Too Many Books - Is That Possible?

Courtesy photo - Disclaimer NOT MY LIBRARY

Recently I have been drowning in books. That sounds like a good thing but it is making me uncomfortable. I feel like I am failing and falling farther and farther behind.

Then I read a post by a book blogger who admitted suffering the same pangs. She made a list of the top ten books she had purchased and neglected to read. . .so far.

So I thought, I can do that, but I ended up with eleven. Some of these titles were presents, some I bought from Amazon, one from an independent, others from the used book store in town, and one I won online. I am indiscriminate in my acquisition of reading material.

And here is my list:

1. Wendy and the Lost Boys - Jill Salamon (gift)
2. The Gershwins and Me - Michael Feinstein (gift)
3. Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple (won!)
4. The Art of Cruelty - Maggie Nelson (Amazon)
5. Witness - Ruth Gruber (Amazon)
6. The Poison Tree - Erin Kelly (used bookstore)
7. Orynx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (used bookstore)
8. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Sloot (independent bookstore)
9. Grace: A Memoir - Grace Coddington (Amazon)
10. Turn Right at Machu Picchu - Mark Adams (Amazon)
11. The Things That Matter - Nate Berkus (Amazon)

Actually it occurred to me that I probably had another top ten on my Kindle and about five books from the library sitting around that tend to get read first because they have to be returned.

The other thing I noticed is that the majority of the books were non-fiction. Hmmm. Wonder if that means something.

Anyway, I decided I need to cut back for my own sanity. Then I discovered I wasn't alone.

Here is a link to Jill Guccini's post When You Realize You Can't Read All The Things. After you finish it, you will feel part of a larger group of avid readers all suffering and enjoying the same problems.

Spring Cleaning?

I just got this note from the Friends of the Jackson District Library (MI). If you're in the area, you might want to do some Spring Cleaning for a good cause!

Dear Library Friends,

     We are looking for donations of good used books and movies for our SPRING BOOK SALE* to be held in the Carnegie "fireside room" as part of the National Library Week celebration on April 18, 19 and 20.  Both large and small donations are appreciated and can be left under the stairs at the entrance to the Book Cellar (open hours are Tues., 11am - 3pm and Thurs., 11am - 3pm and 7 - 8:30pm), at the desk by the rear entrance to the Carnegie Library, or call Laurel Mauldin (784-7591) to make other arrangements.

     As an added note of interest:  Anyone who works at the sale and/or helps sort books or set up for the sale is eligible to shop the PRE-SALE on April 18 from 11 am until the official opening at noon!  So call Laurel (784-7591) or reply to this email today to reserve YOUR spot!!  Upcoming "sorting bees" will be held:

                                                          Friday, March 22, 10 am - noon

                                                          Tuesday, March 26, 1 - 3 pm

                                                          Thursday, March 28, 10 am - noon 

                                                          Monday, April 1, 10 am - noon

                                                          Friday, April 5, 1 - 3 pm

*All proceeds from the Book Sale will support the Library's district wide Summer Reading Program.

**If your house is already clean, please share this information with a friend!!

A Random Thought about Books

 
I used to point out occasionally that when one went into a library in the old days, you could, without thinking about it, judge the extent of the collection by the size of the card catalog. Computerization did away with that.

What else might we be trading away for our convenience?

After finishing reading North of Hollywood by Rick Lenz, I realized I would soon have the delight of choosing another book to read. How would I do that?

First I looked at what I have checked out from the library. Unless a book is at the top of my MUST read list (think Kate Atkinson's Life After Life), I won't choose something on my Kindle. I go for a 'real' book. Besides library books have to be returned.

After that I look at the cover, dimensions of the book, number of pages, and lots of other tactile features. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala appeals to me right now because it is small and compact. It's a hardcover but about the size of a healthy paperback rather than the more traditional size hardback. What does that say about the future of 'real' books? Maybe nothing. I have to think about this a little more.

Thoughts?

NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD (2012)

North of Hollywood by Rick Lenz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Getting to know Rick Lenz through his memoir North of Hollywood was great fun especially since I live in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan.

Those of us who are consumers of entertainment forget that only a chosen few rise to the top supported by an army of talented performers who, perhaps through no fault of their own, just didn't quite become the famous star they were shooting for.

Lenz gives us an insider's view of what it means to have a career that never quite soars. He is willing to let us see a bit of the craziness and frustration involved. But he remains kind, never naming the well-known person responsible for introducing his daughter to hard drugs.

Make no mistake. This book is not literature. It is episodic, loosely connected, and random. Some readers/reviewers seemed to have trouble following. If you just go along for the ride, you will have a great time remembering all the famous people, movies, and plays mentioned.

Anyone who has attempted to become a performer will recognize the struggle. If you ever had a dream in your life of becoming famous but gave up and decided to do something else, read this book. It may put things in perspective for you!

