"Shuffle, shuffle." That would be the sound of me revamping my current reads pile yet once more (it's an ongoing process, I'm afraid). "Thump, thump." That would be the sound of a rather large stack of library books being deposited into the book drop (you might want to add a few more thumps to that list...there were a lot of books).
It's always a little painful to return unread library books. Not only are they heavy to carry on that long walk to the bus stop, but I know that I'll just end up checking them out again later in the hopes of being able to read them at a more opportune time. But things had gotten a little out of control and I was feeling overwhelmed. You see I am already anticipating my upcoming holiday/winter break. And while it is still a number of weeks off I'm already contemplating long stretches of uninterrupted reading time. I do this every year, of course. I never manage to read everything I want to, but I can dream, right?
So now that I have things reorganized a bit more to my tastes, I think I have the books that will see me through not only the end of the month but the end of the year as well. Vacation books are something else entirely and I will save my list to share later. And then I might just possibly consider a few things to read next year, though my plan is to not have any plans. (Famous last words).
I'll be finishing several books this month for a few readalongs (well, I hope I will anyway) and am still working on a few novels for the German Literature Month. But I've added a few other books to my pile that have been clamoring for attention. Yes, really, clamoring. Don't your books call out to you? I've tried ear plugs, but they can really get loud sometimes. It's when they start jumping off shelves like a herd of lemmings to get your attention that you need to worry.
You'll be happy to hear these books have all been patient and well mannered. I really like Elizabeth Jane Howard's work. Quite a while ago I read the first three books in her Cazalet Chronicles. I always meant to go back and read the fourth volume, but time seemed to slip away and it never happened. Then a couple of years ago I thought I'd give them all another go, read the first book and then never managed to read any of the others. Guess what I'm going to do now? I've already started my third read of The Light Years, which follows the Cazalet family through the years before, during and just after WWII. I really love these books and am looking forward to spending time with them (and actually reading the fourth book in this go). The books have been compared to The Forsyte Saga, Upstairs/Downstairs and The Shell Seekers, so how could I miss since I call all of those favorites as well. The Light Years begins in 1937. It's very easy, entertaining reading, but smartly done as well. I had planned to read this over the holidays but then decided why wait, since I am in the mood for it now!
I didn't return all my library books. I decided that E.M. Delafield's Consequences was just what I needed. I'm very much in the mood for a Persephone story, and E.M. Delafield is always good. Consequences, written in 1919, is about "the plight of girls given no opportunities apart from marriage." It sounds much more serious than the Provincial Lady, but serious is good, too.
And from my own stacks, I've pulled out a novel I have long, long wanted to read--The Outcast by Sadie Jones. It was a finalist for the Orange Prize a few years back. As I seem to be collecting her books I thought maybe I should read one of them? The story is set in postwar Britain that sounds both suspenseful and dramatic.
Jonathan Yardley's Second Reading: Notable and Neglected Books Revisited has been sitting on the shelf below my night table since I received it. I shared a teaser in the summer and then meant to dip into it regularly, but it mostly sat there looking inviting. So I pulled it off the shelf and started reading and am now hooked. The book is comprised of essays about neglected books (and I like neglected books). The essays are very short--I can easily read one during my break at work and he writes about all sorts of books. At first I thought I would skip the essays for books that didn't seem to appeal to me, but I like Yardley's writing style so much, I've decided it doesn't matter if I end up looking for the book or not. For example, I'm not all that drawn to W.C. Fields, but Yardley writes about him in such an interesting and humorous way. And he folds into his essay not just facts about a forgotten book but about biographies in general, so I feel like I am learning other interesting facts as well. My intention is to just read one essay a day. I'm in no hurry to finish the book. I thought it would make for perfect bedtime reading as I can usually only manage a few pages before drifting off to sleep these days.
Forgive the silly tone of my post. Can you tell I am giddy at the prospect of having five whole days off from work? I may not be posting for the rest of the week as it is already so quiet around here, but I do have loads of online reading to catch up on. I always feel terrible when I fall behind on blog reading and emails. I may not have been out and about much lately, but I have been saving up posts on Google Reader and will be tackling them soon--and looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been reading!