I’ve been wanting to read David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest for a long time. Now’s my chance: there’s a web group called Infinite Summer reading the book together over the course of the next three months (more or less; the dates actually line up with the time period from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox). I bought a paperback copy because I don’t want to beat up my first edition hardcover – the one with the “point” on the dustjacket (William Vollmann’s name is misspelled in his blurb). I’ve long hated the idea of having a book that is only an object and is, essentially, unreadable, but that one went and got valuable on me when I wasn’t looking (I paid cover price for it when it first came out). And reading big, thick books like this one always screws it up physically. Anyway, the estate of David Foster Wallace got a bit more out of me, and given how extravagantly I admire the author, that’s just fine. Unfortunately, I’m already behind on the reading because I’m reading six other things, but that’s the way life seems to work when your life is built around books!

Starting today, I’m going to be devoting considerably more time to reading works in translation; it’s my third quarter project (and I suspect it will continue on into the fourth quarter, given the huge stack of books I have waiting for me). Powell’s Books Indiespensable program is helping me on the way with a lovely signed copy of The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker. Sounds like an interesting read; I’ll let you know. I love Indiespensable, by the way; every so often I get a package full of cool stuff, the major part of which is a great book. The extras are fun, like the “garden in a bag” basil that’s now growing in my kitchen, and some lovely chocolates a few months ago. It’s worth every premium penny.

My husband is busy working on the fourth edition of his argument textbook, The Well-Crafted Argument, and needed a copy of The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals for one of his reading clusters (at least, I’m pretty sure that’s why he wanted this book, though one doesn’t always know exactly what’s up his sleeve). I’m delighted, because I’ve been wanting to read this book about George W. Bush’s torture program for some time. All I can really say is, thank God we elected Barack Obama last time around.

Tor has very kindly sent me four review copies this month, and there isn’t one I don’t want to read. If I had to pick just one of these that I’m most eager to get to, though, it would be Jay Lake’s Green. I’m a sucker for books that take a new look at old themes, and this one sure seems to fill that bill. I hope to tell you more about it very soon.

I read House of Mystery Vol. 2: Love Stories For Dead People the very day it arrived from Amazon. As faithful readers of this blog know, I was quite taken with House of Mystery Vol. 01: Room and Boredom, so it’s not surprising that I dove right into Volume 2. I was disappointed, though; Volume 2 just doesn’t have the flash and flare of Volume 1. The story didn’t really carry through on the themes set up in Volume 1; I do understand about story arcs and all in monthly comics, but I was surprised at how very different this arc was from the first one. I don’t think it was bad enough to stop me from reading Volume 3, which I've already pre-ordered, but if I have the same reaction to that next volume, it’ll be my last.

I’ve been attending a chronic headache class in San Francisco for the past several weeks, which gives me the opportunity to visit some of my favorite bookstores in the area. I’ve always loved Borderlands Books, a specialty science fiction, fantasy and horror bookstore, so one day before class I headed up to Valencia Street for a good fix. I’m rather surprised at my incredible restraint! It would take no effort at all for me to drop $500 there in about 15 minutes. Instead, I kept in well under $100 and simply bought three books that have been on my “to read” list for a long time. Don’t they look delicious?

LibraryThing, where I’ve begun cataloging our extensive library, has an Early Readers feature that I love: publishers offer advanced reading copies of books each month. You can throw your name in the hat and, if you’re lucky, you get a copy of a book in advance of its publication. This month I lucked into Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France. I’m something of a foodie, probably because I live where I do (the home of many really terrific restaurants, and, I’m guessing, the place where the idea of being a locavore came from, thanks to Alice Waters and Chez Panisse). That fact has given rise to a library, as do most things in my life, and I do enjoy me a good food book. Au Revoir to All That has lessened the overpowering need I feel to get to Paris as soon as possible. If the food isn’t what it was, why go? Oh, not really, because it’s Paris, after all – but it is disappointing to read that the food isn’t going to be all that. Great book so far.

Anything by China Mieville is an automatic buy for me, preferably signed. Dan Pope Books came through for me again with a lovely copy that just arrived in Monday’s mail. Pope has warned me not to start this one unless I have plenty of time, because I’m not going to be able to put it down. Hope he’s right, because I want a book like that right now. There's something about a book like that, that sucks you in and keeps you there until you're done, and I haven't felt that for a few weeks (yes, that feels like a long time to me; I usually manage to live half in this world and half inside a book, but that's not happening right now with anything I'm reading). I'd say I'm going to take this with me on our upcoming vacation, for the long flight to the other coast, but I know I won't be able to bring a signed first edition with me without incurring the (very mild) wrath of my husband. But I'll get to this one soon, and you'll hear about it when I'm done.

About once a month, Fred and I go out to dinner at The Macaroni Grill, which is conveniently located just a few store fronts away from Barnes & Noble. We get an eggplant parmesan and book fix both at the same time. This month’s haul was a good one, as you can see.

So tell me: out of all of these, which would you read first? Which would you like me to review next? Which have you read and liked?