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NIGHT TERRORS (2013)

Night Terrors: A Daniel Rinaldi Mystery by Dennis Palumbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Psychologist Daniel Rinaldi is once again drawn into dangerous situations where his skill working with victims of traumatic crimes is needed. Set in a wintery Pittsburgh, this roller coaster ride of a thriller is a worthy third entry into the series.

Bottom Line: Dennis Palumbo's mysteries are page turners and highly readable. It's not necessary, but I would still recommend reading the other two books first.

A recently retired criminal profiler is suffering from 'night terrors'. Before Dr. Rinaldi can begin to work with him, it is discovered that the ex-FBI agent is on a list of people being hunted down and killed by another serial killer. A second case concerning a mother, who believes her son is innocent even though he has confessed, seems unrelated but things may not be what they seem.

Preparing to write something about Night Terrors, I went back and read my comments on the other two books in the series and discovered that what I wrote then is still true.

Dennis Palumbo knows how to write and he knows how to tell a really exciting story without sharing more than the reader's mind can absorb. In other words violence but not too much violence; sex but not too much sex.

His characters are memorable, quirky, and fun.

It isn't necessary to be familiar with Pittsburgh; but if you are, it adds to mood to recognize the locations the author describes.

If you read and enjoy thrillers, add Dennis Palumbo to your list of authors to follow. You won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: A copy of Night Terrors was provided to me by Poisoned Pen Press/Netgalley for review purposes. Also, Dennis and I were in a community theater production together in Pittsburgh many years ago.

Title: Night Terrors: A Daniel Rinaldi Mystery

Author: Dennis Palumbo

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

No. of Pages: 250 pages

Copyright: May 7, 2013

ISBN: 1464201293

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

Dennis Palumbo is a writer and licensed psychotherapist. His first Daniel Rinaldi mystery, Mirror Image was published in 2010 and followed by Fever Dream in 2011. He was formerly a Hollywood screenwriter and his credits include the feature film My Favorite Year. He also wrote for Welcome Back, Kotter.

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LIFE AFTER LIFE (2013)

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. Sadly, she dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual." 

Bottom Line: This is Kate Atkinson's masterpiece as far as I am concerned. From now on I will read absolutely anything she writes without having to know anything about it in advance.

I've obviously put off writing this review. Is it harder to write about a book you really loved? Several other reviewers have said as much. It's that feeling that you won't do honor to what you have personally experienced. Anyway I am going to let that be my excuse.

I have been a fan of Kate Atkinson since Stephen King raved about Case Histories a number of years ago in Entertainment Weekly. Her earlier books are mostly literate mysteries featuring Jackson Brodie, former police inspector now a private investigator. I loved them all.

But what if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

That is the fascinating question posed by Kate Atkinson in her Life After Life. There are very few books I read a second time but I know this will join that short list. The first time through I devoured the story without much savoring of the many fine details in this beautifully written and constructed palimpsest. (You can even check out Pinterest for images that play a part in the story.)

Atkinson has a way of putting words together that constantly strike you as unique but right. Her detailed observations and allusions draw the reader in while creating an unsettled feeling of dread..

Through the use of repetition and overlapping circumstances, the author shows us how small decisions can change the course of lives. Ursula Todd lives and dies with a vague sense of knowing things that other people don't know. Some of her lives are terrible. She asks herself the question we all think about. Is there a purpose? Is there something I am here to accomplish?

I have been surprised by a number of original books I've read recently: Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Herman Koch's The Dinner for example, but nothing comes close to Kate Atkinson's Life After Life. It is remarkable.

Disclaimer: A copy of Life After Life was provided to me by Reagan Arthur Books/Netgalley for review purposes.

Title: Life After Life

Author: Kate Atkinson

Genre: Literate fiction

Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books

No. of Pages: 544 pages

Copyright: April 2, 2013

ISBN: 0316176486

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

Kate Atkinson's first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, was named the UK's Whitbread Book of the Year in 1995. Since then, she has written seven more ground-breaking, bestselling books, most recently Started Early, Took My Dog. She lives in Edinburgh. 

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LIFE OF PI (2001)

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A friend handed me her copy of LIFE OF PI and I took the gift even though I have not had any interest in it, thinking I knew what the story was about.

Of course, it received Oscars nominations and won several including Best Director for Ang Lee so I moved it to the top of my list and started reading.

It was hard at first. I wasn't particularly won over until Pi Patel began to relate his story about surviving at sea with only a Tiger for company, I was drawn in.

The details, believable for the reader, morph into a fascinating tale. Life of Pi will stay with you for a variety of reasons including the discussion of religious beliefs, the overwhelming need to survive, the descriptions of nature and the ocean, and the absolute horror of what Pi lived through.

Although author Yann Martel was born in Spain, his parents were Canadian. Growing up he experienced life in France, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada. He studied philosophy but took a number of unrelatedl jobs before beginning to write.

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