Last night we finally saw “Memoirs of a Geisha.” (First part: excellent. Second part: Bleh.) Afterwards, I wanted the book to check that the movie really had diverged that much in the second half, because it’s been a really long time since I read Memoirs of a Geisha–I believe I read it the year it came out, in 1997.)

It’s not here.

I looked on every bookshelf. Michael looked on every bookshelf. I went back and looked again.

Then I noticed that I didn’t see my copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. So we both looked for that.

It’s not here.

It this point I was somewhat distraught. Because I’d re-read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in October, so I knew I wasn’t imagining that I owned it.

Then I went to pick up the next book I wanted to read. I decided I wanted to finally read China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station.

Not here.

Now, it’s possible that I borrowed “Memoirs” from my mother. Possible. And it’s possible that Perdido Street Station ended up at the used bookstore the last time we culled the books. And it’s also possible that “Midnight” is in Baltimore with my grandmother.

It’s possible.

However, it was very disconcerting to look for three different books, and find that they were no longer there. I mean, I know precisely on the bookshelf where Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil should be. (Living room. Bookshelf by the entertainment center. Middle shelf. Far left. Beside Midnight in Sicily and The Madman and the Professor.) I may have a lot of books, but if it’s a book I really liked, I can to tell you precisely where that book is. So to look for three books in a row and find them all missing is rather upsetting. (I decided not to check on my favorite books, on the off chance that looking for these books was causing them to disappear.)

So I won’t be re-reading Memoirs of a Geisha immediately. But I’m going to find a copy soon, because I really loved the book, I don’t want the second part of the movie to get stuck in my mind, displacing the book I enjoyed so much.

ADDENDUM the First:
If you’d like my recommendation on the movie: Rent it. When the planes and WWII intrude on the story, turn the movie off and return it. Then go get the book.

I love listening to Sound & Spirit.

Even without all the other things I love about XM radio, I’d keep it just so I could continue to listen to Sound & Spirit, which isn’t available locally. (That’s become a mantra recently. “No, WV public radio doesn’t have THAT show either.”)

Anyway.

This week’s show was on courage, and I found it very interesting. I never knew that courage meant something else in medieval times. I mean, I knew that its etymology is French (and Latin), meaning, “from the heart,” but I never thought of courage as relating to… er… well…

I’m suddenly thinking that I’ve missed an awful lot in some of the books I’ve been reading over the years.

For your edification, the traditional ballad: My Husband’s Got No Courage in Him

Blood Pact (1993) Tanya Huff

Surprisingly, I like Blood Pact a lot more than Blood Lines, the last book, although it was quite different than the previous four. In this book they battle not magic, but science: a group of researchers are reanimating the dead.

I say surprisingly because the researchers were creating zombies. Vicki, Mike, and Henry kept speaking of Dr. Frankenstein, but really, it was zombies.

I HATE zombies.

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Blood Trail (1992) Tanya Huff

Okay, I did have a very strong drink to celebrate the end of the semester, so that may have been part of the reason why I laughed out loud several times last night while reading this book. Or, it could be that the book was actually amusing. Your call.

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Blood Lines (1993) Tanya Huff

In the third book in the Victory Nelson Private Investigator series, an ancient mummy is released from his bindings and takes up where he left off–gathering power and souls for his God. Several strange deaths draw Mike Celluci, and then Vicki Nelson and Henry Fitzroy onto the case.

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Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan

The series Runaways came up as a recommendation for me several times, and it looked interesting. However, I am wary books with of teenage characters, because if they’re not well done, I find them intolerably annoying. Luckily, the characters in Runaways may be teenagers, but they were interesting, and the angst was low-level and, to be honest, understandable.

Runaways Vol 1: Pride & Joy

Runaways Vol 2: Teenage Wasteland

Runaways Vol 3: The Good Die Young

Blood Price (1991) Tanya Huff

I’m embarrassed to admit how long I’ve had this book without reading it. In fact, it’s been so long that I’m not even certain precisely how long it has been, but I’m thinking I picked it up in ’94 or ’95, along with its two companion volumes. (The price was $3.99, if that tells you anything, although I got it used.) Not that I didn’t try to start this book before. I did. A rather long time ago. However, the first chapter is rather gruesome, and I thought the book was going to be horror, so I put it back for later. It’s just that later took a lot longer to get here than I expected.

