Every year about this time, books that I would never read show up through my mail slot. Larger numbers than usual. These unsolicited review copies are usually donated to the public library. The two books you see above both came Friday. Does anyone want them? Because, and no offense intended of course, I do not. And I am, as usual, a bit mystified as to why a publicist might think I was a good fit for either of these titles. Do publishers have such unlimited resources that they can dispatch large numbers of finished books to disinterested parties? I have received unsolicited books that I loved, but these have been few and far between. And mostly volumes of poetry from New Directions. Can anyone explain how this works to me?
Many things demand my attention today so reading time may be limited, but I want to think that there will be time for Atwood's The Penelopiad and Josipovici's What Ever Happened to Modernism? both of which are up for discussion next weekend - the blessedly long holiday weekend. What book holds your attention today?
Oh, and if you want either or both of the books above, leave a comment to that effect and my children will determine winners if multiple parties involved.