A New Reading Project is Born!

I packed up some of my unread books for my year of (partial) isolation. Another group of books to read, another reading project is born! At first I thought listing all of these books and checking them off would be the challenge, but now I think it's just the books read while I'm living alone in this apartment. This could be my chance to be a little more intentional. This could be the time to take in the big serious books that I've had for years. more focused and intentional reading will give me some direction and purpose. I will start a Goodreads shelf. Alta Clearwater.

I actually toured the apartment this week. It feels real now. Moving was still an abstract idea in my previous post. I'm not as worried about low mental energies now. I will be very surprised if my new job is as taxing as my current one. I won't be dealing with a massive organization that can't get out of its own way. I should be able to take on big fat books.

I managed to finish a book this week. I got to the end of The Heart of the Matter on the plane ride home. It was decent but not as good as other books on the Modern Library 100. The religious aspects of the character's motivation felt out of place. The attitude toward the native Africans is widely out of sync with current sensibilities, which is a plus. I should change my 3 stars to 5 just to give it a boost to keep this problematic book on the radar. This is the 51st book of the Modern Library 100 that I have read. (3 more needed to complete a New Year's Resolution.)

I'm very close to finishing a library book. More on that when I get it wrapped up. A bit under an hour left according to the Kindle app.

Still exploring reading projects

The resignation email has been sent, and I'm getting more acclimated to the idea that I will be living in Florida. I'm getting excited about it now. My trip next week will be the first time that I really get to look around. This is a big step. Planning the ways that I will fill my time remains a big priority. Exploring the possibilities makes this time feel a bit less scary so it's an exercise worth pursuing even if several of the projects never come to fruition. 

I tried one of the Alexa Codex books after checking it out from the library. I like how it feels. I picked up the first book in the series at B&N on my way home from picking up my new car. (Total aside, I've been coasting for months and months. I should have bought a new car months ago. The direction and energy that step has brought is very surprising). (Second aside, I'm pretty deep into the beer tonight so this post may be a bit wonky from a structure perspective. My apologies.) I've been into 90s nostalgia recently. I found a podcast about songs of the 90s (60 songs to explain the 90s), I've been watching The Darkside of the 90s with T, and I've been digging into Radiohead. Is there a good list of essential books from the 90s? Yes, there are actually several. I haven't found one that really resonates with me though. Roth's books are part of several lists so I could pursue that project. Wikipedia lists 29 books (according to my slightly drunk count). I have read 2 of them according to my Goodreads list. I may have read The Ghost Writer and Goodbye, Columbus, but I am not 100% certain of that. There are other reading projects that are more pressing and where I already own the books, but I am intrigued. 

Looking over some of the lists reminded me of several books that I saw on the shelves while I was in mall bookstores in the 90s. The English Patient was very big during that time. I checked that out from the library once but didn't really get very deep. Infinite Jest is a big 90s book. I own it. I suspect I will never read it (this is the kind of reading project I should be pursuing). The Perks of being a Wallflower is something that always caught my eye but I have never actually considered reading. Don Delillo's Underworld is another prominent 90s book that I own and have never read. I've read lots of Cormac McCartney but I"ve never read All the Pretty Horses. I saw the trilogy for sale once but talked myself out of getting it (maybe it was a print book with all three novels, not sure). There are some good possibilities here. I may have to make my own list and add that to my many reading projects. Maybe I'll actually complete one some day!

I'm going to add a few of these to my Thriftbooks cart. That may be the first thing that gets ordered to my new apartment...

A Big Wrinkle

So I've accepted a job in Florida. I had to come to terms with spending several months apart from my family to make this happen, but I made it over that obstacle. (I will come back for frequent visits and they will come down to see me so it's not like I will never see them.) I will need to fill up my time away with plenty of stuff to keep their absence from my daily life at bay. I'm guessing that reading will be something that I use to keep my mind busy while sitting alone in my apartment. Bring on the reading projects!

I read over my previous reading project post to see what might look like something to pursue in earnest. Reading Proust is a possibility. Malone's Jefferson bio is also a possibility. The book lists are always fun pursuits, but I'm looking for something I can complete in the 9-10 months I will be on my own. Chip away at Book Shelf Zero. Set a number target? I thought I had no shot at getting below 140 by the end of the year. I'm at 160. Twenty books is a possibility once I'm down there in September. That's four months. That's roughly 16 weeks. I will finish a few books before I head down there. That's very doable.

