7.19.2006
my book dilemma, and yours
No, I'm not referring to that list on the left, which hasn't grown too much this summer. That is a completely different issue. My current problem is the adjustment to life without free books. Because for the past seven years--and indeed, for a few years before that, too--I received cartons of books from publishers every day. And no matter how many I passed out to colleagues, I still had many more than I could ever read (even in those periods of insomnia when I literally read two books a day).
Luckily, I still have somewhat of a backlog--there's an unread copy of White Teeth in the basement, and Gilead, and various obscure mystery novels. But I don't want to lose my grasp on what's new, so I think I might actually have to start buying books again.
This is stressful, and not only because I've been so spoiled this past decade. There's also the fact that I'm not really earning any money, so I don't quite feel like I have the right to make such purchases. Plus, I think husband will actually file for divorce if the number of books in the house begins to increase.
There's also the question of where to start--which is where you come in. I'm looking for suggestions of new books I should actually buy. I think we should stick to novels, unless there is a particularly important book of Irish history that would help me with my own novel-in-progress. Clearly I will read the next Jonathan Lethem, and I will most likely buy the George Saunders, but what then? And should I continue my spec-fic feast by checking older books out of the library, or should I move on to what's new in that genre, too?
I await your urgent emails.
Luckily, I still have somewhat of a backlog--there's an unread copy of White Teeth in the basement, and Gilead, and various obscure mystery novels. But I don't want to lose my grasp on what's new, so I think I might actually have to start buying books again.
This is stressful, and not only because I've been so spoiled this past decade. There's also the fact that I'm not really earning any money, so I don't quite feel like I have the right to make such purchases. Plus, I think husband will actually file for divorce if the number of books in the house begins to increase.
There's also the question of where to start--which is where you come in. I'm looking for suggestions of new books I should actually buy. I think we should stick to novels, unless there is a particularly important book of Irish history that would help me with my own novel-in-progress. Clearly I will read the next Jonathan Lethem, and I will most likely buy the George Saunders, but what then? And should I continue my spec-fic feast by checking older books out of the library, or should I move on to what's new in that genre, too?
I await your urgent emails.
