Library Loot June 16-22

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

This week Eva has the Mr. Linky where you can link your own Library Loot post anytime this week if you wish to participate.





Books:

The Good man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ by Pullman, Philip
---I read Pulman's His Dark Materials series several years ago so am anticipating a good story that makes you think.

The book thief [text (large print)] by Zusak, Markus
---I've been seeing a lot of favorable reviews online for some time and figured it was about time I sent for this. The first time it hit my radar was when my local librarian personally recommended it to me, knowing my tastes. But that was in 2007 just before the libraries closed for 6 months and at the time it had long queues. [This would qualify for a books about books challenge which I would dearly love to join but the only one I've spotted so far was closed to new entrants as of January 31. I'm tempted to start one myself as I'm a sucker for books, whether fiction or NF, that feature books, reading, story, libraries, bookstores, book collecting, study & research (academics from grade school to grad school and including the writing of and publishing of books]

This is showing as held but Ed didn't see it when he picked things up for us yesterday afternoon so it'll be there when he goes back next either Thursday or Monday. Maybe Tuesday. It depends on his work schedule's compatibility with the libraries limited 20 hours a week over three days--Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Whenever I'm tempted to complain though I remember how much better 20 hours per week is than zero. *shudder*

The red tent [text (large print)] by Diamant, Anita.
---This is one of the many novels I've had checked out several times and at least once actually stated it. Read several raves online recently so sent for it again. [Plus it will qualify for both the Women Unbound Challenge which I've joined and the Colorful Reads Challenge which I'm about to join. See my Reading Challenges Portal to follow my Challenges progress.] It's not in my possession yet but is showing as shipped on my library account so I'll probably be picking it up Thursday or Monday.

The value of nothing : how to reshape market society and redefine democracy by Raj Patel
---Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved, addresses the fact that the price we pay for things does not reflect the true cost of producing them which is why faith in the free market system is misplaced as long as long as the producers are not required to factor in those costs when setting the price and if they did most of us couldn't afford the product, considering that his estimate of the true cost of a single hamburger would be $200 dollars.

I just had this checked out for several weeks recently and had just started reading it a week before it had to go back and was so intrigued by it that I sent for it again immediately which I rarely do as it's a bit embarrassing to 'hog' a book for nine weeks and then ask for it again the same week you return it. It's less embarrassing when you can put it on a different card the second time though. :) My husband graciously agreed to it.

It took over two weeks to make the turn-around though. I hope I won't have to start it over.

Proust was a neuroscientist by Lehrer, Jonah.
---I started reading Remembrance of Things Past [At least Swann's Way for the Gilmore Girl Challenge] a couple weeks ago and while perusing science categories in the library catalog for the Science Reading Challenge I'm intending to enter, I came across this and immediately sent for it. It's not in my possession as yet but it is showing as shipped on my account so I should be able to pick it up by Monday or Tuesday.

Proust was just the literary figure featured in the title. The book actually consists of a number of chapters or separate essays each featuring a different artist whose art anticipated future discoveries by neuroscientists:

Walt Whitman : The substance of feeling -- George Eliot : The biology of freedom -- Auguste Escoffier : The essence of taste -- Marcel Proust : The method of memory -- Paul Cézanne : The process of sight -- Igor Stravinsky : The source of music -- Gertrude Stein : The structure of language -- Virginia Woolf : The emergent self

I'm really looking forward to reading this one. [This would qualify for my concept of a book about books challenge as well as the science challenge as it is a book featuring authors.]



DVD:

As you can see here I did not manage my request account well what with several series seasons coming through inside a week. A few of these I've not yet picked up but most were picked up yesterday. Besides these there are a few I listed last week I'm not yet finished with. The HBO John Adams mini-series for one. I have the option of letting a request sit inactive without loosing my place in line but once I deactivate it I can't track where my place in line actually is. So my practice is to watch my place move up into the top three positions and then deactivate it until I'm ready for it. I have repeatedly miscalculated in the last few months and ended up with a flood of 500 to 1000 minute DVD sets inside ten days at least three times in the last three months. Sometimes that means I have to speed up my player to get them all watched which is the meaning of my standing joke that I'm watching as fast as I can.

Bones. Season two. Disc 1 & 2 [videorecording (DVD)]
Bones. Season two. Disc 3 & 4 [videorecording (DVD)]
The West Wing. The complete second season [videorecording (DVD)]
The West Wing. The complete third season [videorecording (DVD)]
Curb your enthusiasm. The complete first season [videorecording (DVD)]
Up in the air [videorecording (DVD)]
Monster's ball [videorecording (DVD)]
Patti Smith [videorecording (DVD)] : dream of life