Tolstoy Treats: UPDATE

Thinking about the potential freedom of getting to read independently was seriously making it impossible to concentrate, especially since my desk faces my "unread books" bookshelf, which is either shamefully or awesomely burdened with books depending on how you feel about personal libraries (and personal budgeting).

I also kept thinking about the books I put on my Christmas wish list and whether or not it's evil to buy one for yourself ahead of time. I went to Borders for the first time in months today, and it was like falling off the wagon. Falling off the wagon.

I haven't been to Borders in so long I feel like my sponsor should give me a chip. Aaaaaand today they should take it away.

Anyway, this is my current short-list. I'm not fishing for gifts here. I'm posting this because these are all books I've heard nothing but great things about, and though I haven't read them, you might be looking for a read or a gift idea. Trust me, you don't really want to know about the books I've been reading for class, so this in lieu of a book review.

• Celebrity Chekhov: Stories by Anton Chekhov, by Ben Greenman A remake of a classic without and zombies or vampires. Unless celebrities count as bloodsuckers.
  
  
• How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, by Charles Yu I love new, unique science fiction that just has that feel to it
  
  
• At Home, by Bill Bryson Is it because I'm engaged, or because I'm sick of renting?
  
  
• Shop Class as Soulcraft, by Matthew Crawford We live in a world where people are primarily interested in buying things, this book is interesting to me because he celebrates the pleasure of craft.
  
  
• Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach Roach's books are always insanely entertaining--dead bodies, the afterlife, sex, and now the final frontier. Sign me up.
  
  
• The Magicians, by Lev Grossman Harry Potter for grown-ups? Jessica R., your continued endorsements have sunk in.
  
  
• Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson This is supposed to be the best work of a phenomenal science fiction writer.
  
  
• Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, by Wells Tower I don't usually like short stories at all, but these are all about men. Put that way it doesn't sound that great, but I've heard great things.
  
  
• The Food of a Younger Land: A portrait of American food- before the national highway system, before chain restaurants, and before frozen food, when the nation's food was seasonal, by Mark Kurlansky His book Salt was wonderfully enlightening and entertaining, this one promises to be even better. (And isn't that a hell of a subtitle?)
  
  
• The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins It's for teenagers. I don't care.
  

Anyway, so my solution to my book dilemma was to buy myself a book that wasn't on this list, wrap it, and stick it under the tree. I'm not telling what it is because... it's a surprise ('cause it's a gift, get it?). I can open it and read it when my last paper is turned in. And hopefully now I can stop thinking about it!