Library Loot: July 22, 2010
Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by myself and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!
Want to share your loot? Marg has the Mr. Linky this week!
This is the final time I’ll be copying and pasting that description. As I mentioned in my post on Monday, I’m handing over the reins of Library Loot to Marg. She’s looking for a new co-host if you’re interested. I started Library Loot not because I desperately wanted to host a meme, but because I was really jealous of the Mailbox Monday participants who weren’t on a book acquiring ban. ;) So I’m actually quite thrilled that I can step down as a co-host while LL continues going strong. And I still plan on vlogging about my library books as much as possible, so I’ll definitely be participating regularly. Now, on to the library books I’ve gotten! (P.S.: Sorry this is posting a bit late. Vimeo takes much longer to process videos, which I forgot about when I waited until this morning to upload my vlog. Lesson learned: next week, I’ll upload the night before!) (P.P.S.: It’s finally available, and it’s all blurry despite looking fine in the original file on my computer! *sigh* I think I need to read up on video stuff and figure out where I’m going wrong. So sorry about that too!)
Geometry of God by Uzma Aslam Khan (Reading the World Challenge), How to Escape from a Leper Colony by Tiphanie Yanique (African Diaspora Challenge), A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (Canada Challenge)
Chances Are by Ellen & Michael Kaplan (just because), Asleep by Molly Caldwell Crosby (Science Book Challenge), The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie (Reading the World Challenge)
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni (Haloes and Horns Challenge), Seraph on the Suwanee by Zora Neale Hurston (just because), The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles (Reading the World Challenge)
The Duel by Tariq Ali
(Reading the World Challenge), Water by Steven Solomon
(just because), Memories of Muhammad by Omid Safi (World Religion Challenge)
Cities of Salt by Abdelrahman Manif (Arabic Summer Reading Challenge), The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Our Mutual Read Challenge), Red Gold by Alan Furst (colourful Reading Challenge)
A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel (just because), The End of the Free Market by Ian Bremmer (just because), No Place Left to Bury the Dead by Nicole Itano (just because)
Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Vankatesh (just because), Adam Bede by George Eliot (Our Mutual Read Challenge), Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham (Graphic Novels Challenge)
Looking forward to hearing what you think about A Fine Balance – one of my favourite books!
I’m planning to start it tomorrow; I can’t wait! :)
I’ve actually read one of your books this time! I really enjoyed The Seamstress and hope you do too.
I’m almost done w/ The Seamstress now; the setting is excellent!
Currently reading The Seamstress- it’s lovely.
That’s neat we’re reading it at the same time!
:((((
They blocked all the streaming video at the college. Will have to watch this when I get home. :(((
Did I mention :(((
Aww: bad work people! lol
Angelology – I was desperate for this one. Now I can’t remember whether I bought it. How bad is that! I may have to check my book shelves.
I put it on hold so long ago at the library that I completely forgot what it was about! :)
Two thumbs up for picking up Gang Leader…I thought it was fascinating, and well told (I listened to it on audio).
I’m glad to hear it gets the Jill stamp of approval! And now I’m pouting that my library didn’t have the audio. ;)
Another fantastic haul, Eva! I’m particularly interested in “Water” since I grew up and have lived all my life in Western states that definitely have water issues. I’ve got “Cadillac Desert” on my shelf and really need to go back to it (started it, then got distracted). Water is soooo political out here!
It’s interesting how water is talked about differently in each of the states I’ve lived in! (TX, IL, CO, and CA) I’m looking forward to the book too, although it’s kind of huge! lol
I haven’t read Gang Leader for a Day, but I’ve heard good things about it. From what I understand, it’s nothing like Freakonomics (which I liked, but cannot believe they came out with another one). The book’s all about the world of a Chicago gang that Venkatesh gets very close to when he decided to do an up close study of urban poverty.
I’m glad it’s not similar to Freakonomics! I’m just hoping it doesn’t sound ‘elitist’ since it’s about poverty. If I like it, I want to try out LeBlanc’s Random Family too. I always hesitate to read books with ‘look at the poor people’ types of themes, because I don’t want it to feel exploitative/sensationalised, you know?
I know what you mean. It’s an easy trap to fall into. I’m curious to see what you think of the book. I’m hesitant to read it myself. I know a lot about gang life in Chicago because of where I grew up, and I’m afraid that it will either upset me or won’t show me anything I don’t already know.
Wow! What a GREAT selection of books. I want to read all of those! Also, I am so jealous that your library has them all. I have a feeling that mine would have… none of them :P
Thanks Amy! My library is truly one of the things I’m most grateful for. :) I can only see myself living in bigger cities simply because I couldn’t handle a tiny library system.
I am soooo.. excited for you for A Fine Balance!! Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Silly me I didn’t know he is Canadian! ;)
Thanks! I think he might have dual citizenship? Or maybe he emigrated later in life? But I know he’s definitely Canadian now, lol.
I’ve been tempted by A Fine Balance – my mother-in-law enjoyed it, but I don’t know too many people who’ve read it. I might get Angelology when it’s in paperback but I haven’t heard any feedback on it yet, so maybe not ;)
I’m eyeing the one about AIDS in Africa, and I’m interested in hearing what you think of a lot of these. Most of them are unfamiliar titles to me.
I just started Angelology, so I should be posting about it pretty soon. :) Everyone who’s read A Fine Balance seems to really love it!
What a wonderful variety of books this week! How to Escape from a Leper Colony – what a great title. I read Alberto Manguel’s A Reading Diary last week and adored it. I’m already looking forward to A Reader on Reading!
