Tracking incoming books -Ruth- 2024

Last year I discarded 190 items and acquired 64.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/346628#

So, it’s going in the right direction.

January is always a good month for books.
And I’ve ordered several.

It occurred to me that I want to introduce my girls and grands to Goodnight, Mr. Tom. Since I had borrowed it when I read it, I ordered three copies, one for each household.

Also still looking for a chemistry book for Olivia. Jack Challoner is known for clear explanations. The Elements arrived today for my review.

These three arrived today:

Devil’s Kiss, which I read way back in 2010 and was fairly impressed by the theology. Want to peruse it again before I read the sequel, Dark Goddess, which also arrived.
And The Secret Lives of Dresses.

I recall where this spate of orders came from! I reviewed all of my reviews a week or so ago. Must not do that for a while. Not enough space.

I did have a Thingaversary in December. 14 years. So I need to acquire 15 books. These two contribute to the count.
For class, Photography: A Cultural History
For myself, because I love this author, The Tinder Box

January -7

Those Days arrived in the mail. It’s a memoir by the brother of Margaret Armstrong. I collect books with covers designed by her.

Arrived today
The Family of Man - appears to be the original 1955 printing. The phot quality is not good compared to the later paperback I used to have.
Miss Selina Lue - so excited to have found this so inexpensively. Good, tight original binding.

I remember The Family of Man. We had a copy of it when I was growing up. I even know right where it belonged in the bookcase.

I can't add to my memories collection, though. It's already there.

This is an all round great week in several areas of my life. Why not in books as well.

I’m being deliberate about reading all of Maria Thompson Daviess this year. Some volumes are only available in Special Collections, where there is really no comfortable seating. Well, the seating isn’t the primary reason I would like to own more.
Halfway through Over Paradise Ridge, and I’m giggling at the phrasings nearly as much as with The Melting of Molly. So I keep checking AbeBooks for an affordable copy. There was one offered for sale without images. There are at least three original bindings, and I’ve fallen in love with the one at the library, green and gilt, and will have no substitutes. So I contacted the seller. That’s it! And it appears pristine. No wear on it at all. And $24, which is stretching me, but entirely fair.

>7 2wonderY: It’s here! And as beautiful as promised.

I finally looked at the author page of Sheila Mannes-Abbott, and decided it would be necessary to own her one book of brambles. Found a good used copy from England, not too expensive.

I went yard saling this morning. I was looking for particular items; which I didn’t come across. But I found an old cotton quilt for $5. Can’t pass up a $5 quilt. Also three books:
Pops!
And two books about libraries:
Part of Our Lives
The Public Library, which is full of photos.

Oops. I discarded two books at a LFL, but came home with a Town Mouse, Country Mouse copy I hadn’t seen before.* Also bought Porch Living for $3. There is an antique mall next to my hairdresser, and I stopped in to browse. Nice new stall of old items in just my style.

Just this morning, I decided I need to own three books by Judith Flanders, so I can return one to the library which was overdue. And then I realized I needed to own whatever books about Hydrangeas that I could find. Found two. AbeBooks is my friend and enabler.

*I had reviewed this one by Lorinda Bryan Cauley already. It’s still worth keeping it if I hadn’t actually owned it before.

Mmmm. I forgot to mention that I finally ordered my very own copy of a book that my sister and I borrowed repeatedly from the library and read together throughout our childhoods.
As a young adult, I sought to find a copy to gift to her; but I had the title wrong. I still want to call it ‘Eve and Plum.’ But it’s actually Nancy and Plum.

The school library here in Vienna once asked me if I wanted two books they were sorting out. Turns out my son and I were the only ones who had borrowed them in years, but we had repeatedly. Of course I wanted them.

It was on my try to find it list. I have hundreds of titles I want to check out, and when I go to the library, I sit at the catalog and look for a chunk of them. Some I request from ILL, if it sounds interesting enough.

Recently, I came across the title The Day the World Stops Shopping.
I found it in the Friends room and brought it home for $1. It wasn’t till just now that I realized it had been on my list.
In books, I’m broad, but consistent.

