Xanderland : Books

LibraryThing update!

xsherry — Mon, 14 May 2007 05:34:51 GMT

I'm finally up to over 700 books cataloged. 703, to be exact. I've finally added one of my atlases, and I'll add the other 30 or so relatively soon, I imagine. It's still going to be a good long time before I have all of my books cataloged, as some of them are still in my parents attic...But I'm getting closer all of the time.

I've finally catalogued...

xsherry — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:10:34 GMT

The majority of my books at LibraryThing. My catalog is up to 607 books, which is the better part of my library. In October, my brother-in-law asked me to estimate my book collection and I guessed that it was around 800 works, but now I'm thinking that was probably a bit optimistic. Seven hundred is likely a more realistic number.

The books I have left to add are mainly those in storage, and a good number of older books that are going to be a bit more work. They're primarily books from the pre-ISBN days, publications that range from the late 1700s to the 1950s or thereabouts. I haven't started on my atlas collection at all, for instance, and I *know* I'm going to have problems finding details on my copy of Manual For Sewage Plant Operations.

I'm pleased that I've gotten as far as I have though, and I'll probably enjoy what I've gotten up there for awhile before doing a final push to add the rest.

Slowly but surely...

xsherry — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:40:56 GMT

I'm cataloging my library. I've taken Ryan's advice, and I've started a library on LibraryThing.com. It's going to take awhile (a good, long while) before I have all or even most of my books cataloged, but I have managed to add several hunderd so far. You can browse my library here.

I recently read...

xsherry — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 04:06:00 GMT

Hot Zone, a book about the history of the Ebola virus and it's appearance in suburban Virginia. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in....Well, actually, I'd recommend it to anyone. It's a great book.

One tip though. The first few chapters rather graphically cover the events happening to a fellow dying of the Marburg virus. I read them whilst eating a heavy breakfast. Don't do that.

Another day and three more atlases.

xsherry — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 05:50:00 GMT

One from 1958 (cost me 99 cents!) one from 1944, and one from 1909. I promise that I'll quit with the posts about atlases now.

Also pushed a new website into production today, and that was a bit stressful, but it all came together so "all's well that ends well" as they say.

'Nother atlas...

xsherry — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 03:43:00 GMT

This is a super-sweet one, from 1914. I can't wait for it to get here! :-)

I know, I know...These daily updates about my book shopping are getting old for you, and you're bored. If I had anything else to say, I would. Maybe I will soon. You can always hope.

Slow day on EBay today.

xsherry — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:04:00 GMT

Didn't win much. Got Gray's Anatomy from 1949 for nine bucks. Lost a couple of auctions. Nothing I had my heart set on, though the 2 volume set: The Military History of Ulysses S. Grant, published in 1881 would have been nice. I didn't feel like getting into a bidding war on it though, so I let it go when the price went too high. Maybe another day.

Picked up a couple more books today...

xsherry — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 04:27:00 GMT

A two-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, and a biography of Stonewall Jackson. Both from the late 19th century.

Atlas acquisition update.

xsherry — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 04:32:00 GMT

I just added an atlas printed in 1924 to the collection. It's been a good day. :-)

I love seeing how the world has changed.

xsherry — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:07:00 GMT

And to that end, today I've won two atlases on EBay...One printed in 1938, and one printed in 1891. I've got atlases from several other time periods that I'm looking at as well. If all goes well, by the end of the week I should have atlases from before, during, and after both World War I and World War II.

Some of the more interesting books I've lost.

xsherry — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 04:50:00 GMT

There are several books for which I bid but that I didn't win. I'll list a few of them here, for posterity.

Anthroplogia Nova or A New System of Anatomy - James Drake M.D., publisher unknown (to me), a 3rd edition copy from 1750.
Wealth Of Nations - Adam Smith, published by Lackington & Co, 1819
Dombey & Son - Charles Dickens, published by Bradbury & Evans (1st edition) 1848
C. IVLII CAESARIS COMMENTARIORVM (Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War) - Caisu Julius Caesar, printed by Hierosme de Marnef, 1564

It's just as well I didn't win the last one. I'd have had to pull out my Latin-English dictionary to read it. I'd have loved to have had all of them. Wealth of Nations I decided to let go whilst I persued other auctions, Dombey & Son was won at the last second by a sniper, and the other two simple reached prices that I wasn't willing to pay. Oh well. There will be other books to buy.

Books, books, and more books.

xsherry — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 02:16:00 GMT

So my brother-in-law wants to know what it is that I'm bidding on at EBay, per this post.

Specifically, for those who care, I was/am bidding on the following books:

Geography: Or, A Description Of The World - Daniel Adams, published by Lincoln & Edmands, 1828 (I've won this one)
A Shakespearian Grammer - E. A. Abbot, published by MacMillan and Co., 1883 (I lost this one)
Hammond's Handy Atlas of the World - Published by C. S. Hammond & Company, 1921 (This auction is still going)
Hammond's New Supreme Atlas of the World - Published by CS Hammond & Company, 1939 (This auction is also still going)

Other interesting purchases that I've made recently (and for which I may yet add pictures should I feel so inclined) inculde:

A History of the English Speaking Peoples - Sir Winson S. Churchill, Dorset Press, 1990
Japan Since Perry - Chitoshi Yanaga, McGraw-Hill, 1949
Latin Pronuciation and the Latin Alphabet - Dr. Leonard Tafel and Professor Rudolph Tafel, published by I. Kohler, 1860
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon, (Commentary by H. H. Milman, 1845) published by Porter & Coates, late 19th century
The Works of Edgar Allen Poe - Edgard Allen Poe, publisher unknown (I haven't gotten the books yet), 1903

I'm sure that I'll add more details as time goes on.

The "book I'm reading" may have gone by the wayside...

xsherry — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 06:13:00 GMT

But it may make a return. In the meantime, I'm going to try to compile a list of (most of) the books that I've read this year. Maybe this weekend. I think I'm also going to start posting about some of the new additions I've been making to my collection lately.

Current EBay auction status...

xsherry — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 04:11:00 GMT

Winning 4 auctions, losing 0.

Average year of publication: 1892. Total current sum for all winning bids: $28.92. :-)

Enhance your library!

xsherry — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 01:51:00 GMT

Feeling like you appear uneducated in front of guests? Do you want your house to look more like that of a scholar? Half-Price-Books can help with Books By The Yard.