BOOK THOUGHTS
Bookish Retail Therapy
Work has been crazy the last couple of months. When I am under the gun, my retail therapy choice is online book shopping. I did some stress-induced shopping from Blackwell's Books the other day and the books just got here. I like a Blackwell's binge every now and again because they have books that are hard to find here in the US, or in editions we don’t have.I keep a comprehensive wish list of books I want to read. Most of the books on the big list are from the book lists I'm working on -- certain prize winners, must reads, and books by favorite authors. Others are books that caught my eye, often from the Slightly Foxed quarterly or recommendations from friends. The books in this picture have all been on my wish list for a while. That means they are not available as an audiobook from my library or on Spotify, because I always look for those free audiobooks first.
Here's what's in that stack:
The Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai came to my attention because it is on Erica Jong’s list of Top 100 20th Century Novels by Women, one of the lists I'm working on. It’s a great list and I've found several new-to-me authors on it, like Joy Kogawa and Lore Segal.
Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett won the 1923 James Tate Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. Based at the University of Scotland in Edinburgh, the James Tait Black Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious book prizes, awarded since 1919 for literature written in the English language. Overall, I think I prefer these prize winners over the Booker winners.
The Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai came to my attention because it is on Erica Jong’s list of Top 100 20th Century Novels by Women, one of the lists I'm working on. It’s a great list and I've found several new-to-me authors on it, like Joy Kogawa and Lore Segal.
Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett won the 1923 James Tate Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. Based at the University of Scotland in Edinburgh, the James Tait Black Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious book prizes, awarded since 1919 for literature written in the English language. Overall, I think I prefer these prize winners over the Booker winners.
An Unofficial Rose by Iris Murdoch is one of the few Murdoch books not already on my shelves. I’m a Murdoch completist, so this buy made me particularly happy.
Highland River by Neil M. Gunn won the James Tait Black prize in 1937. It is about a young man on an introspective journey to the source of the river he grew up with.
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is for a buddy read in January some of my bookstagram friends. I could have bought this classic from an American store, but, oddly, I couldn’t find the Penguin Classic edition.
Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore is her last book of poetry. It won the Costa Book of the Year Award, yet another list I’m working on.
It’s true, I can’t resist a list! Do you have any book lists you are working on? Maybe we share a few. Or I can tackle a new one!
Highland River by Neil M. Gunn won the James Tait Black prize in 1937. It is about a young man on an introspective journey to the source of the river he grew up with.
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is for a buddy read in January some of my bookstagram friends. I could have bought this classic from an American store, but, oddly, I couldn’t find the Penguin Classic edition.
Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore is her last book of poetry. It won the Costa Book of the Year Award, yet another list I’m working on.
It’s true, I can’t resist a list! Do you have any book lists you are working on? Maybe we share a few. Or I can tackle a new one!
