markk

As a regular visitor of used bookstores, there are certain titles that I often run across. Some of them are books that have enjoyed numerous reprintings for one reason or another, while others had a large initial print run and have a persistent presence because of it. And there are those which while not bestsellers have an enduring appeal that leads to copies being recycled due to their continuing demand. Paul Britten Austin's trilogy on Napoleon's invasion of Russia probably fits in that third category, as while it was never a New York Times bestseller it draws interested readers because of its subject matter. It's one of those titles that I think of as a "dad book," as it seems marketed towards an audience of middle-aged white dudes.

Over the years when I have seen copies on the shelf I passed on them with a degree of unjustified disdain. Lately, however, the idea of purchasing a set has started to appeal to me. Part of it is likely my long attraction to multivolume works of history, with the depth of understanding they provide (not to mention how awesome they look on my bookshelves). But I also think that it's a reflection of my own evolving tastes as a reader. Perhaps now that I'm now a middle-aged white dude the books look more interesting to me than they did when I was younger.

I suspect there's another factor at play, though. As I get older I'm starting to contemplate more what books I will want to own once I retire. Though that day is still many years in the future, it's something I use as a factor in deciding what to dispose of when I cull my bookshelves. But lately I also think more about what I might want to re-read once reading for pleasure becomes the primary factor in my reading decisions. This has long driven my choice of the fiction I own, and I have a choice selection of classics and sci-fi in my collection because of it. But now I think of it as well in terms of the nonfiction I may want to revisit because they're well-written narratives recounting epic adventures and fascinating people. So perhaps I'm just starting to act my age as a reader.

Or maybe I'm just fabricating an excuse to buy more books. I still haven't decided yet.