During the recent US trip, instead of buying from a prepared list, I bought many books impulsively.
Since I buy a lot of books, I prefer budget options, such as booksales. When we lived there, library book sales at Los Altos and other Bay Area towns spoiled me. So, most of the books below from book sales, although I did pick up a few from Amazon, Moe's and Stanford Bookstore.
Here they are:
Old Favorite Books:In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin - classic travel writing.
The Art of Fiction by John Gardner - before Francine Prose there was Gardner, an early inspiration
At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Mathiessen - saw the movie, love Mathiessen's works, got him to autograph
African Silences (and yes, he spelt my full name correctly) but never read this book.
Two
Grantas missing from my collection.
Should Have Read Them When I Had Them Books:Rabbit is Rich and
Rabbit at Rest by Updike - I had a 4-novel Rabbit compilation in the US that disappeared before I got to it.
Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje - ok, ok, not sure about this one - English patient was good but way too long.
Atonement by Ian McEwan - tried it several years ago, was too depressed by the beginning, but will give it another try because I liked
SaturdayKnew I Wanted Them Books:The Places In Between by Rory Stewart - a winter walk across Afghanistan
Various Lonely Planet guides at substantial discount from Amazon
One Night Stand Books:The Closers by Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch is back, hope the jazz is just as good.
Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman - no idea how good, but it rang a bell, and was only 25c.
The Devil Wears Prada - did 25c cause me to temporarily lose my sense?
Practical Books:Notes on Mozart: 20 Crucial Works by Conrad Wilson
Notes on Beethoven: 20 Crucial Works by Conrad Wilson
Take a Chance Books:The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve - bought it for the nice cover :-)
The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (really enjoyed Poisonwood Bible.)
Incidents of Travel in the Central America and Yucatan by John Stephens
The Secret Pilgim by John Le Carre (love most of his work)
Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton (read Map of the World - it was ok)
A Very Special Gift:Autographed copy of
Digital Image Processing, 4th Edition by William K. Pratt, friend and mentor.
Could-Have-Should-Have-Next-Time Books(and it does not matter how many books I buy, this list would always be there):
Anything by Paul Bowles
Short Stories of Amy Hampel
The Photobook I and II by Martin Parr
Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore
Any non-fiction by Paul Auster
Autographed copy of the new McEwan novel at Moes.
Older Redmond O'Hanlon travel books.