Dear friends,
I’ve acquired a TON (probably literally) of books over the past months, including a few dozen at a library sale this weekend. I thought I’d show them to you a few at a time. As you know, I read a lot of backlist titles, as well as new releases. While I occasionally buy a new release in hardback if it’s something I’ve really been looking forward to, I acquire most of my books in other ways:
- Borrow from the library
- Lent from friends
- Purchased at sales
- Purchased at retail, in paperback format
- “Shop my shelves” (and storage boxes)
- Listen on audiobook and/or read on Kindle
Let’s look at my first little haul:
- Daisy Jones and the Six. I flew through this one, and my review’s already up. I had received an “ARC” (advance reader copy) of this one months ago, but never got around to it till now. The story of a 1970s band similar to Fleetwood Mac – their rise to fame and fall from popularity.
- City of Girls. This one just came out June 4 and I can’t WAIT to read it! New York showgirls in the 1940s.
- Sawkill Girls. Borrowed from the Library, and I need to finish it as it’s due very soon. A Young Adult “YA” title, I don’t know much about it other than it’s a mystery about girls who go missing on Sawkill Island.
- Our Lady of the Prairie. Lent to me by a coworker. Written by a colleague at my university, who was pleased when I told her I was reading it.
- The Clockmaker’s Daughter. I bought this in hardback when it first came out, and it’s just been released in paperback … need to get to it! I understand it switches back and forth along two (or more?) timelines.
A side note: I don’t believe in doing “TBRs” (“To be read”) lists, because I like to have the freedom to choose what appeals to me in the moment. I believe that we have a relationship with our books, and that reading should never feel like a chore. Also, when I finish a book, I pass it on if possible, so it will continue to have a life. I might give it to a friend, or to charity. Only a few take up permanent residence on my shelves, and those are the ones that have spoken to me on the deepest level.
I am also re-listening to the Harry Potter books on Audible. I read the originals so long ago that I’ve forgotten a lot, plus the movies have muddied my memories a bit. By revisiting them now, I can really see the books-to-movies changes. Mind you, I’m not touchy about such changes – I understand that it’s a different task to tell a story visually than to tell it in writing. I just find it interesting. I’m halfway through Chamber of Secrets now, and I’m wondering about something:
How did Dobby intercept the letters from Ron and Hermione? Considering how the owls in the first book were able to track Harry down wherever he might be, I can’t see how this would happen, and I don’t see it being addressed in the story. Plot hole?
Happy reading everyone!
Winnie and the Professor
Winnie and the Professor 