Booking Through Thursday - Unique Sorting

Deb at Booking Through Thursday says:

Browsing through my blog, I found a link to this post about the “Sorted Book Project.” Go read it. I’ll wait.

The idea is to take a few books and physically sort them in such a way that the titles make some kind of sense … something that I’ve never quite gotten around to doing and photographing, but which fascinates me.

What title/combinations can you come up with? (Bonus points if you actually assemble the books and photograph them, like in the original post.)

Oh I love this sort of word play! I came up with several, and started reorganizing my bookshelves to boot! Hm, maybe I should organize them by phrases.

The Map of Love Written on the Body


A Fine Balance: Sacred Hunger, Sacred Time, Sacred Hearts

Trail of Crumbs In the Kitchen: What's Eating Gilbert Grape?


Bleak House, The Unconsoled, The Well of Loneliness: When Will There Be Good News?



Edited to add (sorry, no photo):

What the Body Remembers: Great Expectations

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Booking Through Thursday - Niche Books

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

There are certain types of books that I more or less assume all readers read. (Novels, for example.)

But then there are books that only YOU read. Instructional manuals for fly-fishing. How-to books for spinning yarn. How to cook the perfect souffle. Rebuilding car engines in three easy steps. Dog training for dummies. Rewiring your house without electrocuting yourself. Tips on how to build a NASCAR course in your backyard. Stuff like that.

What niche books do YOU read?

Looking at my Library Thing tags, there are 118 books I've tagged Spirituality. These cover a pretty wide range within that category including Buddhism, meditation, paganism, tarot, recovery, goddess religion and yoga.

I'm beginning to collect quite a few books on photography, my newest passion. They're mostly how-to books and some on specific types of photography, such as macro and portrait. And I have a fair number of gardening books, even though I've mostly just photographed the garden in the last couple of years.


And, yes, Dog Training for Dummies! Since the puppy will be arriving in a few weeks, we've been boning up (pun intended!) on how to raise the little bundle. Dog ownership has changed over the years - now it's more like adopting a child, including doggy day care! So we have much anxiety about doing it right and have checked out a bunch of books and videos from the library. Wish us luck!

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Booking Through Thursday: 15 Books

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

I saw this over at Shelley’s, and thought it sounded like a great question for all of you:

“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

Here are mine, in no particular order:

1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2. Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams
7. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
8. The World According to Garp by John Irving
9. The Kite Runner by Khaled Husseini
10. The Brothers K by David James Duncan
11. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
12. A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
14. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
15. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

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Booking Through Thursday - Order from Chaos

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

I am a Virgo. But I must have been off reading a book when the Virgo traits were handed out, because when it comes to arranging my bookshelves? Unique is a word I would use. Chaos is a word my partner would use.

In my Terri Branch Library (which I don't have to arrange with partner in mind) right now I have it organized thusly (and the term "organized" is used very loosely):

• Far left few shelves: nonfiction, anthologies, a few miscellaneous novels I probably won't get to for awhile.

• Middle left: all fiction. One shelf is devoted to Booker award books; one shelf is mostly Orange award books (lined up for my reading challenges - there is a reason!), one shelf for books I've checked out from the library or borrowed from friends (it's good to keep them all in one place so I don't have to hunt for overdue books). A couple more miscellaneous fiction shelves; books are not in any particular order, not alphabetized or ordered by genre or color (the red shelf was just for a photo op).

• Middle right: all fiction. One shelf is all classics; one shelf has several trilogies all in one spot; one shelf has short story collections among other novels.

• Far right: mostly fiction. No particular order. One shelf has my pitiful little Virago collection; one shelf has books I've read and intend to keep. One shelf has cookbooks mixed with ARCs I need to read for the Pub challenge. The rest? Hey, I know where to find them!

Some librarian I'd make. At least I've improved from this (my solution to being enticed by titles when I had required reading to do):


And the bookshelves in the rest of the house? Not nearly so "interesting!"
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Booking Through Thursday - Inspiration

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

Since “Inspiration” is (or should) the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

Well I must say my reading has changed tremendously over the last two years, since I joined LibraryThing. Not only do I get book recommendations from the mysterious workings of something called an algorithm, but via the talk groups, I'm in touch with a lot of people with common interests and common reading habits who talk about the great books they've read. I've been inspired to read authors and works I never would have heard of otherwise.

