Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Alessandra that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!
Take a girl away from the library for five weeks...and this is what happens...
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
Travels With Charley and Later Novels (Includes The Wayward Bus, Burning Bright, Sweet Thursday, The Winter of Our Discontent, and Travels With Charley In Search of America) by John Steinbeck
The Morgesons by Elizabeth Stoddard
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Four Novels of the 1960s (Includes The Man in the High Castle, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Ubik) by Philip K. Dick
Maus I by Art Spiegelman
Maus II by Art Spiegelman
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci Volume I (I believe it includes Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant) by Diana Wynne Jones
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci Volume II (I believe it includes The Magicians of Caprona and Witch Week) by Diana Wynne Jones
Watcher In the Woods by Robert Liparulo
Okay, here are the excuses...
I (foolishly/brilliantly???) challenged myself to read two John Steinbeck books in 2009. I've never read him. I could love him. I could hate him. I just don't know...yet. I wanted to give myself choices. That way I have a bounty to choose from. I've also got Of Mice and Men to add to the list. But I won that one last fall. So it doesn't have a deadline associated with it!
The Morgesons was one of those books where I just spun around and it was there. I was pulling the Steinbecks from the shelf. I turned around and there it was across the aisle saying, read me, read me, read me. I've never even heard of Elizabeth Stoddard. I didn't notice this until I got it home, but it has a memory bookplate in it--in memory of Midshipman Matthew W. Freeman. I've checked out about half-a-dozen of these books (at least) that just happen to be in his memory. And they've all been great. I'm not sure who chose the books--but whoever they are, they've always had great taste. And I've not been disappointed yet.
The Dick and Dickens. I'm *trying* to give Dickens another go. So wish me luck. I keep hoping that I'll find 'the one' that speaks to me and converts me into a Dickens-loving gal. Our Mutual Friend and Pickwick Papers both come recommended to me by a friend I trust :) So there you have that. The Philip K. Dick was one of those besides-instances. You come for one book and then you start reading the books near it. And before you know it, you've got a big stack of books. I seem to remember reading Carl's review of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep a while back. So I thought I'd give this volume a go.
The Maus I checked out for many reasons--but primarily because they come Dewey-recommended. That goes for the Meg Rosoff as well. I am signed up for the Dewey Challenge and I haven't finished any books for it yet. So those three plus Grapes of Wrath gives me four Dewey-books this time round.
The Diana Wynne Jones is because I've never ever read any of her books. And I know she's supposed to be good. Howl's Moving Castle was checked out, that was the title that I was specifically recommended, so I just grabbed these from the shelf.
Watcher in the Woods is the second in a series. I read the first back in November I think. I didn't even know my library had this series...so this was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, they don't have the third book in the series. Oh well.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
If you're reading this post on another site, or another feed, the content has been stolen.
8 comments:
Steinbeck is my all time favorite. Try starting with Travels With Charley, it tends to be a little gentler than his other books and not nearly as scary
Maus is amazing. You definitely won't regret checking those out.
Goodness gracious lady, how do you read all these!!!??
The Grapes of Wrath is on e of my all-time favorite books! I hope you enjoy it!!!!
Lots of commenting to be had for this post:
I really liked Of Mice and Men. I read it in university and I keep meaning to reread it! I still haven't read The Grapes of Wrath...
I am a huge Dickens fan but I hated Our Mutual Friend! I still have to read The Pickwick Papers... I really have to work on my challenge to reread him and read the works I haven't read before...
I read Maus this year and really enjoyed it! I also read How I Live Now and thought it was great. I want to read more from her but my library doesn't have any of her books!
Okay, that's my comments. :)
It sounds like you found some really good books. I've been meaning to read Steinbeck for awhile now. Enjoy!
Donna, I am looking forward to those.
Amanda, I don't really find time to read all the books I check out. But if I can get to even a third of them, I feel happy. Libraries are like buffets to me. I put more on my plate than I could ever actually eat, but I can't help stacking my plate and going back for seconds and thirds.
Myza, I hope to get to it soon.
Kailana, I'm trying my best to like a Dickens. I'm a few chapters into Our Mutual Friend. And Pickwick Papers is my back-up plan. I may resort to watching movies and then reading a Dickens.
That's great to hear about How I Live Now...it sounds interesting!
Samantha, you should get to Steinbeck :)
I second the vote for Grapes of Wrath. I had read The Red Pony as a youngster and Of Mice and Men, likely as a teen and enjoyed them thoroughly. When my daughter picked up Grapes of Wrath for the Banned Book Challenge, I decided it would be fun to read it at the same time, as a mother and daughter bonding moment. I could not believe the beautiful tapestry of language that described such a dark time. I think you would enjoy it.
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