A Year of Pleasures, by Elizabeth Berg. There were three used books by Elizabeth Berg. I live in a relatively small town, so when I see a collection of books at Village Lights, I can’t help but wonder who brought them in. Surely it’s someone I know, I think to myself. I’ve never read anything by Berg, I don’t think, but I liked the idea of finding “pleasure in simple daily routines.”
Quite a Year for Plums, by Bailey White. My husband suggested this. He hadn’t seen the stack I had already accumulated. I think he suggested it because it has food in the title and seems to be set in a small, Southern town full of quirky people. That’s about my style.
The Winter Queen, by Boris Akunin. Another stack of Erast Fandorin mysteries. Who in Madison is a Boris Akunin fan? I want to know. I love mysteries that take me to different places and times, so I thought I’d try nineteenth century Moscow.
Waiting, by Ha Jin. I don’t know. I just liked the cover and the first line…”Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife, Shuyu.” And it won the National Book Award. And was only $5. I’m always amazed at all the books out there I’ve never heard of.
Tears of Pearl, by Tasha Alexander. This author I’ve actually read before. I liked both A Poisoned Season and And Only to Deceive. An English woman in a harem…who can resist?
How to Be Good, by Nick Hornby. So part of distilling my shelves to only the books I most love is acquiring the ones which I don’t own because I borrowed them or checked them out of the library. How to Be Good is my favorite Nick Hornby so far. I love that he takes a very serious question, one of the questions which for me forms a the nexus of a whole series of neuroses, and gives it a treatment that is both funny and real. Nick Hornby at his best…funny and real. I think I’ll have to read this again soon.
Nice list. I enjoy Elizabeth Berg's novels.
Ha! I have the same problem – too many books and not enough space. Then every time I take some books to my local secondhand book store, they end up giving me credit.
Great list, by the way. I'm a fan of Nick Hornby
I've been wondering about How to Be Good…it might be a little while before I read another Hornby book simply because I have so many books to get through already, but it's good to know what to pick up if I get in the mood.
Mary, thanks and hope I enjoy the Berg novel, too.
Kathryn, I like the kind of endless rotation of books in and out. And I feel like none of the books I don't want go to waste. Good to know another Nick Hornby fan.
Melody, How to Be Good is my favorite because there's so much honesty about what it's like to be in a relationship/marriage.
I read Waiting last year and wasn't thrilled with it. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
I completely agree about How To Be Good! It's also my favourite Hornby, and it surprises me that so many people list it as their least favourite.
Amber Stults, me too. It's always luck of the draw picking stuff up at random in the bookstore.
Nymeth, glad to share a favorite. Least favorite seems extreme, but I can see where it's in many ways less like the rest of his books…less masculine, maybe?
This is a nice mailbox! enjoy the reading.