A Question of Genres

There is this absolutely amazing used/rare bookstore just two blocks away from my work that I have been frequenting of late. It's exactly what a used bookstore should be - narrow corridors lined with tall shelves, teetering towers of books blocking the aisles and stuffed into corners, and rabbit-like warrens with taped-up signs announcing that this room holds "Cookbooks/Philosophy/WWII History."

Today I was looking for Terry Pratchett. A word about Mr. Pratchett. If you've been watching my nightstand lately, you'll have noticed that I have been reading devouring his books this summer. I came through him in a roundabout way - read Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman for book club, read Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett because I'd heard the odd kind word for it, and tried Night Watch by Pratchett cuz I was looking for some new summer reading.

Well, it's been an amazing summer. I'm totally in lurve with his entire Discworld series; it's perfect summer reading. A world of fantasy (but not too crazy), loads of humour, and equal parts snark and satire.

It's great stuff, but I've managed to exhaust my local library's meagre holdings, so I figured I'd try the bookstore rather than wait for inter-library loan.

While in the down-the-stairs-make-a-right-take-the-second-room-on-the-left-it's-the-third-shelf-towards-the-back room, I saw something that gave me pause. Behold what I saw smack dab in the middle of the Science Fiction/Fantasy section: Left Behind.

I'm not so sure about this one. "Non-fiction"? Erm, no (although I'm sure there are those who might disagree with me). "Fiction," then? Certainly, although it would seem a touch out of place with all the heavy-hitters. I knew someone who referred to the oeuvre of Messrs. LaHaye and Jenkins as "Evangelical Porn," but I think I missed that aisle. "Religion" seems to make the most sense, although then I suppose we'd have to start putting Janette Oke next to Thomas Merton.

So, "Science Fiction/Fantasy" it is, I guess.

In other news, I am becoming quite skilled at a new game I invented: procrastinate all activities related to the upcoming move as long as possible. I'm definitely ahead, as I have yet to pack a box. I did buy some packing tape, so I suppose I lost a couple of points there. But to raise the stakes, we hired movers who will arrive at our house on Saturday at 9 am sharp. 200 bonus points if I slam the final box shut at 8:59!