Book Hunting on a Rainy Day
My Bookman and I are in the midst of an at home vacation. Since we couldn't go book shopping in Hay, we went book shopping at Half Price Books. Not quite the same thing but we aren't going to quibble. We each managed to walk out with a stack of books. Here are mine:
- Red House: Being a Mostly Accurate Account of New England's Oldest Continuously Lived-In House by Sarah Messer. Because I find things like this fascinating and because John told me to.
- Emerson Among the Eccentrics by Carlos Baker. This has been on the shelf at the bookstore since October 2005. I have quibbled about it since then because it is a little worn around the edges. But about a month ago when I was going to purchase a new copy with some birthday funds, I found out it is out of print. I have fretted since then that next time I go to Half Price Books, it would not be there. But it was. And now I am happy. As I read Emerson I can read about his life and all of his
weirdoeccentric friends. - The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain De Botton. Because I've read and thoroughly enjoyed How Proust Can Change Your Life and Art of Travel, and because Jeff was swooning over him not long ago, making me want to read more, and because the copy I got is a mint condition hardcover.
- Tolstoy's Dictaphone: Technology and the Muse by Sven Birkerts. I have not read The Gutenberg Elegies and I have heard of this book so I thought I'd give it a go and see if it is more than gloomy end of books as we know it reading.
- The Pope's Rhinoceros by Lawrence Norfolk. I got this because I heard it was good, and from the description, it sounds as though it might be true. I already own Lempiere's Dictionary, a long ago purchase from the Book-of-the-Month Club which I have, nonetheless not read. But I want to. Maybe at last I will get to it.
- Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. I was not looking for this book. It jumped off the shelf at me though and I brought it home because Susan liked it so much and posted so many beautiful quotes from it.