The one that got away!
I was cruising the yard sales today, and I did find two items I’ve been searching for. An ice cream maker for $5, and a crock pot for $2.
There was a house sale. Let’s not talk about the property; run down, but in a wooded setting on a big lot. I asked for daughter if it was going up for sale. Nope; the fourth (and fifth) generation is moving in. Oh well.
If I’d gotten there just minutes earlier, The Bandbox would have been on MY pile.


I lusted after it. There are reprints, but an original hardcover costs $65.

I did get three books that I’m very pleased to add to my shelves:
The Art of Photography at National Geographic
A hardcover large print of Mrs. Mike
And, as a consolation prize, Out-of-Doors in the Holy Land, with color plates, not credited. I don’t find MA on the binding, but it looks like it’s probably a Margaret Armstrong design.

In my fascination with Harpeth Valley, I’ve acquired The Daredevil, and I can tell it’s going to be delightful! Roberta, raised in France, is returning to Tennessee after her father’s death. Her uncle, in a letter, is expecting a nephew, so she arrives as Robert.

As well, I found a history of Harpeth Valley published this century, but written about the author’s childhood, from 1927 on. Franklin, Tennessee. He wrote 3 others, but I wanted the first or the second. Just to taste the air there. I might need to go visit.

I had a bag of stuff to drop off at Goodwill, and took a few minutes to browse the store.
I shouldn’t do that.

Came away with four books:
Feet of Clay, which I already intended to read
The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses, which follows a longtime theme in my library
Library of Souls, because of the title
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, because

>17 2wonderY: Of course you bought it. I never saw an octopus in a diver's helmet before.

Does it count if they are already in your catalog as read or watched, but unowned?
From the Friends of the Library room:
Tomorrow, When the War Began - in large print!
Little Women 2019 film
Where to Invade Next

And from the free shelf, and it may go back, but who could resist this opening line?
“The apocalypse began at Starbucks. Where else did you expect the end of the world to start?”
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza

>19 2wonderY: If it stays at Starbucks, I'm safe.

>20 MarthaJeanne: According to the jacket blurb, it doesn’t.

My textbook for class arrived today. It appears to be just the sort of nonfiction I enjoy. It’s even a reasonable size.
The Human Planet

I forgot to mention the last book I ordered - Grow A Little Fruit Tree. I’m eager to try this pruning method on my peach and cherry trees.

Well shoot me!
I was just minding my business; stopped in the college library looking for a couple of titles mentioned in class. Both only available as ebooks. Grrr.

But, the entire reference section was covered in free books! They are books held by the library or given over from faculty that have been used as textbooks.
Three that apply directly to the class I’m currently enrolled:
How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate
The Story of More
The Essential Guide to Writing History Essays
Two obvious textbooks that appear fascinating, but have no obvious use right now:
Soundscapes
Essentials of Geology
Two on West Virginia and Kentucky recent history:
Appalachian Fall
I’m Afraid of That Water -my daughter and her family lived this.
And three more that I just couldn’t leave behind:
So Rich, So Poor
Why Fish Don’t Exist
Bachelor Brothers’ Bed & Breakfast

In the mail

Understood Betsy - a lovely hardcover; but the print is smaller than I’d like.
Less is More - degrowth is what we need. How does he approach it?

Oh, and Country Women, because I wanted a poem from it.

I thought I had already bought Humankind and just misplaced it. I’ve already listened to it and it impressed me enough that I want to return and take notes. But I don’t see it mentioned in this thread. So I went ahead and bought a nice as new hardcover edition.
I recently looked at my reviews and decided I want to own The Peppermint Pig. As a bonus, I found it in a 3 books in one hardcover, also in great condition. Nina Bawden 3, so I look forward to reading the two other titles as well.

The Great Transformation, because I learned about it in class and the college library doesn’t have it in physical form. That’s a shame. It’s a key book in several intellectual arguments.

These are my people! Remember my yard sale story at >15 2wonderY:?
On the free trolley at the library today, my eye was caught by some unusually older books. And they each had labels inside claiming that address and the names George and Phyllis.*
I rescued most of them:
Penrod
Penrod Jashber
Chicken Every Sunday
A Foot in the Door remember the Fuller Brush man?
and a KY story, Gypsy the Cat Who Lived at Ashland

Also brought home Unspoken because the first page is so promising.

