Remember yesterday I mentioned that I picked up the latest issue of BookPage at the library? Well, good times at Casa Bookgirl today because the mail brought the Nov/Dec issue of Bookmarks Magazine and the Spring 2008 catalog from Hesperus Press. Woot – talk about adding a lot of books to my wish list.

These are just some of the books that I’ll be watching out for:

• The Worst Thing I’ve Done by Ursula Hegi
• Ghost by Alan Lightman
• The Quiet Girl by Peter Hoeg
• Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki
• Away by Amy Bloom
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
• Songs Without Words by Ann Packer
• Lazy Thoughts of a Lazy Girl by Jenny Wren
• The Pilgrims by Mary Shelley
• The Maytrees by Annie Dillard

This weekend I will go through these publications to see what else I might have missed. Other weekend plans involve a bit of a book hunt as I want to find The Owl Service for the next Slaves of Golconda discussion and I am also looking for a couple of other book group reads.

And, of course reading, I am half way through my last book for the R.I.P. II Challenge so I may just make it. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

I know I said I was planning to make the library my new office after being laid off but I actually haven’t gone as much as I thought I would. It’s amazing how many projects around the house I keep getting immersed in and before you know it the day is gone, but today after a week without a visit to the library, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I spent a very nice afternoon at the library, sipping a yummy coffee, reading and of course scouring the shelves for new books. I also caught up on Creating Keepsakes magazine. I don’t do scrapbooks but this magazine always has info on the latest fun tools to use for paper crafting. I probably don’t need yet another paper cutter or new pair of scissors but well I like to see what’s new.

Anyway, I’m sure you want to hear about the books checked-out right? Here’s what I found:

• The End of the Alphabet by Cs Richardson. I know I’ve heard about this little book via various book blogs. According to the book jacket this a tender, intimate story of an ordinary life defined by an extraordinary love.
• Engleby by Sebastian Faulks. From the book description, “My name is Mike Engleby, and I’m in my second year at an ancient university.” With that brief introduction we meet one of the most mesmerizing, singular voices in a long tradition of disturbing narrators. Despite his obvious intelligence and compelling voice, it is clear that something about solitary, odd Mike is not quite right. When he becomes fixated on a classmate named Jennifer Arkland and she goes missing, we are left with the looming question: Is Mike Engleby involved?
• by George by Wesley Stace. Here’s a bit about the book: In the illustrious history of the theatrical Fishers, there are two Georges. One is a peculiar but endearing 11-year-old, raised in the seedy world of 70s boarding houses and backstages, now packed off to school for the first time; the other, a garrulous ventriloquist’s dummy who belonged to George’s grandfather, a favorite traveling act of the British troops in World War II. The two Georges know nothing of each other–until events conspire to unite them in a search to uncover the family’s deepest secrets.

Before walking out of the library I also picked up the November issue of BookPage. I can’t wait to read it and add more books to my wishlist. Finally, as if all that wasn’t enough guess what I got in the mail today? An ARC of the book Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library. Sounds like a hoot doesn’t it?