For Christmas I got a whack of gift certificates to my book store of choice and despite having several books already awaiting my attention on my bookshelves, I decided not to wait to use them.
It was such a satisfying trip. I could buy pretty much whatever I wanted. The freedom!
OK but actually it was really hard. Anyone that’s ever had a glimpse at my To Read list (I carry a version around with me. It’s ok, you can mock me) will know that this was a lot more difficult than it should have been.
After the initial wave of sheer joy washed over me, I realized that I would never be able to buy all the books that I wanted. But I did my best. I decided to put together a list of some of the books that I bought (a couple I’ve already read: At Home and The Virgin Suicides) as well as some of the other books that are already sitting on my shelf waiting for me to love them. Some of them have waited a long time.
Far From The Tree by Adam Solomon. I am so excited to read this book. I’ve read a few articles about it (like this one) but in a nutshell it’s about parenting the children that aren’t exactly like us. That’s a really terrible nutshell. Let’s just say that I ran across it, read the first line and knew that I needed to read it. I don’t even have kids!
The Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg. I don’t think I need to explain myself here. This is book 5 in the Fjallbacka trilogy I keep going on about. I think we’re finally going to get more Erika Falck after she was sidelined having a fictional baby! Not that I don’t love Patrik Hedstrom, I totally do. I just missed Erika’s take on things.
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. Seems a crime to leave a Dickens sitting on the shelf doesn’t it? But this one has been waiting a while. Very possibly since 2011. I always mean to grab it. And then I don’t. But since reading this I’ve decided that I really do need more classics in my life and if Dickens doesn’t fit that bill, what does?
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I read The Age of Innocence last year (first Pullitzer won by a woman what!) and I loved it so much (seriously, such a great story) that I thought I should read some more. The House of Mirth is my next choice. It also fits in very nicely with my ‘classics’ reading.
Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire. Are you obsessed by Wicked: The Musical? You are right? Who isn’t! Have you read the book? Such a great twist on a classic. And then there was Son of a Witch (great title), and A Lion Among Men. Now finally: the conclusion. I waited and waited for this to come out in paperback and then it did and I bought it and now it’s been waiting while I got distracted by other shiny reads.
Onwards: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz. I am a Starbucks addict. I’ve been trying to cut back. It’s not easy. You know why? Because when I go to ‘my’ Starbucks they are really happy to see me, they know my name and my drink. It’s hard to walk away from that. How did they do that? There’s a book that has the answers!
There you have it. A list of some of the books waiting for me to love them. What do you have waiting on your bookshelf?
The Paperback Princess 
Ummm…so, I guess we can be mocked together. I too received numerous gift cards to a bookstore and despite the hundreds of unread books I already have at home, I had a list waiting to spend the cards on. (I too carry my list around…it’s in the note section of my iPhone.) To cut the list down I decided no hardcovers…paperbacks are cheaper, which means I could buy more! There was also a 25% teacher discount for the week = more books!!! Here’s what I picked:
“The Scorch Trials” and “The Death Cure” by James Dashner. They are the second and third books of “The Maze Runner” trilogy. Someone had given me “The Maze Runner” and a student of mine raved about it…it sounded good to me too, so I figured it would be good to have the whole trilogy on my classroom shelf. A series even boys would read.
“Dead to You” by Lisa McMann. This one too is for my classroom library. (I try to get my classroom books really cheap, but if there’s one that sounds really good, I want to get it on the shelf.) I had read her “Wake” trilogy and almost met her (got lost and didn’t make it). But conversed with her on FB and she sent me free signed copies of her book!
“Unwind” by Neal Shusterman…also going to my classroom library. It’s a weird take on the issue of abortion, but dealing with teenagers as victims instead of fetuses/babies. No abortion from conception to age 13, but between then and 18 a parent can choose to have their kid “unwound,” meaning their organs are donated out, so technically they are still “living” in some form. Thought the idea was intriguing (although kind of sick) and would get kids’ attention. Might also make them think through an issue like abortion from a different point of view.
“Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell. Ok, finally a book for me to keep at home! I’ve been meaning to read it and even had the book at one point. It was mentioned in a couple blogs I read within a week (this one being one of them I believe) and a friend said it would totally be worth my time. (I was also able to get his two other books free on my book swap site that same day! “The Tipping Point” and “Blink.”)
“At Home: A Short History of Private Life” by Bill Bryson. Already a Bryson fan, reading the post on this blog about the book totally hooked me. It was shelved in the Home section of the bookstore though…I see the connection, but not quite sure I agree with its placement.
Excellent haul! I haven’t read The Topping point yet- Blink is awesome. I found At Home hiding in the History section. Its one of those tricky ones- would also have been at home (ha) in cultural studies I think.
Lol! History is what I thought, but cultural studies is much better. I even told the sales lady helping me that I didn’t think it should be shelved in the Home section…she humored me with a smile.
Obviously we need to be in charge of bookstores.
Pingback: A Book Buying Binge | The Paperback Princess