Not a single Colette on the bookstore shelves. Not even one slim little volume. No von Kleist either, which really didn't surprise me too much. But for once my list making paid off. I didn't allow myself to browse too much, but I still left with more than I anticipated buying. I actually found most of what was on my list with a few additions. Not surprisingly they had lots of copies of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. They also had Lady Susan by Jane Austen (my copy also has The Watsons and Sanditon), In Lucia's Eyes by Arthur Japin, and The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe, all of which I wanted. If you notice on my sidebar there are some book ads and one of the recent titles that has been displayed has been for Sara Gran's novel/mystery Dope. It is meant to be written in the hard boiled detective style (narrated by a woman though), and while some reviews of it have been less than glowing I thought it looked interesting enough to give it a read. Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert caught my eye--another younger man in love with an older woman novel by a French author--I couldn't pass it up. I had not thought of reading more Flaubert after Madame Bovary, but all of a sudden I want to now. Other bloggers have been reading Proust, and being in my French reading mood, I picked up the first volume, Swann's Way, from In search of Lost Time. I'm not sure when I will read it, or if I will read all the volumes, but I would at least like to read the first book. Lastly I had to get one fluffy sort of book, A Rather Lovely Inheritance by C.A. Belmond. Lately I feel a tad bit guilty reading or buying fluffy sorts of books. I never would have in the past given any book I chose to read a second thought. I think seeing what other people are reading is rubbing off on me. Ultimately I am sure I will still read whatever sounds good. Why do I agonize over these sorts of questions? I suppose bigger problems I may not have any control over (so why agonize), but this is one small corner of the world I do have some say in?
Oh, and those books on the side...one is mooched and one was given to me. I keep hearing about Niall Williams here, so I found a copy of Four Letters of Love on Bookmooch. I am not sure if this is his best, or the best place to start, but when it is free you go with what you can get. Isabella has kindly sent to me a copy of Bang Crunch (even signed) by Neil Smith, when I came up with an inspired place name. I am supposed to be reading more short stories this year. I have been reading along with A Curious Singularity (but being lazy and not posting about them--just soaking in other reader's observations!), but not doing much other reading. Now I have more impetus, right?!
Did you notice that long box-like thing on the bottom of the photo? A friend gave me a box of Jane Austen mint chocolates! You can click here (you'll need to scroll down a bit and then can click on that photo to enlarge it) to see them. She found them somewhere locally. I think they are too nice to eat! And which to choose first? Pride and Prejudice, Emma? They are imported from Britain. Literary chocolates, what more can you ask for?
One little more note...not sure if you have been having problems adding a comment here. I have. I'm not sure what the problem is, but it takes forever to load the comment box and then usually it times out before actually saving the message. It has been very frustrating and this is the second day I have noticed it. Very sorry if you are also experiencing this problem. Hopefully it will get back to normal soon.