The Swedish writer Staffan Stolpe writes in his book In the shadow of a small ouzo (my translation) that he uses a system to sort out his old books. For every one new book he brings into his library, he sorts out three old books.
Sure, it sounds like a good system. Your taste in books and writers certainly changes over the years, I would for example not re-read my old Danielle Steel books, but at the same time I wouldn’t give them up either. They are a part of my life and part of who I was a few years ago. To throw them out would be like to throw out my old pictures. That might explain why I have a big box of photos and other memorabilia stacked away at home…But anyway, the books are a part of my life.
What do you do with your books? Sort them out as they don’t interest you more or collect them for sometime in the future?
Josefine
My recommendations: In the shadow of a small ouzo by Staffan Stolpe.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
New Years resolutions reviewed
It has been more than six months since I decided on my “book” New Years resolution. This is what I wrote then:
My New Year resolution is to read at least six writers that are new to me. It wouldn’t be too difficult to read a new writer every other month.
So how did it go? The new writers I have read so far this year are:
1. Susanna Alakosi
2. Marjaneh Bakhtiari
3. Geraldine Brooks
4. Joanne Harris
5. Ove Lagerkvist
6. Alice Sebold
7. Karen Blixen
8. Marita Jonson
9. Björn Kumm
10. Staffan Stolpe
11. Tina Thunander
Almost double! Looking back, I probably should have set a higher goal. But knowing me, I tend to stick to the same writers year in and year out. Perhaps my New Years resolution helped me along the way and see some new openings.
How did your New Years resolutions hold up? Did they last longer than January 2?
Josefine
My recommendations: The lovely bones by Alice Sebold
My New Year resolution is to read at least six writers that are new to me. It wouldn’t be too difficult to read a new writer every other month.
So how did it go? The new writers I have read so far this year are:
1. Susanna Alakosi
2. Marjaneh Bakhtiari
3. Geraldine Brooks
4. Joanne Harris
5. Ove Lagerkvist
6. Alice Sebold
7. Karen Blixen
8. Marita Jonson
9. Björn Kumm
10. Staffan Stolpe
11. Tina Thunander
Almost double! Looking back, I probably should have set a higher goal. But knowing me, I tend to stick to the same writers year in and year out. Perhaps my New Years resolution helped me along the way and see some new openings.
How did your New Years resolutions hold up? Did they last longer than January 2?
Josefine
My recommendations: The lovely bones by Alice Sebold
New city, new books
I'm back after a long absence I am back in the game again.
Even though a move causes many extra things to do, move out of the old apartment, move into a new. Pack, unpack. Load truck, unload truck etc…I think you get my point. This is the time when I read the most. I can read several books a week when I move. It makes me calm and it fills up all this extra times when there is nothing else I can do but wait for another person or government official to act.
The good news is that I now have plenty of stuff to fill my blog with the coming weeks.
The second thing for me to do, is walk around to all the bookstores in my neighborhood to see what they have to offer, not to mention the libraries. But that’s for another time. Now I will finish a new book.
Josefine
My recommendations: The kings comedienne by Agneta Pleijel
Even though a move causes many extra things to do, move out of the old apartment, move into a new. Pack, unpack. Load truck, unload truck etc…I think you get my point. This is the time when I read the most. I can read several books a week when I move. It makes me calm and it fills up all this extra times when there is nothing else I can do but wait for another person or government official to act.
The good news is that I now have plenty of stuff to fill my blog with the coming weeks.
The second thing for me to do, is walk around to all the bookstores in my neighborhood to see what they have to offer, not to mention the libraries. But that’s for another time. Now I will finish a new book.
Josefine
My recommendations: The kings comedienne by Agneta Pleijel
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