Library Loot & What’s on My Desk Wednesday

First I’m going to start off with Library Loot.  This is hosted by Eva and Marg!  I got four books out this week, two yesterday and two today.  Three were holds and one was a little more spontaneous.  I also just realized that now my due dates have fallen into the range of the two weeks I’ll be home, so I really have to start reading those library books!

From the top:

• The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.  I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve been feeling a lack of huge fantasy epics in my life lately.  I don’t remember where I heard about this one.  I’m sure it was on a blog, but I can’t remember which one.  If I mentioned it in your comments, let me know, because you probably deserve credit for it.
• Bonk by Mary Roach.  This promises to be hilarious non-fiction about the science of sex, everyone’s favorite topic.  Again, heard about this everywhere and I’ve been eager to try one of Mary Roach’s books.
• The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett.  I’ve seen favorable reviews of this in most places and I know the spoiler that may have made me dislike the book otherwise, so I’m still looking forward to it.  Note again what I said about fantasy.  Once my challenge to read 30 books in June is over, I’m going to be all about the chunksters.
• Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith.  This is Bone vol. 3!  I’m loving the Bone series.  I haven’t been writing reviews of them because I can’t decide how to do it.  I might buy the whole thing when I go home, reread, and write a review of that.  We’ll see.

Next up, I was tagged by the lovely Becky at One Literature Nut for the What’s On My Desk? Wednesday meme, which is hosted by Sassy Brit.  The rules:

1. Grab a camera and take a photo of your desk! Or anywhere you stack your books/TBR pile. And no tidying!
2. Add this photo to your blog.
3. Tag at least 5 people!
4. Come back here and leave a link back to your photo in the comments section.

Becky specifically mentioned my grad work so I’ve taken quite a few pictures to get the full effect.  First, we have the desk.

I must confess, I cleaned a little, but it needed to be done and it’s still messy.  Anyway, we have my computer, propped up because it overheats in my oven of a room.  See that pipe on the bottom under all the wires?  It’s hot all year round and even though it’s summer and a lovely 70 degrees, my room is basically never comfortable because that pipe radiates heat constantly.  Behind my computer are my public library books.  Under my phone I have two books that I really should finish one day.  On the far right in the back are just a few of my massive pile of research books, and directly in front of them are my review books and the Sims 3, which I’m also intending to review soon.  I also have bookmarks to complete the literary aspects of my desk.  Otherwise, I have a little rabbit that I crocheted for my mom, lip gloss, hair ties, a glass of water, my glasses, and various crochet and sewing bits that are mostly hidden on the left there.

Then, because you haven’t seen enough yet, we have my tall pile of academic books, with a couple of articles tucked in.

Why do I have so many books on Richard III?  Well, quite a few of them touch on Anthony Woodville, and I take what I can get.  He’s not all that popular a subject unfortunately.

Okay, now my actual TBR piles, the arrangement that I’m meant to be reading and my messy shelves with the waiting books on them:

The books on the bottom half cut off shelf are those that I’ve read.

I’m going to be rebellious and not pass on the tag.  I never know who has a camera or is willing to take pictures of what they have at random.  If you want to take pictures of your TBR pile and share them with us (you know you do), consider yourself tagged by me.

Apologies for all the posts around here lately.  I’m already scheduling my reviews into the distant future, but after this month I plan to read fewer but bigger books and will then spend less time filling up your RSS readers!