Any of you slightly older folks notice any changes in your reading taste?
I’m getting this vague inkling that time’s a wastin’ and I might not be able to read every single book I “should” read, in this lifetime anyway.
There are about 60 books in my shelves reserved for unreads – a few in the horror-thriller genre – okay, about half, OKAY?!
But I also have The Madagascar Manifesto, the Queen Lucia series, more Cormac McCarthy, Edna O’Brien, Flannery O’Connor, Larry McMurtry, and a few from someone’s 1998 “best” list.
Auntie Pam, the answer is very simple: Quit your job and devote all your free time to reading those books. (yeah, right)
I try to put a moratorium on buying books, but it is impossible.What I do do is instead of buying the book on impulse at Borders or wherever, I write the title/Author/ISBN down and call my local used book dealer. She keeps an eye out for a used copy when it comes in and when it does, I usually get it for about $1.00.That way, I don’t feel so bad about the book laying around collecting dust until I can find the time or mood to read it.
I had over 75 books at least) in my “too read” pile and decided that since most of these books came with me in the move here (6.5 years ago) it was time to go through and weed them out. Though I am not middle aged, my reading tastes have gone from
reading books about Pirates and their wenches to Really Rich Lords who need to be taken down a notch and saucy vixens who are just the spirited lass to do the job. Gawd, it’s the basis of a bad porno flick, lemme tell you.
I long ago came to the realization that there are some things that I won’t be able to do. Some books I won’t be able to read, some places I won’t be able to visit, some subjects I won’t be able to learn. The list of things I’d like to do gets longer, but the list of things I can reasonably expect to do gets shorter.
Well, I love biographies, but it’s hard to read 'em more than once. There are certain books on my shelf that I re-read every few years:
Show Girl and Hollywood Girl (J.P. McEvoy)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Anita Loos)
Vile Bodies (Evelyn Waugh)
Tales of the Latin Quarter (Henri Murger)
Stanley Loomis’ French Revolution trilogy
Bulfinch’s Mythtology
Joan Crawford’s My Way of Life
. . . And lots more I can’t recall just now (I’m only on my first cup of tea, dears).
And while I am far too young to ever be considered middle-aged, I would like to second Canadian Sue’s contribution. I finished it about a month ago, and loaned it to a friend.
Now, whether or not he’ll ever read it remains to be seen. Some problem he has with books that are recommended by Oprah.
Also, Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom. Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t see it as a catalyst for a life change, just a wonderful book about two people who loved each other.
Big thumbs up on Benson’s Lucia books. You’ll LOVE them. Flannery O’Connor is another one you shouldn’t die before reading (Ooooops, cut a bit to the quick with THAT comment, didn’t I?).
I’m reading Cyril Connolly’s THE UNQUIET GRAVE at the moment, which is a book I couldn’t have come anywhere near understanding at 25.