Isn’t that title perfect?! I’m almost done w/ the Manguel and after a rocky bit it turned out to be wonderful. :)
some great choices eva ,all the best stu
Thanks Stu!
Oh, you will love A Fine Balance, but you’ve probably heard that so many times you’re tired of it by now. :-) Funny coincidence on the Hurston, as I just bought a copy of Seraph on the Suwanee too – I think it’s her last novel that I haven’t read, which makes me a little bit sad. Still eager to read it, though, and then there are always her short story collections & autobiographical writings to get through!
I’m a bit nervous that I’m going to disappoint all of the people who have told me I’ll love A Fine Balance! lol
I love bookish coincidences. Suwanee is only the second Hurston novel for me…I’m glad I still have most of her stuff waiting for me. She’s a new discovery; I wish I’d read her in high school though!
A fabulous collection of books, Eva. I read several including the Furst and Gangleader For A Day and I’m adding How To Escape From A Leper Colony to my hold list at the library!
Did you enjoy Gangleader for a Day? And isn’t Furst marvelous?!
I’m reading Angelology right now. I love it. Did you like The Historian? It has a similar feel.
I loved the Historian! I just began Angelology last night; I’m only 50 pgs in, but so far I’m getting really excited about its potential. :D
Looking forward to your thoughts on the Mistry and Rushdie but most of all the Pontes De Peebles as I am reading that in the none too distant future before I go off to brazil for ages and ages!
I’m almost done w/ The Seamstress…it’s good but not great. And really…you’re travelling to Brazil?! lol j/k
‘Fables:1001 Nights of Snowfall’ looks enchanting! ‘A Fine Balance’ left a deep impression on me but was quite an emotionally draining book, and I thought ‘Angelology’ was very entertaining although it has had some mixed reviews. It reminded me a lot of Anne Rice in her early vampire writing days.
1001 Nights of Snowfall was marvelous, except for one story that left a bad taste in my mouth. But I’ll be talking about it soon! I just started Angelology; so far I’m definitely entertained. Early Anne Rice sounds like fun to me!
I really enjoyed The Seamstress, and Hurston is always good, I’ve read that one too.
The Elephant Keeper has nothing of the kind of thing you mentioned that would upset you. I found it a very calming reading experience myself and that’s always a good thing for me.
Thanks so much for reassuring me on The Elephant Keeper. :) Now it’s deifinitely on my TBR list!
I love how you have so many “just because” books on your list here….
I’m a total impulse library person. ;) In fact, some of the ones that are attributed for challenges I only realised would work once I got one!
Interesting library loot, Eva! ‘Chances are’ looks like an interesting book with an interesting cover. I read about Zora Neale Hurston in an essay by Zadie Smith and so I am looking forward to reading your thoughts on her ‘Seraph on the Suwanee’. I have long wanted to read an Alberto Manguel book – ‘A Reader on Reading’ looks quite interesting. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on all these books :)
Isn’t the Chances Are cover great?! I LOVED Zadie Smith’s essay on Hurston! I had already fallen in love w/ Hurston after reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, but that essay convinced me to read more of her sooner rather than later.
I think I’ve read almost all of Manguel’s books at this point…I started with A History of Reading, which I think would be a good place for anyone to start. In case you’re looking for a suggestion! ;)
I have to envy you for having already read Hurston’s ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ :) I will try to read Manguel’s ‘A History of Reading’ soon. Thanks for the suggestion :)
These look all so great, can´t wait to read your thoughts on them! I think I need to hunt through my library catalogue now :)
Library catalogue hunts are so fun! :D
Your library loot vlogs are always so much fun! And, how do you find such intriguing non-fiction books! I’ve added some books to my list and now that I’m officially off my summer library ban I guess I can go look for books :)
I hope you’ll love A Fine Balance. That book is amazing.
I’m always on the lookout for neat-sounding nonfic…some of it I come across when I’m putting together book lists, but others I just grab as I’m browsing the shelves. :)
A Fine Balance is one of my absolute favorite books so I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think of it. And I am curious to see what you think of Angelology because I was thinking of picking it up although I’m really not sure I’d like it.
So great to “see” you again, Eva! I missed your face (literally)! :) And also, your hair looks so pretty long like that!
I think I’m the last person ever to read A Fine Balance! lol I’ll let you know how Angelology goes. :) And thanks so much for the hair compliments! I’m so excited that it’s finally long (I’ve been growing it out for soooo long). :D It does take a bit more maintenance, since my hair’s really fine so the longer it gets the more effort I have to put in to get that ‘oomf,’ but it’s definitely worth it. :D
As usual your stack looks great! I have Manguel’s A Reader on Reading on my nightstand. I checked it out weeks ago and have barely looked at it. Happy reading!
I found it a bit uneven, but the parts that were good were really good. :)
I had two of your loot already on my list thanks to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; he’s worse than book blogs for me. But as always I’ve added some more to my list. Water and No Place Left to Bury the Dead sound particularly interesting. Must be because of this nonfiction kick I’m on.
I got the Free Market book from the Daily Show! lol Which other one did he feature? I’m 100 pages into No Place Left to Bury the Dead, and it’s wonderful so far.
Angelology has had such mixed reviews. I will be curious to hear what you think.
Really? I only saw one review of Angelology ages ago and it was really positive! I must be completely out of the loop, since I’ve been gone so much lately.
I hope you end up liking Omid Safi’s Memories of Muhammad as much as I did. It will probably make my Top Ten List for 2010 !
Nice haul, by the way ! Those are some very promising looking books !!
That makes me more excited about reading it!