"Slogged through, Aug '90"

I like used books. There is nothing wrong with buying new books, and I do this from time to time, but I also like to wander through the second hand bookshops to search for hidden treasure. Like the time I happened upon a no nonsense ultrasound study guide just as I had started studying for my board exam and needed to refresh my memory. It turned out to be an excellent resource, and was a bargain at 50 cents. It was marked down from $1 because the cover was ripped. Found it at the Rancho Coastal Thrift Shop in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. How random is that? Out of curiosity, I looked it up online. Out of print and difficult to find, the only copy I could locate was priced at around $60.

New books are pretty, but sterile. No dog-eared corners or torn covers. No broken spines or yellowed pages. No bookshop stamps or annotations. Some used books have the previous owner's name written inside the cover, or a library stamp, or maybe something that the used book shop put there. If you're lucky there might be something more. I enjoy those random snippets that people sometimes scribe there. It might be where they got the book, or when, or who gave it to them. Maybe an opinion about the contents, or a verse of poetry. You never know what you'll find in a book that has been around and changed hands. Like this -- I am reading The Fall of Hyperion for the second time since it was purchased from a used bookstore years ago. A Mr. H. M. Moore, Jr. left a note on the inside cover:

Slogged through
Aug '90

Bookstore Block and Almost Forgetting My Anniversary

Don't you hate it when you have a mental list of books that you want, until the minute you set foot into a bookstore and then you draw a complete blank? I happened to me again this week. My stack of unread books had dwindled to zero. I had about twenty minutes to kill before my haircut appointment yesterday, so I stopped into the Book Nook, a used bookstore near my workplace. I walk in, say "howdy" to the guys at the register, and stride purposefully to the science fiction section... and then instantly lose my focus. Can't think of anything that I want. *sigh* Why does that happen?

I ended up simply going with some old classics, mostly. Nothing newer than 1987, and some stuff dating back to the 50s. You can't really go wrong with Asimov and Bradbury. I also picked up a Haldeman, somebody else I had never heard of, and I loosened enough mental cobwebs to remember to get Seventh Son, which I wanted because PDM has the whole Alvin Maker series except that first one and I like to begin at the beginning. I probably would have fared better if I had not had a deadline. I can spend hours in a bookstore - used or new. Next time...

My absent-mindedness is growing to epic proportions. I do hope it is a temporary side effect of the "all work no play" (and no wine) regime. Last weekend PDM asked me where I wanted to go for dinner on Thursday night. I gave him a puzzled look and shrugged. Thursday night? WTF? We don't usually plan that far ahead. He laughed and told me to "quit being such a guy." And then it hit me -- our anniversary! It wasn't even on my radar. I'm glad he said something. Between work (with a big software upgrade looming for this weekend) and studying for the board exam, I hadn't even thought of this. There's no guarantee I would have remembered on my own. Yeesh!

Off the Grid

I'm leaving today for the first of two short road trips this week. Not sure about internet access at the first place, so if you don't hear from me this week, it means they don't have it. I'm taking the notebook computer just in case...

If not, I'm also taking three books and about a month's worth of newspaper crossword puzzles I've saved up. I'm also planning to spend some time outside enjoying the fall scenery here in Georgia.

In other news, I'm in DAY 5 of a migraine. It switched sides today, so maybe it is almost finished torturing me. *sigh* Stress will find a way to get you every time.

I hope you all have a wonderful (and headache-free!) Thanksgiving holiday.

Harry Hype Heartburn

A surefire way to turn me off of something is to hype it to death. The most recent prime example? Harry Potter. It is impossible to avoid hearing about the oh-so-eagerly-and-anxiously awaited final book in the series, not to mention the latest movie. Speculation about the fate of Harry has been ongoing for months and has hit a crescendo in recent weeks. And I'm really tired of hearing about it, period. I feel sorry for the people who actually want to read it in a leisurely fashion and not be spoiled by knowing how it ends. Aside from becoming a hermit, I don't see how any of us is going to avoid knowing all about it.

