I currently have five books staring me in the face and one that I'm listening to. I thought I would be reading Middlemarch by George Eliot, but then the library let me know Medium Rare by Anthony Bourdain was in. Middlemarch gets pushed to the bottom of the pile because all the books I have are borrowed either from the library or from friends.
Isn't it funny how even with a reading list you always seem to find other books that make it in front of those you have oh so carefully chosen as "must reads"? I sometimes think of my reading list as a fall back. Just in case I'm not in the mood to search through the stacks I can always look at it. But there is something so exciting and invigorating about finding a treasure among so many other books. That first instant of seeing a book that looks good, reading the synopsis on the back or inside cover, and wondering what kind of story is waiting for you inside. This is the closest I come to having that child-like feeling of pure joy; The Christmas morning, snow day feeling. Thus while working at the elementary school library I stumbled on Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. I love young adult/childrens' literature. It has that magic and creativity in it that is sometimes hard to find in adult fiction. Along with that, I decided to continue trudging my way through The Series of Unfortunate Events. I've read the first four and haven't been too fond of the depressing stories and condescending writing, but it's been long enough since I last read one that I've decided to try again.
I'm also listening to The Help by Kathyrn Stockett. I LOVE it so far! I don't often listen to books on tape because I think it's cheating (I know that's silly), but I would recommend this book on tape. The readers are fantastic and the story is rich. More to come on this piece later.
Well since I have a daunting pile of books in front of me and even more on my list I better get reading (and decorating my Christmas tree).
Happy Reading.
What a great idea about listening to "The Help!" My mom read it and liked it, but she did say half the book is written in the vernacular of a character and can be hard to understand. Honestly, I think listening to it would really help with the tone as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I have a stack of books at home, a list, and still can't stay away from the bookstore and library. Oh well-- it's a nice dilemma to have!
It is a nice dilemma. I do love browsing.
ReplyDeleteYeah there definetly is vernacular that I'm sure on the page is difficult and reading it out loud would help, but listening to it is wonderful. There are three different perspectives, so having 3 different readers is great. I can't stop listening to it.