I'm writing like I will have a huge surplus of time to read. I will be working, obviously. Working out is going to be an important way for me to moderate my stress and empty feelings from separation. I may not have the mental energy to read (that has been a huge issue for the last year and a half). I will be talking to my wife and kids. I plan on writing them emails pretty regularly. I expect my weekends will be empty and that's when I will spend more time reading. I worry about what I will do on the weekends that I don't come back to visit. Looking for houses and exploring will take up some of that time. I may visit Disney if I end up getting an annual pass (and they lift the new mask requirements). Reading will be what I can do to fill the empty time.

Easier reading than Proust may be the better choice. Finish Drizzt? That's a 20 something book series. They are pretty short too. I could read one over the weekend with a little effort. That's progress on the SF list so there's double progress. There are plenty of series in that list that I could pick up. That may be the right place to start. Maybe I can transition to heavier fare after I have adjusted to my new job and have learned to live without my wife and kids in my life everyday. That feels like the ticket. Which one? I think I would prefer thin books over big fat ones. That lowers the chance of me picking a fat series like The Sword of Truth or The Outlander. The Vorkosigan Saga looks like it has shorter books. I'm intrigued by The Codex Alera, but they are fat books. Maybe that's not so bad? Drizzt books are short. Mixing a couple of series could be a way to things fresh. I really need a series like the Wheel of Time. That was a fun read. I couldn't put the books down. That's what I need. Something engrossing to keep me distracted from being away from my family. Maybe this Codex series is the way to go. I may just have to get one to check it out...

157, for now anyway

The quest continues. I finished reading the first volume of Duman Malone's lengthy biography of Thomas Jefferson about a half hour ago. A small step, but it's a step in the right direction. A part of me knows that Bookshelf Zero will never happen, but I don't see that as a reason to stop making my to-read pile as small as possible. I will keep reading, buying, and recording each book I finish and buy in whatever tools are availabe at the time. My New Year's Reolution to get my to read pile down to 140 plays its own role in my desire to keep reading while resisting the urge to buy. A related reolution, finishing a fantasy series, is guiding me towards my next reading seelction. I'm leaning towards Silverthorn. This is book 3 in the Rift War Saga. I borrowed books 1 and 2 from the library earlier this year. I picked up Silverthorn at 2nd and Charles. After thinking I had all the time in the world to get back to the series, I realized that we are already to June. Silverthorn isn't particualry long. I should be able to get through it fairly quikly (assuming it's mildly entertaining). My goal is to have it finished before we leave for Disney in not quite 3 weeks. I think this is a highly doable goal. I had my summer reading list last yeat. I forgot about that list until I was reading my old posts earlier this evening. I don't know if I want to make a list for this summer, but I have a few directions I would like to pursue after I finish Silverthorn. I have some good library books in my Kindle. I have a history of Jazz that I would like to read. I'm interested in teh subject, but I also want to read the author. I followed him on Twitter until I delected my account (I still pop in using the web browser) and always enjoyed his posts. I have volume 2 of the Jefferson bio. I would like to maintain that momentum. I bought a couple of Modern Library 100 books late last year. They are both laying low in the garage. One or both of those could be amusing reads. I always think I should read Don Quioxte while I'm at Disney World. He's part of the Small World ride. It's a long book that I will probably never read, but maybe I'll at least pick it up and read a few pages. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. I bought the Stormlight Archives book 1 and 3 at some point last year. Book 1 was for my son to try. He has read other Sanderson books and enjoyed them. Book 3 was for me. I listened to the audio version right after it came out. I have hesitated getting the Audible version of book 4 as I haven't been making much progress with audiobooks over the last year or so (although I'm really enjoying The Hunt for Red October). I wanted to go back through book 3 before consuming book 4 in whatever media I eventually end up choosing. I have been read a chapter or so in the morning. I could be reading something new, but I like revisiting a story. I can dip in here and there and keep the handle on the overall arc and flow. It will take me months to read the whole thing at my current pace. It wouldn't surprise me if I end up making it my primary reading book and just get through it quickly.

Life sucks at the moment (thanks COVID)

I committed to commenting on my new unread book total of 152 at the end of my last post. So here's my comment, getting to Book Shelf Zero just isn't my number one priority at the moment. In the midst of COVID hysteria, I needed something to look forward to. Waiting for books to arrive is a great joy, far more joyful than it deserves but that's just how I am, so I ordered some books that looked interesting. I've mostly bought nonfiction titles. I'm talking hard core academic history titles. I finished one of them earlier this week. Tobacco Culture. It's about the mindset of the great planters in Virginia prior to the Revolution. It was an interesting and fun read. It was also really short which is definitely a plus. I'm planning on reading a few more before I buy again though. 

