Bargaining
You know how you make bargains with yourself? Like, I can only have that slice of cake if I exercise first or I can’t watch the new episode of Game of Thrones unless I actually go through those emails I’ve been putting off. Well, for the past few years, I keep making bargains with myself about my books.
It started when I looked around the house one day and realized that I had a bunch of books on my shelves that I had never actually read. Some of them were books I’d picked up second hand, or been given by friends or relatives, but some of them were books that I had no memory of ever acquiring. They had, apparently, been on my shelves, unread, for that long. Looking at the books, I had two thoughts. One was as sense of guilt over these poor books that had been languishing, unloved, for so many years. (I have had, from my youngest days, problems with feeling guilty over inanimate objects. Don’t even ask me about having to put my Christmas stuffed animals away into a box in the attic every January.) The second was an entire practical realization that these books were taking up valuable bookshelf real estate (always a premium in my house) and I didn’t even know if I liked them. So I gathered them up, piled them in the office, and told myself that I wasn’t allowed to get more than one book from the library each week until I had read (or at least attempted to read) these books.
That took a while (especially because I kept cheating whenever a really interesting new book would come out). But I was really glad to have done it, because I discovered some gems that I had, for some reason, been ignoring for years. I also managed to get rid of quite a few of those books, thus freeing up more Important Bookshelf Space. Though I still sighed with relief when I looked around and decided I could read freely again . . .
. . . Except that then I went to ALA and picked up about thirty ARCS. And so the process began again, though this time I gave myself an “every other book rule.” Every other book I read had to be one that was already in my house-and only the alternating book could be from the library or newly purchased.
But now, once again, I’m at the point where I can purchase and order books with impunity. (Okay, in all honestly, there are still a few books on the TBR shelf that I need to either go through or decide that I really don’t care about giving a chance to. Jack Zipes’ Spells of Enchantment, I’m looking at you. You look really interesting, but you’re also about 800 pages long, and that just seems like such a commitment . . .Really, though, it’s not you, it’s me.) In any case, first on my list are a bunch of sequels that I had been holding out like a carrot in front of myself for when I had finished. They are:
Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Prince. Actually already finished this one, the 2nd book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. Am now thinking maybe I should have held out longer, because good God it’s going to be a bad wait for book three.
Lauren Oliver’s Pandemonium. In the middle of the sequel to Delirium, and my thoughts from above are echoing in my brain. Waiting for book three’s going to be tough, if it continues on the path its going down so far.
Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore. The first book Magic Under Glass, especially had such great Regency England flavor, but with grand twists, and memorable characters. (And automatons!) I’ve honestly been surprised that it hasn’t received more attention than it has, but I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
Midsummer Night by Freda Warrington. The sequel to Elfland isn’t technically YA, though I actually think that the beginning of Elfland at least has a YA sort of flavor. Elfland is dense with interesting, if sometimes mind-bending worldbuilding, and the love story was smoldering. I think this may be set in the world of the first, rather than actually with the main characters-either way, I want more of the Aetherials.
Saints Astray by Jacquleine Carey. Also not YA, but what’s sure to be an awesome follow-up to Carey’s superhero-with-a-twist novel Santa Olivia. I’ve never been someone who’s crazy for superhero books, but Carey’s take is so unique and her heroine so tough that the first book won me over easily.
Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. One of the things I liked best about Beautiful Creatures is that it was paranormal from a guy’s point of view, something I don’t see so much of. And now that I keep hearing such good things about the movie (how do you get that many great actors together anyway?) I need to catch up on the new books.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I’m continually glad that science fiction settings are slowly making their way into YA, and I’m intrigued to see where events take Elder and Amy on the spaceship Godspeed.
It started when I looked around the house one day and realized that I had a bunch of books on my shelves that I had never actually read. Some of them were books I’d picked up second hand, or been given by friends or relatives, but some of them were books that I had no memory of ever acquiring. They had, apparently, been on my shelves, unread, for that long. Looking at the books, I had two thoughts. One was as sense of guilt over these poor books that had been languishing, unloved, for so many years. (I have had, from my youngest days, problems with feeling guilty over inanimate objects. Don’t even ask me about having to put my Christmas stuffed animals away into a box in the attic every January.) The second was an entire practical realization that these books were taking up valuable bookshelf real estate (always a premium in my house) and I didn’t even know if I liked them. So I gathered them up, piled them in the office, and told myself that I wasn’t allowed to get more than one book from the library each week until I had read (or at least attempted to read) these books.
That took a while (especially because I kept cheating whenever a really interesting new book would come out). But I was really glad to have done it, because I discovered some gems that I had, for some reason, been ignoring for years. I also managed to get rid of quite a few of those books, thus freeing up more Important Bookshelf Space. Though I still sighed with relief when I looked around and decided I could read freely again . . .
. . . Except that then I went to ALA and picked up about thirty ARCS. And so the process began again, though this time I gave myself an “every other book rule.” Every other book I read had to be one that was already in my house-and only the alternating book could be from the library or newly purchased.
But now, once again, I’m at the point where I can purchase and order books with impunity. (Okay, in all honestly, there are still a few books on the TBR shelf that I need to either go through or decide that I really don’t care about giving a chance to. Jack Zipes’ Spells of Enchantment, I’m looking at you. You look really interesting, but you’re also about 800 pages long, and that just seems like such a commitment . . .Really, though, it’s not you, it’s me.) In any case, first on my list are a bunch of sequels that I had been holding out like a carrot in front of myself for when I had finished. They are:
Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Prince. Actually already finished this one, the 2nd book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. Am now thinking maybe I should have held out longer, because good God it’s going to be a bad wait for book three.
Lauren Oliver’s Pandemonium. In the middle of the sequel to Delirium, and my thoughts from above are echoing in my brain. Waiting for book three’s going to be tough, if it continues on the path its going down so far.
Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore. The first book Magic Under Glass, especially had such great Regency England flavor, but with grand twists, and memorable characters. (And automatons!) I’ve honestly been surprised that it hasn’t received more attention than it has, but I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
Midsummer Night by Freda Warrington. The sequel to Elfland isn’t technically YA, though I actually think that the beginning of Elfland at least has a YA sort of flavor. Elfland is dense with interesting, if sometimes mind-bending worldbuilding, and the love story was smoldering. I think this may be set in the world of the first, rather than actually with the main characters-either way, I want more of the Aetherials.
Saints Astray by Jacquleine Carey. Also not YA, but what’s sure to be an awesome follow-up to Carey’s superhero-with-a-twist novel Santa Olivia. I’ve never been someone who’s crazy for superhero books, but Carey’s take is so unique and her heroine so tough that the first book won me over easily.
Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. One of the things I liked best about Beautiful Creatures is that it was paranormal from a guy’s point of view, something I don’t see so much of. And now that I keep hearing such good things about the movie (how do you get that many great actors together anyway?) I need to catch up on the new books.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I’m continually glad that science fiction settings are slowly making their way into YA, and I’m intrigued to see where events take Elder and Amy on the spaceship Godspeed.