Possibly my last book haul for the year

By Angus Miranda, December 27, 2012

2012′s last stack

This is not exactly a book haul; it’s more of an accumulation of the little purchases that I made for this month. I decided not to include them in my stack of gifts from the previous post because those are gifts and these aren’t. I know, I know, books are, in a sense, gifts, but you know what I mean, right?

The accountant in my brain tells me to list down these books, and here they are:

• Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence (November 28, Book Sale – Makati Square) – I forgot to include this in one of my previous posts (the one where I claimed prizes), so I am putting it here. This is already my third Lawrence book and yet, I haven’t read any of his works. I admit I am a little intimidated because of the sheer length of his works. Php 145.00.
• Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust (December 3, National Book Store – Glorietta 1) – I used my NBS gift certificate for this. Yes, this is the first volume of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Yes, I intend to buy each volume this coming year. Yes, I want the Penguin Deluxe editions. Yes, I was inspired by Jessica Zafra’s reading group. Yes, I don’t know if I can handle this. Php 589.00 – 500 GC = Php 89.00.
• Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist (December 11, Pick-a-Book – Robinson’s Forum) – Lagerkvist’s (how the heck do you pronounce that?) magnum opus, or so they say.  Another addition to my Nobel project. Php 70.00.
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver (December 16, Fully Booked – Marquee Mall) – I’m bewitched by Carver. I have wish-listed his every short story collection. If you really want to know, I was supposed to buy another Carver yesterday, but when I scanned the stories in it, I realized that that’s a selection of short stories from his other collections. Half of the stories here are also there. I might as well read the two that I already have and then go back to it. No, I think I will go back to it next month, which means I’ll be reading Carver early this year. Php 528.00.
• A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham (December 17, Book Sale – Walter Mart Munoz) – I think I already have this somewhere but I’m not sure. My uncertainty sprang at the decent condition of the book for a low cost. Actually, I’ve already seen the film adaptation (and I love the soundtrack!) but you know, I still want to read it. Php 50.00.
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (December 24, Book Sale – SM Clark) – this is one of Time Magazine’s best novels of the decade. When I saw this, I was annoyed because the front cover was nearly mangled. I had to put it at the bottom of a stack of books and walked around the store for a few minutes to give the book a chance to make itself look decent. Fortunately, it worked. I think this is a novel that deviates from my usual picks, but since I trust Time and I heard good things about this from my friends, I am going to give this a shot. Php 115.00.
• The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (December 27, Book Sale – Makati Square) – I already have a copy of this, but I like this edition. Besides, my first copy is a TPB-HB hybrid (too big for a TPB, get it?). I have friends who like this book (and who love Atwood in general). I’m a little excited to read this. Php 75.00.

If I can fight it, I won’t be making any purchases until next year, which is oh, less than a week from now. I think I have to manage my book buying because I’m starting to have shelf problems. The books that I purchased since November and the books that I got as gifts are not on my shelf. They are stacked at the foot of my bed. This is not really a problem because I love sleeping with books. It’s just that they sometimes topple over me when I get a little too rowdy in my sleep. Toppling equals damage, so yes, I should take care of them by placing them on my shelf and by reorganizing my shelf.

Dear, looks like I have some housekeeping to do before the year ends. Happy New Year!

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Categories: Ex Libris

Tagged: A Home at the End of the World, Barabbas, Books, D. H. Lawrence, Ex Libris, Fiction, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Marcel Proust, Margaret Atwood, Michael Cunningham, Novels, Par Lagerkvist, Raymond Carver, Short Stories, Susanna Clarke, Swann's Way, The Blind Assassin, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love