Happy Blogoversary to Me
My seven year blogoversary came and went on January 19th. I’d been hemming and hawing about what to write for it. I started several angry posts about bigotry, civility in politics, the fact that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost 3 million, how the Russians may have helped elect a corrupt businessman/unqualified billionaire who’s afraid to release his tax returns, and how the Electoral College failed to protect against demagoguery and foreign interference, but I deleted all of those drafts. People who are way more knowledgeable and eloquent have already written about these things.
Instead, I’ve decided what I really want to do is recommit to my book blog. I have two major areas on which I’d like to focus in 2017:
2) I’ll do more to document my bookish life–the books I read as well as the literary things I do, such as post more about the libraries I visit and other literary adventures. Maybe I’ll even blog my own starts and stops at writing fiction.
New Books in the House
The last book that I purchased in 2016 was Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist, which I’m currently reading. Today I’m going to share all the new books that have come into my house thus far in 2017. This is something I’ll aim to do on a monthly basis this year mainly for the purposes of self-documentation, but also to see if you have opinions on the books that have found their way into my life.
Let me know what you think! 👍 or 👎 or 🤷♀️.
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| Book mail! |
My friend Russell, who blogs at Ink and Paper Blog, sent me this copy of Girl at War by Sara Novic. He saw my request for recommendations on Goodreads for books about women at war. Thanks, Russell! This one is patiently waiting near the top of my TBR.
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| Library haul! Was amazed to find all three volumes of March on display. |
I typically work at my local library several times a week and this year I’m going to resist the temptation to check out books during each time I’m there. I have dozens of books at home that I want to get to and will have a much better chance at actually reading them if I’m not hoarding library books. Exercising book discipline is hard.
- March Trilogy by Andrew Aydin, John Lewis, and Nate Powell
- Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele
- Something in the Blood: The Untold Story of Bram Stoker by David J. Skal
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| Book Barn Haul — Love their new pride bumper sticker. |
On Saturday I went to The Book Barn in Niantic, CT with my friend Jennifer. My intention was to buy one book, James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, but they didn’t have it (at least not at the two locations we went to. They have four locations in town. I know, it’s crazy book over-load and fucking awesome!).
Books pictured above:
- That Summer in Paris: Memories of Tangled Friendships with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Some Others by Morley Callaghan. A smelly old paperback that caught my eye. Callaghan was friends with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and “some others.” This is his memoir about the summer of 1929 when all the boys got together after writing (or instead of writing) to drink and box. I’m tired of Hemingway and have never really been into Fitzgerald, but apparently I can’t step away from the bookshelf when I see a book about them.
- Jonah’s Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston. I love Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. I’ve been thinking about re-reading that novel for the 3 or 4th time and instead decided to try another novel by her. But you know how it is when you love a book and so also love the author and don’t want to risk reading another book by her that you might not like and that could potentially sour your earlier love? That. Gonna risk it.
- I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde. Never heard of the author or this book, but it caught my eye and the first page drew me in. The back cover calls it a blend of fictional with the factual. Tituba was the only black victim of the Salem witch trials.
- The Vampire of Venice Beach by Jennifer Colt. Looks fun, plus it has a Borders sticker on the back. Also, while I was looking at it Jennifer snuck up behind my like some kind of book recommending vampire and said, “Colt is a fun writer,” so I am opening my home to yet another vampire.
- Beneath the Bleeding by Val McDermid. It’s been a while since I read some Val. The first page made me want to read more.
- Darktown by Thomas Mullen. I’ve heard such great things about this one and couldn’t pass it up. Crime novel set in 1948 Atlanta that revolves around the first black police officers hired by the city.
- Writers in Residence by Glynne Robinson Betts. This one was miss-shelved in the US Presidents section so it jumped out at me. Black and white photographs of author homes, offices, etc., and not the usual suspects.
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| Short stack from R.J. Julia Booksellers |
On the way home from The Book Barn we stopped at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison to pickup a copy of Giovanni’s Room, but they didn’t have it either. However, I didn’t leave empty handed. These two came home with me:
- The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben. I love trees and this book has been recommended by a couple friends whose opinion I value.
- Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. Purchased this for my wife, Laura, who loved the movie. I haven’t seen it yet. Laura recently found out that an old friend’s father worked with Katherine Goble Johnson, one of the women featured in the book/film. They’re still friends and he went to the premier with her.
- I didn’t realize the hidden theme until typing this.
What’s going on for you book-wise in January? Are you on a buying spree…doing some retail therapy? Are you on a book-buying freeze this year? Exclusively using the library?
I got Bad Feminist but I gave it back because I'm still trying to finish up The Gift of Fear and a book called Talking to Crazy and of course a woman came in and told me all about Power of Vitamin D.(!) I'm waiting On Difficult Women and Hunger and I hope I'll be ready. How do you like Bad Feminist?
Loved GIRL AT WAR. I am also a Zora Neale Hurston fan. Did you read Moses Man on the Mountain? Nice to hear about-reading. So many people say they couldn't reread a book, but they will watch the same movie or tv show many times. Loved and enjoyed Hidden Life of Trees and Hidden Figures (more to the story than movie tells). You have such good reading adventures ahead. Thanks for sharing.
I just bought Dark Money by Jane Mayer to help understand WTH is going on in our country. I'm planning to start a real-life book group to read such books — because, you know, reading and talking about books is what I do! Looking forward to your upcoming posts. I've had my eye on March for a while but have not read it yet.