I'm less and less inspired by bestseller lists (I will never read a Stephanie Meyer book no matter how many she sells), but I do pay attention to some of the prizes, particularly the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. The books that are winners and on the short lists often align with my reading tastes. The Orange Prize books are so special that two months of the year are now dedicated to reading as many on the lists as I can (thanks to my pal Jill).


My favorite authors inspire me - some of them inspire me to read everything they've ever written: Isabel Allende (pictured, with President Obama!), Barbara Kingsolver (upper right), Sarah Waters, David James Duncan (lower left), Rose Tremain, Louise Erdrich (lower right), Kazuo Ishiguro.


I used to read a lot more nonfiction than I do right now - I was often inspired by a sense of despair! And a longing to find solutions to an ever growing number of global issues. But I think I needed a break from reality.

Our new President has inspired me to read his books as well as some others that are on his favorites list, particularly Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison - a re-read for me), The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing and Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

What about you? What inspires your reading these days?
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Booking Through Thursday - Sing, Sing a Song!

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

Sing, Sing a Song:

What songs … either specific songs, or songs in general by a specific group or writer … have words that you love? Why? And … do the tunes that go with the fantastic lyrics live up to them?

Now, of course, I have that stupid Carpenter's song running through my head, thanks a lot Deb!

One of my most favorite songwriters of the last 15 years or so is Cheryl Wheeler. She writes funny songs, poignant ones, love songs, breakup songs, songs about her cats - attending one of her concerts is like an emotional Space Mountain ride!

Cheryl wrote one of the best love songs ever - "Gandhi/Buddha." My partner and I sang it to each other at our commitment ceremony. Here's the chorus:

I must have been Gandhi or Buddha
or someone like that.
I must've saved lives by the hundreds everywhere I went.
I must've brought rest to the restless
and fed the hungry too.
I must've done something great…
to get to have you.

At her concerts she sings the alter ego version in addition:

I must have been Hitler or Satan
or someone like that
I must have brought death and destruction
everywhere I went
I must have brought torts to the tortured
Drowned some puppies too
I must have done something BAD to have to have you

See what I mean about Space Mountain?

Another favorite CW song is called "Unworthy." It moves along at a pretty good clip and, as you can see, has lots of words. I love singing this song, though I usually have to untie my tongue when I'm done.

I'm unworthy, no matter what I'm doing,
I should certainly be doing something else.
And it's selfish to be thinking I'm unworthy,
all this me, me, me, me, self, self, self, self, self.
If I'm talking on the phone I should be working on the lawn
which looks disgraceful from the things I haven't done.
If I'm working on the lawn I should be concentrating on
those magazines inside, since I have not read one.

I should learn how to meditate and sew and bake
and dance and paint and sail and make gazpacho.
I should turn my attention to repairing all those
forty year old socks there in that bureau.
I should let someone teach me to run Windows,
and learn French that I can read and write and speak.
I should get life in prison for how I treated my parents
from third grade until last week.

I should spend more time playing with my dog
and much less money on this needless junk I buy.
I should send correspondence back to everyone
who's written, phoned or faxed since junior high.
I should sit with a therapist until I understand
the way I felt back in my mom.
I should quit smoking, drinking, eating, thinking sleeping,
watching TV, writing stupid songs.

I should be less impatient when the line just takes forever
'cause the two cashiers are talking.
I should see what it's like to get up really early rain or shine
and spend three hours walking.
I should know CPR and deep massage
and Braille and sign language
and how to change my oil.
I should go where the situation's desperate and
build and paint and trudge and tote and toil.

I should chant in impossible positions
till my legs appear to not have any bones.
I should rant at the cops and politicians
and the corporations-in indignant tones.
I should save lots of money to leave Audubon,
plus all the rocks and animals and plants.
I should brave possibilities for plotting plums of problems
prob'ly blossomed, plausibly from
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah I'm unworthy.

I also think "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is the most perfect song ever written.
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BTT + 2009: A Challenging Year...

...reading challenges, that is. As for the rest of it, 2009 will be the best year any of us have known for a long time - at least the last 8 years. The economy may be in shambles (heckuva job, George) but we finally have some leadership in this country, not a bunch of incompetent cronies helping each other stuff their bank accounts.

But I digress. I am gathering all my reading challenges together in this post, so between this and my handy dandy spreadsheet, I can keep track of my plans and progress.

