Come to think of it, I don’t think I’m psychologically ready to post blogs on a regular basis (unlike my bro: 500-words a day). And with the limited spare time that I have, I’d rather be doing something else other than blogging about my inane existence.
For instance, I’ve been inspired to read again by Olman and his friends. These crazed book nerds have been diligently aiming to read 50 books this year (see: olman's 50 books, mt benson report, buzby's life) and posting a brief review of each book. So far, Mt B is taking the lead at #42, but Olman’s quickly catching up (he just finished his 40th merely a few moments ago). In fact, he’s read 7 books in two weeks!
By jove, you ask, what’s his trick? Perhaps a recently acquired library card at the new $100-million dollar Bibliotheque Nationale, a strategy of choosing not overly dense, engaging books, and a new–found motivation to read 10 more books (only six reading weeks left!).
Frankly, I don’t think I’ll be attaining such dizzying heights of literacy since I’ve read
- A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole)
- The Bug (Ellen Ullman)
- From Hell (Alan Moore)
- A Child’s Book of True Crime (Chloe Hooper)
- Ghost Story (Peter Straub)
- Freaky Deaky (Elmore Leonare)
- We So Seldom Look On Love (Barbara Gowdy)
Currently, #8 is The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter. Carter was an old standby from my teenage years and I’ve wanted to read this early novel of hers for years (hard to find in libraries and used bookstores). Luckily, I chanced upon a copy at a Park Slope bookshop when Olman and I visited his sister for Canuck Thanksgiving, along with a Penguin paperback of Darwin’s Origin of Species and Rachel Carson’s The Edge of the Sea.
Will these be #9 and 10? Will I make the top 10 for 2005? Stay tuned!
2 comments:
It's not the numbers, B. It's the wholesome enjoyment of the read.
You guys are lucky to have such an amazing new library so close by. I was just reading about the building over at Cool Hunting (http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2005/05/le_grande_bibli.php) and it looks beautiful.
No more television! No more internet!
That'll help us getting our reading done. And though I have definitely chosen not dense, engaging books, they haven't been super short and easy either. Some fairly thick sci-fi and a Bernard Malamud for prestige. It's just like everything else: training.
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