You can tell it’s been a busy and distracted summer when I lose track of what I’m reading. I have been reading, but finishing…? Yeah, not so much. I’m currently reading eight books, predominated by non-fiction. One’s been on my pile for almost three years, so I REEEEEEALLY need to just set some focused time aside and plow through it before December. I think I can knock out two this month, which would be better than nothing, and then come September, I’ve really got to redouble my reading focus.
Notes:
Verbalize – I’ve had this one set aside for a while. While there are some ideas in it that resonate with me, I’m not 100% sold on it. But I’m over halfway through, so I really do need to just buckle down and wrap it up.
The Glass Blowers – I’m nearly done with this one! I picked it up to balance out the mass of nonfiction I’d gathered on my side table and I’m so glad I did. It’s one of those books you almost want to sneak away from friends and family just to get a few more pages in. It was a bit of a slow start, really establishing the “normal” prior to the shift into “revolutionary” but it’s worth the set up. While I’m not sure I like it better than I liked Rebecca, it’s a fun read so far.
The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony – And the record for longest stay on my “currently reading” list….! It’s such a wonderful book, and it makes me think all the time while reading it, which is why it’s taken so long. Every couple of pages, I want to stop and ponder for a while, but it’s time to wrap this one up. Seriously, ALMOST THREE YEARS? Geez…
Eiger Dreams – I love Jon Krackauer’s writing. Whenever I need some adventure escapism, I head for his work, and this book is no different. It’s a compilation of his articles, and each one–though often different in tone–is so engaging. I could probably finish this one pretty quick, too!
Boy, Snow, Bird – This one’s slowed down only because I can’t read it before bed (last time I did, it actually gave me my first nightmare in quite a while!). But it’s a beautiful book, and I was thrilled to see a reference to Lake Quinsigamond here in Worcester! What are the odds? But it’s a fascinating read, and I do look forward to having more during-the-day reading time once Bee-Bug starts school again.
Climate Change – Haven’t gotten too far yet in this one, just cracked the introduction, but it’s engaging in that horrifying reality kind of way. But I feel like it’d be a good one to have under the belt. It just needs a little focused attention.
Homo Deus – I’ve gotten through the intro on this one, and it was riveting, so I’m looking forward to spending more time on it.
Ten Arguments […] Right Now – I picked this one up on the recommendation of Warren Ellis’s newsletter (which is brilliant and a wonderfully curated look into the comics world and modern futurism). It’s an interesting read, though I’m not convinced it’s discussing much I didn’t already know about (largely though Ellis’s writings!) social media and its messy elements. I’m not sure I’ll be fully deleting my FB account anytime soon, but deactivating it indefinitely? Yeah, I might consider that. Also close to finishing this one!
Maggie Slater 