Also by mail, The Midas Touch, which doesn’t count because I ordered Midas World

*inside the cover of the second book
“To George, who can and does smile at the humor of youth, from Phyllis, who does likewise”

February till now - 52.

Ah well, I’ve lost the battle this year.
Ordered The Witness Trees sight unseen because I loved the concept.
( It’s a disappointing execution)

There is a very lonely LFL on campus. It’s just a little bit out of my way and the sun was shining.
Inexplicably, it always has mostly pictures books. I was thinking I might carry some of those to another LFL and bring some college age reading back.
I didn’t do that today, but I will soon.
Instead, I brought home
Noisy Nora and The Paper Bag Princess, thinking T would like them. Nah. They will go back.
I did get her a copy of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge.
For me, a very odd book - More Fun with Dick and Jane. The family has aged 20 or 30 years! Spot is still hanging in there!
And A House of Tailors.

I stopped in a used bookstore in WV while I was out running errands. I was looking for my next Discworld read. And I had no restraint.
Reaper Man and Equal Rites began the pile.
I always look for Bujold and got a hardcover Paladin of Souls. I will discard the paperback.
I hit the jackpot in Spider Robinson books, all six in very good condition. These will be distributed to my daughters, as I already have the full set.
And topped it off with Palm Sunday. It’s been a while since I read any Vonnegut.
Pleased with myself.

The Origin of Capitalism - I think I will end being a socialist.

So far this year - 59

I do have a couple on order.
I didn’t mean to, but I bought a 2025 calendar yesterday. It is prints by Carl Larrson; a few of them new to me. Now that is odd. I have most of his collected works and also several calendars from other years.

Three in my mailbox

What You Need to be Warm - read it online and wanted my own copy. It was published to benefit refugees around the world.
I Never Thought of It That Way - textbook for spring class.
From Childhood to Girlhood - my first exposure to this remarkable woman.

It wasn’t a book that arrived today.
I’ve been wanting to update my house slippers for four years.
I acquired the best slippers I’ve ever owned at a yard sale perhaps 15 years ago now. They are soft leather and have an elastic grip at the ankle.
The had only a star decoration that turned out to be a logo. In December 2020 I asked my daughter to research them and she found they are SoftStar, made in Oregon, I believe. But they’re expensive! Nearly $100.
I finally decided to splurge and treat myself. They arrived today, and I love them, even though I had no choice in the color. They only had black suede in stock. They should see me through the rest of my years.

Confessing as I order now.
Two textbooks,
Resistance in the Bluegrass
The Purpose of Power

And a resistance dvd
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
The remote control for my dvd player isn’t working at the moment. Changed batteries, but that didn’t fix it. Hmmm

Quick Goodwill stop yesterday to search the men’s rack for the sweatpants that I like. Found one pair.
I always check the bin holding small makeup bags, wallets and glasses cases. I’ve found glass frames for $1 that I can use in the future for my Rx lenses. Today I found two pair of bifocals that seem to match my prescription. Great to have spares!

Another weak willed purchase, Snowdrift and other Stories, which I am enjoying.

I received one book gift from my granddaughter, The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Olivia has developed into a thoughtful gift giver, and this year had plenty of money to splurge. She also chose wool socks, a lambs wool sweater and several selections of dark chocolate.

And the old film, Yours, Mine and Ours

My neighbors gave me a poetry book by a local artist. Rootlines. Poetry is not my thing, but these promise to be a follow-up to Wendell Berry reading form my history class.

Also, arrived in the mail, Eager, which would have been my subject for that class’s final project, if I had done it.

Something else might still arrive, but I will begin counting.

Three packages in the mail today, but two are for T, so not adding to my collections. She reminded me I had agreed to furnish her with a Dino Dana Field Guide. I saw there are two volumes and it was no trouble to get both. I hope the font won’t give her any problems, as it mimics hand written notes.

How cute is this Diabloceratops?


The third item is a documentary dvd, Pray the Devil Back to Hell

So, I’m counting 70 media acquired thus far in 2024. I will be returning one.