No blog post yesterday because my internet was out. *Gasp* what was a girl to do? I had a brief moment of a quickened heartbeat that turned to relief because if the internet was going to go out it couldn’t have picked a better time since I am on quarter break at school. And then I felt almost giddy because the internet was out and there was nothing else to do but read.
The cable guy appeared this morning and it turned out our eight-year-old modem had met its end. So now we have a new modem that is faster than our old one because it searches the available data channels and picks the one with the least traffic instead of just cramming its way into one channel like our old one did. Shiny.
Today is a cold, gray, rainy day and we are expecting the rain to turn into slushy snow tonight. What better time than to do a meme I picked up from Litlove:
Ten Books I Absolutely Had to Have But Still Haven’t Read
- Pinkerton’s Sister by Peter Rushforth. When it first came out it made a bit of splash in the blogosphere and it sounded soooo good and it still does. And the author died suddenly and Dead Language, a companion volume came out so I had to have that one too. I still want to read both of them, I really do.
- Remember the New York Public Library Lectures in the Humanities Series that featured the seven deadly sins? There are seven little books of about 100 pages on each of the seven deadly sins written by the likes of Francine Prose (Gluttony) and Joseph Epstein (Envy). Had to have them. Had to. They ended up scattered around my shelves and then I decided I had to gather them together and I would read through them one a week sometime. They are still neatly arranged awaiting sometime to come around.
- Back when I was reading through Emerson’s essays I had to have a copy of Emerson Among the Eccentrics by Carlos Baker even though I had just read a well done biography by Robert Richardson. Can’t have too much Emerson! And you can’t. But you can have too much of a good thing and I was just going to take a little breather before getting to it. Now I’m on an extended breather apparently.
- Since I mentioned biographies, back in, gulp, November 2006, when Leonard Woolf: A Biography by Victoria Glendinning came out I wanted it bad. I bought it right away as an early Christmas present for myself. I was going to read it over the holidays. I didn’t say which holidays though.
- 1968: The Year that Rocked the World by Mark Kurlansky. A book about the year I was born. Had to have that. Also had to have April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Death and How it Changed America by Michael Dyson because that’s my birthday and I’ve always somehow felt a little sad on my birthday thinking about being born the same day such a great man was killed. Bookman even gave me both these books on my birthday and I was so excited to have them. I still am.
- Sex Wars by Marge Piercy. She’s a favorite author so of course I had to have this book and got it in hardcover and there it still sits, waiting patiently.
- Doctor Glas by Hjalmar Soderberg. Margaret Atwood mentioned this in one of those collections where authors talk about favorite books or neglected books or something like that. It sounded so good. I looked everywhere for a copy and finally found one and I was so excited. But apparently I wasn’t excited enough, or maybe I am just extending the excitement in a sort of weird attempt at delayed gratification or something.
- Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. When I heard about this it sounded right up my geeky hearted alley and I got a copy in hardcover. I was going to read it right away I really was, but I must have been distracted or something. And I know it has gotten mixed reviews since then but I still would like to read it.
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Seems like a year or two ago this was a hot book in blogworld and so many people had such good and interesting things to say about it that I had to get a copy for myself. So, you fellow bloggers who read this one, this is your fault!
- Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. This one hasn’t even been on the list a year so it barely qualifies. But I had to have it when it came out. There was such a hullaballo and the Time cover and I had never read Franzen before and I didn’t want to miss out on something big. Yeah, that balloon has deflated. I’ll still read it for sure but the sense of urgency is way gone.
So there is the list. Notice how I squeezed in a few more than ten? And if you were here looking at my bookshelves I could point out many other titles that should be on this list but we’ll save those for another meme another time.
How about a meme on the top ten books I never finished? That would be a breeze.
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Do you know I bought the HC of Pinkerton’s Sisters when it was first released (never read it either) and after reading many, less than positive reviews, donated it unread last fall.
