the winner of the national book award
I admit I avoided this for a while just based on its cleverer-than-thou name, but I picked it up at the library recently. You know, it's incredibly readable. So far. It sort of feels like Alice Hoffman meets Wally Lamb...that's a poor description but it's the best I can do. On Amazon's reviews, someone points out that Dorcas, the narrator of the book, goes from being "a funny, irreverent sage to an out-and-out pill awfully fast." And I agree with them. I see the pill-ness coming halfway through.
And while at the library, I checked out Snowleg *again*. Why? Why am I convinced that I am going to enjoy this book? Just because it was longlisted for the Booker this year is no guarantee - I mean, Line of Beauty WON and I found that book trite, cliched, and pretty much unreadable.
I stopped by my favorite bookstore today, since it was Wednesday and after 10 am - they have very restricted hours at Bryn Mawr-Vassar, I suppose necessitated by the fact that it is staffed entirely by volunteers - and stupidly went in with only ten dollars in my pocket. I winnowed down my choices to a Bill Bryson I don't have and haven't read, a book called From Paris to the Moon that I have been watching for what seems like years, and I finally gave in and bought it, and a book about shark attacks (I know, I'm weird.) I find my personal nonfiction library is leaning heavily towards shark books and arctic exploration/disaster books - God knows why we like the things we like.
Some of the things I left behind (sigh...): Jansen's History of Art. All the art majors on my floor in college had to buy this, and I wanted it so bad. BWV's copy was in pretty good shape and only fifteen bucks, but alas...
also, Walking on Walnuts and another book I read ages ago about the single girl and dining...
also, some random fiction...oh well. Again, too many books, too little time.
While searching for the title of the single girl food book, I found a mess of books that made me think, "Wow, I'd like to own that" and then I realized I used to, but when I weeded....stupid, stupid, stupid. DON'T WEED. Yes, you do indeed need every book in your house. You never know when you might want to read it, or need to look something up. Biggest, hugest mistake, weeding my collection when we moved. The wise person learns from others' mistakes. Learn from mine - keep your books.
posted by BabelBabe @ 9:25 PM
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