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books, Fiction, flowers, Gardens, Halifax Public Gardens, libraries, literature, photography, reading, spring
My friend Susan Kerslake told me recently that she feels sorry for the books she’s bought. I asked if she’d write a guest post for my blog explaining why, and I was delighted that she said yes.
When I asked Susan for a short bio, she replied to say she’s been an author and is now a reader and pet caregiver. And she’s a vegetarian. And she turned 80 yesterday—happy birthday, Susan!!
Susan is a long-time member of the Friends of the Public Gardens in Halifax, so I thought I’d include a few photos of the Gardens at the end of this post. I took these last Saturday.
Oh woe! I lament the fate of my latest book purchase (Ursula K. Le Guin’s No Time to Spare) as I stack it on the tower of books beside the bed.
Along with:
The Lotterys Plus One (A recommendation from Lisa at Woozles after I inquired about something along the Penderwicks line.)
The Marrow Thieves (I’ve been going to lectures at the library on Environment and Literature, and this was suggested by the professor, Renee Hulan).
Frankenstein (Renee read us a paragraph or two in class, and I found a copy on the free shelf at the library!)
Superfly (Which is indeed about flies.)
A Mercy (On sale at Bookmark, on the charity bookcase.)
These Silent Mansions (A woman’s meandering and pondering on cemeteries in England.)
The Memory Palace: A Book of Lost Interiors (This guy is fantastic: Edward Hollis. A follow up to The Secret Lives of Buildings.)
Blood
Peace by Chocolate: The Hadhad Family’s Remarkable Journey from Syria to Canada
Curiosity
Bel Canto
And Crime and Punishment. (And what, you ask, would Crime and Punishment be doing there, but I was supposed to be reading it with a friend in BC. That petered out.)
Though sprouting bookmarks all, they are in medias res.
And what of The Corn Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates, whose sheer bolt of energy in her writing is a spur. That book, almost finished, because, you guessed it, it is a library book and due next week.
Sarah Emsley 
All book lovers have stacks of books lying about waiting to be read! Eventually, we get to them. Tis nothing more than an embarrassment of riches!
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Yes, it’s a good problem to have! I’m always interested in the ways some books rise to the top, while others wait for ages.
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Yes, one could probably come to some interesting conclusions as to how and why some books float to the top of the pile while others stay closer to the bottom! Shiela Johnson Kindred’s “Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister: The Life and Letters of Fanny Palmer Austen” has been removed from my pile and will be traveling with me to Bermuda soon. I am glad to have it on hand because I probably couldn’t acquire it serendipitously there!
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Wonderful to hear! I hope you have a fabulous trip to Bermuda and I’d love to hear what you think of Sheila’s book.
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Hello Victoria,
I am delighted to hear that “Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister” will be accompanying you to Bermuda. I trust she will be good company. You will find the old centre of St George’s (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) much as Fanny would have known it. Check out chapter one. Safe journeys. Sheila (Kindred).
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What a surprise to hear from you Shiela!We’ll be staying in St. Georges, so I will have lots of time to do some literary touring with your book in hand!
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No need to feel sorry for them. They are all in good company! At least, I like to think that my unread books feel right at home with so many others in the same situation. It’s a bit frustrating, isn’t it, that once we own a book, the urgency to read it often leaves us.
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I have a big stack of unread books…and anticipation rather than regret at one more purchase (or even guilt) is my preferred response.
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That’s a lovely way of looking at it—thanks, Jill!
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It’s funny (and frustrating) when that urgency disappears. I like your idea that the unread books keep each other company!
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I, too, lamented my TBR pile as an overwhelmingly insurmountable task, but being diagnosed with ADHD last year and finally landing on medication that worked for me has led to rethinking my goals and figuring out new ways to achieve them. I realized that though I still wanted to read all of those books, the act of picking up and sticking with a physical book was not where my strengths lay. So I went through my entire pile and found audiobooks of most of them – some through Audible and some through the public library – and now…I’m listening to them while driving or sewing!! It’s a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
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Oh, how interesting, Sarah! What a wonderful discovery. I’m so glad you’ve found an approach that works for you. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Hi Susan! Hope you are well!
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Hi Sarah! Hope all’s well with you. Susan asked me to say hello from her–and to tell you that she now has a rabbit.
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This post feels all too familiar. In a good way. What would I do without all my unread books? Sometimes I look at them and feel discouraged, but most of the time they fill me with excitement and anticipation.
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I know what you mean. Depends on the day!
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