Books on Tap: Shelf-Sitters

Every self-respecting bibliophile has them: those books that have been on your shelf and/or to-read list for ages, but you've never gotten around to them. You mean to, you want to, but when it comes time to pick your next tome, you somehow skip them.

I am no exception to this rule. Most of these books have been hogging space on my (three) bookcases, as well as on my Goodreads to-read list. For the record, cleaning out bookshelves is just as important as cleaning out closets, so once and for all I decided to give these books a go so I could either return them to their owners, trade them in for new books if I didn't like them, or find them a permanent spot for keeps. And Lord, none of them really set my world on fire. Neither Here Nor There was the clear winner; all the rest were kind of a struggle to force myself through. Undertake them at your own risk.

Do you have any books that have been sitting on your shelf for ages? If so, what are they? When do you think you'll read them?

xoxo,
E

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery. Since this book takes place in Paris, I thought I would really like it. Unfortunately, it fell flat. I am a character-driven reader, and I simply could not relate to these characters at all. They weren't likable, or even all that understandable. But the worst part was the writing - both the tone of voice of the two main characters, as well as the narration. It was pretentious, bordering on condescending, frequently going off into philosophical tangents that seemed to have no point. It's almost as if the author simply wanted to make herself and her writing sound more scholarly than it is. I struggled through this book, thinking maybe it would redeem itself, but no. This is going back to Mr. K's or 2nd and Charles for trade credit.

How Yoga Works, by Michael Roach. Told in parable style, How Yoga Works is (at face value) the story of a young girl, centuries ago, who is imprisoned in India for carrying a valuable book on yoga. In order to prove she is worthy of the book and earn her release, she must teach yoga to the Captain to heal his bad back. If you look deeper, the story carries a powerful message about the power of yoga to heal yourself and to spread that healing to those around you. However, this worthy message is drowned in Roach's philosophical mumblings that are impossible to follow and often make no sense. Basically, look a little deeper in this book, but not too deep, or you'll be utterly confused. I wouldn't buy this book - borrow it instead.

Neither Here Nor There, by Bill Bryson. This book was on my to-read list for a while, and when my brother brought it to Tours to read it was moved to the to-borrow list. Neither Here Nor There is about a trip Bryson took across Europe, re-creating one he took as a 20-something. I think I've already covered the fact that Bryson is hilarious, but he won my heart with this line: "Romans park the way I would park if I spilled a beaker of hydrochloric acid on my lap." I literally laughed out loud at that, and many other portions of this book. He tell it like it is - the good, the bad, the ugly. I recognize, without a doubt, the places I've been to, and I can only imagine the locations we didn't make it to are just as he described them. This is a must-read for anyone who's ever been to Europe.

The Uncommon Reader, by Alan Bennett. A satirical novella about the power of books, The Uncommon Reader details what happens when the Queen of England happens across a mobile lending library while out on a walk with her corgis. Once she discovers the joys of reading, she then begins to neglect the duties of her position to read instead. And while I can identify with that impulse 100%, the novella itself just didn't do it for me. It was abrupt and jerky in places, with a marked lack of smooth transitions between thoughts and scenes. Like several other books I've read lately, it seems like the author chose to try to appear literary and intelligent rather than employing good sense in writing it. This is going for trade credit, too.

Telex from Cuba, by Rachel Kushner. This book has been on my to-read list so long I can't even remember why I put it on there in the first place. That feeling continued throughout the book. I have little interest in Cuba. The book was told from the perspective of several different people, one in first-person narrative but all the others in third-person, even though the first-person narrator didn't seem to be any more important to the story than the others. Parts of it were written so obliquely that I wasn't even sure what the narrator at the time was talking about. Parts of this book were good - my favorite narrator was Everly - but I had trouble understanding parts. It was a decent read, especially if you're into Cuba, but this will be returned for trade, too.

84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff. This book (if you can call it that) is comprised of letters from Ms. Hanff to a bookstore in England where she orders rare and used books. Pretty sure I didn't read the description carefully and thought it was fiction. Instead, these are actual letters she sent and received. They are delightful and do tell a decent little story, but I would have preferred more meat to it. This could have been a delightful fiction novel, using the letters as a base, and then building out from there. Instead, it's a little dry, bordering on boring. Also, the ending is extremely disappointing. Spoiler alert: she never makes it to England to see this bookstore and meet the people she's written to. Glad I read it, but pass.