After reading Nick Hornby's Housekeeping vs. The Dirt: Fourteen Months of Massively Witty Adventures in Reading, I decided to steal his monthly book format. Each month, Hornby lists all the books he purchased, followed by the books he actually read. Of course, he's a reviewer and I'm not, so his motivation is a little different from mine. I'm just trying not to buy so many blasted books.
I should also mention that one of my goals for 2007 was to read/study more short fiction. I'm doing that, but it's not really reflected here, since many of the stories I'm reading/studying are in magazines and books I haven't yet finished. All of the novels have been audiobooks.
So here's my list of Books Purchased and Read for January 2007:
Books Purchased:
An Introduction to the Old Testament, 2nd ed. (2006) - Tremper Longman III & Raymond B. Dillard
The Perfect Host: Volume V of the Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon (This one wasn't much of a purchase - 25 cents at the local library sale.)
Books Read:
Chasing the Dime (2002) - Michael Connelly
Stardust (1999) - Neil Gaiman
The Chocolate War (YA 1974) - Robert Cormier
The Cement Garden (1978) - Ian McEwan
The Gambler (1866) - Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Ocean and All Its Devices (2006) - William Browning Spencer
American Morons (2006) - Glen Hirshberg (started in 2006)
Housekeeping vs. The Dirt (NF 2006) - Nick Hornby
9 comments:
So far in '07 I've bought no books for myself. But I've read only four books. Maybe if I bought more I'd read more...
Somehow I don't think Lera will buy that one.
OK, so I lied. I remembered when I was at B&N today buying the new Bernard Cornwell novel that I bought another Bernard Cornwell a couple of weeks ago. But it was being remaindered. I couldn't help it.
Anyway, I still haven't read more than four books.
Maybe if I bought more I'd read more...
Sounds good to me...You can't read what you don't have in your possession and to truly possess something, a monetary transaction must take place. Yeah...that doesn't sound half bad...But Lera would probably see through that one too.
Sounds good to me...You can't read what you don't have in your possession and to truly possess something, a monetary transaction must take place. Yeah...that doesn't sound half bad...But Lera would probably see through that one too.
Or you could always just go to your local library and not worry about purchasing books.
You know considering you both just went on rants about the decline of libraries...
Does your library have every book you want to read? Mine certainly doesn't.
What, people who like to read can't buy books AND get others at the library?
Let's think about this. So far I've read seven books this year. Six of them came from the Fairfax library. In fact, the vast majority of the books I read come from the library, and always have. The books I buy for myself are books for which I will want to have access at a moment's notice, be it for reference or ideas or just access to something really cool that begs repeated reading. Which is all beside the fact that I firmly believe that if I am going to spend all this time and effort trying to sell my own writing I should put my money where my mouth is and actually buy a book. My father owns more books than anyone I know (besides Andy) AND he gets half a dozen books from the tiny Paul Sawyier Public Library in Frankfort, Kentucky, damn near every week.
How's that for a rant?
Thanks, Trent. I see that Amazon is selling the book for about eight bucks used (although Eric will want me to no doubt check with my local library first), which isn't bad.
I'm slowly working my way through the Longman & Dillard, which also focuses a bit on how the books of the Bible got put together.
The entire reason for this Old Testament survey will become apparent in my next blog entry. I know everyone's waiting with extreme anxiety.... Hey, WAKE UP!
The Fairfax library does not have the McCasland.
although Eric will want me to no doubt check with my local library first
I would? I was just offering a helpful suggestion as a way to relieve buying too many books and help prevent the decline of libraries. Two things you just talked about.
Nothing more, nothing less. I don't want you to do anything.
Does your library have every book you want to read? Mine certainly doesn't.
That's what interlibrary loan is for. ;)
In fact, if you're curious, the book Trent recommend is available in at least 23 libraries in Virginia, the majority being the major universities (Virgina Tech, Randolph-Macon Women's College, Univ of Virginia), but it is also also available via Richmond Public Library, Arlington County Department Library, Eastern Shore Public Library.
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