It’s my habit that as I read various reviews in print and on-line magazines and blogs to check if the library has books I think I’d like to read. They often do and I put things on hold. Usually there’s a waiting list, sometimes a long one. Things will then pop up whenever it’s my turn. And sometimes, “my turn” seems to happen all at once. Here are the books that I’m at or near the top of the list:
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Choice of Weapons : three 007 novels by Raymond Benson, Enter Pale Death by Barbara Cleverly and Five by Ursula Archer [translation, J. L. Searle].
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove and Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
The Martian by Andy Weir, Very best of Kate Elliott by Kate Elliot, and The Advent of Murder by Martha Ockley
I may or may not be able to read them all in the three weeks the library allows, and most aren’t renewable, so I’ll have to choose. Darn.
Tip the Wink 
well, welcome to the new blog…i hope to learn why the change. as i’ve noted elsewhere, recently i noted that a B&N promo table was laden with sf the publishers were taking pains to have not labelled sf, such as THE MARTIAN (and READY PLAYER ONE and such). Still pretty rare for even romances to get that kind of treatment, though perhaps they get it the most these days…
Nice new look. I do the same with library books. My problem is not usually getting them too soon. Too often I haven’t left enough lead time and the book doesn’t come in before my scheduled end date arrives, and I have to start over. Sometimes, as with the Doerr book, I don’t request it because there are so many ahead of me. But then I did reserve it and now I’m number 700 or so.
I hope it’s worth the wait.
Our library no longer has the “no renewals” system. As long as no one else requests a book – or at least no more requests than available copies – you can renew books over and over. Of course, when a book is new the odds are that someone will want it.
Todd, I just got tired of the name “Broken Bullhorn”. It was a quick grab years back when I tried to think of something, and I’m tired of it. End and done. I just wish I could figure out how to get all the old content moved over.
Jeff, I’m not sure I understand what “I haven’t left enough lead time and the book doesn’t come in before my scheduled end date arrives,” means.
When it rains it pours, isn’t that always the way?
I hope you enjoy The Martian, it was one of my favorites of last year. And I am very interested to hear your thoughts on Karen Memory, i run hot and cold with Bear, although most readers seem to really enjoy her stuff. If you’ve got good things to say about Karen Memory, I’ll give it a try.
When you reserve a book in my library system you need to give an end date, after which – presuming the book hasn’t come in yet – your hold will expire and … hard luck, you lose. Usually I allow three months, since most books (even new ones) come much quicker than that. Occasionally, generally when a new book has a lot of interest and they haven’t bought enough copies, that isn’t long enough. I’ve started alloweing six months now on some books.
I checked, by the way, and I’m down to #525 on the Doerr book.
Of course, if you know a book is coming out you can often get onto the hold list quickly and get a very low number. Jackie’s requests are often for authors (Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb) where the library orders 100 copies or more, so as long as you’re in the first 100 (or whatever the number of copies might be) you will get the book as soon as copies go on the shelves.
Some really nice covers, Richard. I hope all the books live up to your expectations. After waiting ages for a book, the least it can do is thrill you to pieces.
I occasionally have to wait for copies of popular books as well, though in truth I generally don’t seem to read books other people necessarily want to read. Ha. Though Lee Child and Robert Crais always make me wait and wait on very long lists. Occasionally Alan Bradley’s Flavia books as well. But since I generally have many MANY books to read in between, the wait doesn’t bother me much. And you know how I love my Vintage.
And now that I have a Kindle, I’ll be downloading to my heart’s content. Though of course, I much prefer an actual book. Still, you can’t beat Kindle for vintage reads. And God bless Project Guttenberg.
Jeff, ah, I see. In our systems, that end date is automatically set for 1 year, but can be increased if there’s a month or less left. I’m 3 of 12 and 2 of 6 on a couple of books that aren’t published yet (and not shown in the post).
Yvette, I put a lot of books onto the wait list when an issue of Mystery Scene comes, or when I go to a convention. I, of course, have tons of books here, unread, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to read more. For short stories, I’m now reading Christie’s Thirteen Problems.
Red, I’ll certainly let you know.
Like Andrea, I hope you enjoy The Martian. It was fun. I’m interested to see what they do with the film.
I’m going to be reading The Very Best of Kate Elliot for the Once Upon a Time Challenge here next month.