Oh, joy! A large box of books appeared in my living room after the parents drove through. Whist we are still in the throws of renovation, it has sat, unexplored, for the better part of two weeks.
Unexplored is really a misnomer, because they are my books. Every couple of months, I package up all the hardcovers, ARCs and paperbacks that have accumulated and send them to my folks. I’ve turned my Dad on to the likes of John Connolly, Lee Child, John Sandford and Michael Connelly this way (Daddy stole my newly signed and unread copy of Echo Park, which I am really looking forward to reading.) My mom has different tastes, so when I package up a box for them, I try for a really wide cross section of titles.
Since the paint had finally dried in the living room, we put the little bookcase back in place (the one I use for my TBR pile – yes, it’s gotten so big that we had to buy a new bookcase, natch.) I pulled all the titles off, brought that lonely box over to the corner and reloaded.
There’s something so sublime about a full bookcase.
Since we do this dance several times a year, I sometimes forget what I’ve sent, and they don’t come back in order, so I’m always surprised by the contents of the return box. This one was no exception. Just for fun, I thought I’d run you through some of the titles that are now back in my possession.
John Sandford’s Prey series
Jan Burke – NINE and BONES
Diana Gabaldon – A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES and THE FIERY CROSS
Greg Iles – FOOTPRINTS OF GOD
Vince Flynn – CONSENT TO KILL
Michael Connelly – CITY OF BONES and CHASING THE DIME
Mo Hayder – THE BIRDMAN
Caleb Carr – THE ALIENIST
James Patterson – JACK AND JILL and BIG BAD WOLF (I saw his newest Alex Cross is coming – CROSS, on November 13. Very cool.)
Lee Child – TRIPWIRE
Tess Gerritsen – THE APPRENTICE and THE SURGEON
Harlan Coben – NO SECOND CHANCE
Jeffrey Deaver – THE BONE COLLECTOR
Erica Spindler – DEAD RUN
Robert Fate – BABY SHARK
Are you seeing a trend here? I have a tendency to share crime fiction with the parents. Maybe I’m just trying to prepare them for what’s coming. If I can get them on board with all of my favorites, then Mom won’t be so horrified when she reads what her darling cherub has written.
And the hubby just walked into the room and asked why I’m sitting in the corner in front of the bookcase with the laptop. Why, I’m sharing my little corner of the world, of course.
I know I’m not the only one who does this. So share.
What are the most recent additions to your bookshelf? What new books are making you warm and fuzzy right now?
Wine of the Week — In honor of Halloween — Vampire Merlot from Transylvania (no, really!)
Ooooo, let’s see….recent additions to the bookshelf:
Norwegian Wood by MurakamiFangland by John Marks (I’m reviewing this)On Beauty by Zadie SmithThe Art of Detection by Laurie King
What’s making me warm and fuzzy? I’m going to spend the weekend curled up with my favorite, favorite book: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
Great post, JT!
Oh I know I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t resist. Having your parents drive through your living room so you can renovate is just bloody brilliant! And they left books too! How much do they charge for that service? Great reading material on your shelves. I just read all of Sandford’s Kidd novels. Such a fun read!
And I love Murdurati!! I stop in daily.
Reading NATURE LESSONS from Lynette Brasfield and will soon be reading BABY GAME by Randy Hicks. (I’m going to be moderating a first-novel panel for a MWA-Southern California meeting in January.) NATURE LESSONS is definitely making me warm and fuzzy.
Off to Sony Studios for the Sisters in Crime Goes to Hollywood Conference. I’ll let y’all know how that goes. Sujata and I had great fun at Pacific Asia Museum last night.
And JT, I hope your mother is doing much, much better.
My TBR pile is quite possibly the most frightening thing on the planet at the moment – I just counted 11 stacks of books, and each stack has anywhere from four to 10 books. I sometimes trade books with my mother, but like you and your Mom our tastes differ. I have turned her on to some of the crime fiction I read, and she enjoys the lighter side.
The top four books in my pile are the ones I have to review, and they are:
What Came Before He Shot Her (Elizabeth George)Disturbing the Dead (Sandra Parshall)Glass Tiger (Joe Gores)Kidnapped (Jan Burke)
Great post, JT!
I’m reading ECHO PARK and THE BLADE ITSELF by Marcus Sakey right now. Next the ARC for Tasha’s new book A POISONED SEASON. After that, there are about 50 other books spread between my nightstand and the nearby bookshelf waiting to be read…
My bookshelf? Too many to list and you wouldn’t believe me if I told you what I’m reading now.
Okay, you twisted my arm. I’m re-reading everything by James Clavell. I miss him.
I have the complete list of Tess Gerritsen’s books [just finished The Mephisto Club, her best yet!]and Jan Burke’s Bones, Nine and 18. Also, all the Prey books and everything by Coben, except, strangely enough, his very first Bolitar.
But…when I have the flu, I read Stephen King’s The Stand.
Deni
Without getting into the whole what TBR pile — it’s a TBR bookshelf and then some! — issue, my fave recent new to me discovery is Kelly Braffet and JOSIE AND JACK and LAST SEEN LEAVING