Mike left me for a man named Kevin and a tent up in Yosemite. It's really hurting my self-image as a wife. So, to console myself I'm planning on breaking out a piece of cheesecake, watching Doc Martin and thinking about what to do next on the short story I'm writing. (It's due Wednesday! YIKES!)
I did want to leave you with my booklist for the year. Now, these are the books I'm determined to read this year, and if I have time I'll stick some more on the end. But I'm not a particularly fast reader, despite being an avid one. I think it's cause I stop to re-read things all the time and take notes in the margins. I used to feel really embarrassed about that, until just recently I was reading an article that said "deep reading" was going the way of the dodo bird. (For those of you who don't know, the dodo is extinct.) They mentioned things like re-reading, making connections to previous parts of the book, and taking notes when they described deep-reading. I was so relieved! I thought I was just slower than everyone else! But now I realize I'm probably just doing more than a lot of people when they read. It's great to just read for pleasure, without analyzing deeply, etc. But I just find that kind of thing a lot of fun. It's like when I watch a movie: I need to talk about it with someone so we can discuss the artistic qualities of it and the acting and the plot, etc., and if there is a moral, what it is, etc. I guess it just makes it more fun for me.
Anyway, on with the list!
Non-Fiction
The Last Empty Places by Peter Stark (Already started it. It is sooooo good so far!)
Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal history of Elegant Delights by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins
Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family by Patricia Volk
Classical Tradition by Anthony Grafton
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Fiction
Room by Emma Donoghue
Solar by Ian McEwan
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Poetry
Newspaper Blackout by Austin Kleon (I'm really excited about this one!)
God Damsel by Reb Livingston
Plays
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
What are you reading?
6 comments:
Where are you in the Doc Martin series? We're a few episodes in to season 2. Great show!
J reads quite slowly and it's because I've noticed how much more he retains from what he's read than I do that I want to follow his example and slow down. He's reading Unbroken right now. I'm still reading (and loving) Hare with the Amber Eyes and just started True Grit.
I'm into Season 4. I know--I have no life. But I do have Doc Martin, so I'm okay with the trade off.
Mum gave Unbroken to Mike for Christmas and I've been rubbing my hands together thinking about reading since I read the synopsis. If Hillenbrand writes this one as well as she did Seabiscuit I know I'm going to love it!
Lord Of the Flies should go quick for you, even if you deep read you'll finish it quick because it's short.
I may steal some books off your list...
I'm interested in your short stories. Where do you submit them? Would you be ok with maybe posting one for your blog readers to enjoy?
Yeah, I might post one. I don't know yet. We'll see how it turns out. I submit them to different places.
I just finished Unbroken--very well written and just an incredible story. I can't say I loved it-it is too filled with tragedy for that--but it is both a wrenching and inspiring witness for the healing power of forgiveness.
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