Waiting for it

[dreaminghope]

When I get a new book by a favourite author, one I know will be wonderful, I have trouble starting the book, for starting it will only bring me that much closer to finishing it. The anticipation of starting a new book is like the moment right before the orgasm: you both want it to last forever and want to get on with reading the book already.

I want reading the great book to be perfect: I want to be all comfy – in a soft place, warm enough – and to have a long period of uninterrupted time to enjoy it. I would be completely undistracted by illness, exhaustion, or work concerns. My house would be perfectly clean and tidy, my emails would all be answered, all the bills would be paid and filed. Of course, I have to accept less-then-ideal circumstances, or I would never have sex read at all.

I received a package from Amazon.ca today; one I wasn't expecting for a couple of weeks, so it caught me completely unprepared. Four Charles de Lint books I have never read, all here at once!

I've been lusting after some of these books for years – they are all small press items, unavailable in stores, and I finally saved up the money to buy them – and now I have them piled on the edge of the de Lint shelf of the living room bookcase, glossy and seductive, and I can't seem to get myself started.

I'll finish the Nightside book I'm in the middle of, bask in its glow for a moment or two, then grab one of the new books and not get nearly enough sleep for the next couple of nights. Right now, I am trying to tell myself that I will stretch the four books out, savouring each one. In reality, I will probably gorge myself. If I'm not on LJ a lot for the coming week, you know where I am.

I anticipate being very satiated.

Comments

[hsifyppah.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Charles de Lint is the guest of honour at next year's Foolscap (http://www.foolscapcon.org/), a tiny convention down in Seattle. Well, Bellevue. I went to this year's to see CJ Cherryh. It's very small, like, 50 or 60 people, so there is a lot of chance to chat with the guests or even sneak in to their dinner table at the hotel restaurant. Plus their hospitality suite has chocolate at all times. I was favourably impressed.

I have never read any Charles de Lint - what's a good one to start with?

[roaneskin.livejournal.com]

Any of them, but dreamhope probably has a better suggestion

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

Oh, thamk you! I am definitely going to that Con. I've never been to one, actually, and this sounds like a nice gentle intro to that world.

I'm trying to convince Russ that we should book Foolscap now; do you know when they normally fill up?

Hmmm, where to start with de Lint... my absolute favourite is Memory and Dream, which is a stand-alone novel set in his fictional city of Newford. My other top favourites, also both set in Newford, are Someplace to be Flying and Yarrow.

His short story collections (like Ivory and the Horn and Moonlight and Vines) are also fantastic, and many are also set in Newford. I would recommend leaving Onion Girl and its sequel, Widdershins, until you've read some Newford books, because it does assume some familiarity and love for regular characters.

Jack of Kinrowan is actually two novels in one, and is a stand alone. It is a lot of people's favourite.

The only book I didn't really enjoy was Into the Green. It just fell flat for me. Oh, and his horror novels (Angel of Darkness and From a Whisper to a Scream) were tough reads for me; I don't do gore.

His stuff is mostly urban fantasy, with heavy mythological overtones. His early stuff is more traditional fantasy (like Wolf Moon, Riddle of the Wren, and The Little Country), and he has one more science fiction book (Svaha - I love that one too), and one thriller (I'll Be Watching You - eh, I'm not a thriller reader either).

Um, does that help?

[hsifyppah.livejournal.com]

You can get the membership now or any time up until the day of the convention, I don't think they usually sell out. It's cheaper the sooner you do it, and of course it helps them financially to have the money in advance. Booking a hotel room is something you would want to do at least two months ahead. Usually there's a deadline and a limited number of rooms for getting the discount rate the convention has negotiated with the hotel. I don't know when exactly they usually fill up for this con - only been once and I stayed with friends in Seattle instead of the hotel. There's no downside to booking the hotel early, you can always cancel later and they don't charge you anything unless you cancel like, the day before. I don't know if they'd have next year's hotel stuff negotiated yet, though - they might still be organizing that this early. If you booked 6 months ahead that would still be lots of time.

[firerainchild.livejournal.com]

De Lint is like my favorite blanket, a warm (but not too warm) fall day, my favorite meal, cuddling with my hubby and cat, good sex, and hot tasty tea all rolled into one. It makes my soul warm and fuzzy just thinking about his books.

