Inspired by Stefanie's recent book reorganization I thought I should do the same. A couple of years ago I gave a peek at my book room, which has in some ways become even more cluttered (books not being the only culprits...other cast offs reside there now as well--including old toys my niece no longer plays with...), so I thought a good cleaning of the room would be a good way to spend an hour or two. The problem is that my piles have grown somewhat but the room has stayed as small as it ever was and I'm at a loss how to organize my things in a way that would mean I could get to the books easily and see what I have. So instead I mostly picked through piles and pulled books out that I had forgotten about and spent a little time perusing them.
Whenever someone sees my books the common question is 'have you read all those books?' 'Well, no, but I am working on it' is the usual reply. In a way this shifting of piles was comforting given my desire to stop buying books, as it means I have plenty to choose from even if I can't buy something new every week. The problem is to stop being tempted by all the new shiny releases or worse all the books everyone else happens to be reading a the moment.
I was thinking maybe I could pick out a handful of books now and then and share them. It might be a way to satiate the need to buy new books by revisiting older purchases that I've not thought about in a (very) long time. In some cases I've forgotten what I own and some of these might well be out of print now and perhaps the time has come to read them rather than let them languish any longer. Part of my problem is that I like the acquisition part of the equation, though don't get me wrong as I don't ever purchase anything that doesn't really, really appeal to me and that I don't want to read. So, here are six books that at one time I was so excited at having acquired and couldn't wait to crack them open and start reading.
Lost Love: The True Story of Passion, Murder, and Justice in Old New York, George Cooper - Nothing like a little true crime--particularly a crime that happened just after the Civil War. "In Lost Love, George Cooper expertly weaves period documents into a work of historical imagination with a tragic but vibrant heroine at its center. This narrative of private passion and public scandal resurrects a vanished America--even as it casts light on the sexual politics of our present age."
Gloria: A Novel, Keith Maillard - I remember coveting this when it was in cloth and even waited until it was released in paper. It's the story of a 1950s debutante. "Gloria is a vivid and intimate portrayal of a privileged yet claustrophobic world, where conflicting expectations for women foreshadow an impending revolution."
Plain Language, Barbara Wright - This is set in Depression era Colorado where a woman has come to marry a man ten years her senior who she knows only through two brief meetings and letters. It sounds like a good drama.
Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - Since I'm reading about Colonial America at the moment it might be good to read a little history alongside it. I've heard LTU is a little hard going (maybe should say slow going), but I've always thought her books looked interesting.
One Sweet Quarrel, Deirdre McNamer - This is set in America between the wars and begins in the Midwest. Three siblings each set off in a different directions hoping to fulfill their hopes and desires.
A Design for Living: Vienna int eh Twenties, Lilliam Langseth-Christensen - This is one I have read and have a vague recollection of. It's one I knew I wanted to hang on to for both the time period it evokes and the place--Vienna (one of my very favorite places)! The author traveled there from New York in 1922 to study under Josef Hoffmann. Absolutely need to reread this one.
Although these days I am a little more particular in what I buy and my tastes have changed slightly, in the past I would buy at whim if the story appealed to me. I suspect many of these books will have faded from popularity and you may or may not have heard of them (or read them). But they still look like good reads, and who knows what treasures I might find on my shelves if I dig around a bit. One week down and not a single new purchase.