Books Neither Coming Nor Going

So, in addition to the two dozen or so books mentioned in my previous post which are on their way out the door, there are also ten or so whose status is currently uncertain; I've pulled them from the shelves because I'm not sure I want to keep them, but I'm not altogether sure I want to get rid of them yet either. So they've been set aside to read before making that decision. Some I've read before, a long time ago, while others have been patiently waiting their turn just as long. Here's the list of this second category of possible non-keepers, in no particular order:

GRAY LENSMAN by E. E. 'Doc' Smith. One of my friends at TSR and WotC (hi, Rich!)  rather liked the once-famous Lensman series and recommended it to me at one point, so sometime later I picked up this volume cheaply at random. Suspect I won't be keeping it, but time I at least tried reading it first.

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS by L. Frank Baum. I know Baum has his supporters and admirers, but while I've read a fair amount of his work I really only liked the first OZ book.* So again suspect this will be a read and then pass-it-along book.

THE DEVIL'S CHILDREN by Peter Dickinson. Picked this one up on impulse, thinking to try something new, then never have read it. Time to remedy that omission.

MERLIN'S BOOKE by Jane Yolen. Frankly bought this one for the cover, a gorgeous piece of work by my favorite fantasy author, Thomas Canty. So why am I so reluctant to actually read the book?

GLORY ROAD by Heinlein. Read this once and found it forgetable, but don't want Heinlein's attempt at heroic fantasy to pass from my hands without giving it one more try, if only to leave it with a clearer memory of what's in it.

THE MASK OF CIRCE by Henry Kuttner. I'm a great admirer of Kuttner's short stories but haven't heard much good of his novels; I'll let this one be a test case of whether I shd seek out more or stop while I'm ahead.

THE CARNELIAN CUBE by Pratt & de Camp. I remember this only as the last and least of their collaborations. And while I like their stuff, I've really only been keeping this one just for the sake of completism. So I'll re-read it and then judge whether it's good enough to keep on its own merits.

THE WELL OF THE UNICORN by Fletcher Pratt. Oddly enough, as much as I liked the team of de Camp and Pratt, I've never read either of Pratt's two solo novels. Odder still, given the Dunsany connection with this one. In any case, now that I've picked up a hardcover, I don't really need this old paperback anymore, thought I'm a little reluctant to part with it, given that it was a gift from a friend (hi, Charles!).

THE BEGINNING PLACE
VERY FAR AWAY FROM ANYWHERE ELSE
THE WORD FOR WORLD IS FOREST
--all by Le Guin. Back in the seventies and early eighties, when you found a good fantasy author you picked up everything you could find by her. Thus these minor Le Guins, which I'm thinking I cd part with now, though it behooves me to read or re-read them first. Just finished reading ROCANNON'S WORLD, her first book (half an Ace Double), which I'd never read before and will be keeping; now well into THE BEGINNING PLACE, which I'm pretty sure I won't. I also need to read THE LATHE OF HEAVEN, but that can wait for another day, lest I get Le Guin'd out.**

Then of course there's the hardcover of EREGON, which I'm all but certain I won't be keeping but haven't made up my mind as to whether I shd read it first before it goes out the door.

--John R.
current reading: THE BEGINNING PLACE by Ursula K. Le Guin [1980/81]


*I actually fell asleep once while reading an OZ book. Out loud. Though I do admit he comes up with some interesting characters in the later books in the series, like the Hungry Tiger and Tik-Tok Man.

**If I can keep going, I still need to see if I can make myself read ALWAYS COMING HOME, and there are three science fiction novels I shd probably give a try as well: PLANET OF EXILE, CITY OF ILLUSION, and esp. THE DISPOSSESSED, none of which I've ever read.