What a coincidence – I was just trying to remember all the deadly sins this evening. If only I’d had those appealing-seeming little books, perhaps I would have done better. (I could only remember 5 out of 7.) Also, hilariously, at the link you provide the seven sins books are broken up by one called Doing Documentary Work, which makes it seem like there’s some kind of biblical prohibition against setting down true-life stories in film or written form. Of course, I’ve never read the bible: MAYBE THERE IS!
Ahem. This is an appealing meme which I should also do.
‘Pinkerton’s Sister’ has been on my list every since it came out, but it didn’t do as well in the UK as it did in the States, I believe. I also want to read the Woolf biography and have somehow never got round to that either. However, I can put a good word in for ‘Sex Wars’ (although I have never really thought the title did it justice). That was excellent and taught me a lot about the women’s rights movement in America that I hadn’t known before. In fact, isn’t it about time we had a new Piercy novel? I must go and do some investigating and see if there is anything in the pipeline.
I do love your answers on this one – the exact same thing has happened to me with the Muriel Barbary, and I remember Pinkerton’s Sister coming out. I so nearly bought that book!
Richard, I’d like to see that meme. Please do it
Diane, oh, well I don’t feel so bad then!
Emily, LOL, I saw that in the midst of the list too but there was no way to get it out and it is kind of funny that it appears there. You never know, there may be some sort of serendipity or secret meaning to its appearance there
Annie, sounds like your shelves and mine have some of the same books on them. I am glad to know Sex Wars is good. As I was looking at it to do the meme I thought, wow, this sounds good. Duh. I was also thinking Piercy was about due for another novel. I know she has a new book of poetry out so hopefully there will be a novel soon too.
Litlove, heh, we haven’t read Barbary yet because we didn’t want to be seen as partaking in the hype, right?
And you escaped buying Pinkerton’s Sister but I bet it’s because you bought something else instead 
I “had to have” Freedom too and there it sits on my shelf, gathering dust!
I’ve got a copy of Pinkerton’s Sister too! And I’ve had it for quite a while. Also Freedom, although that’s a newer acquisition. Like you, I couldn’t limit myself to just 10!
Kathleen, glad my copy isn’t the only gathering dust!
Dorothy, that’s funny that you have Pinkerton’s Sister too. I’m sure we will both get to it eventually. Same with Freedom. And I remember when you started blogging and you just had a handful of books you hadn’t read. Who knew blogging would be so dangerous?
Special Topics in Calamity Physics was a fun read, with some fun twists, but not a must read book. The Elegance of the Hedgehog, however, now that’s an outstanding book. I first listened to the audiobook (Barbara Rosenblatt – the queen of audio) and then read the book. Then bought a lending copy so I would have one handy to push all my friends into reading it. It’s smart, funny, touching, an outstanding philosophical base, plus lots of Tolstoy refs. It immediately became one of my top five ever books. Even if it’s taken you a while to get to it, when you do read it, you’ll be glad you finally took the time.
I wasn’t thrilled by The Elegance of the Hedgehog — I didn’t love it at all. Terri is reading Freedom and really likes it. The only recent book I’ve HAD to have was Just Kids, but of course I got it from the library. It was totally worth the three-week wait!
Jennifer, glad to know you enjoyed both books, but it sounds like I should make an effort to get to Hedgehog first. I have high hopes for later this year.
Daphne, I forgot you didn’t like Hedgehog. It seems to be one of those books you like or you don’t. I’m curious about which side I will come down on. And good to know Terri is enjoying Freedom. You are so good about getting books from the library instead of buying them and letting them sit around for years!
I’m another one for Pinkerton’s Sister. It still sounds good. I’ve heard it has lots of references to other books and authors, so maybe in the interim I’ve expanded my reading and so it will even have More meaning for me. Well, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway. Am glad to hear good things about the Piercy as I have that one as well. And the Barbery….sneaky of you to get in more than 10!
Danielle, seems like we can have a Pinkerton’s sister club
I wasn’t the first to be sneaky with the number of books on the list and I am sure I won’t be the last!