Thursday 13 December 2007

2008 books and tbr photos

I'm still in the middle of two books, Sherlock Holmes, and High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes for my seafaring challenge, so no new reviews. Instead I thought I would copy Tara's post and do a sort of a wishlist for 2008. Books I have on my tbr pile and would like to read next year kind of thing. And I think such a post needs a few illustrations so I'll start with a photo of *part* of my tbr pile. (It probably consists of several hundred books altogether.) To tell the truth it's spread all around the house but these in my study are the main batch.



There are five shelves in all, two above this. And in my defense I must say that there are some 'read' books mixed up among the 'not read'. *cough*

Anyway, for starters these are some of the books I would like to read during 2008.

Fiction:

The Seventh Gate – Richard Zimler
Needle in the Blood – Sarah Bower
Across the face of the World – Russell Kirkpatrick
The Tenderness of Wolves – Stef Penney
The Shell Seekers – Rosamund Pilcher
The Book of the New Sun – Gene Wolfe
The Patriot’s Progress – Henry Williamson (Likely to be my Rem. Day read in November.)
The New House – Lettice Cooper
The Village – Marghanita Laski
The Warden – Anthony Trollope (In Feb. with Nan. Book not owned yet.)

Non-fiction:

The Nasty Bits – Anthony Bourdain
True North – George Erickson
Congo Journey – Redmond O’Hanlon
Between the Woods and the Water – Patrick Leigh Fermor
Oscar Wilde – Richard Ellmann
The Mitford Girls – Mary S. Lovell
On Hitler’s Mountain – Irmgard Hunt
The Seamstress – Sara Tuvel Bernstein with Louise Loots Thornton and Marlene Bernstein Samuels
A Book of English Essays – W.E. Williams
How to Travel With a Salmon - Umberto Eco

I think that's 20 books altogether. And I'm not expecting to read them all as I'll have two challenges on the go as well, the Cardathon one and What's in a Name? Plus, I am terribly moody when it comes to choosing my next book to read. But just to knock a few off the pile would be excellent.

Another pic. These are the top shelves, well part of them anyway.



Add to this these are the series that I would like to start or continue with next year:

Amelia Peabody – Elizabeth Peters
Mary Russell – Laurie R. King
Armand Gamache – Louise Penny
Sherlock Holmes - ACD
Matthew Shardlake – C.J. Sansom
Septimus Heap – Angie Sage
The Little House - LIW
The Wit’ch series - James Clemens

And the authors whose work I would like to read or reread:

Charles Dickens.
Anthony Trollope
Edith Wharton
Orson Scott Card
Rudyard Kipling

I'm kind of wondering if I might have bitten off more than I can chew but this is an informal thing, apart from the official challenges I'm doing, so really there's no pressure.

More pics. The books for my What's in a Name? challenge. Just 'because' really...



And some recent acquisitions:



These are all charity shop, AM, or eBay buys apart from the Laurie R. King series.

So, it rather looks like 2008 is going to be quite a busy reading year. I did promise myself that I would go for quality rather quantity next year - I do tend to be quite a keen counter of books read each year. But I don't see why I can't be both relaxed about my reading *and* have some kind of plan to work to.

10 comments:

Cath said...

Thanks, Annie! I've added the link to my sidebar.

DesLily said...

Hi Cath.. I just finished my third Laurie R King / Mary stewart book and beginning my 4th.. after that they are hard to find. I don't have paypal so I can't do the ebay thing and I can't read "mass paperbacks" anymore because of my eye, so its HB or TPB There are 4 more in her series that I will have to keep searching for!

The only things I "know" I'll read this coming year are books I am waiting for them to come out this year! LOL.. past that, though I have a tbr pile and I want to do some "rereads" but not sure which ones I'll pick up and read yet lol

Cath said...

Pat, I'm really looking forward to starting the Mary Russell series. Sorry to hear you have a problem with small print, I'm thinking I probably will too, eventually.

Well, I've made this list... but who's to say I'll actually read anything off of it! LOL. I'm such a creature of moods when it comes to reading and then of course there's always the library pile because I can't keep out of that place either. Heehee.

Tara said...

I love seeing your photographs (I only wish I could read the titles on the spines of the books on the shelves- I'm nosy that way!) and reading your lists. The Shell Seekers and The Mitford Girls are both wonderful reads. I should re-read TSS.

ps. I am also an avid counter of books read.

Nan said...

I just know how much fun you had going around the shelves and making your lists. I was tickled to see my name next to Mr Trollope. Over here the Lovell book is called The Sisters, and it is on my top shelf waiting, oh, so patiently.

Cath said...

Tara: I wonder if I uploaded them wrongly. I reduced them in size and then uploaded. I think I probably should have left them as I think Blogger reduces them for you for your actual page and then when you click you get a large image. *Sigh* I still have a lot to learn. This counting of books is a bit addictive, imo. LOL!

Nan: Yes, I had a lot of fun choosing the books. Whether they will all get read though is another matter. Looking forward to February. :-)

Anonymous said...

Cath, you seem to have a great plan and if you execute it, fine and if you don't, fine too. It is fun to make choices off your own bookshleves isn't it? Feels kind of like perusing in a bookstore. I'm constantly finding things behind other things (doublestacking you know!) and thinking, I didn't remember I had that! Good luck to you and it sounds like a great year.

Cath said...

Kay, you're so right that it's fun choosing books off your own bookshelves. I'm like a child in sweet shop when I'm doing it. It's lucky I'm so easily pleased. LOL!

Elaine said...

Oooh you are in for a treat with The Shellseekers. I have read it so many times I have lost count and it is gripping and just such a jolly good read. I envy you your first read

Cath said...

Elaine: Friends of mine who have read The Shell Seekers are always surprised that I, A Nice Cornish Girl, have not. And they always stress how lovely the book is so I must put that right and read it this year.