Back from the Library
The photo for this post is my library 'stacks' as they looked before I turned in 13 of them. And, I only checked out 3 to replace them. My current library stacks hold just 28 books, much less daunting than the 40 books I had out a fewa weeks ago. I doubt I'll be done with all my library books by January 1st, still, but it's less likely that I'll have very many library books on my shelves to carry over to the New Year now.
I checked out 2 books by Susan Wittig Albert, since she's one of the remaining 3 authors on the first shelf of adult fiction in my branch library's collection that I haven't read yet. Once I finishe her books, and The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison, I'll only have 1 series on that first shelf left to read. Of course, our library just has books 2 and 4 of that last series, so I'll need to put in a hold request for the other 2 books soon, adding 2 books to the shelf in order to finish the shelf.
Susan Wittig Albert writes mystery series set in the US Deep South, centering around female protagonists. The Darling Dahlias series, which I am starting on today, is set in Alabama during the Great Depression, and centers around a group of upper-middle class women. It seems well researched, and presents a more nuanced perspective on the Depression than just the grim black&white photos that most people now have seen from that time. Yes, people were scared and hungry alot, and they were pretty desperate, but there were good times mixed in too, and individual experiences during the Depression varied markedly. I've only read the first 30 pages of the one I started on, The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star , but it seems good so far.
I read 3 books last night (all ~200pgs, so just ~600pgs total, not quite so impossible as it might seem), all ebooks, and I have several more ebooks on a deadline I need to read, but hopefully by the end of the week I can declare the first shelf of my public library (minus that one series) done.
+books +reading +ReadYourLibrary
Image Credit » MINE
Comments
Lutfi_wardi wrote on December 19, 2014, 6:56 PM
Wow! That's great if you have your own library while I just dream it to have it.
Ravenmount wrote on December 19, 2014, 8:21 PM
Yeah, having free public libraries available is great. Otherwise I'd be stuck with neighborhood free-book shelves, bookstores, and online books. I also do read a lot of books off Project Gutengberg, which is a great free source for books online- http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/a
Lutfi_wardi wrote on December 19, 2014, 10:16 PM
wow! you've a great day then, it must be fun. that's like the world in your hand, I love knowledge.
scheng1 wrote on December 20, 2014, 4:01 AM
I think you must have read several hundred thousand dollars worth of books in your life.
Ravenmount wrote on December 20, 2014, 4:21 AM
Quite possibly thousands anyway, if I bought only new books and never borrowed them from friends, family or libraries. I'm a big fan of thrift stores and yard sales for cheap used books, so my actual book budget is always quite small. A lot of the books I own now I got for free from the library in a town where I used to live; they put all their reject books, either donations they couldn't use or books they culled from their collection, on a set of shelves in the parking garage under the library, so over the years I lived there, I brought home lots of good, free books. :)
scheng1 wrote on December 20, 2014, 4:26 AM
Our library board is smarter. They manage to make money from us, eg selling the culled books, charging for reservation of books, booking of facility rooms, and fines for late return.
Madcanman wrote on December 20, 2014, 6:04 AM
600 pages in one sitting?! I need a lesson from you. I'd kill to be able to do that, never mind staying awake long enough to do that. That is an awesome reading skill you have there, my friend!
Ravenmount wrote on December 20, 2014, 9:34 PM
Thanks! Yeah, I wish it worked that well every night, but usually after a few 'on' days of heavy reading I get a few off days where I can barely focus on 20 pages a day. I suspect it's an effect of my bipolar disorder rather than just reading burnout, but who knows. Imagine, though, how many books I could read in a year if every day was an 'on' day! :)
VinceSummers wrote on December 20, 2014, 9:51 PM
I'm unusually picky about what I read. At the moment, I'm writing some modern "Sherlock Holmes" stories, approved by the Doyle estate. I read perhaps two pages per day. Of course I have other things I read, as well, but not light reading.
Ravenmount wrote on December 21, 2014, 3:06 AM
That sounds like my recreationalreading patterns when I was working and in college full time. Now that I am (trying to be) self-employed, I read a mix of books all the time. I have a stack of books I recieved free in exchange for fair reviews, along with a few popular books that many people in bookish social media networks around me know and enjoy- these I consider 'work' reading, and the free books include a few histories and philosophy books geared towards academia. For my own benefit, I also read additional academic books, partly so I can review new ones more effectively, but mostly because I like harder reading. Right now, though, I'm giving myself a holiday break and just reading two 1000pg high fantasy novels before I start in on all the rest of my stacks again.
I haven't read any modern Sherlock Homes stories yet, though I probably will soon. I did read all of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories 2 years ago.
VinceSummers wrote on December 21, 2014, 8:10 AM
I know it's written in old-style, but I always enjoyed Dickens' characterizations and wide-ranging vocabulary.
Ravenmount wrote on December 21, 2014, 6:57 PM
I've certainly been in cities where the library system was more mercenary like that. My current library is somewhat in the middle, not exactly giving away a lot of books, but they do have afr ee shelf near the door where patrons can adopt books and leave unwanted books for adoption by others. Holds and reserving books remain free here, but inter-library loan requests have fees, and we have late fees, though they waive them over major holiday weekends (the only time so far that I would have had to pay one otherwise this year).
OnlyErin6 wrote on January 4, 2015, 12:04 PM
I can never manage to read library books fast enough. I usually just buy used ones. I've got a lot of stories about poor women in Alabama during the Great Depression via my great grandmother. Maybe I should write a book haha... I don't think the depression made too much difference for them because they were already dirt poor farmers/fisherman. At least they had enough to eat.