Lucy's book review post yesterday (which I inexplicably can't find now to link to -- Lucy, where did your post go?) [update: the post is here] got me all excited about reading some of the books she recommends. I've been a bit of a slacker on the reading front recently, because I've been telling myself that if I don't have fiction books lying around the house, I'll be forced to read the ones I should be reading that relate to my thesis. But in reality it means I read cornflake packets, toilet paper wrapping, and reread books I've read a million times before instead.
So after seeing Lucy's recommendations, I went to the town library's website and methodically searched for each book off Lucy's list. And they only had two! This is not just your small-town local library, either -- this is a website that searches the catalogue of all the libraries in this city (which last time I heard was the capital city of a large first world nation). Sigh.
So I put my name down on the list to reserve the two that they do have, and I am 9th and 15th on the two waiting lists. With each borrower able to keep their books for six weeks, and all reserve requests being automatically cancelled after six months, I don't hold out much hope for me getting hold of either of these. More sigh.
I'm thinking it might be time to relax my book-buying policy. At the moment (and for the last five years or so) I have been trying not to buy books unless they are research-related. The cost of shipping all our books from New Zealand to Germany, then Germany to Denmark, and Denmark to Australia is still too clear in my memory. And chances are, the bill will be even higher when we leave Australia in the not-so-distant future. Even more sigh.
But I *need* books, dammit!
Need need need need. Want.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Books! Books books books books books!
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6 Comments:
Books definately count as 'need' rather than 'want'. It's like an addiction :)
what were the books? her post is gone!
I know! I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it, but I know I didn't. Lucy???
oops. The post date was still set from over a week ago when I first started making my list. It's back on the front page now.
I've been trying to restrain myself from buying books, since I'll be moving countries again, too. I'm pretty lucky that the library system here gives me access to all libraries in the surrounding area. Almost every book I borrow has to be delivered from some other town.
At one point I tried restricting fiction reading to force myself to read work stuff, but it had the same effect on me.
Is there a book exchange or good second hand shop near you, at least? Or a shop with good remainders?
There are a couple of stands at the Thursday markets at university that have good second hand books, but mostly non-fiction. The only second-hand bookshops I've seen here seem either to specialise in Danielle Steel and Victoria Andrews, or to only sell pristine quality second hand books for 2/3 of their original price.
But I guess I could allow myself to buy more books if I promise to be ruthless in culling them and selling them TO second hand shops when I leave...
Weekend Viking, I deleted your comment for excessive use of the name of this city! I should really put my policy about this somewhere obvious on the sidebar, so it's my fault for not making it clear.
I don't mind people knowing where I live (note the use of "capital city" in the book post), but I don't want people typing in "linguistics" and my city name into google to ever get this blog, since our dept then might conceivably have reason to be pissed off if I write anything that shows them in a bad light.
So please don't use the C-word :)
Do comments get indexed by google, btw?
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