Anti-Library

I have been tagged by fellow Watcher's Council member Dave Schuler at the Glittering Eye. to admit which books adorn my shelves, what I hope to derive from them, and yet which remain unread.

A question was posed originally by Mark Safranski as to the books we have that remain unread. I am an avid reader, and under normal circumstance, I consume books shortly after taking ownership. Most of my library, which occupies the vast majority of wall space in my bedroom and work area and more than a few ungodly heavy boxes in the attic, have all long been digested, though few unread remain atop my desk, staring at me in mute remonstration for my neglect.

They are:

1. Thomas Aquinas, Treatise on Law. I have always meant to read the Summa Theologica that Aquinas started writing in 1265. I love medieval history, and the Summa Theologica is a summary of the knowledge and philosphy of the towering Christian philosopher of that period. This Treatise on Law is an excerpt from that masterwork that I found in a bookstore a month ago. It is dense and requires a deal more focus than I could have given it during the chaos of the last thirty days. I suspect that I will have time to digest it by June.

2. Deen Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year. What can I say. I like Dean Koontz. And I love anything about dogs, sharing as I do my humble white trash abode with three labs. One of the reasons I appreciate Koontz is that it only takes a few hours to read any of his novels. Thus, I usually save Koontz novels for airline flights - which is what this novel awaits.

3. Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, Interpreting the Middle East. A friend sent this to me recently, and I am eagerly anticipating reading it, as Lewis is possibly the greatest historian of the Islamic world. He has been writing on the topic for over half a century, and I have read many of his works, though not this one. I expect that I will break the cover on it over the next week.

4. Roger Morse, Making Mead. I just got this at the homebrew shop the other day. I have been making mead and beer for years, and this book looked like a good one, with some fine historical recipes and hints for improving the quality of the end product. I have not opened it yet, but will do so before spring brewing season begins with the first of the new honey crop.

5. Hughes, John Milton - The Complete Poems and Major Prose. This was another gift that, I am loathe to admit has been perched atop my stero unread for over a year. I love poetry and particularly English poets of the last millenium. I read much of Milton years ago, but it has been a very long time. His work is dense. It requires effort to tease the meaning from his prose, though my experience has been that it is worthwhile effort. My heart has just not been in it to make that effort these past weeks and months.

As Dave asks, "So, what’s in your anti-library? Books you own but haven’t read. What do you hope to learn or accomplish by reading them?"

I will pose that question to some of my fellow bloggers,

Soccer Dad
Shrink Wrapped
Seraphic Secret
Colossus of Rhodey
Dinah Lord

and if any other are interested in this exercise, I urge you to take up the task and link back.