Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Score

[create_destiny]

Total Spent: $13.25

P.S. Yes, I am addicted to buying used books. No, I haven't read all the books I last posted a photo of. Yes, I'm still on a short story kick (in theory). No, Mary Karr's memoir is not a short story. Yes, I do get easily distracted and yes, I do have too many damn books. Do you want to make something of it? We could, you know, because I'm just doing laundry right now and waiting for Family Guy to start, so I've got like, five hours.

Comments

[sardonic-artery.livejournal.com]

Ah, Mary Karr, I've only ever Read Sinners Welcome and then I loaned it to a friend (you know how that story ends).

If you like short stories I always recommend Amy Hempel (Amy Hempel is a great minimalist short story writer. Miss a sentence and you're lost. Nothing difficult, just every sentence matters. She's real hit and miss--she tries hard enough to actually miss--but check out "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried". That story has been widely anthologized). Then there's Pam Houston, Raymond Carver, and Alice Munro. You know, more stack for you to go through.

[createdestiny.livejournal.com]

I haven't read any of Mary Karr's poetry but I'm so looking forward to it.

I've read Amy Hempel's Reasons to Live and found it to be wonderful stuff.

I've read some Raymond Carver and meh, I'm not sure I understand his appeal.

Pam Houston---I love her but I haven't read any of her novels or short stories.

Alice Munro---tried her once, but not really hard. I will try her again.

[sardonic-artery.livejournal.com]

Reasons to Live is my favorite fiction book, period.

I wasn't too down with Pam Houston's novel, but her shorts are great. Some call her a female response to Hemingway. I'm going to be seeing her again at a writers conference soon.

Alice Munro is hit and miss.

Raymond Carver is odd. The stories don't seem that good, but they have a way of sticking with you. I wrote on one such story here (8/13/06):
http://sardonic-artery.livejournal.com/78469.html