It seems there are so many good books out recently and I want to read them all right now. If only my Powerball Lottery ticket had won last month when the jackpot was $240 million I’d own all the books I’m lusting after and I would have the time to read them because I’d be swinging in a hammock on a shady porch all day instead of sitting under fluorescent lights checking books in and out to students. Not that I don’t like my job, but if you didn’t have to work, would you?
So book lusting.
- Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. I know this came out several months ago but I don’t yet own a copy. Typing “grey” in the title also reminded me that I must have read lots of British lit when I was a kid because I got the word wrong on a spelling test once because I spelled it with an “e” instead of an “a.” It took me years to learn that in America “a” is the correct spelling. Which reminds me, I also had trouble with “colour” too for awhile since there is no “u” in the American spelling.
- Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel. I want this one bad. Loved Life of Pi
- The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman. This has been getting such interesting write-ups on blogs around the internet and I am always fascinated by how we turn reality into myth.
- Vincent Van Gogh: The Letters: The Complete Illustrates and Annotated Edition If I had that winning Powerball ticket I could have this gorgeous set of books and a real Van Gogh painting to go with it. Okay, maybe not a painting too, that would cost a hefty chunk of change and might force me to have to work again.
- Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey. Based on the life of Alexis de Tocqueville this sounds like fun, though I never thought I would have put Tocqueville and fun in the same sentence, but there you go.
If I had my millions, my converted barn library and a hammock, I’d have bought all these and more right now as well as a big fancy pitcher with matching glasses for the cold iced tea or lemonade to quench my thirst because reading may look like laziness but we all know it can be hard work of the most pleasurable kind.
Any particularly lust worthy books on your radar right now? I feel like I’m missing some on my list.
Just started Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen. I know its been around for ages but I just got it (long story!) but fascinating book. Anything by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni equally good!
I have Shades of Grey. I got it when Jasper Fforde came through Atlanta on his book tour. He’s quite charming, intelligent, and personable! I still haven’t read the book, though.
“I never thought I would have put Tocqueville and fun in the same sentence”
Haha, I’m right there with you. I actually ran across a promo copy of Parrot and Olivier in America in Powell’s a few months before it came out, and even though Carey is one of my absolute favorite authors, I for some reason didn’t snap it up. I astound myself with my own self-restraint. Now I’ll be waiting until it comes out in paperback!
I just started reading ‘musicophilia’ and it’s pretty amazing! I like learning the effect of music on human mind &soul and the book is written in a nonacademic language so it’s not very hard to understand…
‘I never thought I would have put Tocqueville and fun in the same sentence’ – LOL!
There are, as ever, a hundred books I’d like to have. I’d like to read the new Jude Morgan novel fictionalisting the Bronte sisters’ lives. I’d like Sarah Hall’s How to Paint a Dead Man. I’d like Margaret Drabble’s memoir/non-fiction book about jigsaws, The Pattern in the Carpet. I’d like The Lessons by Naomi Alderson about a cult of Oxford students, and the new Barbara Trapido, Sex and Stravinski….. I could go on, but I’d better not!
The Pullman arrived here today – jealous?;) As for lusting I think I’ve quelled my lust with yet another book buying spree (which was not. suppoused. to. happen) but that Carey is pretty hard to resist.
I have a book lying about waiting to be read that would fit perfect with the Van Gogh letters called ‘Sunflowers’ by Sheramy Bundrick that you might like to add to your list.
I’m so overwhelmed with books in my pile that I can’t begin to list them…but I do agree with you re Parrot and Olivier.
Mystica, thanks for the suggestions! I will have to look into them
Dana, oh I am so envious! I suppose he signed you book too? What fun!
Emily, don’t you hate it when you show book restraint at exactly the wrong time? I’ve passed by so many good deals because of it only to regret it later.
Lua, I’ve not heard of Musicophilia. I’m going to have to go look into that one!
Litlove, yes! The Drabble book! I knew I had forgotten some. I want that one too. I’m going to have to go look up the other books you mention because I know nothing about them and no doubt at least one or two of them will end up on my lusting list!
Jodie, you are so cruel!
Thanks for the tip on Sunflowers. It is much more likely that I will be able to afford a copy of it than the letters!
whisperinggums, if I listed books I already own but want to read right now it would be a very long list. I know what you mean about feeling overwhelmed by the pile! And I thought you would agree with the Carey book since I know you like him
I might suggest lowering your expectations for Beatrice and Virgil; I thought it was really a letdown.
Right now most of my lustworthy books are yet-to-be-released. I’m really excited for Jon Clinch’s Kings of the Earth, but it doesn’t come out until July. Hoping to snag an ARC at BEA, but so far, no luck.
Ooh, I’m totally lusting after that Pullman book too. Terri is lusting after the Red Book by Jung. There is a whole conference about it in San Francisco this summer and I am hoping she can do to part of it.
If I didn’t have to work, I definitely wouldn’t. I’d concentrate on writing, reading, traveling, spending time with my family, fun volunteer opportunities. . . . The list is endless. Sigh.