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I came across a comment in passing that gave me pause to consider what I’ve been writing here. Specifically, I don’t review a lot of books I don’t like.

There’s a very good reason for this–I don’t read a lot of books I don’t like.

When I pick up a book I don’t like, I tend to abandon it; typically thinking, “Well, maybe I’m just not in the mood for this right now. Perhaps I’ll come back to it later.”

So here are some reviews of some books that I started and abandoned. Please feel free to tell me if the book gets better later, and I should really slog through fifty more pages, because the payoff will be worth it.

Read about the Abandoned Books

Swords of Haven (1999) Simon R. Green
Omnibus edition of: Hawk & Fisher, Winner Takes All, The God Killer

Swords of Haven, the omnibus edition containing the three Hawk and Fisher books, Hawk & Fisher, Winner Takes All, The God Killer, is a very odd book.

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Yeah, I know that’s three books in as many days, but two of them were comics, so I hardly think that counts. Cuz I don’t have a book problem, and denial isn’t the first sign of anything.

Besides, it’s not like that time when I read 27 Spenser books in five days.

The Farthest Shore (1972) Ursula K. Le Guin

The final book in The Earthsea Trilogy, as A Wizard of Earthsea tells of the start of Ged’s life as a wizard, The Farthest Shore closes his adventures.

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A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) Ursula K. Le Guin

Strangely enough, as much fantasy as I read, I’d never gotten around to reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Trilogy. I’ve had the books for a couple of years, but for one reason or another, never got around to reading them. It’s a short book, my copy has only 183 pages (same for the reprint I just looked up), so I kept putting off reading it until a time when I needed a short book to read. Well, that time seems to be now.

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The Tombs of Atuan (1970) Ursula K. Le Guin

The second book in the Earthsea Trilogy, The Tombs of Atuan tells the story of Tenar, who becomes Arha, the Eaten One, and High Priestess of the Nameless Ones. Tenar is taken from her home at the age of five becuase she is the reincarnation of Arha. The tombs beneath the city are her realm and her responsibility.

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Brokedown Palace (1986) Steven Brust

I don’t know how long it’s been since I read Brokedown Palace, but it was long enough ago that I didn’t remember any of the story, and I don’t think I’d yet read many of his books other than the first couple Vlad Taltos books. Which meant that there were plenty of pleasant surprise in store for me as I reread this book.

Read more about Brokedown Palace

Michael’s been studying. Guess what I’ve been doing.

Moonlight & Vines (1999) Charles de Lint

The third (I believe) Charles de Lint short story collection, Moonlight & Vines returns again to Newford. Although it starts and ends with a Christie Riddell story, and there are plenty of appearances by the characters with whom we’ve become familiar, there are also new characters, some we’ll meet again, and some who seem to appear only this once.

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Memory & Dream (1995) Charles de Lint

Memory & Dream is not my favorite Charles de Lint book. Partially, because I keep forgetting that it’s a novel and not a short story collection, so I pick up the book, start reading, and then think, “boy, this is a really long story.” Then I remember that it’s a novel, and I have to shift my expectations. It seems like a small thing, but it always throws me off, just at the point where I’m getting into the story.

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Jack of Kinrowan (1995) Charles de Lint

Jack of Kinrowan is actually two books: Jack the Giant Killer and Drink Down the Moon.

In Jack the Giant Killer, the Seelie Laird of Kinrowan’s daughter has been stolen by the Unseelie Court, despite the fact that she was being escorted by the Gruagagh. And the Unseelie Court also has the Horn that controls the Hunt, so the Gruagagh–even if he were still trusted by the Laird’s court–is trapped in his tower and unable to help, while no one else has the power to help. Except, maybe, a Jack.

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And further on the Bad News front.

Jim is not renewing his lease for The Bookshelf in May. And he’s not sure when he’ll have another storefront.

Which means that there will be Zero used book stores in Morgantown then.

He is talking about an on-line presence, but sometimes you really have to see the book, y’know?