This meme thing really had me thinking, and I’m still thinking. It’s funny how reading comprises this huge part of my life, a part that is mostly private and secret, because it happens in the arena of my mind, and sometimes, even the author is forgotten and left out. But I read ALL the time, and I always have. If I don’t have a book to read, I get all snippy and snarky, I can’t go to the bathroom, and I can’t fall asleep at night. I can’t tell you how many accidents I’ve almost had rushing about looking for something to read in the lavatory, and I’m not talking about the accidents one has just rushing. No, the other kind of accident. And then I think about all the mind-candy books I devour on a weekly basis, just to feed the habit. The ones I don’t post on the "What I’m Reading" typelist on the blog, because I’m rather embarrassed. Like, oh, you know, the Tea Shop mystery series, and those awful Jane Austen knockoffs where some silly woman who thinks too highly of herself decides to continue the Darcys’ story and have them solve mysteries. Yeah, I read those. I do actually read real books, but these are harder to find at the library. Sometimes, I am so desperate, I just close my eyes and point, and whatever I touch comes home with me. Part of my problem is that most books are just too short-over and done in a day. When I go on vacation, I always take the fattest, heaviest books I can find, because they gotta last.
For the past few years, I’ve been on a major travel-logue kick, reading everything I can get my hands on. I usually only like the ones written by women, because men are really boring when they travel. They talk about the history of the place, the dates, the actual distances travelled from here to there. The woman talk about the good stuff: what people are wearing, what they ate and how sick it made them, the funny encounters with the locals, their techniques for getting rid of unwanted male attention. I just can’t get enough. It only exacerbates my wanderlust, but at least I have Something to Read.
So, I’m going to swallow my pride and actually start posting ALL the books I read, not just those I’m proud of. Don’t scorn me. I know you read drivel too!
So, what are you guys reading?
I’m reading The Children of Hurin, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (leading a study group) Prayer by John Bunyan, and I’ve also been rather neglecting a biography of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
I am learning that I am a selfish, impatient reader. I try to read too much at the same time. I have promised myself not to start another book until I finish these.
Except that we are nearing the end of our study of Evangelism and the Sov of God and so I’ll be reading a couple of Boice books that have been suggested as our next book to study so that resolution didn’t last long, did it?
Currently, I’m reading A Certain Justice by P.D. James, a part of her Adam Dalgliesh series. Murder most foul. Who done it?
I love PD. I think they made that particular book into a Mystery on PBS–very well done. I love Adam Dalgliesh–my favorite is The Murder Room, I think.
Kim, is THe Children of Hurin more like the Silmarilion or like the history/notes volumes like the Books of Lost Tales, etc? I might have to look into getting that one!
I am reading The Children of Hurin, too. Also reading The Practice of Godliness (part of a group study), Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, and What Jesus Demands from the World. The book meme forced me to bloglicly admit that I read the Harry Potter books. I don’t always list everything I’m reading. But I do list what I’ve finished so that I have a personal record of it by the end of the year.
I am reading “The complete guide to aerobic dancing” that we got at the book sale today- muhahahahahha! It’s a great read, with the best pictures.