I'm actually finding it very hard to fit in reading time right now. I spend way too much time playing Dr Mario on my phone or scrolling through Twitter. The game is fun but Twitter can be obnoxious. I am so thoroughly and utterly over the social distancing and flimsy talk of people's safety that I just about can't stand it. We have so over reacted to the virus that I find myself more aggravated than I would prefer. I've never really struggled with mental health, but this damn situation has me feeling more depressed and defeated than I can remember. I still read and exercise and do those kinds of things, but it's more from habit than a desire to really get out and improve myself. It's just so hard to escape the negativity and malaise. All of my usual escapes have been contaminated with the insanity of trying to control the virus (an utter waste of effort). The little gaps in my day where I was able to clear my head have also disappeared as I'm working from home and my kids are here with me everyday (with today being an exception with one of them at a friend's house and the other at her summer camp). I should be at the gym, but I decided to write this first. I'm not very motivated to exercise, but I always feel better after I've lifted or run a couple of miles.

A brief note on reading before signing off. Not sure what physical book I will read next. The wife suggested something I've owned for a long time. Based on a previous evaluation, I think the longest tenured book in my collection may be Crime and Punishment, but it could be Don Quixote. Neither sound particularly inviting at the moment. Maybe I'll just scan the shelves and see what jumps out at me. I read the first Witcher book after borrowing it from the library. I watched the Netfilx series and enjoyed it. The book was good too. I have the next one borrowed already. The clock is ticking so I need to get to it before it goes away!

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.

Mid May isn't so bad

So much for not buying any books this year. Thanks thriftbooks.com. I checked out the site after seeing a picture that somebody posted of a photograph stuck in a book that was just delivered. I had read a column about some book that dealt with European revolutions. Was that book available on this thriftbooks site? Yep, it was under $5. In the shopping cart. What about that big Jefferson bio, the 6 volume one? Volume 1 is on the site, also for under $5. I sat on those a few days, added a history of jazz by this guy I heard on the Conversations with Tyler podcast who has a good Twitter a few days later, and finally gave in and made the purchase. I blame the coronavirus. I have so little going on in my life right now. I just wanted something to look forward to (and I always look forward to new books being delivered).

A big part of the book being delivered fun is tracking their progress from wherever they originate to my door. All three of these shipped from different places so that makes it three times the fun! I was looking at the European revolution book and noticed that I bought book 2 rather than volume 1. Whoops. No problem. Volume 1 is on the site and also under $5. I get free shipping if I spend more than $10. I found a book from this list of contemporary books over 500 pages worth reading and added to more books to my haul. So much for my new low. I'm not really bothered by it at all. 

That list of long books worth reading also provided my introduction to my most recent finished book. Life After Life. I got it from the library. It took me a few chapters to get into the flow, but once I picked up on the structure, the book really started to resonate with me. The whole killing Hitler thing is a bit cliche, but it's kind of done and discarded so it's not really the center of the book. Urusula leads a few very painful lives. It's not all roses (well, she also dies frequently so there's that). It was a worthy read. The list held up for my first book selected (I have read a few already on the list, including the recently finished Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, so I knew that the taste level was pretty high. It's not a list I will be pursuing in completion though. I already have enough reading projects ongoing. 

I guess we can add the Malone bio to the list of reading projects, although that may be a bit premature as I only acquired the first book a few hours ago. It's fun to embark on a new reading project. I guess the ones worth doing get finished and the bad ideas get dropped. I haven't read one of the Modern Library books in over a year. Thanks to Drizzt, I'm still chipping away at the NPR list. The 21st Century Canon and that long books worth reading list have a few overlaps (like Middlesex, a book that constantly pops up as something worth reading that I just haven't gotten around to yet, I bet it's on thriftbooks.com). I expect that I will keep whittling those lists down over time. At least they can't get any bigger. 

A brief update before I go on the audiobook realm of my book life. I have stuck with Alexander Hamilton. It's a surprisingly engaging book given that it's a biography. The fact that he emerges as Jefferson's rival (and that he just leads an interesting life that has been told well in Chernow's hands) makes the book an interesting counter to my other readings. I hit a bit of a dreary section in the post-War years, but I have been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack on my runs and that has shown me what lies ahead if I can push through Hamilton's early career as a lawyer. The book and musical are nicely reinforcing so the songs provide a fun way to review what I've heard while giving me a sense of what's to come. Maybe I'll finish it before all this COVID BS resolves itself (I will be surprised if I I finish it in a world that looks similar to what we were in a few months ago).

Book Shelf Zero: 147