Literary Reserves

It's like the fine wines that one keeps in the cellar for a first and special opening during a grand occasion. I have a stash of books, still in pristine condition, that I have kept for times when I really need a good book.

Sometimes, I already have a copy of the book, well-thumbed, much loved and much read. In such a case, the book in the stash is normally a Folio edition, sometimes a numbered copy, still in its shrink-wrapped virginity.

Sometimes, I have very much wanted to spend the time the book requires, but I have not found that time yet. In such a case, the book is new, but often large and/or complex.

Sometimes, I know the book in the stash is not one of those classics, nor is destined to be. But I know I will have fun with it, and enjoy it, given the right circumstances.

Sometimes, I don't keep the book in the stash very long, because it just begs to be read at the nearest available opportunity. These books help me to stay away from those that need to be 'aged' a little longer.

Right now, my stash includes these:

• Powers: Secret Histories, compiled and edited by John Berlyne; limited edition, #881 of 1000;
• The Weather Makers, by Tim Flannery; paperback;
• Bomb, Book and Compass, by Simon Winchester; mass market paperback;
• Stories, by John Buchan; Folio edition;
• Practical Endgame Play—Beyond the Basics, by Glenn Flear; paperback;
• You Can Understand The Bible, by Peter Kreeft; paperback;
• A Thousand Deaths, by George Alec Effinger; hardback;
• Communitarian Ideology and Democracy in Singapore, by Chua Beng Huat; hardback;
• The Prefect, by Alastair Reynolds; mass market paperback;
• The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon; mass market paperback.

It's a terrifying list, and there are at least 15 more books in the stash.

The great thing is that there are books for every occasion! I feel truly blessed to be able to reach out and entertain any of my varied interests from the small space around my desk. Only in this age of mankind has the written word been so available to so many with so little effort. But that's both a blessing and a curse.