Comments on: books I currently have checked out from my school library http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:39:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: feather http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1429 feather Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:38:39 +0000 http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1429 Confessions of an English Opium-Eater <i>is</i> interesting -- I'd recommend it if you have any sort of interest in old books by addicts. Also good: Jean Cocteau's book about opium, which, while hugely repetitive, also has some really wonderful observations about art and life and the romanticization of the role drugs can play in an artist's life. Also, it includes the drawings Cocteau made while in recovery, which are almost better than the book. Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is interesting — I’d recommend it if you have any sort of interest in old books by addicts. Also good: Jean Cocteau’s book about opium, which, while hugely repetitive, also has some really wonderful observations about art and life and the romanticization of the role drugs can play in an artist’s life. Also, it includes the drawings Cocteau made while in recovery, which are almost better than the book.

]]> By: David http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1410 David Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:49:51 +0000 http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1410 Great list. If I were in Government, I'd watch you very closely:) I've only read Amis, Baudelaire and Pessoa of that list. But Confessions of an English opium-eater sounds interesting. Great list. If I were in Government, I’d watch you very closely:)
I’ve only read Amis, Baudelaire and Pessoa of that list. But Confessions of an English opium-eater sounds interesting.

]]> By: feather http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1403 feather Sat, 20 Oct 2007 17:20:24 +0000 http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1403 Hah, this is a REALLY low amount of books that I have out right now! Usually I have closer to 40 out from my school library at any given time! I've got really bad library habits, actually -- my mom is a librarian, so I spent my childhood and youth with the knowledge that I had absolutely no consequences with library books, no late fines or limits. One of these days I'm going to start using a library that fines and then I'll be totally fucked -- I'm sort of incapable of remembering to turn them in on time. My school lets me renew my books through their website, which is great. I check out so many that the end of the semester is a grand scrabble to find them all, but I'm pretty good about keeping all of my library books in one massive, teetering pile by my bed, so I don't much worry about accidentally mixing them in with my own (massive amounts of) books. Time's Arrow -- I was only about five pages in before I lent it to a friend. A friend who doesn't attend my school. I know, I know -- not only do I check out scads of books, but I actually go so far as to lend them out! I just gave it to her last night, and she promises to get it back to me by monday. I left it with her for an hour (she was stranded without a book and I, of course, had about five on my person) and of course after she'd started reading it I couldn't take it away. It's pretty interesting so far; I was sort of loathe to give it away because I was just getting hooked myself. I somewhat liked Amis's new book, House of Meetings, which I read this summer, but I get a sense of him as a very grim author -- Time's Arrow is a Nazi book. I'm going to be reading it as soon as I get it back. I've heard a lot about it, lots of discussions on whether it's actually a good book or not or if it's just a really interesting technical experience. I'd say it's definitely a candidate! My other suggestions based purely on things I've got in my immediately pending stack or want to add to it: something by Edwidge Danticat, who is a really good (but naturally devastating) Haitian writer; Barry Unsworth, who I'm reading a bit of now and finding a pretty good historical novelist; Cynthia Ozick just because I looooove her so much right now but haven't read more than one example of her fiction; something by Carson McCullers (DEVASTATING but so good -- I loooove southern gothic types of books); or maybe an African author, Coetzee or Assia Djebar (I've read quite a bit of Coetzee and having Waiting for the Barbarians in my stack for a class -- never sure if I actually like him or not, but he's very readable and ripe for discussion, and his books aren't epically long or anything -- and Djebar is supposed to be astounding, though perhaps difficult to find in non-academic libraries). Or, in celebration of her just having won the Nobel, and because I haven't read her books and of course want to, something by Doris Lessing? Hah, this is a REALLY low amount of books that I have out right now! Usually I have closer to 40 out from my school library at any given time! I’ve got really bad library habits, actually — my mom is a librarian, so I spent my childhood and youth with the knowledge that I had absolutely no consequences with library books, no late fines or limits. One of these days I’m going to start using a library that fines and then I’ll be totally fucked — I’m sort of incapable of remembering to turn them in on time. My school lets me renew my books through their website, which is great.

I check out so many that the end of the semester is a grand scrabble to find them all, but I’m pretty good about keeping all of my library books in one massive, teetering pile by my bed, so I don’t much worry about accidentally mixing them in with my own (massive amounts of) books.

Time’s Arrow — I was only about five pages in before I lent it to a friend. A friend who doesn’t attend my school. I know, I know — not only do I check out scads of books, but I actually go so far as to lend them out! I just gave it to her last night, and she promises to get it back to me by monday. I left it with her for an hour (she was stranded without a book and I, of course, had about five on my person) and of course after she’d started reading it I couldn’t take it away. It’s pretty interesting so far; I was sort of loathe to give it away because I was just getting hooked myself. I somewhat liked Amis’s new book, House of Meetings, which I read this summer, but I get a sense of him as a very grim author — Time’s Arrow is a Nazi book. I’m going to be reading it as soon as I get it back. I’ve heard a lot about it, lots of discussions on whether it’s actually a good book or not or if it’s just a really interesting technical experience. I’d say it’s definitely a candidate!

My other suggestions based purely on things I’ve got in my immediately pending stack or want to add to it: something by Edwidge Danticat, who is a really good (but naturally devastating) Haitian writer; Barry Unsworth, who I’m reading a bit of now and finding a pretty good historical novelist; Cynthia Ozick just because I looooove her so much right now but haven’t read more than one example of her fiction; something by Carson McCullers (DEVASTATING but so good — I loooove southern gothic types of books); or maybe an African author, Coetzee or Assia Djebar (I’ve read quite a bit of Coetzee and having Waiting for the Barbarians in my stack for a class — never sure if I actually like him or not, but he’s very readable and ripe for discussion, and his books aren’t epically long or anything — and Djebar is supposed to be astounding, though perhaps difficult to find in non-academic libraries). Or, in celebration of her just having won the Nobel, and because I haven’t read her books and of course want to, something by Doris Lessing?

]]> By: mrschili http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1398 mrschili Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:31:56 +0000 http://tatterdemallion.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/books-i-currently-have-checked-out-from-my-school-library/#comment-1398 HOLY SHIT! You are a MUCH braver woman than I! There's no WAY I'd be responsible for keeping track of all those books - all those books that belong to someone ELSE! I'm getting a little heebie just thinking of it! Have you made it through Time's Arrow? I'm wondering if it should be our next book club read.... HOLY SHIT! You are a MUCH braver woman than I! There’s no WAY I’d be responsible for keeping track of all those books – all those books that belong to someone ELSE! I’m getting a little heebie just thinking of it!

Have you made it through Time’s Arrow? I’m wondering if it should be our next book club read….

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