Away In A Bookstore (or two)
At our last Bookleaves meeting, we did a little bit of a switcheroo on the books. The Left Hand of Darkness was postponed until January (which turns out to be quite fitting, since it takes place on the planet Winter) and we decided to go with one of Sandra's suggestions -- Old School by Tobias Wolff for the December 14 meeting.
I'm so happy Sandra is in the book group now!!! I'm smiting my forehead for not inviting her earlier!
Bybee's Forehead: Ow...damn! Could you smite something else for a while?
Bybee: Uh, yes and no. Right now, I need both hands to type, but I'll get back to you later.
Atlas Shrugged is on tap for the February meeting. One of the members thinks it's wonderful, so I'm resolved to try it again and finish it this time, and not by throwing it out of a window. It'll be interesting to see what sort of discussion the book generates. I hope I can Bookmooch it. My maturity only stretches so far...
Anyway, I had to run to Seoul and grab a copy of Old School. I hit What The Book? first, but 'School was out. Undaunted, I stopped to browse and found a copy of Bookmarks magazine and these treasures in the used section:
- Raymond Chandler: A Biography - Tom Hiney (I'm so immature, snickering at the author's last name.)
- The Riddle Of The Titanic - Robin Gardiner & Dan Van Der Vat (This was purchased with Mr. Bybee's enthusiastic approval.)
- Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer - James L. Swanson (BIG SCORE! I saw this book in hardcover when it first came out and wanted it desperately.)
I was pleased, but still needed Old School, so one 45-minute subway ride later, I was at Bandi and Luni's in COEX Mall. Luckily there were 2 copies of the book there. Natural bookworm stealth coupled with years of practice kicked in smartly; I honed in on them immediately. TCB done, I looked around and ended up with a total of three more books:
- Old School - Tobias Wolff (I met Wolff back in 1994, shortly before the movie version of This Boy's Life came out. He visited my university.)
- Charlie Chaplin: Comic Genius - David Robinson (This is a nicely put together brief biography with lots of film stills. Technically, it's Mr. Bybee's pick, but if I get way up in December and am bogged down in the 90s regarding my book count, this is my ace in the hole.)
- Ned Kelly - Robert Drewe (This was in the bargain books section, priced roughly at the equivalent of $5.50 USD.)
Tomorrow: I'll count up the votes for what to call the title phrase in a book.
6 comments:
Bybee - I just stumbled upon your lovely blog. I wanted to tell you I just finished Manhunt by James Swanson last month. It's a great read. I couldn't put it down. I learned a lot about Lincoln that I didn't know. Ha! and I thought I was well informed. I live about an hour from Springfield, IL and have been to the Lincoln home and the new Lincoln museum many times. But the above book added even more info. Hope you enjoy. aj
Take a deep breath....Just let the long speeches roll over you...or skip to the next long speech. I have to say that Atlas Shrugged is my favorite book and I have read it every 2 years since I was 14. Weird huh?? Enjoy!
Old School was one of my favorite reads from last year. It's marvelous -- especially the depictions of Hemingway, Frost and Ayn Rand. This one is right up your alley!
aj,
Thanks so much...I am looking forward to Manhunt -- I would love to visit Springfield and see the Lincoln museum.
joemmama,
There must be something to that book -- the reactions are so polarized.
GFS3,
I'm reading and loving it. Gobbling it like potato chips.
I used to go to What The Book on Saturday mornings when I lived in Seoul, pick up the latest copy of Bookmark, go to Geckos (before the drinkers got there) eat and skim through it. I miss that.
You know, I actually picked up "Atlas Shrugged" a few weeks ago (I can't remember what I was looking up in it) and must confess I didn't like it nearly as much as I did when I was in high school. Must be age and wisdom, etc.! But whoever said to sort of skim over the speeches, esp. the REALLY long John Galt one, had the right idea.
Currently on my bookshelf: "The Silent Note," a wonderfully satisfying romance book. Love, loss, long-lost love, even, as a decades-old love saga is revealed hidden in a piano. Beyond the basic themes, there are others, including expressing a mother's loving support to her daughter, no matter what decisions the daughter makes in life. Very enjoyable.
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