Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Marg and myself 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!
Last week, I diligently composed a library list, when to my local branch, picked up the titles and then, only a few days later, returned most of them unread. Why? I’m very happily exploring my shelves at home right now, falling back in love with old favourites, greedily eyeing the unread titles that I’m still so excited to read. My Library Loot posts may be a bit light as long as I’m engaged in this happy fashion but there were at least three titles that survived my purge this week:
Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill
I am fully prepared to either love or hate this, not allowing for much in between, based on the passionate responses of other bloggers. I am truly hoping that I’ll be in the ‘love’ camp – otherwise my five months on the wait list for this will seem a bit excessive!
The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj by David Gilmour
When have I ever been able to refuse a book about the Raj?
The Morville Hours: The Story of a Garden by Katherine Swift
The weather here has not been cooperating with my desire to spend sunny (or at least dry) days working in the garden. So, if I can’t work outside for any meaningful amount of time, at least I curl up inside and read the story of someone else’s garden.
What did you pick up this week? Do you ever go through periods of preferring your own books to library loans (or vice versa), or are you able to maintain a balance?
The Ruling Caste looks like a good one. I love reading about India!
I find Indian history and culture (not to mention cuisine) really fascinating but I must admit that I’m particularly fond of reading about the Raj and the lives of the British men and women living in India during that time.
Ruling Castle looks great, and I have been wondering about how I’d like Howard’s End, but so far my library hasn’t acquired it and I’m too chicken to pay for a copy I might end up hating. Hope you’ll love the book though! And reading from your own shelves sounds great 🙂
It has been quite the journey to actually get my hands on a copy of Howard’s End is on the Landing, having been on the wait list for it back in Calgary before I moved in December (since, like you, I’m not willing to buy it without having read it), which has only increased the pressure I feel to like it! Much easier to fall back on my shelves for now and read Gaskell and Whipple.
Five months! Good grief… I so very much hope you’re with me, on the ‘love’ side for HEiotL…
I hope the same!
I tend to take the books on my shelves for granted, and am always looking for something new from the library. Sometimes I feel like a magpie in that way. For my TBR challenge I have pulled down three books from my shelves so far, with happy results.
I’m usually the same. Picking up new books at the library is exciting; pulling something off your shelf at home is not, however wonderful and loved your collection might be. I really must make a conscious effort to read more of my own books though, otherwise what is the point of having them?
Five months on a waiting list! Wow, hope it’s worth it! 🙂
Long waiting periods are definitely the downside of being in such a large, well-used public library!
I felt Howard’s End Is On The Landing a little bit disappointing although I read it so long ago I can’t think now why I felt this, but most people tend to love it. For a good book ‘list’ I find 84 Charing Cross Road hard to beat!
The Morville Hours I enjoyed, but it’s quite detailed and I found I could only read it slowly a few pages at a time, unlike a novel which is a page-turner. But it is a very pretty book with delightful illustrations.
The latest book which has landed here is Elizabeth Speller’s The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton.
I know one of the things that has bothered a number of bloggers about Howard’s End is on the Landing is Hill’s dismisal of the literary offerings of certain countries (including my own, Canada). And I’m a little worried that the name dropping I’ve heard tell of might be somewhat off-putting. But I shall read it and then I shall know what I think of it!
I hope you love HEIOTL! I just recently read Pat Conroy’s My Reading Life and enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoyed Anne Fadiman’s Ex Libris and HEIOTL. (Guess I’m just a sucker for books about reading 🙂 )
Well, the Pat Conroy is going straight onto my TBR list now. Anything that earns a comparison to Ex Libris must be checked out!
I recently read a book from my own shelves even though I have stacks of library books sitting around my apartment. I usually feel an urgency with the library books, like I need to read them right away. My own books will always be there. But with that kind of attitude they will continue to sit unread (sigh). I’m not so good with the balance.
The balance is definitely difficult. I go through waves: I’ll read library books only for months, maybe fitting in a quick favourite from my shelf here and there, and then completely ignore my stacks of library books, the same books I was once so excited about when I first brought them home, in order to focus completely on my own collection. But, really, it does no damage since everything is free!
I once checked The Morvlle Hours out of the library but sadly never got around to reading it, these days I only take one book at a time, that gives me plenty of time to read the book without having to renew.
I’m v. grateful for the library but have to say that nothing beats the pleasure of reading ones own book, vintage or brand new.
Hi! Katy from A Few More Pages directed me over here because on the weekend, I started my own little weekly library post since I couldn’t find one elsewhere that suited me, but I think I’ll join yours! 🙂
I haven’t read any of the books you mentioned. I got quite a few this week: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot, Two-Way Street by Laura Barnholdt, Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston, and Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen.
I haven’t read any of the books on my own shelves for awhile because I’ve been so into going to the library. I keep thinking I’ll read this or that, or reread some old favorites, but I haven’t gotten around to it so far this year! lol
I have limited greatly the number of books on my shelves. I have a kindle so it is easier to have many book without fill up my house. I gave most of my books to a women’s prision program and now am relying heavily on the library as well as an occssional purchase on my kindle.
When I had shelves of books, I always felt guilty for not reading them. Now I check out books from the library with no guilt!!