At first, I thought I wouldn’t have a lust list this month. I believed, for some reason, that a lot of new stuff hadn’t really grabbed me lately but checking my library hold list and Amazon wish list proved me wrong — again. Here’s what I’m lusting after as the month kicks off:
Happy: A Memoir, Alex Lemon — Although not slated to be released until the end of the year, pre-release buzz about a young man seeking to recover from a stroke, addictions and depression prompted me to get on the hold list at the library a couple weeks ago.
Knut Hamsun: Dreamer & Dissenter, Ingar Sletten Kolloen — I’ve been intrigued with Norwegian author Knut Hamson since seeing a film biography a year or so ago. This biography, which won the 2004 Norwegian Readers’ Award, has now been translated into English.
Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann — As I noted about two weeks ago, I got on the library reserve list for this just before it won this year’s National Book Award for fiction.
A New Literary History of America, Greil Marcus (ed.) — Although opinions have been split, those who have praised this book absolutely love it. Containing some 200 essays on American cultural history over well more than 1,000 pages, I figure this would be a fun book to peruse off and on over the course of a few months or a year.
Playing With Fire, Theo Fleury — Fleury, who was suspended a couple times by the NHL for substance abuse and other problems, details his struggle with addiction — and his sexual abuse at the hands of a junior hockey coach.
Too Much Happiness: Stories, Alice Munro — I’ve only started to enjoy short story collections in the last year or so and have never read any of Munro’s work. So, when I heard this described as perhaps her best collection ever, I jumped on the reserve list at the library, where I’m currently sixth in line.
The best books for a man are not always those which the wise recommend, but often those which meet the peculiar wants, [and] the natural thirst of his mind[.]
William E. Channing, “Self-Culture”
I’m impressed that you are able to know where you are in your library waiting list queque. With ours, I have no clue when a book will finally be available; just that it’s “on hold” after I reserve it.
I read a short story by Alice Munro recently and am intrigued to read more of her works — will have to take a note of this collection’s title!
Knowing where you are on the list is a really nice feature, especially when you can reserve “Coming Soon” books. Being from the card catalog era, I love the ability to do this all online.