You probably already know this, but art books? Even when they are paperbacks, they are really heavy to carry. If I had room in my suitcase I would have packed them away, but I had already stuffed my class binder into my luggage, so my backpack had to do extra duty carrying all the books I bought. I shouldn't have but I did, and now that they are safely here at home with me I am glad I did.
I loved the museums so much that I had to bring home mementos as I am not sure I will ever get another chance to go back. Most of the books came from The Kimball Museum: Kimball Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection, A Time and a Place: Near Sydenham Hill by Camille Pissarro by Kathleen Adler, and they gave me a freebie booklet, The Kimball at 40: An Evolving Masterpiece which is from an exhibit a few years back. The handbook is a guide to the collection though it gives only the briefest overview of the architecture (which I want to read more about). The Adler book is about the Pissarro painting Near Sydenham Hill, which is lovely (why didn't I take a photo of it?).
The other two books are from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art: An American Album: Highlights from the Collection of the Amon Carter Museum, and Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture and Cuisine by Judith A. Barter. The album is once again just an overview of the collection--there were a number of works including a painting by Mary Cassatt and their photography collection, I was hoping to see but were not on display, so I can at least have a peek through the pages of this book. And I knew walking through the exhibit that I would have to buy the catalog. Happily it appears to have all the works included in the exhibit. Do people actually read coffee table type books like this? I plan on reading this one.
I don't often buy art books these days, so these were a real treat for me.
These are the sorts of books I buy these days. I bought them at the Tattered Cover in the Denver Airport. I have always wanted to visit the Tattered Cover, but so far this is the closest I have come. Does four books seem like a lot? It probably is, but I left with an even longer list of books to add to my wishlist.
I read and enjoyed The Magnificent Ambersons several years ago so was tempted by the reissue of Alice Adams set in "a small Midwestern town in the wake of WWI". I might have to read this next. Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman's Charleston setting was the selling point for this book. Actually it is set in Charleston (a city I loved when I visited some years ago--have always wanted to go back) and rural Kentucky. A political thriller set in London's financial district? Caught my eye, House of Cards by Michael Dobbs (which I see is a Netflix series). And another blogger suggested Deborah Feldman's Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots to me. I see she has a new book out, too, but I will start with this memoir.
I shared the books I was taking with me, and save for the book by Louise Doughty (which I decided not to start after all), I managed to make progress in the other books that tagged along. I am making slow byt steady progress in Balzac (finally have started part three), am working on Burial Rites still, but mostly read Jojo Moyes's Me Before You. I have to admit that I was expecting something light and fluffy, but it is turning out to be a much more somber read than I expected. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, as I am now expecting the ending to be bittersweet rather than cheery and uplifting (perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised?). Of course I think, too, the story is getting tied in my mind to my feeling of malaise while I was away, which is unfair to the book, but whatever the outcome the writing is good as is the story--very engaging and a page turner.
Oh, I even managed to do a little bit of stitching while away. I am even going to share a little something with you tomorrow. Hopefully by week's end I'll be all sorted out. I must say, however nice it is to travel and see new things, I am happy to be home again amongst my piles of books.