Piles of Books

It's been ages since anyone besides Karen has posted. Thanks for keeping it up, m'dear!
Bookwise, it's been a somewhat frustrating summer. I feel like I've read less than normal, which is probably true, and I have a pile that I don't think I can finish (a never before seen phenomenon). I'm also reading too many books at once, which makes completing anything difficult. Some highlights, I guess, of my recent reads I'll provide. Sorry for the Yodarific syntax. I'm trying to remember, Karen, what questions you've posed. But I can't, so I guess I'll just ramble about my books.
My most exciting literary find this summer has been Allegra Goodman. Her first novel, "Kaaterskill Falls", took my breath away. Her most recent is called "Intuition" and it's very, very different from KF, but is also magnificent. Goodman has a way of engrossing the reader that I've rarely seen before. The worlds she creates are thoroughly captivating and realistic, and few authors are able to capture me in those worlds as quickly as she does. Her characters, similarly, are real, and she writes of serious issues without judgment. I'm excited to read her other novels.
"The History of Love," for the new and exciting Strangers with Candy book club, was fun. It's the kind of book that I expected a lot from, and received a lot, but not as much as I was hoping. When I finish a book, I expect to cry or feel some sort of heavy emotion (Goodman's make me feel like I've been hit by a truck, for example). I was satisfied with HoL, but not captured. I really enjoyed the book, and there are a lot of layers worth exploring, and I loved her writing, but I needed more of an emotional hook. I needed to care a bit more about the characters.
I read, quickly, "Water for Elephants," which is a big deal book-club type book right now. "Spangle" is an epic, slightly trashy, circus novel from the 1980s, and is one of my favorite books ever. This paled in comparison, but was enjoyable enough.
My current pile includes "Remains of the Day", which has gotten a lot of press, was made into a movie, and comes highly recommended. It's about a butler, and I like it, but I'm having trouble caring. It's very quiet, possibly too quiet. I'm also reading "March", about the father in "Little Women", and some book about the rise of anti-Semitism in medieval Europe (approximately). It's a loan from my crush du jour, and so I'm obligated to read it. And finally there's "The Confessions of Max Tivoli" by a local author. I was excited to read this, especially because I liked his first novel and this was supposed to be even better. Thus far I'm not entranced. Why have I lost my momentum? Aagh. Also on the docket for upcoming days are "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" which I want to read for the title alone; the Harry Potter series, because I just got the paperback of HP6; and the entire oeuvre of Barbara Kingsolver. I also have a huge stack of other books from the library and from my $100 graduation gift certificate to Kepler's. I need to move faster on these books if I'm going to make a dent in my pile.
I'm always daunted by my book list, but never before have I been daunted by my book pile. Partly I think this may be because I work with people who read more than I do, and because I hang out with people (ie, Seth), who read better than I do. I'm not used to feeling insecure about my reading abilities. Hopefully the momentum that may have been jumpstarted with "Intuition" and "Water for Elephants" will follow through to these other books and I can move on with my life.
I did like "Princess Academy", Karen. The twist was a bit predictable, or maybe unnecessary, but it was a sweet book. I'm all about judging books by their covers and making snap purchases. There's a legitimate question for you all: they say never to judge a book by its cover. How then, are we supposed to judge them? And what's wrong with judging by the cover? The design of the book tells us a lot about its intended audience, and often about the book's story. I, for one, sometimes judge books by their titles and the feel of the cover (matte versus glossy, usually). Sometimes I'll judge based on the scent of the book's pages. These things are part of the reading experience, and so why shouldn't they be part of the selection process?

That's all I've got tonight. Sleep beckons. Hope you all are well! Happy reading!