Monday, December 01, 2008

A Cure for Complicated Dreaming

I had dived into a new book and they were racing through Rome, heading for the coast and had Madness and One Step Beyond playing on the radio of their little Fiat.

Books are my ultimate luxury ... can you tell?
When I have a little extra money, I buy books. Lately I've needed them for traveling and have returned to my habit of buying. Today, while Christmas shopping, I ended up with 3 for me.

Wickedness indeed.

They all look fabulous of course ... to me, with my peculiar taste perhaps.
There is Love in Exile by Bahaa Taher and Jason Goodwin's On Foot to the Golden Horn - A Walk to Istanbul and finally, Lost Hearts in Italy by Andrea Lee.

Viva De Slegte and the excellent bookshop on the corner near the end of Tram 11 here in the city, De Groene Waterman.

9 comments:

furiousBall said...

oh i'm a book fiend as well. will have to check out these titles.

Di Mackey said...

I think you might really enjoy another recent buy of mine more, Van. Robert Fisk's, 'The Great War for Civilisation'. The title makes it sound heavy but Robert is an excellent journalist who has been out in the Middle East for years and he writes so well. 1200+ pages, it's a great winter read with your fire and your furry companions :)

A said...

The "Groene Waterman" bookshop has been my favorite for years Di, especially given the facts it's only a few minutes from my door.

I'm back into reading Nabokov these days, although ever since the Antwerp central library nearby was relocated to the unsafe Koninckplein area, I hesitate to check out what's on offer.

Di Mackey said...

I almost called you for coffee today, Peter but by the time we were done Christmas shopping, I was destroyed and limped home.

Note to self, must deal with the achilles one day soon ;)

The Littons said...

Andrea Lee is the same one who wrote the excellent "Russian Journal" I just read recently.

Di Mackey said...

So we could organise a swap once I'm done, Simon? I'm really enjoying this one.

Kat said...

Ooooh, I love recommendations, keep them coming. Think I read on another post that you liked Michael Ondjaate (can never spell it)? The EP is one of my favourite books (and films) of all time.

Sadly have been through a very bad patch with books recently, in that I haven't found one that's made me go WOW.

Di Mackey said...

I'm loving 'Lost Hearts in Italy' but I know what you mean. I take it personally when I have multiple book-purchasing failures ;)

The bad thing is that I'm attracted to that yellow through orange spectrum and I have to really force myself to read the storyline and resist anything too pretty if it's not something I want to read.

Ondaatje is a writing god :)

Jule's Short Story said...

I have no problem spending the grocery money on books, think twice about anything else but always have book money.

I've just bought Robert Fisk's book too. I hoped to get it read then give to Nick for Christmas, a tall ask I suspect.

Reading another Coelho at the moment.