Back after the most enjoyable break.
I'm in the process of uploading a list of ALL books I own here --> http://www.shelfari.com/write-idea.
I'm in the process of uploading a list of ALL books I own here --> http://www.shelfari.com/write-idea.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, and could take a while. The idea is to stop carrying about HUGE book lists when I go to bookshops. This way, all I have to do is surf the net on my mobile and there we are. My reading range could come as a surprise to many. There's material that ranges from most juvenile to complex psychoanalytical. I'm not embarrassed. What I read depends on my mood at the time. While eating, I opt for a nice William or Chalet School. I mean, who can digest Third World Politics along with a nice ice-cream?
It's an uphill task, to first dig out each book I've collected over the years, search on LibraryThing, find the exact cover and edition and rate it (I'll add comments sometime soon). To make matters worse, my book collection is extremely disorganized and books are everywhere, series have been split up in several places and previous lists of books I've made have all gone missing. I've given myself a year to finish the uploading.
One thing I'm proud of about my books is that there are NO pirated/fake copies in my collection. I abhor piracy, whether it's books or movies (so I own a LOT of original DVDs, but we'll go into that later). I try to collect as many First Editions as possible (Hardbound). I'm interested in acquiring old hardbound children's literature (pre-1960s) and I bought several from E-bay and the local second-hand stores. I returned from the UK with a tonne of books from Oxfam.
My greatest book-loss to date was in 2004. I found a lovely hardbound - "Winkles - Schoolboy Detective" by Rowland Walker (1948) from the Oxfam bookstore on Park Street, Bristol. I lost it on my flight back :( I read it and found it to be excellent and would love to own another copy. So if anyone has it, please let me know.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a hardbound Elsie Oxenham (The Abbey Girls in Town) last month in the local second-hand store. I paid less than $1 for such a delightful read.
My old undergrad college had a WHOPPING collection of hardbound first-edition Vintage school stories, ALL the Oxenhams and Brent-Dyers and a massive lot of first-ed children's books. I read each and every one of them during my three years there (the librarian used to let me take home one a day, and read another two on site while bunking class). However, just two years later, I was dismayed to find that the library had been revamped and NOT ONE of the old books remained. I was told that the children's books were all burnt, and upon hearing that, my heart burned. Had they sold them, I'd have bought every one. Instead, now I'm paying through my nose for one old book a year, on Ebay or somewhere. During my lifetime, I hope to acquire every title I enjoyed during my Bachelors and re-create the old college library at home.
It's an uphill task, to first dig out each book I've collected over the years, search on LibraryThing, find the exact cover and edition and rate it (I'll add comments sometime soon). To make matters worse, my book collection is extremely disorganized and books are everywhere, series have been split up in several places and previous lists of books I've made have all gone missing. I've given myself a year to finish the uploading.
One thing I'm proud of about my books is that there are NO pirated/fake copies in my collection. I abhor piracy, whether it's books or movies (so I own a LOT of original DVDs, but we'll go into that later). I try to collect as many First Editions as possible (Hardbound). I'm interested in acquiring old hardbound children's literature (pre-1960s) and I bought several from E-bay and the local second-hand stores. I returned from the UK with a tonne of books from Oxfam.
My greatest book-loss to date was in 2004. I found a lovely hardbound - "Winkles - Schoolboy Detective" by Rowland Walker (1948) from the Oxfam bookstore on Park Street, Bristol. I lost it on my flight back :( I read it and found it to be excellent and would love to own another copy. So if anyone has it, please let me know.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a hardbound Elsie Oxenham (The Abbey Girls in Town) last month in the local second-hand store. I paid less than $1 for such a delightful read.
My old undergrad college had a WHOPPING collection of hardbound first-edition Vintage school stories, ALL the Oxenhams and Brent-Dyers and a massive lot of first-ed children's books. I read each and every one of them during my three years there (the librarian used to let me take home one a day, and read another two on site while bunking class). However, just two years later, I was dismayed to find that the library had been revamped and NOT ONE of the old books remained. I was told that the children's books were all burnt, and upon hearing that, my heart burned. Had they sold them, I'd have bought every one. Instead, now I'm paying through my nose for one old book a year, on Ebay or somewhere. During my lifetime, I hope to acquire every title I enjoyed during my Bachelors and re-create the old college library at home.
Fascinating blog...I love the daunting tasks of collecting and recollecting. I want to go back with a camera and visit every place I ever lived, although remembering alone is hard. Hmmm....collecting/recollecting...maybe food for a bit of an essay. In anycase, thanks for following my blob...I'll sure keeping checking out yours.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great book list. What genre is the Chalet School series? Romance? Mystery? And what era do they cover? The covers look as if the plots would be interesting. Which do you most recommend? Sorry you lost that book on the plane. Bummer. bye...Sweet Little Angel
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your blog. Library Thing is a revelation! Thanks for sharing it. I'm not sure I'm yet up to the task of logging all my books--I once listed 50 or so for a book collecting contest, and that seemed a daunting task--so you have my admiration!
ReplyDeleteBurning those children's books leaves me speechless. What a waste.