Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
This is going to be one of those weeks when I give more than ten answers. It will help to make up for the weeks when I fall far short of that goal.
As I’ve mentioned here before, most of the books I read come from my local library for practical, environmental, and frugal reasons.
Depending on how many ebooks my library has ordered, this could mean that I might immediately be able to download a book from them, be one of the first people on the waitlist for the next available copy, or, in some cases, have a few weeks or months to go until one is available for me.
I don’t mind waiting for books. It increases my anticipation for my next great read and helps the librarians show just how popular certain titles are. They are often able to order more copies if the waitlists stretch out so long that the people at the bottom of them can expect to wait for several months to years at the current pace.
Usually, the most popular titles either already have plenty of copies of them circulating or will soon see a huge increase in how many of them are available to borrow that will reduce my wait time from several years to a few months or several months to a couple of weeks.
Here are the books on my hold shelf that have long waitlists.
1. Antarctica by Claire Keegan
Waiting Since: February 20
Why I’m Interested: She’s on my must-read list. I love her descriptive writing style and realistic storylines.
2. The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe
Waiting Since: March 5
Why I’m Interested: Canadian fiction often isn’t as well-advertised as all of the books published down south in the U.S., so I make a concerted effort to seek out non-American authors and stories as much as possible. This seems like a nice slice-of-life read.
3. Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport
Waiting Since: March 20
Why I’m Interested: This is something I struggle with and hope to improve within myself.
4. The Lost Sounds by Chris Watson
Waiting Since: March 26
Why I’m Interested: Birds are such fascinating creatures. I’m waiting for the audiobook version of this book so I can hear all sorts of beautiful bird songs from the U.K. that (I’m assuming?) we probably don’t get to enjoy very often here in Canada.
5. To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower
Waiting Since: April 3
Why I’m Interested: Did you know that Orville and Wilbur Wright had a sister named Katherine? I did not, but now I’m curious to read this cozy mystery about her. Is it at all historically accurate? Will there be airplanes in it? I have no idea, but trying new things is worth it in my opinion.
6. Lewis Carroll’s Guide for Insomniacs by Lewis Carroll
Waiting Since: April 9
Why I’m Interested: I sometimes have trouble falling back asleep at night and I love Caroll’s work.
7. The Wisdom of Nurses: Stories of Grit From the Front Lines by Amie Archibald-Varley, Sara Fung
Waiting Since: April 9
Why I’m Interested: Some of my relatives work in the healthcare field. I have a great deal of respect for anyone in that profession and love dipping into memoirs and similar sorts of books about their experiences.
8.The Laundryman’s Boy: A Novel by Edward Y.C. Lee
Waiting Since: April 17
Why I’m Interested: Mr. Lee is another Canadian author I’ve added to my TBR. The writing in the short preview I read was gorgeous, and I’m quite curious to learn more about the protagonist, a young Chinese immigrant who dreams of leaving his exploitative job and continuing his education.
9. The Minotaur at Calle Lanza by Zito Madu
Waiting Since: April 17
Why I’m Interested: This travel memoir set in Italy in 2020 sounds like such a poignant read.
10. A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland
Waiting Since: April 17
Why I’m Interested: This is a title I mentioned in the Spring 2024 TBR List post back in March. The Selkie Wife is a wonderful folk tale, so I’m thrilled that I’m a little closer to (finally!) being able to read this retelling of it now.
11. Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuVal
Waiting Since: April 17
Why I’m Interested: When I was in school, I learned very little about Native American history before the arrival of people from Europe and other continents. I’m hoping this book will help to change that and fill in some gaps in my historical knowledge.
12. Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada by Jane Philpott
Waiting Since: April 17
Why I’m Interested: Canada has Universal Health Care, but our system isn’t funded as much as it should be given our growing and aging population. I am so curious to read this doctor’s perspective on the best ways to ensure that everyone gets the healthcare they need and that healthcare workers are treated fairly and given the tools to succeed as well.
13. MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact by Adaira Landry, Resa E. Lewiss
Waiting Since: April 19
Why I’m Interested: I have seen some evidence of this working in my life with topics like setting fitness goals, but I want to learn more about it.
Wish me luck as I wait my turn for these titles! I’d love to hear your thoughts on them if you’ve already read them, too.
If you have a local library that you use, how long are the waitlists there for new and popular books?
It looks like this week’s list will be shorter than last week’s list was.
Look how many answers I came up with for this seasonal TBR post!
1. A Lighthearted Beach Read About Friendship
8. Humorous Fiction
Interestingly enough, the 
I own ebook copies of all of these titles, but there are so many incredible books out there that I have not yet managed to read anything from this list yet.
While all of my book reviews on this blog are about the speculative fiction genre, I read many other genres as well.
1) They are hardy and strong. In many parts of North America you can find them growing everywhere without any intervention or pampering needed by humans: ditches, rock gardens, by the side of the highway, in neglected yards, and anywhere else that had the bare minimum amount of soil, sunshine, and water.
As I’ve