Random Shelf Pull, No. 2
A look at eight unread books I already own...
» “So many books, so little time.” — Frank Zappa
I don’t need a system to tell me that I own more unread books than I could possibly get to in a year — or five. What I do need, occasionally, is a reminder of why they’re here in the first place.
This time I had my older son pull a handful of books at random (with me carefully watching in case he just happened to find one I’ve already read … pfft). These are books I bought on purpose, for reasons that still mostly hold up.
Here’s what he brought me.
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra
Why I have it: Well, as you can tell from my picture — this is one of those pesky Book of the Month selections that I just couldn’t pick up once they landed with regularity in my house. It’s a really great service, but one that — for whatever goofball reason — doesn’t suit me. I believe this was one of the later ones I got.
What it’s about: On the eve of America’s entry into WWII, an Italian immigrant working in Hollywood finds her fragile professional life — and carefully buried past — threatened as her studio becomes a refuge for European émigrés.
My thoughts: Honestly, I don’t know if I even knew what this was about when I ordered it. Doofus. This sounds right up my alley. I’ve never read Marra before, so I’ll have to give it a few minutes of guilt-free sampling to see. But … movies? WWII? Say less.
Upside / Downside: Upside is that I’m very susceptible to Old Hollywood settings, and this sounds like it has a lot going on in a way I usually like. Downside is probably that it also sounds like something I’ll need to be in the mood for, which means it could sit for a bit.
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Why I have it: Dude. Another BOTM pick. There are SO many…it’s kind of pitiful in its own self-deprecating way. But I did pick it up because I have read ONE other book by Moyes and … that’s it. You probably can guess which one. Yep, that’s it.
What it’s about: A British woman joins a group of Packhorse Librarians delivering books through rural Kentucky, finding independence and community in the process.
My thoughts: So, I think my hesitation in picking it up (aside from the BOTM situation) is that this cover and her rep started to lean too far into women’s fiction than what was reIading at the time and have been reading since. But that’s my own mishandled smidge of snobbery. I can definitely push myself over my own road bumps.
Upside / Downside: The upside is that the premise genuinely appeals to me, and I do like stories centered on books and the people who bring them to others. The downside is that I’ve been a little wary of Moyes drifting more firmly into women’s fiction territory, which has probably kept me from picking this up sooner than it deserves.
My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
Why I have it: Okay, so I have this because I love Babs. I love her movies. I love her singing. I love her general attitude. I bought this with FULL INTENTIONS of immediately reading it. But it came out the day after my birthday, which is in early November and then we scoot right into Thanksgiving and the holidays. And then it was suddenly the New Year and I saw other people reading it, and I’m goofy and couldn’t pick it up. Also … this was early 2024 at this point and I was heading into the dark ages of my reading, from which I have recently emerged.
What it’s about: I mean…it’s a memoir. Need I say more?
My thoughts: I have been eyeballing this for ages. I truly want to get to it. I have no solid excuse.
Upside / Downside: The upside is obvious — it’s Barbra, in her own words — and the only conceivable downside is discovering I’m somehow not in the mood for her, which feels like utter nonsense.
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
Why I have it: I’m 99.99% sure I grabbed this during one of the Charlotte Area Book Crawls at one of the independent bookstores I visited.
What it’s about: A novel told through interconnected stories that trace the human cost of a future pandemic, moving across time and place to explore grief, love, and survival.
My thoughts: I feel like this one has reviews that are kind of all over the place. So, I have been hesitant because I just don’t want to not like it. But it is a slim novel and I have been drawn to the cover and title since the beginning. And I do love interconnected short stories.
Upside / Downside: The upside is that interconnected stories and a slim format are usually a win for me, and the downside is simply that this feels like a book where your mileage may vary.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Why I have it: This one is actually a little bit embarrassing — and I don’t get embarrassed. And the minute you try to playfully shame me, my embarrassment will fall away. But … this is the latest installment in maybe my favorite fantasy series. And it’s unread. Now, to be fair … she wrote this later on, and it’s sort of a continuation of the world rather than the main characters from the previous four (I guess I’ll count the “Holiday Special”).
What it’s about: A continuation of the ACOTAR world that shifts focus to Nesta Archeron, her unresolved anger, and her complicated dynamic with Cassian.
My thoughts: I truly just need to get on with it and read it. I know I want to.
Upside / Downside: The upside is that I already love this world and fully expect to enjoy being back in it; the downside is that I’ve never really warmed to Nesta, which has kept me from committing to this very large book.
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Why I have it: I know I bought this fairly recently, but I cannot remember why. I think I was looking up other books to start or sample on audio and this came up for some list — but it wasn’t available. The premise grabbed me enough to order a used paperback of it along with the fact that I read and really enjoyed Shute’s A Town Like Alice.
What it’s about: During the Nazi invasion of France, an elderly Englishman attempting to return two children to England ends up leading a growing group of refugees across occupied France.
My thoughts: Seriously, this sounds like a sure thing, as much as that’s possible. I think the only thing holding me back is that I have to space out my WWII fiction because there is just so much of it — rightly so, but still.
Upside / Downside: The upside is that this sounds like exactly the kind of quiet, character-driven WWII novel I tend to love; the downside is just timing, since I try not to stack too much WWII fiction together.
On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) by Solvej Balle
Why I have it: This is one of the newer additions to my shelves. I bought it because it had started bubbling up here and there in my Instagram feed and I was frustrated enough to look up the premise. And then I was intrigued enough to buy the first book to see. (And hold it for a while, apparently.)
What it’s about: A woman becomes stuck reliving the same November day over and over, forcing her to reckon with time, isolation, and what it means to exist outside of change.
My thoughts: I don’t really know what I think here. The overall premise sounds really interesting and possibly ambitious … so I want to get my teeth in it before it gets too big for me to be engaged for the long haul.
Upside / Downside: The upside is that this sounds like it could be absolutely perfect for me; the downside is that it also feels like a book with a lot of potential to let me down.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Why I have it: I know this one. This baby landed in my mailbox when I had the brilliant idea of trying the Aardvark subscription service — thinking maybe it was the selections that BOTM had on offer. Spoiler alert: that wasn’t the problem. (It’s me. Hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.)
What it’s about: In a near-future America, incarcerated people are forced to compete in televised death matches run by the private prison industry, following two star fighters who are both teammates and lovers.
My thoughts: If I’m being honest, I haven’t been excited about this one — even going way back to when I ordered it. That’s on me. But I am not so solid in my BS to completely discount it based on nothing. This has been super popular but never quite flying way up above the radar, which means there’s still room for me to live with its level of hype. I have been concerned because I thought it was written in present tense throughout — but I just peeked and there was definitely past tense in there. What the hell do I know? I have heard some reviewers talk about it being graphic, but I doubt that would even register with me. Darkness is my old friend.
Upside / Downside: The upside is that this feels like the kind of ambitious, dark novel that often ends up impressing me more than I expect, especially when it’s tackling big systems and uncomfortable ideas; the downside is that I’ve never felt an immediate pull toward the premise, which has made it easy to keep putting off.
No conclusions have been reached at this time. If you have any information that may lead to me actually picking up one of these, please submit your findings for future-me’s reference.
Happy reading!
—C.
I loved a lot about Chain Gang All Stars but the fight/action scenes bored me to tears.
I totally agree with you about Jojo Moyes’ recent leanings, but Giver of Stars is totally worth reading.
As a lover of ACOTAR, I enjoyed Silver Flames but, in my mind, it didn’t really add to the completion of the overall series. It was also felt gratuitously spicy and I found myself skipping over some of the sexy parts because there were so many.