Man... I can't wait for my Widdershins to come in! What De Lint books did you order?

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed Widdershins - I love Jilly and Geordie.

My newest ones are my first Subterranean Press (http://www.subterraneanpress.com/) books: Medicine Road, Quicksilver & Shadow, The Hour Before Dawn, and Triskell Tales. They were all cheaper on Amazon then directly from the publisher. I've also got two pre-orders in with Subterranean Press: Triskell Tales 2 and The Newford Collection.

I got a raise recently, and spent it all on de Lint books. He's the only author I collect this obsessively, and I completely agree on your description of his books.

[firerainchild.livejournal.com]

The only ones I've heard of from that List are, Medicine Road, Triskell Tales, and Triskell Tales 2. Man, you think you have a handle on his books and you learn there are 50 you have never even heard of. : )

Have you read the Wild Wood? I have the original copy from Froud's Faerielands. That book is like my baby.

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

I loved the Froud illustrations! I read the original, with the art, from the library. I own the reprint, without the art, because the one with the art is way out of my budget now (since it was a limited edition, all copies available are pricey).

I can definitely relate to treating such a treasure like a baby. I love the copy of Spirit in the Wires I have that I got signed when he did a reading here.

[firerainchild.livejournal.com]

I would love to meet him! Wow...

Yeah, I have both the wild wood, and something rich and strange. I love them. : D

[gunthera1.livejournal.com]

Book recommendation! I love book recommendations. *squee*

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

If you like urban fantasy, you'll adore his stuff. I just posted an overly detailed list of recommendations above, if you want an idea of where to start.

book lust

[artcarheather.livejournal.com]

I so get the 'book thing'. I'm constantly trying to figure out how to get more bookcases in my house. I think that I'd prefer it if all of my walls were just built in bookcases. Here's the beginning of an essay that I never finished but I think it might resonate with you:

"We are made whole/
By books, as by great spaces
and the stars."
Mary Caroline Davies

I'm having a great sort out in my house and like most great sort outs, of my life. And what I struggle with most of all is the books. Years of books, miles of books. I find it hard to puchase a second pair of shoes but the purchase of books takes place as easy as breathing. I just walk through a book store and as I leave somehow there is always a bag placed in my hand and a receipt offered. I don't like to borrow books. I am a bad returner. Even books that have been in my possession an embarrassingly long time I more likely to be read 'one more time' the following day rather than being returned promptly. These books become part of me- they live in my mind. They argue with me during the day and sing to me at night until I finally crawl out of bed and open them for just a few pages.

Re: book lust

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

I can definitely relate to that essay intro. When I was a little girl with a limited allowance, I used to feel intense envy whenever I saw someone with a bookstore bag, because they were so lucky; they had the best thing of all: a new book. I still feel so lucky every time I get to buy a new book.

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

I think I'll keep you!

~pets the nice groupie~

[iamfairydreamer.livejournal.com]

Oh I really understand what you mean about wanting to save your books - I will get a new book by some favorite author, and want to save it instead of reading it right away - it's kind of fun to anticipate the book because after you've read it, there's nothing left to look forward to!

Enjoy your new books!!

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

...there's nothing left to look forward to!

Even the most prolific author just cannot write fast enough. It's nice to discover a writer mid-way through their career, so you can look forward to catching up. But once you have, there's the wait for the next book... the interminal wait!

[pix3lated-dream.livejournal.com]

I can definately relate, I took my time savouring Widdershins. I just picked up Tapping the Dream Tree and it's been sitting in my to-read stack since I picked it up. I've have been drooling over this one for a while and I want to be able to devour it without any interuptions. I can't believe I found it at my favourite used book store in excellent condition, I'm not sure why anyone would part with a de Lint book; however I thank them for parting with it because it is now mine. :-D

[dreamhope.livejournal.com]

... I want to be able to devour it without any interuptions.

Ah, yes! The search for the perfect reading situation, where nothing needs to get done and no one's going to ask you for anything.

... I'm not sure why anyone would part with a de Lint book; however I thank them for parting with it because it is now mine.

I found a couple of treasures in used bookstores, like a copy of Wolf Moon before it was reprinted in the new edition. It makes me really grateful that not everyone loves his stuff as much as I do.