Books I Had to Have

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Mrs. Duffee Seated on a Striped Sofa, Reading Her Kindle, After Mary Cassatt

Stefanie at So Many Books found a fun book meme. I know a few times I have absolutely had to have a book and then promptly put it on the bookshelf.

  1. The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke. I absolutely loved this series. I think I caught reruns of it on The Learning Channel when it actually was an educational channel. That was a long time ago. Now it’s a massive cess pit of reality TV. Anyway, I actually kind of waffled about whether to buy it until another lady at the bookstore asked me if it was the last copy, which sealed the deal (because it was). I didn’t want the other lady to buy it and prevent me from owning it. I have no idea where this book is now. The other lady probably would have read it.
  2. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom. This is a very fat book. Harold Bloom. Don’t get me started on that guy. I probably will never read this one. I don’t know.
  3. Nigel Tranter’s The Bruce Trilogy. Bought during my Scottish phase. I did read and truly enjoy a lot of books about Scotland, but never did read this trilogy, and heck if I know where it even is now.
  4. Bernard Cornwell’s Arthur books. All of them. I absolutely love Arthurian legend, but for some reason I never read these.
  5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Yeah, I know. And I’ve had it since 2005.
  6. Who Murdered Chaucer? by Terry Jones. I actually have read part of this. And it’s a gorgeous book about a subject in which I’m very interested. Maybe this summer I’ll finish it.
  7. Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt. Still will read it. I know right where it is on the shelf.
  8. Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland. I just loved Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Life Studies: Stories. So of course, I picked up her new book. Yeah, it’s been on my self since September 2008.
  9. Same goes for People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, which I ordered at the same time as the Vreeland.
  10. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. Now I loved How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I just knew I’d dig into this one as soon as it arrived. Not so much. I’ve had it longer than the Vreeland and Brooks.

Of course I still plan to read some of these books, but I think the ship has sailed on others. What about you? You ever run out and have to purchase a book only to let it collect dust on the shelf?

photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com


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4 thoughts on “Books I Had to Have

  1. I have People of the Book too! I even placed it on my shelf where I put books I really want to read and don't want to forget about. At least it has plenty of company.

  2. I love the graphic you used! So funny. And I do the same thing. Some books I look at and think " now why did I HAVE to have this one?"

    1. Thanks, Jenners. I thought it was pretty funny. I am not sure how it relates to the topic necessarily, but I liked it.

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