My Nightstand

By Ray on September 16th, 2009

I have been meaning to write another one these entries about what I am reading, watching and listening to for sometime. I knew I had written one a while back with intent of making it a regular kind of feature here on Mephistos at the time. As a favorite really bad B movie says, “Time Passes…” Now, nearly a year and half later I am returning to the concept. A few comments first of course, and then a quick rundown of what I am reading.

As everyone knows one of my favorite places is the bookstore. I have always been fond of Joseph Beth in Lexington, and given the expansions and when they opened I feel kind of like we have matured together. Though my favorites are the used book stores ever since I discovered them. You never know for sure what you are going to find, but if you look close enough (and of course skip past the ones that just do not carry where your interest lies) you are bound to find a good bargain or two.

One thing I have noticed of late though as I hunt those shelves is I often do not recall if I have the book or not. Often I a mental, and sometimes even physical, list of books that I would like to have in my collection, especially those medieval texts about knights, armour, horses, tournaments, American Civil War, Agincourt, Hundred Years War – er – sorry. Anyway, I prefer not to think of it as an old age problem, but rather the problem is the vastness of both my to wish list of to get books and especially the list of books already in my personal library.

My problem with a list of my wants is it often large and of course never with me when I am at the store, as often I just drop by or even have a friend suggest we go. Further, while I could read four books about Henry the Fifth on campaign in France leading up to Agincourt, I can rarely remember the exact title and author of the three I have when one store has one copy of four different ones. Even more of a problem is the nature that while I will definitely want the fourth book to compare, I probably did not know about it to have it on my wish list. And you can imagine the frustration when you have twenty dollars for books, spent ten on a book only to find on arrival home you had it already.

To solve all that, I have something in mind, but check back in a few days and see if I have acted on it or not at that point. I guess in full disclosure I should add that currently, my nightstands are covered with piece of plywood, that functions as a my desk at home. Now on to my list of currently reading…

Elizabeth I: Her Life in Letters by Felix Pryor – This book is one of the most amazing items I have found in a while and was such a steal at the price I paid. It is a coffee table size book consisting of original letters to, from, and even about Elizabeth I. Nearly every other page has a copy of the original in the hand it was written, followed by a typed version and notes about the content and the who, when, where, what and how of why the letter was written and of note. It has truly be eye-opening for me in just the facts like vellum and especially fabric paper tends to not yellow to the elaborate script of Elizabeth R signature, that she insisted on always handwriting, with one exception.
Medieval Pageant by Brian Holme – Another good steal of a large edition full of color plates of medieval art, from paintings to lot from various books of hours. Not a lot of reading, but enough to keep one entertained for an evening. But several hours can spent in the details of some of the imagery. At least one image is inspiring me to do two new things for horse trappings (see it next year at Gulf Wars if I am on the ball).
Riding Lessons: Everything that Matters in Life I Learned from Horses by Bo Derek – Not my usual kind of thing, but the title caught my eye at the library a few years back. Interesting enough, found on a $2.00 bargain shelf and I liked it enough the first time I am rereading it. There is a lot of a fluff to be sure, but the intent of the title is there and a lesson or two that I should apply more often myself.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (with Steven Hopp and Camille Kingsolver) – Barbara Kingsolver writes a different kind of thing, but I have a this feeling a of kindred soul from an intro she wrote a few years ago speaking of the smell of the tobacco curing in a barn and shame she felt at college because of it. This book follows the family through a year of trying to eat off the homestead or from neighboring farms as much as possible. It is interesting and the insights offered in the sidebars are great.

Well, I suppose that is enough for now, as that is the four books (out of the about twenty) that I have touched in the last week or so. Should have finished this post last night, but sleep came at about 1:30ish and I was not going to push the issue. I am not sure why it is that fall seems to be a time to begin to turn more toward books – but you are not going to hear me complain.

* – Image from a blog site called Books on the Nightstand, check them out.