WARNING: book overload

I have a monthly problem. Not that, though they do tend to occur at the same time. But ever since I discovered that I can afford to buy books (this was when I first used half.com to buy textbooks, etc.), I have The Need. Seriously -- it's a Need. Impossible to resist when giving in provides so much pleasure.... Uh -- we do know that I'm talking about buying books here, right? All these suggestive metaphors... But I find that every few weeks, I'll find myself inexplicably at Borders, or I'll spend literally hours browsing Amazon.com, just hopping from book to book to book and ending up nowhere near my original search query. Speaking of Amazon and Borders: the last issue of World Literature Today focused on "book culture" (a delightful issue, that one), and so I read many articles about the struggle of independent book sellers, collecting books, the seduction of a book you can touch and smell, the illustration of books and the evolution of books, restoring books and exploring bookstores across the globe -- sorry, got distracted there. Anyway, point is, I've given up on (buying from, though I continue to use their fabulous rating/reviews/wish lists, etc) Amazon.com and have moved on to Alibris where I buy only from the independent book stores (and while I may save a lot on the books themselves, the shipping price is STEEP). Here is a look at my latest shopping cart:

-- Dust, by Elizabeth Bear (an excellent book, especially in its bold take on nontraditional sexuality. And despite the latter, its futuristic answer to the classic debate of why humanity is haunted by the sensation of incompleteness.)

-- The Bone Key, by Sarah Monette (have been wanting to read this ever since I began her Doctrine of Labyrinths books -- of which the newest book is going to be released in April!!! Is it sad that my life is marked by the publication dates of books I'm looking forward to reading? Anyway, this book is a collection of ghost/horror stories which center around one main man and is written in the style of English gothic. Oh, yeah, the author has her Ph.D. in English lit -- can only expect good things from her.)

-- The Secret History of Moscow, by Ekaterina Sedia (Russian author, Russian setting, urban fantasy genre -- how could one not enjoy this? I thought to myself.)

-- An Enchanted Season (anthology by a bunch of romance writers, most notably Nalini Singh whose Psy-Changeling series of 6 books I own. I have to feed my need for love somehow. I am NOT ashamed. Though by saying that, I guess it indicates that I am. Hell. Who cares?)

-- and finally: Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville (have heard fabulous reviews and ravings about this author, who apparently single-handedly launched the whole "new wierd" subgenre. Oh, and I made a point of buying a good condition, first edition of the book -- after reading WLT, I thought I would try my hand at modern first edition collecting (where you buy now and see the profits in 10-20 years. So, darling sisters N. and C. -- stop ruining all the bindings of my books with your I'll-turn-the-book-upside-down-instead-of-getting-a-bookmark reading!!! Pet peeve, can ya tell?)

Also, if you, like me, are concerned about the future of books bc you see it threatened by tv, the internet, ebooks, etc, here's a comforting thought:

The forms in which books have thrived - oral poetry, the manuscript, letterpress, and the lithographic illustrated book - have satisfying sensuous dimension. This is something electronic books still lack, and it is crucial to making literature real in the lives of creatures like ourselves, whose minds are made in part of flesh and blood. --Robert Bringhurst, "Why there are pages, and why they must turn." World Literature Today, Vol. 82, No. 5, Sept-Oct 2008.

I wish AdultSwim would play those classic shows more often. I miss Cowboy Bebop. Some Ghost in the Shell would be nice. And how did Samurai Champloo end?