February 10, 2016

My Current "To-Read" Pile

Ever since I discovered Goodreads, I have not lacked for ideas of what to read next. When I see or hear about something that looks interesting, I click the "Want to Read" button and go on my merry way. Right now I have 270 titles on my "To Read" shelf, which--admittedly--is a bit excessive. For awhile I was trying to keep it under 100, but obviously that has gone straight out the window.

However, despite all those good ideas, I have found that my actual physical (or digital) "books to read" pile tends to fluctuate quite a bit. Part of that is because I'm a cheapskate, and also a librarian at heart. (Why buy when I can borrow?) My local library is quite small--it's just one building--and they only have so much to spend on new items. So I would say at least 60% of the books I want to read are not there.

When I'm in a dry spell, I usually start by perusing my own bookshelves for thrift store purchases I haven't gotten around to yet, or old favorites. I do still go to the library to browse, and generally come home with a stack of randoms. 

If I'm really desperate, I'll start going through my Goodreads "to-read" list and checking Amazon prices, to see if anything is cheap enough to spend actual money on. You see, I generally only buy books that I've read before and know that I like, so I have a hard time buying untried specimens. Anything under $5 I'm willing to take a chance on; $6.99--maybe, but kind of pushing it. Higher than that, I usually wait--unless I'm just dying to read it.

Then we come to this week. I have experienced a book downpour! (One of my favorite kinds!) At my last library visit, I found a sequel I had been waiting on for ages, plus 4 books straight off my "to read" list.

Then, when I got on Overdrive (digital lending library), no less than 23 of the books I've been wanting to read were suddenly available. Wait no, actually 33, because I maxed out my checkout and holds limits (5 books for each). The rest are patiently waiting on a wish list now. There must have been some recent purchases. AWESOME! 

If that weren't enough, a good friend heard that I wanted to read the last book in the Lunar Chronicles, had a copy, and actually dropped it off at my house. Yesterday. I've been on the library waiting list for that one for months!

So, preview of coming attractions! Here's what I've got lined up (in no particular order):

Winter, by Marissa Meyer
Sorcery & Cecelia OR The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Bone Gap, by Laura Ruby
Life in Motion: an unlikely ballerina, by Misty Copeland
Shadow Scale, by Rachel Hartman
The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, by Jane Yolen
Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, by Karen Foxlee
Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters, by Shannon Hale
Candy Bomber, by Michael Tunnell

Once I'm done with these, there's 25 more where they came from. It makes me want to ignore all of my life and just read for a few days...or weeks.

It's always good to have plenty to choose from.

What do you do when you get desperate for a good book?


  1. Okay, so I feel your pain on the problem of the local public library being insufficient. I even live in a major city with a huge public library system, and there are a few books on my to-read list that I fear I'll never read because the library doesn't have it, and I don't want to buy it. Does your library have any sort of library-loan service with another library system? That could be a good way to get books. Luckily for me, my library does seem to have somewhat of a budget, because they've purchased two books I've requested in the past, but wait lists are still forever long, and there are never enough audio and digital licenses, etc. But congratulations on the recent boon, looks like some good ones (a few I'm waiting on myself). Happy reading!

    1. I was really surprised to see so many pop up this week! I usually check every couple of months--you know, type in 15-20 from Goodreads, just to see what comes up--and I couldn't believe it when book after book was available. It was great!
      Yes, you can do Inter-Library Loans here, but the tend to be very stingy about parceling them out. I could also get a county library card, but the nearest branch is a bit of a drive, with nothing else in that town that I would go there for. So I haven't ever done it. I have enough trouble getting my books turned in as it is! :)

  2. Isn't this always the way it is? When it rains, it pours! Do you know if you can request your library to buy books? I've done that several times with our library, and they've always purchased them right away.

    1. That used to be an option, but now it is not. Back when they still took suggestions, I made a list of my top 5 most wanted books. They said they wouldn't buy any of them. So...yeah. Not that I don't have enough to read, because CLEARLY I manage to keep finding things, but still!
      Luckily, we have a trip coming up--to Utah actually!--so I should have some extra reading time soon.

    2. To Utah! Let me know if you have a spare hour or two when we could meet! That would be so fun!