This absurd level of attention to all things Potter is nothing new, unfortunately. Remember when Richard Harris died? I thought it was awful that after such a long and distinguished career, the news coverage seemed inordinately focused on who they would get to replace him as Dumbledore.

I'm sure that they are very good books, and I'm happy that Rowling has become the richest woman in England through a literary effort (although I'm sure the movies don't hurt). But thanks to the seemingly non-stop hype, I don't want to have anything to do with this series of books or movies. Perhaps in a decade or two when the hype dies down I will get out my copy of the first book and finally see what all the fuss is about. Maybe.

R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, brilliant author and satirist, died yesterday at age 84.
His works were heavily influenced by his humanist views and experience as a prisoner of war during WWII. If you haven't read Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse-Five, you should. If you are an engineer, Player Piano is a 'must read'. All of Vonnegut's novels will make you think, even as you laugh at the black comedy and sometimes cringe at the scathing satire. Good stuff, from a man with a life well lived.

I think it is time for me to read some Vonnegut again.

Kat's book survey

Saw this over at Kat's blog and decided to play along.


Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I prefer hardback or trade, unless cost or availability is an issue.

Amazon or brick and mortar? Either.

Barnes & Noble or Borders? Oh, is there a difference?

Bookmark or dogear? I’m a reformed dogearer. Now I use bookmarks (or the dust cover, in a pinch).

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? I’ve grouped our books loosely by subject, and within those groupings I tend to place books of similar size together so they look nice on the shelf. We have a bookshelf covering an entire wall in the living room, so having the books grouped by subject makes it much easier to find the one you’re looking for.

Keep, throw away, or sell? Mostly keep. I would NEVER throw away a book, unless it was hopelessly damaged. If I no longer want a book, I will sell or give away.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep it.

Read with dustjacket or remove it? Sometimes I remove the dust cover when reading, especially when I travel with a book. Usually I leave it on and try to be careful with it.

Short story or novel? I read both, but spend far more time reading novels than stories. Even though I’ve read novels in many genres, the only short stories I ever read are science fiction.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? Either way can be enjoyable.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but I have never read a single novel in either series. I have a copy of the first Harry Potter and am sure I will read it eventually, but I got turned off by all the hype and it made me not want to read it way back when (or now).

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I quit reading at whatever page I happen to land on when I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? I can’t remember ever reading any book that opened with either of those clichés.

Buy or Borrow? Buy. I used to read a lot of library books, but that was back when I lived in a town with a pretty good local library. It was decently well stocked, and was in a old building that had been restored, so it was a nice place to hang out.

New or used? I usually buy new books, but still like rambling through used book stores or the book sections of thrift stores. There are lots of good reasons to buy used: less expensive, out of print, rare book, or you find something great just by chance.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Recommendations (from friends or other sources) and browsing. I don’t put much stock in reviews.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? I want a good ending that is satisfying. This could include either of these options, but must fit the rest of the book or series.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? I read before bed almost every night.

Stand-alone or series? Both.

Favorite series? Asimov’s Robot novels, CJ Cherryh’s Foreigner series, White’s King Arthur books, Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, Kage Baker’s Company novels, Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, Anthony’s Apprentice Adept series, Dan Simmons’ Hyperion and Endymion novels, Herbert’s Dune books, and Brin’s Uplift novels.

Favorite children's book? My Chronicles of Narnia boxed set. I read them so many times they are in tatters, but I still have them.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Mama Makes Up Her Mind (and Other Dangers of Southern Living) is a book I found in a used bookstore on vacation and picked up on a whim. It is folksy, hilarious fun! Sort of like a Fannie Flagg novel, only with real characters and stories. And this proves I do read a few books that aren't science fiction...


Favorite books read last year? Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days; The Machine’s Child, Spin, Anansi Boys, Accelerando


Favorite books of all time? Watership Down, Gone With The Wind, The Chronicles of Narnia, Doomsday Book


Least favorite book you finished last year? I’m not sure I got all the way through it, but it was Moving Mars by Greg Bear.


