Planet Books

Well, I had written a pretty good post for this Sunday Salon but something happened and I lost the post.  I am pretty bummed out and now don’t feel the same creative juices flowing as I had earlier.  I’ve been working on making more Christmas cards this weekend so I haven’t really been reading much.  When I am reading though, it’s from Candace Bushnell’s new release, ONE FIFTH AVENUE.  It’s pretty good so far and I am enjoying the characters and where the story is going. 

Today I went to Torii Beach on Torii Army Base in Yomitan, Okinawa for a beach/birthday party.  It was a spectacular day and though I had been worried about the storm clouds that did burst earlier in the day, they stayed away this afternoon and a brisk, warm yet cool breeze kept everyone cool in the sunshine. 

This coming week is pretty busy as I prepare for my trip to D.C. for a friend’s wedding.  I leave in nine days for a two week visit which will fly by so fast I’ll be back here in our study blogging again before I know it.  I’m not looking forward to the 12+ hour flight from Tokyo to D.C. but have set aside my copy of THE GARGOYLE that I won this summer in a book giveaway.  I also splurged and bought/downloaded the audio version because it sounded so good, so I can read along with the narrators.  I’m also hoping for good in-flight movies too. 

I also have a few books waiting for me at my folks house in Maryland that arrived over the last week.  Some publishers won’t mail packages unless they can use their own shipping vendor, which proposes a challenge for my situation.  Because we live in Okinawa and have an APO address, the only way things can be mailed to us, without shipping and paying internationally, is to use USPS and preferably Priority, unless you want me to get the package in two months.  So in the cases of a Fed Ex account or UPS, my parents have agreed to receive books on my behalf and then ship them on to me.  It takes a bit longer but it is better than losing out on reading and reviewing a book here and there.  So I have a few titles waiting for me when I get to the East Coast in a week.

What are you reading this weekend?  Is it a review copy for your blog or another, or is it a book you bought and have been looking forward to reading?  Did you participate in the 24 hour Read-A-Thon yesterday or did you barely find time enough to check e-mails, let alone read a book?

Okay–here was an interesting article by Christopher Schoppa in the Washington Post.

Avid readers know all too well how easy it is to acquire books — it’s the letting go that’s the difficult part. … During the past 20 years, in which books have played a significant role in both my personal and professional lives, I’ve certainly had my fair share of them (and some might say several others’ shares) in my library. Many were read and saved for posterity, others eventually, but still reluctantly, sent back out into the world.

But there is also a category of titles that I’ve clung to for years, as they survived numerous purges, frequent library donations and countless changes of residence. I’ve yet to read them, but am absolutely certain I will. And should. When, I’m not sure, as I’m constantly distracted by the recent, just published and soon to be published works.

So, the question is this: “What tomes are waiting patiently on your shelves?“

This is something I think about and worry about too often.  What books are waiting, some impatiently, for me to finally pick them up and read?  Where to begin.  Well, I’ll start by looking at the shelf to my right. 

Now let me check out the shelf to my left.

I won’t even look at the two tall book shelves in the study to add more titles to my lists from.  I’m embarrassed and depressed as it is just looking at the two lists I just constructed based on me two short book shelves alone.  The reason I have fallen behind on reading these titles is because of my book reviewing endeavor I have jumped into.  I love it and enjoy it immensely but I do wish I was a much faster reader so I could read everything I have, not just the books for reviews. 

Do you find yourself in my predicament too?  If so, do you alternate one review book than one of your own books?  Are you a speed reader so you don’t have these frivolous worries?  Do you have any advise?