I swore I wasn't going to get involved with a bunch of challenges! But these are so much fun and most of the books I want to read will fit into at least one of these. And, with my overall reading goal at 125 for the year, I still have ~60 books left over to read just for fun!

My challenges:

What's in a Name:

This is a challenge that anyone can join, no matter what types of books they like to read. You should be able to find books from any genre that will work. Dates: January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009

*The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

1. A book with a profession in its title.
2. A book with a time of day in its title.
3. A book with a relative in its title.
4. A book with a body part in its title.
5. A book with a building in its title.
6. A book with a medical condition in its title.

*You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category.

Website

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Decades '09

1. Read a minimum of 9 books in 9 consecutive decades in ‘09.
2. Books published in the 2000s do not count.
3. Titles may be cross-posted with any other challenge.
4. You may change your list at any time.

Website

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Dewey's Books

"Read 5 books that Dewey reviewed. These can be from any year and I’m guessing that each of us has at least 5 books on our TBR list because of Dewey!"

Website

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The Pub Challenge

Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009. Any questions on what qualifies? Just leave a comment here, and I’ll respond with the answer.
*No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
*At least 5 titles must be fiction.
* Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
*You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.

Website

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Essay Reading Challenge

Here are the details:

~ Join anytime, but don’t start reading until January 1, 2009. The challenge ends December 31, 2009.
~ If you read a book of essays, that book can also apply to any other challenges you are working on.
~ Choose a goal of reading 10, 20, or 30 essays during 2009, and then write a challenge post, linking back to this post.

I'm choosing to read 20 essays.

Website

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I'm also setting a goal of reading 25 short stories. I have several compilations that I've been wanting to read and should easily reach that. And my intention is to read at least 6 classics.

I'm continuing my participation in the perpetual Orange Prize Project and The Complete Booker Challenge and I'm considering starting to track my Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize reads, but I won't do that officially this year. Orange January and Orange July will get me much farther along on the Orange trail!

I have a general idea which books I'm going to read for the challenges, but for some I have a lot to choose from, so they may be quite spontaneous. I don't want to lock myself in to too rigid a plan, then it isn't fun anymore!

Edit: after I posted this, Deb posted the Booking Through Thursday meme:

So … any Reading Resolutions? Say, specific books you plan to read? A plan to read more ____? Anything at all?

I figure I've got it covered with this post.

Happy New Year, one and all!!! And Happy Reading.

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Booking Through Thursday - Wintry Books

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

What are the most “wintry” books you can think of? The ones that almost embody Winter?

Books I've read recently that fit this category are The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney and Away by Amy Bloom. Both books spent a fair amount of time in bitter cold wilderness and did a fine job of describing it.

To Build a Fire by Jack London is far and away the story that to me embodies winter most effectively. It's a short story about a man traveling on foot across the Yukon Territory accompanied only by a dog.

Perhaps my personal experience reading this story years ago lent a realistic atmosphere to it, as I was literally trying to get a fire going in the woodstove with wet wood in our very cold house.

An excerpt:

The frozen moisture of [the dog's] breathing had settled on its fur in a fine powder of frost, and especially were its jowls, muzzle, and eyelashes whitened by its crystalled breath. The man's red beard and mustache were likewise frosted, but more solidly, the deposit taking the form of ice and increasing with every warm, moist breath he exhaled. Also, the man was chewing tobacco, and the muzzle of ice held his lips so rigidly that he was unable to clear his chin when he expelled the juice. The result was that a crystal beard of the color and solidity of amber was increasing its length on his chin. If he fell down it would shatter itself, like glass, into brittle fragments.

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Booking Through Thursday - Books as Gifts

Deb at Booking Through Thursday has a two-parter for us this week:

Part One:
What is the best book you ever bought for yourself?
And, why? What made it the best? What made it so special?

I'm not sure if 'best' means quality of the writing or of the actual book. I guess I'd have to say the recent Pevear-Volokhonsky translation of War and Peace. It's aesthetically beautiful and, well, darn good literature. I'd never read W and P, so it felt like a big plunge to buy a hard cover of it. It was my major read of 2008.

Part Two:
Do you give books as gifts?
To everyone? Or only to select people?
How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?

I love to give and receive books - though I have to know the recipient pretty well before I feel confident enough to know what they like in books. Unless, of course, they have a current wish list; that makes it so easy.

