On Sunday, I named Infinite Jest as a book readers can benefit from dipping into, even if they never read it straight through to the end. Today, I’m prepared to elaborate on why. Continue reading “On reading the first chapter of Infinite Jest”
My February reading roundup included almost as many DNF titles as it did completed ones. Typically, DNF implies a book and reader failed to connect on some level. Conventional wisdom says if we love a book, we read it from beginning to end, possibly without putting it down. Not finishing a book must mean something went wrong along the way. Continue reading “Reading Interrupted: BFD to the DNF”
I know, I know – Why am I looking at new books when I’m supposed to be focusing on my own damn books?
I’ll tell you why: Because I don’t want to let any serious gems slip by me. I mean, they will, inevitably. Think of how many books are published every week! But I have this thing called a wish list, and every item on it is books plus acres of free time to read said books.
So while I’m no longer endlessly scouring every conceivable book list, I’m still taking a little time each month to review new books. Here are five that will join my wish list this month. Continue reading “5 new books to look for in March”
Children’s literature holds a prominent place on my reading list. Seven of the 16 books I’ve read this year are classified children’s or young adult novels. That tally will increase when I finish my current read, Alison Uttley’s charming A Traveller in Time
I’ve been thinking about what draws me to children’s literature because of a Guardian article I read, loved, and shared widely last year that came back into my life recently through Facebook memories. It was written by SF Said and is called “Children’s books are never just for children.” I agree! Obviously. Continue reading “Why read children’s literature?”
February delivered what feels suspiciously like a reading slump, but not exactly. I say “not exactly” because I’m still reading (what else is there to do? I have few other interests, really). But I’m distracted and a little bit restless.
#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks felt like my anchor and inspiration this month. When I struggled to focus on what the heck I wanted to be reading, I turned to the books that, at some point, felt like must-reads. That’s why they’re on my shelves, right? Some of them I read completely. Almost as many, I read only in parts. Continue reading “The unabridged list of what I read in February”
For some book lovers, a list of major no-nos would go something like this:
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: If you’re borrowing a book your generous friend (or library) has lent you, doing any of the above is rude. Yes, sometimes it’s fun to eat potato chips while reading, but not while reading someone else’s book.
Outside the context of a borrowed book, though, are these really so bad? I’m discomfited by the suggestion, for several reasons. Continue reading “Book lovers’ 7 deadly sins … or not?”
I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out which Gilmore Girls episode features The Polysyllabic Spree
Music by The Polyphonic Spree is featured in “Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller” (season 5, episode 1), but I have yet to find a reference to Hornby’s book. Was its inclusion on the official Gilmore Girls reading list a mistake, or does the book appear without a verbal reference? I dunno, but if you do, you are cordially invited to enlighten me.
In the meantime … whatever. The Polysyllabic Spree is on the list, and I embrace any opportunity to (re)read Nick Hornby. Continue reading “On reading Nick Hornby’s The Polysyllabic Spree”
It’s a curious exercise, thinking about why something moved you. Reading Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie
Do spoilers ruin a reading experience or just change it? Does knowing what’s coming in a story put one off reading it?
Thinking about these questions reminds me of something one of my favorite professors once said. It was during a Jane Austen seminar, and we were discussing Austen’s endings. “Reading a Jane Austen novel is like listening to a Mozart sonata,” he said. “You know where it’s going. The fun is in getting there.” His obvious point was that knowing the outcome doesn’t spoil the experience of reading her.
On that note, let’s begin with… Continue reading “Do spoilers really spoil a reading experience?”
Tributes have been pouring in for Harper Lee, who has died at the age of 89. I hope she will always be remembered for penning To Kill a Mockingbird, a great American novel if ever there was one.
For me, the soul of To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus, who showed us what empathy for all human beings, regardless of whether we agree with, like, or identify with them, looks like. Atticus represents the ideal of American justice, meaning equal treatment under the law for all. This doesn’t mean we all need to be exactly the same or live exactly the same way or believe exactly the same things. For Atticus (and how beautiful if for all of us) it does mean having one standard of treatment grounded in respect, love, and belief that all human lives are of equal value.
This is, I believe, the ultimate American ideal. Continue reading “Thank you for To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee”
