Reading: A Novel
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- Created on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 22:41
- Published on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 22:41
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Read any good books lately? I've been kind of on a roll this year catching up on my reading. Only you can never really "catch up" on reading because the more you read the more the list of books you want to read grows. It's a Catch-22 (pun intended).
I normally spend quite a bit of time online. I watch instant netflix movies and weekly rugby league games, take part in facebook discussions and tweet once in a blue moon, manage a few websites and send my share of e-mails. But most of my online time is probably spent on my obsession with books. I research books and read reviews at goodreads, amazon, audible, barnes and noble, the new yorker and more. I share my own pitiful reviews and take part in conversations at goodreads. And I search for books in the library catalog, e-bay, amazon, abe books, etc. as well as in person in library book shops and thrift stores. I even share books through goodreads and lendle. And yes, I read books. I read fiction and non-fiction, hard and soft cover, books with actual pages to turn and e-books, books I have to use my eyes to read and audible books.
I was just about finished reading through Newsweek's list of the top 100 books (I've still got 14 to go) when I detoured and began reading all kinds of new genres. I am still plugging along on Anna Karenina and Churchill's books on The Second World War, but I'm easily distracted. Let's face it, I can read either of the aforementioned books for an hour at a time and my Kindle will tell me that I've completed another whopping 5% of the book. Whereas I can pick up practically any book from the "new release" shelf at the library and finish the whole thing in an hour or two. It's tempting to say the least. And I have literally hundreds of books available at home but that doesn't stop me from reading the supposedly latest and greatest that I have to request from my library.
I've recently discovered young-adult fiction, which can be very absorbing, even for us old-timers, and I'm involved in an Aussie Author's Challenge to read as many books by Australian authors as possible. Erik Larson has piqued my interest in history and I've discovered some wonderful narrators who I love to hear read to me when my eyes are tired or otherwise engaged. But I guess I need to get back on the proverbial horse and finish up the Newsweek list since it's been just about two years since I started it.
And since I'm so accomplished at ranting, I must finish this blog with a book related rant. Why in the world do publishers find it necessary to include ": A Novel" at the end of practically every title of fiction? Is the average reader so dull-witted that they can't determine whether or not a book is a work fantasy or reality? Or maybe it makes the reader stop and take notice. It's not just a simple story, it's...a novel. Lit-ra-chur! I don't know why they do it, but I find it annoying.
I leave you with my latest reads from goodreads. If you don't already have an account, create one and join me there. Happy tales!