I've noticed that, even though I read mostly fiction these days, when people gift me with books, it's usually nonfiction. I guess they feel more confident in knowing my political or spiritual reading tastes than they do my fiction taste. News flash people! I have a wish list! Actually, I'm not fussy; if someone buys me a good book I know I'll love it regardless of whether it's on my wish list or not.

So when in doubt, buy me books! or Powell's gift cards!

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Booking Through Thursday - Authors Q and A

Deb at Booking Through Thursday has a good Q and A for us this week:


1. Do you have a favorite author?

In a Weekly Geeks meme several weeks ago, I wrote about my very favorite author, Isabel Allende, so I'll choose another of my very favorites: Louise Erdrich.

2. Have you read everything he or she has written?

Not everything, but close to it. I didn't finish The Antelope Wife; haven't read any of her children's books, and have one of her novels, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, on my TBR shelf.

3. Did you LIKE everything?

No. I couldn't get into The Antelope Wife; may give it another try, it's been years. And her most recent novel, The Plague of Doves, was wonderful until the last 50 or so pages, then it fell apart for me.

4. How about a least favorite author?

Hmm. I know there are some I've never read that I know would be least favorite if I did (e.g. Danielle Steele) but that's not really fair. I'll have to say, for now, Anne Tyler.


5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t?

Joyce Carol Oates. Read More!

Booking Through Thursday - Gratitude

Deb at Booking Through Thursday says:

Today is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Now, you may have noticed that the global economy isn’t exactly doing well. There’s war. Starvation. All sorts of bad, scary things going on. So–just for today–Spread a little positive thinking - how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?

Wow, only seven, that could be challenging.

I am thankful for:

My wonderful partner Laurie and our home filled with love and comfort and joy. Laurie brings children and families into our home as part of her work in the world. And, though it's taken me awhile to get used to all the activity and noise and chaos that infants and toddlers bring with them, I find it enriching my life in amazing ways. Laurie is my #1 support and champion.

My amazing family: sisters, dad, stepmom, son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren. They are all strong, independent people who I don't tell often enough how much I love them.

My friends who love me in all my weird ways, who laugh with me regularly, play music and sing with me, share visions and dreams, ups and downs and are always there for me.

My community. Portland is an amazing city that often feels like a small town. My roots grow deep here. It's often voted one of the greenest cities; I sometimes forget that the rest of the world isn't always this progressive. I live in a bubble.

My country. It's been a long time since I've been able to say this. We have for so long lived under a mantle of fear and divisiveness. I finally have some hope for our nation and for the rest of the world. Let the work - and the healing - begin!

Mother Earth and all her beauty and bounty. May we learn to respect her and find ways to heal our relationship with her.

My health; that I have access to good healthy food and clean water; that I am able to retire comfortably; that I have choices about my spiritual path; and lots of good books to read.

OK, I cheated, that's really more than seven. But there's so much to be grateful for - and thank you, Deb, for giving me the nudge to remember that and write about it.

May all be fed; may all be healthy;
may all be happy; may all know peace.

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Booking Through Thursday - Reviewers

Deb at Booking Through Thursday poses this question:

I receive a lot of review books, but I have never once told lies about the book just because I got a free copy of it. However, some authors seem to feel that if they send you a copy of their book for free, you should give it a positive review.

Do you think reviewers are obligated to put up a good review of a book, even if they don’t like it? Have we come to a point where reviewers *need* to put up disclaimers to (hopefully) save themselves from being harassed by unhappy authors who get negative reviews?

I absolutely don't think reviewers should have to give a good review if they didn't like the book. When authors or publishers send ARCs to readers, they ask for a review, not for a rave. I've heard a lot of stories from bloggers lately who have panned a book and then gotten a nasty comment from the author (or sometimes from Anonymous, who seems to get around quite a bit). If I write reviews or comments, I don't hesitate to tell it like I see it. I wonder if some authors think that because book bloggers aren't "professional" reviewers (i.e. paid by a magazine or newspaper) they don't take the task seriously or aren't qualified to give an objective review. Well, I know some bloggers who do a much better job reviewing books than a lot of those pros.

Trish takes this question a couple steps further:

How has receiving ARCs affected your reading? Have you considered stemming the flow of incoming books so you have more freedom to read what you want? Has receiving free books become more of a burden than a blessing?

