Friday, January 6, 2012

Where I Am Lead Astray From My Goal To Read From My Own Shelves

I knew I shouldn't have done it but I did it anyway because I just can't help myself. I started looking at the publishers lists of books that are coming out in 2012. Do you remember when you were little and sometime in the fall the department store Christmas toy catalogs arrived in the mail? There were just so many marvelous toys in those catalogs and, even though you knew you wouldn't possible get them all, it was just so hard to narrow your own wish list down to the ones you most desired. It's like that for me every year (as I suspect it is with many of you) when I start looking forward to the coming year's new books. There are always the books by authors I love that must be added to the wish list. This year those include:

1. When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinson
2. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
3. Home by Toni Morrison
4. The Cove by Ron Rash
5. The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John
6. Smut by Alan Bennett
7. The New Republic by Lionel Shriver
8. The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar
9. The Gilly Salt Sisters by Tiffany Baker
10. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Then there are the books by authors I've been meaning to read so I'll have to add more of their books to my wish list:

1.Railsea by China Mieville
2. Broken Harbor by Tana French - this would mean I'd have to read the 1st three books in the series as well
3. Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel


Finally, there is a long list of books by new-to-me authors, a few of which are:

1. No One Is Here Except All of Us by Ramona Ausubel
2. Carry The One by Carol Anshaw
3. Behind The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Book
4. Flatscreen by Adam Wilson
5. Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison
6. Waiting For Sunrise by William Boyd
7. The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger



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14 comments:

  1. Some of these should go ohn my 23012 list. I have not heard of them...

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  2. I also have so many books I'm looking forward to reading!

    I just started The World We Found last night. I also have a copy of Lola (sounds interesting). Thanks for introducing me to this author!

    Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. I rally enjoyed Wolf Hall, so the new book by Hilary Mantel caught my eye.

    I used to love looking at the Sears, Penny's, and Montgomery Wards catalogs when I was a kid. So many possibilities!

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  4. Oh MAN that's a good year for books! Marilynne Robinson, Toni Morrison, Lionel Shriver and Jess Walter?! Drool.... I also have the goal ofreading more from my own shelves but I have a solution. If we buy these books and then put them on our own shelves, we're still adhering to our guidelines, right? Right?!

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  5. This happens to me too! I decide that I am only going to read from my shelves, and then I go off to the bookstore or look at online catalogs and get all excited about new things that haven't been released yet. It's a sickness, I tell you, and I can't help myself :)

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  6. Almost all of the books you've listed in this post are ones I'd also like to read!

    I am just finishing Carry the One by Carol Anshaw and am loving it!

    I have wanted to read Emily St. Mantel and China Melville for too long! I read the first of Tana French's books in October and it was fantastic. I'm excited she has a new one coming out but I've got to get to reading the other 2 first!

    I could go on and on....

    I hope you enjoy The History of Love. I adored it!

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  7. Some bloggers have hundreds of books on their shelves... do you? I don't. I have maybe, 25. I intersperse them in between new stuff so I am good for the most part. Some titles I have had for too long, like Edward Sawtelle.

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  8. That is why I avoid publishers catalogs at all cost! It leads to book envy and a complete inability to say no when offered, to request books if not offered and to purchasing when neither of the first two happen! I agree though that 2012 is shaping up to be another phenomenal year in books.

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  9. You are a bad influence, as I just added a few of the 2012 to my list:( Have a great weekend.

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  10. You got these from the websites? cool. I've been waiting for the Marilynne Robinson book for a bit now. I read Carry the One and reviewed it last month. It is definitely one to watch for. Very well written!

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  11. I have Smut and so can't wait to read it! I like reading over your list and hope that you get to all of them!!

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  12. Ahhhh yes, it is always a mistake to take a look at books coming out. It is just too hard for us bookaholics to resist. Lol. I'm already saying yes to a bunch of books because they sound so good that I just can't help it.

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  13. What a great list. Definitely also interested in the Marilynne Robinson... many others there are new titles or authors but sound interesting! A lot to look forward to this year... so many books, so little time!

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  14. Goodness, I don't know ANY of the authors on your new-to-me list. I never look at those upcoming lists; either I am very disciplined or I just don't know what I'm missing.

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