Reading Projects

Bookshelf Zero is not my only reading project. This is not news to the careful reader of the blog. I have my two Big Lists of books to read. The Modern Library 100 and the NPR list of science fiction and fantasy books. I added the 20th Century Canon list to my reading spreadsheet as well. I've mentioned those active pursuits, but I have a few other little projects going on at the same time. I've been saying I'm going to read Proust for years. I've read the first book and that took my 3 tries to get through. I own them so they are part of Bookshelf Zero. We'll see if that has an impact on my progress. I'm also working my way through a shelf of books in my garage (I think I've mentioned this one too). I had read zero of the books when I shelved them, I've read about half of them at this point. I intentionally picked books that I really wanted to read for that shelf so it's no surprise that I've made reasonable progress on this mini-project.

The reading project that gives my wife the most joy is my decision to read all of Dickens. I read some Dickens book one year and decided that I would set a New Year's Resolution to read all of his novels. I failed that resolution. I kept making it, eventually simplifying it to just reading one book in a year. I've read a decent number of his novels (I actually don't have a list of this one ongoing, that should change), but I haven't read them all...yet.

There are a series of books about the Civil War in Virginia. I've read the first two (maybe three) years (each book focuses on a single year of the conflict). They are short books composed of a a half dozen or so essays by academic historians. They are almost too easy to read. I should go back and read another one. They are engaging, informative, and not overly intimidating.

I've been working through the Flashman books for years. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this after finishing a couple of the books last year or the year before. The humor and creativity of the series was great in the first several volumes, but the series has gotten a bit formulaic and stale as I get near the end. Flashman's story bounces around chronologically so it's not like the series is building towards some big climax. I have two titles left. They are short, fun books. I just forget about them (and I have to buy the last two books as they are hard to find in libraries). I should finish just to say that I've finished the series. James Bond is in that same class. Short, fun, but getting a bit old as the series drags on (or, said another way, as the author gets older) but I should get finish it and move on.

I have finished some reading projects. I've been successful reading big series. The Wheel of Time, Malazan, Culture, and Harry Potter are all completed reading projects. I've read all four Lonesome Dove books too so it's not like I only read series in a particular genre. Although I do read plenty of fantasy series, like the Cold Fire trilogy. I somehow made it through John Dos Passos U.S.A. Trilogy. I was too politically naive when I read those almost 20 years ago. I would say that I should reread them but they were boring and I have better books to read. I read Rachel Cusk's Outline trilogy. That was an easy one. The books were short and excellent. Asimov's Foundations series is good, but the Red Mars trilogy got bogged down in the politics of the nearly immortal first settlers. Looking back on it is more pleasurable than the experience of reading the books. I'm pretty sure I've read all the Mitch Rapp books that Vince Flynn wrote (I haven't read any of the books written after he died).

More projects are always being considered as well. I recently bought the first volume of Malone's Jefferson biography. I feel like that's the one to read to really be up on my Jefferson knowledge. (Yes, I said bought, so much for no books in 2020, and it wasn't the only one.) That would be a new reading project (it's also a book acquisition project, that's certainly a key player in my pursuit of some of these series). I have jotted down a few books from a list of recommended Civil War books that I saw a year or so ago. I bought one of the books, still haven't read it though. I recently looked for a PhD reading list for the US colonial period, particularly Virginia and Williamsburg. Boston College has huge reading lists to help history PhDs get ready for their exams. Wow. These lists are long. I have a few of the books that I saw on these lists and they are not exactly short. Reading one of those would be a huge undertaking (but would provide lots of opportunity to acquire all kinds of fun new reading material!).

So I will just leave a brief note here that I have managed to finish Jefferson and Monticello. An excellent book, a very good recommendation by the tour guide. I have also bought 5 books. This Covid bullshit was just too much for me. I needed some kind of outlet. I found Thriftbooks.com and it was just too easy to acquire a bunch of fun books. I will list them once the two other books I just ordered arrive. It will be 7 in total. I'm back up to 152 once all is said and done. I will say more on this number next time.