I've stopped requesting books from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program -- I seem to have a block when it comes to reading books I have to read and review. Maybe it goes back to my college days when I rarely had a choice about what to read and always had to write an essay about what I was required to read.

If it looks like something I'll enjoy, I will request a book from a publisher via Shelf Awareness (note: you need to subscribe to their email newsletter to find the book offers). But, truth be told, I really don't enjoy writing full-blown book reviews (blasphemy!). It's not the kind of writing I want to spend much energy on, so my "reviews" are often short comments and star ratings. Which, come to think of it, is what I like to read too - just give me the gist and the juice and whether it's worth my while to read.
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Speaking of free books, Friday is the deadline for my giveaway of The 19th Wife - see this post for details.

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Booking Through Thursday - Book Buying?

Deb at Booking Through Thursday asks:

I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY? If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?

I used to be a die-hard library user and would rarely buy books. But something shifted this last year -- as my reading increased (thanks in part to LibraryThing), my book lust did too, exponentially and so, of course, did my TBR pile.

Why buy? I LOVE being able to finish a book, walk over to the bookshelf, ponder what I want to read next and just pull it off the shelf. Great books, no waiting! That said, I buy almost all my books used, most of them from Goodwill (charity store) for a couple bucks each. If I can't find what I'm looking for there, Powell's is just down the street and they have tons of used books.

I also get a lot of free books -- some mooched from book pals around the world and some ARCs (Advanced Reader Copy) from publishers - Shelf Awareness is a great resource for finding out about freebies from publishers. I'm also a moocher as well as a moochee - I love passing on good books to friends. The ones I keep are usually the hardcovers and/or the ones that are really special to me and that I'm sure to re-read.

And -- I still love my library. At any given time, I usually have ~20 books, DVDs and CDs checked out or reserved. We have a great library system here in Portland, a beautiful central library building and lots of good neighborhood branches (that's ours in the photo at right). I support our library through my overdue fines (ahem).

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Booking Through Thursday - Villainy

This week Deb poses a serious question that got me pondering how my reading has been affected by world events:

Do real-world catastrophes such as 9/11 (and the bombs in Madrid, and the ones in London, and the war in Darfur, and … really, all the human-driven, mass loss-of-life events) affect what you choose to read?

On 9/11/01 I was dealing with a personal catastrophe when the global one hit, and so there was a surreal feeling to life that was unavoidable for a long while. My reading during that time was more for escape than anything else.

Then during the lead-up to the US invasion of Iraq - which I also consider a tragic, human-driven, mass loss-of-life avoidable event - I became heavily involved in political activism and started reading a lot of nonfiction books - political , environmental, the genre known as Hell in a Handbasket. It became obvious to me that we were on a path of monumental global destruction. I was seeking affirmation and solutions; I was getting a lot of the former but not much of the latter.

About a year and a half ago, after spending 5 years actively protesting the Bush administration, writing, reading doom and gloom nonfiction, I reached a bit of a meltdown point and pretty much gave up reading any nonfiction, particularly having to do with illegal wars, terrorism, politics, food crisis, or environmental destruction. It was an unconscious decision - I just found I couldn't stomach it anymore. I've been reading fiction almost exclusively this year, I think as a way to protect myself against the pain and trauma of what's happening around us. It's not that I'm in denial about it, or unaware, but I'm choosing to not live and breathe it every moment and to give myself a break from it for awhile.

Perhaps after retirement I'll be able to muster some energy to get back in the fray and take on more nonfiction reading. For now I need to stay in a fictional world, one that I can close the cover on and make it go away.

Again, wishing the best outcome for all of you affected by the hurricane in the Gulf. Be safe, be well.

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Booking Through Thursday - Early Memories of Libraries

The Booking Through Thursday questions today were suggested by Margaret:

Whether you usually read off of your own book pile or from the library shelves NOW, chances are you started off with trips to the library. (There’s no way my parents could otherwise have kept up with my book habit when I was 10.) So … What is your earliest memory of a library? Who took you? Do you have you any funny/odd memories of the library?

The BookMobile came to our neighborhood every couple of weeks in the summer, when we didn't have access to our school library. It was exciting - almost as exciting as visits from the ice cream truck! I remember it feeling like a special treat to walk the few blocks to the van to discover what treasures it held this time. (There was always a chance I might run into Jimmy O'Brien there too!)

