Goodbye to all that…

I thought I’d list the last books I bought before launching the good ship No More Books;  I reckon it’s a reasonably accurate measure of the quantity and type of books I’d buy every 6-8 weeks.  New books, that is; it doesn’t count books bought from charity shops,  sales of work, given by reps, lent by friends…

Monday 4th Jan 2010

• Already Dead by Charlie Huston (Sale €3.50) … Vampire/sci-fi
• Adventures of the Dish & the Spoon by Mini Grey (Sale €2.50) … Childrens picture book
• Wolves (HB) by Emily Gravett x 2(Sale €1.50) … Childrens picture book
• A Leg to Stand on by Oliver Sacks (Sale €4.00) … Popular science
• Was by Geoff Ryman (Sale €4.00) … Classic fantasy
• Elvis ’56 – In the beginning (Sale €5.00) … Present for sister!

Friday 8th January 2010

• Zest  (€20.00) … Cookbook
• Thursbitch by Alan Garner (€9.79) … Novel
• Staff Meals from Chanterelle (€22.00) … Cookbook
• Pompeii (illustrated) by Mary Beard (€24.99) … History
• Island of the Colour-blind by Oliver Sacks (Sale €4.00) … Popular science

So…I like a bargain!  And it’s no surprise there’s only one ‘straight’ fiction book there, and I only bought it because Alan Garner is one of my favourite young adult writers, and this novel got great reviews.

In the interests of transparency, I should say I bought a copy of our book club book, but decided to return it as it seemed against the spirit of the whole enterprise; I’ll just have to write my notes in a notebook so I don’t scribble on the borrowed copy!

This whole thing is not just about not buying books,  it’s also meant to curtail my reading of books to those I already possess. So far, the only exceptions I’m making are books I need to read for work, so thank you to all my friends and colleagues in work who have already offered to lend me reading matter, but that way lies the slippery slope!

What I am finding difficult is reading all the book reviews at the weekend, going ‘Ooo, ooo, so pretty, I want!’ before realising I.Can’t.Have.It…  So maybe my next post will be a listing of the most desireable newly published books, just to really tantalise myself!