What to read next?

[pegkerr]

Today was spent on little abortive projects, attempts to fight entropy, none of which resolved very satisfactorily. I took a bunch of baby stuff to a consignment store, hoping to unload it. They only took two items, for a very low price, but I took the money. Two less things to stumble over in the basement, anyway. Rob spent the afternoon yanking the old stove and oven out and preparing the space for the new one. New stove not in yet, must wait for caulk to dry. Progress, but it's not finished yet, and I haven't the faintest idea what to do with the cabinet we're displacing. One more thing to stumble over in the kitchen.

I planted the basil that I got about ten days, which is so wilted from being root-bound that I'm not sure it's going to survive. I've gotten a very slow start on gardening this year. It's been a cold spring, and frankly, I've been too depressed and lethargic to want to make the effort. The pink garden on the south side of the house is sprouting up, with some of the perennials I planted last year and a LOT of weeds. Must get that weeded, turned over and seeded, must plant the flowers by the garage, plant the rest of the vegetable garden, and put in the impatiens in the front garden. Oy. Must hope for better weather. And more energy.

I've finished reading my latest book and am at rather a loss over what to read next.



Ordinarily, if I don't know what to read, I go back to some old favorite, but right now I'm dissatisfied with re-reading. I re-read so much--some old favorites I've read dozens and dozens of times. But right now I'm impatient with myself for returning to the tried and true; it seems too easy, as if it's part of this mental stagnation I've been sensing in myself. So I'm going to try to force myself to read new. Lois has asked me to vett the next Chalion book and has sent me the first nine chapters. She'll want a report in a week or two, but I think I have time to squeeze in one or two other books first.

When I am trying to decide what to read next and am having a hard time of it, but I want to read something I haven't tried before, I will usually pick one from our autographed collection. We have hundreds of autographed books--four bookcases full, floor to ceiling. If I'm going to try something new, when I'm feeling brain mush, it often helps if it's by someone I already know and like, as a personal acquaintance, I mean. Sometimes I'm amazed at how many autographed books we have that I haven't had time to read, but we really know so many authors.

So I'll take a look at one of those shelves tomorrow.

Tired. I'm still way behind on my sleep. Night all.

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

We're working on having a Minn-stf garage sale, and that would be another opportunity to get rid of some of the extra stuff around the house.

K. [no dates or location set, as yet]

[morganmalfoy.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind me making a few suggestions, I'll reccomend some books. I really hate it when I get restless with my favorite books, because they really are all so lovely, but sometimes you just really want something new. I have to say that I love Paulo Coelho, he writes magical realism, and also some more traditional novel stuff. The Alchemist, By the River Piedra I sat Down and Wept, The Valkryies (sp?), and Veronika Decides to Die are all excellent, excellent books. The only onw I wouldn't really recommend is the Fifth Mountain, I never really got into that.

-M

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

If you can find it, I just finished a great book by Karen Tei Yamashita (who's the head of the creative writing department at my university -- not a coincidence, the book was assigned in my fiction writing class) called "Tropic of Orange." Really different book. Magical realism and diversity of all kinds. It takes place over seven days, during which time an orange goes from rural Mexico to the heart of LA, dragging the Tropic of Cancer with it. The LA it's set in is a very different LA than the one I've been to (I hate LA) -- it's an LA that I would actually like to live in (does it exist? Possibly not). Her characters are amazing and funny and alive, and the writing itself is just spectacular.

Also, I haven't read this but the author visited and read part of it and it sounded really interesting -- "Rolling the R's" by R. Zimora Linmark. It's a series of vignettes set in Hawaii. Of course, listening to an author read is always much different than actually reading a book, and Zack is particularly good at performing, but people I know who've read it have all had good things to say about it.

Stacy