It was tiny. It was hot and cramped. It smelled of dust and diesel and sweaty little bodies. And I loved it. During those summers I discovered the stories of Helen Keller and Anne Frank, Clara Barton and Little Women. Here were adventure, inspiration, girl and women role models that were far out of the norm of my little 1960s suburban neighborhood: escape, all lined up on a few small shelves in an old van.

We lived quite a distance from the brick and mortar public library, so having the BookMobile come to the neighborhood probably saved me from an overdose of MAD and TEEN magazines and daytime television.
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Read Elizabeth's skunk-book connection here and Angela's Nancy Drew memories here.

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Booking Through Thursday - Sports Watching or Reading?

This week's questions:

Do you or have you ever read books about the Olympics? About sports in general? Fictional ones? Or non-fiction? Or both? Do you consider yourself a sports fan?

I've been staying up waaayyyy too late this week watching gymnastics and swimming. I don't consider myself a sports fan, but I do have several events through the year that I always watch: tennis (the US Open and Wimbledon -- did you SEE the men's finals this year???), baseball (the World Series, especially if the Yankees are playing) and parts of the Olympics, summer and winter (not much interested in track and field).

I don't read books about sports per se unless it's an incidental part of the story -- like The Brothers K by David James Duncan, which is about baseball, but so much more. One of my all-time favorites.

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Booking Through Thursday - Vacation Spots

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

Another question inspired by the Bunch of Grapes on Martha’s Vineyard having burned down on the Fourth of July. Do you buy books while on vacation/holiday? Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip? What/Where are they?

Our getaway this weekend is all about books. I'll be meeting up with a couple of friends from LibraryThing (one is caribousmom, a blogger well known to some of you!) and we'll be staying here Friday and Saturday:

I'm sure we'll be checking out this little beach town for good bookstores, not to mention hanging out in the hotel's awesome library. Each room is themed for an author (the Edgar Allen Poe room has a pendulum above the bed); they have a restaurant called The Tables of Content. How bookish is that?

We'll return to Portland on Sunday and spend some hours at Powell's, which will be a special treat for the out-of-towners.

Not all my vacations are quite so book-oriented, though I often wander through bookstores when I'm visiting new or favorite places, and I always take books with me.

Check back in the Sunday Salon for a report and some photos from Sylvia Beach!

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Booking Through Thursday - Bookstores and Libraries

This week's Booking Through Thursday conundrum:

What would you do if, all of a sudden, your favorite source of books was unavailable? Whether it’s a local book shop, your town library, or an internet shop … what would you do if, suddenly, they were out of business? Devastatingly, and with no warning? Where would you go for books instead? What would you do? If it was a local business you would try to help out the owners? Would you just calmly start buying from some other store? Visit the library in the next town instead? Would it be devastating? Or just a blip in your reading habit?

Deb's question this week was prompted by the sudden destruction of one of her favorite bookstores when it caught fire over the 4th of July weekend. What a sad thing - just the thought of all those books burning makes me shudder.


I live in Portland, a bookstore- and library-rich city. The loss of any of my favorites would be distressing but, frankly, would barely be a blip in my own reading habit.


I use the library system quite a bit (Central Library, photo above); our county has invested a lot in our libraries, and the taxpayers have shown good support for the system. We have a branch in our neighborhood and can order up any book in the system online and have it sent to the local branch. The inventory is incredible - there's rarely a book I'm looking for that the library doesn't have.

Of course, we have Powell's Books here in Portland - we're just across the river from the main store (Powell's City of Books - the largest used and new bookstore in the world) and one of the smaller neighborhood stores, which is no slouch, is right up the street from us.

In Other Words Women's Books and Resources is the last surviving non-profit feminist bookstore in the United States. I used to shop there quite a lot when they were in my neighborhood, but they're somewhat less accessible to me now.

There are lots of other independent bookstores in town, new and used. I feel very fortunate to have the variety and the good local businesses here. There's no reason for me to shop at Barnes and Nobles or Borders, and I don't. I think it's important to support local bookstores and not let the big bullies put them out of business. That said, I do occasionally order books from Amazon because it's so easy to push that button when I'm lusting after a book at 11pm. I've also been buying lots of good used books lately from Goodwill (known as a charity shop across the pond), which doesn't further the cause of the indies, but does put some disadvantaged people to work.

So the lesson, I suppose, is: diversify! If one book stream runs dry, there are others to fill in the gaps. Ok, I'll quit mixing metaphors now and go read.

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