piles today. I realized that I love this sort of picture because it is a quick version of a browse over more extensive book shelves. It reminded me that I have similar piles around here. This first pile is the books I gave up on this summer, and will be shipping out. I'm still trying to find time to write about why I didn't finish them. Several of them are by writers I know are good, but I am not equal to them, or I don't have time for them, or something.
The second stack I just purchased at the library used bookstore yesterday. I went in with my eyes narrowed to paperbacks or very small hardcovers, because that is the category of book I am mostly limited to these days, as I read while lying in bed under the covers. There are already plenty of heavy hardcovers waiting on the shelves for me for those times when I am on vacation or sick or on a long car trip.
So I managed to find quite a range of authors and genres. My California is subtitled Journeys by Great Writers, but the only names I recognize are John Steinbeck and Dana
Gioia. The Churchill book is a short biography published by The New York Times at his death in 1965. One of my teachers in junior high recommended the Thomas Wolfe book to me, and Annie Dillard is a longtime favorite. Perhaps some of these will end up starting a new reject stack, but in the meantime I feel prepared for some cozy times this fall.
7 comments:
I'm glad I'm not the only one with a stack of half-read books! I listened to "East of Eden" a few years ago. I think it made a difference for me, but that was a time when I was in the car a lot.
I LOVE to read...my problem is that I can neglect all when I am reading a book. I spent three summers as a fire lookout in the mountains of Montana and read until I was full. It was wonderful.
Truely I never tired of my books.
I've spent the last 20 minutes browsing your blog and have enjoyed myself thoroughly. Enjoy your stacks of books. (East of Eden is one of my favorite books of all time.)
I also love "East of Eden" and almost anything by John Steinbeck. I'm glad I'm not the only one with piles of books - I can't help myself.
Happy reading!
I see several titles in your stacks that I'd like to get to myself! I always enjoy seeing others' stacks.
Your Chesterton quote in the sidebar is wonderful! It would be great for a writing class on narrowing your focus to specifics.
Oh, I love seeing what other people are reading. I'm reading The Shell Seekers right now; it's a nice, cozy book for this time of year.
I love Annie Dillard, too, but for some reason I've never finished For the Time Being. I think my children got in the way. But she's a writer I return to often for inspiration.
frances
Ack! Stop, stop! I already have one of these stacks, at least! I CANNOT add to it by looking at this, when I have to read a list for the graduate candidacy exam I will be taking in the spring~! So many books, so little time, and we wouldn't have it any other way!
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