Today was music day!!!  Whew! It’s 9:50pm and I’m exhausted, but not too exhausted to check the huge bag of books I was given yesterday.  I love getting books and I don’t care if they are old, new,  water-logged or torn.  Bring it on!  It’s all good.  Boy were there some goodies!  Check them out:

The Awkward Age – Henry James

This is the story of Nanda Brookenham.  She is a young woman whose attempt to marry is foiled by members of her mother’s social circle. It’s set in 1899.

The Counterlife –  Philip Roth

He writes about  the paths a life can take and the motivation behind the decisions we make. He also talks about the reality of being a Jewish American.

Letters and Journals – Katherine Mansfield

Mansfield from New Zealand writes about her country.  Here’s a quote from her which is on the back of the book. “Here then is a little summary of what I need – power, wealth and freedom.  It is the hopelessly insipid doctrine that love is the only thing in the world…which hampers us so cruelly.  We must get rid of that boggery – and then, then comes the opportunity of happiness and freedom.”

Galileo’s Daughter – Dava Sobel

This is the story of Sister Maria Celeste the illegitimate daughter of Galileo Galilei. The story is based on the information found in 124 letters written between Galileo and a nun.

High Fidelity – Nick Hornby

The central theme in this novel is music.  The main character sells vinyl records and is an early  thirty-something having some trouble in love and growing up.

The Power and the Glory – Graham Greene

Greene explores the themes of good and evil and of course corruption.  The authorities are trying to eradicate the Catholic church in a Mexican state and there is a priest on the run.

A Severed Head – Iris Murdoch

This book is apparently about love, adultery, deception, jealousy.  It seems to have all the components of an exciting story.

The Bell – Iris Murdoch

This is a story about English society in the 1940s through the eyes of  Dora Greenfield.  This novel should be full of social commentary, which was  a common theme for Murdoch.

On the Road – Jack Kerouac

This is of course considered a modem classic and Kerouac was an American novelist who was part of the Beat Generation.  I would say this is one of those books that should be on your Must Read List.

The New York Trilogy – Paul Auster

This trilogy made Auster famous in France.  This trilogy is composed of 3 short novel called City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room.  He invented a new detective and mystery genre, while his main theme in this trilogy is  searching for who you are.

Really nice –  a little bit of classic and modern!  I think the only one I won’t read is Nick Hornby, unless for some reason I don’t have anything else to read.  I just don’t enjoy reading him, but the others are all interesting, especially Iris Murdoch.  I’ve always wanted to read her. When I’m finished with these I’ll probably sell them unless I don’t fall in love with the stories and wind up keeping them.  It’s hard for me to sell English books.  I just want to keep them all.  Not a good idea.  I’ve had to resort to storing a good portion of them in our garage.  Do I need to say anymore?