I Did A Thing
Yesterday I had a day off with no schoolwork to do. I got tired of the huge mess in my library, so I made a bigger mess. I had weeded my books a couple of months ago and the books were still in boxes on the floor. Then I had purchased new books and those books were in boxes and bags on the floor. Even though I had weeded, there still wasn't enough room for the new books. So my daughter and I got busy and weeded again.
I now have two double-stacked shelves of books I've read. And 4 double-stacked shelves plus one single-stacked shelf of books to read.
This brings my problem into light quite clearly. I have been buying books like I have time to read them. I think I was buying them against the time in the future when I will have time to read them, but for right now, I have a huge back log. I gotta say, though: I have no regrets. I'm super excited about all the books in my future. On the other hand, I was putting away a new book and put it on the shelf right in front of another copy of the exact same book. That's when you know it's getting bad. I didn't even remember buying that first copy. When we were cleaning, I found a book I didn't know I bought, but that I really want to read! I am a mess. Here is a possibly incomplete list of all the books I bought in June. These are not in order of when I acquired them, but in order of where they are on my TBR.
Twilight/Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer - I have already read this. I have been begging people to read it so I can discuss it with them. My daughter said if I bought it ($5) she'd read it so we could talk about it. Yay! This is why I had children.
Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime That Changed America by Kevin Cook - When I was an undergrad I was shocked and dismayed by the Kitty Genovese crime. This woman was raped and murdered in an outdoor courtyard. Many people heard the screams. No one called the police. There were many reasons: they didn't trust the police, they didn't think the police would come, they thought someone else would call. This is the number one reason I call the police whenever I see a wreck or something. What if I'm the only one?
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond - This has been on my list for awhile now, but I finally found a paperback copy. I deal with a lot of library customers who live with the fear of being evicted and not being able to find affordable housing.
The 33 by Hector Tobar - This book is about the Chilean miners who were caught in a mine collapse. I took this off the library book sale. It had been discarded. I have had it on my TBR for 2 years. I have a lot of depressing non-fiction on this list.
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin - Here's another historical crime that I am fascinated by. I am a little hazy on the details of the Patty Hearst kidnapping, but I know it is a weird phenomenon.
Smoke by Dan Vyleta - This is a weird sci-fi book in which people who think bad thoughts begin to smoke. If you do it too much, you spontaneously combust. Strangely, it's mostly poor folk who smoke. The rich people are pure of thought and deed? Hmmm.
The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova - I have loved all of her other works and I am pretty stoked to find a paperback copy of her latest. I'm looking forward to going back to Eastern Europe with her.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - I'm down for a ghost story. This is supposed to be fabulous. I mean, not for my sisters, but in the right situation...
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay - I got a bug up my butt and ordered a bunch of her books this month. I hope they're as good as I want them to be. Also purchased Lizzy and Jane, The Bronte Plot
Caraval by Stephanie Garber - I talked about this one in my last post. It's the favorite of one of my dancers. It's about two girls that get lost during a festival similar to Carnivale. I heard it's reminiscent of The Night Circus.
Manderley Forever by Tatiana de Rosnay - I don't actually know when I acquired this book. I found it on my shelf when I was reorganizing. I was interested in it because one of my favorite booktubers loves it.
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - This little book is a magical realism type book about a couple trying to flee their war torn homeland. They go through a magical door and end up somewhere else. They do this until they get someplace they want to stay. I think. I haven't read it yet, but that's the gist I get from it.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus - This is the one I was talking about finding on my shelf during the reorganization that I almost bought again because I didn't know I had it. It's about 5 high school kids who have detention. They go in in the morning, but only 4 came out. The fifth one was murdered and all the other kids have a motive.
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund - This was on the short list for a big prize that I added all of the nominees to my TBR. Now I can't remember what the prize was. Goodreads says it was the Man Booker list. Sounds about right. I have no idea what it's about anymore, but it says wolves on the cover. I like wolves.
Autumn by Ali Smith - This is another book from the Man Booker nominees list. Again, I'm not sure what it's about, but I like Ali Smith and this is the first in a series of season books. Winter is out already, too.
Books to Die For by John Connelly - This is a collection of essays about the best mysteries every written.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero - This is about a group of kids like the Scooby Doo gang and what happens after they move away, then come back home and solve a mystery.
Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley - This is the book that I shelved a copy I bought this month in front of a copy I got last December. Oops!!
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu - This is a huge best-seller in China. The first and second books in the series have been translated into English. The earth has sent out communication into space. Some aliens have picked it up and are planning to invade. On earth, the people have been divided into two camps: the ones who want to fight the aliens and the one who want to welcome them.
Friends in High Places by Donna Leon - In the same order that I went bananas with the Katherine Reay books, I also ordered several Donna Leon books. The Girl of His Dreams Drawing Conclusions
The Dry by Jane Harper - I've heard this mystery is fabulous. So I bought it.
I'll Be Gone In the Dark by Michelle McNamara - This is the one I talked about in my July TBR about the lady who wrote the book that helped find the Golden State Killer.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson - I have been raving about this one for months. I'm stoked to read it, so I bought it. It's about the girl who goes to the fancy boarding school with the purpose of solving the century-old kidnapping and murder case surrounding the family of the founder. Then it happens again.
Jade City by Fonda Lee - This is sold as a cross between The Godfather and any Bruce Lee movie. I'm down.
Educated: a Memoir by Tara Westhover - The author was raised in a survivalist Mormon family in Idaho. None of her siblings went to school, they were all homeschooled. After high school, she decided to break the mold and go to college. Then she went to Harvard. Then she went to Cambridge. She currently doesn't speak to her family because they refused to recognize the abuse she suffered at the hands of her older brother.
#Neveragain by David Hogg and Lauren Hogg - This is the book by the two kids from Douglas High School in Florida and their thoughts on the current trend in school shootings.
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson - I wanted to read this so badly I went and bought it. I think I've sold my daughter on it also.
The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan - This is a tell-all about the Biltmore estate. I don't know much about it, but I love to read about big houses.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer - Arthur Less is trying to avoid going to his ex-boyfriend's wedding, so he accepts every speaking engagement and invitation on his desk. No-fail plan. Ha!
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland - Civil War. Zombie uprising. Slaves are trained to fight zombies. No-fail plan. Again, Ha!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - This was my Book of the Month for June. It's a romance about an autistic woman who wants to learn about sex, so she hires a male escort. No-fail plan. Maybe.
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson - This is the book club book for July about a girl who maybe did or didn't kill a baby.
That's 32 books. In a month. Um. We won't mention this again.
Also, I noticed that I have the Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova on my TBR list twice. Which I guess is better that having it on my bookshelf twice. Oy! I'm a mess.
Have you bought anything new?