On books and reading
What my job does give me, though, is a daily opportunity for discovery. I see hundreds of books every day, some are familiar, but many are new to me - older titles that I've never encountered and others fresh from the presses. And because it's a library and not a bookstore, I'm able to sweep these books up and bring them home for a few weeks, maybe to be read, maybe to sit in a stack at the side of my bed, but all without a sense of commitment or a feeling of guilt if they're returned unopened. Usually, the number of unopened books far exceeds that of those I actually read.
Except recently. As I said above, I've been reading a lot lately. I've been wanting to read - all the time. On the train, on my lunch break, sitting in the car while my husband is in the store, in the evenings and on weekends, when I should be attending to other errands and activities. And it hasn't been that a particular book has captured me - they all have.
It just struck me this morning that perhaps I'm trying to get it all in. Perhaps I'm attempting to discover and devour as many books as I can - as many new authors, new subjects, new stories - before we move to Vienna. Perhaps I'm afraid I'll have little access to books that I can actually read once we're there and that I'll have to make due with my own collection of already read books. I know this is a little silly, that the Vienna Public Library does have an English language collection, and I fully intend to take advantage of this. I do wonder what it is like, though. Is it extensive? Current? I can search the online catalog from here (in English no less) but if there is anyone reading who is familiar with the Library, I'd love to hear what I have to look forward to.
I know I'll be able to order books online if I'm looking for something specific, but I'm thinking mostly about the opportunity to browse, to discover. A bit of quick research has turned up a few bookstores in Vienna that either specialize in or at least carry books in English:
British Bookstore
International Bookstore
Shakespeare & Company
Thalia
I also have to say that I consider myself very lucky that my native language is English and not, say, Swahili or Thai, which, I can only imagine, would make finding books in other countries much more difficult.
Are you an expat with a native language different than that of your current home? What has your experience in this area been?
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And because I'm always curious about what other people are reading, I'm going to share some of the recent titles I've enjoyed and am enjoying. Please feel free to comment and share your own recent discoveries.
Recently Read:
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City by David Lebovitz
Embers by Sandor Marai
Family Album by Penelope Lively
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Currently in my Reading & To Be Read stacks:
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
36 Arguments for the Existence of God: a work of fiction by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Boys and Girls Like You and Me: Stories by Aryn Kyle
Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
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6 comments:
i don't know if you've read this, but i really enjoyed "the shadow of the wind" by carlos ruiz zafon. totally exciting adn set in barcelona... also, the millennium series by stieg larsson. they might seem like trashy pop-fiction, but they are AWESOME. (this is the girl with the dragon tattoo, the girl who played with fire, etc.)
get ready! vienna is so, so lovely!
I used to go to the public library, but honestly their English collection is very small. I mostly buy my books either at Thalia or Amazon. Shakespeare & Co is owned by a friend's brother and sister. It is a fantastic little store. Perfect for browsing and they'll order anything you want. I often buy second hand English books at flea markets, too.
I'm currently reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, which is really good. I also just read & loved Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin.
Thank you, both, for the reading recommendations!
@Katrin - thanks for the input on the library as well. It's always so lovely to get the real scoop from one who knows. I'm looking forward to vising Shakespeare & Co. and I hadn't though of flea markets - great tip!
Maybe you should get an Amazon Kindle. That is what my brother-in-law did when he moved to Germany. I'm sure it's not quite the same as holding a real book in your hands but at least you won't miss out on the books you're eager to read.
@ Alison. That's a brilliant idea - hadn't even occurred to me as an option. Thank you!
I have a Sony Reader (same idea, different brand), and it is really great. I find that the more time I spend in a country, the more I seem to find--and accumulate--English language books, but for the beginning push, the electronic book reader is great.
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