In the Mission District
Crossing the street and reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, a re-telling of the Cinderella story, by Gregory Maguire.
He found it in the discount bin at the thrift store. He likes the author, but wouldn't have paid full price for the book.
At home he has, he explained with a wide-armed gesture, books piled up four-feet high around the rooms. He said he's read most of 80% of the books, all of 15% of the books and has read repeatedly 5% of the books.
One of the books he's read repeatedly has been Of Human Bondage, a semi-autobiographical novel by William Somerset Maugham.
Something great he read recently, which he will read again and again, is The Once and Future King, by T.H. White. It's about the Arthurian legend and is a commentary on war.
What sort of percentages do you have for having read and re-read the books on your shelf?
3 Comments:
I've probably read 80% of the books I have at home, which are about 30% of the books I've read so far. I don't keep them all - just the favorites, of which probably 10% I have read more than once.
The book you featured today is on my to-be-read pile, I bought it after reading the Wicked series. I've been avoiding it a bit, because Gregory Maguire can be a bit depressing - or rather "realistic".
I lvoe Gregory maguire, but his books are good in a very creepy way. I don't know about percentages. Once upon a time I would have said that I had probably read 95% of my books repeatedly, but the last 2 years I have been buying books like crazy. So I have probably only read 50% of my books, although I lot of them I have read more than once.
Thanks for your comments. My bookshelves (and piles) are only about 20% read. I tend not to keep books that I've already read, unless that particular copy has sentimental value....the library usually wants the books back! However, I'm jealous when I go over to someone's house who has shelves and shelves of really great books.
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