What's a Common Reader -- and what is Uncommon Reading?

Virginia Woolf defined a common reader as someone who is not a scholar; not a critic. A common reader "reads for his own pleasure rather than to impart knowledge or correct the opinions of others. Above all, he is guided by an instinct to create for himself, out of whatever odds and ends he can come by, some kind of whole." By that definition, I'm definitely a common reader -- reading an uncommonly large and diverse collection of books.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Just Added to My Shelves:


A regular update of the books I've added to my shelves... Several have crept onto this list against my will; I've been trying to avoid spending too much money on books, but -- well, I suppose I can live off peanut butter if need be, but not without books!
  • The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe by Tony Perrottet (purchase)
  • The Murder of the Century by Paul Collins (purchase)
  • The Submission by Amy Waldman (Amazon Vine advance review copy)
  •  Untold Story by Monica Ali (purchase)
  • Essays from the Nick of Time by Mark Slouka (library)
  • The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi (publisher giveaway)
  • Unholy Business by Nina Burleigh (library)
  • Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke (library)
  • A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd (Amazon Vine advance review copy)
  • Montecore by Jonas Hassen Khemiri (loan from a friend)
  • One of our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (library)
  • Nothing: A Portrait of Insomnia by Blake Butler (NetGalley)
I'm going to have to start reading even more rapidly to keep up with the influx! Will report back on as many as possible...

Stay tuned over the long weekend for two more lists: I'll be putting together a list of the books that are due out in the fall and early winter that I'm already looking forward to reading, as well as my own plans for summer reading -- and thus a glimpse into what I'm likely to be writing about on this blog!

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