I buy mainly secondhand books, and since they are so cheap, I'm often tempted. If I don't read them right away, they usually end up on one of a few shelves, and there they will staaayyyy ... Recently there was an article in a Dutch newpaper about this phenomenon and I thought it was time to do something. So, for the time being: no more reserving books in the public library and no more ordering e-books. I will be working my way through these books and will decide if they will earn a place on my regular shelves or if they will have to go. Here a some titles you may find interesting (I will of course also be reading "farming" books for this blog).
Indian Summer by Alex von Tunzelmann ('The Secret History of the End of an Empire'). Bought on our last visit to India (a fab trip combining sightseeing and cooking lessons).
Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra ('A History of the Partition through Material Memory'). Also bought in India. I really like the idea of this book. The author tells the stories of people affected by partition and the (often very few) objects they were able to take with them, such as a bag, kitchenware or a shawl.
War Gardens by Lalage Snow ('A journey Through Conflict in Search of Calm'). I read about this book of gardening against the odds in places like South Sudan and the West Bank and ordered it immediately. When it arrived I was disappointed as I was expecting pictures and the book is mainly text.
Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser ('The American dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder'). I started reading this, then got sidetracked. Will start again, I'm sure I will find it fascinating.
Himalaya, a Human History by Ed Douglas. So full of information I will probably not read this in one go. It will find a place with my books on India and Nepal (countries I have visited many times).
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I started to read it and by the first line knew I had read it before. I read it again, it is a marvelous book. "A remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant,"
Love in the Blitz by Eileen Alexander. Read several recommendations, so I bought it, but I got stuck on page 30. Will try again.
Do you have unread book piles or shelves?
I have far too many books, and like you, second hand bookshops are my downfall! But I do keep them all in one pile, and when the pile gets too tall to balance, I can't buy any more until I've 'read it down' a little! I don't read e-books, but I usually have a long list of reserved titles at my local library, and I also find it far too easy to browse Ebay's second-hand book section!
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