Books on my “to read” shelf

The next two books on my list are for reviews:
From the Dust Returned, by Ray Bradbury – a review copy sent me by Infinity Plus
Memories of the Irish Israeli War, by Phil O’Brien – sent me by the author so that I can put a review on my page of Irish sf and fantasy

The other books that ended up by my bed because I recognised them as unread or unfinished during last weekend’s labours were:
The Best of Lester Del Rey, by Lester Del Rey; a classic author who I don’t particularly know, picked this up cheap in the remainder section of the local American bookshop
The English, by Jeremy Paxman; a Christmas book from the in-laws which I discover I already had an unread copy of
The House on the Borderland and Other Stories, by William Hope Hodgson; also a review copy sent me by Infinity Plus; I’m partway through it, which means I’ve read the three rather good short novels in the first half and am floundering in the long one that occupies the second half of the book Irish Tales of Terror, ed. Peter Haining; more education for my Irish sf page
Lays of Ancient Rome with Selections from the Essays, by Lord Macaulay; a school prize given to my great-aunt Caroline in 1886; classic historical stuff
The Meeting of the Waters, by Caiseal Mór; the last of the review copies sent me by Infinity Plus
Paths to Otherwhere, by James Patrick Hogan; I knew nothing of this author until I met him in Dublin in September, had a bizarre Guinness-fuelled conversation with him and noted that many people whose literary judgement I generally trust seem to hold him in respect; haven’t started the book yet though
Revision: A Creative Approach to Writing and Rewriting Fiction, by David Michael Kaplan; of course I’ll have to actually write some fiction before this is useful
Sandman: Book of Dreams ed. Gaiman and Kramer; will probably save this until I’ve reread vols 8, 9 and 10.
Shadowkings, by Michael Cobley; bought this because the author was a guest at the first sf convention I ever went to, but haven’t been able to get into it yet
30th Annversary DAW Fantasy, ed. Wollheim and Gilbert; picked it up cheap, haven’t got around to it yet
The Trial, by Franz Kafka; have read the first couple of chapters, but lacked any compulsion to finish it although it’s on two different lists of the 100 greatest books of all time
World’s End (Sandman vol. 8), by Neil Gaiman; rereading the whole sequence n a more leisurely fashion than I did when I absorbed them quickly at Christmas, will follow this with The Kindly Ones and The Wake.

That should keep me busy for the next month or so…

One thought on “Books on my “to read” shelf

  1. But it is both books which have been nominated – as a single volume.

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