Book news: a strange feeling comes over me, and I win at Borders

I will start with the strange news and end with my shopping trip to Borders. So, in my last post I wrote about a book review I held onto for years and how I finally got a copy of the book. Well, I started the book last night but from the very first page something became eerily clear: I had a history with the story. As I read a weird sensation came over me, almost a foreboding feeling. I did not think “ah, I read this already” rather it just seemed I knew this story. Had I previously read it and forgot? If so, why did it bother me, rather than just become another case of forgetting a long past read?

I looked at the publishing date. It was written in 2004, the same year I moved to Nevada. I know I was a little stressed out, but come one, surely I would remember reading this book, yet the title and book cover are very unfamiliar to me. I started a reading log in 2007 so it is possible I read it, but this would mean I either read the book before I saw the review, or read it after seeing the review but never made the connection. These are the two logical (yet scary) choices. The other is that I have some kind of supernatural connection with the story. I am going to continue reading hoping I will finally remember having already read it. I will keep you posted.

I decided to treat myself today to a trip to the book store. I was given a $30.00 Borders gift card last week and felt today would be a good day to spend it. The clincher was the 50% coupon e-mail I received. What true reader can turn down such a deal? I jumped in the car and headed out.

I spent an hour looking at various genres. It was nice to spend time in a book store knowing I had no time limit. No one was waiting at home. I could stay looking all afternoon, and stay I did. I found very quickly that I no longer have the stomach to spend over $15.00 on a paperback novel. Oh sure I found several titles that sounded good; one is titled The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox. Have any of you read this? It is a biblical mystery which critics are saying is better than anything Dan Brown has put out. It looked good, but $15.99 for a book that I will read in a couple of days, then cast off to Paperback Swap? Nope, could not do it, not even with a gift card. I will save the title to my wish list and hope someone parts with it soon. Or maybe my library has a copy. I also saw The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson, which sounds oh so good is a new hardback at $26.00. Again I just could not do it.

So what did I finally decide on? Well, it is easier for me to spend money on nonfiction as these are the books I keep on my shelf to refer back to again and again. Though it still pains me to spend over $15.00 on paperbacks I am happy with my four picks. What do you think? Did I do good? I am not sure which to read first! Oh the dilemma!

Why it pays to hold off on buying a new release and why I love Paperback Swap

Like many avid readers I used to rush out and buy a book title that sounded good. Maybe a fellow blogger raved about a recent read. Perhaps I listen to an author interview on NPR or sometimes a professional review moved me to try a new author. Often though, by the time I got around to reading the book, it no longer held appeal to me. I used to have a lot of books on my TBR shelf waiting to be read, yet the pile never seemed to go down, it just grew until the books flowed down to the floor and tucked into odd places around the house. Now I have a “wish list” spreadsheet where I place titles that sound good yet I hesitate to buy or order from the library.

I go through my wish list now and again looking to see if the titles still appeal to me. Sometimes they do, but honestly a lot of times they do not. This has saved me money and time and is working well for me. Just this week I found sometimes it pays to put off purchasing a new release.

A few years ago I came across a review for Henry Grunwald’s A Saint More or Less:
In 1594, Nicole Tavernier arrived in Paris, claiming to be on a mission from God. Her knowledge of Scripture impressed skeptical clerics, and her reputation for working miracles won over a populace ravaged by bloody religious conflict. Nicole joined the household of Barbe Acarie, a Parisian woman renowned for her piety and holiness. The two became fixtures in the streets of Paris, journeying every day to the hospital to tend to the sick and dying. But four years later, Barbe dismissed Nicole, claiming that she was a fraud. After undergoing a harrowing exorcism, Nicole traveled to Reims, where she ultimately married. Barbe Acarie was proposed for sainthood shortly after her death, but Nicole has been largely forgotten. From the scant facts known about the intersection of these two remarkable lives, Grunwald has crafted a rich and compelling novel about the meaning of faith and the limits of holiness. Was Nicole a saint or a fraud? Grunwald’s subtle narrative suggests that there may be less of a division than we think between those who doubt and those who believe
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

I held off on buying it because though it sounded good I did not want to buy a hardback written by an unfamiliar author. I held onto the review for 5 years, actually I forgot all about the review until I found it while moving my desk into my den. Yes, now that my son is gone I have the den all to myself! I read the review again and wondered if I could find the book on Paperback Swap. I love PBS because it more than any other online book swapping site, has saved me hundreds of dollars. Sure enough, not only was it available on the site I snagged a hardback copy! Yes, I added to my large TBR pile, but at least I am quite certain it is a title I will read.

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