The Hypochondriacs: Nine Tormented Lives by Brian Dillon.
I’ve been so bad lately, buying so many books, I’m not sure there’s anything left to want (ha–just kidding). Actually I’m looking forward to the next Tana French book which comes out in the summer, though I suppose I should read The Likeness first. I was also bad and ordered the new David Mitchell book from the UK after hearing such wonderful things about it–and it’s not being published here for months yet. It arrived recently….I’m with you all the way when it comes to a hammock, good books and not working!
I like the idea of the millions, converted barn library, and hammock. If I ever win the lottery out here in California, I might have to steal it from you!
I’m looking forward to the new Tana French novel myself. Hmm. Wealth of Nations. The rest of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. (I just ran across the 11th in the series and it was such a fun ripping action read. I picked up the UK version so I was seeing “kerb” “tyre” and ……oh, there was one other word that kept snagging my attention. The extra “u”s I don’t even notice. I did hear that when they were compiling a dictionary in the new world, they deliberately left out the “u”s to differentiate the States from England. (And who was that? Daniel Webster?)
These are great comments — I just realized we have Musicophilia at home! And I loved Tana French’s In The Woods… I hadn’t realized she had a couple more already.
You have such interesting taste in books. I think we all book lust at least most of the time.
I’ve still got books from Christmas to read, but at the top of my stack are: Jesus Land, The Forever War, and The Devil’s Music.
Skip, say it isn’t so about Beatrice and Virgil! I’ve not heard of Kings of the Earth. I will have to look it up. Hope you manage to get an ARC at BEA!
Daphne, doesn’t the Pullman seem interesting? I hope Terri gets her Jung book and gets to attend the conference. And yeah, French has a second book that focuses of Cassie. I’ve not read it yet but want to and now she has another book coming out. So much to try and keep up with
Maria, I know. It’s fun to imagine all things we could do if we didn’t have to work, isn’t it?
Kevin, thanks for the book tip. I’m going to have to look that one up!
Danielle, I had not heard about there being a new David Mitchell book. There’s another to lust after. It never stops, does it? Hopefully for the 3-day weekend we will both get a chance to relax with a book and at least pretend we don’t have to work
Kathleen, you are welcome to steel as long as if you win I can come and visit
Carrie, I wish they would leave all the UK spellings intact when a book gets published in America. I wonder when US books are published in the UK if the spellings are changed? You are correct about the author of the first American dictionary. I didn’t know about him deliberately leaving out the “u”s that’s pretty funny.
Dina, why thank you
I believe you are correct that we all lust after books most of the time. There is always something, isn’t there? I’m going to have to look up your books because the titles are only vaguely familiar.
Yay for Jasper Fforde! I loved this book, and hope there are more books set in this world! (US version was edited for “color,” but “grey” was intact.)
I started Parrot and Olivier a few weeks ago. The first few dozen pages are charming, clever, funny, and I feel confident recommending it on that basis. I got distracted by a few other things but hope to get back to it soon. I actually have an extra review copy, but just this morning I promised it to someone else.
I’m not lusting over anything new, fortunately; I’m currently dwelling on the many 10s of books that came out years ago that I haven’t gotten around to yet.
I’m lusting after all of these, plus, oh, about 100 others, if you visit my goodreads.com “to read” list. No, I would not work if I had all the money I needed to spend my days doing nothing more than swinging in a hammock reading and sipping lemonade.
Isabella, I remember when you read the Fforde book and was relieved that you liked it and I am glad to hear Parrot and Olivier is off to a good start!
Emily, oh yes, there are 100s of other books I want too, the lust never ends!
I agree with Skip… Beatrice and Virgil is a disappointment for me. Life of Pi is a much better read. But I did get a chance to meet Yann Martel. If you’re interested, I wrote a review of B&V and about my encounter with YM on my April 29the post. Took a picture of him too. And it was in a public library.
Arti, say it isn’t so! That’s cool you got to meet him though. I think I read your Martel post but my memory is fuzzy so I’m going to go check it out right now!
Stefanie — don’t listen to Skip and Arti [in these particular instances]… I thought that Beatrice & Virgil was a really terrific book.
I’m a real fan of Peter Carey and was chagrined that the postal system lost my review copy of P&O in A, sent to me from Random House. They actually sent me a notice SAYING that they lost the contents of the package. All I got was the empty package….. hmmm….. seems fishy to me! Some postal…… shyster…… is now reading my book!
I see in your more recent posts that you have a LOT of great reading in front of you, but if you are at all a fan of memoir, wow, I am finding this newly released book by Christopher Hitchens to be very engaging!
Cip, yes, I recall you liking Beatrice and Virgil very much and when I do manage to read the book will keep your review of it in mind
Too bad about the post office losing your copy of the Carey book, it sounds fishy to me too especially since they gave you the empty package. They are taunting you! I saw you are reading the Hitchens book. I look forward to hearing more about it!