I’ve been wadding through life the past month or so. I wouldn’t say it’s been bogging me down as much as I can say that the impending Christmas holiday and all of the time and money consumption that it takes sort of had me overwhelmed. We are on the precipice of a new year and I’m going to make every effort to kick my reading back into high gear. For me, I’m more creative and inspired when I’m reading something that is inspirational. I don’t mean in the sense of religiously inspirational as much as I mean that it is an inspiration to my creativity.
I feel like I’ve been reading the book on Queen Victoria for way too long. Back in November after I had finished two other books during the course of reading this book I swore that I would not pick up another book until I was finished with it. I’ve been interested in the life of Queen Victoria and have learned a few things historically speaking that might be good in a game of Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy some day. What I haven’t been is inspired to write anything or just inspired in general.
I’ve got under a hundred pages left and I will finish it today if it kills me. Luckily, reading doesn’t kill. At least not that I’m aware of. When I’m finished I have a list of books that I want to get started reading.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – I have always wanted to read a Margaret Atwood book and my Sister the librarian happened to give me this for Christmas. She will be having surgery on New Years Eve day and will be laid up for weeks and wanted to read this book with me and have a little sisterly book club. I have to say that I think she did a great job of picking a book and I want to start it tonight. I have a bottle of Shiraz ready to open when I start the book/finish Queen Victoria!
- Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco - I have read The Island of the Day Before and to me reading Eco is like walking through waist high snow. Intense and slow. When you get to where you are going you are grateful for the journey but you aren’t eager to go back out in it for awhile. A big reason that I want to read it is because my wonderful Librarian sister had given me The DaVinci Code to read a few years back. I was interested in the history and the artwork but frustrated by the writing and the plot and the characters and well just about everything. A friend told me that this book was like the Da Vinci Code but WAY WAY better and I’ve been meaning to read it ever since. One of these days.
- Her Last Death: A Memoir by Susanna Sonnenberg. I’m drawn to memoirs of loss of loved ones and the process of labyrinthine grief that accompanies it. I recently read a brief review of this and was drawn to it. I will plan to read this in the coming year as well
Of course there are so many books that I want to read this coming year I really look forward to enjoying as many new worlds and stories as possible and reading about my fellow reading bloggers travels through the world of books.
Read On!
I am always amazed by people who can read more than one book at the same time and still absorb the material. I can’t.
Your reading list sounds quite interesting. I’m hoping I can find something that will allow me to read more this year. Like a full page magnifier or something like that. I can’t read for very long without my eyes tearing up…maybe three pages, tops. That makes it difficult to read for pleasure.
The Handmaid’s Tale is the book that made me an Atwood fan. I recently read Cat’s Eye (another of her older books), and loved it although I did find it a hard read at times because it reminded me somewhat of some the mean girls in my life when I was a child.
I have Foucault’s Pendulum on my pile of books to be read. It’s been in that pile for a few (probably more than a few) years. I’ve tried to read it a couple times and couldn’t slog through it. One of these days I’ll give it another try.
I didn’t make my 50 books goal this year, but came close. I’m going for it again this year. (I keep the list of books I’ve read on my Life in the Bogs blog.)
Enjoy your reading!
I got the Eco book for The Banana Farmer for Christmas. You’re totally right about it being a slow go. I might recommend Timothy Findley’s “Famous Last Words” for quicker conspiracy read (though I don’t recall it having all the religious stuff in it — I think it was WWII). I’m still not done TTW. It’s just sitting. My neighbour said that’s what she did with it. Sooo…it’ll sit for another three months I bet.
Robin has inspired me to set a 50 book goal. I think that’s quite ambitious for the likes of me but I think a challenge would be good for me.
BGG: Oh .. Ohhh.. ohhh you got Eco too. It’s very trudgingly. TTW was at it’s best during the first half of the book.
No no no. I read it years ago. I got it for the BF ’cause I thought he’d like it. It turned out that 1) he’d read it years ago too and 2) he wanted to reread it so he was looking for a copy.
I know you said that already but my neighbour liked the second half and she waited six months so…that’s what I’m doing — not really on purpose mind you. I’m random. I was thinking of suggesting Oryx and Crake at one point but then changed my mind. I have heard it is deeply weird.
50 books is only doable if a significant number are fluffy. I wonder about the whole keeping track of idea. What about books that one just reads the middle of?
I only list those books on any list that I haver read in their entirety.
I’m confused. Which one are you starting tonight? The Handmaid’s Tale or the Eco one?
those are all important, intelligent books.
I think you should bypass them all and read the Lust Lizard of Leisure Cove by Christopher Moore.
He’ll make you laugh.
*Melancholy Cove
Books are addictive. Since I’ve become an insomniac, I go through books like jars of peanut butter. 182 so far this year and half through Water for Elephants. Most of those books have been reviewed in the compendium 1001 Books to Read Before You Die which I find an interesting list especilly if I add current lit. Handmaid’s Tale is in the book and was my hands-down favorite. Though I just finished Surfacing by Atwood – now that was a scary, psychological trip.
I’m a fast reader and I work at home, so I have the luxury of having as much book-time as I want.
Amuirin: The director of the agency that I work for suggested Christopher Moore awhile back to me. I had completely forgot until I read your suggestion. Thank you!
Barbara: Thanks for stopping by 182! Wow For me the 50 books is way ambitious.
BGG: I started the Handmaid’s Tale last night. I started Eco awhile ago but I’m waiting to actually read it.
I don’t know where my ability to concentrate has gone. I start a book and I’m lucky if I finish it in 3-4 weeks. I used to be able to sail through a book in a day or two.
I read for an hour or so, then I have to go do something else. Maybe I don’t need to escape my life as much as I used to.
A Handmaid’s Tale is gripping. I also can’t do two books at once. I’ll put a book down and start another, then go back to the original book, but the characters would be swimming in my head in the same pool water if I started reading two books at once!
The Handmaid’s Tale will change your life.
I’ve never been able to make it through Eco. Waist-high snow is a good analogy, except when it’s Eco I fall into a drift and slowly freeze.
I’ve got a list of recommendations I just posted, in case you get bored…
I’ve not read The Handmaid’s Tale but now I feel like I have to run out and get it. Oh wait! I can order online! That’s the ticket!
Foucault’s Pendulum is infinitely better than that other piece of might as well be toilet paper. It is literature, wonderful. hello, friend of amuirin,
I’ll be curious to know what you think of the Handmaid’s Tale. I’ve read most of Barbara Atwood’s book, and I didn’t like that one too much. Cat’s Eye is one of my favorites because it described so well the dynamic of girls and how they treat each other — at least it seemed to describe my own life as a girl. I think I was just so shocked at how different the Handmaid’s Tale was — such a departure from her other books.