It's not as if I needed any more books to read right now.  I'm in the midst of making my way through some good reads from the TBR shelf, but Mr. Inkslinger decided on a trip to the library . . . and how could I not go with him? And, once there, how could I not bring home a book?  

I chose to go with a Barbara Pym.  I haven't read any Pym and though this isn't the one I'd intended on reading first  (i.e. any of the ones recommended as good to try first), I thought I'd give it a go as it was the one there:

A Glass of Blessings is, evidently,  about a married woman whose eye takes to wandering.  And it's interesting so far.  Told in the first person (which can go either way), the narrative voice is, fortunately, more engaging than not (and how can you go wrong with a title taken from a Herbert poem?!).

And regarding the ongoing read through my TBR shelves . . .

~~ I've recently completed the beautifully written Curiosity: A Love Story by Joan Thomas (longer, more detailed post in the works).  Even better than her first novel Reading by Lightning!

~~ I made my way through another children's book, The Bobsey Twins in the Country.  I decided to try a Bobsey book as I remembered those I read in my childhood with such fondness.  I'd not read this particular instalment before, though, and I can't help but wonder if all of the stories contained this number of ethnic and gender stereotypes (some of the authorial asides are really rather appalling) and, if so, how did I miss them? . . . I certainly hadn't remembered anything like that from my childhood reading.  I recalled the Bobseys as representing a very generous, good-hearted approach to life (and that was still evident in everything but the rigid gender roles and deluded ethnic assumptions/depictions). Perhaps the reissues have cleared out all of the objectionable bits?

~~ And I've just finished the last instalment in Catherine Graham's trilogy, Winterkill.  Some good lines, interesting imagery employed.  Overall, though, I'm not sure I liked it as well as the second in the trilogy, The Red Element.  I'm still musing on it and will probably post a longer review later.

I'm still in the midst of organizing our own library here at the new house, too.  I'm going with country (of author) and chronology as loose organizing categories again, but it's always a bit tricky as Mr. Inkslinger has more than a few category-defying tomes (just as he should! :).  And every time I'm organizing or reorganizing our library I keep coming across books that I either want to read again or realize I've not read yet and I stop and take a long look.  So it's a time-consuming, thoroughly enjoyable enterprise.