What are you reading right now? Psychoshop by Alfred Bester and Roger Zelazny


What are you reading next? Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds

In Memory of Bookstores

By 'bookstores', I mean real, independent, locally owned bookstores that had their own distinct personality. NOT huge national chain homogenous bookstores that are all basically exactly alike. I do shop at these now, mostly because they are the only ones around so it is B&N or Borders, or nothing at all. And yes, I have certainly bought (and sold) my share of books from online retailers. But for browsing pleasure, there is (or was) nothing like the old kind of bookstore. Three in particular stand out in my mind.

I discovered Atlanta's Oxford Books while I was an undergrad at Georgia Tech. The original location, up the road from Tech in the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, was always a fun place to visit. Large in the way bookstores seldom were before the Big Box Bookstores showed up and skewed everyone's expectations, it even served coffee and pastries. This was before those items became ubiquitous in bookstores, so it was somewhat of a novelty. Cramped aisles crammed full of every kind of book you can imagine, it was a browser's paradise. It got even better when they relocated to an old car dealership in Buckhead. Miles and miles of books, magazines, cards, posters, music... you name it. They had a better selection of sheet music than most music stores. Huge non-fiction section in tons of categories, loads of fiction, plenty of room for browsing and hanging out, lots of windows, and an open, spacious layout - ahhhh. Best 'new books' bookstore EVER. Unfortunately for all Atlantans, it did not weather the coming of the B&N and Borders megastores well, and went belly up. It is a shame. Those bland megabooksellers don't hold a candle to the Oxford experience, in atmosphere or selection.

Oxford Books had a sister store for used books: Oxford Too. It was located in an old house around the corner from the original Oxford shop. Oxford Too had an excellent selection of used books, and also sold discounted new books (remainders and such). I can still remember the library smell and the creaky hardwood floors. They had a great collection of used science fiction. I spent many happy hours at Oxford Too, browsing and reading. I still have some of the used paperbacks I purchased there.

Years later when I lived in Massachusetts, a friend introduced me to Avenue Victor Hugo on Newbury Street in Boston. What a great place! It was in an old brownstone, and the bookshelves were all crowded into it. Navigating that store was a challenge! The shelves lined every wall floor to ceiling and formed an intricate maze in the rooms. Stepstools and ladders were necessary items, and just added to the clutter. There was an upstairs section that was even more convoluted and cramped, and they had a fantastic selection of rare books. This shop had a lot of quirky character, and even hosted a resident cat. It was always fun to shop there, and you never knew what kind of gems you'd find. AVH closed the Newbury Street store forever in 2004, but survives today as an internet bookseller. Not the same, though. Not at all.

Tag! You're it!

I've been tagged by Beth, who was in turn tagged by Dr. Sardonicus, in a book-themed meme. Say *that* ten times, fast!

The rules are simple:

1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book.
3. Name the author.
4. Turn to page 123.
5. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
6. Copy the next three sentences and post to your blog.
7. Tag three more lucky souls.

The nearest book to me at this moment is Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for the Angry Healthcare Professional by Joseph Stewart, MD. [Yes, I am at work. What of it? I've done all my work for the day and it isn't time to go home yet.] Turning to page 123, fifth sentence, I quote:

"The subclavian artery becomes the axillary artery at the clavicle. Near the head of the humerus, the axillary artery becomes the brachial artery. Importance: the brachial artery is the main blood-pressure taking artery."

A thrilling read, no? It is better if you can see the illustrations. This might have been more interesting at home with my collection of science fiction. On the bright side, at least the nearest book wasn't one of my physics books!

Now that I've done my part, it is time to spread the love. I tag NYPinTA, Lord Loser, and trinamick.

Lonely Hearts, British Style

I heard about this book on NPR on my way home today. Good timing -- I needed a good laugh. I might have to put this one on my Christmas list. The Brits have a special way with language, and polite candor. These personals are very different from the kind you'd read in the states.

"They call me Naughty Lola. Run of the mill beardy physicist - Male, 46."

"Most vegetarians complain about missing the taste of bacon. Not me, I complain about my liver disease. And rural postal services. Man, 40."

"Love is strange -- wait 'til you see my feet. F, 34, wide-fitting Scholl's."

More samples can be read here . Enjoy!